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Wednesday, January 31, 2007


The Last Competitive Football Match
to be played @ the National Stadium.


Singapore Vs Thailand


Wed, 31st Jan
8 PM.
Tickets selling out Fast.


I'm Going.
How about You?


Monday, January 29, 2007


In our pathetically stressful hectic existence,
We should try to sleep more.
A lot more.
(No, I dun mean a 12-hour coma during the weekends)

If it’s impossible to do so,
Please take every opportunity to take naps once in a while.
Here’s 5 reasons to take naps

1. Increased Alertness And Productivity

The mid-afternoon dip in alertness and intellectual ability occurs, because “It seems Nature definitely intended that adults should nap in the middle of the day, perhaps to get out of the midday sun,” said William Dement, director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center at Stanford University.

David Dinges, a sleep researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, found that “If you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, an afternoon nap will improve your alertness and give you a feeling of more energy, so you can take on more tasks”.

2. Less Stress

Curling up in a sunny patch on the floor or even lying your head down on your desk for a quick snooze brings relaxation.

So find a quiet, comfortable spot and take a nap. Even a short power nap can leave you feeling refreshed, renewed, and more focused. Studies have shown that people who spent 30 minutes each day napping had one third less heart disease than those who didn’t nap.

3. Improved Memory And Learning

Naps aren’t just for the very young, old, and slothful. Daytime dozing may enhance a person’s capacity to learn certain tasks. That, at least, is the eye-opening implication of a new study in which college students were challenged to detect subtle changes in an image during four different test sessions on the same day.

Participants improved on the task throughout the first session, says psychologist Sara C. Mednick of Harvard University and her colleagues. The students’ speed and accuracy then leveled off during the second session. The scores of the participants who didn’t nap declined throughout the final two sessions. In contrast, volunteers who took a 30-minute nap after completing the second practice session showed no ensuing performance dips. What’s more, 1-hour nappers responded progressively faster and more accurately in the third and fourth sessions.

“Napping may protect brain circuits from overuse until those neurons can consolidate what’s been learned about a procedure,” says neuroscientist Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School, a coauthor of the new study.

4. Increased Coginitive Functioning

In a recent study, researchers at NASA showed that a thirty to forty-minute power nap increased cognitive faculties by approximately 40%! Tests carried out in one thousand volunteers proved that those who continued working without rest, made lower scores in
intelligence tests like the IQ test.

Also Dr. Sara Mednick (scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies) has found through MRIs of nappers that brain activity stays high throughout the day with a nap; without one, it declines as the day wears on.

5. Better Health

Napping in general benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair, says Dr. Sara Mednick who is at the forefront of napping research. A power nap, says Mednick, simply maximizes these benefits by getting the sleeper into and out of rejuvenative sleep as fast as possible.

Everyone, no matter how high-strung, has the capacity to nap. But the conditions need to be right.



Sleep Well!


Friday, January 26, 2007


SW0501,
has a strong affiliation with water.

Upon the completion of an event,
or to mark a special day.

We prefer to spark off the celebration,
with splashes,
or in some cases,
downpours.







I hope you enjoy,
while we go dry ourselves up.




Tuesday, January 23, 2007


It came as some kind of a shock,
rather,
it took us by surprise.

When great minds think alike,
while genius found eureka @ the same time,
where 2 people share identical taste

@ a time,
when out of the blue,
u spotted someone,
who is like a long lost brother of yours,

Coincidence?

Nah...
We juz wore the same thing without realising ...


Sunday, January 21, 2007


That’s one question,

Where the atmosphere needs to be right,
When things are almost certain.
Only at the right moment,

That could only be answered.
By a certain someone,

With a simple … …
Yes.


Friday, January 19, 2007


Sorry if you are a Smoker,
But i think this is one of the more creative signs out there to deter smokers!


Thursday, January 18, 2007


As promised, the pics from the 2E2 gathering.

Discussion 01 - what are we having??

Group Picture 01



3 guys deep in thought

Group Picture 02


Monday, January 15, 2007


I am thankful for how the past week has been.

The weather was kind on Wednesday,
With our SPT pet project,
The NYP Biathlon completed smoothly.

Hope that our grades will be kind to us as well.
With the successful completion of the event.

Attempted to mix some music,
For an aerobics performance next week.
Although it was an ‘Arrow’ from the top,
It’s still a task to be completed.

Being metrosexual here,
Showing off one’s hidden ‘feminine’ side,
But let’s forget about the idea of wearing tights.

Ankles are still holding on fine.
Hopefully can Tahan until after the performance.
Though I doubt I will go for any treatment.
Self-administrated massaging of the joints and ligaments,
Should do the job.
Not really keen to stop exercising.
No bandages can ever keep a nut like me down.

Ponder over my future education path.
Dropped by the Australia University Open House.
The remainder of this year should be spent looking at the many options that lie ahead.
And there’s every chance of heading Down Under for further academic studies,
Possibly employment opportunities to follow.
It’s time to explore beyond the shores of Singapore.

Not that I dislike the island city
Nor that I’m not up for the challenge of foreign talents influx,
Hell no that I’m disloyal to the country.

But going abroad,
Presents endless possibilities,
Having the chance to expose oneself to a variety of culture,
Living in a new environment,
Would give me an insight to how do the outside function as a society.
Adapting to a different world would be a whole new challenge altogether.

A lesser but still significant decision remains.
Nope,
Not the previous issue,
It’s something else.
Still deciding whether to play weekend soccer on a rainy Sunday.
On one end is the long-lost desire to play ball
At the opposite end is the dirty laundry to be cleaned at final whistle.

How??? Tell me.
Yet, a water-logged pitch made the decision for us.
Let’s hope next week we have better luck.

Will continue the post….
It’s incomplete as of now.


Thursday, January 11, 2007


As promised, here’s the Tips

1.You don't have to be rich to retire early. Such a sad fallacy. You simply have to reduce your expenses without really reducing your quality of life. Hence, if you can get along very well on say $1,000, you really don't have to be a millionaire.

2.To be totally retired can be boring and costly. So, it's best to have some work to do. If your work brings in say, $400 a month, you only need $600 from your savings or investments.

3.Decide which are the things you value most, and which give you the greatest pleasure. Go for what is most necessary to you and allocate money to these first, for example, a home, food, transport etc.

4.Be creative. If you are a sociable person, then share a home with someone. Or if you have your own place, rent out your rooms. If not, rent a room. Cook your own meals - that saves heaps.

5.Enjoyment. Very necessary. Otherwise what would life be? If you want to retire on very little, you probably wouldn't have much money here. Well, I decided to be radical. Sold off the TV. No more plays and theatre. But there are many cheap and enjoyable things to do. I've gone on $200 trips to Chiangmai, and $1,000 holidays to Australia. And a one-month trip to France and Spain for less than $2,500. Including delicious food, ballet performances, the Louvre (free first Sunday of the month), many other museums, the French Alps, Gaudi's Holy Family Church, Euro Disney, etc.

6.Cheap enjoyment? The credit card 1-for-1 offers are great.

7.It is also best to keep your careful ways to yourself. Most people don't seem to appreciate that you don't have to work while they do. They'd rather that you were mortgaged to the hilt. Don't let them know your careful ways or they'll use it against you.

8.So, look rich. But don't spend much. Do a bit of research. Take the Crystal Jade restaurants, for example. If you're just having dimsum, go to Crystal Jade Palace. The dimsum there costs about 15 per cent more than the dimsum at Crystal Jade Kitchen. But the service and ambience and general good feeling you get is more than worth it.

9.Oh yeah. a bit about cutting down. Clothes. Fifty years ago, people used clothes till they were worn. Nowadays, people seem to throw away brand new clothes. Well, I have items which are 15 years old. And people compliment me on them. Another thing, if you can do something yourself, then do so. I cut my own hair. So, I only go to the barber once or, at most, twice a year. But make sure doing it yourself doesn't cost you more in the long run, for example, buying all sorts of ingredients just to make a cake that can be bought more cheaply.

10.One more. Turn a hobby into a money maker. I happen to know Thai. And I enjoy teaching. I've been teaching Thai at various community centres - mainly for the fun of it.


My take.

I would probably follow certain tips given, so as to enjoy the maximum while spending much less. Point 9 is possibly the hardest, while Point 10 is what we all aim to achieve in our career.
However, i still dun quite get Point 7. The only understanding of it, is that people do often somehow expect you to want for yourself what they want for themselves.


Tuesday, January 09, 2007


Interesting Model For A Life

The article below is from AsiaOne. It is about Mr Melvyn Chew, someone who semi-retired at age 37. He is not fabulously rich - simply very clever at living very cheaply. I don't really admire his lifestyle, but I do admire his courage in daring to live a life so different. Also, being single definitely has cut down plenty on your living expenses.

The article:

You can enjoy retirement on $20 a day
By Narendra Aggarwal - Oct 20, 2006

Not many people are as lucky as Mr Melvyn Chew, who quit full-time work at age 37 to go into semi-retirement.He decided to drop out of the rat race to opt for an easier pace of life.

Trained as a lawyer, he worked as a legal assistant in a law firm here for just three years when he decided to move on to acting and teaching, which he has been doing on a part-time basis since."I started thinking about not having to work full-time since I was in my 20s," Mr Chew, now 42, tells AsiaOne in an interview.

Said the bachelor: "Many people don't want to go to work every morning because they do not enjoy what they are doing. Coming from an acting background, I have many friends who, like me, don't like the idea of being tied down to full-time work.I don't have a budget. I think I don't really have to work at all, if I keep expenses at this level. But it's fun to do so."You do not need a lot of savings to go into semi-retirement. But I made sure that I paid up my housing loan before I decided to take it easy.

You don't really need huge savings to retire. I think if you have $50,000 put away, semi-retirement is a workable option.''Being single helps as this frees him from the financial commitments which a married man would be saddled with. He gets by on less that $20 every day. Breakfast is at home, lunch costs about $2.50, and dinner, $3. Add another $3 for transport. "I really don't understand what people spend on - you do not need much money for your day-to-day expenses," he says.

He loves cooking, so he doesn't eat out as often. But once a week, he gives himself a treat and goes to "a nice place to enjoy the finer things in life,'' he confesses. And despite his modest means, he has been able to suss out cheap holidays to Chiangmai on $200, Australia for $1,000 and even toured France and Spain for less than $2,500.

As for getting around, he uses public transport. "I live in a small walk-up private apartment, the size of a three room HDB flat, in Novena. So it's very convenient taking the MRT.''His part-time jobs - teaching business law at Singapore Management University and Nanyang Polytechnic and some acting assignments - provide him enough to get by every month."My income is irregular. Some months it is in the hundreds, while in some other months I make a few thousand. I really don't keep track of the money. All I know is that I spend less than what I make.

''But he has to manage his tight budget carefully. "Budgeting to me is a game of some sort, while most people find it a chore and give it up after a while,'' says Mr Chew, but he declined to say how much of savings he has and how that money is invested.What about the future? And old age?"I do not worry too much about the future. I am a Christian and believe that God is looking after me''

(Interesting? Next blog entry will be on Mr Chew’s tips for semi-retirement)


Monday, January 08, 2007


Let's sample some Latin Pop music,
I give u - Para Tu Amor by Juanes..

(this is actually my 200th post, and i can't think of writing anything!!!)


Sunday, January 07, 2007


Had a nice gathering with Sec 2 classmates over the weekend,
(pics will be in once i receive them)

Makan @ Hong Kong Tea House (Katong area)
then desserts at Fresco (still Katong area)
- i must say that the prices are reasonable -

i think we will probably have meetings like this twice a year.
it's great to have classmates that you have bonded so well back then.
let's hope that every gathering,
we will be able to welcome someone else who have drifted away.

As semi-adults,
(Look, admit it, some of us have chosen to grow up, others still dun really act their age)
we really missed the good old days.
where fun and games precede over grades,
where the boys were still wearing shorts in lower secondary.

GTG first...
the adult world awaits !


Thursday, January 04, 2007


Responsibilities.

No matter in the workplace,
Or in a school scenario,
There are responsibilities.

To be responsible, is to do your job properly.
It may not be something you’ve volunteered for,
Most likely someone arrowed you the task,
Or the assignment is just part of your job scope anyway.
Escape?
You can’t.
Just simply do it.
Like it or not.

However,
Some people on earth are supposedly born to evade responsibilities.
It’s like some kind of an innate ability,
To escape from being responsible for anything.
Yes.
Anything.

I wouldn’t like to say bad things about people,
Especially people you see almost on a daily basis.
Yet,
I feel that some people are simply wasting their every waking hours away.
Face the music they don’t,
Giving hundreds and thousands of excuses is their forte,
It’s like second nature.

Things are piling up.
Several things in fact.
Step up the play,
You lazy buggers.

Because,
A very angry me,
Can make things really ugly.

Meantime,
I would do my part,
Try to seek relaxation and meditation if possible,
Or perhaps turn to alcohol???

Escapism lies ahead,
I just need someone,
Anyone,
Shine Your Light
To be there for me.



Simple Exercise for Computer Addicts - Part 2.





Wednesday, January 03, 2007


Simple Exercise for Computer Addicts - Part 1

The start of the new year,
I shall prescribe some exercises for all addicts,
So as to avoid that shoulder strain,
back ache,
and whatsoever we suffer from long hours in front of the Computer.

Hope it's useful.
more to come tmrw!




Monday, January 01, 2007


Gappy Mew Xear...
Sorri,

Can't seems to type properly (as if)

Anyway,
never went to any Countdown party.
Preferred something quiet.
Family Dinner,
Slept just after midnight.

Simple start to the new year.
Working on a new blogskin.
(a little tired of the black, blue, white combination).

New Year, New Start.
New Hopes, New Dreams.

&...Perhaps a me,

whose comments can be more honest,
whose fitness level can be heighten,
whose studies can be yearning better results.

Gappy Mew Xear once again!!!



Top 10 events that young Singaporeans did in 2006.
(translated from Zaobao on 27th Dec 2006.)

· The NYP-Tammy incident
· Wee Shu Min elitism scandal
· 2 youths convicted for illegal music download and distribution
· The Ups and Downs of Mr Brown
· Gary Tan’s illegal tapping of wireless Internet connection
· P65 MPs dancing hip-hop and blogging.
· The triumphant return of our athletes from Doha Asian Games.
· The gambling problem as a result of FIFA World Cup 06
· Channel U’s Campus Superstar mania
· Investigations of the Youth Challenge management irregularities

(take this as a filler, and a reminder of what happened in 2006.)



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24. (but acts 14)

Multi tasker / Multiple Personality.
Free Spirit.

Many preferences, Few dislikes.
One Weakness.

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