Everything for everyone....

Pores......

2012-01-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

This article is useful not only for teens for woman who reach 35 .. haha

I do admit that by squeezing the white and black head is so tempting. getting rid of the dirt.. seem like a must ... But that also leave some scares... doing some reading if there are any technique to extract at home.

A pore-refining cleanser is one way to treat common pore problems

By Maui V. Reyes for Yahoo! Southeast Asia

You probably won't admit it, but we're pretty sure you've spent a considerable amount of time staring at your face in the mirror, in awe of how your pores seem to have gotten bigger. Or maybe you're having another acne flare-up, or some blackheads just decided to pop up the day before a big date.

Problematic pores can be caused by a bunch of factors. It could be hereditary (thanks, mom!), or caused by hormonal fluctuations (hello, puberty). Often times, it's because of bad skincare habits, such as sleeping with your makeup on, or forgetting to wash your face after hitting the gym.

Whatever the cause, everybody gets them at one point in their life. Here, a rundown of the common pore problems women face, and how to treat them.

Blackheads. They're those black spots on your face that you're just oh-so-tempted to pick, poke, or pop. These buggers are formed when pores (called comedo, or the sebaceous follicle) get clogged with excess oil, dirt, or bacteria. When exposed to air, this mixture of pure grossness oxidizes, which gives it that lovely black color. This formation of dirt and bacteria will continue to gather even more dirt and bacteria, making it harder, more solid, and more tempting to pick at.

Treatment: Fight blackheads with a pore-refining cleanser and exfoliate once a week—this cleans out the pores and gets rid of dead skin cells and whatever grime you've collected. If your blackheads still insist on taking up residence on your face, consider consulting your dermatologist about other possible treatments.

Whiteheads. With the co-existence of whiteheads and blackheads, we understand if you feel like your pores are playing a game of checkers on your face. Like blackheads, whiteheads are formed inside the comedo, except the opening is so small that air can't oxidize all the goo that got trapped inside. The result is basically the same dirt and grime trapped under your skin, except, well, it's white. We know it's tempting to squeeze your pores 'til your whiteheads emerge, but resist doing so. You've probably also seen extracting tools being sold in drugstores as "whitehead removers" (they look like a thin metal stick with a loop at the end)—resist buying those, too. Whitehead extractions should be done by a dermatologist, with the right sterile tools.

Treatment: To keep whiteheads at bay, treat them the same way as blackheads: wash with a pore-refining cleanser (ordinary bath soap just won't cut it), and exfoliate once a week.

Acne. Acne happens when your pores get clogged with excess oil, dirt, or pollution. Unlike blackheads and whiteheads, however, acne develops when the pores actually get infected because of all the dirt and grime—hence, the unflattering inflamed, red spot. Unfortunately, women get them more than men, thanks to hormonal shifts, which cause skin to produce more oil and sebum.

Treatment: How to keep acne at bay? First off, use a facial wash suited for your skin type. Facial washes targeted for specific skin types are formulated to balance out how much oil the skin produces. If you're dealing with hardcore acne, it might be a good idea to seek the help of a dermatologist, who can prescribe an anti-microbial cream to disinfect your zit. Worst cases of acne require an oral antibiotic.

Enlarged Pores. Nothing can betray a woman's age the way enlarged pores do. Your pores become bigger because of wear and tear—think makeup, pollution, and dirt that accumulate in your pores over time. Factor in the oil that your skin still has to produce, which exits through the pores! Imagine a plugged-up faucet: with no way for all that oil to exit, the skin "stretches" to make room for the excess oil. Unfortunately for you, that could mean clogged pores…which could lead to blackheads, whiteheads, and acne.

Treatment: So what's a girl to do? First off, don't go out under the sun without any sun protection: UV damage kills the collagen in your skin, a protein that helps keep skin cells strong and tight. Go for skin-firming serums and creams, and slough off dead skin cells with a light facial scrub.

Papules, pustules, nodules. Papules are small, solid bumps that appear in groups; pustules are bumps that contain white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria—making them look like whiteheads, but really, that's pus in there; and nodules are those pesky red bumps that are hard and painful to the touch. This trio certainly isn't a delight to have hanging around your face, but unfortunately, you can't get rid of them by yourself.

Treatment: Papules and pustules can be removed through light therapy, topical anti-microbials, or over-the-counter acne medications (ask your dermatologist what is best for you). Nodules, however, are deeply rooted in, and you might need a steroid shot to let them simmer down. Again, don't try to pop or prick them yourself—you will only worsen the condition by causing an infection!

How to extract white or black head

Do view her video.. I have yet to try it out http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-extract-whiteheads-and-blackheads-properly-77100/

Books to give away

2011-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

Hey dear all mummies daddies and kids,

I have some books to give away.............most children books.
Yes you heard it correct free give away.

some are hard covers , some are soft covers. no committments. I am just clearing my space for my daughter primary school books.

I dont mind posting to overseas .. but you have to pay for the postage by paypal. Cost varies but i believe it should be very low as normal postage by Singapore post. Kindly note that if package is lost... I will not be responsible so preference only collection from my block in Punggol 21 at my preference timing.

Preference only in Singapore. Kindly note that these are preloved books mean used books
Condition varies... some good, some very used, may be used for years etc...

Not for fussy user. I just think that it is good for kids to read more... We are fortunate in Singapore as there are national librarys where they have very good books.

Just like to share this with others... if you finish reading do pass on the books... Books are full of information and information do wonders to us.

Hope our kids will spread such good habits.

Do be positive stay happy... our mind is our own to control..
We can choose to be nice, be happy, be contented.

good day

How to get the book of your choice.. kindly just select suitable books for your kids or yourself.
Just post in some comments first with your name.. first come first serve then email me at quek_cf@yahoo.com with your name & your email with the comments .. let correspondence by email. I will only give the books to those who comments first and email together. If there are no response with 2 days .. i will release the books. Do kindly arrange to collect from me by December 2011 as I am not working... will start work in january, so will be too busy by then. If timing is not to my convenience, I have the right to release to the next person whos timing fit more.

I will probably allocate or send one or two books for a person ... so others can have the opportunity.

Do note that i am just a mummy clearing the house and would like to share things that still have lots of lifes. I am planning to give away some toys & some other household items etc too.. need to sort out.. Be nice and ask nicely thank you all

Books for free
1) Sea Creatures book Isbn 1.56293-222-5
written by judy nayer
Hard cover A4
suitable for younger kid
Nice and colourful but slightly old

2) Bug in the Garden
age 2-4 years old
pretty book with lots of colour
hard cover
but there are some pen mark
Isbn : 0-75256-547-8

3) The Haunted Bike by gail Herman
for age 6-8
bought from popular at $6.90
ISBN 0-448-41269-1

Good Survey online

2011-11-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

There are too much scam online. I do need like to join some authentic online survey website.

I would appreciate feedback on positive experience and authentic sincere survey company and website.

Below are some useful information on this.. Hope to share all the good stuffs with everyone.

www.acop.com American Consumer Opinions Poll (Anne Parks Surveys)

I have taken surveys for them for years.
Never had to give any personal info...eg ss number, etc...No fees
Just email surveys to me every week or so about different things eg
Opinions on different advertising labels...what gets my attention better, etc...
Very quick...usually 5 to 20 minutes and I receive a check in about 2 weeks usually between $8 and $12 per survey I took.
Not a lot of money, but not a lot of effort. Hope this helps

Proverbs & Funny information

2011-11-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

Funny proverbs that I have saw online... Like to share with all

GOSH, I'M RICH!

Silver in the Hair

Gold in the Teeth

Stones in the Kidneys

Sugar in the Blood

Lead in the Butt

Iron in the Arteries

AND An Inexhaustible Supply of Natural Gas!

I NEVER THOUGHT I'D ACCUMULATE SUCH WEALTH!

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All about Diamonds

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Dear all, let's talk about diamonds here.

Just my luck.. My poor little miserable wedding band diamond has fallen off and no where to find. I am so sick of seeing the small hole. Too bad I dont even have my salary now. Let me check out some details.. May be when there are fund.. i will try to stuff the hole with the best suitable diamond.

Tell me how to choose a fine diamond or share with me your first or most precious one you have.
I would like to consolidate information on how to choose a good diamond.

How about buying online loose diamond?

One of my girlfriend is into Diamonds.. learning as much as I can about Clarity, Colour grade of the diamond.

Here is an educational link on diamond.

http://sg.bluenile.com/diamonds/diamond-education

KIDZ AMAZE playgound in SAFRA Jurong (kids playground in Singapore)

2011-11-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

Our first trip to the KIDZ AMAZE playgound in SAFRA Jurong.

We were invited to come and try out the facilities by my hubby good friends. Our good friend drove us and his wife and 2 lovely girls there. We checked out playground area. It was huge. the girls are so excited. Too bad this location is too far as we stay in North East area and hubby is a spam member.

Upon reaching the entrance of SAFRA, we immediately saw the HUGE indoor playground entrance beckoning to us. Upon entering the premise, we were greeted with a huge 3-storey indoor playground space! Awesome structure!

We checked out the rates and checked in the 3 eager girls into the play area. They were already jumping around in anticipation and excitement. Kindly take notes of the different rates.

Upon payment of the charges, the girls were given a stamp to officially allow them into the indoor playground... and they were told to sanitize their hands. The stamp allows children to go in and out of the play area to go for a break. I did accompany them in to play. We went around & eventually sat down at the cafe to have some snacks. I am almost out of breath.

There was a long round yellow slide which the girls have taken but not without scratches and some minor cuts, despite folding their arms in while sliding down. Haha!

The long slide ended in a ball pool which the kids really like it.

There were many colourful foam balls that the children could collect. I saw cuties packing balls into recycled bags available to be placed into vacuumed holes...

.... that brought all the collected balls into one giant cannon.
In every like 10minutes internal the cannon would auto shoot all over the place and colourful balls would be raining on everyone. The girls liked that a lot. Almost like the "raining gum balls" kinda experience Adam Sandler had in his movie; Bedtime Stories.

All the adults sat down for a break after the recce-ing around. I ordered some foods and drinks.

There is a cafe located beside the playground (Hanis Cafe) beside the seating area there is a small enclosed area which is within sight for younger children to play. Parents can chill out for drinks, snacks, catch up on ME time with reading... or free wireless surfing..

The cafe also offers venue for birthday celebrations and events.

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Indoor Playgrounds
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Video:
Here is a list of indoor playgrounds around Singapore:
Go-Go Bambini (Dempsey)Surrounded with nice eating places and its own cafe. Free for parents and kids under 1 year old.

Kidz Amaze (Toa Payoh Safra is being redeveloped so Kidz Amaze Toa Payoh is close. Thanks Funguy71 for the info. ) At just $7 for entrance and more discount for members, this playground is very popular. Have yet to check it out but heard it is worth every cent going in.eXplorerkid Members pay $11 while non members price is $22 during peak hours. Membership is for kids up to 12 years old.

Polliwogs (East Coast)For the parents, there is a very comfortable sitting area and free flow of coffee and tea. Bring coins. Your kids will want the snacks from their vending machine when they are taking a break from playing. $18 for 90 mins on weekends.
Kidz Amaze (Jurong Safra)It is new and big and full of challenging and fun stuff especially for older kids. Usual price is $15 for non members. Kidz Amaze membership are for age from 3yrs to 18 yrs.

Little O'Zone (Orchid Country Club beside the orchid bowl)$8 dollars an hour for non members. Interesting looking structures with facilities for toddlers. For kids 18 months to 12 years.
* Admission age and charges are base on the last published information on the individual centre’s website.
Check out more indoor playgrounds

Explorer Kid
Frisk ‘n’ Romp Kids Playclub
Go-Go Bambini
Kidz Amaze (SAFRA Jurong)
Polliwogs

Adapt Your Parenting Style To Your Child's Growing Needs

2011-11-22T20:56:00.000-08:00

One very important article that I think all of mums and dad should read.. very useful.

I am not weighing in on the debate Pro-Drilling or Against-Drilling. Because, I do both depending on the situation. I rather suspect that most Mommies here do too. We all do a bit of both I think. I am also not telling other mommies/daddies what best they should do because I am not in their situation.
I went and dug out The Daughter's report book. Here is my story.
The Daughter scored 79 for English, 88 for Math in P1. She placed in the bottom 25% of her YEAR. However, in P1 she scored 99% for Chinese because Grandma plied her with assessment books. Little Boy's grades followed the same pattern.
English, Math and Science were my subjects to coach. Chinese was Grandma's.
We took very different approaches. I looked past the grades in P1 & P2 for both my kids.

In P1 & P2 my objectives were (1) they get used to school, (2) they adapt well socially, (3) they learn basic self-management skills, (4) the kinda keep up, (5) they like learning (6) they understand the value of diligence and discipline, and (7) they take full ownership of their studies.
These were all specific qualitative aims I had in mind. Not quantifiable but I wanted to focus on laying this foundation so that I would have a strong foundation of work ethic and self-management skills to build on in Upper Primary.

P1 & P2: Foundational Study Skills

I expected my kids to pack their bags, take notes, keep track of homework etc... That's tough you know for the little ones. So many times, they forgot their books. My son lost his exam schedule and I didn't help him get another. For 3 weeks, he went to school with his transparent exam pencil box because we didn't know when exactly his exams where and which day was what exam.
How to get good grades like that?
Nonetheless, whilst they were thus struggling, I was always warm and supportive ... and I gave a lot of loving advice. Next time, you need to remember this and that and the other. I had high expectations (about specific behaviors, not grades) but I tried not to help. I didn't gloat or say "Hah! You deserved it!" That's very mean and discouraging. Every boo boo was an opportunity to talk about how my child could manage himself better.
I gave very little drills at this stage. If they remembered to do their homework, I was happy. My kids "failed" at this stage but neither really failed as in score below 50. I did not allow that to happen. Their lowest grades were still 70+. I reckoned that that was what I could live with... believing that catch up was imminently possible from a 70s range.

P3 & P4: Transiting From Skills Focus to Grades Focus

By P3, they pretty much got the hang of the skills required to keep one's head afloat in school. They took notes, their bags were neat and they owned their study process completely because whilst I was encouraging and free with my advice, I tried not to help too much. So, about P3, I began to set grade goals (90+ for every subject).
At first, neither kid believed they were capable (since neither had ever scored in that range before except for Chinese), but I told them that I knew they could do it.
I began to PROPOSE drills, and because both are close to me, they do bend to my wishes even when gently proposed. Mostly I gave them past year exams from other schools. I planned the schedule and checked in every weekend to see if everything was done, and done well. At this stage, I was still refining study skills. I wanted to see careful work, good handwriting... I was less fussy about grades than I was about general work quality. I threw absolute hissy fits when work was shoddy and careless, but looked past genuine errors and absolute scores.
By end-P4, they were hitting the 90s in English, Math and Science. Strangely though, their Chinese grades dropped to the 80s. I kept telling Grandma that the way she taught the children Chinese made them feel like they didn't own the process. When they did well in Chinese, Grandma felt proud that she was a good teacher and hardworking too and conscientious. But my kids felt dispossessed of their glory. Their Chinese marks belonged to Grandma. Also, as you move into P4, the syllabus changes. Whether Chinese, English, Science or Math, the kids nowadays are no longer tested what is in the textbook.

By P3 & P4, kids are tested OUTSIDE of what is stated in the textbook. Grandma was still drilling textbook material. To score in the 90s for Science, Little Boy had to do independent internet Science research! We constructed Powerpoint slides, put him in a Professor's geeky glasses and made him present his findings. To score in the 90s for English, we were reading tons of storybooks and practising how to create metaphors, analogies and alliterative effects (e.g., Pretty Puddle of Pungent Poo). We read poetry. Basically, there was no way to drill our way to success because there was no way to predict what would be tested. Anything could be tested, and so I took a blunderbuss approach - LEARN EVERYTHING INTERESTING and HAVE FUN. Look at what teacher taught, ask questions of yourself and look for the answers on your own. Never mind if not in syllabus. You learn more and you won't die, and you'll have fun.
"The grades will come" I promised them. Back then, it was me putting on a brave front and being a brave mother so that my children would have the strength to carry on and keep trying. I couldn't tell them I didn't believe in them. In this way, I concur with Amy Chua... the best thing you can do for your child is to believe in him.

Meanwhile, Grandma went on drilling from the textbook. And whatever I said to her, she wouldn't budge from her time-tested method. She had been a Chinese Teacher in the past and had tutored even Mrs Carmee Lim's daughters (ex-Principal of RGS). She thought she knew best but her methods were outdated and designed for a syllabus and an approach that was past.

P5 & P6: ABSOLUTE Grade Focus

In P5 and P6, I became Tiger Mother. The Daughter came home one day in P6 and waved a Science paper scored 98% in my face. I said "It was an easy exam. The PSLE won't be this easy." The Daughter has never forgotten that scathing comment.
I reckoned that by P5 & P6, my kids had amassed enough resilience and process skills to take some knocks and I did knock them about, though never as hard as what Amy Chua seems to have done.

Starting P5, there was a consistent practice schedule which intensified as we moved into the 2nd quarter of P6. I devised the schedule collaboratively with my kids and I was sensitive to their mental and physical states. I had no qualms about deleting work if I thought it was too much. I wanted to manage my kids energy levels. Must always have time to recharge even if grades suffered meantime. The rule in the house is to NEVER TOUCH BOOKS 3 days before and exam paper. And I made sure I allocated whole days or whole weeks of NO BOOKS so that they could play to their hearts' content.

There was a constant process of watching and adjusting. There was a lot of trust and dialogue. I worked them hard but I made sure that I was there to encourage and listen to their problems. But they still owned their study process. I proposed a work schedule and they decided if they could manage. More often than not, they would ADD in stuff and tell me "Mommy, I can try." They knew that the PSLE was an important exam.
I also built in a natural reward into the work schedule. If they somehow did their work fast and well, they had that extra time to play. I never gave more work when they finished theirs earlier than I had expected. And whenever I could, and they had finished earlier than expected, I would take time off work to play with them. Go somewhere they wanna go... do something they like... together.

Results
The Daughter placed consistently in the top 3 places from P5 to Sec 2. In Sec 3, she was handpicked for an accelerated program where the others were smarter and just as driven as she. To keep up, she really pushed herself. End Sec 3, she was in hospital with pneumonia, a result of 2 months of flu and insufficient rest. She was so motivated that it had become a problem. I went to school and got an exemption for one month of homework... plus I locked up her laptop. She vegetated at home that month.

Little Boy is now in P5. He looks at the work schedule that we worked out and if I decide to delete an item, he will say "Leave it in Mom. I will try."
Unfortunately, The Daughter's Chinese marks at 'O' levels went down to the 50s. She hated Chinese and rebelled completely against Grandma's micro-managing ways. Little Boy's Chinese dropped to 79 for the first time in end-P4. So, I've taken over Chinese from Grandma too... and I'm doing it my way now. Read a lot, have a lotta fun, and to hell with textbook. I will be introducing exam practices later in the year however. Learn and have fun first. Drill later.
Both drill and no-drill are important to me.

My Objective

I don't need my kids to be the best in class... but I want them to be the best they can be. If what they can be is 80+, then fine... and seriously, The Daughter's class now is full of people who are so smart she and I feel stupid. That's fine. We're not as smart. And we don't need to be.
She got where she was not because she was smart, but because she was motivated. Motivation can get a child farther than a parent's best wishes and most beautiful dreams. The Daughter is no longer at the top of her class anymore, but that is fine because I know she has reached her potential and maybe even a little beyond. The same with Little Boy. I know he can manage 90+ in every subject if he wants to. Even Chinese.

The trick is to make them want to. And the first step is to turn the ownership of the study process over to them... and make them own it. This should be done early enough (I think). I have just sacked Grandma and turned the ownership of Chinese over to Little Boy. He used to roll his eyes when Grandma complained he was slow. Today, in the car, he said "Mom, I have a problem. I am slow in my compo. Others have done 1.5 pages, I've only done 1."
He now owns his problem and I play the familar supportive role "Oh never mind... you keep on reading those books and one day, the grades will come. I promise" and I look at him with a confident smile. This way, he will keep on trying... and he will end up where he ends up in Chinese. And I will still be happy even if it isn't 90+.

Not the Only Approach

I consciously took an approach where I focused first on Foundational Study Skills to the detriment of grades. It worked for me. I am sure there are other parents who focused on both at the same time quite successfully. I am sharing my story because it isn't a usual approach, but it worked for me.

How to teach our child not to make the same mistakes on paper

2011-11-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have been tutoring my girl who is in primary one and she keeps making the same mistakes over and over again despite lot of practices. I had reminded her before she do the assignment and yet, still the same mistakes on grammar, maths. I know she can do it but she is not careful. Check out some tips to share on how to be prudent on their work. found this online.. check it out
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For Maths, I teach my dd to check backwards after she solves a question. This is a way of checking as well. And in the event she has no time to check her answers, she can be assured of minimal carelessness.For comprehension cloze passage, I ask her to re-read the sentence after she fills in a blank to make sure that the word fits into the sentence. Then after she fills in all the blanks, she has to re-read the whole cloze passage to check for fluency.
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We teach our DD the concept of being able to do it, and do it well. It took a while to set it in motion. One had to be around while our DD was doing the paper, and the other was instilling positive attitudes about taking responsibility, and self-worth. What I did was to tell DD that all the marks are there on the table for her to take. All she needed to do was to take them all. Making careless mistakes is fine, but not checking and wasting the marks is not taking everything that is given to you. I also told her that she has the God given gift to do well, and by doing well, she would be very happy... For herself, and only herself. Then I also told her that her parents and everyone else would be happy not because she did well, but because she is happy. My wife took time to organize exam papers and they went through the papers about 3 papers a day. Once she surpassed 4 papers, I took the kids out for ice-cream and they ordered anything they wanted. I told everyone that the good fortune is due to their big sister making a very good effort... So we all celebrated her achievement.Also, once she completed her papers and other homework, it was real playtime... We did our best NOT to control. we worked on a work hard, play harder concept.Starting from 80, she eventually hit an average of 95, had a positive attitude in doing her papers, wanting to finish her 4-5 papers a day before playing. I am proud to say that there were at least 3 papers that she scored FULL marks and these were celebrated, reinforced that she can do it, as well as "anchored" the feeling of success.while doing all these, we have been patient, encouraging, and free flow of compliments and hugs. What we learnt is that you need to know your child's love language. Once you know it, fill up the love tank... Only then can they function well to learn more.I hope that our recent experience inspires you to also grow with your child as they grow up. All the best to your improvement, as well as your child's improvement.Oh yeah... I already know what to do even before the results comes out.No matter what the results are, I will ask my DD how she feels about the results, if she felt that she deserved it, etc. She will review the process with me. If it was excellent, I will again anchor the feeling during the process and then the results. If it is not ideal, the importance is that she must feel that she did her best... And anchor that. If she feels that she didn't do her best (which at this point is unlikely as I see tremendous effort on her part), I would anchor her feelings of the process, and then review what could be done better next time, and still tell her that we appreciate her hard work... This is to focus on the process, not the results.In any way, she will win this... Only because she allowed herself to.As parents, we have to show them the way... And they WILL learn. Hence, who we really are will produce who they become.
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We live in a "fine" city & I'm a "fine" mother , so I fine DS1 10 cts (10% of his daily allowance)per careless mistake in all his homework & tests when he was in P1 last yr. His highest record was 80cts in a single nite that I had to let him pay by instalments. I was actually v heart-pained 4 him but no choice, had to carry through. Always explain to him that the objective is so that he remembers to check in school, as we r not ard to remind him. So the fines act as reminders, & hopefully, he will form the good habit of checking his work.Things improved alot (no careless mistakes on most months) even tho he is v sotong by nature.However, after the dec hols, he forgotten the pinch & 10cts is longer "painful" enough, as he starts having savings too. Numerous careless mistakes surfaced again within the 1st few weeks! So I increased his fine to $1 per careless mistake. After a few weeks of fines (his record this yr is $4 in a night!), things r ok now. No fine for the past 2 mths.

for me, i will have a nice talk with the childlook, you know the stuff, right ?yes
is it fair that you lose the mark ? no
so it does not reflect your ability, right ? no
it does not so what are you going to do about it ? be more careful
how are you going to be more careful ? check and check and write carefully, transfer the number carefully and check

kids do take pride in their work, so i psycho them lah.
it works for me/my kids
however, in work place,
I fine them $10 for every one data entry mistake
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Think we touched on this topic in another thread. DD too is prone to carelessness. She can throw away 10 pts just because of carelessness. I had to remind her to check the question numbering, if this page ends with question number 5 then the next page should start with question number 6. Had to do that because she missed out a whole page of questions before. This year she has been pretty ok so far.She has a couldn't care less kind of attitude and will say, not that I don't know how to do what, just that I did not read the numbers correctly or copied the words wrongly. And DH had to echo that thought, saying she knows the answer right so it is basically carelessness so ok lah. For me that is a big NOT OK. To lose marks due to carelessness is wasteful. For DD, money does not incentivise nor deter. I tried various methods, and in the end the one that worked was for her to make her do additional work everytime she exceeds a certain number of careless mistakes. But I think the real turnaround was this year when she came home with full marks on one of her tests and she said she checked her work properly and found 2 mistakes which she corrected else it will not be full marks.

Preparing for Primary School in Singapore

2011-11-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

My daughter is in Primary one. Only upon after the months in the year then I realise some information will be greatly appreciated if I have it.

Overall I have no comments about the school as it is one of the good ones around my area.

The communication with the teachers are also not as active as the ones in her childcare. I do anticipate and realise that the primary school teacher has too much to focus on.

I do hope the below information will be helpful for your kids for preparing in Primary.
Some information are obtain online , some advice from friends and some from my personal experience.

Do prepare your child early and preprepare them about the excitment of joining a totally new school.

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It doesn't take one long to realize that Primary school education has evolved (and is still continuing to evolve) way beyond what parents were used to during their own days as students going through the Singapore education system.

It has become quite essential that children are properly prepared for Primary school education in the early years before they first enter Primary school. Failure to do so will result in a high level of stress for both parent and child as early as the first few semesters of Primary school life.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) offers a framework for Pre-schools, and even standards for operators to follow.

The framework outlines the objectives of pre-school education for children to:
Know what is right and what is wrong

Be willing to share and take turns with others
Be able to relate to others
Be curious and be able to explore
Be able to listen and speak with understanding
Be comfortable and happy with themselves
Have developed physical co-ordination and healthy habits
Love their family, friends, teachers and school

While kindergartens (catering to 5 and 6 year olds) have to be registered with the MOE, the kindergartens themselves are operated entirely by the private industry and their syllabus and course materials are not regulated by MOE. This flexibility resulted in significant disparity across kindergartens in terms of the level of depth and breadth of coverage of material used for preparing children for Primary One. Not all kindergarten prepare children in the same manner for Primary school. Even within the same chain (eg. PAP's Children Foundation PCF) of kindergartens, the comprehensiveness can be very different depending on the what parents are willing to pay for.

It is therefore important for parents to familarize themselves with the Primary One syllabus in order to know how well the kindergartens are actually preparing their children for formal schooling.

Below are some information that you should prepare yourself and your kids. which are some of the things you can do in preparing your child for Primary school education.

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Due to the new holistic teaching the school are implementing with the kids. There is a section that I think most kids need help on " show and Tell" .. even as adult I dont think I can even flare well in this section without much help and practice. Personally I think it will be tough for those kids who are very timid and quiet but nothing is impossible.. Get them prepare like some fun time. It will expose them up to speak well and better.

Primary schools that do away with exams for P1 students have implemented Show & Tell and Written Expression as formative assessments. Our children can be prepared for both the above activities much easier than we credit them for. Here are a couple of stuff i did with my daughter.

Hope these can be suggestions for your children's future preparation...

Topics for show and tell were given in advance somewhere 3 to 4 weeks prior to the actual session. Parents are encouraged to help prepare their children for it. The children will not be allowed to read from any notes or cue cards that may have been prepared from home. The session has to be done spontaneously... for some time. Kids have to memorise the passage of the show and tell.

It will be better to keep all the vocabulary as simple as possible. Sentence structure should be kept simple and easy for the children to understand.

Some General topics across schools would be :
1. My Family
2. My Favourite Toy
3. My Favourite Food (etc)

My daughter chose "My Favourite Toy "for show and tell. We went through some of her precious toys and I do ask her to make her own selection ... While some parents prepare their children for Show & Tell by writing down their own simple points or the sentences that they have come up with for their children... there are parents like me who like to get the kiddies down to the preparation work.

I do think it is important for the kids to be involved in the process. It's like research work for their own project and it will be easier for them to remember the information.

We start by mind mapping what are the areas she wanted to cover / talk about. Who, what , When she got the gift... why etc we expand and brainstorm on those areas with more details / information.

Your child should wrote their own piece and do also encouraged them to use her own words as much as possible. You should guided them with extra bits here and there for the added punch line. We also added some hand gestures to make it look like story telling / sharing instead of a straight rod speech. We can also prepare some items to make the show and tell more lively. The child will also be more happy and enthusatic to show the friends.

It will be useful to encourage her to practice the show and tell with outsider like uncle and aunties instead of immediate family.

Do be reminded that Eye contact is also important. Memories of passage and points are a must.

Apple iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Sensation: Smartphone comparison

2011-11-06T02:31:00.000-08:00

It may not be the iPhone 5 that everybody expected but Apple does have a new iPhone, the iPhone 4S. Unveiled by new Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone 4S is best described as an evolutionary upgrade over the iPhone 4: it boasts the same design, the same screen and an identical look and feel, but has an upgraded processor, a better camera and a new voice recognition feature called Siri.

Read our detailed iPhone 4S preview and our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation.

Techworld Australia: HTC EVO 3D vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2

Though the iPhone 4S is expected to remain one of the most popular smartphones in the world, it has plenty of competition. In Australia, the iPhone 4S will immediately go up against two of the most popular Android smartphones currently on the market when it hits the shelves on 14 October: the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation.

The Samsung and HTC Android phones have similar specifications — the HTC Sensation sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3in qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera and wraps it in a unibody aluminium design. The Galaxy S II also has a 4.3in screen and an 8-megapixel camera, but uses Super AMOLED Plus display technology that produces more vibrant colours.
So how does the iPhone 4S stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation when it comes to specifications?

Apple iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Sensation: Specifications

table in progress... although this take some time...http://www.mybloggertricks.com/2011/09/make-colorful-tables-in-blogspot.html

iphone	Samsung	HTC Sensation
1	2	2

My latest purchases or considering purchase

2011-11-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

Is This dress nice?

Look fanstatic on this model...

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Sister, this measurement for your reference. Let me know if you want me to get for you.
Love A.

This are one of my latest purchases.. so excited..

I love the demin skirt good and comfortable.
I am wearing size 12 - Large size :)

loose a bit but very comfortable

Just imagine me a Large size lady... i can wear this skirt :) HOHOHO

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My other purchase- a bit pricy but really love their clothing.

Beautiful - Tell me to stop buying ...............................................................

OMG I have spend for another 2 dress.. thinking too happy to get a new job
Haha already spend a bomb on these.

there its goes.. hope they look nice on me.

Should I buy this dress below???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

so tempted to get 3 dress what do you think about this last dress? should I buy or not ?

Probably by the time, the size ran out :(

Oh the lady is slim so what ever she wear look fantastic but haha me is fat with... ops :)

Private Bus to Shenton Way or other area (Spore)

2011-11-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Dear all,
I am doing a computation of the available resources in my blog. More convenience to know what are the resources available.
Do email quek_cf@yahoo.com me if you have the information to share with all :)
Good Day

I am looking for a earlier bus than my current private bus from Punggol to SHenton way as my new job start work at 830am.

1) Punggol to Shenton
Calling for working pple, who are staying around Punggol Plaza / Rivervale Mall / Rivervale Plaza / St Anne Church, etc.

If you are looking for a chartered bus for work from Punggol / Sengkang / Hougang to Raffles Hotel / Raffles Link / Raffles Place / One Robertson Quay / Shenton Way / Tanjong Pagar, please call 9691 9895.

SHe is one of the fellow pax taking this private transport to work. Just helping the bus uncle out. First come first serve and no standing so there are reserve seat. Air-con bus.

Bus Route: From Punggol Plaza (pass by Punggol Plain, Cove LRT) => Sengkang along Punggol Road (pass by St Anne Church / Rivervale Plaza / North Vista Sec School) => Hougang (pass by Punggol Park / Hougang Mall / Hougang Polyclinic / Hougang Sports Complex / Swimming Pool) => Upp Serangoon Road (pass by Hougang Blk 23 / Maybank / Kovan Melody / Cheris Heart) => Potong Pasir => Bendemeer (pass by Micron) => Jalan Besar (pass by Sim Lim Tower / Sim Lim Building) => Middle Road => Waterloo Street (pass by Standard Chartered Bank) => Bras Basah Road (pass by SMU / NTUC Income / Carlton Hotel / Raffles Hotel / Raffles City) => Esplanade (pass by Raffles Link) => One Fullerton (pass by One Raffles Quay / Lao Pa Sat) => Shenton Way (pass by UIC Building / DBS Tower / M Hotel) => Robinson Road (pass by International Plaza / CPF Building) => Cecil Street (pass by Prudential Tower) => Battery Road (pass by UOB / OCBC)
Time: - Pick up at about 8am (depending on your pick-up point) - Drop Off at about or before 9am.
This is the only day trip for people start work at 9am. (one way)
I am not taking commissions. Purely helping the bus uncle out.

Do call Yvette 9691 9895

Cost SGD$50 (kindly bear in mind that you have to pay uncle full amount even if you are holiday as the seat is reserve for you only)
Pay Uncle direct :)

More details on the pick up points and time at

Punggol:Uncle's bus passes by Punggol Blk 161, 172, Punggol Field Road, Prime Supermart/Meridian LRT, 118 (round-about), 199, 101, then proceed to Sengkang via Punggol Road.
Boarding time at
- 7.45am - 7.55am (for various pick up points at Punggol)
- 7.55am - 8.05am(for various pick up points at Sengkang)
- 8.05am - 8.10am (for various pick up points at Hougang)
- 8.10am - 8.20am (for various pick up points along Upper Serangoon Road)

This bus is only suitable for people starting work at 9am.
This is the only bus service offered by this bus uncle.
Fare: Monthly payments (just like school bus).
Per trip payments are not acceptable.

Comments : Ai yoh I am going to miss sitting in Uncle bus.. he really is a nice man... be nice to him
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREMIUM BUS ROUTES

Another information I saw on Premium bus service - this is more expensive
http://www.publictransport.sg/publish/ptp/en/premium_bus_service/premium_bus_routes.print.html

http://www.smrt.com.sg/buses/premium_services.asp

http://www.comfortdelgrobus.com.sg/premium.htm

http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/transport/premium.aspx

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2) From sengkang to shenton way

There is a new private service from sengkang to shenton way that just started a week ago. Bus No. 575 @ $4 per trip goes from Anchorvale, Compassvale, towards AMK Ave 5, then CTE. There are 2 timings: 7.30am and 8.00am. It's a 45mins journey. Call Alex @ 93621155 for more info

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3) There's one from Raffles Place to Bedok Reservoir.

Your best bet is to take a SBS bus from Raffles Place and change to the private bus.Was informed by my friends that this is really convivnent since a lot of buses from Alexandra like 97,100,57 goes to Raffles Place.The private bus is white with blue/green stripes.It will display the area and the number AC2 or OMO 2 on the front of the bus.Cost $2.30 per trip, used to cost only $1.20. sigh.http://www.bedoktransport.com/

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4) Private Minivan Service from Woodlands to Raffles Place/Tanjong Pagar

Tired of the long and crowded morning rides on the mrt to work? For morning private minivan service from Woodlands to Raffles Place / Tanjong Pagar area. I am taking the minivan service and the driver is keen to find a few more passengers. Monthly rates are reasonable and it's almost a door-to-door service. Arrive at Raffles Place / Tanjong Pagar between 8.30am - 9.00am.

Response from driver : Hi, can you add my phone number to the Minivan Woodlands to Raffles Place paragraph? It's 97317147.
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other information without much details yet

friend just gave me this contact. John Ang 94517007 he has this svc, he's the boss...

the driver is Mr low 93248840 he more familiar with the bus route

another co is Mr Yap 92370292 hope this helps...

A private bus from Rumbia LRT station to Raffles Place everyday. It's 55 per month, one way. The uncle passes Rumbia station at about 7.45 am. You can call him at +65-97843831.

One very important skill to teach our kid

2011-11-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

After reading this article.... I think this is very important..
Teach our your child how to call for help 999 in emergency

Read the story below or at this link sg parents .com .. Thank you

A two-year-old toddler is being hailed a hero after saving her mum’s life by using a mobile phone to call for help.

Mum, Larissa Taylor unexpectedly collapsed next to her eight-month-old daughter’s bed on Thursday and was lying in a way that stopped her from breathing properly. Lia Vega, the heroic toddler, sensed that something was wrong.
She picked up a nearby mobile phone and pressed the call button twice to dial the last number called. That number was her grandmother’s, Bobbie Gonzalez.
“Her mum will call and let her talk to me a lot, but using the phone and calling me on her own, that was new.”
“I was very surprised,” said Bobbie.
Bobbie recalled that Lia said; “Mommy fall down to the floor of sissy’s bed.”
Upon hearing that, Bobbie rushed to her daughter’s side before sending her off to a nearby hospital. Doctors then informed her that Larissa had suffered from several seizures before passing out. Turns out, the young mum was diabetic and hypoglycaemic — her low blood-sugar level had triggered the seizures.
“I don’t know how my daughter knew to call my mum or anything.”
“I never taught her how to use the phone and she saved me that day,” said Larissa in an interview.
The family said doctors told them Larissa would have died had she stayed lying there for more than 10 minutes.
“Without her, I don’t know how long my daughter would have laid there and possibly died. It’s just amazing what kids learn without even being taught,” said the proud grandma.
Larissa now thinks of her eldest daughter as her “superhero.”
“I’ve been calling her my superhero. Because she saved me, she saved my life that day.”

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In case of an emergency; dial 911
It seems that good things do come in small packages. Just last year, 3-year-old Jaden Bolli, managed to save his mum’s life by calling 911 when she too, went into a seizure and collapsed.
It does not make it any less remarkable that the toddler was taught how to call 911 in an emergency by his mum just days earlier. Candace Robbins, Jaden’s mum told reports that she taught her son how to call for help.
“I told him; ‘You have to call 9-1-1, hit the green button and tell them that you need help,’ and he said, ‘Okay.’”
Of course, no one could have predicted that only four days later, Jaden would be putting his newfound skills to work.
Teach your kids how to call for help
If there is one thing we can learn from these stories, it is the importance of teaching your kids how to call for help. The first thing that your kids should know is how to dial 999.
They should also know their full name, their full address and to be able to give a short description of the emergency. It is also helpful for your kids to know their phone number as the dispatcher will often ask this question in case the call is disconnected.
Have your kids practice by speaking into the phone while role-playing with them.
Suggest situations like; “Mommy’s fallen down the stairs and can’t get to the phone. Now what do you do?”
After your child enters the number, ask them questions that an emergency operator would ask, such as: “What is your name?,” “Where are you calling from?,” and “What is the emergency?”Stress that the description should be short like “Mummy fell down the stairs”, “Daddy is not breathing” or “Mummy’s head is bleeding” and that they should stay calm at all times.
Practice with your kids till they are comfortable with making the phone call. On top of already programming the emergency numbers onto your mobile phone — do write down each phone number clearly so that it will be easy for young kids to read.
Because accidents can and do happen in any part of the home; make copies of the completed list and post one near every telephone in the house and on the refrigerator.
No one wants to think about an emergency happening at home, but it’s better to face that possibility than to be caught unprepared. So teach your kids how to call for help and do keep emergency numbers close.

Other articles
A mother was forced to choose between saving her teenage son or daughter from drowning
Let's live each day to the fullest and love ourself and our kids/ family. We do not know when we will need to made such a nerve wacking decision or when the decision will not even be available to us. We are not perfect parents but let try to be the best for our child. To love them protect them and educate them. We will in our own way.

Why you should exercise during your pregnancy

Best Hotel Spa:

2011-11-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

The Mandarin Oriental group has fared best of the hotels across the Asia-Pacific region vying to win the Crystal Awards for the top spa, winning no fewer than four of the 18 awards, the most by a single company.

Some 150 properties were put forward for the awards, which were presented on October 12 at The Forbidden City by IndoChine, at Singapore's Clark Quay.
Now in their eighth year, the awards have grown to be recognized as the most prestigious endorsement of excellence in the spa and wellness industry, but retain the underlying aim of educating spa users of the levels of service and quality they can expect from the industry.

Six new categories were added this year: best spa design, best conscious cuisine, best private label spa product, best natural/organic spa product range, product supplier of the year and best men's treatment.

Organizers of the event said the expansion of the awards is "in recognition of the ever-evolving nature and development of the spa and wellness industry.But of the 40 unique brands represented, it was the Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental which emerged as the most prolific winner, taking the Best Hotel Spa award for its property in Tokyo, the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai hotel lifting both the Best Resort Spa and Best Signature Treatment awards, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group recognized as the Best Wellness & Spa Group.
The spa at the hotel in Tokyo has responded by announcing that it is offering a 50-minute trial of the Azuki Ritual treatment at Y25,990 (€246.56) until December 15, instead of Y49,720 (€471.68) for 110 minutes.
The deep-cleaning ritual combines the anti-oxidizing effects of Azuki beans with sea salt.Some of the other top awards went to the COMO Shambhala Estate, in Bali, which was recognized as the Best Wellness Retreat, while The Spa at Encore, in Macau, won the award for best design. The Jive Spa, at the Nedesar Palace in Varanasi, India, shared the award for Best Boutique Hotel Spa with DeLa Spa at Villa de Daun in Bali.The purifying facial provided at The Peninsula in Hong Kong took the top award for Best Men's Treatment, while Voya's natural and organic products won the top award in that category.Organizers of the annual awards said all the entrants are judged based on their merits and actual performance from a guest's perspective, with the awards designed to honor the best in each category, irrespective of their size.

Winners of The Crystal Awards Asia-Pacific 2011:-

Best Hotel Spa:

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Japan
- Best Boutique Hotel Spa: Jiva Spa at Nadesar Palace, Varanasi, India, andDaLa Spa at Villa de daun, Bali, Indonesia
- Best Day Spa: Yogilini Retreat, Taichung, Taiwan, and Tirta Spa, Boracay, Philippines
- Best Resort Spa: The Dheva Spa and Wellness Centre, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai- Best Wellness Retreat: COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali, Indonesia
- Best Cam/Integrated Medical Centre: CHAIN'S Medicare Centre, Hong Kong
- Best Spa Design: The Spa at Encore, Wynn Macau
- Best Destination Spa: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
- Best Conscious Cuisine: Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, Koh Samui, Thailand
- Best Signature Treatment: Lanna Signature Ceremony, The Dheva Spa and Wellness Centre, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Suam-Suam Panas / Shiok-Shiok Sejuk, Spa Village Malacca, Malaysia
- Best Men's Treatment: Purifying Facial, The Peninsula Hong Kong
- Best Private Lebel Spa Product: Anantara Spa
- Best Natural/Organic Spa Product Range: VOYA
- Product Supplier of the Year: Aromatherapy Associates
- Best In-Spa Training: ESPA
- Spa Academy of the Year: Ananda Spa Institute,Hyderabad
- Spa Consultant of the Year: Spatality
- Best Wellness & Spa Group: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Medicine Buddha's Mantra ( 药师佛灵咒 )

2011-11-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have been falling sick for 2 weeks. Was feeling horrible last 2 days and yesterday. The flu has been stuck in my system.. Accidently, I came across this Medicine Buddha's Mantra. I played this several time on my iphone thru youtube.

As it is rather peaceful.... Althought I dont understand ... had fallen asleep while playing it yesterday. This morning, I woke up 510am and feeling really good.

Try it ... if you are into Buddism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0pQE1hfjCU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUJucA-mrgE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDUdT5z_CBU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXrASTfc1ok&feature=related
I like the last one .. the lady has good voice.. touching although i dont understand

Activities for kids- Workshop

2011-11-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Check these workshop out .. I have enrol and get this for my daughter.. she really love it.

$15 for Cookie Baking and Decorating Workshop; Let Your Child Bake Up A Storm with Genius R Us! (For Kids aged 3-12)
S$15.00

Value S$28.00
Discount 47%
Saving S$13.00
S$3 Credits Can Be Used
221 Orders, Deal Activated!
Limited Quantities Available! Hurry, Share this with your friends NOW!

Educate your child the fun way. Let your child learn to bake delicious homemade cookies from scratch at this Creative Cookie Baking and Decorating Workshop!

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Today's Big Deal: 50% off Dessert Making Workshop for 1 Child & 1 Adult + 2 x Set Meal + Photo & Creative Session @ Outback Steakhouse (Millenia Walk) at $24.90
S$24.90

Value S$50.00
Discount 51%
Saving S$25.10
S$6 Credits Can Be Used
Time Left 1Hours 1Minutes 33Seconds
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Engage your kids in Dessert Making Workshop specially designed for kids aged 3 to 8 years old. Learn to make Outback’s Signature Dessert: Chocolate Thunder From Down Under!
*Scroll to Terms & Conditions

Cleaning with Vinegar

2011-11-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

Lifestyle & Home Services

Cleaning with Vinegar

Vinegar is a multipurpose cleaning agent, which is safer and more cost effective than commercially available cleaning products. To understand more about cleaning with vinegar, read on...

Vinegar is one of the most versatile solutions, which is produced by fermenting ethanol or other alcohol containing liquids. It is estimated more than 90 percent of the American households purchase vinegar from the market. Many people prefer to prepare vinegar at home, rather than purchasing it. With such an option, you can get the benefit of pure vinegar without any unusual additives. Vinegar is used for a wide variety of household applications, starting from cooking to cleaning, gardening and home remedies for certain health conditions. Let's discuss in brief about cleaning with vinegar.

Cleaning with Vinegar

Cleaning with vinegar has been known to mankind since a long time back. One of the most popular uses of vinegar is getting rid of the toxic molds, fungus and other microbes. The acidic property of vinegar helps in killing these harmful microorganisms. Other than this, vinegar can also be used for cleaning almost all household items. Following is a list of applications about cleaning with vinegar:

Carpet Cleaning with Vinegar: During carpet cleaning, it is worst to deal with spills and tough stains. With white vinegar, you can clean the carpet stain with less efforts. Mix one teaspoon each of white vinegar and a mild detergent with a little amount of lukewarm water. Apply this mixture to the carpet stain and rub it with a soft brush or a towel, until the stain has vanished. Moisten the towel and rub the area afterward.

Cleaning Windows with Vinegar: Vinegar is also an ideal product for cleaning windows. Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and warm water. Wash the window panes with this solution to give a clear appearance. Wipe with a dry cloth after cleaning the windows with vinegar.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors with Vinegar: For using vinegar to clean hardwood floors, add half a cup of white vinegar in about 15 litres of water. Use this solution to clean and wash the floors. In order to impart fragrance in the room, you can add 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil in the solution.

Cleaning Copper and Brass Items with Vinegar: Copper and brass cookwares can be brightened by using a mixture of vinegar, salt and flour. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in a small cup of vinegar and add flour to make a paste. Apply the paste to the metal stains and leave it for about 10 minutes. Wash off the paste and wipe the metal by using a dry cloth.

Cleaning Wood with Vinegar: Water marks on wood furniture or other wood items can be cleared by using a mixture of vinegar and olive oil. Take 2 teaspoons each of white distilled vinegar and olive oil and mix them together. Use the mixture for cleaning water marks with the help of a rough cloth.

Cleaning Bathrooms with Vinegar: Clean the bathroom walls and floors with a solution of vinegar and water. Bathroom cleaning with vinegar not only removes the stains, but also leaves the bathroom free of smell and microbial growth. You can wash the shower heads with vinegar to remove rust and other chemical buildups.

This is in brief about the uses of vinegar for house cleaning. The major advantage of cleaning with white vinegar is that it is eco-friendly and cost effective in comparison to chemical cleaning products. Go green by using vinegar as an all purpose cleaning agent, instead of using commercially available harmful cleaning agents.

What to do in SIngapore now ...

2011-11-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

This is an option for all who are in Singapore. Let's visit Singapore Arts Musuem.

You must at least once in your life time see with our own eyes those French Art paintings.

http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/

Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Tickets at $11(incl of handling fees)
Venue
Exhibition Galleries 1 & 2
Date
Wed 26 Oct 2011 – Sun 5 Feb 2012 10am – 6pm daily
INTRODUCTION FILMS & LECTURES FREE GUIDED TOURS CURATOR'S TOURS INTERACTIVE & GROUP TOURSFrom the collection of the world renowned Musée d’Orsay, over 140 Salon, Realists, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists paintings, photographs and drawings from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century will specially tour to Singapore this year. Titled Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, the exhibition explores the reaction of man towards modernity at the turn of the century from 1848 to 1912. The changing social and industrial landscapes of Paris in early modernity forced artists and photographers to rethink their approach to the visual world around them. Their varied responses generated new ways of depicting reality and a proliferation of styles.

Highlights of the exhibition include Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players, Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night and Alexandre Cabanel’s The Birth of Venus. Many other key works by forerunners of modern art such as Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Jean-François Millet as well as female Impressionists Berthe Morisot, Marie Bracquemond and Eva Gonzalès will also be showcased. A portrait of Georges Clemenceau by Édouard Manet will travel exclusively to Singapore.
Ticketing InformationPrices listed here are inclusive of SISTIC booking fees.Tickets are priced can be purchased HERE, online at http://www.sistic.com.sg/, or by calling the SISTIC hotline at (65) 63485555 or at any SISTIC counter islandwide
Adult $11
Senior (Tourists 60 years and above)NSF (with valid 11B pass)HSBC Credit Card Holders $6
Child(6 years and under)Senior Citizen (Singaporean and Permanent Resident 60 years and above)Student (with valid student pass)
FreeDiscount-priced tickets and complementary tickets are only available at NMS Visitor Services Counter, except for HSBC Credit Card Holders.
FILMS & LECTURES

Films galore with the highlight, Cine-Concert Georges Méliès a slient film with live-panio by Lawrence Lehérissey and live-narration by Marie-Hélène Lehérissey.View the full list of films here.

Learn more about the history of art from our distinguished speakers, from learning about the Modern Legacy of Post-impressionism or discussing Claude Moent's masterpieces, there is always a lecture for every level of art enthusiast out there. You can view the full list of films here.Back to top
FREE GUIDED TOURS
English (from 31 Oct 2011)Mondays to Sundays 11.30am & 2.30pm
Mandarin (from 5 Nov 2011)Saturdays & Sundays 3.30pm
Japanese (from 1 Nov 2011)Tuesdays to Saturdays 1pm
Limited to 15 participants per session on a first-come, first-served basis. Duration: 60 minsMeeting point: Exhibition Galleries, Basement*Admission fee to the exhibition applies. Please purchase admission tickets at the Stamford Visitor Services Counter, Level 1, prior to the tour.
Guided tours are subject to the availability of volunteer guides There will be no guided tours on 25 Dec 2011 (Christmas), 1 Jan (New Year’s Day) and 24 Jan 2012 (Chinese New Year), and on Open House Days.Mandarin tours will cease on 19 Dec 2011 and resume on 7 January 2012Back to top
CURATOR’S TOURS
Dreams & Reality: A Curator’s Tourby Szan TanFri 11 Nov & Fri 2 Dec 2011 7.30pmWed 23 Nov 2011 & 11 Jan 2012 7.30pmDuration: 90 minutesMeeting point: Exhibition Galleries, BasementBuy now! S$19 (includes exhibition admission and handling fees) Limited to 15 participants per session
Catch a glimpse of the epoch of change in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through paintings, drawings and photographs from world renowned Musée d’Orsay. Join the exhibition curator, Szan Tan, as she takes you through this exhibition that examines the reaction of man towards modernity at the turn of the century.

INTERACTIVE TOURS (For children 9 to 14 years old only)
Dreams & Reality: An Interactive Tour for ChildrenSat 29 Oct, 5 Nov, 19 Nov, 3 Dec & 17 Dec 2011 10.30am & 1.30pmDuration: 60 minutesMeeting point: Exhibition Galleries, BasementBUY NOW! S$12 per child* (includes exhibition admission and handling fees) Limited to 25 participants per session*Exhibition fee applies to accompanying adults separately.
Join master painter Vincent van Gogh on a journey where he gets inspired by two colourful characters in his quest to perfect his work. Through dramatised performance, fun activities and lots of interaction with the characters, participants will enjoy discovering more about the paintings, drawings and photographs featured in the exhibition of Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.GROUP TOURS

Private group tours in English can be arranged for up to 15 participants per session at S$150, subject to the availability of guides. Please email to nhb_nm_hospitality@nhb.gov.sg for details. Back to top

2) Visit Bontanic Garden in the morning ......

So, you've arrived. It's early and nothing really opens for business until around 11 a.m., so how are you going to kill time? Slip on the trainers and head out to the Botanic Gardens

(open 5 a.m. to midnight).

At this time of the day, downtown Singapore's last remaining green lung is a cool, bucolic retreat filled with joggers, dogs and tai-chi practitioners. Wander through the swaths of virgin rainforest (the main boardwalk through it is entered from Upper Palm Valley Road) and then take in the National Orchid Garden's many-colored collection of 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids. When you're done, drop into the food court near Tanglin Gate for a traditional local breakfast of soft-boiled eggs, coffee and toast slathered with coconut jam.
1. Singapore Botanic Gardens1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569; 65-6471-7361

Handmade soup for family

2011-10-31T02:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I am into soup .. for my family. I love to try cooking using online assistance. Planning to do a good soup for my hubby and kid. Saw this online ... going to give is a try

1) My first try
Huai Shan With Pork Ribs Soup

cooking in process :)
Nice taste

I use a vision pot as the pot can keep at certain temperature.

Ingredients(Serves 2-3)
-150g fresh huai shan root/Chinese wild yam (淮山), cut to large chunks
-1/2 chicken or pork (around 500g) skin removed and cut to large chunks-
-1 large carrot, peeled and cut to chunks-
-3 slices old ginger (I dont like ginger so I remove this)
- 1.5 litres of water- sea salt
-a few seedless 8 Red dates
- Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and L. chinense (Chinese: 枸杞; pinyin: gǒuqǐ) add the last

Directions
1. Blanch chicken Pork pieces in boiling water for about 5 minutes set aside.
2. Add water, blanched chicken and the rest of the ingredients into soup pot.
Bring to rapid boil for first 10 mins, then simmer over low fire
(with lid partially covered) for another 60 mins.
Add red dates and simmer 30 mins, 10 mins before add wolfberry the last.
3. Season with light soya sauce if needed.

Serve with warm rice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My next adverture soup

OMG this is so expensive... may be have to put off for sometime

1) cordyceps 冬虫夏草 Chicken Soup

What is cordyceps 冬虫夏草 ? This is literally means winter worm, summer grass.

You can easily get this from Yu Ren Sheng or those medical hall shop.

The weird name arises because cordyceps is actually a hybrid chinese herb made up of a type of parasitic fungus growing within a caterpillar.
Cordyceps is highly prized as a dietary supplement for maintaining youth.

this is expensive .

My collegue was telling me that her boyfriend has went to see a TCM doctor for hairlost.

He has recommend taking this Cordyceps.

Aftertaking there are improvement and he even mention that his ... is hard .. ops

I think this is very good for men.

especially if you plan for baby.

You can also cook the soup using a double-boiling jar or a electric stew pot.
Cordyceps sinensis. Source: Guangdong Food Safety Web
Looking to buy some chinese herbs online? Try 1stChineseHerbs.comIngredients1 chicken thigh2 cordyceps (东虫夏草 dong chong xia cao)6 red dates (红枣 hong zao)7 chinese wolfberries (枸杞子 gou ji zi)1000ml waterDirections
Cut chicken thigh into pieces. Parboil for 2 minutes. Wash and trim excess fats
Rinse the cordyceps, chinese wolfberries and red dates
Place the chicken pieces into a large soup bowl together with the cordyceps, chinese wolfberries and red dates
Add the water
Cover soup bowl with clingwrap
Steam for 1.5 hours
Add salt to taste before serving
Recipe link: An anti-aging chicken soup recipe

More information on Cordceps

Cordyceps is one of the most unique, rare, and treasured plants used in herbal medicine. In its natural form, Cordyceps can be found only at elevations above 3500 meters in isolated areas of southwestern China. This herb is actually a type of fungus which grows on the backs of caterpillars indigenous to China, Nepal, and Tibet. Due to its rarity, Cordyceps harvested in the wild is very expensive, costing about $1000 for 100 grams. Wild cordyceps from Tibet is supposed to be the best in the world. Scientific research has proven that wild cordyceps is richer in certain components, and also that the proportions of its ingredients are different from the cultivated herb, and this might make some differences in the activity. Nevertheless, the laboratory versions of Cordyceps are still a premium and valuable tonic herb.Used for nearly 1500 years in traditional Chinese medicine, the Cordyceps fungus has been found to be very effective in treating circulatory, respiratory, and immune system problems in addition to its most popular usage as a powerful aphrodisiac. Recent studies performed at Beijing Medical University of China and in Japan have shown a 64% success rate among men suffering from impotence vs. 24% in the placebo group.

In ancient China, Cordyceps was highly recommended as one of the most effective medicines for all illness. Due to its anti-aging and cure-all properties, it can be compared to ginseng, reishi and deer velvet. In general, cordyceps is a tonic that helps build strength, improve organic functioning, strengthen the immune system and contributes to longevity.

Cordyceps Benefits
Cordyceps is a powerful tonic and can help restore normal function of the body, stimulate immune response, increase energy, vitality, and longevity. Recent research has shown that cordyceps can improve sport performance and muscle-building capability. In TCM, Cordyceps has been used to help regulate blood pressure, strengthen cardiovascular system, and improving sexual energy and desire. Clinical tests performed at Hunan Medical University have shown that cordyceps is effective in relaxing the smooth muscles tissue of the penis, increasing blood flow, resulting in harder erections. A few animal studies have shown cordyceps feeding to increase the ratio of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to inorganic phosphate (Pi) in the liver by 45-55% - an effect that may be viewed as beneficial in terms of energy state and potential for performance enhancement. Furthermore, mice fed cordyceps and subjected to an extreme low oxygen environment, were able to utilize oxygen more efficiently (30-50% increase), better tolerate acidosis and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and live 2-3 times longer than a control group. A number of Chinese clinical studies, primarily in elderly patients with fatigue, cordyceps-treated patients reported significant improvements in their level of fatigue, ability to tolerate cold temperatures, memory and cognitive capacity and sex drive.

Cordyceps Research
Cordyceps Helps Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Level
Several studies have demonstrated that Cordyceps sinensis helps to lower total cholesterol by 10 to 21% and triglycerides by 9 to 26%. At the same time it helps to increase HDL-cholesterol (“good cholesterol”) by 27 to 30%

Cordyceps Maintain Healthy Immune Response
Several studies have shown Cordyceps to increase Natural Killer (NK) cells, our body’s first line of defense against infections and illness. In in-vitro study, Cordyceps significantly enhance the NK cell activity in healthy individuals as well as in patients with leukemia. According to a study published in Chinese J Integrated Traditional Western Med, Cordyceps enhanced the NK cell activity in healthy individuals by 74% and increased the NK activity of leukemia patients by 400%. Similar improvements of NK cell activities were found in patients with melanoma cancer.

Cordyceps Increases Energy Level and Reduces Fatigue
Several studies with animals have demonstrated that Cordyceps sinensis increases the cellular energy production and oxygen supply. Cordyceps increases ATP synthesis, the basic unit of energy production, thereby promoting better oxygen efficiency, faster energy recovery, and reduce fatigue. In a clinical research involving elderly individuals with fatigue, after taking Cordyceps supplement for 30 days, 92% of individuals are showing reduction of fatigue, 89% showed reduction in feeling cold, 83% showed reduction in dizziness. Cordyceps has been clinically proven to increase cellular Bio-Energy by as much as 55%. In a double blind, placebo controlled investigation that involved elderly individuals, volunteers that took 3 gram of Cordyceps a day showed a marked reduction in fatigue and improvement shortness of breath.

Cordyceps Increases Endurance, Stamina, and Athletic Performance
Cordyceps help reduces muscle Soreness, enhances recovery, improves stamina and athletic performance. In a study with mice demonstrated their improved swimming capabilities after six weeks of Cordyceps supplementation compared with a control group.

Cordyceps Enhance Sexual Function
Cordyceps may help improve libido and quality of life in men & women experiencing sexual frustration. In a double blind and placebo-controlled study involving 200 men with reduced libido and other sexual problems, Cordyceps significantly enhance their sexual function. 64% of the Cordyceps-users reported significant improvement in sexual function compared with 24% of the placebo group. According to a double blind, placebo controlled study published on Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 21 elderly women experiencing sexual frustration were given Cordyceps supplementation. 90% reported improvements in libido and sexual health following the use of Cordyceps, compared with none in the control group. In another human clinical study involving 189 men and women with decreased libido and desire, 66% showed improvement of symptoms and desire after Cordyceps supplementation.

Cordyceps Improve Fertility
Cordyceps help improve fertility by increasing sperm count. According to a study published on J Modern Diagnostics Therapeutics, 22 males with low sperm count were given Cordyceps supplement for 8 weeks. The result showed 33% increase in sperm count, 29% decreased in incidence of sperm malformations, and a 79% increase in survival rate.

Cordyceps Maintain Healthy Respiratory Function
Several scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of Cordyceps sinensis in alleviating the symptoms of several respiratory illnesses including chronic bronchitis and asthma. In a double blind, placebo controlled study with 30 elderly volunteers Cordyceps significantly improved the maximum amount of oxygen these people were able to assimilate.

Cordyceps Enhanced Cardiovascular Health

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of Cordyceps sinensis on heart rhythm disturbances, such as cardiac arrhythmias and chronic heart failure. In an in vivo mouse model induced with Pneumonia, research results showed that animals taking Cordyceps had a significantly greater survival rate of 20% mortality vs. 80% mortality in 30 minutes, a startling 400% improvement.

Cordyceps Maintain Healthy Liver Functions
In a research published on China J Chinese Materia Medica, that involved 33 patients with Hepatitis “B”, 8 patients with cirrhosis taking Cordyceps supplement showed 71.9% improvement on “Thymol Turbidity Test” and 78.6% improvement in” SGPT Test”, both are enzyme test showing improvement in liver functions.

Cordyceps Maintain Healthy Kidney Function
According to J Administration Traditional Chinese Med, patients with chronic kidney diseases showed 51% improvement after one month with Cordyceps supplement.

Cordyceps as Complementary Chemotherapy Supplement
Several clinical studies have been conducted in China and Japan with cancer patients. The studies were done with CSE (Cordyceps sinensis mycelium) using a therapeutic dose of 6 grams per day (= 4 capsules twice daily). In one study with 50 lung cancer patients administered CSE in conjunction with chemotherapy, tumors reduced in size in 46% of patients. A study in cancer patients with various types of tumors found CSE (6 g/day for over 2 months) improved subjective symptoms in the majority of patients. White blood cell counts were maintained and tumor size was significantly reduced in about half of the patients. Researchers in Japan reported that CSE enhances the general reactivity of the immune system in individuals with cancer. Mice were injected with cancerous (lymphoma) cells and then orally administered CSE. This lead to a reduction of tumor size and prolongation of the host survival time. CSE also improved the antibody responses.

Wonderful website for clothing

2011-10-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite online shopping site... really dont like to share but since they are so popular.. prob everyone know them..

Their clothes are not cheap you can get some of the similiar ones in Tanjong pagar but rare... the cost are the same ..

ALYSSANDRA have good clothing, price are not low... but catch their sale piece are worth the effort.. Unfortunately, I fall in love with some of the New arrivals... OMG cost me a bomb. I hope i can mend this hole :) with my new job in January

Happy shopping http://www.alyssandra.com/

Do share with me if you have other good site. Most of the sites size are small to medium. I am medium to Large size :(

Study on fraud and other attacks online

2011-10-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Saw this online to share with all

A study commissioned by PayPal and endorsed by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) revealed that 1 in 3 Singaporeans had experienced fraud, phishing attacks or had their personal information stolen online or from their computers.

The study polled 1,003 Singaporeans aged 18 and above from July 26 to August 7 this year. As a rule, respondents must have transacted online or through a mobile device in the past three months.

Other key findings include:

While 91 percent of respondents were concerned about the amount of personal and financial information shared online, 50 percent did not know how many websites hold their personal details;
1 in 2 respondents use the same passwords across multiple accounts;
55 percent of respondents were not comfortable with sharing their credit/debit card and bank account information online.

The study also found that 7 out of 10 Singaporeans use the convenience of smartphones and mobile Internet to conduct their transactions. However, these come with their own set of problems:

61% were worried that they would expose their financial details if they lose their mobile device;
57% believe that it is difficult to do an online transaction on a mobile device as most websites do not fit the small screen size or take too long to load;
48% felt that mobile devices do not have security features installed.

There are a number of ways to minimise these threats when transacting online, and one of them is, naturally, PayPal. The service acts as a middleman which allows you to pay your favourite online merchants without having to give them your credit card information.

In addition, users should keep these simple safety tips in mind for a more worry-free online transaction experience:

Use complicated and varying passwords for different sites: If a hacker gains access to one account, others will remain safe as long as their passwords are different. If you have problems remembering multiple passwords, give password management software a shot.
Set a lock screen passcode: You never know who’s going to pick up your phone. Set a PIN/password to lock your phone the moment the screen goes to sleep. If possible, set a maximum number of tries before the phone become unusable.
Transact only on trusted sites: Always look for the padlock icon on sites before entering your account information and password. Also look for websites that start with “https” as they provide an additonal layer of security.
Be smart with links and downloads: Many times, we have the complete power to stop phishing and other attacks. Make sure you download apps from verified sources, and don’t click on anything that sounds suspicious in SMS and emails.
Educate your kids: NCPC has a great website called Cyberonia which equips primary school kids with the right knowledge to handle the many facets of cyber wellness, cyber safety and security.

Interesting phase and thoughts/dramma

2011-10-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

Interesting phase that I heard from one of my male friend in Japan.

He think that

"Women speaks a lot. men doesn't understnad. men speakless. women doesnt understand. "

What do you think?

For me I was thinking that Man speak lesser and expect us woman to understand what they are thinking. Less communication is needed. Men always feel that we understand them. But in Truth we may not or dont understand.

Women are always trying to communicate our thoughts over..
It can be very fustrating as we have to keep talking to make Men understand.

Nice Phase that I heard in one of the Taiwanese Dramma- In time with you

靠山山倒 Depend on mountain, the mountain crash

靠人人倒 Depend on human, the human fall
靠我最好 depend on ourself is the best

笑，可以认人战胜敌人和自己。Laughter, can allow human conquer enemy and ourself.

Nice Korean show

Secret Garden
A moment to remember

Recommendation on beauty products

2011-10-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Dear all,

I am looking for reasonable price of beauty products that can be bought off the shelves and at reasonable price. Products must be tested.. Would appreciate anyone to send me some information.
Currently I am testing on some products recommend by friends.

1) Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating lotion
The cost is lower than $30
Can get easily in Watson
http://www.hadalabo.com.sg/index_EN.htm
I am currently using this now as recommended by my friend
This is one of the few products which I fall in love with.

Description:
Contains advanced skin hydrating ingredient – Super Hyaluronic Acid with twice the moisture retention capacity of Hyaluronic Acid ( 1 gm of Hyaluronic Acid is able to hold up to 6 liters of water ). Replenishes essential moisture to visibly improve skin texture and prevent dryness so skin stays soft, hydrated and supple. Instantly hydrates skin and helps preserve its optimum moisture balance.Replenishes and locks-in moisture for complete hydration. Skin feels significantly soft and supple.
Helps improve dry and dehydrated skin, leaving it silky smooth.

It is free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant.
Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.
Directions : Use twice a day after cleansing face. Apply on palms and gently pat onto skin until thoroughly absorbed.
Ingredients : Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Methlyparaben, Disodium Succinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Succinic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyalur

Available at Watson / Guardian in Singapore

2) This is recommeded by my friend..
I am going to try out
Sheshido product http://www.makeupstash.com/2010/05/shiseido-aqualabel-in-singapore.html
Aqualabel white range.

Aqualabel White, a whitening range. Like the higher-end Shiseido White Lucent, this line contains m-Tranexamic Acid, a key ingredient for targeting the root of pigmentation problems by inhibiting melanin production. The star product is apparently Bright White Ex Essence which has been recommended by popular Taiwanese beauty television series, 女人我最大 (Nu Ren Wo Zui Da).
I’m quite excited about the foundation – I’ve heard good things about its moisturising properties and ease of use.

Available at Watson / Guardian in Singapore

3) This is recommeded by my friend..

Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil
For all skin types

PRICE:S$33.00 120ml x 1 bottle

S$62.00120ml x 2 bottles

S$19.0060ml x 1 bottle

FRESHNESS PERIOD:Unopened / 1 year from manufacturing date

After opening / 120 days

USAGE AMOUNT:2 pumps or 50-cent coin size

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:Meadow Foam Oil, Green Tea Catechin Oil, Rosehip Oil

Available at Fancl shop

Wonderful Present

2011-10-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

I have a list of nice and wonderful presents for kids & adutls ...

Below are a list of Wonderful presents that I got from the website... for your consideration.. not expensive.If possible I will include one or two of my own personal pictures.

Tips: Online shopping is good but just shop with care...
check review if possible..

My biggest online shopping is getting a coffeemaker from states for my boss

second is a camera for myself from states.

Got this beautiful and sweet huge tent from gmart.
The kids all love this gift.. easy to keep and easy for our pockets too.

check out the auction here ... i bought from the other buyer instead

http://goods.gmarket.com.sg/GMKT.INC/Goods/Goods.aspx?goodscode=404088485

Charity for a clause

2011-10-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

After reading numerous news on the web... this one come as a calling for me.

It is not easy for parents and family members when they have to go through a rollercoaster of emotional breakdown. I have lost a baby before.. understand the emotional depression of the lost.
With a bear of hope, we as parents would like to spread out our wings and protect all our little ones.

I do salute to these parents who are standing upright for their kids.. I myself is not a strong person.. the difficulty of having holding the heavy heart of sadness and unbearable restriction and limitation.

Do read up these news and if possible within our means donate to the charity - Purple Hope
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/purplehope/

Deals Website in Singapore

2011-10-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

One of my nicest girl friend cum collegues manage to give me this compile list of all the deals website in Singapore.

I have personally purchase a few coupons or vouchers..

Do deal this with care as it bring a big hole to your pockets.

Neverless its do save us a huge amount if the services or items is what you looking for.

Tips: Bear in mind especially when going for facial or body treatment.. try not to bring credit card or your nets or debit card... It will help you make decision easier. They will defintely request you to sign up their package after the first trial :)

Enjoy with care .. Here are the list of the website

http://www.groupon.sg
http://www.bigdeal.sg
http://www.deal.com.sg
http://www.voucherwow.com
http://www.shiokdeal.com
http://www.outlet.com.sg
http://www.liveoffcoupon.com
http://www.tip-it.com.sg
http://www.dealcreation.com
http://www.urbanjourney.com
http://www.juztoday.com
http://www.jigocity.com.sg
http://violetvoucher.sg
http://www.coupark.com
http://perks.mocca.com
http://www.reebonzcity.com
http://www.sgdealzone.com
http://superdeals.insing.com
http://www.cozycot.com/spree/daily-spree.php/
http://www.foodpon.sg/
http://www.takemetogreatdeals.com/
http://www.hungrydeals.sg/
http://dealsinasia.com
http://www.alldealsasia.com/
http://www.hotdeals.sg
http://www.virtulips.com/

Nice place for Ramen in Singapore

2011-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I love Ramen.. A good bowl of Ramen will make my day.

These are some recommended place for a nice bowl of Ramen..

Quality varies with prices.

Some are tried and tested personally by myself.

1) Man Tei Ramen

Location: 61 Robinson Road along the shop of MPH, Yakun etc

Time : 11-3 and 6 to 10pm

operation hours: Monday to Friday only

They do have packing and delivery services

website: http://www.men-tei.com/

Advice : This place is way pack during lunch time. Do come before 1150hrs better chances of standing to wait for a table.

Tonkasu Ramen taste is quite tasty and the egg is very yummy.

Price is slight pricey but affordable below SGD $20 (per pax)

2) Tampopo Restaurant (Liang Court)

Location: Liang court #01-23/24

operation hours: 1130 to 10am

http://www.cfc.com.sg/

Advice: This place is very very pack during weekend ... long long queue . best time to try out the food during weekday lunchtime. I did went after 130pm which is not very pack.

Price is pricey but there are certain quality standard in their Ramen.

Soup are more stronger in taste.

Goals to Financial freedom

2011-05-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

My current most important goal that I have now is to be financially independent. I have been dragging on this too long. Arm with no savings.. this is not the route that I would like to head.

Currently I am reading the book from the library
Smart Women finish rich by David Bach. This look really interesting with a program to show how I should start my plan. I have no idea how to go about doing it..

Summarising while reading the book..
under Learn the facts and Myths there is a quote that catches my eyes

A wise woman once said ," It's not what you know that can hurt you but rather what you don's know,"

Dont fall for the common myths about money

Myth no 1- Make more money and you will be rich
this seen logical but what wrong with this myth?

The key to wealth is not finding some quick and easy way to boost your income - its simply the fact what determine your wealth is not how much you make but how much you keep of what you make.

The problem is not in our income, it's what we spend!
The typical 50 year old has less than $10,000 in savings!

Recommend book ; The millionair Next Door written by Tom Stanley,
He interviewed hundreds of millionaires and came up with some findings that suprise.

Here are one Stanley finding that catches my eye

Millionaires are dedicated investors on average investing nearly 20 percent of their total household income each year

fully half of the millionaires surveyed never paid more than $399 for a suit

majority drove older cars

-------------------

spend more money than you make then you have more problem

Pay off all the credit card debts

Pay all off the loans

My thinking: Change your spending habit - if you cannot control using the credit card. It is better to do without the card.

One of the most fundamental principles of smart money management is self reliance

Dont ever put your entire financial fate in someone else's hands

Myth no 2: My husband will take care of me - cinderella myth

Creating my goal

Enjoyment

achievement

Spending value time with family

happiness

Freedom

security - what is the basic goal that i want to achieve

Find your stuffs - mean all your documents etc

Create the file system below

Tax return

Insurance

Retirement

Insurance

Children

saving accounts

Household

credit card debt / loan

Asset

Other liabilities

family will and trust

Inventory planner

Write your own cheque - you can start with SGD100,000

How to set up a tution centre in singapore

2011-05-04T22:32:00.001-07:00

http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/Industries/PrivateEducation/LawsNRegulations/ProvidingChildNStudentCareServices/privateEdu_laws_childStudentCare.htm

You will need to register your business with

i. ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, http://www.acra.gov.sg/ ).
ii. MOE's Council for Private Education (http://www.cpe.gov.sg , click on the link "To apply for registration with the Council for Private Education through OBLS" )

You will also need to check and see if your premises has been are approved for educational activities with the URA (http://www.ura.gov.sg/eservices/eservice… )

more detailed information on setting up tuition centres (considered as Academic Private Schools) here: http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/Industries…
Source(s):
http://www.moe.edu.sg/education/private-…
1 year ago Report Abuse

BASC -Student care in Punggol / Seng Kang / Hougang

2011-05-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Its year end again. I am searching for the next suitable student care to put my little girl in.

The last one is not suitable for her at all.

This time, I have decided to place her in Little Professor in hougang. Hope they have a good influence on her.

Attached is the information

Little Professor Education Group Pte. Ltd.

Tel: 67944711 / 82988871
Email: enquiry@littleprofessors.com.sg
Website: www.littleprofessors.com.sg

ACRA Registration No:200717819D
Blk 711 Jurong West Street 71 #B1-11Singapore 640711See other branches...
Little Professors Education Group stands at the forefront of providing education programmes in Singapore. With rapid expansion plans, Little Professors aims to positively influence the lives of as many children as possible through its Student Care, Enrichment and Tuition programmes. The centre's success is due largely to the efforts of the responsible and caring staff, which focuses on the needs of the pupils. There is a strong culture of continuous learning and sharing among the staff and students of Little Professors Education Group.
Subjects Offered
Primary Level: English, Creative English, Chinese, Mathematics, Science
Secondary Level: English, E/A Mathematics, General Science, Pure / Combined Chemistry & Physics
JC level: Economics, Physics, Chemistry, General Paper, Mathematics

About The Company
Little Professors Education Group Pte. Ltd. was formerly known as Xue Hai Tutorial Centre Pte. Ltd. The company's tagline is "Get SET for Life", which captures the three core business: Student Care, Enrichment and Tuition. Our management team consists of top university Professors with PhD qualifications and ex-school teachers. We cater to students from primary to junior college levels with tutors specializing in all core subjects and languages following the Ministry of Education's latest syllabus. All our in-house Curriculum Specialist teachers are screened and registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Our Management Team
Associate Professor (Dr) Low Boon Yong, our group director, graduated with MBBS from University of Singapore in 1976. He was admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) and Royal College of Surgeons (Glasgow) in 1981. He is presently the Senior Consultant in Orthopedic Surgery at Changi General Hospital.
Dr Low served as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore from 1998 to 2005. He was a member of the interviewing panel for admission to the Faculty of Medicine, NUS in 2002 and 2003. He was appointed Clinical Associate Professor, NUS in 2000.
Dr Low has been actively involved in the Spastic Children Association of Singapore since 1987. At present, he is serving as Chairman of the Association. Dr Low is also a Board Member of the Children's Charities Association. For his involvement in social work, he was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2002.

Key Differentiating Factors
Our highly formulated success is built on: Quality programmes that are specially designed by our in-house curriculum specialists. We have been featured on newspapers and interviewed on our views and opinions by the media.
We have a team of dedicated teachers to cater to the unique needs of these young minds. The learning process will be enhanced through sophisticated teaching aids and well-designed curriculum which are tailored specially for them.
Unique method of learning

Locations of other branches
Name of Branch
Telephone No.
Address
Little Professors @ Bedok
61005830 (Office) / 91705830
Blk 509, Bedok North Street 3, #01-85 S(460509)
Little Professors @ Bukit Batok
65693400 (Office) / 84281272
Blk 158 Bukit Batok Street 11 #03-216 S(650158)
Little Professors @ Clementi
67772780 (Office) /84281272
Blk 443 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-262 S(120443)
Little Professors @ Chua Chu Kang
67606328 (Office) /92307984
Blk 286 Choa Chu Kang Ave 3 #B1-318 S(680284)
Little Professors @ Fajar
67663818 (Office) /97214369)
Blk 442 Fajar Road #01-482 S(670442)
Little Professors @ Hougang
63876875 (Office) / 83997658
Blk 426 Hougang Avenue 6 #B1-46 S(530426)
Little Professors @ Jurong West St 51
65606984 (Office) / 83994243
Blk 504, Jurong West St 51 #04-215 Singapore S(640504)
Little Professors @ Jurong East
65692129 (Office)
Blk 345, Jurong West St 31 #01-13 Singapore S(600345)
Little Professors @ Kovan / Paya Lebar
63832533 (Office)
Blk 123, Hougang Ave 1, #01-1428 Singapore S(530123)
Little Professors @ Marine Parade
63468061 (Office) / 96133880
1 Marine Parade Central #07-06 Parkway Centre S(449408)
Little Professors @ Pasir Ris
65828250 (Office) / 97548970
Blk 482 Pasir Ris Drive 4 #B1-395 S(510482)
Little Professors @ Pioneer
67942803
Blk 711 Jurong West Street 71 #B1-11 S(640711)
Little Professors @ Tampines
67821866 (Office) / 94578600)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-67 S(520433)
Little Professors @ Toa Payoh
63583373 (Office) / 83836777
Blk 206 Toa Payoh North #01-1213 S(310206)
Little Professors @ Woodlands
63647922 / 63647933
Blk 351 Woodlands Ave 1 #01-719 S(730351)

____________________________________________________________________
Dear All, kindly take note that all the information in my blog is for reference only. I am not associate with any of them . I just need some information and think it will be good to compile it up.

I am looking for student care for my little one in Primary one this year. Too bad Mee Toh do not have a inhouse student care like horizon and edgefield primary school.

Below are the compilation of the student care service available .. some recommend by my friends and collegue.

Pro teach have one big branch in Hougang which is greatly recommend... ai yah quite far .. will check it out thou. Must take bus 82 in the morning and my girl will have to sit school bus to school

Punggol/ SK / Hougang
1) ProTeach * (punggol Horizon - not open to us :( , trying out hougang branch or pasir ris which is further )
http://pro-teach.com/contact_locatebranch.asp

2) Pearl student care * (behind punggol plaza)
3) River of Life *
4) Dexus Student Care Centre? punggol
(comments from a forum: Dexus in Punggol. It's located in an RC and very near to Greendale Primary School. The feeling I've about the place...it seems rather cold. In a sense, you hardly hear any kids voice..seems more like a tuition centre.
Plus, the kids don't bathe there as there are no facility.)
'Dexus'. located besides St Anne's church/ MMI

5) Bright kids - wow expensive kids'
6) kingdom at Central Christian Church do offer study care......
7) Kidz Meadow @ Buangkok Crescent and
8) Joy Connecton Studentcare centre?
9)Little Professor @ 123 Hougang Ave 1
#01-1428 +65 63832533 or +65 9839 8590.
10)Polaris Junior at Anchorvale area (behind Nan Chiau pri sch)
11) Morning Star opposite Sengkang CC.

Found some other sites for other location

www.littleprofessors.com.sg they have 3 branches at jurong, clementi and choa chu kang..managed by NUS professors..

Galistan Avenue. Opp Sheng Siong around Bukit Panjang. Can call to find out more. Galistan Family Centre.

Blk 715 jurong west st 71.. they also offer student care services.. i think little professors only charge $188 per month...and that's why tuition is xcluded... they outsource their tuition program to another tuition centre to do it... which is more specialised i think...

Check out this student care at CCK!
www.gifted-learners.blogspot.com

Timmy's Discovery Club (Student Care)
Impact Education Centre (Tuition)
Address: Blk 437, Hougang Ave 8, B1-1521 Singapore 530437
Tel: 63875815

To find out what are the studen care centres around, try this link
http://app.mcys.gov.sg/web/serv_dss_disability_main.asp?Services_Id=3&szMod=serv&szSubMod=student

Good defination of BASC

BASC stands for Before After School Care.
These kinda centres provide care service
for mostly primary school students without
a reliable caregiver at home. The students
can come in before they start PM session,
when their parents drop them off at the
centres in the morning (on the way to work).
Or the children will be fetched by the BASC
teachers ( or walk to BASC if its very near
the school - for older children ) after AM
session to the centres from the primary
school upon dismissal.

BASC not only provides the care... or a place
where your child is looked after in the absence
of the parent, such centres also coach/assist
with child's schoolwork and on top of that (some
centres) may also offer tuition at reasonable rates.
A few centres offer optional enrichment pgrms as
well like IT, Creative Maths, Reading Programme,
Speech and Drama (etc) to parents as well.

Centres near our local pools and stadium facilities
sometimes offer that children pick up a sport like
badminton, swimming, (etc) which is again optional
and such extra curricular activities are allowed to be
done like once a week after completion of the tuition
hours + homework, to promote exercise other than
just school work - at a small fee with a qualified coach.

A good BASC will give parents the ease that the
child not only has lunch and tea break provided,
the school work also covered. Whatever rest provided
is really extra. Parents have other pairs of eyes helping
them watch over their kids in the absence of the care of
full-time working parent (especially when there is a neccesity
for the parents to stay employed). Parents can set their mind
at ease that they can spend better quality time with their child
at home, since the major care and school work has been
assisted by the BASC.

If parents have say 2 children, 1 in pre-school and 1 primary
school... there are also childcare centres that offer BASC as
well. They have separate classrooms for the BASC students
who will be cared for by BASC teachers ie. qualified staff to
teach/manage primary level subjects (ala tutors) and the didi
or mei-mei will be with the childcare teachers in the main class
rooms of the childcare centres.

Different centres provide different care services.
And different centres go by different rules or
protocols and fees. Good to check with each
prior to registration. What is shared here is a
general comment of the BASC service and not
representing any centre in particular, k.

Hope the info helps.

free indoor or outground playground at shopping malls/ restaurant

2011-05-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

besides vivo, forum, paragon, city square mall, where else can i find children playground at shopping malls?

IMM

Sembawang Shopping Mall

North point

Lot 1 (roof garden) - CCK

Marina Square in front of Kiddy Palace.

Quite popular place with families with small children, although the play structure and area is quite small. But plenty of eating places around and shopping centre is relatively safe.

Sky Garden on Level 6 of NEX @ Serangoon has a nice wet and dry playground for kids.

City square mall has a mini playground at ground flr. but really small

BPP - mini playground.

'operating hours' for the water at the wet playground? cos the one at sembawang has 2 periods of water play only.

i saw the signboard. if dont rem wrongly, its 11am to ard 9pm.
quite sure abt the 11am. the ending time not 100% sure.

the wet playgrd is rathe big.

At the changi airport basement 2, if remember correctly, I saw kids using papers and crayons to trace the designs on the blocks. The papers and crayons are provided and the kids all gathered there and busy tracing ... The blocks with designs on it are fixed on the table, just put the paper on top of it and use the crayons to roll over the paper, and tracing the designs onto the paper....

Somerset 313
1) Marche - my daughter favourite play ground

2) highest floor beside food court

June holiday camps or student care 2011 for kids

2011-05-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

As this is a first time for us to have such a lengthy June holidays in Singapore. I am frantically looking for program to cover my little one time during her primary school break. I am working and yet have to ensure she will not laz around at home.

School Holidays in Singapore for the Year 2011
for primary and secondary school students
March School Holiday: 12th March to 20th March
June School Holiday: 28th May to 26th June
September School Holiday: 3rd September to 11th September
December School Holiday: 19th November to 31st December

You can find out about more school terms and holidays in Singapore at http://www.moe.gov.sg/schools/terms-and-holidays

Came across some interesting information to share out.

Got this from forum
June School Holidays 2011
Some Suggestions...

I am considering to place her in full day student care with June holiday activities
Manage to check out 2 school which accept my girl for this holidays

1) Linda student care - kovan THey have very interesting program like yoga and baking...
Cost is SGD 480
If you Saw this picture in the web that is the school link

http://www.linda-edu-hse.com.sg/index.php/news/student-care-services-amk-and-kovan/
We are offering before and after school care for our Ang Mo Kio and Kovan Branches. Holiday Full-day Care also available, starting 22nd November!

Services that are included in our student care programme:

- Daily homework coaching

- Tuition for all subjects

- Enrichment classes (e.g. creative writing, problem solving)

- Fitness activities (e.g. Yoga for Kidz)

- Life skills and recreational activities (e.g. Art & Craft, baking classes, music lessons)

- Excursions and outings

- Meals and snacks

- Shower facilities

- Nap time

To enquire, please call:

Ms Wendy Chan (83221251 / 64551989) — Ang Mo Kio

Ms Linda Chan (62850733) — Kovan

2) Pro-teach the famous student care in Singapore - Pasir Ris and Hougang branch.
Cost is SGD 360 + 40 material fees+ 40 reg fees. Total SGD440

They seen to have very good teachers and schedule for tution etc.
I am planning to visit these centres and choose according.

I have post my finding here when the time is near :)

Other option like

3) Skate With Us Superheroes Skate Camp
Details: http://skate-with-us.com/swuholidaycamp.html

Children like skating (i don't know why...but it seems like a very popular and practical sport to pick up like swimming) ...Found this camp after reading the article on Motherhood Mag and also the positive feedback by other parents on forum...

Basically, this is a skate camp with a different theme each time. For june, it is a Superheroes theme skate camp for kids and the school specialised in teaching children...

My feedback:
Somehow my children love this a lot, maybe because it really feels like a camp for them. For me, I like the fact that the class size and instructor ratio is good. It like they will make it a point to put 2 staff to attend to 1 group of 6 kids and they always have female and male instructor.
At the camp, the children will learn skating and they will play games, wear costumes related to special themes and pretend-play they are Superheroes

I am also thinking about letting the children attend the Superheroes Skate Camp in June. the camp is for beginners and skaters as the school groups the children according to their skills...

2) Kindergolf Camp
Details: http://www.kindergolf.com/seasia/programs/golf-camp
Golf Camp by kindergolf for children...where they can pick up golf basics in just 1 camp...

My feedback:
This is the most recent one that my children went for. there has been some mixed reviews on Kindergolf it seems but my own experience has been good.

We went for the express camp where it's indoors. I guess we should have gone for the 5 days one. the kids like it, was excited but it was a little short and it is all indoor. But overall the experience has been quite good. they now know more golf terms and were chatting with their daddy on golf haha...DH love golf, my sport is shopping hahaha

3) Bakerzin Kids Baking Workshop
I can't find the exact page on the website any more...so sorry

My feedback: This is a good bonding opportunity for u and your children, if u like baking... i am biased lah cos i like baking myself, so i signed up the children for this. it is good and the kids get to eat their own work...

Some other camps that i am eyeing on this June is the art boot camp, got to do more research first...will share more soon...

do share your findings...i am not shareholders of the above companies and please do your own research and ask other parents for their feedbak..

TRY THIS Discovery Vacation Camp http://www.discovery-camp.com/
Go to another discussion thread under Discovery Vacation
There is a lot of good review from parents that have send their kids.
They have 3 place
-Henry Park Pri School , Ai Tong & Tao Nan. They even have bus from Kovan if you pay a little extra.

Tien Hsia camps
http://tienhsia.com/promo/promomain.html

Gulia Gabriel
http://www.juliagabriel.com/images/downloads/holidayprogramme/Holiday%20Programmes%20June%202011%20FINAL%203.pdf

http://www.trainingkids.com.sg/

Earnest Wong's SmartKids camp

Adam Khoo's camp

Mindchamp

I also heard a camp doing overnight stay at Underwater World. Any feedback?

Cooking class
1)arts academy
2)SoEzy. There's a smaller outlet at united square, next to the food court
3)Great World, near the Food Court. I think At Sunrise has classes for kids too

British Council - Tampines
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Creative English - Week 2: 101 Dalmatians
English holiday courses > Primary

Course fees S$500 (inclusive of 7% GST)
Levels Primary 1 and 2
Course venue Marsiling, Tampines, Napier Road
Courses start Jun 2009

This course is for students in Primary 1 and 2. Students are grouped according to school level in 2009. We aim to help students to become fluent, imaginative and accurate users of English and the courses are built around carefully chosen themes designed to motivate learners.

By the end of the end of the course your child will be able to:

express their ideas and opinions with greater confidence listen to improve comprehension and note-taking skillsread for gist and specific information to develop comprehension skillscomplete cloze passages – content and grammaticalwrite sentences and paragraphs with accurate spelling and punctuationanalyse written work for accurate grammar form questions and sequence language accuratelyuse categories to build vocabularywrite a description of a personwrite an informal letteruse vocabulary for describing people and feelingsuse vocabulary for describing settings and eventsuse present tenses for descriptive writinguse past tenses for letter writing

TAMPINES CENTRE SCHEDULE

8 Jun to 12 Jun

Monday to Friday

9am to 1pm

20hrs (1X per week)

S$500

For P1 and P2

CONTACT DETAILS
2 Tampines Central 6
NTUC Income
#03-01/02 Tampines Point
Singapore 529483

Telephone +65 6783 9209
Fax +65 6783 4509

bÜds

replyGive KiasuPoints.buds Thu, 30/04/2009 - 9:32pm
This is an innovative Holiday Programme. ;)

Little Entrepreneurs Camp
(Learn to set up a real-life cafe)

Suitable for Kids Aged 7-12 years old

Camp Synopsis
Let your Little Genius learn and explore in our fun-filled 3 full days program ending with the setting up a real life Café. Your Little Genius will gain first hand experience on setting up a cafe and be involved in the planning and preparation work that goes behind it as well as serving simple food and drink in a real-life setting. Best of all, parents are invited are join us at the last day at the last hour of the camp as customers to the Little Entrepreneurs.

Camp Activities

* Planning & preparing for the setting up the real-life cafe
* Craft works for the decoration of their cafe with style and flair
* Cooking/baking the food for their cafe menu
* Activities to reinforce the skill in dealing with the handling of actual money
* Outing to nearest supermarket to get the feel of purchasing the ingredient for their cafe
* Have a better understanding on financial literacy through 'Cashflow for Kids' board game - created by Mr Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad)

Objectives of the Camp

* Practice Mathematics Skill involving addition & subtraction of real money
* Encourage teamwork & co-operation amongst children
* Project Management Skill
* Problem solving in a real life setting
* Provide children with a sense of self-worth & achievement
* What is an entrepreneur?
* What are the qualities of an entrepreneur?
* Let children understand the accounting term of expenses, profit, loss and more......
* Enhance creativity with the various activities that they will be participating
* Allow the Little Genius to be able to express himself/herself better

Dates of Intake

>1-3 June 09 (Mon-Wed) 9am-5pm

>15-17 June 09 (Mon-Wed) 9am-5pm

Investment:S$250 per child

Camp fees is inclusive of lunch, 2 tea breaks daily, Camp file and Certificate of

Graduation with Group Photo

Venue of camp: Genius R Us, 75B Tanjong Pagar Road - 5 mins walk from Tanjong

Pagar MRT Station - (Exit A)

Be prepared to have fun: Parent, relatives of participants are invited to join us on the last day of the camp to

support our Little Entrepreneurs at work.

Limited seats each intake! Register early to avoid

disappointment!

Contact Us
Genius R Us is located at:

75B Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088496
Tel: 6221 4561 / 81830563 (sms)
Fax: 6221 5320
Email: info@geniusrus.com
How to get there:

By MRT – Tanjong Pagar Station – Exit A
By Car: Parking lots available along Tanjong Pagar Road, more lots available along Wallich Street, Tras Street, Duxton Road, HDB Carpark at Tanjong Pagar Plaza.
By Bus: Services 145 and 80
Other Programmes and Services

For enquiries on conducting workshops for private functions and corporate events. Please call us for further information on our customised packages, e.g. Birthday Parties, Children's Day Celebration, Family day, Staff Retreats and any Special Occasions of yours.

A trip to Batam (Harris Batam resort)

2011-04-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am looking for a short break with some budget. Harris resort come into the picture.
Initially I keep thinking the Harris is a very traditional simple resort. I did not expect it to have so many activities. Really looking forward to my trip there with hubby and girl. It's Singapore public holiday this weekend and we will be heading there :)

I got a 3D2N package with extra bed - 2A1C cost SGD $495

Got some information directly from them. THese information are useful.

Email address: Reservation Harris Resort Batam
[mailto:res@harris-batam.com]
Sent: Monday, 25 April, 2011 2:37 PM

Awards and Recognitions:
● RCI Resort of International Distinction 2004 & 2005 ● RCI Silver Crown Resort 2007● RCI Gold Resort 2008, 2009 & 2010 ● Top 350 Hotels and Resorts in Asia 2007 ● Trade Leader's Club Award 2007 ● The Best Family Hotel in Asia 2008 ● The Most Popular Hotel in Asia 2009 ● World Luxury Hotel Awards Winner 2010 ● World Luxury Hotel Awards Nominee 2011 ● World Luxury SPA Awards Nominee 2011

Hi,

1) We are planning for a weekend stay there. I am wondering if your resort do display the live telecast for the soccer match ?
Yes we have in MNC Channel OR ESPN in the room!

2) What is the occupancy rate during 30 -2 may? SGD 183 nett per room per night inclusive buffet breakfast for 2 person on 30 April 2011,
SGD 168 nett per room per night on 01 May 2011 inclusive buffe breakfast for 1 or 2 persons

3) What is the contact details for making a massage reservation. Do they have a email? spa@harris-batam.com

4) What are the restaurant in your resort. Someone mention about a Japanese/Korean restaurant but I don’t see it in your website.
Yes , in area hotel have a korean Restaurant , it is a different Management.
5) Any major renovation ? There is no renovation anymore .

6) What are the bed type in your different category room? I actually looking for a King bed. Thanks
Please find abelow picture of all about our Resort

POOL & BUILDING (Exterior)
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/BuildingPool#

HARRIS ROOM (Funky Building)
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomHARRISROOMFunkyBuilding#

HARRIS ROOM (Trendy Building)
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomHARRISROOMTrendyBuilding#

FAMILY ROOM
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomFAMILYROOM#

CABANA ROOM
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomCABANAROOM#

JAPANESE ROOM
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomJAPANESEROOM#

JUNIOUR SUITE
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomJUNIORSUITE#

TRENDY SUITE
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomTRENDYSUITE#

EXECUTIVE SUITE
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RoomEXECUTIVEROOM#

SPA & FOOT REFLEXOLOGY
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/SPAFootReflexology#

GENERAL ACTIVITIES
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/ActivitiesShops#

RESTAURANT & BAR
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/RestaurantBar#

TEAM BUILDING
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/TeamBuilding#

KIDS ACTIVITIES
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam/KidsActivity#

ALL ALBUM
http://picasaweb.google.com/harrisbatam

Building Video (yutube) :
http://www.youtube.com/user/harrisbatam#p/u/0/iWwhu8YKPz4

What you need to know about preference shares

2011-04-19T01:12:00.001-07:00

What you need to know about preference shares

By A Tan

In a previous article on the top 3 investments to help beat Singapore inflation some readers brought up another noteworthy way to avoid a negative real interest rate — preference shares. This article explores what preference shares are, the sort of returns you can get from them, how to invest in them and what you should be aware of before investing.

What are preference shares?

Preference shares are a special type of equity security that has properties of both shares and fixed income securities. Issued by companies, preferred shares provide a return in the form of fixed periodic payments. Unlike regular shares, however, you usually do not get voting rights. Instead, you are promised, but not guaranteed a dividend for your preference shares.

The difference with bonds is that the interest payment on a bond must be paid (unless the company goes into default) to the bondholder. For preference shares, the company can choose to withhold the dividend as long as they do not pay ordinary shareholders a dividend. Thus preference shares have priority over ordinary shares in terms of dividend payment and liquidation, but are junior to bonds.

What are the benefits of investing in preference shares?

An investor in preference shares can earn a return on the investment from the interest payment, and also has the potential for capital appreciation upon sale of the shares in the market, although this tends to be limited relative to ordinary shares.

Preference shares provide you with a predictable income stream, where you know how much interest you can expect to receive and how often you will receive it. However, note that the dividend on preference shares is not guaranteed.

Preference shares also have the advantage of transparency. Unlike bonds that are traded over the counter, investors can easily access real-time price and volume information via the SGX website or on their brokers' trading platforms.

What sort of returns can you get from preference shares?

The dividend of a preference share is usually fixed at the time of issue, and your yield will depend on the price you bought it at. For example, if you bought a 5 percent per annum dividend yield preference share at the par value of $100 per share, then your yield is 5 percent. If you bought it at $110 per share instead, then your yield is $5/$110 or 4.55 percent.

In terms of capital gains or losses, the price of a preference share is mainly affected by interest rates and credit risk. If the credit rating of a preference share issuer drops, the price of the share should drop. Like bonds, the price of preference shares has an inverse relationship with interest rates. If interest rates fall, the price of a preference share should go up.

How do you invest in preference shares?

Preference shares are traded on the Singapore Exchange. The process of buying and selling a preference share is similar to that of a buying an ordinary share. Your trade can be executed through a broker or online platform during trading hours, and can be bought and sold using stop-loss orders, limit orders and margin purchases, just like shares.

What are the risks of investing in preference shares?

You are exposed to market risk and preference shares can vary in price, depending on the forces of supply and demand and interest rate changes. You are also exposed to credit risk — the risk that the issuer may not have the cash to meet its dividend payments.

Preference shares tend to be less liquid than ordinary shares, so you may not be able to buy or sell your shares in the quantity or at the price that you want to do so.

Also, your preference shares may be redeemed by the issuer. The issuer often has the right but not the obligation to redeem these shares after a certain period of time, but shareholders have no right to call for their redemption.

Which companies are issuing preference shares?

Current preference shares issuers include DBS Group, OCBC Corporation, UOB, City Developments Limited and United Engineers. The full list of preference shares is available at the SGX website.

Also on April 13 2011, Singapore water treatment firm Hyflux announced that it would sell up to S$200 million of Class A preference shares at a dividend rate of 6 percent per annum.

www.MoneyMatters.sg is your guide on how to make more money, save smarter, invest intelligently and enjoy your money like a pro.

Related articles

Hyflux will be selling S$200 million in class A preference shares at S$100 each

Is it easier to get rich investing in stocks or properties? (at Propwise.sg)

Follow Yahoo! Finance Singapore on Twitter.

Is it legal to jailbreak an iPhone in S’pore?

2011-04-18T02:20:00.000-07:00

..Is it legal to jailbreak an iPhone in S’pore?
By Xavier Lur | Fit to Post Technology – Sun, Apr 17, 2011 2:41 PM SGT
....Share
retweet
EmailPrint.....
Jailbreaking a phone is not an uncommon practice. (Reuters photo)

In July last year, the United States' federal regulators declared it was lawful to "jailbreak" an iPhone despite strong opposition from Apple as it would affect the company's lucrative App Store business. Ever since, many iPhone users here have been inquiring whether it is legal to jailbreak their iOS devices, too.

Yahoo! Singapore spoke to five media lawyers and they all confirmed that iPhone jailbreaking is legal, but it comes with a catch. It is legal to hack your iOS to gain access to additional features or install unverified third-party applications that are not available in the App Store if it does not violate any copyright laws. It applies to all mobile operating systems, including Google Android and Windows Mobile.

Installation of customised themes or add-ons from external sources, be it complimentary or premium, is perfectly fine. However if one downloads, for example, the FIFA 11 app, which comes with a price tag of US$2.99 on the App Store, for free, he or she could be subjected to a fine of SG$20,000 under copyright laws.

"Many iPhone users here have instilled the wrong impression. While iPhone jailbreaking might be legal, the copyright laws still apply provided that the software is infringing (on the copyrights), and this includes some of the premium apps that are sold on the App Store," said James Wong, a 45-year-old lawyer who specialises in copyright lawsuits.

"The wisest choice is to not jailbreak your phone," he added.

A 16-year-old Secondary 4 student, who has jailbroken his iPhone 4 and declined to be named, said that he will continue to download apps that may infringe on copyright laws even though he may face lawsuits. "It's just like downloading songs illegally from the Internet and torrenting games or movies. My friends are all doing it and I don't see any reason why I should obey the copyright laws," he proclaimed.

The top three reasons why consumers jailbreak their smartphone devices are to install third-party applications banned by the App Store, tweak the user interface, and illegally download premium apps from the App Store because they are not willing to fork out additional money for paid apps on top of the price they paid for the phone itself.

When contacted, Apple spokesman warned that "iPhone jailbreaking can cause the device to become unstable and not work reliably", and made it clear that jailbreaking the phone will void the warranty.

However, due to the fact that jailbreaking only tinkers with the software, all effects are reversible. Users can revert their phone to its factory settings at any time via iTunes.

The writer is a 17-year-old technology blogger who loves social media and gadgets. He is also Singapore's No. 1 Twitter user with 192,000 followers.

..

2011-04-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

Planning to somewhere ......

Kuching
recommendation stay from my local friend

1) http://damaibeachresortkuching.com/damai-beach-resort-kuching

Air tickets-
Tiger air - good price
Air asia
Malaysia airline

2) http://www.airasia.com/sg/en/home.html
http://www.tigerairways.com/sg/en/
tiger airways also have flight direct from sin - m'sia
but within internal malaysia flight only air asia have
http://damaibeachresortkuching.com/damai-beach-resort-kuching

Singapore's hawker food spots

2011-04-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Singapore's hawker food spots . Fri Apr 8 2:35am Shareretweet EmailPrint.By Sally Q Call them hawker centers, call them food courts: Singapore's culinary circuses put the awe in gourmet. The surroundings may have changed but the food remains yummy. Singapore's hawker centers were once wet, dirty and dim shelters crammed with all forms of street food. As the country took on a more modern face, its food spots followed suit, with many of the island's hawker centers upgrading or moving indoors in the 1990s to air-conditioned food courts. While foodies bemoaned the loss of authenticity, diners with delicate constitutions and wary of reusable cutlery cheered. Years on, hawker centers -- or food courts -- are a vital part of life and the undisputed source of Singapore's best food. As the Little Red Dot adds celebrity chef eateries to its dining scene, these five swish, new food courts -- or hawker centers -- are making sure people remember that Singapore's street food is here to stay. Singapore Food Trail Remember this old favourite? Now you can get your mouth around an ice ball again at Singapore Food Trail.In the 1960s hawkers were simply cooks with wooden pushcarts who perched at the roadside or in front of shophouses. They set up tables beside their carts, used a Milo tin for a till and served soft drinks in bottles; and kacang puteh (local snack of mixed nuts) was packed right on the spot, in a paper cone assembled by the kacang puteh man. All these can still be found, at the Singapore Food Trail -- a 12-stall, five-kiosk, three-cart, 800-seat, 1960s-themed hawker conglomeration. Harking back to pre- and early independence days are stalls from all over: satay bee hoon from Old Airport Road, nasi lemak from Selera's at Adam Road, Hainanese chicken rice from Ah Huat at Bugis Street and the revered High Street Tai Wah pork noodles. The setting is no less kitsch than its counterparts on this list (we're looking at you, Food Republic Beer Garden) and true to their theme toilets are not on the premises -- you have to head next door to the Singapore Flyer. Fortunately there are three washbasins, so you can keep those hands clean and stomach bug free. Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Bring back the 1960s, arguably Singapore's most exciting era. Level 1, Singapore Flyer, 30 Raffles Avenue. Sunday-Thursday 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. . Food Republic - Beer Garden Even if the live entertainment sucks at Food Republic - Beer Garden, you won't lose your appetite when you can get a whiff of freshly cooked oyster omelette.The junior member of the Breadtalk-owned franchise is a beer garden in St. James Power Station's car park. What it lacks in size (a shoebox compared to the other four locations), it makes up with fanfare. Within this cozy area is a decent attempt at re-enacting the charm of yesteryear: bird cages strung in between lamp posts, antique bicycles, old-fashioned pushcarts with tarpaulin tops, kiosks and truck stalls. Of the 19 operators, the beef tripe satay from former Lau Pa Sat stall Satay Power and ngoh hiang (five-spice meat roll) from Zhong Zhong Fine Spices are definite crowd-pleasers. But the biggest draw has to be the Street Bar -- it has a full selection of local and international beer, spirits, wines and even the Singapore Sling. Sway -- or not -- to the live performances by artists from the St. James troupe. You can't deny this gives the Singapore Food Trail a run for its money. USP: Call it nostalgia eatertainment, the spot makes a good attempt to revive the old days of food streets, giving it a lift with the live entertainment element. St. James Power Startion, 3 Sentosa Gateway. Open daily 6 p.m. till late. . Food Republic - VivoCity The breakfast of many locals...yesterday, today and tomorrow. Slurp down a bowl of beancurd at Food Republic - VivoCity.Another Food Republic brainchild, VivoCity takes us back to the first half of the 20th century with its décor: aged wooden beams and roof shingles shelter suspended bicycles and bird cages. Nestled within the 900-seat atrium is the structure of a Hakka house, and a Chinese sedan chair, wooden carriage and horse trough. Even the baby chairs are old-style. Don't expect the food to date back to those times: perhaps only the Lau Di Fang Scissors-cut Curry Rice (originally at Jalan Besar in the 1920s) and the Lau Dai Hua Minced Pork Noodles (Hill Street Food Centre from 1932 to 1986) can claim to have experienced the era this food court was modeled on. Other stalls to look out for: Sergeant Chicken Rice, started up by one of the original Mandarin Hotel Chatterbox chefs, Kiang Joon Toh; and Thye Hong Fried Hokkien Mee Fried Noodle, formerly found at Newton Circus. USP: The retro décor and the dim sum carts propelled around the food court ... fantastic news for lazy foodies Level 3 VivoCity, 1 Harborfront Walk. Open Monday-Thursday and Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays 10 a.m.-11 p.m. . My view: This is one of the favourite spot that me and my family like to visit.

THe prata over there is good, I do like the indonesian restaurant and the "meat" noodle..

Price slightly higher than normal foodcourt but food quality is good.

Food Opera It will cost you a bit more for your plage of nasi padant at Food Opera but it will be worth it.The third, and last, of the Food Republic branches to be included in this line-up adheres to an opera house theme -- a structure that, in this case, is a contemporary refuge for specialty local dishes. The famous Scotts Beef Noodles found a home in this modern art-museum-like space, as did local tze char mavens Fatty Weng Restaurant and Ah Wok Restaurant, fan-loved Yong Heng Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles and highly regarded Hong Kong dim sum house Luk Yu Teahouse and Restaurant. Local artist Chen You Bing's two mythical animal sculptures displayed in the middle of the atrium might take some getting used to, so will the 700 clear, black and purple acrylic chairs, the ornate chandeliers and life-sized driftwood horse by British sculptor Heather Jansch. But the 25 stalls hold their own; where else on Orchard Road hosts a congregation of street food spots so established they've decided to go against the flow and branch out into food stalls, in such modern setting nonetheless? USP: Orchard Road is hardly a food mecca, so this is about as close as it gets. Basement 4, Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. . My view: This is one of the nice food court spot . Cost is expensive The chicken rice over there is good & fish ball noodle is acceptable Price is much higher than normal foodcourt. Rasapura Masters The kachang puteh man: An old faourite revived at Rasapura Masters.As food courts go, this one's really hit the big time. It's not just its location in Marina Bay Sands (the classier of the two casinos) or the court's massive girth; it's also that this 24-hour "taste-city ("Rasa-pura") food court has got an ice-skating rink, theaters and celebrity chef restaurants as its neighbors. You are who you're next to, right? But has street food really gone high class? Not quite. Sure, modern Indian fine dining restaurant Song of India's only food stall is located here, but a stall by any other name is still a stall. As Song of India moves a step down to catering to the masses, stalls of local food institutions like Lau Di Fang, Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh and Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice have stepped up. All 24 stalls have met on this middle ground, except probably where pricing is concerned -- a plate of nasi padang could set you back a whopping S$13.30. Cringe all you want; it's still way cheaper than going to the neighbors. USP: Call it the food court of the high-rollers, when all the fancy celeb chef creations have been consumed, hunker down to some real food, Singapore style. Canal Level, Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave. Open 24 hours.. Do try out the food court in Wisma

Affordable Luxurious Lunches

2011-04-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

DINING . Affordable Luxurious Lunches Nostalgic Dining Best German Restaurants Best Mexican Restaurants Fresh on the buffet table Todai .Previous Post Affordable Luxurious LunchesMonday April 4, 2011 08:23 pm PDT Whether you've an important deal to seal or just fancy a change from your usual grab-and-go lunch spot, the set menus at many fine dining establishments around town offer superb value for money. Here we pick some of our favorites across a range of price bands, with tips on what to expect and how much time to set aside. Your lunch hour will never be the same again. UNDER $50 OTTO Ristorante The menu: Rotating weekly, with delicately prepared re-workings of homestyle Italian classics, many from the north (their chef's from Treviso). You get a choice from three appetizers, three mains and two desserts. On our visit, there was soup, salad or beef carpaccio, as well as spaghetti with Parma ham and butter sauce, baby snapper fillet with soft polenta or pan-roasted chicken breast with fontina cheese. The damage: $38 for three courses, including coffee or tea. The verdict: Boy, does this place get busy. That's worth bearing in mind if you're in a rush, when food can take a while; it's quieter around noon, though. If you're looking to impress, the combination of innovative dishes and enthusiastic service makes it a real winner. And you've got to love the building it's in. #01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building, 28 Maxwell Rd., 6227-6819. Mon-Fri noon-3:30pm. Pamplemousse Bistro + Bar The menu: Chef Adrian Ling presents a selection of modern European dishes and has the others beat in terms of sheer variety. We were able to pick from six different starters, eight mains and three desserts (that's a whopping 17 dishes in total). For appetizers, we went with citrus-marinated salmon and miso aioli, as well as foie gras terrine sachertorte with roselle espuma and apricot jam ($10 supplement), both of which were lovely. Settling on our mains proved to be a tricky business, but we finally decided on the signature uni tagliolini with a rich crustacean cream sauce and pork gratons and onglet steak with caramelized onions, pomme puree and truffle-infused Madeira sauce ($5 supplement). For a delightful finale, osmanthus-scented crème brûlée with lychee sorbet and baked black rice pudding with H jicha ice cream made us happy campers. The damage: A mere $32 for three courses-talk about a steal. The verdict: This is an ideal spot for both lunch and dinner, whether you're with business associates or catching up with friends (although we noticed more than a few tai tais in attendance). We're big fans of the discreet, decidedly un-snooty service and real value-for-money sets. Dempsey's not convenient for everyone, though. #01-04, 7 Dempsey Rd., 6475-0080. Tue-Fri noon-3pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm. Restaurant Ember The menu: A range of 11 appetizers (three of which are foie gras, $6 supplement), seven mains and 10 delectable desserts. We can't help but be impressed that their dessert selection is almost as varied as that of their starters. Don't miss chef Sebastian Ng's drool-worthy homemade crispy tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce and pan-seared Chilean seabass with smoked bacon ragout and truffle yuzu butter. We also adore 12-hour-cooked pork belly with savoy cabbage, apple puree and spiced Calvados sauce. End on a sweet note with the caramelized pear tart and baileys ice cream or coconut panna cotta with gula melaka and water chestnuts. The damage: $39.50 for three courses, including coffee or tea. The verdict: It gets really busy here during lunchtime, with an endless parade of OLs and execs who work in the area. So if you're after a quiet meal, this isn't the place for you. But if you care more about good quality fare, are a dessert fiend and don't mind the bustling surrounds, we can't think of a better spot. G/F Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Rd., 6347-1928. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm. UNDER $50-80 FiftyThree The menu: Thanks to chef and owner Michael Han, the dishes on offer are well-executed and beautifully presented, with three options for each course. Our entrée of sashimi-style scallops with Earl Grey and lavender granita, balls of compressed watermelon, crisp chicken feet and passion fruit coulis was simply stunning, as were the mains of crisp pork belly with red cabbage puree and braised Wagyu cheek with Asian pear ($10 supplement). Desserts don't disappoint either. Give the five-spiced fried pineapple with brie ice cream a go ($5 supplement) or the Amedei Chuao chocolate ice cream with cassis leather and fresh berries ($10 supplement). The damage: $53 for three divine courses. The verdict: We'd gladly lunch here everyday, if we could. The space is understated and elegant (which makes it ideal for a business lunch or an intimate meal with a special someone), the service is exemplary, but above all, the carefully-prepared posh nosh is stellar. As a real bonus, the portions here are generous. We suggest setting aside at least a good hour and a half to get the most out of this experience. 53 Armenian St., 6334-5535. Mon-Fri noon-2pm. Les Amis The menu: With eight starters, five mains and six desserts to choose from, they've certainly got their bases covered. We highly recommend chef Armin Leitgeb's signature lightly-smoked eel "tiède," with crispy pork croûton, shaved horseradish and Dijon mustard emulsion and homemade ramp leaf pasta with poached Maine lobster and chanterelles ($12 supplement). Other winning items include Hungarian goose foie gras "parfait" with Gewürztraminer jelly and black Périgord truffles ($20 supplement) and charcoal-grilled Wagyu ribeye with Périgourdine sauce ($25 supplement). End your meal with rhubarb textures and tarragon-scented ice cream or be adventurous and try the pickled Hawaiian papaya, with frozen curry, ginger and lime. The damage: It's $70 for three and $88 for four (two appetizers, a main and one dessert) courses. Both sets include coffee or tea. The verdict: We grant that lunch here doesn't come cheap, but then again, you're getting more than just fabulous food. The setting is exquisite. #02-16 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Rd., 6733-2225. Mon-Sat noon-3pm. Majestic Restaurant The menu: Expect chef-owner Yong Bing Ngen's signature style of modern Chinese fare with a twist, exemplified in dishes such as a combination platter of Peking duck skin, pan-seared foie gras and crispy soft shell crab with mangoes. Other dishes include double-boiled shark's fin soup with black truffle, honey-glazed rack of lamb with XO carrot cake and stewed noodles with shredded abalone, mushrooms and truffle oil. The damage: $40/60 per person for the five-course premium and deluxe set lunch respectively (for a minimum of two people). The verdict: There's just something about Chinese food that makes it better-suited for bigger groups (we think four is the ideal number). While the food is good and service commendable, larger portions wouldn't hurt. G/F New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6511-4718. Daily 11:45am-3pm. OVER $80 Andre The menu: Sticking with the philosophy of a degustation menu, their lunch is prixe fixe, with three appetizers, one main course and a dessert. There are no choices whatsoever, so come with an open mind and be prepared for whatever chef André decides to craft. On our visit, we indulged in creations such as smoked salmon served with white peach and tomato salad, Hijeki seaweed and basil flower sorbet, bruleed foie gras jello, périgord black truffle coulis with chives and slow-roasted Japanese Omi short rib beef with celery root puree and mushroom polenta Bianca. The damage: It's one of the steepest lunches, at $125 for five scrumptious courses. The verdict: For a five-course meal, it's surprisingly quick (we were in and out in just an hour and 15 minutes). The service was beyond reproach, the clientele is well-coiffed and the food superb. Our only gripe is that it's on the pricy side of things. Then again, if you're coming here, that shouldn't be an issue. 41 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6534-8880. Mon-Fri noon-4pm. Iggy's The menu: It's a standard four-course deal here, as standard as it gets at Iggy's anyway. They switch things up every one or two months, depending on what's in season. We were offered a hot and cold entrée to pick from (naturally we ordered both), pea flan with mint and parmesan or a divine oyster with shiso leaf, encased in sea essence jelly, with mascarpone and pickled discs of cucumber. That was followed by a pasta course of squid ink tonnarelli with fried calamari and tomatoes or vegetarian lasagna. For mains, three offerings: Spring vegetables (for herbivores), quail with black beans and white asparagus, or charcoal-grilled Wagyu with tapenade, okra and yukon gold potato ($40 supplement). For the sweet-toothed, three different options such as yogurt panna cotta with raspberries. The damage: $85 for four courses (one starter, a pasta dish and a main, followed by dessert). Not the most expensive, but certainly not cheap either. The verdict: The crowd's a little older here (mid-40s, plus or minus 10 years) and it's a pleasant experience overall, with mostly competent wait staff (although they neglected to ask us how we'd like our beef done: For the record, medium-rare please) and good quality fare. The entire affair lasted a pleasurable 90 minutes. 3/F Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6732-2234. Daily noon-3:30pm. Kunio Tokuoka The menu: Michelin-starred chef Kunio Tokuoka prizes freshness and simplicity above all else; you could say his philosophy is: Balance, balance and balance. Both lunch sets, the five-course and kaiseki, don't really give you options, although the former allows you to pick from assorted sushi, seafood shirashi donburi or tempura udon for mains. The latter is undoubtedly more filling, but at $450 a pop, you'd certainly hope so. Seasonal offerings include fresh scallops and ikura with homemade chirizu sauce, a tantalizing spread of the freshest sashimi and charcoal-grilled Wagyu with shaved foie pate. The damage: $120 for the five-course set lunch or $450 for the seven-course kaiseki menu. The verdict: Is it absolutely delicious? Without a doubt. But unless you're Miss/ Mr Moneybags, we're not entirely convinced the jump from $120 to $450 is worth it. Ideally, you'd charge it to your company or have your sugar momma take you. #02-139 Crockfords Tower Lobby Level, 26 Sentosa Gateway, 6686-3633. Daily noon-3pm.

Top 5 Insane Zombie Elimination Strategies

2011-04-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

Check this game out.. once of my favourite.

THis link show how to play this game.. not easy :)

Top 5 Insane Zombie Elimination Strategies
April 5, 2011 | 11:19:48 am

Here, we share with you FIVE SICK STRATEGIES to protect your home from the moanin', groanin' zombies.

SICK STRATEGY #1: LOOK MA, NO WALLS!

URGH, plant-headed zombies! It looks like these counterfeits are out to try and fool our soldiers. Of course, everyone knows better. While is is a common trend to use Nuts as walls to block the zombies in this stage, watch as one bounty hunter does otherwise. Behold, the lethal combination of cattails and starfruits, as the duo fire relentless attacks at the zombies, leaving them with no choice but to drop dead even before they can cross the halfway mark of the lawn!

These undead creatures are also taken by surprise by potato mines and squash, which finish them off faster than you can say "Braaaaiiiinsss!!" A strategy that works beautifully and swiftly, without any walls involved!

Plants used: Sunflower, Lily pad, Cattail, Spikeweed, Potato-mine, Garlic, Starfruit, Tangle-kelp, Squash Game type: MINI-GAME, ZOMBOTANY 2

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SICK STRATEGY #2: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF ODOUR

Psst... The successful bounty hunter behind this tactic also shows how you can make a whopping $8000 in the process. Getting rich while stinking zombies to death, why not? By the way, we wonder if the zombies know that they smell bad themselves. Hmmm....

Plants used: Lily Pad, Fume-Shroom, Pumpkin, Marigold, Magent-Shroom, Coffee Bean, Gold Magnet, Gloom-Shroom, Garlic Game type: MINI-GAME, LAST STAND

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SICK STRATEGY #3: INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Why go through the trouble of throwing bullets at zombies when you can just fry them on the spot?

Now you see a horde, and the next thing you know, they're totally gone!

Plants used: Jalapeno, Twin Sunflower, Pumpkin, Ice Shroom, Doom Shroom, Imitater Doom Shroom, Potato Mine, Squash, Cherry Bomb Game type: SURVIVAL, HARD (NIGHT)

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SICK STRATEGY #4: (NOT SO) PRETTY MELONS ALL IN A ROW

If I was a zombie and knew what was coming for me, I'd have turned back and crawled back into my grave. Because nothing could be worse than being pelted with melons - yes, column after column of melon-pults do the trick this time around. "But what happens when the Gargantuans arrive?"

Plants used: Flower Pot, Tall-nut, Magnet-shroom, Coffee Bean, Melon-pult, Potato Mine, Squash, Pumpkin, Jalapeno, Chomper Game type: MINI-GAME, COLUMN LIKE YOU SEE 'EM

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SICK STRATEGY #5: DEFEAT THE UNDEAD KING OF POP... AND HIS UNDEAD BACKUP DANCERS.

"It's close to midnight.., And something evil's lurking in the dark..."

Fight all urges to be starstruck ("It's the King of Pop!") or absolutely terrified ("Has he come back to life?!"), and use the combined powers and strategic placement of the shroom family to get rid of the dancing zombies almost as quickly as they come!

Plants used: Puff-Shroom, Fume-Shroom, Grave-Buster, Hypo-Shroom, Scaredy-Shroom, Ice-Shroom, Doom-Shroom Game type: ADVENTURE, LEVEL 2 - 1

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How to Study ...

2011-04-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

I believe that there are way to study for exam. I do think the key to the success is understanding , able to relate what we have learn. On how to do so... it's defintely is not easy. I am taking my Bachelor in BA... Five more papers to do.. Did badly the last time. I think i am not mentally prepared to study. So First thing I think I have to do is get myself mentally prepared to study. 2nd Planning.. on how to study. I must search for all the resouces that is readily available to me. I am sourcing for ways to study.

Study Guide - How to Study

Preparing to Study - Mentally and physically.

Find a good place to study. For me this is finding my best direction in fengshui for Education too. With the mentality of good direction, mentally it bring me good chi on study better.

Make sure you have the following

Write down all assignments right away

Good lighting

Chair

Supplies

Eliminate all distractions

Get enough sleep

Eat breakfast

Get some exercise

How to Listen Better in class Improving Reading Skills A Strategy for Reading Textbooks Taking Notes in Class A Strategy for Taking Tests The DETER Strategy for Taking Tests To do well on a test, you must have good knowledge of the information that is being tested. But you must also have a strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you know. The DETER strategy can help you do your best on any test. Each letter in DETER reminds you what to do. D = Directions Read the test directions very carefully. Ask your teacher to explain anything about the test directions you do not understand. Only by following the directions can you achieve a good score on the test. If you do not follow the directions, you will not be able to demonstrate what you know. E = Examine Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do. Only by knowing the entire task can you break it down into parts that become manageable for you. T = Time Once you have examined the entire test, decide how much time you will spend on each item. If there are different points for items, plan to spend the most time on the items that count for the most points. Planning your time is especially important for essay tests where you must avoid spending so much time on one item that you have little time left for other test items. E = Easiest The second E in DETER reminds you to answer the items you find easiest first. If you get stuck on a difficult item that comes up early in the test, you may not get to answer items that test things you know. R = Review If you have planned your time correctly, you will have time to review your answers and make them as complete and accurate as possible. Also make sure to review the test directions to be certain you have answered all items required. Using the DETER strategy will help you do better on tests and get better grades.

Lobang - offer

2011-04-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

Special Offers

ADULTS AT KIDS' PRICES
Adults pay kids' prices at Club Med! Exclusively for UOB Credit Card holders and Club Med members

http://www.clubmed.com.sg/cm/home.do?PAYS=362&LANG=AE

ADULTS AT KIDS' PRICES
Exclusive to Club Med members and UOB Credit Card holders only

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Adults at Kids' Prices!

Book a 5D4N All-Inclusive holiday to Club Med Bali, Cherating Beach, Kani, Kabira Beach or Phuket and Adults pay Kids' Prices!

Book by 21 April
Travel between 1 May - 30 September

Our All-Inclusive Package includes:
- Return air tickets (optional)
- Return airport transfers (optional)
- Welcome drink
- Twin-share accommodation
- Sumptuous Buffet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with free flow of red and white wine and beverages during Lunch and Dinner
- Open bar and snacks
- All Sports activities with expert tuition including archery and flying trapeze
- Nightly entertainment

For reservations, book online now or call us at 1800 258 2633

Preference Dentist as recommend

2011-04-03T19:26:00.001-07:00

This list is compile for my preference ... I have tested some of the dentist. Some are recommend by my friends

1) Allsmiles Dental Care Reg. Name: Allsmiles Dental Care
997Tampines MRT (EW2) #01-26, 20 Tampines Central 1, (S)529538

Tel: 67853303 | Fax: 67866282
Dr OH
Review : Tested personally and he is a very funny dentist.
Recommend by my sister. I am confident with him to take care of my tooth. DId my first root canal and crowning with him.

Great guy, cost is normal ..

2) Victorial Dentist at River view mall.
Dentist only there once a day in sunday
Review : Had to emergency to visit a dentist as suspect tooth decay. Felt nerve pain.
This is a lady doctor who I have visted yesterday. Cost is expected ..
No problem with my tooth but suspect senstitive tooth. so application of flouride is recommend. No decay.

$60 for cleaning
$20 for FLouride application
$15 for consultant

How to get my child to be more independent and pack her things?

2011-03-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

(1)Talk to your children about Self Reliance. Brainstorm some ways that everyone in the family can be self reliant—at which time, you can challenge and encourage your child to start packing is or her own bag.

(2) Let them know what’s happening: Tell your children about any vacations, trips, overnights, or special classes so that they can start to mentally prepare. Have them start thinking about what they’ll need for their special vacation

(3)Teach them how to make a list: If your child is old enough to write, s/he will be able to start a list of what s/he’ll need to put in the bag. Younger children will need more help then older ones. Check the list after they think it’s complete. If something’s missing, like a toothbrush, simple ask a question like, “what will you need to get ready for bed at night and when you get up in the morning?” Allowing them to come up with the answer will reinforce their abilities to become self reliant.

(4)Designate the bag: If your children are frequently going on a trip to Grandma’s house or goes to their Powerful Words academy every week, make sure they have a bag that is specifically for that situation. That way, they won’t keep taking things out and putting things in—which means things will be forgotten and lost. The bag should be big enough for what they need. Help them to choose the right bag for themselves. If it’s for your Powerful Words school, get a bag with the school name on it so that it’s labeled for that purpose.

(5)What should always be in the bag? Help your children determine some things that stay in the bag at all times. For example, if a special notebook always needs to go to school or class, teach your child to keep it in the special bag.

(6)Teach them how to figure out how much they’ll need: Make some simple equations. Number of nights= number of pairs of underwear. Number of days= number of pairs of socks. Number of hours in class at your Powerful Words School= X amount of water bottles.

(7)Have them get dressed in their minds: If they’re going somewhere hot, have them pretend to get dressed and talk out loud about each article of clothing they will need, for example, underwear, shorts, t-shirt, sandals, hat, sunglasses, bathing-suit and sunscreen. They can do the same thing for class (i.e. t-shirt, uniform, special shoes, socks, any protective/special gear). They can even look in the mirror while they’re doing it so they don’t miss it.

(8) What will they do while they’re waiting? Teach your children to prepare for what they need while they are in action and what they need when they are sitting still. What will they do in the car, on the plane, in the waiting room, or during a break? Whether they are traveling far distances or simply waiting while their sister is taking another class, they’ll need to think ahead and pack accordingly.

9) Have them check off everything on their master list: As each article is packed, teach them to check off the item on their list. Did they pack their camera? Check. Did they pack their belt? Check. Do they have their homework or project? Check. Allow them to check off the items so that it reinforces their own self reliance.

10) Allow them to make small mistakes: While we can’t have them forget their airline tickets, if they forget to pack their favorite stationary for writing, chalk it up to learning. They’ll remember it the next time. Similarly, for class, if they forget part of their uniform or homework, they’ll learn a lot more from feeling unprepared than they will from you going back home to get it for them. While it’s difficult, teaching self reliance comes from trial and error as well as from direct teaching from you.

This month, why not challenge your children to learning how to pack their own bags? Do they have a trip coming up? When is their next class at their Powerful Words school? Becoming responsible for ones own things and becoming more self reliant as they develop, is part of growing up to be a Powerful person!

How to control kids

2011-03-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Recently my daughter took a turn in her behavour. She has been very rebellious, talking back and bullying her mummy. I need to enforce my discipline on her. Even her dad was telling her off. There must be something I can do to enforce the discipline and yet not to be too strict on her. She is a big girl in primary one. I wish to give her ample learning space with limited controls. She has got me fustrated on a few occassions. Actually more than a few. There must be something I can do.

How to Get Your Kids Under Control

***Communication***

First, discuss your expectations with your child. Oftentimes, children are not sure what is expected of them. Teach your children to listen to your specific instructions. Make time to have discussion about out of control behavior. Schedule regular family meetings and review house rules. Demand that your child respect authority and start behaving in an acceptable manner.

***Monitoring Behavior***

Next, it is imperative that as a parent you monitor the behavior of your children. Every day you need to make an assessment of what your child is doing and how they are acting. Are they disrespectful? Are they constantly arguing with their siblings? If yes, then maybe it is time for a meeting to resolve these issues. Also, help your child to clean her room by checking it every other day. Ask your child if she needs help in any area in order to prevent out of control behavior.

***Consequences***

Finally, out of control children need to learn that there are severe consequences to their behavior. Ban your child from watching television for 30 days if she misbehaves. Stop your children from gaining access to the home computer until the out of control behavior ceases. When your child is still acting like a baby, it is time to address the situation. You are the parent; it's time for you to gain control. http://www.ehow.com/how_5046625_kids-under-control.html

Tips & Warnings Listen to your children's concerns. Reward your child for good behavior. Remember that you were once a child yourself. Choosing not to discipline your child is a form of neglect. Never, ever physically abuse your child to the point of injury. Monitor the company your child is keeping. Read more: How to Get Your Kids Under Control eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5046625_kids-under-control.html#ixzz1HwNOySKP

How to control my anger/ temper

2011-03-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

I always heard this from my hubby on me need to control my temper/ anger. With having a little girl around, this is quite important as it has become one of the things I been trying to improve as a mum. I am not the most perfect mum with the perfect behaviour but i love my child that is the most important factor. Below are some information I have come across 10 tips to help get your anger under control

Take a 'timeout.' Although it may seem cliche, counting to 10 before reacting really can defuse your temper.

Get some space. Take a break from the person you're angry with until your frustrations subside a bit.

Once you're calm, express your anger. It's healthy to express your frustration in a nonconfrontational way. Stewing about it can make the situation worse.

Get some exercise. Physical activity can provide an outlet for your emotions, especially if you're about to erupt. Go for a brisk walk or a run, swim, lift weights or shoot baskets.

Think carefully before you say anything. Otherwise, you're likely to say something you'll regret. It can be helpful to write down what you want to say so that you can stick to the issues. When you're angry, it's easy to get sidetracked.

Identify solutions to the situation. Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work with the person who angered you to resolve the issue at hand.

Use 'I' statements when describing the problem. This will help you to avoid criticizing or placing blame, which can make the other person angry or resentful — and increase tension. For instance, say, "I'm upset you didn't help with the housework this evening," instead of, "You should have helped with the housework."

Don't hold a grudge. If you can forgive the other person, it will help you both. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to behave exactly as you want.

Use humor to release tensions. Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Don't use sarcasm, though — it's can hurt feelings and make things worse.

Practice relaxation skills. Learning skills to relax and de-stress can also help control your temper when it may flare up. Practice deep-breathing exercises, visualize a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase to yourself, such as "Take it easy." Other proven ways to ease anger include listening to music, writing in a journal and doing yoga. Haha doing yoga is something i hardly do... may be jogging..

Another found

Steps1 Use the "F.L.O.W." method to calm down when you are boiling" Ads by Google Manage Your Anxiety NowA Trans4mational Way to Manage Anxiety Act NOW... Call 9186 3575 http://www.trans4mationaltherapy.com/

F is for Focus: If you feel that you're about to lose your temper, try to focus and remain grounded. Use deep breathing or counting to get your brain thinking rationally.

Tell yourself that you are not going to explode and repeat "I am not going to lose it" several times over, so that the message sinks in internally.

L is for Listen: When you are in a situation that makes you angry, or you are in disagreement with someone, try to really listen to them and empathise with them. Our ability to empathise with others is critical in being able to listen well; if you are not able to empathise, you are not really able to hear. Try to understand the conflict from their point of view; people will value and respect you for listening to them.

O is for Objectivity: If you're in disagreement with someone, try not to take it personally. When you take something that someone else has said personally, you lose all form of objectivity. It is critical that you identify that you are taking it personally. Then you have a choice about how you want to respond. Try to stay objective about the situation, and this will help you to not become angry. Objectivity is an indicator of maturity and helps you to have much healthier relationships.

W is for Wait: People with anger management problems tend to react to situations immediately, without taking the time to consider their reaction.

If you feel like you're about to explode or lose your temper, try to take a moment to think and reflect before you react. Use this time to think about what the consequences of an angry outburst would be. Waiting is a very successful indicator that you are managing your anger. You will feel really liberated and the whole process of managing anger becomes fun.

2 Follow through these steps every time that you encounter a situation that drives you to feel anger.

Let "F.L.O.W." be the mantra that flows through you each time a situation triggering anger arises. # Cease to get angry at situations over which you have no control. Traffic jams, slow queues, strikes, broken appliances etc. are all laws unto themselves and being angry at them is only going to make your own blood boil; it won't change the status quo.

Be productive not angry and use your skills to effect change, such as planning a different route home using a map or GPS, asking a neighbour for a lift during a bus strike or phoning a plumber when the washing machine breaks.

3 Learn the difference between angry expression of your opinions and issues and assertiveness. Many people never learn this and continue to think that yelling, cursing and blowing their top is asserting themselves. It is not; it is reacting in a heated fashion and not using reasoned discussion.

If you have trouble managing this distinction and your anger, seek professional counseling, or join an anger management group to learn coping techniques and to undo bad habits.

Best Sites for Great Deals

2011-03-20T22:20:00.001-07:00

Best Sites for Great Deals ( lifted this out from the website as it seen to be very good ) Tuesday March 8, 2011 12:56 am PST If you haven't already bought into the whole coupon craze, maybe it's high time you did. Internet-organized group buying has exploded in the last two years, with world leader Groupon rejecting a US$6 billion offer from Google at the end of last year. The premise is simple - you indicate your interest in a deal and if the requisite number of other people do likewise (the "tipping point" in marketing speak), the deal is activated. While a deal-a-day might not keep the doctor away, the best coupon sites are worth exploring for some great savings. But with some 14 (and counting) different websites in Singapore offering deals that run the gamut of dining, travel and beauty services, it can all be a little overwhelming. We road-tested the most high-profile of these sites to save you time when it comes time to saving.

BigDeal.sg

The Good: We imagine most folks would be pleased with the array of offers available here (food and travel, as well as beauty services). You can get your hair permed/colored on the cheap, a 60-minute body massage, or pick from a list of dining partners that includes Forlino, Michelangelo's and miki yo (most of which are under $50). The Bad: The uber tacky website, complete with images of Cupid, kissing couples and a red and pink background (barf). On top of that, their "more deals" tab on the homepage doesn't list the time the offer is valid for, while the layout of Terms and Conditions is messy and unprofessional. Verdict: If you can overlook the hideous design issues (We can't - so sue us. We're all for aesthetics), there are a fair number of respectable offers. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: Forlino, Sentosa, Outback Stakehouse, Night Safari First Deal: May 2010 Frequency: Updated once a day, with one deal sent by email daily. No. of ongoing deals: 4 Savings: 40-97% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

CityNomads.com

The Good: Carefully curated, one-of-a-kind deals. While the scope is narrow (it's almost entirely restaurants and bars), the selection is genuinely impressive with recent offers including menu discounts at El Toro and 50% off at Infusion@Dempsey. We booked a wine dinner at Bistro Amigo ($99, down from $160) and the experience far exceeded our expectations. (The food was cooked by a former "Top Chef" contestant, no less.) City Nomads also hawk bottles of vino and shake things up once in a while with non-dining-related deals like golf at Urban Fairways. The Bad: Not so great if you're not a foodie or night owl. Typically only one or two deals a day. Still in need of some fine-tuning (not listing a time for one event, saying that a coupon would be sent when in fact none was required). Having said that, they are quick to make corrections when pointed out. Verdict: Well worth looking at, particularly if you're big on food and drink. Professionally done and, barring a few teething problems, shows real promise. Not even Groupon offers such unique experiences. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: El Toro, Infusion, Shots Cafe, Oosters Belgian Brasserie First Deal: Dec 2010 Frequency: Every 2-3 days, with daily email reminders. No. of ongoing deals: 1-2 Savings: 50-81% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

Deal.com.sg

The Good: This is one of the more established sites with a good range of travel, retail, dining, beauty and entertainment deals. They've already worked with dependable brands such as Skinny Pizza, Marie France Bodyline and Hog's Breath Café. On top of the usual tabs, they have a friend referral system that earns you $6 credits for each successful referral. Extra savings - score! The Bad: While we appreciate the sidebar of other deals available, the slew of non-essential information crammed underneath really clutters the site. Worse still, customers who bought a four-day Bangkok holiday package back in January discovered they had to pay considerable extra charges, not listed in the promotion. The company did offer refunds, but it's hardly a tale that gives us confidence. Verdict: It's worth checking out to see what's available (you never know what might pop up), although not all of the deals are with what we would consider top-notch partner merchants. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: Holiday Inn, Hog's Breathe Cafe, Mad for Garlic First Deal: May 2010 Frequency: Up to 3 new deals, one new deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 3-5 Savings: 40-94% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal, Smoovcard

Groupon.sg

The Good: Formerly known as Beeconomic, this Singapore-born site has since been acquired by Groupon for a purported $24 million - but we don't care about that. What we do care about is that they have (hands-down) the greatest variety of deals: a smorgasbord of health and beauty, entertainment, dining, travel and retail options with over 280 merchants such as Chan Brothers, Ben & Jerry's and L'Officiel. And the customer support hotline is something they can be proud of (other sites try to bury theirs at the bottom of the page). The Bad: Users will only benefit from their "recommend a friend" function if the friend purchases a successful deal within 72 hours of the referral. That's sneaky. Also, the "more deals" tab on their homepage doesn't list the time the offer is valid till. And the deal write-ups, while still amusing, lack the polished humour that helped make its US parent such a star. Verdict: As much as we shy away from the predictable - in this case - the brand name and (no doubt) financial backing really pays off. The site's easy to use and the sheer assortment of deals makes this the site with the most mass appeal. There really is something for everyone. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: Mint Museum of Toys, Groove, Tully's Coffee, LAMC Productions First Deal: May 2010 Frequency: Three new deals on website, one new deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 3-5 Savings: 50-96% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

Hungrydeals.hungrygowhere.com

The Good: One of Singapore's most popular food sites has gotten in on the coupon action. It should mean crowd-pleasing deals, right? Some aren't bad: 50% off at Shin Sapporo Ramen, an exclusive tie-up with Illy Coffee, and recently - a foodie trip to Batam. Their Facebook page is pretty active, with prompt feedback on customer requests. The "Bring Back Deal" request feature is a nice touch, too. The Bad: We know it's not their main business, but it still feels like an afterthought. The site is so bare it might as well be naked - and from what we can tell - it doesn't seem to be very well-maintained. There's also an additional $0.25 transaction fee (save us the arithmetic and just build it into the total, why don't you?) Verdict: Let's just say we won't be coming back. We expected a whole lot more from this foodie household name website, and we most certainly didn't get it. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: Shin Sapporo Ramen, Illy Coffee, Platypus Kitchen, Brewerkz First Deal: Dec 2010 Frequency: One new deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 1 Savings: 50-66% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

Liveoffcoupon.com

The Good: Aside from travel deals with affordable accommodation packages, beauty offers (fancy a Brazilian?), and discounted movie tickets - there are also dining deals aplenty. The Bad: The site doesn't really provide details of past deals, so it's hard to get a sense of exactly what's been offered or what's to come. Also, their "refer friends and get money" option is listed but doesn't seem to be functioning. Quite a few of the partner restaurants aren't very good in our book. So what if we pay less for a mediocre lunch? We'd rather spend our money (and calories) on food that's really worth it. Verdict: Some interesting offers, especially short travel ones. While we can't speak for the quality of the hotels, it might be worth exploring for a cheap weekend getaway (if you aren't too fussy that is). Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: SAF Yacht Club, Samy's Curry, Cathay Cineplexes, Pasta de Waraku First Deal: Oct 2010 Frequency: One deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 2-3 Savings: 40-92% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

StreetDeal.sg

The Good: The site's layout is simple yet functional, with a sidebar of other deals as well as a concise 3-step "how does it work?" box. Deals vary from dining at Krish for a mere $16 to a 4D3N stay at Bangkok's Four Points by Sheraton for just $235 (We stayed there when it opened in December and at 60% off - that's a real bargain). They also have offers on health and beauty, games, retail and entertainment. Their friend referral system credits you with $8 per friend. That works out to be quite a hefty bundle if you invite all your "friends." The Bad: Not publishing a customer helpline number is a real deal-breaker, and we'd appreciate being able to see how long the other deals on the homepage have left to run without having to click through to them first. The "How It Works" section is also far from clear. Verdict: Not bad at all. Ladies in particular, will be impressed by the diverse range of health and beauty deals on offer. But frankly, there's something for everyone here. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable brands: Kusu Retaurant, Body Coutours, That Purple Place, Inizio First Deal: Oct 2010 Frequency: One deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 3-4 Savings: 30-92% Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal

Tip-It.com.sg

The Good: The site is well-organized and navigation is a breeze. We spied everything from art and cooking classes to dining and travel, not to mention health and beauty, entertainment and retail stuff too. The Bad: The variety we like, but we call into question the quality of their partner merchants. We simply haven't heard of many of them. You also can't zoom in on the merchant locator map, which makes it kind of redundant. Verdict: We recommend doing some serious research on the partner establishments before you bid. Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔ Usability: ***** Notable merchants: Cathay, Seventh Heaven, Ramen Culture, Movenpick Ice Cream Creations First Deal: Aug 2010 Frequency: A new deal emailed daily. No. of ongoing deals: 2-3 Savings: 20-90% Payment: AE/MC/V/ bank transfers, GiroPay, PayPal Beeconomic http://beeconomic.com/

Recommend Buffet from Friend

2011-03-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

THis has been tried and tested by my friend. I am going to try out personally :) http://www.kuishinbo.com.sg/promotions-kuishinbo/ Singapore, June 23, 2010 Kiseki Japanese Buffet

feast and East

Welcome to Vienna International Seafood & Teppanyaki Restaurant. Conveniently located at the Basement of United Square since Year 2002, we provide dining areas of indoor, outdoor and also a private dining room for various occasions. Our menu includes over 150 varieties of food, guaranteed you'll be spoilt for choices! Local favourites & authentic soups, Japanese and Western cuisine, Teppanyaki and also our mouthwatering appetizers and desserts you will not want to miss! Operating Hours & Prices Lunch (11.30am to 3.00pm) Mon - Fri S$32.80++ (Adult) S$18.80++ (Child) Sat, Sun & Public Holidays S$34.80++ (Adult) S$19.80++ (Child) Dinner (5.30pm to 10.00pm) Mon - Thu S$38.80++ (Adult) S$20.80++ (Child) Fri, Sat, Sun & Public Holidays S$40.80++ (Adult) S$21.80++ (Child) Don't forget to try our flavoured tea which are also included in our buffet menu.

Hotel Booking site and info

2011-03-15T04:11:00.001-07:00

This is for my personal compliation list. If you have any to add, do feel free to email me. Thanks Hotel Booking

http://www.hotels.com/

http://www.hotels.com.sg/

http://www.agoda.com.sg/

http://www.asiarooms.com/

http://www.zuji.com.sg/

http://www.sg.pyotravel.com/

http://www.asiatravel.com

http://www.laterooms.com/

http://www.hotelclub.com/

http://www.hotelclub.com/visa/en/

http://directrooms.com/

http://www.plentyrooms.com/

Hotel Reviews

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

Different booking websites tie up with different hotels.

**There's no specific booking website with the best price.

Step 1: Choose the hotel you want.

Step 2: Browse through all the pricing on the booking websites.

Step 3: Book the cheapest and most favorable.

Do take note of the following: Taxes and Service Charges inclusive? Free Breakfast or Internet Access? Pay online or at the hotel?

(Exchange rates may differ when you check-in) Any charges for cancellation, amendment or change of booking?

What Not to Include in your Resume

2011-03-10T01:23:00.001-08:00

What Not to Include in your Resume

You’ve probably read tons of advice and recommendations on the design and information you should include in your professional resume, but has anyone ever outlined the information that should not appear in an effective summary of expertise and experience?

Here are some resume “don’ts” for you to consider. Irrelevant Information You should know and understand your “target audience” to create an effective resume.

With ten seconds or less to motivate a reader to finish evaluating a resume, you should eliminate all irrelevant information that means little to your audience.

Highlight the qualities and expertise your audience wants to know about.

You should design your resume to address exactly what the organization is looking for.

Other expertise, regardless of its level and value, may be skills in which your audience is not interested.

You should probably avoid wonderful achievements from over ten years ago, since their current relevance may be deemed useless to your audience for their specific needs.

Too Much Contact Information Make it as easy as possible for interested parties to contact you.

Don’t include your office number, home number, cell number, sister’s number and mother’s number to give prospective employers multiple options to call you. Display just one number, probably your cell phone for ease of contact, or home number.

Also, don’t display five different email addresses. Why not create a separate email location just for your job search prospects?

Consider using just your first and last name as the address, making it easy and simple for employers to respond.

Effective “Objective” Statements Many, from new employees to experienced C-level executives, tend to make a mistake when it comes to this common resume component.

You shouldn’t state what you want in this statement, but instead display how you will help and contribute to the company.

Use pertinent keywords to increase the volume of key word search “hits” for your resume. Since this component appears at the top of your resume, make it hard hitting, interesting and targeted at your audience. This helps attract the reader in the under-ten second time frame available to you.

Entice the reader to finish evaluating your resume with interest and a desire to learn more. Remember, the only purpose of your resume is to help generate a request for an interview. Avoid Tired, Boring Phrases

A common complaint of HR managers and hiring professionals is the frequent use of worn out, static phrasing in resumes from all levels of candidates.

Use high-activity, action words. Consider the words “innovated”, “directed”, “achieved”, “synergized”, “generated” and other action verbs that serve to reinforce your brand focus. Boring, worn out, tired and clichéd phrases will only detract from your objective.

Focus on motivating the reader to email or phone you—at your one address or number—to have a meaningful chat, hopefully leading to an interview invitation. Eliminate all unnecessary and counter productive words, phrases and statements.

Tips to Help You Effectively Manage Teams

2011-03-10T01:22:00.001-08:00

Tips to Help You Effectively Manage Teams Managing teams effectively involves many different components, but there are four primary objectives that tend to stand out as most important; mastering these tasks can ensure that you are managing successfully, and will help your team perform at a healthy performance level. Provide feedback and support. Most of the proven methods of establishing yourself as a leader in all areas of business apply to the best team leaders. These qualities include offering consistent feedback, commending good work publicly, strongly supporting all team activities, asking for ideas and feedback, outlining the expected team behaviour, and clearly stating goals and objectives. Your support and encouragement of the team will typically return their loyalty and dedication. Create and implement reasonable and attainable goals. Team goals must be meaningful, above all other considerations. Goal setting can, at times, become more important than the objectives themselves. Avoid this common trap. Meaningful goals will take some thoughtful time to create. They must make sense and provide benefit for the company, the group, and individual team members. Develop individual stars into superior team players. This tip can be easy or difficult to install. Now is the time to use the human management techniques you’ve found or internalized. High performing individuals are sometimes reluctant to blend into a team. They become committed to working alone and believe their notable achievements result from this independence. Sometimes managed competition can give these individuals the excitement they crave to succeed and allow them to become valuable members of the team, too. Foster an environment that encourages team learning. This requires you to emphasize your understanding of the art of management. Learning environments are not usually created by data, numerics or technology. Positive team environments are built through a combination of support, understanding, opportunity and honesty. While learning obviously should be encouraged, you also need to make it challenging, interesting and enjoyable. Often, if you strongly encourage professional bonding and exhort your group to behave like a team, the environment you want will develop. Believe in the iconic rule: “There is no ‘i’ in team.” Melding individuals into a high performing team, bringing out the best of the talent therein, and keeping all members interested and focused is a challenge. And since few managers have the opportunity to hand pick their players, learning to lead a high performing team will make you a more effective manager.

Avoid the Top 10 Interview Mistakes

2011-03-10T01:09:00.000-08:00

Avoid the Top 10 Interview Mistakes by Rosmadi Mahmood

( got this online - i will need to refer to this)

For many, the interview is the single most stressful part of the job search process. Any number of things can go wrong, and a big part of being successful is avoiding simple mistakes.

Here's a top ten list of the most common interview mistakes:

1. Arriving late Don't give a weak first impression even before the start of the interview. Lateness shows lack of respect and poor time management skills. After scheduling the interview, find out the distance and directions to the physical location. Don't assume you "know how much time it takes". Being late to an interview adds stress and interviewing is already stressful enough.

2. Under-dressing Dress for success is a common phrase, but a lot of candidates do not take it seriously. Unless the company you are interviewing with instructs you otherwise, wear business professional clothing. Remember that everything - your appearance, your tone of voice, your conduct - contributes to the impression (positive or negative) that you make. Be presentable - wear a pressed shirt, a tie and polished shoes.

3. Not being prepared This interview could be a significant milestone in your career. Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd be surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. Also, be familiar with the job description so you can draw on your experiences, talents, strengths and abilities to connect with the company needs. Highlight how you're suited to that particular job. Not to forget, make sure you've brought with you everything you were asked for. This include all of your essential educational certificates as well as personal portfolio (if any).

4. Failure to research the company As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done your homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job. Do your homework before the interview; f ind out about the company's past, vision, competitors, achievements, numbers, etc. Some companies even have their candidate expectations somewhere on their website. Study all these information in detail. Nothing communicates disinterest like a candidate who hasn't bothered to do pre-interview research. On the flip side, the quickest way to a good impression is to demonstrate your interest with a few well thought out questions that reflect your knowledge of the organisation.

5. Lying Be yourself and be honest! Don't pretend to understand a question or train of thought if you don't. The interviewer will pick up on this. If you don't know an answer, say so. Relax and be yourself.

6. Criticising your past boss or coworkers The fastest way to talk yourself out of a new job is to say negative things. You should never talk negatively about your current position, the industry, people that you've work with and previous nightmare dilemmas. Interviewers are interested more in how you overcome these challenges. Anything negative you say about any topic will reflect negatively on you. If there is something you need to express that is negative, say it in positive way.

7. Lack of confidence and enthusiasm Lack of confidence can be a big turn off. If you appear too nervous, the interviewer will think that you're not confident enough to do the job. If you are serious abour getting the job, you'll need to sell yourself as a representative of the company. Show yourself in a way they would feel proud of working with. Make the employer feel that you are excited and interested in the job opportunity rather than just coming to the interview to see what's out there. Maintain eye contact, greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake (not too weak, not too strong), and show common courtesy. Don't be afraid to display your passion for the job/industry and to show confidence.

8. Not listening You must read the interviewer's gestures and tones and respond accordingly. Focus on the question that is being asked and don't try to anticipate the next one. It's OK to pause and collect your thoughts before answering a question. Give a targeted response to what the interviewer has asked. Be clear, concise and to the point. Don't expand in endless explanations.

9. Not asking meaningful questions You don't have to talk at all times in the interview. It is not only okay, but also essential to ask the interviewer some questions. Have at least three or four intelligent questions to ask him or her. Interviews are an exchange of information, and not coming in with questions shows that you did not prepare for the whole interview.

10. Not following up after the interview Calling or sending a note after the interview is your way of showing your appreciation. It is a direct way of telling the company that you are truly motivated and want this job.

About the Author Article written by Rosmadi Mahmood, Editor, Jobs DB Singapore Pte Ltd. He can be reached at rosmadi@jobsdb.com.sg

Website for Job seekers - Singapore

2011-03-10T01:06:00.000-08:00

www.jobstreet.com.sg www.jobdb.com.sg www.monster.com.sg Agencies http://www.kellyservices.com/web/global/services/en/pages/index.html

Identify and manage stress

2011-03-10T00:46:00.000-08:00

Managing Stress The demands of modern life, particularly for those of us in inner city areas, create tensions for us all. It is an occupational hazard. From the workaholic, who just can't switch off to people who suffer stress from doing boring repetitive work, learning the art of relaxation can transform the way we feel about ourselves, our lives and increase our energy and efficiency levels. The first aspect of managing stress effectively is to understand what stress is, what causes it and most importantly how to avoid it. That is why we as recruitment experts at Kelly Services have included a section which covers the essential points on managing stress during your job search and when you start work with a new employer. What is stress? Some of the symptoms and effects of stress include feeling tense, trapped, keyed up, nervous, not able to concentrate. It can cause aggression, irritability, being obsessive about working, and changes in eating, drinking and smoking habits. This sort of behaviour or conduct is unacceptable during your job search and when you are employed. In fact, it is unacceptable on all occasions as it makes you an undesirable individual at work and in your private life. On the health front, stress can mean headaches, constant tiredness, exhaustion, upset stomachs, high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, pain in the joints and neck and back troubles. All these are negative and debilitating. In fact, stress on the health front can lead to absenteeism arising from medical leave due to medical problem(s). Left unattended, it can lead to burnout and mental illness. Stress should not however be confused with pressure. Pressure can be stimulating or irritating but it is not debilitating. We all need a certain amount of pressure in our everyday lives to function and for a lot of people, increased pressure can be exciting, motivating and energising. This form of positive pressure at work or during the job search can be truly energising and provides the momentum to keep up the effort. This form of positive stress is call eustress unlike negative stress which is called distress. Stress during a job search process can be negative effect on you. You may become tense or freeze up at an interview or inadvertently portray yourself as less than effective in your resume. You should therefore practise some of the tips given in the next section in managing stress positively. How can I manage stress positively? One of the best defences against stress is to have a well-balanced lifestyle backed up by a healthy diet and an idea of the relaxation techniques that work for you. The following techniques are a selection, which can be successfully used to relieve tension and anxiety during a difficult situation. They are not difficult and you will be able to use them without anyone else being aware. •Stepping back from the situation When you feel yourself becoming tense in a situation, try stepping back from it and observe how you are reacting. Are you perhaps imposing something unrealistic on yourself or is someone else? Does the situation really justify the negative stress level? How will the situation look in a week, month or even a year's time? By distancing yourself from what is going on, you should be able to take control and stop you own stress level rising. •Better breathing When we become anxious and tense, our breathing changes. It becomes shallow, fast and irregular. Try to be aware of your breathing as it gives an excellent early warning signal of tension. Concentrate on breathing deeply, taking your breath down to your diaphragm and holding it there for a moment of two before exhaling. Try to get your breathing into a comfortable rhythm and breathe in and out for the same length of time, say for a count of 3 or 4, until you begin to feel calmer. •Relax Mental tension is always accompanied by physical tension particularly in muscles of the face, shoulders, hands and back. A quick way to lessen the tension is to take each part of the body, starting with your eyes then you mouth, shoulders, arms, etc. Clench each set of muscles tightly so you can feel all the tension being concentrated in that one place then release the tension, letting it flow out of your body. These techniques need to be practised and it is more important to remember to breathe evenly and deeply at all times. •Easy eating The benefits of a balanced diet are well known - everything in moderation is currently a fashionable view with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and pasta. But just as we are what we eat, how we eat can affect out well being too. If you are feeling tense you will have a tendency to bolt your food which is then difficult for your body to deal with often resulting in indigestion and other stomach problems. Try to eat slowly and peacefully and enjoy your meal. If you are feeling stressed, you could consider vitamin supplements. •Don't try to be perfect When we are under stress many of us add to our problems by trying to be everything to everyone - in fact trying to be perfect in every sphere of our home and work lives. We become so busy being busy that we never get a chance to think about how we are coping and about what is going on inside ourselves. If you feel this is happening to you, take stock of your situation. Think about what is important to you, what you want to focus on, what you want to achieve rather than trying to live up to other people's expectations. •Don't worry Don't spend time just worrying about a situation. Try to convert that anxiety into some form of action which will help you to feel much more positive. Try not to worry about things that haven't yet happened or that you can't do anything about. •Positive thinking Don't let superficial chaos of the world get you down - be your own person with your own positive approach to life. Make time every day to close your eyes and use your imagination to conjure up images of the things that give you pleasure or that you enjoy. Don't underestimate the importance of laughter. It immediately relaxes all your facial muscles and is one of the best safety valves for strained nerves. Try to be optimistic particularly last thing at night and first thing in the morning - don't let the cares of the world get you down before you've even had your breakfast. For many people, negative thinking becomes a habit and a very bad one. Try to break the mold and take control of your own thoughts. In summary •Try to identify your own stress triggers •Adopt techniques which work for you - we all cope with stress differently •Be aware of your own symptoms of stress •Accept yourself and don't try to be perfect •Take action to tackle your problems •Looks after yourself physically and mentally •Be positive

12 tough question to prepare

2011-03-10T00:45:00.001-08:00

I saw this on the website and think it will be good to share and I would be glad if you can update me if you find a better answer for the following tough question. I would prefer to keep things short for tough question.

Tell me about yourself. - I would introduce my jovial and easy going character

What are your strengths? - This depend on the job u are looking for ( multi-tasking, approachable, ability to solve complex issue etc)

What are your major weaknesses or limitations? - I would find a weaknesses that is also my strenth ( which is my way of working- I am a very fast pace person therefore I can tend to be too pushy at my way of working to attain what I need)

What are your financial requirements? -

Why are you leaving your present position? - Stagnant growth in company

What are your career goals for the next five years? - To progress along with the company and extended my scope to a wider range.

What was your most significant accomplishment in your last position? - Ability to handle external and internal customer with ease

Doesn't this job represent a step down from the level of work you've been doing? - ( scope of work and company profile is a major factor for my movement)

How would you describe your management style? -

Describe a time you failed. - I would rather describe on with fail communication and the solution after

How would you approach this job? -

Interview question

2011-03-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

Q: Why do you want this job? Be honest with yourself: Why do you want this role? Are you really interested in what the position entails? Are you impressed by the company's view on social and corporate responsibility? Or is it just a really impressive increase in salary? Hopefully it's not just the latter! Why do you want this job? Do you know exactly what will be expected of you? Have you seen a job description? Have you researched the company's website? Do you know people who work there who've recommended them as an employer? Be prepared and do some research! Avoid being on the defensive with answers that begin with because such as: 'Because I think I’d be good at it', 'because it seems like a good opportunity for me' or 'because it pays well'. A recommended answer to this could be: 'Having read the job description and having looked at your company website, the role attracted me as I feel that I have the suitable skills but I am also very interested in what additional responsibility I will gain'. Adapt your answer to suit the role. Will you have increased responsibility? Will you now be supporting one senior director instead of a team of 50? Will you have a more varied work scope with the opportunity to be involved in company projects and events? Q: Why should I hire you? This question is all about selling yourself. Why should someone hire you? Are you brilliant at organisation? Are you proficient at Microsoft Office with excellent use of Powerpoint and Excel? Are you creative and do you really think you could add value to the company? By looking at the job description that was given to you, try to point out your strengths by using examples of work you've done in relation to the requirements for this role. You could say something like: 'I believe that I meet the requirements listed in your job description and I feel that I would really excel in this role as I particularly enjoy working for… (What industry are you going into/role type/seniority level). In my previous role I was responsible for… (Use exact examples of how you can prove your value) Again, adapt this question to suit the role you are applying for! Be enthusiastic in your answer, be positive and confident. If you cannot convince yourself that you'd be perfect for the role - how are you going to convince someone else! Q: What is your biggest weakness? This is known as a negative question, one that interviewers love asking to test your ability to stay cool. We all have weaknesses, let's face it, we're not all perfect! But that doesn't mean that yours should get in the way of your dream job. Think about how you can spin your weaknesses into something positive. Look at the job description to hand and choose one required responsibility you feel you could improve on. Are you shy to make public presentations? Does your time management need a little work? Do you feel you would benefit from Microsoft Office training? A possible answer (depending on your weakness): 'I am aware that my systems skills, Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint are not up to advanced level but this is something that I'm working on by teaching myself in my spare time' or, 'I think my time management is something that I could work on. I've been doing some research and planning and getting better at prioritising and writing to-do lists to help me'. Avoid being a 'perfectionist' or saying 'I have no weaknesses I know of'. This only makes you look arrogant and overconfident. Q: Why are you leaving your current role? Whatever you say - be positive! This is not the opportunity for a rant about how unfair last year's bonus was or how unreasonable your current boss is. For whatever your reason, make sure you turn your answer into something positive. If you're feeling undervalued in your role or have had a personality clash with your boss or colleague, think of how this would sound to a potential employer and make sure to word your answer to suit you favourably. Make sure you have a structured answer to this question before you attend the interview. Simply stating that you would like a 'new challenge' or 'change of environment' can sometimes also send out warning signals to employers so be careful. Be prepared for counter questions! If you answer: 'I’m looking for a new challenge.' Why are you looking for a new challenge? What would you describe as a new challenge at this stage in your career? Why did you not approach your current employers about gaining such a challenge? Focus more on why the new role is perfect for you and less why your current role is not. Q: Tell me about yourself? Be careful. This is not the opportunity to tell the interviewer your life story. 'Well, I'm from a family of six and I live with my eldest brother near the East Coast Park and have recently just returned from a family holiday to America' is probably NOT the answer they were looking for. When interviewers ask this question they're interested to know about how you work, what you enjoy in your career and as a person how well you'd fit in with the culture of the company. What they really want to know is, what interests you, how skilled are you and what strengths you would bring to the organisation. Cater the answer to the role you are applying for! Don't express your enthusiasm to work as part of a team in a busy noisy office environment if you are aware that you'll be a one man band sitting behind a wall in a very secluded room. A good answer to this could be something like: 'I’m a very dedicated worker; I enjoy being part of a team and working in a challenging and dynamic environment and I also work well independently. I like meeting new people and particularly enjoy being involved with administration for projects and events'. Q: Where do you want to be in five years time? This question is a favourite amongst interviewers! Lets be honest - does anyone know where they want to be in five years' time? A suggested answer for this could be: 'I'd like to think I will be working for a successful organisation such as this but in a role with increased responsibility'. You could also tailor your answer to suit the specific role that you are applying for. If you are being interviewed for an Administration or Personal Assistant's role, succession to that would be to become an Office Manager or Administration Manager. If you are aware of the company structure and know that administration staff are likely to be promoted to Business Executives, mention it! A lot with this question is in the way you answer rather than in what you say. Be positive and confident rather than defensive and unsure. Don't give the interviewer the idea that you're still trying to 'find yourself' and you could make the discovery two months after joining the company. Always remember that the interview is a two-way process so have a list of questions you can ask your interviewer at the end! These could include: •What two/three key competencies are you looking for in a successful candidate? •How long have you been with the organisation? What motivated you to join the organisation? •What are the team like to work for? What are you like to work for? •Have you had an assistant in the past that you've got on really well with and what particular qualities would you insist on for your next hire? •Do you have any reservations at this point about my skills or experience?

Good Website to visit

2011-03-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

Road direction (Singapore) http://www.streetdirectory.com/ Goverment website www.mom.gov.sg www.cpf.gov.sg Bank website www.dbs.com.sg www.ocbc.com.sg http://www.standardchartered.com.sg/en/index_web.html Purchase of Shampoo/ Vitamins/ cream etc I visit this website to purchase our adult vitamins and my daughter gummy vitamins. This is a good and reliable website. Do visit www.iherb.com Tour - (fr Singapore) http://www.starexpress.travel/about.aspx Budget air http://www.jetstar.com/sg/en/index.aspx http://www.airasia.com/index.htm Hotel Review http://www.tripadvisor.com/ Chalet http://one.pa.gov.sg/CRMSPortal/CRMSPortal.portal http://www.downtowneast.com.sg/resorts/ https://www.aloharesorts.com.sg/home http://www.goldkist.sg/ http://www.arandaclub.org.sg/index/index.aspx Aranda Country Club (30 Executive suites; 143 BBQ pits) community centre website / courses and activities http://one.pa.gov.sg/CRMSPortal/CRMSPortal.portal Courses http://www.ntuclearninghub.com/course-schedule

Five Investing Tips From Warren Buffett

2011-03-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

Five Investing Tips From Warren Buffett Share retweet EmailPrint..Brett Arends, On Thursday 3 March 2011, 4:12 SGT What does 's message to stockholders mean for you and your money? Every year Mr. Buffett, the world's third-richest man and arguably the most successful stock-market investor in history, writes a letter to stockholders in his investment company . The latest came out this weekend. There are usually some nuggets for all those who haven't invested in Berkshire, and this year's letter was no exception. Here are five: 1. Watch out for stock-market valuations. Mr. Buffett's company is now sitting on a cash hoard of $38 billion. "That's among the highest levels it's ever been," says Stifel Nicolas analyst . While Mr. Buffett says he is looking for a big acquisition, and has his "elephant gun loaded," the high cash pile also suggests he's having a challenge finding really good deals. If Mr. Buffett is cautious, investors might want to take note: It's another sign that many valuations on the stock market may be looking a little stretched. 2. Coke is it. Mr. Buffett rarely makes predictions, but in the case of —a long-term holding—he issues a remarkable one: Dividends will probably "double ... within ten years," he writes. That would take them from last year's $1.76 to $3.52 per share. If Coca-Cola stock didn't move over that period, it would raise the dividend yield from 2.5% today to above 5%. Berkshire owns 8.6% of Coca-Cola stock. 3. Some of his favorite stocks are still cheap. While the stock market overall has boomed, and it's a battle to find cheap stocks, one thing does stand out: Many of Warren Buffett's favorite stocks remain at, or around, the prices he paid for them. As Mr. Buffett only likes to buy stocks for a lot less than he thinks they are really worth, this suggests you can get a bargain or two—although, as always, there are no guarantees. They include French drug maker . Berkshire Hathaway has accumulated about $1.8 billion worth of the stock. Sanofi's share price has come under pressure lately as a result of its acquisition of biotech giant Genzyme. At $35, its American Depositary Receipts are now about 12% below the average price Mr. Buffett paid. Or look at . Mr. Buffett owns 97 million shares, a hefty 5.6% of the company, for which he paid an average of $33 each. Today the stock is just $32. It has been held back, in part, by the costs of the takeover of Britain's Cadbury. But the stock yields a decent 3.7%. It is a reasonable 14 times forecast earnings, and just over 1.1 times annual revenues. Mr. Buffett also owns 45 million shares in health-care behemoth , a stake valued at about $2.7 billion. He paid about $61 for the stock: It's now $60, 12 times forecast earnings, yielding 3.6%. A cheap stock. And what about ? It's tumbled in recent weeks to $52. That's just 12 times forecast earnings. And the dividend yield, 2.3%, may not be huge, but it's the highest it's ever been. Today's price is just a few dollars a share more than Warren Buffett paid: Berkshire Hathaway accumulated a $2 billion stake at an average of about $48.50. 4. Berkshire stock isn't expensive, by Mr. Buffett's own calculations. No one knows exactly what a share in Berkshire Hathaway is really worth. Mr. Buffett himself told investors over the weekend that if you ask him and his veteran co-manager to calculate the intrinsic value of the stock, "you will get two different answers. Precision just isn't possible." However, he says, "book," or net asset, value is his preferred "understated proxy for intrinsic value." Mr. Buffett writes, "To be sure, some of our businesses are worth far more than their carrying value on our books.... But since that premium seldom swings wildly from year to year, book value can serve as a reasonable device for tracking how we are doing." So it's intriguing that Berkshire Hathaway stock today trades at $128,000, or just 1.3 times that book value. Stifel's Mr. Shields says the historic average is about 1.6 times. If the "premium" between book value and the intrinsic value doesn't swing that much from year to year, one might conclude that Berkshire is looking a little cheap. Naturally, as a big company, it has a lot less growth ahead of it. And as Mr. Buffett is 80, his years of producing spectacular investment returns are nearer the end than the beginning. Nonetheless, in a market where so many investments seem to be trading at lofty valuations, it is notable that Berkshire is below its average. For those who wish to invest, and who don't have $128,000 in spare cash, the economy-class "B" shares trade for $85. 5. Get ready for a dividend hike at Wells Fargo. Mr. Buffett's favorite bank, San Francisco-based , has had its dividend levels held back by the Federal Reserve, along with other banks, during the financial crisis. "At some point, probably soon, the Fed's restrictions will cease," he writes. "Wells Fargo can then reinstate the rational dividend policy that its owners deserve. At that time, we would expect our annual dividends from just this one security to increase by several hundreds of millions of dollars annually." Berkshire Hathaway owns about $11 billion worth of Wells Fargo stock. It added a small amount in the fourth quarter. At $32, Wells Fargo is just 11 times forecast earnings, and less than one and a half times book value—compared to nearly three times book value five years ago. The dividend yield under the current regime is a paltry 0.6%. Five years ago it was around 3%. Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com

How to Cut cost/ What to do to start saving

2011-03-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

This is something i need to do.....My resolution for the year.

If you are stretching your financially every month... then there are some place need to be cut. We defintely should not be living mouth to mouth... no saving at all. Minimum of 6 months salary for raining days.. one thing Iwill need to attain. Cheer me on

Got this information from somewhere... need to change it to fit into my own personal agenda.. need more time

Change your attitude to your mortgage The most expensive item you are ever likely to buy is your home. If you're not in the privileged position to pay cash, make sure the loan you use to finance it is the best available. Do your sum. Pull out your bills and check. We just realise we are paying almost 50% of our monthly instalment loan on interest on our HDB flat for the 30 years payment. A review is needed. But as the interest rate to save in the CPF is higher now than the interest rate we are paying, we have opt to continue with the current payment than making a one time payment. You should have some buffer on a few months to pay for your HDB loan on your CPF unless you are able to fully paid your HDB flat. There are thousands of deals to choose from and while it is vital to check the small print for hidden catches, this is a relatively easy way to save a lot of money. Remember: loyalty to your bank benefits your bank, not you. Even better, if you can afford to make overpayments on your mortgage, you'll clear your debt several years early and make massive savings.

Clear your credit card debt One of the golden rules of financial planning is to clear your most expensive debts first, in other words your credit cards. OK, credit cards offer a convenient way to pay for goods and services but if you can't clear the balance every month, consider a low-cost loan as an alternative. Do the sums

Cut the cost of your bills As the global demand for power threatens to outstrip supply, prices are rising. But that doesn't mean you need to be ripped off. The domestic market for fuel is a competitive one and you can change supplier with a few clicks of the mouse. Your new supplier will take care of the formalities - you just pay less every month.

Consider installing a water meter We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn't rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up. So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter. If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your bills

Cut your home phone bills. If you must use your phone there are scores of cheaper alternatives from cable companies that package your telephone, television and even broadband internet access to low-cost dial-up services that give you access to cheaper calls using your existing line.

Consider a pay-as-you go mobile Ask yourself this: is your mobile phone absolutely necessary? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself whether you really need all those minutes and texts that come as part of your package. But you can buy a pay-as-you-go phone and only pay for the odd call as and when you need to.

Make a shopping list Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need. (I did this recently.. it do helps to control the purchase)

When was the last time you went to the market? One way to beat the supermarkets - that is, to eat healthily for less - is to use your local market stall. Lower overheads should mean lower prices.

Consider own-brand goods like from NTUC or non frill brand which is cheaper (yes defintely)

Enough said. Don't buy designer labels Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You're not. At the end of the day, and let's face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a $800 designer bag and one from the market?

Sell your clutter on eBay/ forum etc Take this quick test: You're at home. Open a cupboard. Look inside. If it's full of clothes you haven't worn, or 'good ideas a the time' you haven't used, for, let's say, three years - you don't need them. So why not sell them to someone else who does? Ebay, the online auction house, has opened individual sellers to a world of buyers. And you can flog anything for the cost of a small commission. Tip: you may want to buy a few items first to build up your rating as a respectable eBayer before you start selling. Income: Will depend on what's in your cupboard Links: www.ebay.co.uk; 'I'm making money from eBay'

Use your talent to earn extra cash Let's face it, if you're not a pop star by the time you reach your 20s you're never going to be. But you may be able to use your talent as a guitarist to teach other wannabes the rudiments of the 12-bar blues. Income: It's not unreasonable to charge

Do DIY We're a nation of obsessive DIYers and for around $100 you can take a course at your local adult education college to improve the skills needed to tackle most household repairs. If the college runs plumbing courses you could soon be on track to wiping out costly call-out charges and extra insurance policies once and for all.

Shop around for the cheapest household insurance Unless you drive – car insurance is mandatory - you don't need insurance. But it's strongly advisable. Can you afford to foot the bill if your house burns down? Probably not. Similarly, can you afford to pay over the odds for the same policy available elsewhere because you can't be bothered to shop around? Possibly, but it's not advisable. The internet has made finding cheaper insurance easy and you can compare hundreds of policies in minutes.

Don't automatically renew annual travel insurance If your annual holiday insurance policy is about to expire and you don't have a holiday booked, DON'T renew the policy. You're handing your money over to cover an eventuality that won't happen. You wouldn't have car insurance if you didn't own a car. Simply restart the cover again the next time you book a trip.

Choose cheaper breakdown insurance The breakdown sector is dominated by big names. But being towed home if your car breaks down is just another form of insurance like any other and there are scores of cheaper alternatives.

Are you paying too much for your life insurance? We're living longer. As a result the cost of insuring the unthinkable is getting cheaper all the time. If you were sold a policy when you took out or mortgage you may have been under too much stress to shop around. You could be missing a trick. 18. Book early Low-cost airlines have created a market in holidays for people prepared to fly to any destination provided it's cheap. You can benefit from this too. Just remember, only a few seats on each flight are sold at bargain-basement prices and once they're sold, the prices rise. So book early.

Book your own 'package' holiday online or go directly to the hotel or airline website The popularity of High Street travel agents is waning as more and more people warm to the benefits of researching and putting together their own holidays on the internet. If your holiday consists of flights, accommodation, transfers and possibly car hire, then take this test. Order a brochure from a leading holiday company and work out the price of your holiday including all the complicated supplements. Now go online and, starting with the flights, try to put the same package together. Links: This is flights, HotelClub.co.uk, Shuttle Direct, Holiday Autos Singapore link : Emerging view,

Learn to say 'no' It's easy to capitulate to the demands of a screaming child in a packed Woolworths on a Saturday afternoon. 'no' a few times a year will do wonders for your bank account.

Don't pay full price for theatre or theme park tickets If you are prepared to tolerate the unwieldy website and hit-and-miss customer service, lastminute.com regularly boasts some amazing deals for London's theatres and the nation's theme parks. At the time of writing you can see top West End show The Producers plus a two-course meal .

Beat the ticket touts Ticket touts earn their living by getting hold of tickets that are 'otherwise unavailable'. Well, here's the news: they are available to everyone when they first go on sale. You just need to know when they go on sale. Simply sign up to for the free ticket alert newsletters from the main agents to ensure that you're first in the queue.

Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses Trying to keep up appearances is little more than a costly illness. Remember, you cannot judge someone by what they have because you don't know how they got it. Chances are they're in more debt than you are.

Trade down your car So, you bought an American sports utility vehicle (SUV) that nets 15 miles to the gallon on a whim. Obviously we're all very impressed – especially by the personalised number plate. But can you honestly justify the ongoing expense? If not, get rid of it. Then visit a car supermarket, where you can choose from thousands of cars at knock-down prices. If you're a true money saver, consider an ex-rental model which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Ask yourself: do I really need this? Imagine the scenario. It's lunchtime and you've got an hour to kill. You find yourself in a department store and there's a sale on. You pick up a beautifully packaged selection of barbecue tools and associated garden paraphernalia. And it's half price. Now, stop! Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Exactly. Now, put it down and walk away.

Walk/cycle to the station/work It maybe a bit of hippie notion to many people but it's free.

Get off the station before your usual stop and walk We may be creatures of habit but isn't it worth tinkering with the routine if it's costing more than $50 a month in unnecessary fares?

Cut down drinking coffee/ tea at cafe - expensive cup of drink which you can make at home.

Cut down your drinking A few beers after work a few nights a week is a financially debilitating state of affairs. Set limits and stick to them.

Pack up smoking Never mind the health implications, the guilt and the smell, your 20-a-day habit is costing you. Pack it in.

Cancel your gym membership If you pay your $60 a month by direct debit and you use the gym three times a week, great. If not, cancel your membership immediately. You'll soon save enough to buy your own bike and, if you're so inclined, a rowing machine. Consider running home from work three times a week. It's free.

Use your library The local library is a mecca for the money saver. You'll never need to buy another cookbook, guidebook or lifestyle manual again and if you can bear to wait a few weeks in the queue for the latest blockbuster, you never need to buy books again. CDs and videos are great value too. Link: http://www.nl.gov.sg/

The three-for-two trick Now, there's a lot to be said for buy-one-get-one-free deals, especially if they pass the 'Do I really need this?' test. Then there's three-for-twos; a particularly cynical way of stores to entice shoppers to buy an extra item they would not otherwise buy. The 'offer' is always priced into the deal so do your sums and shop around. Saving: It's a principle at stake here Link: Discuss deals and scams with other readers

Buy clothes and presents in the sales So you need a new suit and the one you like comes in at a cool $300. Wait! The chances are that you can pick it up in the sale – and there's always a sale just around the corner – for $150. The same applies for birthday and Christmas presents. Buy in bulk in the sales and you not only save money, but you enjoy stress-free pre-Christmases and no last-minute birthday worries.

The Christmas lottery Instead of trying to buy a present for every relative in your family, consider getting together beforehand and picking one name from the hat. You then buy one thoughtful gift for that one person rather than attempting to please everyone at considerable cost. Everyone gets a present, everyone saves money.

The Toto/ 4D– it won't be you! The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are stacked 14m to 1 against each ticket. Some highly organised syndicates buy 14,000 tickets a week, which reduces the odds to 1,000 to 1 - but that's no guarantee of a win. For the rest of us, the difference to the odds between buying, say, 10 tickets and one is so insignificant that you should limit yourself to the one and save the extra money in a Cash mini Isa. Link: Are you sitting on a winning ticket?

Claim your benefits and tax credits There was once a certain stigma in Britain attached to claiming benefits. Well, not any more. The Government has put benefits at the heart of the family budget and it's your money so make sure you're claiming it. That includes Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and other employee-related tax benefits.

How saving $50 a month now can save you $120 next year Do you pay your insurance premiums by monthly instalments? If you do, then consider this: you are probably being charged a premium of between 15% and 20% for the privilege. In other words, if your home and car insurance bill for the year is $600, you're paying up to $120 a year in interest by paying monthly. If you are in a position this year to save up for next year's premiums in advance, you can save money by paying the whole lot in one go.

Do you need all those TV channels? Britain is switching to digital-only television and time is running out for you to choose your new digital TV provider. The choice is already bewildering and with telephone-based services now being launched it's going to get more complicated. Packages range from full the monty, including every sports and movie channel costing around $60 a month, down to Freeview, which is free. Choose wisely.

Bin the ready meals If TV chefs such as Ainsley Harriott can knock up a meal from a bag of random groceries including an aubergine and a packet of sultanas – so can you. Ready meals may be convenient, but preparing your own food saves money. A visit to your library will reveal scores of books dedicated to cooking proper meals in minutes.

Take up a money-saving hobby Hobbies not only open your mind to new experiences but they also take up your time – important if you would otherwise spend it in the pub drinking away your hard-earned money. If a painting takes 20 hours to complete, and you normally get through a pint an hour. That's a saving of a least 40 quid a picture. Think about it. Get painting. Go fishing.

Avoid the payment protection racket Banks and other lenders are selling expensive insurance policies to cover loan repayments to people who don't need it. Don't be a victim of the hard-sell.

Avoid extended warranties Electrical goods are more reliable than ever. If your new radio won't last three years perhaps it's not worth buying in the first place. Think about it: how many times has your fridge broken down in the last five years? And do you really need the hassle of claiming for repairs to a £15 toaster?

Shop online The internet is gradually taking over. Online grocery shopping is getting better all the time and there are plenty of comparison websites to help find the best prices for bigger items. Give it a try, unless of course you like fighting your way through supermarket crowds.

Dieting / execise / stay healthy

2011-03-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

I will try to find out some details and effective way to lose weight healthy. I have 10 kg to go :( Efforts must be taken .. It giving me some problem.. any one have information on snoring etc do email me. Thanks I know the following Best time to exercise - First thing in the morning Good food to help lose weight - Asparagus / Black fungus.. prevent taking the following food : Butter/ oily fried food/ candies/ chocolates etc drink 8 glass of water or more sleep early 2 molecule of water trap a molecule of fats.. haha

Next in row - what i will be posting

2011-03-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

1) Hong Zhao - I manage to make it with my mum help... will post the receipe and pictures..

2) Plans to create more cash flow

3) Plans to elimate or reduce expenditure

4) Offer lobang- got quite a few good place and lobang... very tempted.. will share

5) Organisation skills

6) Feng Shui

7) babies - A plan for boy or girl ( information from a friend - would like to share0

8) Bring up children ( Live experience on my daughter .. like to share ) although I am not the perfect mum but with hubby expectation, help around some advice may be useful for parents...
advice only
............. endless topic ( a matter of having time for it )

A good Sea

2011-03-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

I need such a break endless beach with no building

Woman today.. still struggling - Action 1

2011-03-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

It has been sometime since I start posting on this blog.
Normally this blog is to share and keep information.
This will be my action plan for the following few months

I am reflecting on myself today..
For a woman who is in going to reach her mid 30s with no saving. A great family with a good hubby and daughter.. struggling to complete her bachelor partime for the year, serving loan having loans .. with so much payment to made. How should I come out of my hole.
I am really getting sick of all this. I for once going to come up of this. after visiting my friend house which is so wonderfully beautiful... i am going to live in such a place in 3- 5year time.
( I must have an aim in life)
Advice by someone - the easily way to have money is to save ... simple to understand hard to follow... but personal achievement should be met with perservance.

Plan... I need plans.. real plans for the whole year
Stick it thru ..

My first action 1
Ensure to have a fixed income monthly ( I have been thinking about my career path.... with a long notice period to serve, I have to tentatively hold this till later till my loan are fully paid)

Have a clear view of cashflow - I have created a simple monthly excel sheet that is personally created for my easy reference. If you need it i do not mind sharing... This is simple for me to view on monthly cashflow. This should include credit card payment, loan payment, mis expediture, cash in.. etc
Email me quek_cf@yahoo.com . my only request is to give me feedback or advice.

1) list out all my income/ saving - monthly
2) list out all my expediture - monthly
3) list out all my loan ( I have neg with the school on my school fees as I refused to get a study loan. Listing out my difficulties and request for a instalment plan payment for my more than 10k school fees)
4) List out insurance as expediture as I have to pay it ...
5) List credit card (main expediture0

Cut credit card bills - make sure pay full payment on credit card ARE MADE as these are compounded interest. If not THE FOLLOWING action should be taken :
Singapore - Do a fund transfer (saw one of the good one with the follow bank ) do email me if you have seen some good offer on fund transfer rate
Current good transfer with UOB - $500-5000 (2.5% processing fees with 6 months no interest, EIR 5.34 % pa)

list this as a loan on payment.

After having a clear view on the cashflow... plan the following

Start ensure have a small saving - SGD1000
I should have expected the unexpected -
1)Take note of credit card payment date
2) always expect the unexpected- which i simple overlook my exam fees
Safer to put aside sgd 1000 min for a month ( this is my target plan to save first for after paying all my loan )
Pay all the loan . once done...

take action 2 which will be posted up later.............

My aim is to save 20% of 700 K ....= SGD 70 000 .. so big amount :(

Books to read

2011-03-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

1. The Courage to be Brilliant: How Five Acts of Improvement a Day Will Make You Shine …
by Marta Monahan and Jeff Anrdrus

Improvement …
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People …
by Dale Carnegie

3. Outliers – The Story of Success” – one of the greatest books on self-improvement ever!
http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922
Another great book I am reading at the moment is “Eight Weeks to Optimum Health” by Andrew Weil. Great stuff! A real eye-opener on being healthy.
Other great books I’d recommend:
-Made to Stick
-Tipping Point
-E-Myth Revised
-Mastering the Rockefeller Habits
-What Would Google Do?
- Extra Half an Inch (by Victoria Beckham)
-Little Black Book of Style (by that stylist from the Runway show… don’t remember her name, but her tips are fantastic!)

4. Memo: The Easiest Way to Improve Your Memory …
by Oddbyorn By

5. How Would Love Respond? : Imagine If You Were Given a Gift So Powerful That You Knew You Had To Share It with the World …
by Kurek Ashley

6. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-fiction …
by William Zinsser

7. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time …
by Brian Tracy

9. Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty: The Only Networking Book You’ll Ever Need …
by Harvey Mackay

10. Who Moved My Cheese? : An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life …
by Spencer Johnson

Buffet That i like to try

2011-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

buffet restaurants in Singapore

Basilico – Italian Buffet
Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3232 +65 6725 3232
// Weekday Buffet Lunch $38++
Saturday Buffet Lunch $40++
Sunday Buffet Brunch 55++ (Non-Alochol)
Daily Dinner $62++ (Semi buffet: starter & desserts buffet counter + choice of 1 main)

Cafe L’Espresso – English High Tea Buffet
22 Scotts Road
GF Goodwood Park Hotel
Tel: +65 6730 1743 +65 6730 1743
// Mon – Thu English High Tea Buffet $34+++
Fri – Sun English High Tea Buffet $36++

Cherry Garden – Champagne Dim Sum Brunch Buffet
5 Raffles Avenue
5F Mandarin Oriental
Tel: +65 6885 3538 +65 6885 3538
// Weekend Dim Sum Brunch
Sat – Sun 10am to 3pm
$48++ without Champagne
$118++ with free flow Champagne

Greenhouse – Asian Seafood Buffet
7 Raffles Avenue
3/F Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Tel: +65 6434 5288 +65 6434 5288
// Weekday Lunch Buffet Mon – Sat $48++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $148++ (Champagne)
Sun – Thu Dinner Buffet $58++
Tue Dinner Buffet $68++ (Oysters special)
Fri - Sat Dinner Buffet $76++

Hanabi Japanese Restaurant – Japanese Buffet
331 North Bridge Road
#01-04 Odeon Towers
Tel: +65 6338 6626 +65 6338 6626
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $29++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++

IKOI Japanese Restaurant – Japanese Buffet
401 Havelock Road #01-01
Hotel Miramar Singapore
Tel: +65 6887 3788 +65 6887 3788
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++
* Reservations highly recommended

Jing Restaurant – Weekend Brunch Buffet
One Fullerton, #01-02/03
1 Fullerton Road
Singapore 049213
Tel: 6224 0088 6224 0088
// Weekend Brunch Buffet $38++

Melt The World Cafe – International Buffet
5 Raffles Avenue
4F The Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3082 +65 6885 3082
// Weekdays Lunch Buffet (Mon – Sat) $56++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $88++ (Non-alohol)
Sun – Wed Dinner Buffet $68++
Thu – Sat Dinner Buffet $78++

One Ninety Restaurant – European Buffet
190 Orchard Boulevard
GF Four Seasons Hotel
Tel: +65 6734 1110 +65 6734 1110
// Mon – Fri European Buffet Lunch $48++
Saturday Asian High Tea $45++
Sunday International Brunch Buffet $138++
Weekday Dessert Buffet $12++

Sabroso Tapas Wine Bar – Tapas Buffet Dinner
26A Lorong Mambong
Holland Village, Singapore
Tel: +65 6766 0053 +65 6766 0053
// Sun – Thu Spanish Tapas Buffet Dinner $32++
Senki Japanese Buffet Restaurant
109 Killiney Road
Tel: +65 6734 5565 +65 6734 5565
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $30++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++

The Line Shangri La – International Buffet
22 Orange Grove Road
Basement Shangri-la Hotel
Tel: +65 6213 4275 +65 6213 4275
// Weekday International Buffet Lunch $47++
Sat International Buffet Lunch $50++
Sun Brunch $78++ (non alochol)
Fri – Mon International Buffet Dinner $68++
Tue Buffet Dinner Oyster Night special $88++
Wed Buffet Dinner BBQ Night Special $78++
Thu Buffet DInner Seafood Night Special $88++

Town Restaurant – International Buffet
1 Fullerton Square
GF Fullerton Hotel
Tel: +65 6877 8128 +65 6877 8128
// Mon – Fri International Lunch Buffet $48
Sat Local High Tea $32++
Sun Champagne Brunch Buffet $148++
Sun – Wed International Dinner Buffet $48
Thu – Sat Seafood Dinner Buffet $58++

Tea Lounge Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road GF
The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3246 +65 6725 3246
// Weekday English Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea Set ($38++):
Mon to Fri 12.30pm – 5pm
// Weekend High Tea Buffet ($45++):
Sat & Sun 1.30pm – 5.30pm

Yan Ting Restaurant – Weekend Dim Sum Brunch Buffet
29 Tanglin Road
The St Regis
// Weekend dim sum brunch $88++
Weekday 11.45am – 2.30pm
Weekend 11 am – 3.30pm
Tel: 6506 6888 6506 6888
Read post here, here, here, and here
* * *

Cheap ovulation Stripe

2009-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Saw this person selling cheap ovulation stripe in a from Singapore motherhood
forum

"I have ovul strips to sell at following price
70 cents per strip for 10 strips
60 cents per strip for 30 strips

do email guccilink@hotmail.co.uk if interested"

do note i dont know this person

Braised Duck (卤鸭)

2009-06-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

Braised Duck (卤鸭)

You have to reduce the ingredient if using less than a duck.

Ingredients
1 duck (or half or quarter)
8 tablespoon dark soya sauce
4 tablespoon light soya sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon sugar
4 cm section of ginger
8 clove garlic
1 liter water
1 to 2 Star Anise (八角, ba jiao, bak kok) - optional
4 tablespoon oil

Method
Scrape off skin of ginger, and cut into slices. Peel garlic, and chop into chucks. Wash duck and drain dry.
Heat up a wok, add oil ginger and garlic, stir till fragrant. Add in sugar, and stir slightly caramelize. Put the duck in with skin on the wok, to scald the skin with the hot oil and caramel. Turn it around till all sides are scalded. Pour in dark and light soya sauce, and continue the scalding process by turning it around for 3-5 mins, until soya sauce fragrance comes out.
Pour in water, and salt. Add in the star anise.
Cover and let it simmer in very low heat for 30 mins, turn it around and simmer for another 30 mins, and turn it around and another 20 mins.
Turn it around and simmer the final 20 mins. You can add dried bean curd (tau pok) or hard boiled egg (shell removed) and braise together.
Watch the water gravy level during cooking, you should use low heat so that it don’t dry up too fast.
Remove the duck from the gravy, and leave it to cool, and cut into smaller pieces with cleaver to be served.
Serve with white rice, with the gravy.

Potato Carrot Soup

2009-06-22T02:12:00.001-07:00

Potato Carrot Soup

Ingredients
2 potato
1-2 carrot
1 big yellow onion
1 tomato
200 grams pork ribs
1 1/2 liters water
Salt to taste
dash of ground white pepper
Spring onion (optional)

Method
Peel the potato, and cut into chucks of 3 cm size
Peel carrot and cut into wedge chucks (2-3 cm size)
Peel Onion, and cut into quarters
Wash tomato and cut into quarters
Wash pork ribs
Put all ingredients 1 to 6 into soup pot and bring to boil. Simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Add salt to taste.
Serve hot with dash of ground white pepper, and optional some chop spring onion.

Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤)

2009-06-22T02:10:00.000-07:00

Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤)

Here is another slow cook soup (煲汤) recipe.
Ingredients
1 or 2 bunch of watercress (sold in bunches usually with the stems)
5 dried red dates
1 honey date (金丝蜜枣) (dried dates with sugar)
200 grams pork ribs
2 dried scallop (干贝)
4 dried oyster （蚝豉, 蚝干）
1 tablespoon wolf berry (枸杞子) optional
2 liters water (some will dry up during cooking)
Salt

Method
Pick the leafy portion of the watercress and separate from the stems, usually more fibrous and with roots sprouting form the joints.
Plug away the roots if any.
Wash, and for the stems (usually not eaten, but can be), bundle them up with a cotton string. This is just to help to remove them and discard if you do not wish to eat them. (alternatively, you can keep them to boil a cooling tea, 凉茶)
Wash all ingredients. Put all ingredient in a stock or soup pot with water, bring to boil and then turn down flame to very small and allow to slow boil for 3 hours.
Remove the bundle of stems if you wish to discard them.
Add salt to taste, and serve hot.
You can also cook this in slow cooker for 4 hours.

Simple cart for blog or website

2009-06-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

try this cart out its simple and easy to use

Website Shopping Cart System

How the RomanCart Shopping Cart WorksAdding the RomanCart shopping cart to your website can be as simple as pasting in a hyperlink, or you might prefer using a form and a button. Listed below are some examples of what the cart can do, and how to do it.

The Code for this link is: a href=http://www.romancart.com/cart.asp?itemname=A+great+product&storeid=10000&quantity=1&price=5.95>Add to Basket

元若藍 - 半情歌(偶像劇《命中注定我愛你》插曲)

2009-05-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

元若藍 - 半情歌(偶像劇《命中注定我愛你》插曲)

作詞：陳靜楠
作曲：方文良編曲：吳俊毅

花接受凋零
風接受追尋
心的傷還有一些不要緊
我接受你的決定

你將會被誰抱緊
唱什么歌哄他開心
我想著天空什么時候會放晴
地球不曾為誰停一停

你的明天有多快樂
不是我的我們的愛是唱一半的歌
時間把習慣換了傷口愈合
也撤銷我再想你的資格

你的祝福一半甜的一半苦的
像我手中冷掉的可可
最最教人殘念的總是未完成的我只能唱著一半的歌

你將會被誰抱緊
唱什么歌哄他開心我想著天空什么時候會放晴地球不曾為誰停一停

你的明天有多快樂不是我的
我們的愛是唱一半的歌時間把習慣換了
傷口愈合也撤銷我再想你的資格

你的祝福一半甜的一半苦的
像我手中冷掉的可可
最最教人殘念的總是未完成的
我只能唱著一半的歌

我的明天快不快樂
都是我的我們的愛是唱一半的歌時間把習慣換了
傷口愈合也撤銷我再想你的資格

我的明天快不快樂
都是我的我們的愛是唱一半的歌時間把習慣換了
傷口愈合也撤銷我再想你的資格

Category: Music
Tags:
元若藍元若蓝半情歌命中注定我愛你命中注定我爱你 ktv mv btcrazy

歌词/Lyric:元若蓝 - 九十九次我爱他

2009-05-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

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The whole start song of 命中注定我愛你. The drama is currently airing. The first episode: http://uk.youtube.com/watch... 歌词/Lyric: 元若蓝 - 九十九次我爱他保加利亚玫瑰的精油全滴在他刚才牵过我的手横冲直撞我的心像一颗躲避球谁懂爱停在手里多久学问...
The whole start song of 命中注定我愛你. The drama is currently airing. The first episode: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mGg1_tF...

歌词/Lyric:元若蓝 - 九十九次我爱他

保加利亚玫瑰的精油
全滴在他刚才牵过我的手
横冲直撞我的心像一颗躲避球
谁懂爱停在手里多久

学问道理教课书都有
恋爱上上签到底哪里求
如果有教授我一定要努力修
丘比特呀快为我加油

多想带著雷达到他梦里
仔细调查爱的正卡还有没有副卡
也想拿起扫把在他心里
洗洗刷刷不专心的念头
yeah~ yeah~ 都清除啦

九十九次我爱他
少了眼皮会乱眨
要他能心电感应我的想法
每天念著他的名字
yeah~ yeah~一句不差

九十九次我爱他
少了头发会分岔
要他的想念每天准时打卡
爱像冰淇淋在嘴里溶化

学问道理教课书都有
恋爱上上签到底哪里求
如果有教授我一定要努力修
丘比特呀快为我加油

多想带著雷达
到他梦里仔细调查
爱的正卡还有没有副卡
也想拿起扫把在他心里
洗洗刷刷不专心的念头
yeah~ yeah~ 都清除啦

九十九次我爱他
少了眼皮会乱眨
要他能心电感应我的想法
每天念著他的名字
yeah~ yeah~ 一句不差

九十九次我爱他
少了头发会分岔
要他的想念每天准时打卡
爱像冰淇淋在嘴里溶化

九十九次我爱他
少了眼皮会乱眨
要他能心电感应我的想法
每天念著他的名字
yeah~ yeah~ 一句不差

九十九次我爱他
少了头发会分岔
要他的想念每天准时打卡
爱像冰淇淋在我嘴里溶化

(Lyric from http://www.qqlrc.com/lyric/4bb25d10b3...
Category: Music
Tags:
命中注定我愛你 Fated to love you Ethan Ruan Ji Cun Xi 紀存希 Chen Qiao En Xin Yi 陳欣怡元若蓝九十九次我爱他

JJ林俊杰／蔡卓妍 (阿SA) ~ 小酒窝

2009-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

JJ林俊杰／蔡卓妍 (阿SA) ~ 小酒窝
词：王雅君曲：林俊杰（JJ）

（JJ）我还在寻找一个依靠和一个拥抱谁替我祈祷替我烦恼为我生气为我闹

(sa）幸福开始有预兆缘分让我们慢慢紧靠然后孤单被吞没了无聊变得有话聊有变化了

（合）小酒窝长睫毛是你最美的记号我每天睡不着想念你的微笑你不知道你对我多么重要有了你生命完整的刚好小酒窝长睫毛迷人得无可救药我放慢了步调感觉像是喝醉了终于找到心有灵犀的美好一辈子暖暖的好我永远爱你到老

（sa）幸福开始有预兆缘分让我们慢慢紧靠然后孤单被吞没了无聊变得有话聊有变化了

（合）小酒窝长睫毛是你最美的记号我每天睡不着想念你的微笑你不知道你对我多么重要有了你生整完成的刚好小酒窝长睫毛迷人得无可救药我放慢了步调感觉像是喝醉了终于找到心有灵犀的美好一辈子暖暖的好我永远爱你到老小酒窝长睫毛迷人得无可救药我放慢了步调感觉像是喝醉了终于找到心有灵犀的美好一辈子暖暖的好我永远爱你到老

My Happiness 《我的快樂 - 錦繡二重唱》 W/ Lyrics

2009-05-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

If you watch the show " fated to love you" you sure heard this song..
This is one of the best song i love on those dramma
I came across someone playing the piano version of this song..
I did its very nice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fROrZGQVZ2A&feature=related

to listen to this song click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWZqh6kbymo&feature=related

My Happiness 《我的快樂 - 錦繡二重唱》 W/ Lyrics

排了徊了走了　錯了哭了痛了累了倦了困了　煩了亂了冷了　都是真的瘋的想的念的　不安的焦慮的複雜的夢過的　擁有的失去的　怎麼忘呢你坐過的沙發寬了你愛的音樂停了　我等著你等成了擺設

我的你的他的　好的壞的難的灰的藍的黃的　酸的甜的苦的　都還記得非常想要忘的　絕對不能忘的我心要還你了　真的不行要了　只得放了環島的火車載著我第幾天了　忽然發現這一刻我不想你了

我的快樂　會回來的只要清楚曾愛得那麼深刻　不準問值不值得我的快樂　會回來的　離開不是誰給了誰的選擇

我的快樂　會回來的只要清楚曾愛得那麼深刻　不準問值不值得我的快樂　會回來的　離開不是誰給了誰的選擇

我的快樂　會回來的只要清楚曾愛得那麼深刻　不準問值不值得我的快樂　會回來的　離開不是誰給了誰的選擇

瘋的想的念的　不安的焦慮的復雜的夢過的　擁有的失去的　怎麼忘呢非常想要忘的　絕對不能忘的我心要還你了　真的不行要了　只得放了
Category: Music
Tags:
my happiness fated to love you 我的快樂錦繡二重唱

> Translation

My Happiness

I’ve loved, I’ve been broken, I’ve walkedI’ve been wrong, I’ve cried, I’ve hurt, I’ve been tired, I’ve cried

All these agitation, confusion and loneliness were real

I’ve gone mad, I’ve longed for, I’ve been insecure, I’ve been anxious
I’ve been blundered, I’ve dreamed, I’ve owned, I’ve lost
How am I to forget?

The couch you once sat on has closed its eyes
The music you loved to hear has stopped
I’ve waited for you
‘till I’ve lost myself

Mine, yours, hers, the good, the bad, the difficult times, I’ve been disheartened,
I’ve gone through the sorrow, I’ve had my golden days
All the aches, the sweetness, the bitterness
Still clear in my mind

The things I really wanted to forget were absolutely unforgettable
I wish to start anew;
I really no longer yearn for you
I must close this chapter

The train to Jade Island has carried me for so many days now
Suddenly I’ve realized at this moment, I no longer think of you

My happiness will return
So long as I understand how profound our love was
I will not seek to wonder if it was worthy or unworthy

My happiness will return
Leaving was not a matter of one giving a choice to another

I’ve gone mad, I’ve longed for, I’ve been insecure, I’ve been anxiousI’ve been blundered, I’ve dreamed, I’ve owned, I’ve lostHow am I to forget?

The things I really wanted to forget were absolutely unforgettable
I wish to start anew;
I really no longer yearn for you
I must close this chapter
Must be closed…
Must be forgotten…

McDonald's Biscults - let try this out

2009-05-18T01:15:00.000-07:00

At last i found some receipe for this unforgetable love Of the mac biscults.

I love the " extinct Mcdonald's breakfast biscult that singapore Mac use to serve."
I am looking for the orginal receipe which i hope to make the orginal favour.
let's me try this out this weekend :) wish me luck

McDonald's Biscults

From scratch : 8 biscult
2 table spoon melted margarine, and divided
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Combine the baking mix, buttermilk, sugar, salt and half of the melted margarine inside a medium bowl and mix until well blended.

3. Turn Dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds, or until dough become elastic

4. Roll dough to about 3/7 inch thick and punch out biscults using a 3 inch cutter.
Arrange the punch-out dough on an ungreased baking shet and bake for 10-12 mins or until the biscults are golden on top and have doubled in height

5. Remove the biscults from the oven and immediately brush each one with a light coating of the melted margarine. Serve warm.

Main Dishes Collection

2009-04-29T07:56:00.001-07:00

Some of the dishes are very difficult to make .. too many preparation..

Confinement food collection

2009-04-29T07:55:00.002-07:00

Will source from everywhere for confinement food collection to share with everyone

Soup collection

2009-04-29T07:55:00.001-07:00

Chicken soup collection _ our family receipe coming up

Collection of my Dessert receipe

2009-04-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi these are free receipe you can get from my blog.
I have personally try making them myself..

"Yang Zhi Gang lu"

Ingredient
3 or 4 Big sweet ripe Mango
Half packet of sago ( will weight it next time)
Small peel amount of Pomelo (isetan fruit stall and the one at far east sometime sell tis)

1) boil the sago with water, stir and ensure that the sago do not stick to the base of the pot as it burn easily. it will take a while like 20-30mins

2) deskin the mangoes, cut up the mangoes and remove the seed
grind to juice like puree

3) after the sago is cooked to clear, let it cool down to warm while stirring it..
and add in the puree ...

4) add rock sugar if desire (
but i do not recommend)

5) once it is cool to room temperature, add the pomelo and stir

refridged it serve as cold ....

forget to take picture next time i will do so...

{ note melon also the same and add in the milk and cool}

Rice water to cure diarrhoea???????

2009-04-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

http://rehydrate.org/index.html

Hi dear all, i saw this in a email and like to share with anyone .. hope this helps when necessary . Kindly note that this email is not orginated by me. With the recent cases on the Gelyang Serai food poisoning out break, I would like to share the info received from a friend.

Pls read on, it may be of help... When someone gets diarrhoea, sometimes the solution is so easy, we wonder why anyone has to suffer. The secret is in rice water.

This is already known in this region. Ask your maids -- Sri Lankan, Indonesian, Filipina and they would know about it. (My mother) knew about it. When Dr Albert Winsemius came to Singapore for a farewell and thank you dinner in his honour, he brought along his wife Aly and his granddaughter, Jolijn. Both women came down with very bad gastroenteritis. They saw the doctor who gave them medication. It was slow to work. Mother boiled some rice in lots of water and went to their hotel with two 1.5L bottles of rice water. I cringed in shame at the offer of this folk remedy, which seemed so primitive to me. Never heard of this cure before. To my surprise, it worked, and they were even able to go out for dinner the next day. Both were exclaiming how the rice water did the trick of making them well again. Well, lucky it worked, I thought to myself. I was discussing this some years back with Kim Ng, the ex-matron of KK Hospital. She said, yes, that is what Professor Wong Hock Boon, the notable pediatrician teaches. I was shocked and made some comment how could he? It was common knowledge so what had he to do with it?

Many months later, I regretted laughing at it. Dr Christina Shanta Emmanuel, who is the CEO of...uh, which group I have forgotten. Either National Health Group, or Polyclinics, or whatever.. regarded me seriously when I brought up the topic like it was good fun. She said that Prof Wong Hock Boon had presented a paper on it at some conference after he had done clinical trials. Then his results were published in the Lancet, the Medical Journal all doctors read. In fact, said Shanta, he was credited for saving the lives of 2 million African babies by this method. Ah, so! I am impressed. It is rice water and not rice that does the trick. I have found it effective again and again. You take a handful of rice and boil it in a large saucepan with lots of water. Like three or four large glasses. Then you cool that and drink the water. If you are in a hurry to relieve the ailing person, take the saucepan off the fire and dunk it in a frying pan or basin of cool water with ice cubes if necessary. This gives the patient a chance to drink the rice water sooner and cure himself or herself sooner. When drinking the rice water, make sure there is lots of it. You have to tell the patient that enough water must go in to line your guts from throat to other end, all 10 to 12 metres of it. If you take rice, it stays in the stomach. If you take broth, some of it may go into the small intestine. But if you take rice water, it will carry rice grains to every inch of your small and large intestine to the end where the problem is. How does it work? Even Prof Wong Hock Boon doesn't know. Read the attached file. Or go to *http://rehydrate.org/dd/dd06.htm#page2*

It is good to pass on the news to everyone you know because the complaint is so common and people suffer unnecessarily. You would be doing your friends a great favour to relieve them of their misery when the occasion arises.

What is the differences between 24k, 14k, 18k and 10k? Gold

2009-03-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

What is the differences between 24k, 14k, 18k and 10k? gold
What is the difference between yellow, white, & rose gold? Find out here!!

GOLD FACTS

Pure (100%) gold is too soft, and is usually mixed with other metal alloys (silver, copper, nickel and zinc) to make it stronger and more durable for jewelry.
What is a karat?The karat indicates the amount of pure gold in the metal. The higher the karat, the higher the percentage of pure gold in the metal.

Is 10Kt harder than 14Kt or 18Kt? 24Kt gold is pure but too soft to use, so it is mixed with other metals to strengthen it. 18Kt is 75% pure. It is the European standard. 14Kt is the most popular choice in the U.S.; however, 10Kt is an affordable, beautiful alternative. White gold is the quality of 10Kt or 14Kt mixed with different metals to make it silver-colored.
Why is 18k gold more valuable than 14k gold?18k gold contains a higher (75%) percentage of pure gold than 14k gold (58.3%).
What kind of markings can be found on gold jewelry?You should see a marking such as '14k' or '18k' to indicate the karat, and you may sometimes also see the manufacturers registered trademark or the country of origin. Sometimes if the item was custom made or it was resized the markings could be missing.

What is the difference between yellow, white, & rose gold?Pure gold (which is always yellow) is too soft for making jewelry. The metal alloys that are mixed with pure gold for strength can also modify the resulting color to produce different shades of yellow, white, and pink gold. White gold was originally developed to imitate platinum, and usually contains 25% nickel and zinc. What other factors determine the value of a gold jewelry piece?There are many other factors that determine the value of a gold jewelry piece:

Weight - gold is sold by weight - grams(gr) or pennyweights(pwt), the heavier the piece, the higher the gold content, therefore it is more expensive.
Design - designer jewelry is more expensive, especially if it is a one of a kind piece.
Finish - special finishes to the metal such as matte, or sand-blasted finish add to the cost of the gold jewelry piece.

If your in the market for unique gold jewelry please visit my store SumptersJewelryPLEASE SUBMIT YOUR VOTE IF YOU ENJOYED READING THIS GUIDE. I appreciate it, thank you!
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Knowledge about Omega Watch

2009-03-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

I always love Vintage watch. I am still looking out for my first authentic Omega and rolex vintage watch.

this link will provide some useful information for any of the watch lover.

How to Organize and Declutter Your Bathroom

2009-03-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

I always try to organise my bathroom, house drawer.. but think the most important is am i willing to clear my clutter

try reading this up

Trying to organize and declutter your bathroom can be one of the bigger challenges to organizing. One of the smallest rooms in the house, yet so much "stuff" to put in the bathroom. Toiletries, shower supplies and cleaning supplies where can you put it all. Thankfully there are many inexpensive organizing techniques and products that can help you keep your bathroom looking organized and decluttered.

All it takes to keep your bathroom organized and decluttered is a little creativity
Take stock of your bathroom, what do you really need and what don't you need. Come armed with a garbage bag and cleaning supplies

Clean out those drawers. Even your old make-up, if you don't use it throw it away! If it has anything growing, throw it away. You may be able to move those items you store on top into a drawer. Your bathroom will be less cluttered. Using drawer organizers helps keep your bathroom drawers in order and remember to keep those items you frequently on top.
Is your shampoo, conditioner and body wash sitting on the floor of your shower or on the handrail of the door? Has your shower floor turned into a blend of bottles? Are you tired of bending down to get what you need? There are so many different types of inexpensive and stylish shower caddies available today that will not only declutter and organize your shower, make your shower more enjoyable but are quite stylish as well.

You can literally turn your bathroom cabinets into an organized storage area, neat and decluttered. First you need to organize and purge! Throw out that old shampoo that you bought and didn't like. The same goes for anything that you haven't used. I know that many times we buy things, don't like them but hate to throw them away. Now is the time to throw it away and organize your bathroom cabinets.

There are many great new inexpensive products out there on the market that can help you turn and keep your bathroom cabinets organized and neat. Even great products that will keep your blow dryer and supplies organized and decluttered.

How to choose a new laptop? what to look out for

2009-03-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am looking for a new laptop.. think these information may be useful to me and so of you who are like me IT retarded.. hee

what Kinds of Laptops is available in the market ?

Ultralight laptop
An Ultralight laptop, also called a sub-Notebook or ultraportable, is very compact and weighs four pounds or less. It is usually too small to contain large components, such as a CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, or network card. However, it accepts external drives and storage devices through the USB or FireWire port. Its screen is usually limited to 12 inches, with a video resolution of 1024 x 768. It is ideal for traveling businessmen.

Notebook laptop
A Notebook laptop is thicker than the Ultralight and weighs between four and six pounds. It has a screen size between 12 and 15 inches. It has a built-in CD-ROM drive, a floppy drive, and network card. It can also contain combo bays for installing external floppy, CD drives, and extra batteries. It is ideal for home and small office use.

Media Center laptop
A Media Center laptop is designed for multimedia use, such as watching movies, editing photos, and listening to music. It contains a heavy-duty processor, a big hard drive, and high-end graphics, video, and sound cards to maximize audio and video quality. Its screen is at least 15.4 inches wide for displaying high-resolution graphics. Because of its heavy features, it can weigh as much as seven pounds. It usually comes with built-in floppy and CD drives, network cards, and other connectivity ports.

Gaming laptop
A Gaming laptop has a discrete graphics or graphics chipset that produce fine detail in 3D computer games. Its screen is 17 to 20 inches wide. It comes with a fast processor, high-end operating system, a hard drive of at least 100 gigabytes, up to two gigabytes of memory, a dual layer optical drive, and numerous connectivity ports used for hooking up headphones, speakers, and various game controllers. Some models have customized paint jobs.

What to look out for when choosing a laptop?

Windows XP or Vista?
Microsoft Windows Vista is here and if I were looking for a new notebook that is what I would choose. Unless you want to run software that you know will not run with Vista (check for updates from the software manufacturer) then why go for the older technology? XP will be obsolete sooner rather than later. Vista looks and feels better and has better integrated security (but do not neglect a good internet security suite such as McAfee VirusScan Plus, click the ad at the bottom of this page to buy for £20.00, saving 50%).

Vista Home Premium has all the features a home user could want including Media Center, Windows Aero desktop, DVD and Movie Makers. If you do not need those extra facilities then save a few pounds with Vista Business or Basic.

The Microsoft's Windows Vista Editions overview web page outlines the features available in each version.
Notebooks in the cheap sub £300 category may not be powerful enough for Vista so XP will suffice.

Which Processor?
Quick note, more to follow soon: Preferably an Intel Core 2 Duo.
How Much Memory Do I Need?
Most laptops are now sold with 1GB of Ram and if using Vista I would not look at anything with less than this, it should be Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM. Personally I would insist on 2GB for a Vista machine. The minimum for an XP machine should be 512MB, but preferably 1GB.
It staggers me when I see Vista laptops for sale with just 512MB of RAM, it is not enough and in my opinion these laptops are being miss-sold. If you have found yourself in the unfortunate position of owning such a machine then you need to upgrade your memory. The Crucial Memory Advisor Tool takes the guesswork out of upgrading.

Hard Drive Size
Hard drives these days are massive and cheap so 80GB is the minimum you should expect. Preferably Serial ATA (SATA).

What Screen Size and Should I Go Widescreen?
A lot of laptops are now being sold with 17" widescreens and although these are BIG! they are great as desktop replacements if you do not intend to take them out of the house. If you actually want a PORTABLE laptop then I would not go above 15.4" widescreen.
Should you choose an ordinary screen or a widescreen? Widescreen would be my choice, they are lovely and they do make it easier to have multiple windows visible on the desktop at the same time. Obviously watching movies will be a better experience aswell. Having said that, don't be put off if you find a good machine with an ordinary screen at a great price.

Maximum Screen Resolution
Screen resolution refers to the pixel density of the LCD. The higher the resolution the more pixels are crammed in and because there are more pixels they have to be smaller, which means you can fit more on you desktop and the picture will be sharper. In short, a higher resolution is good.

Do I Need Wireless?
Even if you don't most modern laptops are supplied with wireless network capability built in. If you are not going to use it, there should be a button or a function key combination to turn it off and I recommend that you use it.

Standard Specifications.
These are the specifications that any modern laptop should be supplied with.
802.11g Wireless Networking.
DVD±RW Drive.
High speed USB2 ports.
Built in sound card and speakers.

What Else Should I Consider?
Run Time. The amount of time the laptop will run on a fully charged battery. This can be anything from 2 to 4 hours and obviously a longer run time is more desirable.
Dimensions and Weight.The dimensions and weight generally depend on screen size, the larger the screen the larger the laptop and the more it will weigh.
Having said that there can be large differences in weight even in machines with the same size screen so this is a specification you should pay close attention to. Lighter machines do tend to be more expensive.

Ultra lightweight laptops with screen sizes of 12" and below tend to be considerably more expensive than a larger machine with the same specifications. Probably because the screens are top quality with a very small pixel size.
Optional extras.

These are features that are not standard but their inclusion may sway your decision.
Webcam.
Memory Card Reader.
Finger Print Reader.
TV Out.
Microphone.
Analogue Modem (who uses dialup these days?).

Whoopee It's Here! What Now?
The first thing you need to do when you get your shiny new laptop in you grubby mitts is to update it.

As new as it looks it could have been sitting on a shelf for months and there is no guarantee the manufacturer will have installed all the Microsoft Updates. The supplied security suite, or the one you have purchased will certainly be in need of updating. If you have yet to purchase an integrated security suite then save 50% on McAfee VirusScan Plus by clicking on the ad at the bottom of this page.