Great Little Moments...大小事！

Cool Experience In Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill With Even Cooler "The Entertainer" App

2014-08-06T19:59:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday,was invited to a private preview event at Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill (at One Fullerton), in conjunction with the promotion of a cool one-for-one offer app, The Entertainer.

I am not so much a foodie myself but I like the ambiance of the Pelican Seafood Bar and Grill, it was located directly opposite the Marina Bay Sands, so, the view overseeing the panoramic view of the lotus shaped ArtScience Museum and the Ship shaped Marina Bay Sands Hotel is breathtaking.

Following are some photos that I've taken from the event :

The organiser is busy registering the guests

My cocktail (citrus) - Part 1

My cocktail (citrus) - Part 2

Promotion running at Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill

The Belvedere

One of the canopies being served (yummy!)

In conjunction with the upcoming National Day, Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill has an unbeatbale offer for the month of August 2014 : The Entertainer members are entitled to unlimited 1-for-1 Belvedere cocktails when a voucher for a main course is used.

So, what is this The Entertainer app all about? It provides nothing but one-for-one offers for more than 700 of dining, leisure, wellness, entertainment and hotel outlets (from Singapore alone). The business model is very simple, all the offers are one-for-one (in short, up to 50% discount).

What is the catch, you may ask? The Entertainer provides such offer through their annual mobile product (priced at SGD95/- for one calendar year) or one-month mobile product.

So, if you are a foodie or like wellness services like spa, it is a no-brainer that you can save quite a fair bit on your dining expenses just by getting the monthly mobile product.

For example, if you are dining with a partner at Fat Cow, Au Petit Salut Pelican Seafood Bar & Grills or Bedrock Bar & Grill (some examples of The Entertainer Partners), the bill for two person easily come up to $100 (or more). However, if you are using the one-month mobile product which cost you only $19, you need to pay only $69 ($50 [since it is a one-for-one deal] + $19), you are saving $31 just for one dining. Cool right?

How to get the app? You can download the FREE app via iOS, Goolge Play or even Blackberry via The Entertainer.

After you've downloaded the app, register your new account (or log-in via your Facebook credentials) and update the simple profile details. Next, follow the steps below to get your one-month mobile product at only SGD19 (with promo-code @moment) and redeem your one-for-one offers right away.

Click on "Buy" at the top-left hand corner

Select "Entertainer Singapore One Month Mobile"

Click on "Buy Now" at the bottom

1) Enter the Promo-code "@moment" and hit "Apply"
2) Update your credit card details and hit "Purchase Now"

If you want to have a look of the complete list of The Entertainer partners in Singapore before making your purchase decision (fair enough), click here.

Cheers!

Presbyopia - No Reading Glass, No Problem!

2014-07-28T19:57:00.004+08:00

Good News : The following promotion has been extended to 31st October 2014 (Fri)!

Been wearing spec since secondary school time, which was ages ago. With age really catching up fact (I am in my early 40s now), my eye deficiencies are "completed" with the unavoidable presbyopia (老花[lau hua], in Chinese). In fact, my GP told me that when we reached our magic number of 40, most people will automatically be affected by presbyopia.

I knew about the multifocal lenses (or progressive lenses) in the market that can kill two birds (ie the myopia and presbyopia) in one stone but have also learnt from a few colleagues that such lenses might not be suitable for all. Common side-effect could spinning spell.

Thanks to a friend, I get to know about the new daily multi-focal contact lenses from CooperVision called Proclear 1 day Multifocal. Without wasting much time, I went to its partner, Paris Miki at Bugis Junction to get my eye examined and gotten the one-month free trial contact lenses. As the branch has the lenses that suit my myopia-cum-presbyopia degrees, I wear it immediately and went back to work on that day with sharper vision. The best thing is that I have no problem in viewing smaller font articles now on my iPhone/iPad and I can see things, near or far, clearer now.

If you are "suffering" from the presbyopia like me and want to try out the similar contact lenses, you can Get a FREE 10-day trial of CooperVision Proclear 1 day Multifocal and an eye exam conducted by CooperVision's partners at Paris Miki for a small fee of $30. The $30 can be used as a rebate for any purchase of 2 boxes ofCooperVision Proclear 1 day Multifocal contact lens within a month of your trial.

Cheers!

This TEDTalk Will Set You Rethink Of Achieving Happiness

2014-03-26T09:39:00.004+08:00

I like to watch and at times just listen to TEDTalk as there are so many inspirational and knowledge waiting to be grab there.

Recently, I've chanced upon an old TEDTalk presented by Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think Inc, also a psychologist. The title of the presentation is "The Happy Secret To Better Work".

One thing that I like very much about his talk is he is truly a story teller and an intelligent "joker" that can crack clever jokes out of nowhere. Seeing is believing, check out his talk below :

Following is a snapshot from his presentation which I thought worth special mentioning as these simple steps enable you to create a ripple effect towards happier self :

Cheers!

How I Wish I Can Wrap Up....

2014-03-12T15:05:00.000+08:00

How I Wish I can Wrap Up....

Yes, this is what I had in mind at the moment. So, what is the thing that I want to wrap up?

In fact, there are quite a number of stuffs that I wanted to wrap up but one particular thing is : complete my online course on Udemy called "Investing Basics : A Framework For Your Financial Future", I am just at the 10% of the course and planning to complete the whole course by end of this Sun (16th March 2014).

Talking about Udemy, the popular MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) alternative from Coursera, offers quite a number of free and paid online courses that we all can take advantage to have a life-long learning without limitation of attending the courses physically. If you are interested to learn more about Udemy and their limited time offer of 60% off paid courses, check out the blog here.

And last but not least, let's...

Unwrap good times with KFC Bandito Pockett!

KFC Bandito Pockett packed with so many tasty ingredients, 100% chicken fillet marinated in signature hot & crispy flavor, served on a bed of fresh lettuce, with salsa and mayonnaise, all wrapped in a toasted tortilla. It is every KFC fan’s favourite wrap! Try it now to enjoy a good time!

What Constitute An Happiest Couple? This Infographic Tells The Secrets!

2014-02-10T20:37:00.001+08:00

If you are a married couple, I guess you will do everything at your power to stay happy and hope to be an happy couple, through and through.

But what constitute happiest couple? If might seems subjective but this infographic from Happify has quantify it with some quantitative findings.

In general, following are the key elements that influence on happiness in couple :

1. Money (money is not everything but it is still hugely important)

2. Length of marriage

3. Sex

4. Educational qualification

5. Child

Now, keep reading to find out the complete matrix of happiest couple.

Cheers!

Can't Wait To Watch Thor - The Dark World

2013-10-25T12:43:00.000+08:00

To be frank, prior to the 2011's Thor, I have little knowledge about this muscular, long haired, red cape and constantly with a giant hammer's superhero. After the show, I quite like how Chris Hemsworth portrayed the titular role and also the charismatic and funny villain, Loki (by Tom Hiddleston).

Next week, the sequel, Thor - The Dark World will be released in the cinemas and I can't wait to watch it in 3D (or IMAX 3D).

Come and think of it, what would I do If I have Thor’s Mjölner (the Hammer) for a day? Hmmm... I think I will do the same as what Thor do best! Use it to hammer those ungraceful people around us (first come to the list will be the man spitting on the women countless time at the Woodland Bus Interchange ;-)).

Check out more movie details below:

The Synopsis (source: IMDB.com):

Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

The Posters:

The Trailer:

Other details:

"Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World” will be released in Singapore cinemas this 31 October 2013! For more updates, like the Official Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World Singapore Facebook Page, and subscribe to the Official Marvel Singapore YouTube Channel!”

Cheers!

Coursera - The online Gem, Miss It At Your Own Cost!

2013-10-17T22:12:00.002+08:00

Acquiring knowledge is a lifelong journey! We should not stop learning regardless of our age. In fact, it is through ongoing learning that we are trying to defy the ticking clock of age! With the invent of internet, acquiring new knowledge is no longer time consuming or costly. In fact, it is FREE (at times).

Today, I am going to share an online course network called Coursera which provides variety of online courses from various well known Universities (like Northwestern University, Princeton University and Yale University etc..). The courses ranging from Arts, to Biology, to Health, to Information Technology and many more.

Coursera - Understanding Media By Understanding Google

I am currently taking my very first Coursera course called "Understanding Media by Understanding Google" (via Northwestern University) which is in the final 2 weeks of the course. The courses are usually structured into weekly modules and conducted through video lectures as well as online reading materials (to be provided as links). Of course, different courses from different Universities might be conducted differently but so far I am quite happy with the quality and coverage of the course.

I am giving this network a THUMB UP for those who like to attend university like online courses.

Have you taken the online course from Coursera? What is your review? Feel free to share your view in the comment section.

Enjoy!

SMILES Is Your New Force Of Positivity

2013-09-01T17:50:00.001+08:00

After missing for one month from the blog, I am back!

One of the main objective of my blog is to share some of my personal inspirational snippets/thinking/stories etc..to my readers so as to create a more positive energy in the online and offline space. In fact, even without updating my blog, I do still continue to share my inspirational quotes through my social media channels (to connect with me in these channel, just choose Facebook or Twitter).

Recently, Facebook introduced a new feature called "Embed Post" which I thought is a great way for me to integrate what I've shared in my facebook with all of you here.

As per the blog title, SMILES is your new force of positivity. Don't you think so? If you are constantly keeping a long face, do you think you will emit positivity for the people around you?

Following are selected SMILES related posts that I've shared in my Facebook recently and thus would like to reshare it here.

Keep reading and enjoy!

Post by Richard Ng.

Cheers!

Want To Be Happier? Try Participate In Charity Drive, Voluntarily!

2013-07-31T20:30:00.000+08:00

First, I have a question for you : Most of the time, your source of happiness is when you are GIVING or RECEIVING? (I am not talking about money alone, it could be a piece of good advice, compliments or contribution to charity drive etc...)

Take a few seconds to think about this important question.

Be true to yourself!

There is no right or wrong answer!

Keep reading...

OK! My guess is that most of us gathered our happiness from both sources. Some are more towards RECEIVING end and others are more towards GIVING end.

Let's dissect a little bit more of each spectrum here...

When you are GIVING (voluntarily):

- You are in full control of what to give and who to give it to.

- You are creating a more positive/happy environment for the people around you.

- It is a "One-to-One" or "One-to-Many" relationship i.e. there is a potential of reaching more beneficiaries (receivers) in the process.

When you are RECEIVING:

- You are dependant on others to provide and it is not within your control (on what you are going to receive).

- You are only part of a more positive/happy environment.

- It is a "One-to-One" or "Many-to-One" relationship i.e. you are one of the beneficiaries (receivers).

From the past one year or so, I am trying to focus more on GIVING (than RECEIVING) and am very happy about the change as I do become an happier man now. The pure thought of my participation could possibly help/benefit some under-privilege individuals is enough to generate the positive energy inside me. As mentioned earlier, GIVING need not be in monetary term alone, it can be anything as long as you gave it voluntarily and sincerely.

To quote as example, following are some of the meaningful GIVING causes that I have participated in:

1. Blood donation (quarterly since April last year):

2. Hair For Hope campaign (for Children Cancer Foundation) - last weekend, first time ever:

3. Monthly donation to the Singapore Kidney Foundation (even though it's only a small amount)

Please note that this post is by no means trying to show off any of my previous contribution. Rather, I am trying to inspire as many people as possible to look at different angle when searching for the meaning of happiness. Many a time, by becoming a source of happiness, we are naturally becoming an happier and better person. Don't you think so?

Feel free to share with us your experiences in participating in any of the charity drive(s). Hope to hear from you folks soon.

Cheers!

When You Are In The Crossroad, What Would You Do?

2013-07-30T21:00:00.000+08:00

Many a time, we are at the crossroads (many are unplanned ones) and need to make a decision as to whether to TURN LEFT, TURN RIGHT or just U-TURN. And most of the time, once you've made the decision, there is no way back i.e. you can't turn back and said "Oops! I think I've made a wrong choice, can I choose the other route instead?".

Effectively, life is formed through a series of continuous decisions. We made good decisions, bad decisions and at times no decisions. Sometimes, our decisions might affect others and other times, other people's decisions might impact us.

As mentioned above, "no decision" is also a decision, thus, we are "making" tonnes of decisions, day in day out. Of course, at times we might not even know we are "making" a decision. Some are huge decisions (like getting married, change career path etc...) and some are just routine or minor decisions (like what to eat for lunch? Taking bus or driving to work? etc...).

Today, I am going to talk about making big decision (the real crossroads of your life). The ones that potentially change your life in the next 10-20 years (or even more) time frame. When you are in such crossroad, what would you do?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question! My SIMPLE view is to SLOW DOWN and THINK (before proceed)!

On the THINKING part, pay attention to the following key elements:

1. Resources - Always obtain as much information/resources (pertaining to the options available, their pros and cons etc...) before and during the decision making stage.

2. Support - Support from your loved ones like family and friends are important. Thus, be open to them and share your situation/view with them to obtain their support. Of course, I am not saying that you need to get their approval for your decision. But with the necessary support, it will make your decision making process an easier task.

3. Your Inner Voice - Simply put, this is your gut feeling! Ask yourself : what do you really want?

Quotes on CROSSROAD

The DON'T :

Never, ever rush into making huge decisions (unless it is a life and death situation which requires your immediate attention or decision). Also, pressure and fear might influence your logical thinking, thus, avoid making decision out of pressure or fear.

Lastly, always remember that you (and only you) are responsible to all the decision you made. No decision is worst than bad decison and bad decisions is a good learning points. Thus, you just need to keep going as the future is an endless road...

What do you think? Feel free to leave a note or two in the comment section.

Cheers!

Are We Appreciating (Favor From Others) Correctly All These While?

2013-07-29T23:14:00.000+08:00

We are living in a closely knitted community (offline or online), many a times, we can't avoid providing or receiving helps or assistance from each others. They could be your friends, colleagues or even family members. In fact, reciprocity* is important for effective and meaningful living.

Usually, if we are at the receiving end, we will feel thankful and appreciative. What would you normally do when in such situation? In short, what would you do in appreciating the helps? I guess besides saying zillion times of thank you (if it's a huge favour), you will feel kind of like "owing" the other party something. Whenever there is chance in the future, you will "repay" their kindness. In Chinese, we called it "欠人情".

Of course, this is human nature and I am sure it is the right thing to do. Having said that, is there any other things that we can do to amplify our appreciation (for the helps received)? I for one believed in the concept of "Paying It Forward" and thus would like to share my opinion on this topic.

In fact, talk about Pay It Forward, there was a movie with the same title (by Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Harley Joel Osment) which I like it very much. I recommend it to everyone who are into positive and sharing mindset. Click on the image below for more details of the movie:

Following the spirit of Paying It Forward, instead of focusing on repaying back to the providing party, we can amplify our kindness to another third party by providing them the similar kind of helps/assistance. Thus, the more we are appreciating, the more people will get helped and it will turn into a massive web of reciprocity. Can you imagine what kind of positive energy it will generate at the end (in fact, there will be no end to it)?

Do you agree with me? Feel free to share your view in the comment section.

Cheers!

*Reciprocity is defined as responding to a positive action with another positive action.

Hair For Hope Mission Accomplished ; Hope For Hair Next

2013-07-28T23:36:00.000+08:00

Finally! I've gotten my fresh look at the very top.

Yesterday, my maiden participation in the Hair For Hope campaign has come to realization. When I reached the location (Vivo City Singapore) half-an-hour earlier than the registered time, what surprises me are the massive queues. There are 2 queues, one for those pre-registered participants (like me) and the other is for those impromptu candidates.

While in the queue, can share the excitements of fellow shavees in participating in this meaningful cause, especially for those ladies (kudos to their courage). As per the MC, there were about 8,000 shavees (unaudited) participated in this year's event (which is 2,000 more than this year's target). I am proud to be part of this meaningful event.

You know what? The icing on the cake is that I have also able to inspired an online donation that exceeded my personal target of $1,000. I know this is not a big amount but every dollar counts! The donation drive is still on-going, if you are interested to check out more or pledge your online donation, feel free to click on Hair For Hope 2013.

If you ask me whether I will be participating again in the following years, my answer is : of course!

Following are some of the photos taken during and after the event.

Pre-shave (the crowd, the queue and the pre-bald shots):

Shaving in progress (going..going.... gone):

Post-shave (The baldness me):

Feel free to share your personal experience of participating in such meaningful event.

Cheers!

I Am Ready For A Bald Statement (Hair For Hope)

2013-07-22T22:52:00.001+08:00

YES! I am ready, my hair are ready!

I am ready to experience a brand new image of myself! In less than 5 days' time, I will get my head shaved for a meaningful cause. If you are clueless about what I am referring to, check out my earlier post on Bald Statement - Bold Action.

This is the very first time of me participating in such a big scale charity campaign and I am pretty sure that it wouldn't be my last. In Chinese, there is a saying， “取之社会，用之社会” (briefly translated as "we took it from the society/community ; we returned it to the society/community [via charity/community efforts]) and it will be my living motto from now on. I guess it is never too late to do good ;-)

With the help of my colleagues and friends (both known and anonymous), I managed to inspire a total of $880 donation as at today (only $120 shy from my personal target of $1,000). Once again, on behalf of Children Cancer Foundation, a BIG THANK YOU to you all!

To donate: Click here NOW and then click on "Make Donation" button to proceed!

This is how I look like now (the BEFORE photo) and I will post my AFTER photo over the weekend.

Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Bald Statement - Bold Action [Hair For Hope 2013]

2013-06-11T21:16:00.002+08:00

Botak (Malay for "baldness") might be a taboo situation that any normal person would want to get involved with. However, at times it is not a matter of choice but a consequences that certain individuals need to embrace and go through (e.g. the side effect after going through some necessary cancer treatment).

As part of my ongoing effort to get involve in as many charity movements/meaningful causes as possible, after committed myself with the quarterly blood donation, my next commitment is to participate in the annual Hair For Hope 2013 campaign (this is the 11th year running). Hair for Hope is Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF) signature fundraising event - the only head-shaving event in Singapore that serves to raise funds and awareness of childhood cancer.

As a shavee, I become one of the many CCF ambassadors in helping to raise awareness of childhood cancer among their family and friends. It also provides an opportunity to garner support from the public in the form of donations.

From 27th Jul 2013 (Sat) onward, I will be happily "botak" for at least a couple of weeks (this is nothing as compared to the ordeals that the little cancer patients need to go through). Thus, with such little gesture and encouragement, I hope to be able to create as much awareness as possible and along the way garner much needed support from my readers, in the form of donations.

Talking about the donations, I am happy (and surprise at the same time) that I managed to inspire fellow donors (named and anonymous) to pledge a total of SGD660 donations so far. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks all of them once again! THANK YOU!

Of course, when come to donation for a meaningful cause, the more the merrier. If you are interested to learn more about Hair For Hope 2013 or support my participation in the form of online donation (any amount is good amount), feel free to click on the following image:

To donate: Click on the above image and then on "Make Donation" button in the following screen!

I will update the progress and my botak photo immediately after the event. So, stay tuned!

Cheers!

This Photoshop Stunt Will Make Your Day

2013-06-09T10:20:00.003+08:00

After a few months gap in posting, I am back! ;-)

Today, I am going to share something light, hope to make your weekend a brighter one. If you are living in Finland and using public transport, you might be one of the unsuspecting actor/actress, which will leave you a smile at the end by this Photoshop trick.

As part of of a promotion for Adobe Creative Days, taking place live online beginning June 11, this Photoshop trick is a combi of both Candid Camera and Mission: Impossible stunt. Basically, it is an effort to demo how quickly you (the user of Photoshop) can produce a convincing composites via Photoshop. It definitely makes the point rather clearly. Don't you agree?

Now, enjoy the 2 minutes clip and have a laugh! ;-)

Cheers!

We All Need A Bucket List

2013-03-25T20:00:00.000+08:00

Let's face it, we all going to die when the time is "right". No one can escape the certainty of death except that we all hope our turn can be later than sooner. Thus, we should not be too concern about death itself but rather what we are going to do while we are still alive and kicking?! Agree?

Hence, my post on Bucket List today. Simply put, Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you die (kicked the bucket). Another way to look at it is that once you've checked all the items in your bucket list, you are deemed to have no more regrets in your life as you've done all you set out to complete!

Thus, I am of the view that regardless of your age now, it is important for all of us to maintain a Bucket List and check it off along the way.

Some of my thought about the Bucket List:

1. The things/action in the Bucket List need to be challenging and meaningful enough in your life i.e. those stuffs that you can attain easily should not be in the list. The ideal thing is something that will test your courage, gut, determination or something that is spiritually and mentally enriching. Having said that, it doesn't mean that it must be something huge or grand (scroll further down for some typical examples)

2. When identifying the list, avoid considering whether it is achievable or not (you can leave this to the later when working towards achieving them). So, think big!

3. The earlier you start compiling your list, the longer it should be and the chances of achieving more items from the list is higher. Thus, just like saving or investing, start early so that you can complete more items throughout your life.

Bucket List

So, what are the good example of Bucket List? Following are some typical examples:

1. Go Mountain Cycling

2. Go canoeing

3. Learn to play golf

4. Invent a board game etc...

Of course, only you (and you only) can determine what's in your list. You need to do some soul searching and identifying them through your mind and heart. One key action is that you need to put them in writing (offline or online). There are a number of FREE mobile apps that you can download (iOS or Android) to keep track of your Bucket List, just search for it.

In fact, there was a movie with the same title (The Bucket List, 2008) starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and I loved it. It is very meaningful and definitely worth your time. Click on the image below for more details of the movie:

Lastly, to be realistic, we are not living in an ideal world and it is highly possible that we might not checked off all the items in our bucket list when our time is "right", but that's besides the point, the key is we keep identifying what WE WANT TO DO (before we kicked the bucket) and work towards achieving them.

So, do you maintain your Bucket List now? If "no", are you planning to start one soon? Feel free to share your view in the comment section.

Cheers!

Shut Down And Shut Off On Earth Hour 2013!

2013-03-20T13:22:00.000+08:00

This year, the annual event of Earth Hour will be kicked off on 23rd Mar 2013 (Sat) at 8.30PM, I am a supporter of this meaningful event since 2010. Click here to see my previous blog post on Earth Hour 2012. The way I supported the event is switching off all the lights at home and stay "dark" for at least one hour. That's It!

I believed many of you might think that what a difference can 1 hour make? What's the point of such event? Of course, if you are talking about a few hundreds or thousands of people doing it, the effect might not be there? But what if I tell you that there are more than 152 countries (7,000 cities/towns) and millions of people are taking part in this event (statistics as per 2012 Earth Hour), can you see the magnificent savings?

So, let's shut down and shut off on Earth Hour! Mind you, it's less than 3 days away!

Following are some videos on Earth Hour 2013 for the sharing...

Earth Hour 2013 Official Video:

Earth Hour CEO and Co-founder Andy Ridley's 2013 global launch keynote speech:

For more relevant information and resources, check out Earth Hour's Official Site here.

Cheers!

Ageing Is Part Of Our Biological Program, Embrace It!

2013-03-12T20:12:00.002+08:00

When we were young, whenever our parents failed to find other better reason to tell us not to do something or act on certain way, they will probably said "You are still young, you can do it only when you are older" or "You will understand when you are older". Thus, most of us hope that we can get older faster (at least at that moment).

When we are much older (say at the age of 30s or 40s), we notice that time flies really fast and we can't cope with the speed of "ageing" in terms of our physical appearance and energy level. At this stage of our life, we hope that we can get older much slower!

We all know that ageing is a natural progression of all living objects (including human beings). In fact, it is already pre-programmed in our DNA that we all destined to get old progressively and ultimately face the certainty of death, it is just a matter of time. Of course, environmental effect and supplements could play a part in holding back the speed of ageing externally but internally, the DNA won't lies.

As you might already know, I do not have any panacea or tips on how not to aged, but what I can say is instead of fighting against ageing, let's embrace it and age gracefully. The best way to do it is whatever you are doing now (or going to do), forget about your age, JUST DO IT! (unless of course if you are underage for certain activities that require certain minimum age!).

Lastly, I would like to share a cool hand-drawn animated video on "The Science Of Ageing" from AsapSCIENCE which is very relevant to today's post.

Check it out, it is suitable for all ages! ;-)

Do you have any tips/tricks to share on the best way(s) to embrace ageing? Feel free to share it in the comment section.

Cheers!

Mindy McCready Found Dead In Apparent Suicide

2013-02-19T11:11:00.000+08:00

Yet another musician gone too soon!

Mindy McCready (age 37), the popular Country singer found dead on the porch of a house in Heber Springs, Arkansas, on Sunday (17th Feb 2013) afternoon. She was pronounced dead at the scene “from what appears to be a single self-inflicted gunshot wound”, said in a Police statement.

She achieved early success with her 1996 debut album, “Ten Thousands Angels,” which sold a reported 2 million copies. Her other popular songs are "Guys Do It All The Time" and "If I Don't Stay The Night".

R.I.P Mindy McCready

Now, let's rekindle with some of the great songs from her below:

1. Ten Thousands Angels

2. Guys Do It All The Time

3. If I Don't Stay The Night

Jason Chee, You Can Make It!

2013-02-17T17:58:00.004+08:00

Source: The Sunday Times

It has been almost 2 months since the horrific naval accident last December that costs Jason (30-year-old serviceman) both his legs, his left arm and three fingers on his right arm. Today, he re-appeared in the Prime News of local newspaper, The Sunday Times, as a stronger and high-spirited man.

When the news broke out last year while he was still in critical condition and need more blood supply for the transfusion, hundreds of Singaporeans flocked to the blood banks and hundreds of thousands of donation has been collected since then. This is only the small gesture of support that fellow Singaporean can give him and it is definitely of no match to the pain and lost that he is experiencing.

One good news is that Ministry Of Defence has since committed (in Jan 2013) to cover the full medical and rehabilitation expenses incurred by Jason. At least he has one less thing (money) to worry about and focus on his recovery to rebuilt his life.

Today, he has shown good progress in his recovery and soon will be transferred to another hospital (Tan Tock Seng Hospital) for rehabilitation. What deeply touches me deeply is his Never-Say-Die spirit and his positiveness towards this incident. Following are some extracts of his conversation with the reporter:

Jason Chee on his current situation: "I'm happy. Because the worst pain is over!"

Jason Chee on the support: "The first thing that came to mind was, wow, the whole Singapore is supporting me. I was so touched. I cried, I really cried."

Jason Chee on moving forward: "I cans till move my right arm. I still have these fingers on my hand...My goal this year? I want to stand up and walk"

This bring me to share one of the most inspiring book that I've read sometime back. It's called Unstoppable - The Incredible Power Of Faith In Action by Nick Vujicic. For more details of the book, click on the image below:

So, have faith Jason, you can make it and hope to see you stand up taller than before soon.

Lastly, just like to remind all (myself included) to treasure whatever we have now as whatever we have might be taken away from us (voluntarily or involuntarily) without any warning/notice.

Cheers!

NS Is More Than Turning You From Ah Boys To Men

2013-02-15T18:29:00.000+08:00

At this moment, the hottest movie in town is non other than "Ah Boys To Men - Part 2". This local production by the resurrected director, Jack Neo has broken his own record with the first installment of "Ah Boys To Men - Part 1", grossing more than $6 millions in sale. And the second installment (which is showing now) looks set to break his own record, AGAIN (grossing more than $4.6 millions in 13 days).

Ok, actually I am not going to write the movie review here. Instead, I just wanted to pointed out that National Service (NS) not only transforming an ah boy to a man, it also provides other tangible and intangible benefits to the NSMen and their loved ones!

To commemorate the 45th anniversary of National Service (NS), the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is launching a campaign called NS45 to provide one-off benefits to more than 900,000 National Servicemen. This is a one-off recognition initiative to thank National Servicemen for their dedicated service to the nation. SAFRA vouchers ranging from S$50 to S$100 and/or FREE 1-year SAFRA membership will be given.

NS45

This additional privilege will be an icing on the cake for all the existing and new SAFRA (Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association) members. Just to quote as example, SAFRA members are already enjoying the following wholesome lifestyle privileges:

1. Use of SAFRA sports facilities e.g. gym, swimming pool etc
2. Use of SAFRA vouchers for dining privileges

2. Use of recreation, leisure and entertainment facilities from SAFRA Club and many more...

Of course, the ultimate objective of SAFRA is to bring NSMen closer together through their everyday social interaction. Thus, if you are eligible, it is a no-brainer to join SAFRA now (it's FREE for 1-year now!) and get truly connected with your friends, family and loved ones via the many lifestyle privileges stated above. It's a pity that I am not eligible to be a SAFRA member as I am an ex-Malaysian, thus am not able to share my personal experience with you here. If you are one of the existing SAFRA member, feel free to share your experience with us in the comment section.

For more details of the benefits of SAFRA Member and NS45, check out the following sites:

SAFRA Facebook Fan Page

SAFRA Official Site

NS45 Official Site

By the way, if you have no clue on what is the movie "Ah Boys To Men" all about? Check out the trailer below (Part 2):

Cheers!

History Of Valentine's Day In Animation

2013-02-13T16:28:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow (14th Feb) is Valentine's Day, have you gotten ready the flowers, heart-shape card and/or chocolate in an heart-shape boxe? Today, I am going to share the history of Valentine's Day and not how you or me going to celebrate it.

But not to worry, I am not going to write a lengthy story about the origin of St Valentine's Day (this is what is was originally called). Instead, I am going to share with you a one-and-a-half minutes animation (seeing is believing). You might have thought that the origin of Valentine's Day is a romantic and sweet one. It is anything but. In fact, it is somewhat related to a tragic event...

To find out more, check out the animation below...

So, after watching this animation, would you be doing anything different in celebrating your Valentine's Day?

Cheers!

Happy Chinese New Year To ALL

2013-02-09T18:07:00.000+08:00

In about 6 hours time, we, Chinese will be celebrating the First Day (年初一) of Lunar New Year. Traditionally, most Chinese will be celebrating the eve of the Lunar New Year by having the reunion dinner (or meal) with family members and close friends.

This year, I will be missing my reunion dinner with my family for various reasons but I am still going back to my home town (Taiping Perak, Malaysia) tonight so that can still catch up with my family members on the First Day of Lunar New Year. By the way, Chinese New Year will be lasted for 15 days (from 10th Feb 2013).

Accordingly to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the Year Of Snake (out of the 12 animals), each of us belong to one of the twelve animals. In any case, it doesn't really matter which year we were born, the important thing is to stay healthy, happy and be generous in giving out love!

I like to take this opportunity to wish all of you...

GONG XI FA CHAI！

万事如意！

Will see ya again soon.

Cheers!

The Joy of Setting Goals

2013-01-29T11:00:00.001+08:00

Regardless of age, people need to set meaningful goals that they truly desire to accomplish. Goals may be as simple as washing dishes or as complex as learning a new language. However, the desire to accomplish the objective is the most significant factor in setting and achieving goals.

The Reason to Set Goals

Dissatisfaction is the only reason people set goals. People who are satisfied with their daily routines remain in their comfortable ruts until they retire. Perhaps that’s why 43 percent of American retirees had less than $10,000 in savings in 2010. According to CNNMoney.com, this represented an increase of 4 percent compared with 2009. Whatever the reason, setting long-term goals would increase the amount in savings at retirement.

Although the retirees’ homes and pensions are not included in the CNN report, the most satisfied among us should recognize the importance of setting goals. We should realize that the only way to change our lifestyle, environment, financial or other areas of our lives require that we choose to change.

Setting Goals

· Goals Should be Specific.

When establishing goals, you should determine a specific amount for retirement. Instead of saying that you will have a lot of money, determine that you will have $100,000 in savings. You will be motivated as the account grows.

· Declare a Due Date.

Determine a specific date that you expect to accomplish your goal. Make a daily schedule to work on each step that is needed to achieve your goals. By working on long-term goals every day, you remind yourself of the goal, and see the progress you are making.

· Visualize Your Goal.

If your goal is to get additional education, visualize yourself walking across the stage to receive your diploma or certificate.

When setting the goal of buying a new home, you can search the Internet for your perfect home. Once you find it, you should drive by it each day.

If you want to drive a new BMW, you can visit a website like www.bmwrockville.com choose your dream car and visualize the day you will own it.

Staying Motivated

Remember that the winning team is not always ahead during the game. You cannot afford to give up when things go wrong. Strengthen your resolve and continue pursuing your goals

Be sure to reward yourself each time you accomplish a goal. An evening of dining and entertainments is a suitable reward for some goals. A day off playing with the kids is both enjoyable and a great stress reliever. Buying a BMW is a great reward when you have achieved an extremely challenging goal.

Purpose Gives Life Meaning

As the choose goals, you are examining areas of your life that you choose to improve. Since you make the choice, you are fulfilling a purpose, and your purpose fills your life with more joy.

Opportunities to improve your health, lifestyle, finances and countless other areas of life exist when you choose to set goals.

Inspirational Pep Talk From Kid (Video)

2013-01-27T18:17:00.002+08:00

We all need pep talk once in a while as regular booster for inspiration and motivation. At times, the most unexpected source of pep talk could be from the kid. Not buying it? Check out this pep talk video from Kid President (yup, that's the name in the video and we don't know the kid's real name).

This could be the best inspirational pep talk ever!

Enjoy....

What do you think about this video? Share your view in the comment section.

Cheers!