/
6
My Dedication to Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise. Yoga has been my main (read: only) form of exercise for the past 4 years. It trains you mentally, physically and emotionally. In these 4 years, I have definitely come a long way in terms of flexibility, strength and endurance. My favourite class has to be Hatha Multilevel taught by Instructor, Yogi at Ocean Towers' True Yoga.
To those of you who think yoga is too slow for you, think again! I just went to Bikram Yoga the other day. Bikram is a series of postures performed in a room heated to 37 degrees (think: sauna) for a period of 90 mins and is taught military-style by a instructor.
Gosh I was sweating like nobody's business. The sweat just kept dripping off my nose and into my eyes! It was like a super shiok feeling and you feel really good about yourself after that. It is during the exercise that is killing! As if the heat is not bad enough, you're doing things that even under normal temperatures would make you sweat. Of course, there's the funky smelling people you occasionally are stuck as neighbours. :/
The instructor and a few other more-confident (read: fit) men in the class would tend to be dressed in swimming-truck-lookalike-pants. Erm. Only wearing that.
At my first visit, I had a pleasant surprise. Haha!! Surprise because when I spoke with the instructor prior to going into the class, he was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts...!! It was after the class started that then... woah............LOL. Pleasant becuase the male instructor is quite cute and he did have a good body. My second class wasn't that good becuase, well, it was a caucasian with a lot of body hair. :(
It was shiok I tell you - the way my body felt after the class. But I think I would only go once a while. Bikram is too tiring!! Hahaha
Vinyasa is another form of yoga that makes me perspire in buckets as well. This is performed in an air-conditioned room, so just imagine how tough it is if it makes me drip droplets of sweat in the middle of my chest and down my forehead.
Getting into a pose and holding it is no small feat. And I just love the challenge of doing just that. Never mind the quivering of the muscles. Never mind the sweat rolling down and making it extremely uncomfortable. Never even mind my stupid hair which sticks to my body in the most irritating way. I could go on and on forever! (Well, not literally, but you get the idea!)
But above all, what keeps me going on everyday in my pursuit of better flexibility and increased strength is the little milestones I set for myself.
There are just too many poses and each with varying degrees of difficulty. I can only select those that I like and push myself to achieve it. Slowly. But surely. And besides, Yoga, like any other exercise, is a lifetime commitment. I have a lifetime to conquer it all. :D
Have a great weekend ahead people!!
/
4
Fruit Galette (Tart/Pie)
Galette is French for a flat, round cake. It may also refer to several savory and sweet tarts, and even a small shortbread cookie.
So what we have here is a Mixed Fruit Galette. It was a lovely Saturday and I was happy to be home and alone and have ALL the time to do whatever I wanted so I decided to bake!
Here's the recipe I found online and modified it to be easy and simple to follow:
Ingredients:
Basic Pastry:
175g all-purpose plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
113g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons ice water
Fruit Filling:
8-9 similar sized strawberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
113g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons ice water
Fruit Filling:
8-9 similar sized strawberries
15 small grapes
1 kiwi
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
Method:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the cold butter (must be cold) into small cubes and use a fork to press the butter together with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add the ice water and mix until the mixture comes together to form a dough. I then used the dough to form the base of the Galette based on a aluminium disposable "pie pan" and store in freezer to keep it cool while preparing the fruits.
3. Wash and cut the fruits into thick slices (halve the strawberries, thickly slice the kiwi, and the grapes should be fine without cutting). Toss the fruits with the sugar and cornstarch.
4. Go crazy. Be creative. Pile the fruits in any manner you like. Fold the pastry edges up. Brush the dough with egg white. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 200degC for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden browned.
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
Method:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the cold butter (must be cold) into small cubes and use a fork to press the butter together with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add the ice water and mix until the mixture comes together to form a dough. I then used the dough to form the base of the Galette based on a aluminium disposable "pie pan" and store in freezer to keep it cool while preparing the fruits.
3. Wash and cut the fruits into thick slices (halve the strawberries, thickly slice the kiwi, and the grapes should be fine without cutting). Toss the fruits with the sugar and cornstarch.
4. Go crazy. Be creative. Pile the fruits in any manner you like. Fold the pastry edges up. Brush the dough with egg white. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 200degC for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden browned.
Let's take a look at how it looked like before it went into the oven:
I thought it looked kinda weird so what I did was to round up the edges. And in it went into the oven!
25-30 mins later:
Bon appetit~
/
0
The Possibilities Are Tremendous
As I looked out the window of my plane seat, I saw a magnificently different world outside.
A view that screams of so much opportunities, and wonders just lurking in the horizons.
And then I thought of someone, and I know, everything will be alright. Because you're you and I'm me, it all feels right.
/
2
Shaw Theatres premiere
Thanks to an invitation from omy.sg, Angeline and I went for a special screening of Rabbit Hole earlier this week at Shaw Nex (Serangoon).
The thing is, what's so special about this screening, is that the cinema, looks like THIS:
Deluxe leather seats | Dine-in services | RealD 3D digital technology | Exclusive hall of 48 seaters
Each deluxe leather seat can be reclined and comes with an extra legroom compared to those found in regular cinema halls, and are spaced in pairs to cater for additional privacy.
The selection of Western-Continental delicacies on the menu are designed by an in-house chef and freshly prepared in a dedicated kitchen - yes we're still talking about the cinema!!
premiere Signatures - Lemongrass Beef Tenderloin.jpg
And I really liked the extra touch of providing freshly laundered blankets! I always forget a shawl/jacket for movies!
Shaw Theatres premiere also has a lounge area that patrons can hang out before the movie, have dinner, some drinks... perfect for that first date ya!
This is TRULY a very luxurious movie experience with premiere !
Chilling out at the exclusive lounge before the screening, drinking wines with excellent food and service and those big reclinable leather seats.... how nice! Check it out with your other half soon!
Visit SHAW for more information
/
9
How do women in their late twenties find love?
Just a question.
Busy executives. Driven. Ambitious. Career-minded. Opinionated.
How do these women in Singapore find a partner?
At 19, you were the youngest at the workplace. Women in their late 20's think maybe you should be up to some mischief instead of working. Men in their late 20's think you're a sweet young thing. You want to maybe look and be 24-25yrs and want to look a little more mature.
And then the years fly by. Suddenly you wake up and realise you're holy macaroons! already 27 years old! Now what? The men around you (colleagues likely, since we're talking about career-minded women here) are now either married, or too young. Those your age still make jokes that are not funny.
Erm, so you meet the random guy at the bar? How often men who make the first moves in a dimly lit bar are reliable?
I mean, how do they even decide you're someone they want to talk to?
You dance with confidence thus, you're easy? You laugh a lot, so you'll likely laugh at his jokes? You dress sexy, so he wants to see more of that fantastic cleavage? You're alone so, hey, pick you up better than that really hot girl at the other end of the room?
I say, loser, take a hike.
So what on earth do these self respecting women who are looking for life-long partners do? Someone who likes her for her character, for her wit, for her opinions, for everything that she is and isn't.
Ah now, this sounds like what I possibly can only find in a fairytale.
Of course, we don't rule out the exceptionals and fate that sometimes steps in.
Do we look among guys in the gym or oh god forbid, your neighbour? Gosh I don't know.
Busy executives. Driven. Ambitious. Career-minded. Opinionated.
How do these women in Singapore find a partner?
At 19, you were the youngest at the workplace. Women in their late 20's think maybe you should be up to some mischief instead of working. Men in their late 20's think you're a sweet young thing. You want to maybe look and be 24-25yrs and want to look a little more mature.
And then the years fly by. Suddenly you wake up and realise you're holy macaroons! already 27 years old! Now what? The men around you (colleagues likely, since we're talking about career-minded women here) are now either married, or too young. Those your age still make jokes that are not funny.
Erm, so you meet the random guy at the bar? How often men who make the first moves in a dimly lit bar are reliable?
I mean, how do they even decide you're someone they want to talk to?
You dance with confidence thus, you're easy? You laugh a lot, so you'll likely laugh at his jokes? You dress sexy, so he wants to see more of that fantastic cleavage? You're alone so, hey, pick you up better than that really hot girl at the other end of the room?
I say, loser, take a hike.
So what on earth do these self respecting women who are looking for life-long partners do? Someone who likes her for her character, for her wit, for her opinions, for everything that she is and isn't.
Ah now, this sounds like what I possibly can only find in a fairytale.
Of course, we don't rule out the exceptionals and fate that sometimes steps in.
Do we look among guys in the gym or oh god forbid, your neighbour? Gosh I don't know.
Mom if you are reading this, I'm destined to be your daughter forevermore if I cannot find Mr Right within 3 years!
P.s.: Let's see, maybe I go join a dating website?! That'll be cool wouldn't it? I'm sure there'll be loads of fun! Plus I'll blog about it!
/
0
Things to do in Bali: Mount Batur [Part2]
So I covered Part1 of my adventure on Mount Batur, Bali in another post already but hey, while the pitstop of one's life journey is important, let's not forget the siginificance of what it took to get to the pitstop. So here, this post, I'll be posting pictures of how the ascend to Mount Batur looked like. Interested travellers who want to come this same way, I hope you find this photo log useful.
Remember, bring a windbreaker! Cos it is cold up there! And there are no concrete toilets up there. Only the great big wilderness and monkeys are audiences. Not shitting you. You don't have to train up prior to this climb... it's just like 3 hours of workout on the stairmaster but a helluva lot more interesting.
Now, let the photos, begin!
Ok here's a quick shot of the crater before we descend.
Yup, if you slip, you can actually fall off the "cliff-looking" edge. :/
On the way down. It was quite steep. Check out the person in a red jacket just ahead.
Stopped in the midst of my descend to appreciate the fresh air and the view.
Still another picture to show how steep and "cliff-like" it was.
This part was the dangerous part where if you step on a slippery pile of volcanic stones/ash, then byebye!
On one of our many breaks! Still happy! Hahaha
/
4
Things to do in Bali: Mount Batur [Part1]
This is an amazing experience everyone should try at least once! It's not easy but when you make it to top, it's liberating. The picture above, is taken when we were already at the very very peak!
We were picked up at 1.45am from our hotel lobby and ferried to the base of Mount Batur in under 2 hours. It was pitch black!
The climb started easy at about 3am. Easy because it was mostly walking on flatland on volcanic ashes.
I was saying how bad it was of us to get Opin, the tour operator, to help us carry the 1.5L bottle of water and my friend said, "I can't even protect myself and I have to care for another bottle?!" So that got us laughing which also meant that the trek at beginning was really easy.
To get us 3 up there, we had a grand entourage of 3 men! Which actually, on hindsight, should have been scary.
Mom, stop freaking out if you're reading this. I have not even mentioned about the group of men at the base of the mountain!! Ok ok now you can freak out.
So there was Opin, whom we booked this tour with. He was really sweet. He came along with us for a workout and also because we're girls.
And there was the liscensed mountain guide, and the guy selling drinks.
A picture of me and *omg I forgot his name* aka the mountain guide. He warmed up to chit chat during the later part of the trip when we were going down. He is 38 with 3 kids and eldest being a 17 yr old! Lucky man! And he gave me these eyes that were so sympathetic when he heard about my previous relationship. LOL. So cute.
Ok end of digression.
So, the climb took us 2.5 hours. As we got nearer to the top, things got more difficult. The trekking got steeper and more slippery (due to the presence of small volcanic rocks). The mountain guide helped Wei Shan a lot and the drinks man helped Angeline alot. So they were all really very nice. Opin was just happily playing music on his phone and making stupid jokes/enjoying the climb. LOL
We stopped for breaks more too the higher we got. From breaking every 30 mins to 15 to 5 mins. I will be posting more pictures on how the journey is in another post because there are really just too many photos! :P
Anyway, let's speed bullet forward 3 hours and chang-chang! We are at the top already. The air was REALLY fresh and it felt so good. I got loads of oxygen and it was just, very refreshing. I wasn't tired or sleepy. Just felt very energetic and charged you know.
Who wouldn't be as happy as me to finally reach the top and gaze back on the path I conquered?
This is such a nice photo of Wei Shan that I had to post it. The guy behind is currently working in HK (I think) and he chatted Shan up a bit. Seemed like a nice guy.
At the top with Wei Shan! I think I look odd in this photo. But regardless, it's the best I have of me at the top. So there. Don't judge.
And this photo of us three. Precious. :) Nvm that I look super ugly here. But, hey, 2 hours sleep the night before, 3 hours of climbing, and at 8am in the morning, one can hardly look their best. :P
/
0
Love More 愛戀膜法
Love More is one of the Best Selling Mask Brands in Taiwan with ingredients from Japan, Australia, Brazil, France, Swiss & Scotland. This brand is endorsed by celebrities like Tiffany Hsu (Taiwan) and Kary Wu (Hong Kong).
Extract of Kary’s raving:
“I finally finished my work, and the first thing that I do when I reached home is to pamper my skin! I want to recommend "LOVE MORE MASK" which I use daily to everyone! Other than pampering my face, I think it is important to take good care of my neck too! This 3D mask fits perfectly to my face, and the ear-hooks wraps my face and neck~ you will turn beautiful and fair with just 20 minutes a day! To babes who want to become prettier, let us enjoy "LOVE MORE MASK's" Magic!!”
I was given 3 of these ultra cute masks to try out:
- Japan Electric Ore Peptide Firming Duo Lifting Mask (with ear-hooks)
- Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask
- Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask
I say ultra cute cos each individual packaging are little envelopes!! So much effort went into the design! Almost too cute to use! :P
Let's check out the Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask (Blue) & Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask (Yellow)!
Australia Agar-agar Lifting Mask (Blue)
About it: Are you unable to improve your skin’s elasticity and end up having pimple instead? Now, you do not need to worry anymore that the antioxidant essence is always higher than the hydrating essence in your mask. The Australia agar-agar lifting mask is specially formulated for the 25 to 30 year olds using sea bird nest from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and other skin lifting ingredients to give you radiant skin just like an 18 year old!
My Review: Mildly fragrance'd and soaked with moisture, this mask is extremely refreshing and soothing! I put it on for like 15 mins and then moved it to my neck to maximise the nutrients. I like how firm and matt my face feels after that. The size of the mask is pretty ok. covers the edges of my face but it's a little short for my nose. Other than that, this is a good buy.
Japanese Pearls Firming & Whitening Mask (Yellow)
About it: Combining 3D mask and using the latest small molecules technology, the pearls from Japan, Isecity, and white gold penetrate deeply into your skin and firms, smoothens and brightens your skin instantly. The condition of your skin improves drastically becoming smooth, firm and bright!
My Review: Love the pretty designs of the packaging.. same with the previous mask too. I wasn't getting regular sleep for the past many days and my skin was looking rather dull. I decided to be a good girl and pamper my skin with this mask. True to it's promise, I find my skin brighter after using the mask. I shall be using more of this as a quick fix to my horrid sleeping patterns! :)
If you like, you can REDEEM A SAMPLE HERE.
All Love More Masks are available exclusively in Watsons: 3D Mask 5 pcs @ $8.90 Mask 5pcs @ $7.90
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Ads
Contact Me
For enquiries, please email me at ng.juann@gmail.com :)
Or click on any of the buttons below!
Or click on any of the buttons below!
Twitpic Updates
Tweet with Me
Ask me anything!
Labels
- Thoughts and Musings (79)
- Things I Do (74)
- Travels (70)
- Interesting Stuff (56)
- Food (53)
- Food Reviews (32)
- Life (32)
- Friends (28)
- Living in Singapore (28)
- Beauty Reviews (27)
- Sponsored (25)
- Singapore (22)
- Discovering Myself (20)
- Family (18)
- Home and Renovation (18)
- Contests (17)
- Events (17)
- Reviews (17)
- Work (17)
- China (16)
- Europe (16)
- Vietnam (14)
- Beauty (12)
- Gadgets / Geek Speak (12)
- London (12)
- Movie Reviews (12)
- Understanding Relationships (11)
- Pets (9)
- Recipes (9)
- Italy (8)
- Malaysia (8)
- iPhone App Reviews (7)
- KL (6)
- Baking (5)
- Bali (5)
- Health and Diet (5)
- Thailand (5)
- Desserts (4)
- Blog Milestones (3)
- Diving (3)
- Fashion (3)
- Photoshop Tricks (3)
- Bangkok (2)
- France (2)
- Ipoh (2)
- Paris (2)
- Guest Writer (1)
- Phuket (1)
Blog Archive
-
►
2010
(96)
-
►
December
(13)
- My 2010
- Pasta and Meatballs Recipe
- Create your OWN app with Nokia OVI App Wizard
- VIRUSES that THREATEN the existence of Our Digital...
- Dress Me facial mask
- Rojukiss Protox 3 Wrinkle Solution
- Paintball at PHUKET, Thailand
- HPB Diet Tracker iPhone App
- Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel and Ginvera Green Tea...
- Swensen's Ice Cream and Dessert Buffet at ION Orch...
- Confirm Trading's on Facebook!
- My Top Ten iPhone Apps
- DKNY: 5 Strangers. 1 Hotel. Too many secrets. Room...
-
►
December
(13)
Links to Other Blogs
Followers