 my cousin 's wedding @shangri la hotel.. gathering of cousins  i am the ist granddaugther to get married...i am glad more followed:)
 i had the opportunity to attend a workshop in our school on Aromatherapy. Jon , a certified aromatherapist shared with us how use essential oil appropriately and how to differentiate from fake essential oil to natural ones. History of AromatherapyAromatherapy had been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician Imhotep recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Imhotep is the Egyptian god of medicine and healing. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic fumigations to rid Athens of the plague. The modern era of aromatherapy is dawned in 1930 when the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy for the therapeutic use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil in healing his burned hand without leaving any scars. He started investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for their psychotherapeutic benefits. During world war II, the French army surgeon Dr. Jean Valnet used essential oils as antiseptics. Later, Madame Marguerite Maury elevated aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She started prescribing essential oils as remedy for her patients. She is also credited with the modern use of essential oils in massage. Essential oils stimulates the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel.It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning. Some tips on using essential oil: Essential oils are highly concentrated and very potent substances that can be harmful if not handled properly. Therefore, some precautions should be taken in order to avoid damaging effects and enjoy aromatherapy benefits. 1)Never apply essential oils undiluted to skin,except for lavender.most essential oils need to combine with another base oil. 2)Use small quantities of oils. use 6-8 drops at one time. remember to drink water after aromatherapy massage, as dehydration may occur. 3)Beware of potential allergic reactions.Dilute only 1 drop of the essential oil with carrier oil and apply the mix on your skin. Wait at least 24 hours to verify whether it is irritating for you or not. 4)Aromatherapy and children.Children may use essential oils only under the careful supervision of an experienced adult. Consequently, it is wise to keep the aromatherapy kit out of children’s reach. Moreover, special caution should be taken when using aromatherapy products for babies and children. 5)Aromatherapy and medical conditions. Special care should be taken in cases of health problems such as asthma, epilepsy and high blood pressure. Asthmatics and people suffering from respiratory disorders must avoid inhalations. how to store essential properly? Essential oils should be stored in a cool dark place or in the fridge. Try to keep temperature fluctuations as less as possible in order to preserve their therapeutic attributes. Essential oils are usually sold in small dark yellow, violet or blue glass bottles. The dark glass protects the essential oils from ultraviolet rays which may deteriorate their potency. Remember to close tightly the bottles’ lids because essential oils are volatile substances. Properly stored oils have 6 months minimum lifetime and 2-5 years maximum. (extract from http://www.aromatherapypoint.com/aromatherapy-safety/)
 A machine where you can get paid to recycle paper, plastics, cans  a rubbish bin that separates : waste, plastic, paper (GOOD idea , isnt it?) i think our Singapore government can do much more in recycling... wat do YOU think?
 kebab and lots of fries 8 euro=about 16 sing   waffles with 2 scoops of icecream and plenty of chocolate sauce...sinful 6.80 euro  popiah? nope...cheeze pie  Pastitsio with greek beer (refreshing!)  layers of pasta with minced beef  Seafood:fish, calamari,prawns...9 euro (worth it!)  Mousaka-layers of pasta with brinjals  stuffed tomatos...i like...  GOODY'S Meal...6 euro...worth it! what else?1)buy bottled water @50 cents euro (cheap hor...at least it's the cheapest so far in european countries i travelled)2)MUST TRY Greek Food, beer 3)Greek MAC (try the different flavours of Mcflurry and the burgers)4)Gelato (1.50 euro)wat you can buy for soveniors1)bookmarks 80 cents euro2)postcards 20 cents euro3)olive oil products4)nuts (all kinds)5)necklaces, bracelets , rings (a lot of unqiue designs..or you can buy beads and DIY)6)magnets/ statues ( alot of interesting designs)7)a drawing of greece and frame it up
i have always enjoyed mother tongue week in my school where i can get to learn more about different cultures...(chinese, malay and indian).This year , our students had the chance of learning about painting face, making and eating ondeh and murruku, chinese paper cutting and many more.  lianpu (the art of painting face) 脸谱   the boys finally know how to cut it right...  chinese paper cutting 剪纸－双喜  look like Tele-tubbies?:P  MURUKKU(south indian tibit) -made of wheat flour and sesame seeds with a bit of butter  the special dough presser for making MURRUKU  the sample MURUKKU -before it gets deep fried  my p6 girl trying out making murruku  the making of ONDEH ONDEH...my fav malay kueh kueh  ingredients: gula melaka (diced)  glutinous rice flour (same type of flour used to make tang yuan)  (make a small hole in the ball to put the gula melaka, and roll gently to cover the gula)  (cooked the ball in water, once it floats, take it out and mixed with grafted coconut, let it cool down and it is ready to be eaten...YUMMY!!!)  a candid picture of my p6 boys... childish sometimes...makes
teaching them fun...hahhha
(article contributed from my dear bro Wallis) The Lighting of the Olympic Torch at the Temple of Hera.The Olympic torch is lit several months before the start of the actual games. The flame begins its journey at the site of the original Olympic Games -- Olympia, Greece. It is lit, just as it was in ancient times, at the Temple of Hera. An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, lights the torch via the same technique used in the original Games. She uses a parabolic mirror to focus light rays from the sun. The parabolic mirror has a curved shape. When it is held toward the sun, the curvature focuses the rays to a single point. The energy from the sun creates a great deal of heat. The priestess holds a torch in the center of the parabolic mirror, and the heat ignites the fuel in the torch, sparking a flame.If the sun is not shining on the day of the lighting ceremony, the priestess can light the torch with a flame that was lit on a sunny day before the ceremony. The flame is carried in a fire pot to an altar in the ancient Olympic stadium, where it is used to light the first runner's torch. For the Winter Games, the relay actually begins at the monument to Pierre de Coubertin (the man who founded the modern Olympic games in 1896), which is located near the stadium. PS : The Olympia Flame is spiritually rooted in the worship of Sun God -Apollos, Zesus, Hera and Baal~a probable ressurection of Baal Worship
 Finally ...managed to sort out the hundreds of photos... feel free to visit them on my multiply website: http://www.hopefish.multiply.com/ Enjoy! sandy aka avid traveller
  L detective:Kenichi Matsuyama hahha...got mesmerized by this 23 yr old jap boy acting skills after watching L : Change the World the movie plot not that fantastic but Kenichi Matsuyama's acting is worth the show
the real HIM: gorgeous (ehhehheh) Rent or buy the dvd and you get to watch the Behind-the-scenes , the making and the interview with the actors and actresses...
 i went to IKEA with my hubby last sun ... didnt know need to pay for plastic bags noe...$0.10 for a large one and $0.05 for a small one... aiya...maybe some of you know already... never tell me... anyway, heng didnt buy much or else have to pay for yah... remember to bring a bag with you !
whereas on the other part of island, i went to giant supermarket, i bought a few stuff and they gave me bags of plastic...when i said "no need to give plastic bag"...the cashier looked at me "weirdly"..."you sure hor..." she asked..
sigh...
 school just started for the new term, deadlines cramped together since last week.apologies to all waiting for my greece photos and travel blog...i didnt know how "famous" i was till many approached me abt greece. so share a bit about greece ist before i show u all the beautiful photos (after i have some time to sort out ...).. Greece best time to visit: summer (june-july)(but hot but windy, i got really tanned) autumn (aug -sep) (best time , not too hot...peak period for tourism, accomo peak the highest during these time) my tour package to greece:only covers airfare, accomo for all , little meals (all BF, 1 Lunch and 1 Dinner provided);day tour to athens= $3070 (ctc) shd be cheaper, but air fuel surcharge increased then, so we pay more. package name: magical greece. initially , my fren and i signed up for Classical greece to visit more historical sites , but had to change as we couldnt form a group. Magical greece is best recommended to : Honeymooners (really !!!pity my hubby cant come with me...maybe not too cos guys may not really appreciate the romanticm of beautiful scenaries, and the serenity and magical of the islands) you can watch the taiwan drama 《情定爱情海》, the drama shows all the places in greece ..."all" really...even the donkey ride (actually more like a smelly and bumpy donkey ride up the staircase) was shown in the drama... Accomo: expensive if you book on your own.best to book with tour agency and travel on your own..usually the itineary in greece is Free and Easy (even if you follow tour). Food: greek food (lots of pasta, cheeze, purple eggplants, lots of olives-the country produces and exports olive and products, nuts and seafood--greece is next to aegean sea, lots of seafood, calamari, fish, squids, prawns etc delicious and affordable 6 euro = abt 13 sing , you can get one big plate Fish and Co seafood platter for 2) Crepes(yum yum), gelato, kebabs, waffles (yum yum); tender beef and lamb(i dun really like beef in singapore, but greece yummy tender and sweet); fastfood-burgers and sandwiches (big!!) MUST TRY: 1)Greek fooda)Pastitsio-layer of pasta, cheeze and minced beef b)greek salad c)Gyros-pita bread with meat, french fries and salad (like mac wrap) d)Moussaka -layers of pasta, cheeze and eggplants http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_foodNO WORRIES for cost of food, i think i indulge cos so much variety
 thanks all for your prayers while i am away in Greece... really thank GOD for protecting us and the whole group from the nearby earthquake happened near Athens... really heng, cos we were on ferry to nearby sardonic isands and were totally oblivious of the nearby disaster ...that killed at least 2 people... until travel agency from singapore called our tour guide and asked whether all of us were safe GOD really protected us from harm... wat a trip... my mum scolded me for not telling her abt the earthquake...i told her after i came back... :P tongue sticking out...knowing her i know she will be worried... risk is everywhere...no matter where you go... but i believe GOD will be with you.. and of cos prayers are very impt too....
 my hubby sprained his lower back yesterday at work,felt a sharp pain and called me after seeing his company doc at his workplace...the doc just saw him for 5 mins and sent him off with painkillers and muscle cream...she didnt realise how painful he was...:( my hubby called me and told me he's in pain...he has a high threshold of pain ..knowing him for more than 10 yrs...even a mountain rock hit his head...he wont feel the pain...except he is quite afriad of needles...which i think most of us are too.... asking him to come home straight, he refused and said he can tahan... sensing it to be real bad,i prayed real hard at home and sms a few of our bros and sisters to pray for him... thank GOD, his colleague recommended a chinese physician from Maguang马光, with twisted waist...he endured till off work... the chinese physician said his old injury got inflamed ,affecting his nerve at the lower back, gave him acupucture(needles!!) heng, he can walk much better after the poking... and now recuperating at home.... thank GOD, i was at home, worried sick...seeing him looking like "hunchback of notre dame" i have to assure him he will be ok and i still love him with lots of tender loving care, he is much better thank GOD for His healing and many prayers from our christian bros and sisters he can sit up and sleep but he still feel painful walking or standing do pray for his full recovery here's some info abt lower back strain: Lumbar (lower back) muscle strains and sprains are the most common causes of low back pain. The back is prone to this strain because of its weight-bearing function and involvement in moving, twisting and bending. Lumbar muscle strain is caused when muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. Symptoms Low back pain that may radiate into the buttocks, but does not affect the legs Stiffness in the low back area, restricting range of motion Inability to maintain normal posture due to stiffness and/or pain Muscle spasms either with activity, or at rest Pain that persists for a maximum of 10-14 days Prevention Tips
1)Do crunches and other abdominal-muscle strengthening exercises to provide more spine stability. Swimming, stationary bicycling and brisk walking are good aerobic exercises that generally do not put extra stress on your back.
2)Use correct lifting and moving techniques, such as squatting to lift a heavy object. Don't bend and lift. Get help if an object is too heavy or awkward.
3)Maintain correct posture when you're sitting and standing.
4)Avoid stressful situations if possible, as this can cause muscle tension.
5)Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight, especially around the midsection, can put strain on your lower back.
 holidays in ... and i think i realli lax at home... been sleeping alot...making up for all the lost sleep for the past few months... reading comics, doing housework, watching korean dramas, reading books, listening to music indulgence... yesterday went spa trial with my church girlfriend at chinatown went for bamboo massage i like it , helps to tone and sculpt the body esp the buttocks and thighs... my friend tried the healing spa...she commented ok only as the water got cold in between... quite fun maybe next time go again i will be travelling again...this time to exotic Greece...with my church girlfren... ask me why never with laogong...hehehha ... he having exams blue...last paper oredi feeling really stressed...i also feel stressed up seeing like that...watttodo..i can only pray hard for GOD's hand and mercy upon his last paper ... sigh ...i am human also ...need a break "have to learn to love yourself, take care of yourself before you take care of others" ~sandy motto :)
  最近很少BLOGGING,因为我买到了《流星花园》的漫画，HEHEHE.... 结果漫画在手中，爱不释手！ 这里也顺便介绍原著
神尾叶子Kamio Youko 她真是厉害，能画出怎么栩栩如生的漫画人物 但我最喜欢的人物还是道明寺:P
 | 雨过天晴 | Jun 2, '08 8:14 PM
for everyone |
 《雨过天晴》一场大雨冲走了快乐 生命 笑声带来了悲伤 哭声 泪水大雨之后雨过天晴你是否 看到 在大雨之后的那片彩虹带来的是希望 勇气 欢笑孩子 不要哭了上帝 知道你的痛楚他 放上了一道彩虹就是要告诉你他爱你a tribute to the many children and people who died in the Szechuan earthquake , may God show the survivors comfort and strength to go on living.
Cyclone Nargis has killed at least 22,980 people and left 42,119 missing. Survivors suffer from the lack of essential supplies such as clean water, food, and shelter. The spread of disease is an immediate threat as people cope with living in camps, schools,and in damaged homes without enoughf ood and in unsanitary conditions.Children are especially vulnerable as they face emotional trauma after seeing families torn apart.
PLS PRAY FOR God will alleviate the suffering of the people in Myanmar and for the rebuilding of this ravaged nation. ALSO pray the government to open up to foreign help so that food and supplies can come faster to help the victims.
HAPPY MOTHER' S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS OUT THERE! A TRIBUTE TO MY OWN MOTHER, who sacrifices her whole life being a housewife to care for me and my brother teaching me the values of life , being there for me all the time, trying to understand me when i went thru difficult time forgive me, mummy when i used to complain and compare you and other mothers now i understand what sacrifice you have made for us to make us to be who we really are THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU 妈!
 my students fell sick, fever...flu...coughing...i sustained i perservere...finally my turn to fall sick... caught the summer flu virus and coughing comes... poor hubby , got to sleep in another room while i quarantined myself in a "coughing" room now recovering but sound so "base" and sore...missed singing thank God kids having exams so dun have to talk too much... God telling me to Rest, rest...and did i rest...for a week, eat medicine, sleep... REST...we take for granted until God shouts...Stop and rest... naughty us... so i did listen...and i did nothing but rest...
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