Macho! Meet Leslieto, or Lito for short :p
And oh, here is one of the very RARE 'pacute moment' shot with the giant gumamela. Meet Lita :)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Picture Perfect: Meet Lito & Lita :p
My good friend and I went to Science Centre last weekend. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this picture. She suggested that the hair must be placed in front, and it did look more natural that way.
Macho! Meet Leslieto, or Lito for short :p
And oh, here is one of the very RARE 'pacute moment' shot with the giant gumamela. Meet Lita :)
Macho! Meet Leslieto, or Lito for short :p
And oh, here is one of the very RARE 'pacute moment' shot with the giant gumamela. Meet Lita :)
Monday, December 17, 2007
Stars and Videos
Another new hobby - starhunting :).. and video-ing
What I mean by stars are celebrities, big names in the Taiwanese singers/actors industry. Haha they do have mall tours sometimes here in SG. Dont ask me about US stars, they do come here for concerts occasionally but I dont think they do 'free' mall appearances.
My first episode is actually an 'errand'. Last Dec 7, my sister asked me to check her 'idol's appearances' in Bugis Junction mall. They are a group of 4 guys who won some singing competition search in Taiwan (ala American Idol) early this year. My goodness, I was there shooting and recording and I dont even know their names or how they look like, totally unfamiliar faces hehe. This first attempt was a disaster, ang labo ng mga kuha ko, shaky.
My 2nd episode is my own will :) I heard a new song from Michael Kuang Liang and learned from the radio that he's coming to promote his new album and upcoming concert. This time I was able to have better video captures of his appearance in Square 2 mall. (a never-heard mall, luckily I found my way). Shucks napagastos na naman ako, his live performances were great that I feel I couldnt miss his concert, wah but I just book the cheapest one haha. :p
Because of this, I opened my own youtube account to upload the videos that I shoot. my Chinese mediabox. Mahirap talaga magrecord. It's so hard to have steady hands as you have to raise your hands so high amidst the crowd, kakangawit. This site is exclusive! What you see here are not for broad sharing.
Here's a sample:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=71ygRyeQQDw
What I mean by stars are celebrities, big names in the Taiwanese singers/actors industry. Haha they do have mall tours sometimes here in SG. Dont ask me about US stars, they do come here for concerts occasionally but I dont think they do 'free' mall appearances.
My first episode is actually an 'errand'. Last Dec 7, my sister asked me to check her 'idol's appearances' in Bugis Junction mall. They are a group of 4 guys who won some singing competition search in Taiwan (ala American Idol) early this year. My goodness, I was there shooting and recording and I dont even know their names or how they look like, totally unfamiliar faces hehe. This first attempt was a disaster, ang labo ng mga kuha ko, shaky.
My 2nd episode is my own will :) I heard a new song from Michael Kuang Liang and learned from the radio that he's coming to promote his new album and upcoming concert. This time I was able to have better video captures of his appearance in Square 2 mall. (a never-heard mall, luckily I found my way). Shucks napagastos na naman ako, his live performances were great that I feel I couldnt miss his concert, wah but I just book the cheapest one haha. :p
Because of this, I opened my own youtube account to upload the videos that I shoot. my Chinese mediabox. Mahirap talaga magrecord. It's so hard to have steady hands as you have to raise your hands so high amidst the crowd, kakangawit. This site is exclusive! What you see here are not for broad sharing.
Here's a sample:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=71ygRyeQQDw
Options Trading
Options Trading Intro-Seminar
Date: Dec 6 (Thurs)
Speaker: Mirriam Macwilliams
Details (copied from brochure)
Profile: Mirriam MacWilliams
Chief Options Trainer of Wealth Mentors. She is a self-made millionaire. She made over US$2million in less than two years in the stock market with a starting capital of only US$10,000. A corporate high-flyer at the peak of her career as National Director of Education of an investment club in US, Mirriam gave up a jet-setting job and a six-figure annual salary for a little known and predominantly male-dominated area of options trading. She teaches strategies used by professional fund managers. Her forte is turning complex subjects into easy-to-follow step-by-step strategies that anyone can learn and use right away. She is the only wealth coach featured in over 7 episodes of Channel NewsAsia’s Prime Time Morning TV series where she shared her extensive knowledge of wealth creation.
What Will You Learn:
• How to multiply your wealth from the comfort of your home.
• Importance of picking the right stocks and knowing when to enter and exit
• How to achieve high returns with minimum risks
• Make profits regardless of market direction
• No need to analyze reports and news
• How you can assess a company’s fundamentals in 30 seconds!
• How to get powerful trading tools at zero cost
My take:
Trading is a very interesting and enticing thing to learn, but the course fee is really too expensive. It's more than enough for me to tour Europe! I dont know if people can really make money out of this. But it's really cool how Mirriam Macwilliams turned 10K USD to 2M USD in 2 years with just trading options.
Their website is full of testimonials of those who made money, even for those who has no financial background, housewives included, my goodness! They made 200% in a week's time. I was really swooped by their ads and attracted to sign up. I still have hesitations in mind, so I just let it pass, anyway seminar occurs every 4 months.
The seminar promises of teaching effective strategies on how to trade profitably. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, what will happen if everyone uses Mirriam's strategies, doesnt it have an effect in stock prices? I mean if majority are practicing the same tactics, there should be some negation? Or is it the other way around, making it more profitable. Wheew it's complicated hehe.
On the contrary, I tried researching for feedbacks in general for options trading seminars. Some are positive, while some call it a scam, rubbing people of huge amount of money but leaving them all the more confused with trade jargons. I really dont know.
I remembered one nice quote from Aaron (The CEO):
Luck is not random, it favors the prepared. ---Well said.
Funny incident:
That night after the intro-seminar, I was again in my deep thoughts mode, thinking about the things Mirriam said. From Hotel Furama to my home is probably a 1-hour ride (MRT+bus). It was only when I reach my place that I saw that the name tag given during the seminar was still pinned on my dress, good thing I have a jacket on that might have hidden some part of it - i hope. (Probably fellow commuters that night might have been glancing at me) Parang gusto kong makilala ako ng buong mundo, haha ewww.
Date: Dec 6 (Thurs)
Speaker: Mirriam Macwilliams
Details (copied from brochure)
Profile: Mirriam MacWilliams
Chief Options Trainer of Wealth Mentors. She is a self-made millionaire. She made over US$2million in less than two years in the stock market with a starting capital of only US$10,000. A corporate high-flyer at the peak of her career as National Director of Education of an investment club in US, Mirriam gave up a jet-setting job and a six-figure annual salary for a little known and predominantly male-dominated area of options trading. She teaches strategies used by professional fund managers. Her forte is turning complex subjects into easy-to-follow step-by-step strategies that anyone can learn and use right away. She is the only wealth coach featured in over 7 episodes of Channel NewsAsia’s Prime Time Morning TV series where she shared her extensive knowledge of wealth creation.
What Will You Learn:
• How to multiply your wealth from the comfort of your home.
• Importance of picking the right stocks and knowing when to enter and exit
• How to achieve high returns with minimum risks
• Make profits regardless of market direction
• No need to analyze reports and news
• How you can assess a company’s fundamentals in 30 seconds!
• How to get powerful trading tools at zero cost
My take:
Trading is a very interesting and enticing thing to learn, but the course fee is really too expensive. It's more than enough for me to tour Europe! I dont know if people can really make money out of this. But it's really cool how Mirriam Macwilliams turned 10K USD to 2M USD in 2 years with just trading options.
Their website is full of testimonials of those who made money, even for those who has no financial background, housewives included, my goodness! They made 200% in a week's time. I was really swooped by their ads and attracted to sign up. I still have hesitations in mind, so I just let it pass, anyway seminar occurs every 4 months.
The seminar promises of teaching effective strategies on how to trade profitably. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, what will happen if everyone uses Mirriam's strategies, doesnt it have an effect in stock prices? I mean if majority are practicing the same tactics, there should be some negation? Or is it the other way around, making it more profitable. Wheew it's complicated hehe.
On the contrary, I tried researching for feedbacks in general for options trading seminars. Some are positive, while some call it a scam, rubbing people of huge amount of money but leaving them all the more confused with trade jargons. I really dont know.
I remembered one nice quote from Aaron (The CEO):
Luck is not random, it favors the prepared. ---Well said.
Funny incident:
That night after the intro-seminar, I was again in my deep thoughts mode, thinking about the things Mirriam said. From Hotel Furama to my home is probably a 1-hour ride (MRT+bus). It was only when I reach my place that I saw that the name tag given during the seminar was still pinned on my dress, good thing I have a jacket on that might have hidden some part of it - i hope. (Probably fellow commuters that night might have been glancing at me) Parang gusto kong makilala ako ng buong mundo, haha ewww.
Western Cooking Workshop
Western Cooking Workshop (ala Wok with Yan)
Date: Dec 4 (Tues)
Chef: Richard Aw
What made me enroll in this 1-day course is because of the extra-ordinary menu. They have Roast Turkey with Stuffing and Chocolate Mousse. See, I always fancy the uncommon things :p Haha as if it's easy to find turkeys back in Manila. Turkeys always remind me of Mr Bean (if you've watched the Thanksgiving episode where he inserted his head inside the giant turkey). :)
The over-all experience:
1) I feel like I was watching Wok With Yan live! The chef is a Singaporean Chinese and has a cheeful look which really resembles Mr Yan. There is a wide mirror at the top of the demo area, for the audience to see what's cooking. (see, it's exactly like the live cooking shows you watch on TV)
2) I see a bunch of housewives, office workers, matronas, it's amusing to see them raising their hands to ask questions, standing up to go near the chef demo table every now and then, touching the ingredients, using phone cameras to take pictures. Kakatuwa silang panoorin.
3) There's free taste for all the attendees after every dish has been cooked! Funny thing was all the attendees seemed to be 'prepared' with food containers in their bags. Mukhng SOP ata yan d2. And lucky me, that day I brought baon to office so I had empty food containers as well haha. Sumptuous dinner ta-pao for me! :)
4) Regarding the food:
Roast Turkey - goodness, I don't know why it's so juicy. The chef only rubbed salt and pepper and roasted it in oven.
Turkey stuffings served with gravy and cranberry sauce and Mashed potato - the stuffings composed mainly of ground chicken and turkey liver and the seasonings. The gravy has XO sauce, bay leaf and MRT (funny term by the chef, stands for marjoram, rosemary, thyme). All together they make a perfect combination.
Chocolate Mousse - the process is so tedious, you keep on whipping while maintaining a gradually cooling temperature. Taste is nice. But if you ask me to make one, I think I'd rather pay 40php for a slice from Red Ribbon than going through the whole process hehehe. I heard that mousse is one of the most difficult to make in the pastry world
Kudos to Chef Richard Aw. I think I'll attend some more of his classes if I have the time. :)
Date: Dec 4 (Tues)
Chef: Richard Aw
What made me enroll in this 1-day course is because of the extra-ordinary menu. They have Roast Turkey with Stuffing and Chocolate Mousse. See, I always fancy the uncommon things :p Haha as if it's easy to find turkeys back in Manila. Turkeys always remind me of Mr Bean (if you've watched the Thanksgiving episode where he inserted his head inside the giant turkey). :)
The over-all experience:
1) I feel like I was watching Wok With Yan live! The chef is a Singaporean Chinese and has a cheeful look which really resembles Mr Yan. There is a wide mirror at the top of the demo area, for the audience to see what's cooking. (see, it's exactly like the live cooking shows you watch on TV)
2) I see a bunch of housewives, office workers, matronas, it's amusing to see them raising their hands to ask questions, standing up to go near the chef demo table every now and then, touching the ingredients, using phone cameras to take pictures. Kakatuwa silang panoorin.
3) There's free taste for all the attendees after every dish has been cooked! Funny thing was all the attendees seemed to be 'prepared' with food containers in their bags. Mukhng SOP ata yan d2. And lucky me, that day I brought baon to office so I had empty food containers as well haha. Sumptuous dinner ta-pao for me! :)
4) Regarding the food:
Roast Turkey - goodness, I don't know why it's so juicy. The chef only rubbed salt and pepper and roasted it in oven.
Turkey stuffings served with gravy and cranberry sauce and Mashed potato - the stuffings composed mainly of ground chicken and turkey liver and the seasonings. The gravy has XO sauce, bay leaf and MRT (funny term by the chef, stands for marjoram, rosemary, thyme). All together they make a perfect combination.
Chocolate Mousse - the process is so tedious, you keep on whipping while maintaining a gradually cooling temperature. Taste is nice. But if you ask me to make one, I think I'd rather pay 40php for a slice from Red Ribbon than going through the whole process hehehe. I heard that mousse is one of the most difficult to make in the pastry world
Kudos to Chef Richard Aw. I think I'll attend some more of his classes if I have the time. :)
The Science of Getting Rich
Science of Getting Rich (SGR)
Date: Dec 3 (Mon)
Speaker: Dr. Mel Gill
I attended an intro-seminar about 'The Science of Getting Rich'. It's a book written by Wallace Walters in 1909 and is now re-packaged into a 3-day course by a well-known writer/psychiatrist named Dr Mel Gill.
The learnings of this might be contrary to some beliefs (primarily Christian principles). But anyway, try to pick up something positive, I dont suggest researching deeply on it too much. Just keep an open mind.
Before I start, I just remember a quote I saw in TV before and I feel like putting it here :). It's rather a question. What would you do if someone is holding a knife in front of you? .... I'll answer the same question at the end of this entry.
Dr Mel Gill is a very good speaker. Someone who can sustain my attention span for 2 long hours, this is really something commendable as I didnt doze off a bit. And it's not often that a speaker can make me scribble down notes. :)
The subject matter is quite interesting as it is trying to find a common ground between science and the things that happen around us. Sometimes there are basic principles in life that we forget, and it's good that something like this comes along the way to remind us. Here are the perky comments:
1) Molecular Theory
Everything is energy. Physical matter is vibration.
E=mc2,mass is proportional to energy.
All thoughts are vibration or frequencies.
Thoughts and matter interact. Desires and memories are thought forms.
You can control your thoughts and motion.
Basically it means whatever is happening around you is just a form of energy. And you interact with everything in a sub-atomic manner and therefore you create your own reality.
2) Quantum Physics
Heisengberg Uncertainty Principle - expectations change the result of experiment.
Your brain is powerful and it can interact with everyting in a sub-atomic manner. It is never at rest even if you're asleep. It has the capacity to learn 17 languages.
3) Law of Attraction
You can attract in whatever you want, money, love, relationship, by using correctly the positive energy within you.
It's what you're thinking.
1% of population is getting 96% of the wealth - and this is not accident. There is science in this.
4) Practical Application
-Let your thoughts control your emotions which in turn will control your behaviours
-Look at the mirror and tell yourself 'life ahead is full of possibilities'
-Positive thoughts are 100X more powerful than negative thoughts
-Millionaire consciousness - they see everything as a challenge. They do things common people wouldnt do. They dare to find solutions to problems. And this makes them successful.
-Success is not really all about money. Inner happiness is the key to success
-Bring yourself in alignment with what you want.
-Find something that fuels good that resonates with your heart.
-How to lead a miserable life - count your troubles, name them one by one, at the breakfast table.
-Follow your bliss.
I just posted those not so 'off' statements. Though I think religious parties will be frieking on the whole subject matter because it sounds 'New Age', they dont believe there's God, it's all about 'You' changing your own destiny, you in control of everything. I agree with some points, but somehow I still choose to think that God does exist. Something for your judgment. Again, I am NOT a follower nor promoting this.
Going back to my previous statement about what I will do when I see someone holding a knife in front of me.
In my mind, my answer is run. I dont wanna get killed.
Not sure if you have the same answer?.....
The rest of the speech goes something like this.
'So you think this is a bad person, a murderer, a robber, a snatcher, or perhaps a rapist holding a knife, standing in front of you.
A knife seems to give you a shuddering feeling isn't it.
People tend to think things their way, the negative way first. There is nothing wrong with a knife. It depends on how you use it.
Knives aren't just used to take someone's lives.
A doctor uses a knife during surgeries to make his patient's life longer.
A chef uses a knife to cook your favorite dish.
A soldier uses knives or similar weapons to protect his country from harm.
Why havent you thought about doctors, chefs and soldiers, and you just remember the murderers?
Just two things: most of the things are not absolute negatives. And dont always think of negatives, see the whole picture first.
That is something striking, at least for me. Eye-opener.
So whatever comes your way, keep an open mind. Discern for yourself what is good and you may retain those. The rest you may just throw away. Makes sense to me. :)
Additional info:
How I get to know this seminar?
I was in MRT, and the person beside me is reading a newspaper. I happened to glance upon the ad and then I memorized the website and searched for it when I reached office. In short, nakisilip lng sa dyaryo ng iba hehe. Life is full of coincidence. :)
Did I take the course?
No I didnt :), the 3day course costs 3300 USD by the way, and they're offering at a discounted price of 1700SGD for that night only. They do have cool ads. See this one below which I copied from the brochure. How amusing to relate the course fee with doughnuts and coffee.
Excerpt from the ad:
The Science of Getting Rich (SGR) is a full 33hours of a exciting seminar conducted over 3 days. Many International training companies charge $10,500 for this training, but for you, you will not have to pay $10,500 or $8500 or $6500 or even $4500 for this incredible experience. Your investment for this life-changing and transformative seminsar is only $3247. Let's put this in perspective - for the 16 weeks of this program, thhis is a little over $1.20 per hour - less than the cost of a doughnut and coffee! Would you be willing to puy your coffee money toward this life-changing experience?
Date: Dec 3 (Mon)
Speaker: Dr. Mel Gill
I attended an intro-seminar about 'The Science of Getting Rich'. It's a book written by Wallace Walters in 1909 and is now re-packaged into a 3-day course by a well-known writer/psychiatrist named Dr Mel Gill.
The learnings of this might be contrary to some beliefs (primarily Christian principles). But anyway, try to pick up something positive, I dont suggest researching deeply on it too much. Just keep an open mind.
Before I start, I just remember a quote I saw in TV before and I feel like putting it here :). It's rather a question. What would you do if someone is holding a knife in front of you? .... I'll answer the same question at the end of this entry.
Dr Mel Gill is a very good speaker. Someone who can sustain my attention span for 2 long hours, this is really something commendable as I didnt doze off a bit. And it's not often that a speaker can make me scribble down notes. :)
The subject matter is quite interesting as it is trying to find a common ground between science and the things that happen around us. Sometimes there are basic principles in life that we forget, and it's good that something like this comes along the way to remind us. Here are the perky comments:
1) Molecular Theory
Everything is energy. Physical matter is vibration.
E=mc2,mass is proportional to energy.
All thoughts are vibration or frequencies.
Thoughts and matter interact. Desires and memories are thought forms.
You can control your thoughts and motion.
Basically it means whatever is happening around you is just a form of energy. And you interact with everything in a sub-atomic manner and therefore you create your own reality.
2) Quantum Physics
Heisengberg Uncertainty Principle - expectations change the result of experiment.
Your brain is powerful and it can interact with everyting in a sub-atomic manner. It is never at rest even if you're asleep. It has the capacity to learn 17 languages.
3) Law of Attraction
You can attract in whatever you want, money, love, relationship, by using correctly the positive energy within you.
It's what you're thinking.
1% of population is getting 96% of the wealth - and this is not accident. There is science in this.
4) Practical Application
-Let your thoughts control your emotions which in turn will control your behaviours
-Look at the mirror and tell yourself 'life ahead is full of possibilities'
-Positive thoughts are 100X more powerful than negative thoughts
-Millionaire consciousness - they see everything as a challenge. They do things common people wouldnt do. They dare to find solutions to problems. And this makes them successful.
-Success is not really all about money. Inner happiness is the key to success
-Bring yourself in alignment with what you want.
-Find something that fuels good that resonates with your heart.
-How to lead a miserable life - count your troubles, name them one by one, at the breakfast table.
-Follow your bliss.
I just posted those not so 'off' statements. Though I think religious parties will be frieking on the whole subject matter because it sounds 'New Age', they dont believe there's God, it's all about 'You' changing your own destiny, you in control of everything. I agree with some points, but somehow I still choose to think that God does exist. Something for your judgment. Again, I am NOT a follower nor promoting this.
Going back to my previous statement about what I will do when I see someone holding a knife in front of me.
In my mind, my answer is run. I dont wanna get killed.
Not sure if you have the same answer?.....
The rest of the speech goes something like this.
'So you think this is a bad person, a murderer, a robber, a snatcher, or perhaps a rapist holding a knife, standing in front of you.
A knife seems to give you a shuddering feeling isn't it.
People tend to think things their way, the negative way first. There is nothing wrong with a knife. It depends on how you use it.
Knives aren't just used to take someone's lives.
A doctor uses a knife during surgeries to make his patient's life longer.
A chef uses a knife to cook your favorite dish.
A soldier uses knives or similar weapons to protect his country from harm.
Why havent you thought about doctors, chefs and soldiers, and you just remember the murderers?
Just two things: most of the things are not absolute negatives. And dont always think of negatives, see the whole picture first.
That is something striking, at least for me. Eye-opener.
So whatever comes your way, keep an open mind. Discern for yourself what is good and you may retain those. The rest you may just throw away. Makes sense to me. :)
Additional info:
How I get to know this seminar?
I was in MRT, and the person beside me is reading a newspaper. I happened to glance upon the ad and then I memorized the website and searched for it when I reached office. In short, nakisilip lng sa dyaryo ng iba hehe. Life is full of coincidence. :)
Did I take the course?
No I didnt :), the 3day course costs 3300 USD by the way, and they're offering at a discounted price of 1700SGD for that night only. They do have cool ads. See this one below which I copied from the brochure. How amusing to relate the course fee with doughnuts and coffee.
Excerpt from the ad:
The Science of Getting Rich (SGR) is a full 33hours of a exciting seminar conducted over 3 days. Many International training companies charge $10,500 for this training, but for you, you will not have to pay $10,500 or $8500 or $6500 or even $4500 for this incredible experience. Your investment for this life-changing and transformative seminsar is only $3247. Let's put this in perspective - for the 16 weeks of this program, thhis is a little over $1.20 per hour - less than the cost of a doughnut and coffee! Would you be willing to puy your coffee money toward this life-changing experience?
Personal Make-up Workshop
To be exact, my passion for learning was revived sometime mid-November. Since it's near holiday season, I couldn't find any new courses opening up. I just browsed thru the net and signed up for interesting workshops/seminars.
More fun coming up :)
Personal Make-up Workshop :p
Date: Dec 1 (Sat)
Yeah right, let's start with something no-brainer hehe. :p I joined a private make-up workshop with several Singaporeans and Indians somewhere in Stamford House in City Hall area. Funny was that I was chosen to be the demo model (my goodness ibang level!). Reason I think is because I was the only fair-complexioned Asian with double eyelids (talukap in Tagalog), they can experiment with more eyeshadow effects. Cool, that just made my day hehe! For info, Chinese really put a great DEAL about the double eyelid thing.. to the extent that they will plaster some flesh-colored tapes in the eyelid area to create the flap effect. And for info, yeah I have double eyelids, hindi lng ata halata minsan haha. Anyway, this was really a fun learning experience.
Sharing some of the tips:
1) for skin care, normally forehead will have dead skin cells and will cause uneven skin tone meaning forehead area has a darker shade compared to face area, you have to use exfoliant scrub weekly (exfoliants contain small particles that will lightly abrade off your dead skin cells)
2) before applying make-up, you have to apply moisturizer and eyecream. (this I didnt know) Its a no-no to apply make-up directly to skin because the particles will cause aging. make sure also that your make-up stuff contains only natural oils.
3) applying loose powder makes your make-up last longer
4) the most crucial in make-up is drawing your eyebrows. There should be a peak in the curve, somewhere 45deg of the corner part of your eyeball.
5) for eyecolor, be adventurous, experiment with different tones/layers.
Personally, I still prefer very light make-up. I looked strange after the workshop haha. :)
More fun coming up :)
Personal Make-up Workshop :p
Date: Dec 1 (Sat)
Yeah right, let's start with something no-brainer hehe. :p I joined a private make-up workshop with several Singaporeans and Indians somewhere in Stamford House in City Hall area. Funny was that I was chosen to be the demo model (my goodness ibang level!). Reason I think is because I was the only fair-complexioned Asian with double eyelids (talukap in Tagalog), they can experiment with more eyeshadow effects. Cool, that just made my day hehe! For info, Chinese really put a great DEAL about the double eyelid thing.. to the extent that they will plaster some flesh-colored tapes in the eyelid area to create the flap effect. And for info, yeah I have double eyelids, hindi lng ata halata minsan haha. Anyway, this was really a fun learning experience.
Sharing some of the tips:
1) for skin care, normally forehead will have dead skin cells and will cause uneven skin tone meaning forehead area has a darker shade compared to face area, you have to use exfoliant scrub weekly (exfoliants contain small particles that will lightly abrade off your dead skin cells)
2) before applying make-up, you have to apply moisturizer and eyecream. (this I didnt know) Its a no-no to apply make-up directly to skin because the particles will cause aging. make sure also that your make-up stuff contains only natural oils.
3) applying loose powder makes your make-up last longer
4) the most crucial in make-up is drawing your eyebrows. There should be a peak in the curve, somewhere 45deg of the corner part of your eyeball.
5) for eyecolor, be adventurous, experiment with different tones/layers.
Personally, I still prefer very light make-up. I looked strange after the workshop haha. :)
Realization: A New Passion
"I've been in denial for too long, one day I just realized I've been loving it and that I was wrong" :)
Whenever people ask me if I have plans to study, I always answer firmly with a 'No'. True. :p I always have this feeling like 'nalugi' or 'naka-quota na' for studying an extra year in college. And this extra year seems gruelling, that time my friends and my sisters got to enjoy all they want to do, while I might be somewhere else finishing theses. And studying this extra year didnt earn me anything nor did it give me a higher starting pay (and quite ironic - seems like whatever degree you take, 80% seems to end up in IT for practical reasons because IT provides a more decent pay in Manila)
Before I came to SG, people have been asking me if I plan to pursue MBA in SG. SG probably is the best country in Asia with well-known post-graduate schools. I still answered a firm 'No', I dont see myself studying. I know of several people who have flown to US or UK for MBA but still plans for long term settlement in Manila. My, i was thinking, how many local corporations can afford to shell out KK pesos to hire MBA holders back in Philippines? I remembered answering humorously, 'no i dont have plans to study, because practically speaking, if an MBA degree wont be able to add trailing zeroes (to the right of course) of my current salary, I won't bother anymore. I might as well use my time and money on other essential stuff'. :p
Few months ago, I attended a bible study session. We were asked to map our life's goals in the next 5 years. I dont know I just scribbled something spontaneuosly like 'acquiring new skills'. I was asked to explain afterwards, I said it's because I believe 'life is a continuous learning process, whether it's a business course, a sport or a music course, I still consider it as a skill that that is worth learning'. Then somebody commented 'hey I like what your wrote about life, it's encouraging'. Then I noticed the others were also smiling back at me. I suddenly had a nice feeling about myself, 'wow was it something great I just said'? hehehe
Right then I had some sort of flashbacks. I remembered in a Theology subject back in college, we were asked to create a blueprint of our whole life - it's like starting from childhood to education stage to career stage to marriage stage even up to death stage like what do you want to be written in your orbituary. I remembered I scribbled the same thing in marriage stage. I put there I want to be a housewife (which earned a few good laughs from my friends, haha who doesnt want to be a bum if given the chance dba :p) BUT I also added 'but not STAGNANT..' because I want to have this process of improving myself in different ways.
Funny that with those things in mind, I dont remember exerting any deliberate effort to learn something new after college. Apart from work and IT certification, I really havent acquired any extra skill. Well yeah I managed to enroll in a piano course and driving course, but I havent mastered or even learned on a decent level :p. To be honest, everyone seems to be always too busy in my previous company, and it's not exaggerated that you wont have time to pee in the busiest of days when project deadlines are piling up. My weekends were just devoted to REST, a rare (quarter or bi-annual frequency) out-of-town trip, perhaps some time to bond with family and close friends, and worst, sometimes on-call for work, loser me. :(
So what has strucked me in this long unawakend 'sleep'. After all the bungisngis encouragement from a few close friends, I finally started to have this passion for learning again. Most of it, I would have to give 'special credit' to a close friend who sent several 'disturbing' messages. Sinabihan ako ng 'sayang ang talino mo'. Goodness, I was like 'am I really wasting any talents, I dont remember being smart anymore, I feel that all my brain cells are not functioning already'. Seems like I was partly braindrained, I lost the enthusiasm. I was also inspired by a hausmate, a hot mama of 2 kids (hot mama because she taught me my first make-up skills hehe), a pharmacist by profession. She's so passionate about taking advanced studies related to micro-biotechnology abroad. I was like 'gosh this person is 14years older than me and yet she's more motivated to learn new stuff than anyone I know'.
Probably I really should make good use of my time in SG on worthwhile things, especially that I dont intend to stay long. Okay enough of the road trips and gimiks, let's learn something new. :)
But I STILL dont want to take up MBA hehe. I dont plan to kill myself studying and working at the same time. One of the reasons I went here is for work-life balance, and I dont plan to spoil that. :p I just want to take a few short courses that are purely of my INTEREST, regardless whether it does or does NOT add any value to my resume. Paradigm shift. Slight improvement. :)
This time I just want to learn, to follow where my heart tells me to. Striken by the learning bug. Gotta keep the fire burning while it still is. :)
Not everyone has the capacity to change a hardheaded person like me. In case you do, please dont exercise this brainwash thing on me, because I am vulnerable at times and will give in if you entice me to do so. :)
Whenever people ask me if I have plans to study, I always answer firmly with a 'No'. True. :p I always have this feeling like 'nalugi' or 'naka-quota na' for studying an extra year in college. And this extra year seems gruelling, that time my friends and my sisters got to enjoy all they want to do, while I might be somewhere else finishing theses. And studying this extra year didnt earn me anything nor did it give me a higher starting pay (and quite ironic - seems like whatever degree you take, 80% seems to end up in IT for practical reasons because IT provides a more decent pay in Manila)
Before I came to SG, people have been asking me if I plan to pursue MBA in SG. SG probably is the best country in Asia with well-known post-graduate schools. I still answered a firm 'No', I dont see myself studying. I know of several people who have flown to US or UK for MBA but still plans for long term settlement in Manila. My, i was thinking, how many local corporations can afford to shell out KK pesos to hire MBA holders back in Philippines? I remembered answering humorously, 'no i dont have plans to study, because practically speaking, if an MBA degree wont be able to add trailing zeroes (to the right of course) of my current salary, I won't bother anymore. I might as well use my time and money on other essential stuff'. :p
Few months ago, I attended a bible study session. We were asked to map our life's goals in the next 5 years. I dont know I just scribbled something spontaneuosly like 'acquiring new skills'. I was asked to explain afterwards, I said it's because I believe 'life is a continuous learning process, whether it's a business course, a sport or a music course, I still consider it as a skill that that is worth learning'. Then somebody commented 'hey I like what your wrote about life, it's encouraging'. Then I noticed the others were also smiling back at me. I suddenly had a nice feeling about myself, 'wow was it something great I just said'? hehehe
Right then I had some sort of flashbacks. I remembered in a Theology subject back in college, we were asked to create a blueprint of our whole life - it's like starting from childhood to education stage to career stage to marriage stage even up to death stage like what do you want to be written in your orbituary. I remembered I scribbled the same thing in marriage stage. I put there I want to be a housewife (which earned a few good laughs from my friends, haha who doesnt want to be a bum if given the chance dba :p) BUT I also added 'but not STAGNANT..' because I want to have this process of improving myself in different ways.
Funny that with those things in mind, I dont remember exerting any deliberate effort to learn something new after college. Apart from work and IT certification, I really havent acquired any extra skill. Well yeah I managed to enroll in a piano course and driving course, but I havent mastered or even learned on a decent level :p. To be honest, everyone seems to be always too busy in my previous company, and it's not exaggerated that you wont have time to pee in the busiest of days when project deadlines are piling up. My weekends were just devoted to REST, a rare (quarter or bi-annual frequency) out-of-town trip, perhaps some time to bond with family and close friends, and worst, sometimes on-call for work, loser me. :(
So what has strucked me in this long unawakend 'sleep'. After all the bungisngis encouragement from a few close friends, I finally started to have this passion for learning again. Most of it, I would have to give 'special credit' to a close friend who sent several 'disturbing' messages. Sinabihan ako ng 'sayang ang talino mo'. Goodness, I was like 'am I really wasting any talents, I dont remember being smart anymore, I feel that all my brain cells are not functioning already'. Seems like I was partly braindrained, I lost the enthusiasm. I was also inspired by a hausmate, a hot mama of 2 kids (hot mama because she taught me my first make-up skills hehe), a pharmacist by profession. She's so passionate about taking advanced studies related to micro-biotechnology abroad. I was like 'gosh this person is 14years older than me and yet she's more motivated to learn new stuff than anyone I know'.
Probably I really should make good use of my time in SG on worthwhile things, especially that I dont intend to stay long. Okay enough of the road trips and gimiks, let's learn something new. :)
But I STILL dont want to take up MBA hehe. I dont plan to kill myself studying and working at the same time. One of the reasons I went here is for work-life balance, and I dont plan to spoil that. :p I just want to take a few short courses that are purely of my INTEREST, regardless whether it does or does NOT add any value to my resume. Paradigm shift. Slight improvement. :)
This time I just want to learn, to follow where my heart tells me to. Striken by the learning bug. Gotta keep the fire burning while it still is. :)
Not everyone has the capacity to change a hardheaded person like me. In case you do, please dont exercise this brainwash thing on me, because I am vulnerable at times and will give in if you entice me to do so. :)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Me and My Menu :)
Thanks to the photoshop guru who has given justice to my culinary prowess. :)
oops disclaimer again: I'm no expert, cooking is just a hobby. The text is just for fun, I'm not selling anything. :p Image is copyrighted! :)
oops disclaimer again: I'm no expert, cooking is just a hobby. The text is just for fun, I'm not selling anything. :p Image is copyrighted! :)
Friday, December 7, 2007
IT Blitz
Funny that I've been working for 4 years plus and I think my mom and sisters still dont know what specific IT crap am I dealing with hehe. Especially my mom, whenever someone asks her what's her daughter doing in SG, she will just say in Fookien 'typing the computer'. :p
What exactly is this 'typing the computer' for me? :) Just three key terms: Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, ETL.
Data Warehousing
A data warehouse is a subject oriented, integrated, time variant, non volatile collection of data in support of management's decision making process. It is a relational/multidimensional database that is designed for query and analysis. It usually contains historical data that is derived from transaction data
ETL (Extraction, Transformation, and Loading)
ETL refers to the methods involved in accessing and manipulating source data and loading it into target database.
Business Intelligence
Business Intelligence is basically using data to create reports that aid decision making capabilities. It could provide the aggregated details about suppliers, customers, internal activities, business to business transactions to the managers or whoever needs such reports to take better corporate/managerial decisions.
I was in my petix days and tried researching in the net for their accurate definitions. Something handy (maybe for interviews in the future? hehehe nah I dont have plans of resigning yet)
This just brings me back to the good old days (sometime grade 6) when I first learned typing skills. That time, still with a typewriter hehe. I used to hate practicing 'correct' typing because i felt that the ring finger and the little finger do not have enough force in them to press the keys, you know practicing the Q-W-E-R-T-Y etc. But good thing I did learn from it. To be honest, I find it funny whenever I see people (especially those in IT) typing with just the index finger or perhaps with the middle finger involved a little. Or sometimes you see the hands raising, jumping a bit, travelling from right to left, pressing whatever keys like the right index finger pressing the Q? (probably as what the heart tells them to?) Hehe sama ko ba? :)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Mysterious Drink
I won't forget something I laid my eyes on (because it doesnt happen so often :p), thus I normally wouldn't give up so easily. :p
Last Nov I went for a spa in Hill Street, City Hall area. Massage is okay, but I fancied more the service drink they give the customers before the session. It wasn't the usual tea, but rather a white suspension-like drink that is not too sweet. Somehow after drinking it, I felt relaxed. After the massage, I was given another cup again. I dont know whether if it just felt good drinking something hot after massage, or was it the ambience has contributed to the 'cooling' effect that this mysterious drink had on me. I looked for the masseuse and asked her what drink it is, she answered in Mandarin 'i-mi-cha', 'ba-li'. I smiled and said thank you, though deep inside I really wanted 'mangulit' about where can I buy those. Hehe I dont want to sound like a taga-bundok.
Days after I looked for this 'i-mi-cha' in groceries and chinese drug stores near my place, but to no avail. In Chinese, I just know 'i-mi' means some kind of grains, cha is tea. But I don't know what's the direct translation, what specific kind of grain. I didnt find any drink that is labelled 'i-mi' in those that I searched.
Good thing I also bought my friend a spa voucher who's scheduled to have her session after 3 weeks in the same spa salon. I didnt hold back and called my friend to ask the crew where to buy this mysterious drink, because I really couldnt find it. She was told that it should be available in groceries, the staff told her all the drinks that they serve are available here in SG.
So another attempt, I went to a big chinese drug store. Finally they do sell this drink, the attendant showed me several packs of this 'i-mi' drink. The label shows either 'Chinese barley' or 'Holland barley'. Finally I knew what this'i-mi' is in English. I was surprised to learn that it's just made of barley, I have tried cold lemon barley drinks in malls but I didnt find them spectacular. I even asked the staff if they sell other types of barley, 'Bali perhaps or Indonesian barley?', the staff shook her head saying she only knew 2 kinds. I was reluctant to buy it at first, because they only sell the unprocessed version --- meaning I have to boil the grains myself and add water and sugar. I was expecting something instant that I could just flush hot water into it. The staff looked nice, she told me maybe I can find instant barley drinks in NTUC which is just across their store, she also taught me how to prepare the drink. Because she was accommodating, I felt guilty walking out of the store empty-handed so I bought one of this Holland barley grain pack.
Yet indeed so true, in NTUC (big supermarket) they do have this instant barley drinks where you just have to pour hot water. Finally an answered question that has been bugging me for quite some time. Success! :p
As I walked out of the mall with those packs of barley drinks, I suddenly remembered and realized one thing. One BIG realization. After all these, it was really stupid of me not being able to connect the dots. The masseuse already told me what it is in the first place. It's 'ba-li'... My goodness, I forgot it's Singlish. 'Bali' is the same as 'barley'. Haha so nagpasikot-sikot pa ako for so long, ako pala ang SLOW hehe. Anyway, it was worth the effort. :)
Is 'Ba-Li' drink:) recommended?
- I am amazed why a hot drink can have cooling effect at the same time
- I find suspension drink as unique
- it's not too sweet, pag hndi matapang ang panlasa mo this suits you
- good for pasalubong, and it's not expensive
P.S. I recently went for a haircut and was surprised to be served another mysterious drink again. (Seems like SG shops treat their customers generously with nice hot drinks hehe) I've heard about processed dried flowers because it's quite popular here among the locals, but havent really had the chance to taste it since I find it a bit weird or unhygienic. This time in the salon, I saw some dried rose buds floating on my cup, the flowers look clean and drink looks appetizing though. It's served hot and the color is a bit light yellow. The taste is also good, accented with rose flavor. I've discovered a store in Toa Payoh that sells this dried flower drink, mostly chrysanthemum and roses. I'm sure my mom will be glad when I bring these 'mysterious drinks' home hehe.
Last Nov I went for a spa in Hill Street, City Hall area. Massage is okay, but I fancied more the service drink they give the customers before the session. It wasn't the usual tea, but rather a white suspension-like drink that is not too sweet. Somehow after drinking it, I felt relaxed. After the massage, I was given another cup again. I dont know whether if it just felt good drinking something hot after massage, or was it the ambience has contributed to the 'cooling' effect that this mysterious drink had on me. I looked for the masseuse and asked her what drink it is, she answered in Mandarin 'i-mi-cha', 'ba-li'. I smiled and said thank you, though deep inside I really wanted 'mangulit' about where can I buy those. Hehe I dont want to sound like a taga-bundok.
Days after I looked for this 'i-mi-cha' in groceries and chinese drug stores near my place, but to no avail. In Chinese, I just know 'i-mi' means some kind of grains, cha is tea. But I don't know what's the direct translation, what specific kind of grain. I didnt find any drink that is labelled 'i-mi' in those that I searched.
Good thing I also bought my friend a spa voucher who's scheduled to have her session after 3 weeks in the same spa salon. I didnt hold back and called my friend to ask the crew where to buy this mysterious drink, because I really couldnt find it. She was told that it should be available in groceries, the staff told her all the drinks that they serve are available here in SG.
So another attempt, I went to a big chinese drug store. Finally they do sell this drink, the attendant showed me several packs of this 'i-mi' drink. The label shows either 'Chinese barley' or 'Holland barley'. Finally I knew what this'i-mi' is in English. I was surprised to learn that it's just made of barley, I have tried cold lemon barley drinks in malls but I didnt find them spectacular. I even asked the staff if they sell other types of barley, 'Bali perhaps or Indonesian barley?', the staff shook her head saying she only knew 2 kinds. I was reluctant to buy it at first, because they only sell the unprocessed version --- meaning I have to boil the grains myself and add water and sugar. I was expecting something instant that I could just flush hot water into it. The staff looked nice, she told me maybe I can find instant barley drinks in NTUC which is just across their store, she also taught me how to prepare the drink. Because she was accommodating, I felt guilty walking out of the store empty-handed so I bought one of this Holland barley grain pack.
Yet indeed so true, in NTUC (big supermarket) they do have this instant barley drinks where you just have to pour hot water. Finally an answered question that has been bugging me for quite some time. Success! :p
As I walked out of the mall with those packs of barley drinks, I suddenly remembered and realized one thing. One BIG realization. After all these, it was really stupid of me not being able to connect the dots. The masseuse already told me what it is in the first place. It's 'ba-li'... My goodness, I forgot it's Singlish. 'Bali' is the same as 'barley'. Haha so nagpasikot-sikot pa ako for so long, ako pala ang SLOW hehe. Anyway, it was worth the effort. :)
Is 'Ba-Li' drink:) recommended?
- I am amazed why a hot drink can have cooling effect at the same time
- I find suspension drink as unique
- it's not too sweet, pag hndi matapang ang panlasa mo this suits you
- good for pasalubong, and it's not expensive
P.S. I recently went for a haircut and was surprised to be served another mysterious drink again. (Seems like SG shops treat their customers generously with nice hot drinks hehe) I've heard about processed dried flowers because it's quite popular here among the locals, but havent really had the chance to taste it since I find it a bit weird or unhygienic. This time in the salon, I saw some dried rose buds floating on my cup, the flowers look clean and drink looks appetizing though. It's served hot and the color is a bit light yellow. The taste is also good, accented with rose flavor. I've discovered a store in Toa Payoh that sells this dried flower drink, mostly chrysanthemum and roses. I'm sure my mom will be glad when I bring these 'mysterious drinks' home hehe.
Definition of Stress: Lost in Translation
Working/living abroad would normally mean preparing yourself for taking the public transportation, expect this to be a part of your daily life. Forget about your Toyota or Honda. If you intend to buy one here, it takes approx 3x of the normal price in Manila, every car is 1.5M up, it's like only buy one if you really plan to settle here as PR (permanent resident).
When it comes to commuting, generally i prefer MRT than bus. Recently I went for dinner with some friends in a resto near Paya Lebar MRT. We finished eating at around 10pm.
My idea of a less stressful way of going home is this route:
Bus from resto to Paya Lebar MRT (or walk is ok) - Paya Lebar MRT to Bishan MRT - Bishan bus to home. All will add up to around 30min.
However, the 3 other friends I was with have a different definition. They prefer taking bus over MRT, for the sole reason that they feel more 'relaxed' riding a bus since there is more probability of empty seats. Also, usually there's TV. (Note that buses and MRTs here are both air-conditioned and well-maintained, they are not like the shabby types back in Manila. In terms of cleanliness and temperature control, I would say they are 'at par' with each other)
Dont take me wrong, I also ride buses. I'd go for a bus if it's a direct bus (same bus all the way). In fact, I sometimes do wake up early intentionally to catch the company shuttle that takes me all the way to office.
Anyway, going back, here are my reasons for taking the MRT:
1) Anything that gets me home the fastest is the 'less stressed' way.
2) I don't mind standing in MRT, and 10pm is not part of peak hours at all, there is a high probability of empty seats.
3) I don't prefer buses because in almost every bus stop, people are alighting/going up, there are so many pauses/distractions/interruptions. It takes a longer time to bring you to your destination.
4) I don't like waiting indefinitely for a specific bus number to come, sometimes the intervals would take more than 15minutes. In MRT, probably the max waiting time is 7min
5) I don't like the feeling of so many 'jerks' every now and then -- yun umaalog-alog literally when a bus comes to a full stop.
Majority wins so we took the 'bus' route, here's the route:
Bus from resto to Paya Lebar MRT (+walking for 15 min to cross some skyway and find the bus stop) - bus from Paya Lebar MRT to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange - bus from Toa Payoh Bus Interchange to home.
Guess what, it took us 2 hours, the whole trip + waiting/queueing time! We reached home at 12midnight. The bus fares were not cheaper than the MRT way because there were 4 of us in this 'joy ride'. AND after all, we should have taken taxi right from the starting point.
So a total of 1.5 hours lost in translation. Whew!
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