What is more important than silver and gold?

Been thinking for very long... What to write and when to write...
Unlike younger days where you can speak and share all your feelings and thoughts on your personal blog, blogs had since never been something personal these days.

Something has been on my mind...
What is more important than silver and gold?
Some people will say that there are many things that are more important!
Some will say that, we are living in a world where money may not be everything, but we cannot do anything without money. Both sentence are true, in terms of things that money can buy.

I consider health and extending of life spend something money 'can buy'. Not that we can buy health but i have seen people sick... people healed... people's life extended during to treatments (That costs more than common people can afford)... people died... some because it's time.. but some because they were never given the chance to go through any treatment due to the high medical cost. This is vanity of vanities.

I consider justice is something that 'can be bought'. This scale is often connected with law and justice. The statue of justice is the judge having a scale on one hand and a sword on the other, with their eyes blindfolded. It is suppose to symbolise justice and impartiality. But i have seen people going to jail.. some for crimes they committed.. some for a case they cannot afford to fight due to lawyer fees.. I have seen people go free.. despite of the crime they committed, because they could get for themselves the best lawyer and creates the best evidence. This is also vanity of vanities.

Living in a world where almost everything can be purchased with money, what else is important? To me, one word, VALUES.

ONE OF MY VALUES

When i first came to City Harvest Church, someone taught me this. Back then, i was only in Secondary 2 when it happened. It was the time where my school was making us sell coupons. The little booklet with coupons, $10 per piece and $100 per booklet. Everyone is to sell 1 or more booklets, at least for my school, it was compulsory.

That year, i lost the booklet that i was suppose to sell. I did sold a few of the coupons but there is no proof to proof that i only sold a few instead of the whole booklet and trying to keep the money or something. I was very very stress. I didn't know what to do. Back then, i spoke to someone more senior in the Cell Group and he told me this.

"The difference about being a Christian is not that we will never make mistakes. It's when we do, we admit it and bear the responsibility that comes with it. For the truth shall set us free." 

That word gave me courage and becomes one of the strongest value in my life. I admitted to the teachers that i lost the booklet and made a police report for it. And i know that even if i had to pay $100 for misplacing the booklet, i learn to take responsibility of my own actions.

Till this day, i am still constantly reminded of this person because though it was just a small incident, he placed a fundamental foundation in my life. Admitting your mistakes and bearing the consequences that comes with it may not be a easy thing. Maybe you are reading and think that my lesson was only $100 and its nothing compared to yours. But $100 means ALOT to me as a secondary 2 student back in the 1990s when chicken rice or noodles will only cost $2. A complete meal with a drinks will cost me less than $3.

UOB ADS

Recently there was a UOB advertisement on TV. Where the father told the son specifically not to touch a particular vase because it is very very expensive. One day the father came home and noticed that the son had touched the vase. Though the son did not break it, only simply touched the vase to take a look at it. The father called the son into the room and asked if he touched the vase, then he broke the vase in front of the son. Because there's nothing more valuable then our values. In that sense, was trust.

But i think everything comes down to our values in life. How we deal with circumstances.. How we learn to take up responsibility of things we did or failed to do.. We all make mistake from time to time.. Some small, some really big... but what is more valuable than silver or gold... Reputation? with man or with God?

Another thing i learnt then was, God is more concern with our character than our comfort.

Kangen (Alkaline) Water Review

To begin, i must say that to be giving a fair review, i do have a Kangen water machine at home. I think many people want to know whether this Kangen water really works? Scientifically proven? There have been many testimonies about how this water has helped cure cancer and etc. I do not doubt that these testimonies can be real. But let's look at how this machine works, the pros and its cons.

Looking at the diagram of how Kangen water is produced, my question is... What is a water molecule? H2O?

In the purest form, we all know that water = H2O.

In the past, alkaline water is obtain from springs or running the water through filters containing different kinds of mineral stones to gain it's hydrogen content, that is good for our health. (Refer to my post on Novita HydroPlus for a machine that works the conventional way)

What are the benefits of Hydrogen Rich water? Reports have shown that the alkaline and anti-oxidant helps to reduce reactive oxygen metabolites in the blood and helps to reduce inflammation.

Now, this brings me back to Kangen water. Looking at the diagram above, did you discover what is different from the conventional water of obtaining alkaline water? Yes, they slice the molecules apart forming H+ and HO-. HO- is then discharged as acidic. During the demonstration, they will clearly show you that this Kangen water has small molecules than water and can penetrate your body faster and easier due to the smaller molecule. But like what i emphasised at the beginning, water = H2O. If you are only drinking H+ everyday, over a long period of time your body will eventually experience dehydration because you have not been drinking 'water'!

Kangen water is hydrogen rich and yes it can help with reducing inflammation etc, but it DOES NOT cure cancer. There are some scientific studies that really argue against alkalinity, at least with respect to preventing or treating cancer. Consider the research by Robert Gilles, who has studied tumor formation and acidity.According to Gilles, tumors, by their very nature, make themselves acidic - even in an alkaline cellular structure. In other words, they make their own acidity. Scientists who are in the process of developing prototypes for potential new anticancer agents that selectively kill tutor cells by interfering with the regulation of intracellular pH, have found that alkaline treatments do NOT have the desired effect - but strongly acidic treatments do.

Is it good for our stomach to be taking in too much alkaline water? Our stomach is the most acidic place in our digestive system. It is believed that the acid are important for the destroying of bacteria and free radicals found on our food and to break down protein for our body to adsorb.  What happens when our stomach become too alkaline base? Bacteria and free radicals cannot be fully destroyed. Over all period, our body will start to lack protein, despite of the amount of meat, eggs or high protein food you take in because the stomach acid enzymes needed to breakdown those protein are now diluted and made alkaline. On another hand, our body will also fight the alkaline by producing even more acid, depending on individual body, this might lead too stomach acidity too high causing burnin stomach wall, heart burn and other issues.

For those who have the Kangen water machine, whats next? BALANCE is the key of life!

My advise is to take in moderation for those who already have the machine. DO NOT stop drinking H2O. This H+ SHOULD NOT replace your intake of H2O.

To end off,  here are the different types of water and some basic definitions to keep in mind: 

• Purified water: Water that is physically processed to remove impurities (e.g., distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, etc.) 

• Distilled water: Water that is boiled and evaporated away from its dissolved minerals, and then the vapor is condensed. 

• Bottled Water. This water is typically from a spring or has gone through reverse osmosis before it is bottled. However, some brands are simply bottled tap water that may or may not have gone through any additional filtering. 

• Alkaline water: Water that has been separated into alkaline and acid fractions using electrolysis, which takes advantage of the naturally occurring electric charges found in the magnesium and calcium ions; in the drinking water industry. 

• Deionized or demineralized water: Water in which the mineral ions (salts such as sodium, calcium, iron, copper, chloride and bromide) have been removed by exposing it to electrically charged resins that attract and bind to the salts. 

• Hard and soft water: Hard water is any water containing an appreciable quantity of dissolved minerals; soft water is treated water in which the only cation (positively charged ion) is sodium.

Once again! Thanks for reading, hope the information finds you well and is helpful.

P.S this is NOT a paid advertising post

The truth behind the LIFE we all desire to have

It's been a long while since i posted, as many things happened at home... And it just sets me thinking about LIFE, my life...

The different kinds of people in the corporate world are:

#1 Sole bread winners: Some people who hard all their lives to put food on the table, to make ends meet. They cannot stop because everything is depended on the works of their hands. They are very hardworking people who through honest means do what they could and appreciates the stability of there jobs.

#2 Ladder climber: They climb from ladder to ladder, trying to achieve more in life. They are driven to promotions and outdoing others. Some by righteous means, others by stepping on others to reach another step higher.

#3 Bridge builder: You might have heard this before, 'it's not what you know but who you know'. to a certain extend it is true, but some people make use of the relationships they built to their advantages and benefits. They build relationship with a purpose in mind.

#4 Fu er dai: This is a commonly used terms for people who are born with silver spoon. Some are born in gold spoons. They do not need to do much and have everything they want. What they have is more than what they can spend.

#5 Dreamers: Everyone dreams to do something they like and they want in life. Dreaming of the better life and the possibilities into the future. They may come out with many great items but never step out of where they are.

#6 Dream chasers: People who dream and give up all that they had, the comfort and security to chase those dreams. Do they get the kind of life they dream of?

It's easy for people who sits behind a desk and get money coming into their account every month, with or without a lot of work to do, to complain about work; pay too little and what is required of them... Isn't that why they are receiving a pay cheque in the first place?

Many people say that they envy me, that now that i am a boss, i get to go around doing whatever i want. Not having to work as and when i want. No stress and no worries. No need to see the face of a boss, and how they desire the kind of life i have...

Speaking from experience, starting a shop had been the hardest thing in my life by far. The amount of money, effort and hard work i put into this is far greater than you can think or imagine. The amount of stress i go through and how i have not drawn a salary but have to worry about the salary of my staff. The sweat and the tears involved. If today you want to be a dream chaser, I would encourage you to step out and live your dreams! But first, count the cost. Know how much are you willing to put into making this dream a reality and how far are you willing to go... how long are you willing to go without getting paid till everything stabilises.

Because, only when your dream can last the distance, you can reach #7.

#7 Bai shou qi jia: These are the minority of people who started out without anything. They are not people who are born with silver or gold spoon. They may even be from a humble family background (like me), who live out their dreams. What brought them there was not good luck, but perseverance and hard work. Fighting through the good times and the bad. Not giving up on what they have set their hearts to do.

Some day, we may wake up comparing the advantages and disadvantages of being born with silver spoon and feel that life is unfair. But at the end of the day, what really matters is not where we started from, but where we are heading to and how we are getting there.

I forgot when was the last time i shop and bought something i like for myself, because of the amount of things that i need to be concern about. And i guess, i am last on my own list. I'm praying that i can persevere though and that God will provide me with the strength, ability, productivity and provision to hang on till the promises come to pass!

Old School Delight

As the Singapore's national day is here.. and unfortunately i cannot be in Singapore due to work, i will share the food i miss!

Chicken wing, Laksa and curry chicken!This is a little cafe sitting along Upper Thomson road. They sell traditional toys a.k.a masak masak at a small corner of the the shop. I guess National Day is a time of reminiscing the wonderful childhood days.

Understanding Depression!

I came across this by the "World Health Organization" and i thought it was really helpful. Share it with people you love and care about because anyone could be suffering from depression that you didn't know about.

Personally, i do have my own periods of depression. But it is important how you deal with them. You can look through the images for:
- the statistics of depression all over the world
- what causes depression
- different types of depression and its symptoms
- seek help
- successful people with depression

Lastly at the end, you will find my personal tips to coping with depression :)

My tips to coping with depression are:
- surround yourself with friends, real friends!
- Pray and talk to your God! no one can be with you 24/7 except Him
- be active in your lifestyle. this will be hard but you got to purposefully go out and not stay home or in bed
- have a routine and stick with it
- it's ok to ask for help! there are a lot of helplines and counsellors and church leaders who are very trained in dealing with depression
- you need to know that you are not alone and you are not the only one going through this
- lastly, do happy things. Things that you love and you will enjoy!

Exploring Singapore (Part 2) - LONG WEEKEND AHEAD!

For those of you who are flying in to Singapore and for all Singaporeans staying in Singapore over the National Day weekend, these are some things that you might want to do! Look through and start planning your weekend!!!

7th August
Sentosa Song of the Sea (FREE)

Marina Bay Sands Skating Rink (FREE till 9th August) *T&C

The LAST Piece, 21 Haji Lane (5% storewide, up to 50% off selected items till 31st August)

8th August
Sentosa Merlion Lookout (FREE)

9th August (National Day)
FREE Bus and MRT rides

Fort Siloso (FREE guided tour)

10th August

Cable Car (FREE)

Science Centre Singapore (FREE)

Singapore Botantic Gardens (FREE except orchid garden $5)

Jurong Bird Park (50% off)

Gardens by the Bay (50% off)

Singapore Zoo, River Safari & Night Safari (50% off)

Wild Wild Wet (50% off)

Others:
ALL Museums (FREE for Singaporeans and PR)
ActiveSG Swimming pool and fitness room (FREE)
Singapore Sports Hub (Lots of activities)

HAPPY SG50!

Candle art!

Throwback to my time in Spain, came across this candle shop near where i stayed.

but it was a waste that overtime i walked past the shop, it was already closed. i tried going there for 4 days but i missed it everyday. Hopefully i will be able to make a trip back soon and that the shop will still be around!

Vanity Fact #3 - Time and Life

On my way home, i heard this saying..

We have a general mindset of how life should be..
birth -> baby -> childhood -> teenage -> youth -> adult -> mid-life -> senior -> elderly -> death

At every stage, we can't wait to grow to the next stage
and we always tell ourselves "someday i will do this"
"hopefully, someday i will do that".. "someday~" "someday~"

Until a day, where sickness or unforeseen circumstances strikes...
we say "If only i had did this"
"i wish i have done that"

Most people will tell you that
"i want to live till 60, or some 70, 80"
but do the bees count their days?
do the fishes in the sea and birds in the air count their days?

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"
This just remind me of all that Pastor Tan shared in service today.
Vanity - for it is uncontrollable and uncertain

Who can be sure of what is going to happen tomorrow?
For the rain will fall when the clouds are heavy
To be alive is a miracle in itself
Will you be thankful in good times and in bad times?
Will you rejoice in them all, knowing that God is in control
He is the Creator of both Day and Night.

How will you live your life?
Counting your days? or
Trusting God that He is in control and that everything will fall into place according to His time.
There is no one template fits all, when it comes to our life.
one thing i know...
All things works together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!

Dorra Slimming Experience Review

Class 95 have been giving out free 2x Dorra Slimming French treatment. I have always been curious about whether these companies are really giving them "FREE". So i decided to give it a try. After sending in the SMS, Dorra Slimming contacted me almost immediately. You won't have to worry that you are not the first to SMS in and you will not win it or etc.

After calling me, they arranged for me to go down to their nearest convenient outlet as soon as possible. No matter how busy you are, they will make sure they arrange a timing with you before you can hang up on them.

I went to the outlet at Kovan. I told them that i only had 1 and a half hours and they say that the treatment will only take an hour and asked me not to worry, then one lady brought me to a consultation room and asked me to wait for awhile. Handing me a form to fill in. The therapist came in and started to explain to me their treatment... then all the different products... then all the available packages and upgrades you can do... still not convinced?

and since you are the 'winner' of this Dorra Slimming from the radio station, you have even more privileges if you upgrade NOW~! Still not convinced? Another senior came in and started all over again... then they took out all the testimonies of the past customers and show them to me one by one... One hour had past from the time i entered the shop and i have not even started my treatment... I told them i am in a rush and had an appointment after this, they say that they will start the treatment.

Finally, i am brought into the treatment room. After taking all the measurements, i am laying on the bed waiting for the treatment to start. The therapist did not for any moment stop trying to convince me to sign up. Asking me why? Why i don't want to give it a try? The 2 treatment will not be enough and the 2 free treatment DOES NOT come with this serum and without the serum, you WILL NOT see results. So if you sign up now, they will upgrade your 2 sessions to have the serum as well.

I was wondering... then what am i doing here now? anyway, she went on and on and on... halfway through, the other senior came in AGAIN! The treatment was not enjoyable at all with them going on and on and on.... They started of with trying to sell me 30, then 20 then 10... going on and on for almost 2 hours now.....

I thought, finally my treatment is finishing and i can rush for my next appointment now... (it's already been 2 and a half hours by this time) After the treatment, i'm back in the consultation room. Then it starts AGAIN!!!!!!! This time the senior tries to make the junior look pitiful, saying that she needs to build her portfolio. Saying that the junior served me very well just now right? I can help her by signing up and becoming part of her portfolio etc. Pleased with me to help her etc.. I told them I AM IN A RUSH!!! but they say they understand... and went on... in the end, i gave in and signed for a 5 sessions. Even with that, i had to bargain with them so that they will give in and let me go...

Seriously, unless you are really willing to go and end up paying that kind of price for slimming treatments... i think the decision is up to you... After leaving, i did my research. I hope i did them earlier but i'm still thankful that i only signed for 5 sessions. I found people who signed for $50K worth of treatments and they still would not let them go during every single treatment sessions they attended.

At the end of the day, i wondered if i 'WON' or i actually 'LOST'... Was there results in the treatment? that did not matter to me anymore because the experience was just unpleasant. I this my worse hard selling experience ever. This is also the reason why i love and cherish those people do business with true sincerity and out of love. :)

Exploring Singapore? Part 1 - Haji Lane

Recently, someone asked me where are some nice places in Singapore. As a Singaporean, i took sometime to think through and since SG50 is coming.. I decided to do some short introduction to Singapore for the all the friends out there who would want to make a trip to this small little island filled with many surprises!

I will first start with the place closest to me! HAJI LANE! This lane has the name of being the hipster street! A few years back, when i first came to this lane, it's where local designers started out their own small boutiques and the things are really cool but expensive in those days.

Today, Haji Lane still kept to it's name for being Singapore hipster street! The colourful units sticks close to one another, and every shop has their own unique features! I love this street because... If you ask me... where can i find unique clothes? unique accessories? This is definitely the place! Many photographers like to take photos here too! because of the colors, the hippy and liveliness of this lane.

Personally, i am a lover of unique things! I buy unique things from all over the world whenever i travel and bring them back to this small island of mine! And of course, i am a cafe hopper too! Sitting down for a nice coffee of coffee or tea, with a magazine or iPad :x will make my afternoon!

2 months back, i decided to share my collections and bring these unique things i find together, i opened my retail shop here @ 21 Haji Lane!

Combining apparels, accessories, cafe and even beauty together all in one place!

If you follow my blog, present this post to my staff to receive 5% off apparels and accessories! You can also follow us on Facebook @thelastpiece and Instagram @thelastpiecesg for our latest promotion! We are also having weekly giveaways that you can take part in!

We open at 11am everyday and closes at 8pm. We close later on Fridays and Saturdays, at 9pm. If you are looking to have lunch or dinner around the area when you come by, do not worry! You will receive 10% off total bill at "I am" cafe, where they sells really really nice western food! when you purchase anything in my shop, and present the receipts upon ordering!

We have new stocks replenished every Mondays. Every piece is unique and only one piece available. Looking for dresses for events or parties where you don't wish to see another person wearing the same dress as you? We are confident to say that we only carry 1 piece of each design and per color. You will not find the same dress in the same color in our shop. We do not restock the same item :) So if you like something, grab them before they are gone! ;)

Facials are available too! come on down to see what are the promotions every month. We can also work around your budget so do not worry about having to pay what you are told to. We do our best to bring comfort and satisfaction to meet your needs. 

There are other shops around that sells cool things too. You can walk down the lane from where we are, and find interesting finds too!

The weather can sometimes be really warm. Wear light clothes, bring along an umbrella if you have to. As the weather may change and you will not want to be caught in the rain ;)

Planning a trip to Singapore? stay tuned for more introduction to other nice things in Singapore! <3 <3 <3

BEWARE!!! COMPANY REGISTER / DATA REGISTER PTE LTD

Business owners! Beware of this company! It's a scam! 

IF YOU ARE ONE OF THEM, pls DO NOT make any payment.

We are encouraging everyone who are scammed to make a police report. 

I am going to go to the police too.

This is the pro-forma invoice i just received demanding for payment.

Last June, i received a letter that looked like from ACRA. I lost that letter because I believed that it was from ACRA. Stating that, "This is the last chance to register your company" otherwise your company will not be recorded.

That letter was for my mother's company, i remember mentioning that it's strange how come my company did not receive the same letter even though my company is also registered with ACRA. However, there was a deadline on the letter so we registered for my mother's company anyway.

This is the current view of the website (i am not sure if it looked the same). There was no where on the website that says that there will be cost incurred or any particular services provided that need to make payment for. From last June, we heard nothing from them etc and we just thought ACRA wanted us to register our company onto some portal where its like a directory etc. 

Till yesterday, we received this letter pro-forma invoice 'demanding' for a payment of $490 with a 8% interest if amount is not paid.

When i called into their hotline number stated on the letter, staff was rude and unhelpful. 

Me: "i did not sign up for any services from their company"

staff: "we have evidence that you sign up so you will need to pay for the invoice"

Me: "if i did sign up for the services in June, why are you only sending out the invoice now?"

staff" "yes we have evident that you sign up so you need to pay"

Me: "but i did not use any of the services"

staff: "you can sign in and start using now"

Me: "i don't even have a username or password etc"

staff: "you just click on the forget password and they will send you a new password"

Me: "i don't need hosting or website services, can i terminate this?"

staff: "you still have to sign in to terminate, by clicking on the forget password. But pls note that you still need to pay for the outstanding"

Me: -.- "i did not use any services at all, can it be waived?"

staff: "sorry there's nothing i can do for you. Pls note you will still need to pay the outstanding"

Me: "can you get someone with authority to speck to me?"

staff: "there's no one with authority around now, i will get them to call you back by tmr"

Me: "ok make sure they call me by tmr. who am i speaking to?"

staff: "my name is Robert Jack. So are you going to make the payment?"

ME: -.-'''' "i'll see when the person call me"

Searching online for help and more background about this company, i realised that ACRA had filed 78 charges against this company on the 24th Jan 2014. After over two thousand companies complained about this "Company register / Data register pte ltd" since Nov 2013. Case is still under investigation in court. There no report of new cases between feb 2014 to nov 2014.

In between, they had changed their company logo and address. New cases have been reported since mid of dec 2014. More cases are still surfacing.

Let's work together to bring down these companies set up just to scam people!

Stay in Madrid (Part 4) - "You Tiao" and Jamon

Searching for some asian-like food?

This taste very similar to the "you tiao" in singapore. They serve a drink that taste like our soya bean milk too!

The difference is, they sell them in a beautiful cafe! and they have the conventional style "you tiao" and also a thinner one with a cross section that looks like a star, and it taste crispier than the conventional ones.

Next up is Jamon, ham ham and more ham!

Photographer: ME!

Namely there is the Jamon serrano which is the more common type and priced reasonable to the ham you will fine normally in our supermarket; and Jamon iberico which is ham from the black Iberian pig which can cost up to 20euro for just a few thinly sliced Jamon Iberico.

The flavour of the ham is very strong. If you are a ham lover, you will pay the price for the Jamon Iberico because they are like the luxury range of hams. High in quality and strong-flavoured.