Earth Hour 2009 is Japan Hour

Our Earth Hour this year is Japan Hour! Actually, to be exact, we were on the plane to Japan at the Earth Hour. The plane couldn't possibly turn off all its lights but well, at least our reading lights were off during that hour, I guess it did help a little and that little did count, right? :P


What's Earth Hour?
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour was taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people casting their vote for Earth. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from...

Read more about it on http://www.earthhour.org.


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Sakura here we come!

Let's hope we can catch the full blooms!


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Japan Vacation 08

My tummy is showing

Yep, my stomach is showing. It's a little more obvious to tell that I'm pregnant now. I am bursting my regular clothes and had to wear maternity clothes.

And...I am hearing more people asking whether I'm expecting and congratulating me... I've also had people giving up seats to me on the mrt! :)

Despite my tummy being obvious and despite DC kept saying I'm in my 3rd trimester (I'm not!), I don't really feel the weight of the baby yet. I'm starting to get a little worried this week when I realised that ... my weight has not increased at all this month! I began myself asking questions like "Is this normal? Am I eating enough? What should I eat to increase my (baby's) weight?"!

Luckily the next appointment is not too far away, I hope to get my answers soon.

* Photo taken on week 18


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Happy Birthday Boy

It is Ah Boy's birthday today and he invited me, DC and his friends to his birthday party at home.

You should see how these boys play, they were so full of energy, rough and noisy! The games they play were so "boyish": PSP, Transformers cartoon, hide-n-seek, balloon bursting, chasing, etc.

DC watched them in amazement, I bet he must be reminiscing his childhood times! Somehow, when I saw Ah boy's friends, I felt I was seeing the kids in Slumdog millionaire play cos Ah Boy's friends happened to be Indians! :P

I'm sure Ah Boy had a great time today. Happy birthday!



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Lead the Fashion Revolution

What better occasion than a fashion show to put my under-utilised lens to use. I tried to sell it off a few weeks ago but there wasn't any takers. Well, I guess it still has its use.

Event: Lead the Fashion Revolution
Location: Marina Square
Label: Espirit
Lens: Sigma 70-300mm F4.5-5.6
ISO800, ambient lighting.




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It's finally over, can relax now...

Phew, the so-called frightening "Persuasive Presentation" course is finally over!

I'm feeling stressed even before the 2 day course had started! There were preparations required prior to the start of the course and I've heard enough people telling me how "shiong" it was. I was relunctant to sign up for the course after the comments but I had no choice, I need to clock that 2 man days by this month to meet my target and there were no other courses available.

Then, to my surprise, it turned out to be... fun! It's not that I've worried over nothing, there were really times where the stress level went straight up. However, the instructor was really the key that created the atmosphere and made the session very enjoyable and relaxing by injecting jokes at the right times. It wasn't as frightening as I heard...

Activities
1. Self Portrait: Introduce yourself (Stress Level: Low)
2. Show and Tell: Pick from a stack of cards what you think is your fear/success in presentation and present them in front of the class (Stress Level: Low)
3. Tell-a-story: Think of a story, pick a partner and tell the story (Stress Level: Medium)
4. Video Presentation 1: To give a 3 mins presentation in front of a video camera with prepared slides. Topic: anything that is related to work (Stress Level: High)
5. The Emotional Challenge: Pick a card and present a story to evict the emotion written on the card without saying the word out. If the class couldn't guess what you are trying to present, you got to do it again until they got it! (Stress Level: High at first, then turned low as I chose an easy one - "Appreciated". Imagine the stress level of those who chose "Powerful" and "Conviction"!)
6. Video Presentation 2: To give a 10 mins presentation in front of a video camera with enhanced slides and skills learnt during the lessons (Stress Level: Medium)

Now that the course is over and my training target met, I can now concentrate on planning the upcoming trip! :)


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Making Space

In a span of less than 3yrs, I have "collected" numerous camera bags, lens, tripods and accessories. It has reached the point where I've run of space in my room and store.

Time to sell off this bag - Lowepro Vertex 100AW.



Pros:
Able to fit a lot, numerous lens and two camera bodies.
Able to take a 13.3 in laptop.
Numerous slots for memory cards.
Able to fit a tripod in the front.
Comfortable shoulder pads.
Waist straps for better support.

Cons:
Heavy, as expected when u piled so much equipment together.
Being a backpack, hard to access lenses quickly.


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Unwatchable Watchmen

I find it boring esp at the beginning. Too much dialogue and question marks. I'm not a fan of it. In fact, I'm tortured by the length of the show. A lot of people actually went off half-way into the show. The materials are too complicated for me... Yawn! One thing though, the visuals and pictures are not too bad.

WATCHMEN

Rating: M18
Consumer Advice: Sexual Scenes & Violence
Language: English with Chinese Subtitle
Director: Zack Sydner
Cast: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen McHattie, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson
Runtime: 163 min

A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, the film is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the Watchmen?

Playing the film’s core group of “masks,” the masked adventurers at the center of the story, are Malin Akerman (“The Heartbreak Kid”) as Laurie Juspeczyk, aka Silk Spectre 2; Billy Crudup (“The Good Shepherd”) as Jon Osterman, aka Dr. Manhattan; Matthew Goode (“Match Point”) as Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias; Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum”) as Sally Jupiter aka Silk Spectre; Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley (“Little Children”) as Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach; Stephen McHattie (“Shoot ‘em Up”) as Hollis Mason, aka Nite Owl; Jeffrey Dean Morgan (TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Edward Blake, aka the Comedian; and Patrick Wilson (“Little Children”) as Dan Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl 2. Watchmen was originally published by DC Comics as a 12-comic book series between 1986 and 1987, before subsequently being collected into a trade paperback. It is the only graphic novel to win the prestigious Hugo Award or to be named among Time magazine’s “100 Best English Language Novels from 1923 to the Present.”

Freebies at Vivo

Just back from Vivo City. It's been a long long time since I've last been there. This time, I had fun during my short time there and enjoyed myself. :)

Reason? tout est libre! Well, almost. Look further to know why...

1. Free movie tickets to Dragon Ball Evolution.

Although undeniably a B-grade movie, it was actually more exciting than expected. Oh, if you are a dragonball comic fan and must watch the movie, remember to stay till the end of the credits...

2. Free sample of Spanish rice
It comes from a restaurant called "Serenity" one floor below GV. Though it was only a mouthful but it tasted very nice and curbed my hunger pang for a while.

3. Awfully Delicious Chocolate ice-cream
I've been craving for this brand of chocolate just a few days ago and remembered there was a store at Vivo. So, while waiting for DC to reach Vivo, I rushed off to get myself a cuppa the rich ice-cream. The chocolate made me happy. :) Saved some for DC but he felt it would be better with chocolate chips.

4. Free Movie pass
On the way back to the GV after buying my ice-cream, I come across this counter and decided to take part in the contest to win a free movie pass to the movie "Mall Cop". The game is to find 3 mall cops and collect a stamp from each. I was blessed to have completed the game card within 5 minutes of participation and haha, got myself a free movie pass! Wohoo! Just in time to meet DC at GV. :)

5. Free Popcorn and Coke
Compliments by the movie event organiser and our dinner for the night.

Any free movie events? Please let us know and we'll be glad to go (that is, if we are free)... :D


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IT Show Mania

I finally bought the iMac at a deal close to last Christmas' offer. Well, at least it's the new model but I still got to wait for it to be delivered.


iMac - 20-inch: 2.66GHz @ $1948
2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB memory (free upgrade of 2GB)
320GB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

20% off MS Office 2008 @$215.2
30% off Applecare @ 212.1

Also swopped in on the Dell Inspiron 530 desktop for $699 (shared with my brother), including 19" LCD monitor! Hopefully, this will get my parents using the PC more.


Dell Inspiron 530
Intel® Pentium® Processor E5200(2.50GHz)
2 GB memory (free upgrade of 1GB)
19" LCD monitor
160GB Hard Drive
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100

Finally, a Sony DCR-SR47E camcorder shared between CP and her siblings. Meant for her Dad. All for $799 with external burner and 2 x 8GB Memory stick.



- 60GB HDD Capacity with HDD Smart Protection
- 1/8” MP CCD
- 60x Optical / 120x Digital Zoom
- HYBRID (Movie Recording on Memory Stick™)
- Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® Lens (30mm)
- 2.7" Wide LCD with Touch Panel
- SteadyShot (New Active Image Area Method)


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Tiny Macaroons for Big Price

Suddenly feel like trying the macaroons at Bakerzin so I bought a pack. When asked how much a pack cost, I got the reply "$7.50". At the cashier, I was asked to pay $8.05!

What?! They should have stated that the price does not include GST! I felt so cheated!

Overpriced and not fantastic, don't think I would ever try them again.


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Dreadful Leg Cramps

I'm starting to get those painful leg cramps during my sleep recently. The cramps reminded me of my younger days when I had frequent leg cramps during sleep and when I was learning swimming in the pool...

Though I know this is pretty common during pregnancy (esp 2nd and 3rd trimester), I hope it doesn't come so frequently! I can't stand the pain. Ouch!

Possible cause of cramps
• Heart, kidneys, and circulatory system work extra hard to help function normally during pregnancy, and muscles, which are bearing the increasing weight of the pregnancy feel the strain too. So as a result, tired leg muscles may seize up and cramp in protest.

• Too much phosphorus (found in processed meat, snack foods, and soda) and too little calcium and potassium circulating in blood can also cause muscle spasms.

• As uterus expands, it can put pressure on the nerves leading from trunk to your legs.

Prevention
• Eat a banana or drink a glass of milk before bed for a quick calcium and potassium boost (I've tried this and it seems to work for me so far :D)

• Avoid standing or sitting with legs crossed for long periods of time.

• Rotate ankles and wiggle toes when sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.

• Stretch calf muscles several times before going to bed.


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Get in Shape

Yes, it has finally come to this. Rather than losing weight, I have gained more than I would like. It's time to stop the deception and changing to bigger sizes.

So I renewed my Fitness First membership and signed up a personal training programme as well.

I hope this will cut down my weight and help me to pass the IPPT too.

My whole body is aching now ... next week it's thrice a week sessions ... let's hope I can stay through it ...

And I finally got back to taking the train back home after work. 4 days in a row without a taxi ... let's hope this can continue.

Ganbatei!


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Yummy Saturday Breakfast

This time I made it! :D

I felt like having fried eggs for breakfast. DC and I bought the same things back home separately on Fri - Eggs, Cheese, Drinks - and we have double of them! Not the first time... we think alike huh? :P

This try was not too bad, at least that's what I thought :) I've put in the silver fishes that my mummy bought for me, been craving for it for a week now... finally satisfied!

DC also cooked soup to go with his bread, butter and ham... it's a sumptuous breakfast!


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It's a tasteless week

I'm down with serious cold, sore throat followed by running/blocked nose, coughs and phelgms...

Yes, I'm on mediation now but I have my gynae's certification that the medicines are safe for pregnancy.

Hate it that I couldn't taste what I was eating, all food tastes the same - BLAND. I guess the only consolation is that I'm no longer affected by irritating smells that will make me puke. Though it's for a limited period only, I'm actually quite grateful whenever I thought of this...




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Completed 3 DVDs this week

These 3 were much better than those we've chosen for V-day! :)




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Guess the sex of our baby

This baby's a naughty one. Nope, luck's not with us yesterday. He?/She? doesn't want us to know yet... Guess we can only find out next month.

Just for the fun of it, I've created a poll. Take part in the poll (on the right) and make a guess... What do you think is the sex of our baby? :)




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Boy or Girl?

Well, I'm into my 17th weeks of pregnancy and I will be going for checkup in a while. If I'm lucky, I will know the sex of the baby today. Hopefully, my baby will not be facing the wrong way or have its legs crossed so that the genital area cannot be seen... :)

I've polled many people what they think the sex of my baby would be and had many people asked which sex does DC and I prefer.

DC prefers a girl because he thinks there are too many baby boys in his family and having a princess would be nice. I, on the other hand, prefer a boy because this would take the pressure of bearing a bloodline off me instantly... Having said that, we wouldn't mind at all if it turned out to be the other way. :)

The answers I've got were not consistent, some (mostly family and close friends) think it's a girl and others (colleagues and relatives) guess it's a boy but the majority thinks it's a girl.

I've known of some traditional ways to tell the sex of the baby:
1. Shape of your bump - if you belly is pointed (usually also mean people can still see a waist from behind) you are carrying a boy. if your belly is rounded and your waist is thick you are carrying a girl.

2. Craving for meat or vegetables? Salty or Sweet food? - Meat and salty food means it's a boy, vegetable and sweets means it's a girl

3. Whether you are looking good or not during pregnancy - Radiance = Boy, Breakouts = Girl

4. Chinese Gender chart that tells the sex from your age and the month of conception

5. Measuring baby's heart rate in the womb - girls are meant to have higher heart rates than boys

6. Ultrasound scanning - from 18 weeks onwards.

7. Amniocentesis - Done around 18-20 weeks. It involves taking a sample from the amniotic fluid and analysing your baby's cells, which are present in the fluid, usually done when there's risk of serious genetic condition in the baby.

8. Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) - Normally done around 10-12 weeks, when there is likely to be a serious gender-related problem.

Found this quiz online. It says that I have a 47% chance of having a boy and 52% chance of having a girl. Pretty much the same as my poll results... :)

Hmm, am I expecting a boy or a girl? Will I want to know it during the scan today if I could? Yes!


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To go or not to go?

We've been thinking about this for quite some time.

We heard voices dissuading us with reasons such as I ought to rest, turbulence currents are dangerous, etc but we've decided to go with our hearts. :)

Wohoo! We are going Japan end of this month!


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Celebrating the 3rd (Continued)

To end off this year's ritual, I booked a one night stay at Ritz Carlton Millenia hotel. I always wanted to enjoy their "open" bathrooms!



High Tea over at Pan Pacific's Global Kitchen



Seems I've gotten it wrong. It's just normal buffet high-tea, not English afternoon tea. That is over at the Atrium downstairs ... Anyway, food is really a no no. I can't imagine why is packed, maybe it's buffet. Mostly local fare which I can't imagine paying $32++. Not a lot of selections. Some of the forgettable stuff include mee goreng that isn't spicy and overly sweet almond jelly.

Dinnertime, we are still quite full. After a hot soak at the bathtub, we chanced upon Jack's place. I feel the need for steak and non-expensive steak at that.

CP ordered lobster @ $55++. It sure beat my ribeye steak in the taste department.


Shitake Mushroom Soup

Bland and tasteless.

Ribeye steak.

Firm texture but tasteless. Now we know why the steak cost $20 and those at fine dining restaurants cost $80.

Breakfast at Greenhouse in the hotel.



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Celebrating the 3rd

It's becoming a ritual, although I don't know if we can continue with a new addition to the family this August. We may be too busy then.

So to commemorate our 3rd wedding anniversary, we decided on a few good treats and a stay in the Ritz Carlton Millenia hotel.

25-Feb-2009 Dinner at Dolce Vita @ Mandarin Oriental



Salami Antipasti (compliments from the chef)


A rather nice cold cut with crispy delicious biscuit stick.

Lobster Ragout

Nice fresh and tasty lobster with nice vege assortment at the base.

Grilled King Garoupa


Wagyu Steak

Ok, I love this because it's chargrilled to medium well, with a tinge of pink in the center. Very succulent!

Choccolata - Warm chocolate cake, takes 25min to bake.

Hot on the outside, warm and moist on the inside, full of chocolate taste!

Dolce Vita - The Pina Colada reinvented

The pineapple ice, jelly and coconut ice-cream simply opens up your stomach for more even after a heavy meal.

Complimentray chocolate cake


Overall, the Dolce Vita is quite a nice place to celebrate a special occasion. We were surprised by the restaurant's thoughtfulness to have decorated our table with flower petals and pampered us with the Antipasti and Anniversary cake...the other tables didn't get it! :)


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