This is one book I’d agree is exceptionally well-written, and reading the author’s note about the list of people she has to thank, you’re left with very little wonder why. While this book is based on a true story, it’s not about the life of the angmoh, Melissa Fleming. Instead, it’s about a young Syrian woman called Doaa Al Zamel. Doaa’s family had to flee from Syria because of the war, and while Egypt appeared to be welcoming at the start, things soon changed. Doaa and her fiancé decided to try and get to Sweden with the help of some smugglers (I’d call them thugs with lousy boats, really) then send for the rest of her family. Unfortunately, some of those thugs decided to sink the vessel and have the refugees (some 500 of them) drown in the sea. And like a scene from the ‘Titanic’, Doaa, who’s on a child’s rubber float, watches as her exhausted fiancé relinquishes his grip and sinks into the water. She, however, survives the 4 days floating out at sea, and also looking after two babies that had been left in her care by their family members who knew that they themselves might not survive but hoped the children would be able to.

Indeed, as Melissa Fleming has shared, it’s so much better to focus on one person’s story instead of trying to write about the millions of Syrians who have been displaced, killed or separated from their families.

Doaa’s story is a powerful one. And I think it really helps readers understand that these refugees are people just like us. And I’m grateful for the TED talks and other videos which share more of her story.

TED Talks:

*The average time a refugee will spend in exile is 17 years.*

And if you’re wondering how refugees can be better supported, watch this:

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Come to think of it, Doaa is someone who’s truly blessed. For a person who cannot swim, she managed to survive for 4 days out at sea. And while others were dragged down by those who were drowning and grasping at anything and everything, she managed to avoid that same fate. And miraculously, no one tried to take the flotation device away from her – if they had, she would most certainly have perished.

And if not for the two babies left in her care, I’m guessing she would have followed her fiancé to the same watery grave. It would appear that a divine power wanted her to live.

Read this book. There’s both delight and despair in almost equal parts. You’ll be horrified at the ugliness of humanity (the smugglers trying to fleece and then kill the refugees, the citizens who harassed the refugees, the horrors of the civil war). But there’s also hope – one baby died after being rescued but Masa survived. Doaa lost the love of her life but Sweden embraced her and her family. And while many Syrians have died while trying to escape the war, Doaa’s sharing of her story has captured the attention of people in countries which can help.

If you’re unsure about how you can lend a hand, just grab a copy of this book as most of the proceeds will go towards helping the refugees.

Located right outside Din Tai Fung at level 1 of Waterway Point, Guschlbauer’s first day of giveaways received a warm welcome from Punggolians. It drew long queues for their free Devil Cheese Buns; some 500 pieces to be given out daily from 9th to 11th March. Since it’s the first day of the giveaway today, naturally I wanted to be there to find out just how yummy this cheese bun from the Austrian bakery brand is. I’ve heard some people say it’s really famous overseas so it was a good opportunity to find out just what the fuss is all about.

I joined the queue at 10.20am and there were probably some 40+(?) people ahead of me in the queue. There were elderly folks (I wonder how they knew about this since I’ve only seen the news about the giveaway shared on FB) and many families with children. The giveaway was supposed to start at 10am but there was evidently a delay (and no explanation from the company) so I heard a few people grumbling and saying “they should have prepared the buns in advance”. Singaporeans will complain about everything. Even a delay in the handing out of freebies.

I reached the head of the queue only at about 11.20am, so that was a full hour standing in line. But it was not a waste of time as I was reading yet another book I’ll be reviewing soon.

Ahead of me, there was a lady carrying her young son (he looked like he was about 2 years old) and when it was her turn, she requested for an additional bun for the boy. The Guschlbauer staff, whom I’ve seen give out free buns to kids even younger than this boy, told the lady that kids young enough to be carried won’t get a bun. And her reason was that there are (still) many people standing in line. The lady immediately put the boy down, insisted that he could walk and therefore should receive a bun too. Little kiddo probably felt the situation was getting tense and promptly burst into tears. The staff called the manager to come over and the result was the same. The lady walked away with just one bun for herself.

I’m guessing she won’t be back. Just give the kid the bun lah. They’ve been queuing for an hour.

~

Another thing I noted was that while staff were slathering the cream cheese onto the buns, not all of them wore masks. Their caps also did not contain their fringe and stray hairs so I’m guessing the caps are just more of a fashion accessory or for corporate branding, and not very relevant for hygiene and safety when it comes to handling food. Good that they were all wearing gloves though.

VERDICT:

Biting into the bun, I taste some saltiness first, then sweet and finally a slightly sour taste hits me. Was it the cream cheese? I have no idea. It’s a good thing that it’s not another one of those castella cakes. It tastes nothing like what you’ll find at BreadTalk. If you like trying ‘new’ food items that taste different from what you’re used to, go ahead and grab one of these.

Each of these cheese buns will retail at $5.80. I do consider the price a little steep. So I’ll enjoy it while it’s free, thank you very much!

~

If you’re someone who loves to bake, you can even make your own cheese buns at home:

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And if you’re too lazy uninspired to bake, and prefer something less pricey, try Nam Kee Pau’s char siew pau. It costs just 90 cents but is delicious! The stall has long queues throughout the day too! Located just next to Old Chang Kee and very near to the MRT station! *Their pork porridge CMI though. Seriously. Just go for the pau.

Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 58 and her memoir ‘Somebody I used to know’ helps readers understand a little better what it is like to be living with dementia. Sure, it freaks me out – suddenly not recognizing where I am nor remembering why I’m in a certain place would be really scary – but it offers hope too, in that there are different stages so you have some time to implement certain coping strategies.

For instance, Wendy uses technology to help her out – reminders to eat her meals and take her medication, for remembering birthdays, GPS tracking so her daughters know where she is, etc. And Post-it notes deserve special mention too as they have been so useful to her as reminders of where she is and what she needs to take with her (especially when she travels for conferences and such).

I’m really impressed by how she insists on having her daughters be her daughters (only), and not her carers. All too often, Asian parents expect their children, like insurance policies, to pay them back in times of sickness or in their old age. I’ve even heard of people who do not get married because they need to take care of aged or ill parents. I’m of the opinion that should I have children, I won’t want them to wipe my bum or wheel me around when I’ve lost my mobility. They have their own lives to lead as well.

Wendy sees the ‘silver lining’ too. For example, she can watch a show multiple times and be entertained the same as she doesn’t remember the plot or how it ends.

~

One big takeaway from reading this book is that people living with dementia may not remember people, places or events very well but they’ll remember how they felt during the interaction. So make them feel welcome, supported, appreciated and loved. And you can count on them to remember those feelings.

Also, Wendy has a blog over at whichmeamitoday.wordpress.com. Go check it out!

I’ve only just spotted this on Instagram today: actress Joanne Peh has been keeping busy during the recent March school holidays with workshops for kids aged 18 months all the way to 6 years old! Her company, The Dimple Loft (how cute!), aims to “combine the filmic arts with the Reggio pedagogy, that is child-centered and constructivist.” At this point, I’m regretting my decision to ‘Google’ the meaning of constructivism. (@_@) I think, put simply (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong), that it’s about letting young kids explore, offering them opportunities to find out how they learn best, and allowing them that space to reflect on what they’ve experienced.

There are currently 3 kinds of workshops at The Dimple Loft – dates have not been updated to reflect (any) upcoming workshops:

For the really young ones (18 months to 4 years old), the 2-hour workshop with a half-hour break cost $65 per child. And each child may be accompanied by 1 parent. Participants get to enjoy “painting, printmaking, mask-making, drawing, collage, colouring”. Good time to discover young Picassos, I suppose!

Likewise, for the 2 to 4 year olds (accompanied by the parents), they will learn about “painting, printmaking, drawing, collage, colouring and sound design”.

For the 5 and 6 year olds, it’s a 3-day camp (total of 9 hours) that cost $375 per child. Kids will “explore and learn how to use different materials and art forms to design, create and tell stories using numbers.” *And parents are supposed to drop off their kids for the programme, and leave them in the hands of the Dimple Loft crew. I’m guessing that many have relished the opportunity to have some ‘me time’.

~

Obviously, I’ve not been to any of the workshops mentioned above, and neither have I been paid nor asked to promote them. I just think that Joanne and her hubby have been doing something right by keeping their kids out of the public eye, instead of ‘milking’ that youth, innocence and cuteness for ka-ching, social media likes, and added publicity.

I’ve also spotted Joanne at a book warehouse sale previously, and I couldn’t help noticing that while she was friendly and obliging about photo requests, she seemed to keep an ever-vigilant eye out for people taking photos at the warehouse, who might somehow snap pictures of her two kids who were with her. *I really was just taking pictures of the books on sale! Her daughter seemed very vocal, full of energy (aren’t they all), and expressive. I’m guessing Joanne is quite the hands-on mother. And now, whatever she has learnt about educating the young ones, you can get access to by sending your kiddo to her ‘school’.

Recently, I’ve been impulsive enough to grab a pair of scissors and cut off a tangled mass of hair at the back of my head. That tangle, which I just could not straighten out no matter what I did, possibly formed due to two reasons: my hair’s getting pretty long now and I do not use conditioner diligently. Cutting it all off was probably not the wisest thing to do since I already have thinning hair to begin with. Then I heard from trusted pals that they have tried the treatment trial at PHS HAIRSCIENCE® and liked it, so I thought it’d be good to check out the place myself, and it’ll be even better if the company can help me with my hair woes.

So I popped by the PHS HAIRSCIENCE® CAPSULE at Bedok Mall to try their new Miracle Stem Cell Solution treatment trial which targets this (very common!) problem of hair fall / hair thinning. Interestingly, I found that together with their shampoo and home care kit, my hair’s a lot more manageable. If you have similar issues with hair loss and/or greying hair, read on till the end of this blogpost where you can take part in my giveaway as the good people at PHS HAIRSCIENCE® want to invite you for a treatment trial too!

I had washed my hair at home before heading (pun fully intended) to PHS HAIRSCIENCE® yet the scalp scan revealed some rather scary images (you’ll see in the video below). The consultants shared with me that there’s a lot of blockage. Apparently, my scalp has not been routinely cleansed properly so the follicles got clogged, and hair which falls out (naturally) is not replaced by new hair growth. Where there should be two to three strands of hair, there’s either only one or none. No wonder my hair looks like it’s thinning out!

So one of the consultants, Yumi, shared with me some tips which I’ve since implemented: 1) Washing my hair just once a day but double cleansing each time, 2) not tying my hair too tightly, 3) using conditioner diligently, 4) applying a hair mask once a week, and 5) exfoliating my scalp with their signature ADV Elixir.

And after experiencing the MIRACLE STEM CELL SOLUTION treatment trial, I was blown away by the second round of scalp scans – my scalp looked so healthy and clean (as you’ll see in the video below).

So what’s this treatment they did for me?

The MIRACLE STEM CELL SOLUTION was developed by Korean bio-scientists, trichologists (hair and scalp specialists) and dermatologists. It contains 100 active botanical ingredients including 9 growth factors, peptides (short chains of amino acids) and cytokines (proteins) which are scientifically proven to be effective in reviving dormant hair follicles so new hair growth results can be expected as early as two months, and can even treat advanced hair loss (Stages 5 and 6) without the need for needles!

The in-store treatment takes approximately 45 minutes only so it’s great for busy individuals. I’ve put together a quick video clip of the treatment session I’ve gone for so you can see what’s in-store when you pop by PHS HAIRSCIENCE® CAPSULE outlets at Bedok Mall or Parkway Parade:

And the home care kit is easy to use – just apply the stem cell activators onto your scalp. Based on the current condition of your hair and scalp, the consultants will recommend a home care regimen for you. Mine involved the Thickening Activators:

*PROMO PRICE* Get a special promotional price of $58 (usual price $398) for a trial
MIRACLE STEM CELL SOLUTION Hair Loss or Grey Reversal treatment session when you quote “Grace Tan”. Visit https://goo.gl/K3XtXx to book an appointment or call 66920662. Valid from now till 15 June 2018 for Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, E/S Pass Holders above 21 years of age.

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*GIVEAWAY* 3 lucky winners will each WIN a MIRACLE STEM CELL SOLUTION trial treatment session and products from PHS HAIRSCIENCE®.

#1: ‘Like’ my giveaway post on Facebook, and PHS HAIRSCIENCE® Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PHSHAIRSCIENCE/)

#2: ‘Share’ my giveaway post

#3: Fill in this contact form to receive updates and the winner notification email:

[contact-form]

This contest ends on 27th March 2018.

Being more financially savvy and with a good nose for sniffing out bargains, he’d found a Fave (a.k.a. Groupon) deal for Dim Sum Haus. And when he told me we’re going to Dim Sum Haus, I’d heard ‘Dim Sum House’. When I finally saw the signboard above the shop, I have to admit I thought it was trying too hard to be ‘atas’ and reeked of pretentiousness. Why the ‘Haus’? German dim sum, is it? Thankfully, the dim sum was good and not too pricey either, so I’m guessing we’ll be back again soon. Though he did leave me with this warning of sorts – “It’s usually not as good the second time round” – to which I nodded because that has generally been our experience with lots of F&B establishments here that we only got to know of because of Fave. *So here’s a big caveat: I’ve only been to Dim Sum Haus just this once, so I cannot vouch for the consistency. If I do visit them again, you’ll read about it on this blog.

(*According to urbandictionary.com, ‘haus’ can also mean you’re “really really ridiculously good at something”. Ok fine, I’d give them that)

Though the place wasn’t crowded when we visited at lunchtime yesterday, the food took a while to be served. We had time to take turns visiting the washroom (*which was clean*), plus help ourselves to the free iced water and chili sauce + ginger slices.

Served first was the century egg and lean meat congee. I don’t know if it’s a sign of old age. I never really liked congee as a *ahem* young person but now I find it so comforting. And when it’s really tasty, it’s such a treat! Some places have awful congee. But Dim Sum Haus’ version is pretty good. I love how the dough fritter slices have been fried to a crisp. Even after ‘soaking’ in the congee, they don’t lose that crisp which adds such lovely texture to a spoonful of (well) mushy congee. It’s delicious too, with just the right amount of chopped up century egg and shredded lean meat.

We each had a bowl of congee, and then we shared the dim sum among us, starting with the ‘steamed Malay sponge cake’. Light, fluffy, sweet and warm, it’s like ‘D*mn, I could get used to eating dim sum for lunch everyday!’

The har gau, siew mai, ‘steamed crystal skin prawn dumpling with spinach’ were firm and delicious. The honey BBQ pork bun was decent. The tarts were ok (I do still prefer the famous ones from Chinatown).

But what was both surprising and delightful was the dessert. I’ve probably mentioned this a thousand times but dessert, to me, has the power to ‘make or break’ a meal. And dessert at Dim Sum Haus is köstlich.

The watercress honey ice jelly was amazing. I did like it a little more than I did their ‘sweetened mango sago with pomelo’. I’d totally order the watercress honey ice jelly again next time!

~

Address: 57 Jalan Besar. Opening hours: (Tues to Fri) 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm. (Sat / Sun) 10.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm. Closed every Monday!

Tel: 69090777

*Right now (23rd March 2018), I see 3 Fave deals for Dim Sum Haus: there’s a $60 voucher you can get for either $36 (weekday dining) or $42 (weekend). Also, there’s the $10.90 per person set which we went for during this visit.

If you’re not into purchasing vouchers and prefer paying full price for your meal, haha, there’s also a $1 siew mai promotion (only in March) that you’ll be eligible for:

[Image from Dim Sum Haus’ FB page]

*Sigh* now I’m hungry again… (@_@)

This book, ‘Two Sisters’, has been described as “riveting”, “gripping”, “intense and compelling”. And it’s true. It’s almost like one of those Harry Potter books which I’d get from a bookstore at the launch and then proceed to read all day and even through the night till I’m done. However, and this is one big ‘HOWEVER’, I feel strangely disappointed. Like ‘I should go ask for a refund’ kind of disappointed. Reading all 411 pages of this book, I wanted to know not just why the two sisters went to Syria but also what happened to them in the end (did they get killed or get back home safely?). The book focuses mainly on the ‘WHY’. And I’m left feeling there’s no closure. Like an itch which cannot be reached yet demands to be scratched, I want to know what happens to the two girls! Urgh! Perhaps there’ll be a sequel to this ‘true story’?

Also, I only realised at the end of the book that “Ayan” and “Leila” are not the real names of the two sisters. It’s like only finding out that Harry Potter’s real name is “(name withheld) Potter” at the end, and I’ve been ‘deceived’ all along. *sigh*

In a nutshell, teenage sisters Ayan and Leila (not their real names) leave their home in Oslo, Norway, in 2013 to travel to Syria. Their father, Sadiq, decides to go after them and try to get them home. Unfortunately, he gets captured and tortured, but eventually escapes. Subsequent attempts to get his daughters home fail, but Sadiq manages to burn through lots of cash in the process. In the end, he’s broke (both financially and in spirit), his daughters are supposedly wives and mothers now, and the family is torn apart as the girls refuse to return and Sadiq can only dream of turning back time and having his life return to what it once was.

So, if you’re wondering why teenage girls would want to head to a warzone and leave their cushy lives with family behind, this book offers some clues. They *may* have naively thought that they would be “fetching water for the sick to working in refugee camps”. More importantly, you’ll put together the pieces and find out how they got radicalized. It could have started from something as simple as spending “hours on YouTube listening to clerics and preachers”. Eventually, they’d think they are saving their family members from Hell (“If you died as a martyr, you could choose seventy family members to join you in paradise.”) And as the two girls reveal to their family, once they were in Syria and married, there was no need to pay rent or water and electricity bills (the State took care of all that), houses are free, and they received monthly groceries plus money without working at all.

You might wonder why the girls’ parents were so ‘blind’ toward the obvious radicalization happening right under their noses. The girls had started wearing niqabs (causing a headache in school for their teachers and Principal), and even cut out their pictures from family albums (to prevent outsiders from seeing them uncovered)! Based on the things they were sharing on social media, their parents, teachers and friends should have been alarmed and promptly put a stop to things. But they didn’t. The mothers in the community even paid for an extremist (though they didn’t know it at that time) Koran teacher called Mustafa to come teach their kids.

In the end, before leaving, Ayan bought lots of things but didn’t pay the bills, signed up for multiple mobile subscriptions (sold the phones and SIM cards) and raised money for the trip to Syria. This refusal to pay the bills was even viewed as “economic jihad”.

Interestingly enough, when her father needed money, he had questionable ways of raising it too, such as by selling ‘fake news’ to journalists, who ended up printing what he had supplied. In return, Sadiq received thousands of Norwegian kroner.

~

I can’t say I didn’t raise an eyebrow or two at a certain part of the book, where a text ‘Defense of the Muslim Lands’ was referenced’…

“The unclean have duped the dull masses of Muslims by installing their wooden-headed puppets as false figureheads of states that remain under their control.”

*cough cough*

And this next portion made me think that ISIS may have done lots of questionable, if not horrific, things but they’ve at least got something right:

“Although cigarettes were not forbidden in the Koran, they were deemed haram by ISIS and looked on as a form of “slow suicide” and pure pleasure. ISIS came down hard on people smoking on the sly, even in their own homes, and flogging was the usual punishment. Selling or smuggling was worse.” (p215)

*clap clap*

By the end of the book, you’ll probably come to the realization that the initial question of “Why would someone go to Syria and join ISIS?!” has become a simpler one – “Why not?”

I got tricked into going to Hi-Fruit. He told me we were going to get bubble tea (*YAY* as always) then it turned out the Fave voucher was for fruit tea. Bummer. I’ve only ever bought fruit tea once (from Tea Folia at Bedok Mall when there was a promotion going on, that seemed too good to miss). Allow me to explain why I don’t like drinking fruit tea. By ‘fruit tea’, I mean those fancy-schmancy kinds with actual slices or pieces of fruit suspended in a beverage served in cups like those usually used for bubble tea. Apparently, it’s being sold as being more refreshing and healthier than your regular bubble milk tea. HOWEVER, pay close attention to the fruit that’s going into your drink. Better yet, WATCH the staff at any shop prepare your drink. Do they WASH the fruit and get rid of the pesticide residue?

Do you know which fruits have the most pesticide residue? Well, there’s strawberries at the top of the list, with apples and grapes close behind, for example.

And guess which are the fruits commonly sliced up and put into those fruit teas?

There was this one time we went past a newly-opened fruit tea shop in central Singapore, and we were almost tempted to get some. Till I noticed the staff taking strawberries right out of the box, slicing them and dumping them into the cups without first washing them. Horrified, I ordered bubble milk tea only.

I’m ok with fruit that have inedible peel so go ahead and add watermelon, mango, kiwi, and orange into my fruit tea. But strawberries and the like are an absolute no-no. What would I have to do to get all that pesticide out of my body once it’s ingested?!

At Hi-Fruit, we ordered their Taiwan HongYu Fruit Tea and Taiwan Four Seasons Fruit Tea. They tasted rather similar so I cannot tell you which I prefer. Besides, there was quite a lot of fruit added into the cup. Mainly watermelon, though.

My only grouse is that a short plastic spoon (though it’s a pretty pink) was provided for a tall cup of fruit tea, rendering the spoon useless at retrieving the fruit under all the ice cubes until you’ve finished the entire drink.

And we brought the cups home. After re-using the Tea Folia ones as ‘pencil cases’, I’ve realized these plastic cups are very useful. Because they’re transparent, you’ll always be able to see what’s inside. And the lids keep the dust out. So please don’t throw those cups away! Find a way to give them a new lease of life!

Here’s the menu if you’d like to see what else is on offer at Hi-Fruit:

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I’m surprised they aren’t more active on social media. It looks like they set up shop in January. Hi-Fruit has 15 followers on their FB page (with the latest post being a 23rd Jan one) and they have 926 followers on Instagram but only 8 posts.

*Another reason I think bubble tea sales will always outstrip that of fruit tea is because it’s less messy to drink bubble tea. Also *ahem ahem* (don’t quote me on this) but you can ‘smuggle’ bubble tea into the cinema and drink it in the “dark”. But with fruit tea, it’s a bit more complicated as you have to remove the lid, and stab the pieces of fruit with that fork. Put simply… too leceh lah. As for the supposedly “healthier” beverage, well, don’t forget about the pesticide.

We don’t usually pop by the Teck Ghee Market for food as it isn’t close to home, so this post serves as our food diary of the most recent trip. I really enjoyed visiting the market and purchasing veggies at really low prices. How low? For instance, a bundle of spinach at FairPrice might cost me at least 85 cents, but it’s 4 bundles here for just $1. (@_@) As for the hawker centre, there were some hits and misses…

#1: The Western food stall was a hit. Liked the chicken wings and the crinkle cut fries (a fav in my childhood). I really cannot stand shoestring fries.

#2: Chicken rice at $2.50? Bring it on. Don’t expect a lot of chicken though. The rice was oily and fragrant, and the chili sauce was pretty amazing. I just need more chicken! Hence the chicken wings you see above.

#3: Soya bean drinks + dessert stall. I liked the soya milk with pearls. But I made a stupid mistake ordering the beancurd with aloe vera. It seems like very few people order the aloe vera and it smelled and tasted like it had turned bad already. But the beancurd was hot and comforting, and really hit the spot. *Note to self: order only the bestsellers (just regular beancurd and soya milk, and forget the “exotic” stuff)

#4: The char kway teow was pretty good too. And I have no idea why the picture turned out blurry. Perhaps I was too hungry and my hands were shaking.

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I’d totally visit again. It seems like the ‘older’ the hawker centres are, the better the food. The new ones with the fancy cash-collecting machines and CCTVs tend to be disappointing.

If you were to ask me how often I visit Palais Renaissance in a year, my very honest answer would be “just once or not at all”. It’s one of those places that I believe only those who want to ‘see and be seen’ (*ahem* Mediacorp celebrities getting their hair done *ahem*), or just want to avoid the hoi polloi at (sometimes) crowded malls, go to. At any other mall during the weekday lunch hour, facial or hair salons should be packed but it wasn’t the case at Renaza during my visit. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. But there’s more…

You can try any of their facial treatments for as little as $38. And a jar of snail cream? The full price is $69 but I believe you can ask for the discounted price. *I’m not sure if their pricing strategy is doing them a disservice: wouldn’t the people who visit Palais Renaissance be willing and able to pay more? And wouldn’t some equate a higher price with better quality? Facial salons deep in the heartlands have tried to charge me more money!

Not a normal sight: Prices on the wall…

Besides the comfy-looking blanket and pillow(for your legs!) you see in the first picture above, I’m also a fan of their (what I shall call) ‘towel-wrap’. At other facial places I’ve been to before, you have to pull the entire “garment” down over your shoulders. Here, you just wrap it under your arms and button it up.

Though I’d signed this when I was filling out the usual particulars form, I had not “discussed all of the above with the consultant”.

In any case, I was there for the Vita Aqua Glow Express Facial, which takes anything from 45 minutes to an hour. They say the usual price is $180 but I suspect few (if any) customers have ever paid that price. Why do I say that? ‘Cos the package price for 10 sessions is $388. That means each session will cost just $38. If you opt for the full facial, prices vary. I’ve been told it’s $588 (consultant) vs $1088 (Facebook manager). *’Full facial’ means you get the works – extraction, massage, etc.

A handheld and wireless device is used to cleanse my skin, and the impurities removed are supposedly emptied into clean water thereafter. And the consultant shows me the result:

I get 20 minutes of masking time in the dark, before my face is cleansed with the device once again. I actually took this picture myself, as I realized I could still see under those cotton pads, and my handphone was right next to me.

At the end of the day, I like that my face feels clean, there are no nasty red bumps from extraction (because it didn’t happen), and the result lasts for 2 to 3 days.

After the facial, there was a cup of tea and some biscuits awaiting me. I liked that there was no hard-selling involved. And I had even misheard and misunderstood what the consultant said to me. She mentioned that the 10-session package would cost 3-8-8. I thought she’d purposely dropped the final ‘0’ as most of us speaking in Mandarin will sometimes do, when the figures are ‘large’. And obviously, anything that costs a couple thousand dollars would require some mulling over back at home, so I left. Turns out it’s actually $388 for 10 express facials.

Renaza has two outlets: Palais Renaissance #03-10 and Marina Bay Link Mall #B2-23.

If you’d like to experience a trial of their Vita Aqua Glow Express Facial too, simply fill out the contact form below:

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*not a sponsored post*

I’m completely floored. I have no words. So let me take a minute…

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So my pal sprang the ultimate surprise on me today. Come to think of it, he deserves an award. I had no idea he’d gotten these Hello Kitty tumblers for me. I didn’t even know these tumblers existed – I’m blaming the non-existent promotion online. I’m on Facebook every single day and I didn’t even see any news about this. Whuuuuttttt?! What’s even more touching is that he went to various theatres in order to collect them all. (There are 4 designs!) *sniff sniff*

In any case, if you’re as clueless a Kitty fan as I am, these tumblers are sold at Golden Village cinemas in Singapore. I found this tiny little ad on their website:

Eternally grateful. I don’t eat popcorn so if I had to get 4 combos in order to collect all 4 designs, I’d gag. The smell of popcorn makes me nauseous – I can’t even sit next to someone eating popcorn. So yay! Now I have them all without the popcorn!

Each Kitty bow comes in a different color too. I’d initially thought there were two similar pink ones. Then on closer inspection, I realized one is more of a Barbie kind of pink, and the other is a “millennial pink”(?)

What an amazing day! I’ve got Jenny Bakery cookies handcarried from Hong Kong by Steven & Mel, and the loveliest Kitty tumblers from Samy. #ilovemypals

So we FINALLY popped by the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival for the first time. It’s been going on for months and the very attractive prizes available when the Carnival first began have already run out. I was prepared to spend S$20 today at the games booths, but it was drizzling when we popped by at about 4pm, so we simply took a quick look around the place, grabbed some freebies, and left. Even though it was chilly, we enjoyed the free popsicles (I liked the Mango flavored one, and found the Wild Berries way too sour).

To get the popsicles, you simply have to locate the postbox, pen your wishes onto some postcards to mail out to friends and family, and drop them into the box after attaching stamps. (*The postcards and stamps are provided by Prudential) Thanks, Pru!

Then go claim your free popsicles.

~

I didn’t find many of the prizes at the games booths attractive. He, however, liked the donut-shaped Minion ones.

Him: “See anything you like?”

Me: “Nope.”

Him: “The Minions? Round ones nice mah!”

Me: “HUH?! Useful if you get piles in future? :D”

People wasted no time in getting onto the rides the minute the drizzle stopped:

Lots of instagrammable spots. And lots of puddles / ponding too…

Like I said… lots of instagrammable spots…

~

I’d certainly not wait too long to visit the next time round. Hopefully, the Carnival will happen again next year.

I love the idea of reconnecting with loved ones, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it comes with a free sweet treat too! If you haven’t already visited the Carnival, do go. There are lots of F&B stalls as well. I didn’t take pictures of those as most of them were not ready for business when we popped by at 4pm.

We didn’t know that the swimming complex at Pasir Ris is closed on Wednesdays, so when we went by yesterday with our gear, we couldn’t go for a swim so we went fishing at D’Best instead. I’ve blogged about the skill fishing at Pasir Ris before, and little did we know that each trip here would teach us something new. We got to watch one of the ‘regulars’ (who’s probably in his forties or fifties) catch just about every fish in the pond. In the picture you see above, the fish in the net PLUS those in the red pail were his haul yesterday. Apparently, he’s part of (what I’d call) an uncle co-operative.

This group of uncles is made up of ‘pro’ skill-fishers. And whoever’s especially lucky that day will do the fishing. They split the cost evenly and also share the final haul. For example, 3 of them might split the $45 cost, with each person paying $15. And assuming there are 30 fish, each takes home 10 fish. So each fish would cost just $1.50! (@_@) Smart, aren’t they? They caught so many fish yesterday that I saw them give some to the park’s cleaning attendants!

As we found out yesterday, deciding to fish after the uncle group had left was not a wise decision at all. The operator, having watched fish after fish get caught, decided he would not release more fish into the pond. I could only see one pomfret swimming round the pond, and some snapper hiding in a shaded spot.

We caught 2 of the snappers. Here’s the slightly larger one we cooked for dinner:

Things we learnt from the experience:

1. If you can’t see any fish in the pond, it’s probably safe to say that there aren’t any / many. The uncle co-operative might already have descended upon the place and taken the best of the lot. They seem to come by every single day, take note of how many fish get released into the pond each time, and are obviously very skilled at fishing.
2. If the water surface looks very dirty, it’s likely the fish won’t be feeling too well, and won’t want to bite either.
3. If it’s been raining yesterday, it’s probably good to pop by today.
4. Fishing under this wooden lookout point is possible too (pictured below). I caught my snapper there. As the fish are resting / hiding underneath it, make as much noise as possible when dropping your bait into the water, so the fish will be curious enough to come have a look.
5. Using live prawns as bait is best (D’Best sells them at $5 for 100g). We tried using prawns purchased from the supermarket; they didn’t work as well.

When we started fishing after the uncle group had gone, I commented that we’d be lucky if we caught two fish. And we did.

We had lunch at the Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre a couple more times after the first visit and made some interesting discoveries. For one, there’s a Fareground on level 2 (more details at the end of this post) where there are food stalls you won’t expect at a regular hawker centre in Singapore! Also, we noticed there’s a marked difference in terms of customer service based on the two stalls we bought food from at the first level.

Let’s talk about level 1 first. The Indian rojak pricing is rather arbitrary. You probably won’t pay the price that’s stated on the menu. The dude can say that today’s potatoes are slightly bigger (and you’ll be wondering “REALLY?!”) and you have to pay extra. But you can’t do much about it as you’ve already made your selection and handed the plate over to him to cut up the ingredients. Unless you’re prepared to walk away without the food and without making payment, you’ll have to give him the amount he’s requesting for.

Also, I really don’t like prata that’s been pre-cooked and left to ‘sit’ in a corner for a while. If it’s not hot and crispy when served to me, I take one bite and decide that I won’t be back for more. Period.

~

Meanwhile, the couple manning the porridge stall were absolutely fabulous. I ordered the Meatball Congee ($2.80) and a thai-style tofu ($3). The couple’s really good at asking customers if they want add-ons like an egg, you tiao, or even veggies. The lady told me the spinach was really fresh as it’d arrived that morning and even listed some health benefits.

She was even adamant about “dressing up” the tofu nicely with spring onions, fried shallots and all before it’d be allowed to leave her stall. And she’d also wish you (in Mandarin) an enjoyable meal. It was truly a pleasant experience getting food from her stall.

~

During our first visit to this hawker centre previously, we didn’t even notice that there’s an upper level. This time, we took the lift to level 2 and found the ‘Fareground’, which definitely caters to a younger crowd.

There are at least 2 stalls selling Thai food, bingsu, burgers, Ma La Hotpot, korean food, ice cream, Western food, Poke bowls, kebabs, and even a ‘Cajun On Wheels’ stall where you can get seafood buckets.

During our 3rd visit to the hawker centre, we had fish & chips and beef boat noodles from one of the Thai food stalls.

The beef boat noodles ($5) are really good. The beef slices are tender and not overcooked. Noodles are springy. And the broth is tasty, with the spiciness kicking in after each mouthful. According to him, it’s well worth the 5 bucks. I agree.

The fish & chips ($6.20) were delightful. I wasn’t a big fan of the chicken chop and the (cold) mashed potato. But the fish was crispy on the outside, and juicy within.

I would order this again.

Amy Chua, author of ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’, calls Tara Westover “one of the most gifted writers that I’ve read in a very long time”. But, make no mistake, this book ‘educated’ is Tara’s memoir (not a novel) which will leave you wondering how the events listed in it can be true when they seem so impossible. How can a girl born in a Mormon family, with no access to education (and without even a birth certificate!), raised to help out in her father’s junkyard and supposed to marry and bear children without so much as ever stepping foot into a school, eventually end up going to Cambridge and Harvard, and getting a PhD?

I didn’t find a single picture of Tara in this book, not on the covers, nor within the pages. So I went ahead and Googled her. And oh, I also found out we’re both born in the same year. (>_<) 

Tara’s life seems more exciting than anything ever seen in Hollywood movies. Her father seems most pious and preoccupied with the End of Days (even burying a thousand gallons of fuel as preparation). Thanks to him, the family also gets into a series of horrific accidents. The first left Tara’s mother with ‘Raccoon Eyes’, which signaled serious brain injury. Yet they did not send her to the hospital because the family did not trust doctors and hospitals, believing that God would heal them instead. Working for her father, Tara herself got injured when a spike of iron pierced through her leg, followed by a fall of about seventeen feet.

Besides a chain of accidents, Tara also had to deal with a possibly mentally ill brother, “Shawn”, who would stick her head into the toilet bowl, twist her arm (till he broke her wrist one day), strangle her, then eventually apologize for whatever he’d done. For some strange reason, Shawn had multiple head injuries from various accidents, but none managed to kill him. It was only much later that Tara realized her sister, “Audrey”, had also suffered in Shawn’s hands. This crazy guy even killed his dog Diego, a German Shepherd, with a small blade instead of a bullet to the head or heart. The poor dog likely died a slow and very painful death.

Another brother, Luke, had his arm “gashed” because of the machine their father brought back and insisted his children work with. Later on, Luke became blind in his left eye after he had been shot in the face with a paintball gun.

And to be fair, apart from causing his family members to suffer injuries, the father also got involved in a horrific accident: an explosion that devastated the lower half of his face and left a hand looking something like a deformed claw.

To me, the family does sometimes seem like hillbillies, the deranged sort we see in horror movies. Yet Tara has her brother, Tyler, whom she dedicates this book to, who helped set her on the path to getting her education.

And it was by no means easy, getting to become Dr Westover. She developed stomach ulcers. And because she was financially strapped, she got a job as a janitor, and even tried to sell her blood for money. Because of what had happened at home, she went on to have a mental breakdown, sleepwalked and often awoke at night standing in the middle of streets, and she also had panic attacks.

What a life! And she’s only in her 30s. Read this book if you want to know how she got to where she is today, and find out what happened to those family members too!

~

“In retrospect, I see that this was my education, the one that would matter: the hours I spent sitting at a borrowed desk, struggling to parse narrow strands of Mormon doctrine in mimicry of a brother who’d deserted me. The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.” – Tara Westover

Once again, my pals have surprised me with a super-cute Hello Kitty gift that I did not know existed. The Hello Kitty x Tokyo Banana World omiyage is truly adorable. What better gift for a Kitty fan who also loves Tokyo Banana? Yes, I know, the Japanese probably don’t even eat Tokyo Banana confections, just like we do not eat the ‘Merlion chocolates’ sold here. But these are too adorable! I’d totally buy some myself the next time I visit Japan.

It’s an egg-shaped sponge cake that has a layer of ‘milk cream’ within, that’s enveloping the apple jam. And, of course, there’s Hello Kitty print on the sponge as you can tell. Taste-wise, it’s not overly sweet (which is good).

This item is sold in boxes of either 4 pieces, or 8. You can find more information about it at the official website here.

~

Lots of thanks to Carolyn, Steven + Melinda! This Kitty fan is very, very happy!

This might be the first time I’m reading a book from the publisher Black Card Books. Since the founder of the company is Gerry Robert, the guy who wrote ‘Publish a Book & Grow Rich’, among many other titles, I’m curious about how the publisher will be helping to promote this new author, Vincent Yong, and help him “get rich” from writing this book. I’m keeping my eyes peeled. Anyway, if you’d like to get a copy of this book, ‘Flow: The Art of Creating AbunDance’, details and a special price may be found at the end of this blogpost.

According to what I’ve read, Vincent is the first person in Singapore to become a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) and Registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (RSME&T). He uses “dance and movement for learning, growing and healing purposes”. Before reading this book, I didn’t even know what “somatic” meant! And when reading the book, it became clear to me that some of the content is what you might get from undergoing life coaching. There are even visualization exercises, which do also mean that the book is likely not a substitute for attending classes.

In short, this is a book for people who are willing to dig deep.

At first, I was struck by the author’s love for alliteration, and the number of photos (of the author at about the same age, it seems). I counted 23 pictures of him in this book with just 137 pages. Interesting contrast with another book that I’ve just read and reviewed, ‘educated‘, which had no photos of the author. If you’re one of Vincent’s students, or a huge fan, you’ll certainly cherish this book!

Vincent was born with a congenital heart condition so it’s pretty amazing that he has become such an accomplished dancer. And in the book, he also shares some background about his family, such as the time when he was 11 years old and his parents got a divorce. He also lost his mother to cancer before he turned 30.

Here are a couple of gems from the book, which resonate with me:

“When you are able to give freely, you will begin to experience abundance and be able to re-source freely.”

“Focus on what you want, not what others want of you.”

And when you’re feeling “stuck”, MOVE.

The book also mentions the types of flow, and that when you direct the flow in your life, you command the abundance you get.

I guess there’s only one thing in this book that I disagree with: “People who have a purpose never seem to sleep a lot.” To me, sleep is paramount. If you’re one of those people who sleep 4 hours a night, then guzzle caffeine throughout the day to keep you awake, I’m not impressed. For me, the minimum is 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Or else I get cranky and I can’t function well during the day. (If you’ve read Arianna Huffington‘s ‘The Sleep Revolution’, you’ll know what I mean) Also… I don’t drink coffee.

And here’s one nugget from the book, which I absolutely love:

“Practise until you cannot get it wrong. It is not enough to just get it right.”

~ Questions for Vincent ~

1) Who is this book for?

– People who feel blocked or stuck in life.
– People who need hope and inspiration.
– People looking for change and need guidance and direction.

2) What does this book aim to do?

Give guidance but allow readers to get in touch with themselves. Wisdom is within us and just needs a key to be unlocked. Flow unlocks that.

I share, through personal stories, why things work or not and what are we really looking at.

Most importantly, the deep and profound re-connection to our bodies and hearts, without which things will never be aligned or work right ‘cos we ain’t gonna be happy.

3) How to purchase this book?

Send an email to flowcreatesabundance@gmail.com. 34 USD is the retail price but SG citizens pay 34 SGD. Giving a bit of love here. Visit danspire.com for more infomation about Vincent Yong, the author.

We popped by Paradigm Mall this week, to find out if new stores have opened since our last visit. Yes, Daiso is finally open! And there are a couple of other stores I really like too. For one, there’s this particular “Sandwich Bar” that’s been drawing the crowds, no doubt due to pictures (and video clips) of the handsome Jay Chou. Besides the celebrity draw factor, the food is actually pretty good!

I ordered the “Tuna Mayo Sandwich” (RM7.90) which is actually a very thin, very crispy ‘prata’ enveloping the ‘tuna mayo’, egg and lettuce. It’s delicious! And just opposite this stall is Gong Cha, and once again I bought the Earl Grey Milk tea with white pearls and ai-yu jelly (a large cup of this costs just RM11).

Here’s the menu for LIANG Sandwich Bar:

We didn’t order the beverages here (‘cos… obviously, there’s Gong Cha) but I think prices are SO reasonable. I’ll definitely try one of their beverages in future. And possibly a couple of the add-ons for the sandwich as well!

And if you think cheese teas are weird, try popcorn Gong Cha. Seriously… I don’t know what to say. This blows my mind (and also ‘cos I hate popcorn)…

We had lunch at Nyonya Leaf, which has so many outlets in JB that you’ll likely have spotted at least one at some mall you’ve been to. I found the Penang Asam Laksa not spicy and not sour enough (it’s just kind of boring). Meanwhile, the Nasi Lemak Pandan Rendang Chicken did not impress despite the name. The sea coconut dessert was refreshing though the portion size was a little small; most of it’s just ice shavings. Total bill: RM32.10.

And *ahem* there’s one store we bought a lot of items at, mainly because everything gardening-related is so cheap inexpensive. The same packet of vegetable seeds may be retailing at S$4 here, but it’s RM4 there. That store’s HomePro. If you’re furnishing a new home, it’s one place you should drop by first.

Look at these mosaic tiles. What a “SHOCK DEAL” indeed.

S$1.30 for a SEVEN-litre pack.

Such cute lighting too:

I suspect we’ll be back again very soon. I need more of those prata-like “sandwich” things from LIANG and more Gong Cha without popcorn, please!

Picture Credit: Steven Teo (The Perfect Father) and Louie Teo

Serangoon NEX is one ‘happening’ mall. Whenever there’s a blockbuster movie, there’s likely a themed exhibition in NEX too. Right now, as fans get ready to catch the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ movie, there’s even more reason to pop by NEX: photo opportunities with your favorite superhero, games station with (really fancy) Nerf guns, movie screenings, merchandise and more!

I popped by really early today, as the crew were still setting up the place:

Of all the activities, I was drawn to the claw machines *hehe*

From a certain unnamed person, I learnt that in order to get a token for the claw machines, you need to spend a certain amount of money within the mall, which would qualify you to get a free Avengers: Infinity War umbrella (more details below) and you’ll get a token as well. *I’m guessing this is likely “while stocks lasts” as there aren’t that many capsules in the machine to begin with. Despite having some experience with playing claw machines, my first attempt here did not nab me one of the capsules. On the second try, I received a 150g pack of Green Tea Kit Kat Bites. There are small LEGO (?) toy sets, candy, and other items to be won. Go give it a try!

And don’t forget to snap a picture with your favorite character. There’s Black Panther too!

I didn’t get my hands on one of those very cool-looking Nerf guns as the guys were still busy setting up the games stall but I think kids will have lots of fun here. I’ve never seen these particular blasters before.

And right below is the very BIG umbrella I mentioned earlier. Spend a minimum of $200 or $350 (inclusive of Cold Storage or FairPrice Xtra receipts) to redeem it from now till 20 May. (Maximum of 3 combined same-day original receipts)

*Avengers: Infinity War Golf Umbrella*

Thereafter, from 24 May to 6 June, the collectible you can redeem is a 13cm Baby Groot plush, and from 7 June to 20 June, a 13cm Iron Man plush. Finally, from 21 June to 30 June, take home a 13cm Spiderman plush.

~

Movie Screenings @ NEX ATRIUM LEVEL 1, 7pm

1. Iron Man 3 on 21 April
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 on 22 April
3. Captain America: Civil War on 28 April
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 on 29 April

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There’s also an Avengers: Infinity War Fantastic Draw (from now till 30 June 2018). Every $50 spent at NEX gives you a chance to win an 8D6N holiday to New York for four people. The prize is worth over $15,000! There’s also $2,000 worth of NEX vouchers to be won in a lucky draw (5 winners)! I’m not sure about you, but I’m certainly going to be swinging by NEX pretty often. Good thing it’s located near to home.

We watched the movie ‘I Feel Pretty’ yesterday evening, and it was all my idea, obviously. He walked into the cinema, checked the list of movie screenings, asked me if the movie I’d got us tickets to was this one and he said “Aiyoh!” and that it’s a movie for females to watch. (>_<) And he’s right. Grab your mothers, sisters, aunts, girl pals, etc, and go catch this movie! I watched the trailer a couple weeks’ back and was hooked.

In short, Amy Schumer stars as Renee, your usual pleasantly plump (see how I avoid saying ‘fat’?) OL. She goes for a spin class, falls off the stationary bike, hits her head, and wakes up thinking she is absolutely gorgeous. Her confidence levels are through the roof. (If we can bottle it all, and sell it, we’ll make a gazillion bucks!) Then, as luck would have it, she hits her head again with another fall and it’s back to square one. So what happens then? Watch the movie and find out.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of how you can “Change everything without changing anything”. Beauty is no longer tied to waistlines with a measuring tape. It doesn’t depend on how sharp your jawline is, how big your boobs are, how toned your legs look. It is an attitude.

~

This is a movie every woman needs to watch. Actually, the guys might probably enjoy it too. There’s that (fake) bed scene. AND that bikini contest. There’s lots of humor. And also lots of truth. He rated the movie a 7/10, but I’ll give it an 8.5 mainly because of that really motivational / inspiration bit towards the end when Renee gives a speech on stage.