Chestnuts roasting in the oven...

Things I do on my self declared staycation.

Waffles

Steinway Piano Hammers (bass & treble)

Flu + Milk intolerance

Fact: If you don't get the flu shot, you'll probably get the flu.

And I think I am allergic to fresh milk. Darn my life.

Random Cyber Monday Purchases

Toy story peas and cheap Corelle plates!

MBS Hawker

I just spent 1 hour of my life watching an interview on the MBS hawker who won a 416k. I'm struck by her attitude towards life. I guess it proves what everyone has been saying.. that I am darn auntie. But I won't mind if I can live like her. It's not the money but the attitude towards people and animals. I wish I have the guts to do the things she did.

More videos at http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/sp/stsite/section-razorTV.html

Brontosaurus

I like brontosaurus.

from http://xkcd.com/636/

from http://xkcd.com/650/

And I'm recently into tapirs.

Another late night post

Life has been pretty rough these days. Some of it is real, some of it imaginary, other parts self created.

I've been getting flickering moments of insight. I guess all things happen for a reason aka karma.

I guess I'm at that age where the window to "the life I always wanted to have" is closing. Once past 30, your life is more or less set. There is a reason why the Fields Medal is only meant for those under 40.

I'm a sucker for nostalgia. If you watched Midnight in Paris, you will understand. The 80s really appeal to me. Yes, I'm addicted to iphone games, but I still prefer the pre smartphone, facebook era. It just seems so wrong. These day everyone stares into a back lit screen for hours on end.

Okay, back to my point. I feel that your 20s really define your life. The people who 'succeed' have it all figured out. The faster you figure life out, the more time you have to work towards your goals. Even now, among people in their 20s, I can see that the more focused people are in a better place as compared to those who are just lumbering along.

I stumbled upon this blog about Singapore. It feeds my need for nostalgia and has nice xinyaos. I'm glad I'm not the only person into such things.

Bottle caps, Purin and biscuits

Sirotan's many expressions

早安老师 + 再见老师

Old school. The things I sing at home.

Oh, and I missed school and now what...

Today, my alarm did not go off as planned (DARN YOU SMART PHONE TECHNOLOGY) and I missed school. And I was upset, still upset, am upset. And I find this is rather ridiculous. Why am I so upset over such a small thing? Maybe it is the Singaporean cannot-ever-miss-school mentality that I was brought up with. Argh, I feel like my life is almost over and I haven't yet lived. I have to go do something. But there is nothing better at the moment. Life is all relative.

Fall of Icarus

It's curious how things converge into some form of understanding. The Fall of Icarus is very much on my mind these days.

What I have been reading

Instead of research papers, I've been wasting time reading books.

Tennis vampires and werewolves

I'm watching US Open final on my computer. Novak has white spots on his neck // Edward Cullen. He is also super fast. Rafael is muscular and looks like Jacob Black. Haha.

Anderson Cooper at Columbus Circle

I saw Anderson Cooper while waiting in line to get into Whole Foods before Hurricane Irene.  He is super cute.  I was squealing in delight after spotting him but the other New Yorkers were indifferent.  Blah.  They don't know how to appreciate good things.

Hurricane Irene

My pathetic light supply.

French Pastry

OF made these.  I think they are called croquembouche but I may be wrong.  Purin likes them!

Purin is back!

Sanrio has decided to bring back Purin! I got myself a big soft Purin shipped from Japan. My life feels complete!!!

Healthy attempts

Green bean soup for breakfast.

Bitter gourd juice

Healthy = 100
Tasty = -50

Happy skin. Unhappy tastebuds.

Herbivores and me

I was eating watermelon with OF when we decided that humans only eat land animals that are 'mainly herbivores'. We're not considering worms, insects and the like as 'animals'.  So I'm classifying chicken as herbivore of some sorts. 

Granted that Asian people drink snake blood, eat bear paws and tiger penises... Those are more medicinal than food food.  You get the point.  According to YouTube, some people eat cats and dogs... But those are the rarer exception.

Hmm, why do humans typically eat herbivores but leave carnivores alone?  Maybe carnivores are too expensive to be eaten. OF says carnivores are too smelly and tough to eat.  Pigs are omnivorous?  Maybe that is why they have the 臭 pork 味.

TCM and Skin

Summer is giving me terrible skin! Shall post this here in case I have problems tracking down information next time.

What TCM says about pimples and acne

Pimples and acne can be an annoying ailment that affects everyone, not just teenagers still undergoing hormonal changes. Outbreaks can still occur in adults who have long passed their teenage years, appearing on areas such as the face, neck, back, arms or even on the torso. One of the most visible areas that acne can appear is on the face. While Western wisdom says that pimples and acne are caused by excessive sebum, or hormonal imbalance, proponents of traditional Chinese medicine believe that a blemished complexion is indicative of trouble in other parts of the body. We have collected a list of the various symptoms that are associated with pimples and acne collected from various online TCM resources. Pimples on forehead According to one TCM website, pimples on the forehead may indicate problems with the heart and blood circulation. This can be caused by mental tiredness, resulting in bad tempers. What you can do: Keeping early hours and having a good night's rest will be the natural solution. Drinking plenty of water will also help. Those who suffer the above symptoms should also strike a balance between work and rest and not worry too much. Pimples on the nose A blemished nose may point to a variety of ailments. Pimples growing on the bridge of the nose may indicate problems with the spine while pimples on the tip of the nose may be linked to digestive system problems. However, if pimples spread to both sides of the nose, it may indicate problems related to the ovarian or reproductive function or the reproductive system. Some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners also believe that pimples on the nose may be caused by eating habits and food preferences Pimples on jawline Jawline pimples may indicate problems with the kidneys, or problems with the gland that pours hormones into the blood. Girls who are prone to jawline pimples may suffer from irregular menstrual cycles. What you can do: Practitioners believe that such problems can be solved by nourishing the kidneys. Pimples on cheeks Pimples on both sides of the cheeks also may be due to different health issues. Pimples growing on the left cheek may be caused by stagnated liver functions, such as liver secretions, detoxification or other functions. Pimples on the right cheek may be caused by abnormal lung function. Pimples on hairline and lips However, other than such related body ailments, external circumstances like improper cleaning procedures or contamination from chemicals may also result in outbreak. For example, the use of unsuitable hairgel or leftover toothpaste around the lip areas may also cause pimples. What you can do: Ensure that the washing lotion that you are using is suitable for your skin condition and that your facial cleansing methods are sound. From: http://www.asiaone.com/Health/Health%2BMatters/Story/A1Story20110609-283117.html

Post exam sushi

I finally finished my exams. Learnt a few things about the literature and also on annoying human tendencies.

OF and I went to Gari because I'm into overpriced Japanese food.

Sirotan for President

Currently 4 Tans are running to be Singapore's next President.  I think my lumpy little SiroTan should join the competition too.

: )

Purin Tower

My tower has Purin on it. :)

Seal hug

Ginseng in a mug

My latest addiction.

Whole Foods suck all my money!

Animal cookies

Randomly baked stuff because I didn't feel like doing work.  And also because I wanted to use my cute cookie cutters I bought in some Japanese store in San Francisco.

Brontohsaurus

Bathing cat

Hilarious bathing cat widget!

Purin and cookie

Summer in New York

It's obvious that I've lived in NYC for too long when I find AM new york's article funny and true.

5 minute chocolate cake

Microwaved chocolate cake + Haagen-Dazs strawberry icecream = yum