Vampy's Thoughts

Are You the Type of White Wine Lover?

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:23:00 +0000

When a wine goes through fermentation, the grape's natural sugars are converted to alcohol by yeast. When a winemaker stops the fermentation process short, some of the wine's sugar remains unconverted into alcohol and makes up the wine's residual sugar (RS) content. It's this residual sugar that offers up the sweet factor in a wine.

In our El Novio Perfecto 2013 which is a semi sweet white wine conceived and crafted by two gentlemen at the peak of their profession: David Sampedro Gil, the man who took the Spanish wine scene by storm a few years ago, and Bruno Murciano, former Head Sommelier at the London Ritz Hotel and co-founder of DeVinos TASTESPAÑA UK. Separately vinified, the purpose of the winemakers was to produce a dry wine. This is why the alcoholic fermentation of the Viura grapes was cold crashed to stop the process when the juice had achieved the desired level of natural sugar.

Types of Grapes to know?
Viura (Macabeo)-is a white wine grape used on either side of the Pyrenees, in the north and east of Spain and the southernmost reaches of France. A relatively versatile grape, it is used in still, sparkling, dry and sweet wines. There are few universal truths about how Macabeo tastes; the wines can be fresh, floral and aromatic when harvested sufficiently early and aged in stainless steel, but weighty, honeyed and nutty when aged in oak and harvested slightly later.

Spain is unquestionably Macabeo's homeland. It is used in almost every wine district of Catalonia, particularly in sparkling Cava wines, and is the principal ingredient in white wines from Rioja, where the locals call it Viura. Southwards along the Mediterranean coast, Macabeo can be found in various areas, most notably Valencia, Yecla and Jumilla.

Looking for some specific sweet white wines and dessert wines to try? Then check out and grab a bottle of our semi sweet white wine El Novio Perfecto made from 50% Moscatel and 50% Viura grapes. Just the right taste and balance to you! Grab one today.

Moscatel-The Moscatel (or Muscat) variety we describe here is Muscat of Alexandria, which is the one that is mostly planted in Spain, in the Eastern coastal Levante (in the Valencia and Alicante D.O.) and in the Southern part, in the D.O.s of Jerez-Sherry & Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Málaga in Andalucía. Even though Moscatel of Alexandria is thought to be original from Italy or Greece, it is an old variety which has been planted in Spain for centuries and that forms part of some of its more traditional wines, specially sweet wines.

Why we like Moscatel?
We like it because is highly aromatic, with floral notes (sometimes you can smell rose petals on Moscatel wines), orange skin aromas that are very enticing. This translates in perfumed wines that capture the consumer from the nose. In the mouth, Moscatel wines are normally made off-dry to sweet, displaying honey and fruit preserve notes and orange/tangerine reminiscences.

You’d love Moscatel if you like…
…sweet wines which are highly aromatic, with floral and fruit preserve notes in the nose and palate with orange/tangerine reminiscences.
highly aromatic off-dry wines with some sweetness, light to medium body that can be enjoyed on their own or as dessert wine.

Please like the Malaysia fanpage of El Novio Perfecto Vino for your upcoming celebration or festival.....Click here: https://www.facebook.com/elnovioperfectomalaysia

Going China...

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:23:00 +0000

The clock in my laptops is now 12.38am and am still awake while my bf knocked out on the bed like a dead frog...He has yet to pack his stuff and is expecting me to pack it for him (as usual).

He told me just throw in whatever is necessary like his shaver, toothbrush, "undies" and jacket...Cos the rest he's going to buy it there. Woo Hoo...We are finally going to China and I know he needed the break cos' he had a long and pressure week in work.

He had non-stop interview, meeting and datelines to finish before leaving to China for 6 days! Our Airasia flight is at 6am. So, we need to leave from Bangsar at 4am! So, I guess I'm gonna try to stay awake till then cos if I knocked out like him, I'll be dead tired after that. So, I rather conserve my sleep till the plane. Hopefully I can get some shut eyes in their straight rigid seat.

Where the hell am I going? Well, my actual destination is Guangzhou but due to the price difference between K.L-Guangzhou (RM 700++) and K.L-Macau (RM 520-inclusive airport tax), we decided to take the latter one. Once arrive, we will either take the bus/ train (depending on the situation) to Shenzhen.

Luckily, my supplier will be picking us from Shenzhen and as usual treat us to a BIG fat lunch...HAhahaha...We are going to stay in Shenzhen for 2 days and then head to Guangzhou for their biggest , "Premium & Gift Fair". And our last day will be back to Macau in which I hope to sight-see and visit their new Casino. Woo...Hooo...Oh and not forgetting eating their famous Portuguese Tarts & Pork Burger!

Anyway, will be bringing my laptop along...hopefully i can do my posting with pictures while I'm there. If not I will be back to my posting after the 1st May.

Ciao guys....

The Forbidden Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:34:00 +0000

Yesterday, my bf managed to get us tickets to watch my long awaited movie, "The Forbidden Kingdom".

When I first heard the rumors of a possible movie collaboration between Jet Li and Jackie Chan, I was crossing my fingers, hoping it will be a reality this time.

I was always a die-hard fan of Jet Li since he made his movie debut , "Once Upon a Time in China".

I was so inspired by his Kung-fu stunts thatI even went scouting around to learn Kungfu (I was 15 that time when I started). After his breakthrough success with "Once a Upon a Time in China", I'd never missed any of his movie since then.

I was even crazy enough to watch all his movie twice in the cinema and bought his home videos (No VCD/DVDs then) and would watch it like 2-3 times a month. I even had posters pasted all over my room and a notebook with a collection of articles & pictures from newspaper! That was like 10 years back, but hey I'm still a big big fan of Jet li now (of course not as crazy as last time)...As for Jackie Chan, I was not a big fan but I do admired his stunts skill. You could say both are from different school of martial arts.

Jet li was trained in Shaolin Kungfu and Jackie Chan was trained in acrobatic stunts. So, they both complement each other like a "yin" and "yang", as Jet li quoted in one of his interview.

Anyway, cutting the story short....the stunts and martial arts showcased in the movie was really good. I have to give credit to the special effects used in the movie. It reminded me of the movie, "Storm Riders". Anyway, they even made the American teenager, played by "Michael Angarano" (Never seen him before...guess he must be new) looked good doing Kung-fu, all thanks to "Yuen Wo Ping"(The same choreographer for Matrix).

I love the Jet Li and Jackie Chan's fighting scene together cos both were equally cool with their own signature moves. Jackie was playing the role of a drunken master and Jet Li the monk. There was even some kung-fu move of "Praying mantis" and "Tiger".

The producer managed to inflict humor into their fighting scene too. But you could really see both have aged but they are still fighting like a 20 year old!

So, hats down to both of them who I think still is good at what they are doing and the best representation of real martial artist!

Though, there were hypes about Tony Jaa,(actor in the movie "Ombak") being the next replacement to Jackie and Jet li, I still think he has a long road to go before reaching that kind of stardom and ticket sales.

The verdict: Worth every penny and it's a must watch for die-hard fans. It's an overall feel good movie, with cool graphic, kung-fu stunts and humor. It is also now the No.1 box office movie in America, raking around 21.4 million beating the highly anticipated movie, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Oh, and there is a small surprise at the end too.Happy watching people.

My Long Awaited Billy's Workout Kit

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Woo hoo...Today my long awaited package that I ordered from Amazon finally arrived @ my house. And, what package am I talking about?

Well, it's none other than my favorite home workout teacher, Billy Blanks. Billy who, you may ask...He was the one who created the "Taebo" workout in which he integrates classic technique from martial arts,boxing and dance moves.

I was introduced to "Taebo" from a college friend of mind who was a fitness freak. From there, I was hooked and kind of jumped start my pathway to exercise and healthy eating! 4 years ago, you could easily purchase his CDs @ any "Speedy" video stores. Unfortunately, now you won't be able to find any of his CDs, thus you have to order it online.

There's also another problem when you order his CD, they only do shipment to U.S and Canada. Luckily, I have a friend staying in West Virginia, U.S which I directed it over there. Then,I have it courier to Malaysia.

This "Billy Blanks Bootcamp" Cd contain 3 DVDS ("Basic Training Bootcamp", "Ultimate Bootcamp" & "Ab Bootcamp") with his "Billy Band" (This is a 2-pc bands for toning during the workout). How much did it cost me??

The cost of CD :RM 87.00
Courier fee from U.S to Malaysia:RM 70.00
Total Cost :RM 157.00 (Is it worth it? Well, with the courier charges it was not...)

Well, if it's not because of the bands, I would have waited for my friend to come back to Malaysia next year. I'd tried searching for the similar bands here in our fitness store, but most of them sell the single long band.

The difference between his bands and the normal band sold here, is that you can hook it over your shoes and start your kick-boxing exercise. Whereas the single band is purely for toning and not for jumping around.

How did I find it? Since it cost me so much to get it, it better be good.....And the verdict: One of the most challenging workout from Billy's range. Nevermind my sweat that kept dripping, I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up!

Imagine using resistance band to box, kick and tone....I can guarantee you that by the end of the workout, your energy is down to ground ZERO. I would highly recommend to anyone who truly wants to see a change in their body shape cos it is one of the best toning and cardio exercise combo!

...

The Myth About Cheating....

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Recently, my good friend confided in me about her problem with the bf. She was crying to me on the phone telling me about her big argument with her bf.

The issue was jealousy….possesive, maybe? After hours of whining over the phone, I finally got the whole picture. It was just a simple Latin dance lesson that she wanted to learn. This good friend of mine has always fancy Latin dance (E.g. Cha Cha, Rumba, Salsa….and such).

She loves watching this U.S reality program called, “Dancing with the Stars” and practically fantasized herself performing those spinning stunts! Well, when she told her bf about her interest to learn Salsa , he practically jumped at her and said,” I can’t imagine other men touching or holding my gf!”

I was like, “Eeeer...Ok, What era are we in again? Isn’t this Cave’s Men School of Thought?” Well, I can’t really blame her bf cos he had a bad experience with his ex-gf. Apparently, while the two was dating, she was sleeping with the ex! So, can you imagine how hurt he was and maybe that’s the reason he find it hard to trust a women again.

Having said that, I still feel that each individual is different and he should have more trust in her. Or better still, he should just learn salsa with her? Anyway, I found an article about the myth of cheating by Tracey Cox....It is extremely beneficial for those who want to know whether men cheat more often than women or whether you should confess if you’ve had an affair. And better yet, is cheating all about SEX?

Myth #1: People cheat because they're unhappy at home.

If you're female, this is usually the case. Women in long-term marriages who are having affairs report low satisfaction with their marriage. For men, on the other hand, that's not necessarily the case. Many men who love their partners and have great sex at home NEVER turn down an opportunity for a bit on the side if they think they can get away with it.

In one study, 56% of cheating men surveyed said their marriages were very happy. Only 34% of unfaithful women agreed.

Myth #2: Men cheat much more than women do.

This used to be the case, but now the infidelity scales are balancing out. Why? Women cheat for the same reasons as men: It's someone new. It's naughty (and therefore nice). But there are other reasons women cite: The affair was a "reward" for being an unappreciated wife and mother or for putting up with a partner who wasn't affectionate, didn't listen or ignored them.

It was an "ego boost." (Gone are the days when we'd treat ourselves to a new lipstick or haircut to cheer ourselves up.) We're still not as blase about affairs as men—women are more likely to feel guilty—but given that studies show we're much better at lying, we're also more likely to get away with it.

It's also a myth that it's men who try to turn friendships into affairs. Most unfaithful men see affairs as high opportunity and low involvement. On the contrary, it tends to be women who push platonic relationships from friendship to love and fantasy to reality, according to psychologists.

Women get more emotionally involved and are keen to test out friendships to determine if they'd make for better relationships than their current situations. So she's often seeking a potential soul mate; he's just having fun.

Myth #3: Affairs are mostly about sex.

Some affairs are about sex and most certainly include sex because sex with someone else is forbidden, making it very appealing. But sex is not always the reason people cheat. Affairs are a way for people to get something they're not getting from the relationship they're in. It's that simple. What's not so simple is defining what it is that's missing.

In fact, oftentimes the cheating partner isn't aware of it. Some people are searching for something they lost as a child, others for lost youth. Some people cheat on "perfect" partners because they're sick of perfection. It's not always about sex.

Myth #4: If he cheats on you, he doesn't love you.

It may feel that way, but it's not necessarily the case. It does, however, mean he doesn't respect you enough to honor the commitment you've made to one another and that he has a different value system than yours. Some people are more than capable of separating sex from love and physically sleeping with someone else doesn't affect their love for you.

Generally, men tend to have sex-based affairs, not emotional or "love-based" affairs. But, the decision you need to make is whether his definition of love is enough for you

Myth #5: Sex with an ex isn't cheating because you've been there, done that.

Sleeping with an ex is the sexual slip-up people most commonly expect to get away with. It doesn't feel like you're being unfaithful—it's not as if it's with someone new who might expect the sex to turn into a relationship—right? Wrong. Sadly, this is exactly why sex with an ex can have disastrous consequences.

You might be having a shag for old times sake, but your ex may be doing it as a desperate bid to rekindle the relationship. So you have to break it off (again) and explain to your current partner why you're suddenly getting e-mails or calls from him after all this time. The chances of getting found out are actually higher than if you'd had sex with a stranger because strangers won't feel the need to write a long, incriminating closure e-mail.

Myth #6: You can affair-proof your relationship.

You can lower the chances of an affair in your relationship, but there are never any guarantees. The next best thing? Choose the right partner. Choosing the right person is more important than keeping them happy once you've got them because things like morals, values systems and family backgrounds are much stronger influences on whether someone will cheat (or not).

Myth #7: If he has a history of cheating, he'll probably cheat on you too.

This one is almost always true. If your partner's cheated on almost everyone they've been out with—and nothing has happened to make them rethink their behavior—they'll almost certainly do the same to you.

Myth #8: You should always confess if you've had an affair.

If the affair is known or strongly suspected, you're better off telling. You've got more chance of rescuing your relationship after a voluntary confession than after an unwanted discovery. But if it's unlikely to be discovered, there are also valid reasons for keeping your mouth shut. For example, some experts will advise you not to tell if your partner's not the strongest person emotionally.

News of an affair isn't exactly going to give them a leg up on that steep, bumpy road to high self-esteem! Telling is going to wipe out any trust they'd mustered up, and it could take years to rebuild (if, indeed, that's possible).

Instead, work out why you had the affair in the first place. What were you getting from it that you aren't getting from the relationship you're in? Is it possible to create that with the person you're already with?

The worst possible reason to confess an affair is to make yourself feel better. True, it will lift the guilt off your shoulders. But it will plonk a whole heap of pain on your partner's. You made the mistake, now deal with the consequences.

(This is true, my sis’s ex told my sis about his 2 affairs during their 4 year r/ship. My sis could not take it and broke off the engagement. Though she loved him dearly, she just could not shrugged off the idea of him cheated on her. He thought he was being honest and open about it before marriage but boy did he make a BIG mistake! What do you think guys? Should you come out clean with your partner if you cheated? )

Myth #9: Cheating doesn't count if no one finds out about it.

Does cheating really matter if there's absolutely no chance you'd ever get found out, you will never see the person again, you had safe sex, it meant nothing and you told no one? It completely depends on your personality.

If you genuinely see nothing wrong with what you did, it probably doesn't. There's just one problem with this theory: Very few people truly believe there's nothing wrong with cheating. Even dodgy people are aware they're doing something "wrong" and this is where it all unravels, as your perception of your partner changes.

You're one up on him because you got away with something. This makes him appear either naive and too trusting, or vulnerable and hopelessly helpless. Good relationships are based on mutual admiration and respect, not pitying your partner or secretly thinking they're ignorant.

Myth #10: If there's no sex involved, it's not an affair.

“Emotional infidelity”—deep, passionate connections between people who often aren't even aware they've crossed the line from platonic friendship to romantic love—is the biggest threat a marriage can face. More than 80% of unfaithful people have affairs with someone who'd started out as "just a friend," very often a workmate.

In fact, one study showed that 50% of unfaithful women and 62% of unfaithful men were involved with someone at work. Intense but invisible, erotic but unconsumed, emotional infidelity is dangerous, addictive and way too easy to get away with. If you're often pretending you're single when you're not; if you send secret texts or emails; if you share intimate details of your life with people you fancy and lie to your partner about seeing them, you're an emotional cheater.

Myth #11: Fantasizing about someone else means you're about to be unfaithful.

While many sex therapists will actually encourage couples in long-term relationships to fantasize about other people to cope with temptation—logic being, it's okay to be unfaithful in your head, just not your bed—others say it's risky. They say affairs start in the mind and fantasy sex can make you want the real thing even more.

The whole point of fantasies, after all, is to conjure up brilliantly perfect sex. While the real life unfaithful encounter is likely to be far less exciting and imperfect, strong images can increase the craving to stray.

(Woo hoo….now I have a license to fantasize about Brad Pitt or even Johnny Depp…Hmmm…)

Myth #12: Affairs can "save" relationships.

This is a myth perpetuated by cheating people as justification for what they've done. And it's false. Can you imagine a couple ever saying “Boy, that affair was the best thing to ever happen to us?” That's because you won't.

Affairs usually involve breaking a vow, lying on a regular basis and betraying trust. Even those who survive find the relationship tinged with resentment, sadness and guilt.

(I for one totally agree with this statement that is just plain justification by people who cheated on their partners. How can affair turns out the best thing that ever happen in a relationship? It’s a selfish act of having the best of both worlds! After an affair it is extremely hard for the person to sincerely trust his/her cheating partner again. Sure, you wish to hold on to the phrase of “Forgive and Forget…” but come on, how many of you truly forgave your cheating partner? The wounds that were cut open can never truly heal cos there is still so much scars to be seen…..

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The Unknown Calories in Alcohol.....

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Now is 9.57am, Friday, April 11 2008 and I'm having a bad headache. Too much party perhaps?

Too much drinking, Nah.... It's true I came back this morning at 2AM from my boyfriend uncle's 25th anniversary. Yup and it was a Thursday night and boy can you imagine the tiredness you will get the next day? I wish I could call it a day but work have to go on....How sad.

Luckily, my work is mobile and flexible so I can still afford a little time-off/"Ular"(as my bf would put it). The party was held at this beautiful restaurant called, "ISHq" is located at Crowne Plaza, K.L. It has a very cozy ambience and a touch of Indian/Middle East decor to it.

I was in awed when I stepped into the restaurant looking at the lighting, the flooring and the mini fountain at the middle of the dining tables. The fountain even has some floating Orchids and Chrysanthemum, which added a sense of calmness to it. And my bf's cousin, Nance who works there got us a booking of 45 ppl, buffet style. The food served was Northern Indian style.

Every inch of the food was delicious and yummy. I usually go for 1 serving even for buffet style but this was too tempting to resist for 2nd and 3rd round. I had like 3 of their Naan bread cos it was so soft as compare to our normal "Mamak stalls" (Our Malaysian road side food stalls operated by Indian Muslim). What Punjabi party will do without serving of alcohol right? There was practically free flow of Beers, Vodka and Whisky. Practically, people there are drinking more than they are eating...so what a waste I would say.

And what a coincidence today while checking my mail, I’ve got and email talking all about booze! Well just to shed some lights to those beer drinkers and just watch out how many calories you are actually consuming in….

BEERS
Regular Beer: 153 calories (It takes you 45 minutes to walk it off)
Light Beers: 103 calories (It takes you 30 minutes to walk it off)
Dark Ale: 185 calories (It takes you 51 minutes to walk it off)

COCKTAILS

Bloody Mary:125 calories (10 oz.). It takes 34 minutes to walk it off.
Cosmopolitan : 213 calories (4 oz.). It takes 59 minutes to walk it off.
Pina Colada :303 calories (8 oz.). It takes 83 minutes to walk it off.
Apple Martini :235 calories (4 oz.). It takes 65 minutes to walk it off.
Gin & Tonic:143 calories (6 oz.). It takes 39 minutes to walk it off.
Rum & Coke:156 calories (6.5 oz.). It takes 43 minutes to walk it off.
Red Bull & Vodka:177 calories (9.3 oz.). It takes 49 minutes to walk it.
Long Island Iced Tea:276 calories (8.3 oz.). It takes 76 minutes to walk it off.
Margarita: 800 calories!! (If you're craving a margarita, stick to the smallest size and order it on the rocks. Save a few hundred calories by staying away from any cocktail that could be a dessert (anything with chocolate, cream, multiple liquors or fruit juice). Stick vodka soda.)

TIPS

An easy way to cut down on your drink calories is to use Low-calorie or Zero-calorie mixers. Using Diet Coke instead of Classic in your Rum and Coke will save you 61 calories. Don't forget to ask for diet tonic or soda water.

Regular tonic has as many calories as a can of Coca-Cola. What about trying your drink with soda water and a splash of your favorite juice to save 50 or 60 calories?

WINES

Red wine:129 calories (5 oz.). It takes 35 minutes to walk it off.
White wine, dry:120 calories (5 oz.). It takes 33 minutes to walk it off.
White wine, sweet:141 calories (5 oz.). It takes 36 minutes to walk it off.
Rose wine:102 calories (5 oz.). It takes 28 minutes to walk it off.
Sparkling wine: 68 calories (4.1 oz.). It takes 21 minutes to walk it off.

You guys probably heard the stories buzzing around the health benefits of wine, but, just like dark chocolate, a small amount can go a long way. Just stick to one 5-ounce glass(And I mean 1 glass) of your favorite wine, or have a white wine spritzer cut the calories in half.

Sweet wines and dessert wines have about 50 calories more than dry wines per serving. So, too many glasses of those red wines are also equivalent of you drinking beers.

For those interested to book a place for their event or just normal dine-in you, the address is below:

ISHq Restaurants
Main Lobby,
Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Telephone: +603 2144 3440
Fax: +603 2144 3442

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The Real Truth About Chocolates-REVEALED!!

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:40:00 +0000

I loves chocolates...but due to the high calories found in them I practically stopped myself from eating more than 1 mini piece of chocolate.

How sad!!I used to gobbled down tons of it...and i mean tons. Back in high school, I could really finished the whole 500grams of chocolate bar by myself...Serious! I remember when after my recovery from "chickenpox" , the first thing that I grab from the refrigerator was my favorite "Ferrero Rochere","Hersheys" and "Kit Kat".

However, when they started the buzz about chocolates being good for your health, I went back to eating it again. And yesterday I got an email from this diet expert, "Madelyn Fernstorm" revealing the the real truth about chocolates.

THE TRUTH-REVEALED........

1. Chocolate comes from a plant – it’s the seeds (within the pods) of the cocoa tree. It’s naturally very bitter; if you munched on a cocoa bean, you would find a very harsh and bitter taste, nothing like chocolate as we know it. It contain 0% sugar.

2. Cocoa solids contain a special antioxidant is found in cocoa solids, called “Flavanols”, which are where the health-promoting heart healthy claims of chocolate come from. This is dose related, meaning the more you eat, the more flavanols you consume. As a comparison, it takes nearly four ounces (that’s 3-4 regular size dark chocolate bars), consumed every day to promote a reduction in blood pressure!

That’s 500 calories and 42 grams of fat!So what is "Flavanol"? It is believe that it could lower down blood pressure and and increase blood flow to brain in which it raises the potential of treatment to "Dementia". So, at the end of the day, ask yourself this, "Are your health benefits worth the calories?" However, Flavanol is also found in other type of food including red wine, and black and green tea.

3. Cocoa are used to make different types of chocolates ranging from Milk chocolate (Lots of sugar, added milk, less cocoa solids), Dark chocolate (Limited sugar and lots of cocoa solids) to White chocolate (Not classified as chocolate at all cos' it has no cocoa solids only milk and sugar)

4. Is it health food? It’s not health food. But it does contain Flavanol. Problem when this cocoa is cook up and processed, alot of the flavanols are removed because they imparts bitter taste.

Recently Mars, a candy company (Hagen Schroeter of Mars Inc.) has released their new line of products called, "Cocoa Via" which is high in Flavanols and low in calories (1 bar=80-100calories).

Too bad is it not sold here in Malaysia cos I will be the first to grab it! However, if you must eat chocolates, I strongly suggest you choose those Dark chocolates as research has shown that it contain more Flavanols and lower in sugar and calories!

And bottom line is just enjoy a modest amount of chocolate serving and please don't treat it as a health benefit! Cos, remember high consumption of chocolates also=to increase of waistline!

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Letter of Complaint to Tour Agent...

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:50:00 +0000

I have decided to post up our email to the irresponsible tour agent called Sedunia Travel in which cost us alot of inconvenience during our trip to Dubai. If you guys have read my Dubai experience on earlier post, you will know what I mean.

From the first day of arrival in which we got the shocked of our life of being sent to a hotel that looks like our 2 star "Bukit Bintang" prostitute hotel to the local tour operator who never did contact/update us on our half day tour & cruise!

We spent hours and days to contact the local tour agent (which was arranged by Sedunia) to let them know our changed of venue from the prostitute hotel to Laura's uncle condominium ....and yet his line could not get through. Needless to say more...this was our letter when we touched down to Malaysia!!

OUR EMAIL TO SEDUNIA TRAVEL:

Emmy, we are very disappointed with the arrangement in accommodation and city tour.

Please see the below comments and i want an explanation from your management.

• The hotel you booked was located in the red light street and it's very inappropriate for 2 ladies to put up in this Fortune Hotel in Al Rigga Road.

• The hotel service was very rude and unpleasant, they want to keep our passports til the following dayand we see no good reasons for the keepsake. I've traveled other countries before and i've never encountered hotel staff to keep passport.

We need passports to move around. What if we were caught up and we have no documents (like passport) to present? We have to insist our passports by slight argument and made us wait at the lobby area for 20-25 minutes. We had some much qualms about taking our passport and we have strange treatment from the people at the lobby.

• There were no drinking water provided in the hotel room, we ended up paying DHR10.00 for a bottle of drinking water.

• We have to check-out at 9pm-9.30pm ( Dubai time) & it's 1am Malaysian time to look for somewhere else to stay.

• City tour was not arranged well and there were no one called us about our tour in advance. We have to call you from Dubai to make sure. No effort from your agent and your goodself. Your representative agent only called on the 26/02/08 and gave us only 1 hour to prepare ourselves.

They are supposed to take us to spice market but ended up did not go due to the driver was in a rush to fetch some tourist to desert safari. The driver was not designatedfor taking us for city tour. We practically stop in few places and photo stop in the car, except for Jumeirah beach & museum. The driver was really in a rush to pick other tourist to go their meet point for desert safari.

Tasha and me are very unhappy with entire tour including the accommodation and other arrangements. We are expecting an explanation and compensation for our traveling expenses.

We hope understand that we have to face so many difficulties during our trip in Dubai.

cheers

Laura & Tasha

A REPLY EMAIL FROM SEDUNIA TRAVEL:
Dear Laura/Tasha,

The hotel is a 3 star tourist class hotel and is not located in a Red light district area. It is the general practice of some hotels to request for the safe keeping of passports whilst others just require an imprint of the credit card. We had lodged a complaint to the hotel via our operator regarding the purported rudeness of the staff.

For your information reconfirmation of the city tour & other transfers were not necessary as we have already made all the necessary arrangements with our tour operators for pick up in the arranged hotel. But as in your case you changed your hotel and only on the 26th Feb we know about it and we had a challenging task to inform our operator on time to change the pickup point.

Nevertheless as soon as they were open the next day we immediately informed our operator the change of hotel and the new pick up point at Escape Tower.As you are aware there is a time difference of 4 hours between Kuala Lumpur & Dubai.

The emergency contact number was not reachable as the designated driver had meet an accident & had been hospitalized therefore our operator had to arrange another driver with another number which we apologise was not communicated you as the change was done at the very last minute.

With regards of the flight date change Emmy had checked and confirmed there were be no penalty if you extended the date of your return flight to the 29th Feb. In addition she advised it was better for you to call Gulf Air office in Dubai to make the changes as at that time you were not able to make a decision on the extended date.

We did not make any changes at all.

I am grateful for your business and hope you will accept my apology for this incident.

It is unfortunate, but occasionally delay of responding and communication happen despite how careful or well trained the personnel are.

(PLease note the letter written in which he did not apologize and still insisted his staff was careful and well-trained....I could laugh!!)

We will take the necessary steps to ensure that such incident do not happen.

Thanks for bringing the situation to my attention and for being so patient.

Best regards.

...

My Dubai Trip-Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Phew, another hectic week for me...and thank god it's Friday! Just finished my dinner and decided to continue posting my last day of my Dubai trip here. Some of you may wonder how their building looks like, and all I could say is " Magnificento" and totally unique. Each one of the building has it's own touch and flavor! It's classy and very detail. Picture this, our Malaysia proudest architecture building is KLCC right, so imagine dozen of it found in Dubai. And their shopping mall is so beautiful and ours is really nothing compare to theirs! I'd took pictures of the Jumeirah shopping mall...Tell me what you think.

There are more open over there...They even have an open beach where there's alot of "Kwai Lo" sun tan with their bikinis!

Finally after our half day tour which was part of the tour package on Day 4...we were hungry and requested to be driven to a typical local food. And you be surprise that you will find more Pakistani and Indian restaurants than their local Middle East restaurant! How cliche can you get? I was then told by their locals that the majority of their population is made out of 20-80, meaning 20%="Dubaian" and 80%=foreigners (Mostly Indian and Pakistan). This foreigners job are mostly taxi driver or tour guide! You also be surprise that pork is actually allowed there. I was told that the locals don't mind going into restaurants that sell pork but they of course won't eat those dishes with pork in it. Hmmmm...It makes you think ain't it cos comparatively with our country, Malaysia...we are more close-minded than them! Anyway, both of us went into a Pakistani restaurant and called for dishes like "Capati", Naan Bread served with chicken.

No kidding...look at picture below of what I meant soft! It was more yummy than our local "Capati"

My Dubai Trip-Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Thanks to Laura's uncle who helped us arranged a ride of our life that I will always remember! The ride that I'm referring to was their infamous "Safari Desert" ride which cost us roughly RM 140/per person. The name was indeed deceiving....I was picturing, "Land Rover-camels-rattle snakes-lizard-sands-and more sands". Well, I did see some camels along the way and it was really cool. You could actually hear the sound of their feet...like "tak, tak, tak". Hmmm...how should I put it. The sound was similar to "Equestrian" horse tapping elegantly! Get my drift? Okay, good.. Anyway, the experience was way beyond my expectation!!

1pM: We were picked up at our condo by this Paskistan tour-guide that i referred to as "Ali" (Can't really recall his name..). He was really friendly and told us he had to detour to another hotel to pick up a family of 4. When he called the husband, apparently they were in a cab caught in a heavy jam. Ali was kind enough to talked to the cabby to drive him to a meeting point where he'll pick them up. So, since our Desert Safari won't start until 3pm....Ali was so nice to us and drove us to see the King's palace. Never in my life have I've seen so many peacocks surrounding the outside garden entrance to the palace. It was so magnificent and magical......

2.30PM: After picking them up, we went straight for our ride in a modified Land Rover. Before we even start, he had to deflate the tyre so he can maneuver it easily. He then asked us to strap on our seat belt and hold on to the seat handle. When, the vehicle started to move, it was like a wild roller coaster ride! One minute we were sliding to the right then left....and another minute going on top then down the hill! Ali was so expert driving the Land Rover with one hand on the steering wheel and another inchanging the gear! Do you know that, this kind of tour guide need another license called, "Desert License"? I guess with his kind of skill, he will have no problem driving in K.L. Hahahah....

5pm: The wild ride was finally over..."Thank god!" Cos a minute longer, I would have thrown out my breakfast and lunch!!!....Don't get me wrong,I love the ride but my stomach can't take it! Anyway, it was a surprise that this package also includes dinner....(Sorry guys, no pictures can be shown here...so just use your imagination!). We were then driven to their camp site where you'll get a camel ride (Only 2 rounds!), free "Henna" drawing, "Eat-all-You-Can" buffet, free flow of "shisha", and coffee. They were even serving beers and alcohol (It used to be free -flow but the Ali told us that they had to stop it cos it got out of control! Apparently, the "Mat Salleh"( Better known as English people) got themselves so drunk and disturb others who were not....). The food was the typical Arabic food like hummus, pita bread, chicken, lamb, raisin rice and etc..The best part was they even included the "Belly dancing" show while you enjoy your food. So, it was a typical Arabic style....how chic!

My Dubai Trip-Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Finally, I managed to select a few pictures taken in Dubai to be featured here (trust me it was NOT easy!!). Yup, I was lucky enough to make a trip to Dubai on the 23rd February, Saturday....Well it was a business and also partly leisure as well. There were organizing a food Exhibition, called "Gulf Food" where all the food manufacturers and hoteliers will be exhibiting there.
We wanted to check out how we will fare if we were to participate at their event on 2010 as packaging designer. We wanted to explore a wider market with our service. Plus, I always wanted to see this 7 star hotel, "Burj Al Arab" after watching on some documentary channel, the way they construct the hotel from scratch. Oh and not forgetting the man-made island that shaped like a palm tree located at Jumeirah. It was truly magnificent! Well, I'll just summarize what I did and you guys will get a clearer picture. Read on....

11.30am: Boarded the plane at KLIA. It was the first time I took the Gulf Air. Hey, it was the cheapest package. I really wanted to try the Emirates but the price was a "killer". I got the package with returns+hotel+half day trip+night cruise at RM3600 in comparison with Emirates that charges RM 4800. So, you do the math! I was nervous of course, thinking it'll be full of middle east people with cloak over their head and we'll be the only Chinese. Luckily, there were some "Kwai Lo"(means Englishmen in Chinese in a polite way. Impolite or rather direct translation would be "ghost man"). The good news was their service was good cos they kept serving us snacks before and after our main meal. We were even given a decent menu, laminated card to choose what type of food we want. You can choose either their local style of "Briyani" with chicken or Pasta with chicken. I chose the latter one.

7 hours later: We reached Bahrain as our pit stop. On the screen where they show you where you are now, and we just passed by Dubai to stop at Bahrain! So, now we had to wait for another 2 hours at the Bahrain airport just to transit back to Dubai. What choice do we have cos Gulf Air is own by Bahrain and no matter what, you have to transit there.

2 hours later: We finally touched down at Dubai but there were 4 hours time difference between Malaysia and Dubai. It was only 5pm in Dubai but 9Pm in Malaysia! My stomach was growling like nobody business and I can't wait to get to our hotel in which the tour agent told us was a 4 star. Along the way I was imagining a hot long shower then jumping into a nice comfy bed. To our shocked, we were driven to some street that looks like our "Chow Kit" or "Bukit Bintang" back area where they are filled with 2 stars hotels for prostitution activities! When we got out, I asked Laura, "Are you sure this is our hotel". I was standing at the front door in disbelief....

At the hotel: When we stepped in, the concierge was rude and threw us some weird look. I looked around and saw 2 Asian girls sitting at the sofa and 1 "Kwai Lo" sitting by himself. To my left was a tiny shabby-looking cafeteria. To my right was some run-down pub with some kind of cheap music/band playing at the background. After handing over our passports, he gave us the key and asked the bell boy to carry our luggages up. I was standing there tapping my shoes waiting to collect back our passports and guess what happen next? He told us to go up to our room and he'll send it back tomorrow morning. I said, "What??, No, we want our passport back!" Luckily, Laura's uncle is currently working in Dubai at some construction company called "Zealan" . We called to check. And he told us that there is no such practice in Dubai. So, we sat stand at the counter, refused to budge and he had no choice but to give in. When i asked for our complimentary breakfast voucher, he told us he will send it to our room tomorrow. Pointing towards the "cheapo" cafeteria, i asked, "Is that where we are going to have our breakfast??" He just answer like he doesn't bother, " Yeah".

In the room: Upon unlocking the room, it was a tiny room with 2 single beds, a T.V that doesn't work and shower head that fell apart. The best part was that there were NO WATER at all. I thought every hotel should have at least 2 complimentary bottle of water! Ok, so i thought to myself that maybe water is expensive in Dubai cos we are in a dessert after all. Well, at least give us a pot or something to boil our water right? Well, there was none to be found. And the refrigerator is the best joke of the day cos there was NO snacks in it!! So i just looked at Laura and said, "Confirm.This is a hotel is for prostitute and 1 night stand people, so who needs water right?". Laura looked at me in distressed and felt like breaking down any moment. And,right at that moment, the phone rang and it was her uncle. He was so worried about us and offered to pick us up and stay in his company's condominium.

11pm(Dubai time) @ Laura's uncle Condominium: It was definitely a luxury for us. What a big difference! I felt like heaven here compare to the stupid hotel (Btw, the hotel name is "Fortune Hotel" located at Rigga Road) that looks like hell. The whole place was so spacious with huge kitchen and dining area. There were 3 rooms with 1 maid's room.

My Dubai Trip-Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:40:00 +0000

4am (Dubai time): I woke up with my stomach growling cos it was already 8am in Malaysia. This is my usual time for breakfast. The day was still dark but I was already searching for food to feed my hunger. Weather was cold. Temperature dropped to 10 degrees at night. I was shivering and longing for our Malaysian hot weather! I gobbled down some bread and headed back to sleep.

8am: Woke up again and got myself ready to head down to "Gulf Food Exhibition". I really thank god that we were staying here cos the Exhibition Centre is just 15 minutes away across from our condo.

Exhibition Centre: One word, "WOW". It was really impressive. Much better than our KlCC Convention Centre. Looking around, we were surrounded by "really" beautiful women with attractive features, with modern clothing! Before coming to Dubai, I was skeptical on the dressing and whether we should be covering our head with scarfs. Let me tell you that Dubai women have better fashion sense than some of us. Even women with scarfs have their own style of wearing it and making them look hip/modern. We just have to accept the fact that no one will even throw us a glance! And men over there....Let's not even go there! Most of them have either the looks or body/height. Our Malaysians are in no league with them. The most ordinary guy who works as a ticket collector looked like "Pierce Brosnan". So what else can i say? So then, before into the hall, we headed down to their Coffee Bean......

Inside Exhibition Hall: The booth design was amazing. It was very well organized with 1 side processed food, 1 side sweets and dessert and etc etc..... As i strolled along, they were giving out free samples to try. I was just picking and eating...& eating.....& more eating.....I guess it covered my lunch! I tried their local version of "hotdogs". I even lined up for some free scoops of "Gelato" cos back in Malaysia, one scoop will cost you RM 6.00! Hey wouldn't you be rushing in too?? Oh, and the surprising thing was there was a huge chunk of pork being exhibited there. When I went near to check, the guy came out and nodded and said, "It's allowed"!! And what do you know, when I asked Laura's uncle, he told us that the restaurant over there is allow to serve pork. And the locals will even walk into the restaurant that sells pork but order non-pork dishes of course. Hmmmm...makes you think doesn't it....

5PM: We were both exhausted and drained out with all the walking and surveying...It's time to head back to our condo and relax. We went out trying to catch a cab and there was no cab to be found! How strange....We continued walking like a couple of lost souls wondering around for almost 40 minutes. We were directed up, down, left and right and finally spotted a sign that says, " Shuttle Bus to Carpark & Taxi Stands". We went up to a crammed bus and were ferried to a dusty open-air construction area.

Construction Site: As we got down from the bus, we were shocked to see the massive lines. I could easily say there were about 300 hundred over people waiting for merely 30-40 cabs! We waited in line for 3 hours for our cab!

P.s. Please watch out for my next entry which is the Day 3.....More photos and excitement on the way!!!

The Post-Election Syndrome.....

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:39:00 +0000

As our nation cast their vote and their right as a Malaysian citizen on Saturday, 8 March 2008 which marked down as one of the most historical event after 50 years. I myself, who after 28 years of living and breathing the air of Malaysia also did my rightful duty to vote for the first time. It was a nerve wrecking event as I did not know what to expect. Questions like, "Will I cross it wrongly?", " Will I get stuck in massive jam?", "Will I get influence to swing my votes?" This were the thoughts that kept running through my head as I headed down to my assigned location @ 10.15am, which was my primary school, "Sekolah Kebangsaan Kepong Baru". Yup, I'm a Kepong girl, and I'm proud of it....although many snickered and laughed when I mentioned where I'm from. For some who are not familiar with Malaysia, Kepong has always been associated with "gangsterism" and "money-laundering" activities. In fact the case of a couple who got shot was just kilometres away from where I'm staying! One could say Kepong is something similar to America's black area like the "Bronx". But of course the difference is that people in Kepong are filthy rich but they are look down upon...... probably because the way they dressed? However, there are huge changes in the past years and not as dangerous as one would think so. Roads are wider and cleaner, crime has lessen and big shopping mart like "Carrefour" and "Jusco" had been built around there. Prices on the house has quadruple!Plus, you could find some very delicious & famous delicacy around, like our "Bak Kut Teh"( A popular Chinese soup dish with meat)!Anyhow, I could go on debating about this till dawn, which totally defeat my entry for today.

As I was saying, upon stepping back to my old school, it somehow transported me back to my childhood memories. Memories like, "Hey i used to pee here", "That's my canteen", "That's where we used to squat near the drain, learning how to brushed out teeth"! Then, my cell phone suddenly rang and my sis was on the other line, " Hey, don't forget to cross the party that you wanted to elect and not the other way around!"(with the typical Chinese cum "si-lai"/aunty accent). That's her advised...Hmmm... Anyway, as I got my number and designated room to cast my vote, I was lucky that my line was short compare to all the other rooms. "Woo hoo"....But one thing I noticed while standing there was how "cheap" the voting booth looks! I always picture it that as a solid plastic material with some red-maroon curtains covering it...Probably i watched too many Americans movie! But the one thing I didn't like was the use of 2B pencil to vote? What the F**k? Are we still in some primary school that still uses pencil to make such important decision in your life? My first thought was that, anybody can just erase it and cross out the party that was suppose to win! Why can't the SPR (The official Malaysian electoral commision that governs the election process), provide us with some pen?

Sunday 9th March 2008: I got up sleepily at 10.15am yet excited to the breath of fresh air.....waking up to a new change of government! Yes, like many other Malaysians I stayed up till 4AM waiting for the result to be announced, which never in my life did unless if I'm out partying....The result was in and that the opposition (DAP-PKR-PAS) has took 5 states (Selangor, Penang, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan) and and 2 which is the major states . Me, who is part of Selangor state will definitely embrace the change and hope for the better. I definitely would like to see more changes in terms of business opportunity in which the past has hindered my company (yes, I own a company called "Antswork Communications Sdn Bhd) due to corruption. So I do hope the new state government would do something to bring in more investor and fight corruption as well as better usage of our tax money (Instead of "stupidly" spending a whopping 90 millions on projects like sending A person up the space and called him an "Angkasawan" =Astronaut)

I was celebrating the new change @ Cafe 888, located at Kota Damansara, PJ with my bf and friends while receiving non-stop sms and calls of joy! It was also a double joy for me as i got to know that 3 bloggers who contested for the seat also won. Hats down to one of the famous blogger was Jeff Ooi who managed to raise the money from his blog asking people to contribute for his campaign up to RM120k! I have never been following his blog but is now a big fan of his! He is an inspiration to all bloggers and also to Malaysian who fight for their right....I think his biggest appeal was that he knows what we wanted and needed. He was just an ordinary person with some journalism background that speaks the truth. He even played guitar and sang songs during one of the campaign! How cool was that. I just hope he will now live up to the Malaysian's expectation who voted for him and do the right thing...

So, for now everyone is still in shocked with the opposition's "tsunami" win and is slowly getting back to work! Well on my side, life still goes on but the only difference is I will be reading more on the front page news and learning who is the new state MP!

Happy Chinese New Year

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Yeah...Chinese New Year is finally here again...Wow how times passes us by. For a moment there, i can still remember my childhood new year filled with sweet goodies like Mandarin orange,and "Kuih Kapit "( A chinese crispy thin waffle like. It is made out of coconut, eggs, and rice flour and is poured into a hot mould like a waffle maker. However, this process is much harder in which waffle maker runs on electric while this mould is bake under hot charcoal. Once it's done, it is carefully folded in either a roll or triangle shape). Talking about this is making my mouth water now. Hahaha...

My parents had just spent RM 1000++ on Chinese new year goods this year. He stuffed on loads of chocolates, cookies and potato chips!! Why? Well, that's because it's the first time after so long that my sis and bro from abroad is coming back to Malaysia and celebrate this new year with us. Plus, this round, my sis will be bringing her kid from UK, which i have not seen after giving birth. So, this year i would say that it is indeed a true CNY spirit for our family.

As for the "Angpau" (Red packet envelope) part, my target this year is to collect a minimum of RM500. HAhaha....Big dreams huh? Well, not to some of my friends who have track record of collecting up to RM 1000++! So CNY is a money making time for them! For me, the most i remember was only RM 300. Why? Cos i have some stingy relatives who only give RM 2!! Can you believe that they are still people giving RM2?? And my mom will be happily giving them RM 10.....It is so unfair. I think i collect more from my friend's parents then my own relatives! And my dad called them blood sucker cos every year when they come to our house, they will gobble down our home cooked food....And when we go over to their place, the only thing offer to us is just packet drink and a couple of crummy biscuits! Hmmmm...I think i should stop complaining and start getting into the joyful mood of CNY right?

Ok, Happy Chinese New Year to all who is celebrating it. And for those who are not, well.....Happy Holiday. Enjoy while you still can cos after this is back to work again!

"Fuzing" your waist with gloss

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:33:00 +0000

"Tut -tut".....and i was woken up by my h/p alarm, got up feeling groggy ....went to bathroom and brushed my teeth-eyes closed, then washed my face. Went down to cooked my normal oatmeal with added raisins and almonds...sat down and read my usual NST paper while scooping through my delicious breakfast...And so this are pretty much my normal daily routines before getting ready to work. As usual while reading through some of our Malaysian politics,U.S elections (which are the hot topics nowadays...), some celebrity gossips...something caught my eyes, "Lips, not hips"! As i sunk my eyes on it and read further...it was actually promoting a new lip gloss in which helps you to curb your hunger. The brand is called Fuze Slenderize Gloss. Apparently it is said to contain ingredients like SuperCitrimax, a plant extract that helps keep hunger pangs and stop the body from turning Carbohydrates to Fat!! It was also mentioned that they have another ingredients that enable you to speed up your body metabolism and boost energy....Is that for real? Good news to people who is trying to lose weight huh....I was so interested in this product and thus went online to do some research...And found that the same company producing the so called, "slim-down lipgloss" also has been producing Fuze diet drink in which proves to be a favorite among celebrity like Katie Holmes and Jessica Simpsons. Anyway, i'm not sure whether you can get this lipsticks here but it cost you around RM 61.65 for it. It is definitely a little bit more expensive than the usual lipsticks over the counter....But hey if it really works, why not huh? You can look good and lose weight at the same time...It's every women dream! Plus it is said to taste fruity and comes in many shades like Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry Melon and Dragon Fruit Melon (sounds yummy too)....I hope it contains no calories because it it is as tasty as it sound, I'll be gulping by tube-load!

p.s.s I hope they pay me some royalty for indirect advertisement....Anyone out there? Hmmmm....

Guilty Indulgence...

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Feeling really bored now cos my bf is busy with his "Heroes" marathon. Apparently, "Star World" is doing a marathon day for Heroes from 12pm till.....god knows what time. It's not like I'm against the series or anything but i prefer "Desperate Housewives" or "Ugly Betty"...Hahaha...I don't even mind doing a repeat on it cos it's funny. Heroes to me, one time is enough. But my bf wants to watch it over and over again...I guess every man dreams of having some superpower...He wants to have the ability to fly!! That's why his all time favorite hero is still "Superman"!! Hmmm....what is all this flying stuff?He is not the only guy i knew who would like to possess this power, alot of my guys friends too want to fly or jump from building to building like "Spiderman". Maybe, it does prove we actually evolve from apes?? Hahaha...

Anyway, thought of just posting up the photos of me and nephew, Tristen during Christmas day.

This is me,Tristen and my sis-in-law, Zelda...We were having our Christmas lunch before heading home to k.l

Isn't he cute.....

This is Chocolate Brownies...Really really good. Oh and not to mention those calories!!

This is normal Chocolate cake...but it was equally delicious. So, imagine us eating this and packing those extra pounds!! HAhaha...but what the heck it's holiday so i can afford to cut myself some slacks right? But really, who could resist such temptation? It's my sis-in-law "la"...she was the one who ordered both cakes...and it was just right in front of me! It would be sinful to say NO. HAhahah...Oh well, back to my treadmill again!!

Christmas bash @ Singapore (DAY 1)

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:51:00 +0000

Phew...Finally.....I managed to sneaked up a little time @ my favorite coffee place, Starbucks (Yeah it's a cut-throat cup of coffee, but hey I luv my hot Latte and quiet environtment!) to upload my my last year Christmas experience in Singapore. I know, i know it is a little bit "yesterday" news since we have already enter the new year of 2008. What the heck, as long as it is still fresh in my mind i might as well write something about it eh? Here are the photos from day 1 of arrival till our last day of Christmas day.

We did a quick pit stop before entering Singapore. Was hungry and tired cos we started the journey at 7pm from Seremban highway. So you can imagine how tired it was to drive at night! Of course, i was not the one driving...Hahahah..

The tasteless "Beehoon" soup!!

Filling up the forms b4 reaching Tuas!

Our first photo taking upon arrival to my Bf's sis place located at Pasir Ris.

Our daily routine breakfast @ the nice dining table....

The 3 Stooges.....

The next day, we went to the Singapore's petting zoo.....

Some animals we saw at the petting zoo....

Trying to pose "smart"....

Mankind Evolution.....

I should get an award for this...Any producer out there?? Cast me please....

We were stuck in a sudden heavy downpour at the zoo. We had no choice but to find the nearest shelter and call for help!!

After calling the zoo's hotline...the "zoolian" was kind enough to send someone to pick us up!!

Busy Busy Busy....

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:12:00 +0000

Holiday is always nice but coming back to work is the hardest after such a long break! That is what I'm currently facing now...After Christmas trip to Singapore and a crazy New Year bash ...I can't believe i have tons of work piling on top of me!! Non stop proposal and appointments with customer and follow up to do...I don't even know where to start! I wanted to upload my Singapore pictures and activities i've done but I just couldn't find the time to do it! Every time I'm back home from work and gym, i have proposals to do late at night. By the time, I'm done...I'm too tired to squeeze out more brain juice! Are you guys facing the same thing as I am?

On top ot that, I'm not sure whether it's good thing or a bad thing cos some of you may realize that we have another long holiday which is the "Chinese New Year". For me it's always a good thing cos that's the "Earning" period from all the Angpau! Hahahah....The bad thing is, more datelines to meet and more work after that!

Anyway, just to sum it all..I'm going to get my Singapore picture done by this week...so you guys can share the good experience i had over there..

Jeff Dunham

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:46:00 +0000

I was recently introduced to a stand-up comedian cum ventriloquist (you know those people who is able throw out voices on their puppet without moving their lips), Jeff Dunham. The first video i watched was called, "Ahmed the Dead Terrorist". And boy, I was laughing so hard that I almost fell down on the floor. I must have watched it like 10 over times and yet still having tears in my eyes! You guys gotta really click on this and watch it.Bet it will make your day!!. After my bf's cousin and family's member watched this video, they now started greeting each other with "I'll kill you" phrase instead of the normal "hello".

The following video is also my favorite character, called, "Sweet Daddy Dee". He is suppose to be Jeff Dunham's manager. Look at his expression. Bet you be laughing very hard...

The next character is also my favorite. His name is "Peanut". I really like him a lot....Very cool guy. Must watched.

So, guys let's vote on it and let me know which is your favorite joke/ character....

Have great fun watching it...:)) I know i did cos i laughed so much and forgotten all my stress.

Gearing Up to A Healthy New Year!!

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:15:00 +0000

Phew…how times passes by unknowingly. Christmas has come and gone which seems like yesterday. I remember waiting and planning for it to come so I could have a long holiday in Singapore! And now, New Year is just around the corner. Already there are people who zoned into early New Year mood. You can see from people taking holiday and not in the mood of working. And holiday mood is a holiday mood and thus people seems to let their guard down an binge into more guilty indulgence. So, I came up with a pl an and eating tips that will still make you look good and be healthy in January without having to deprive yourself of all the holiday treats.

Don't go to a party hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.

Watch your portion: treat yourself a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion. Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, sweet stuff such as cakes, cookies, processed meats such as burgers and sausages, some pastries and baked goods.
Try other versions of alcohol: instead of beer, cider, Bailey's and Kahlua, try dry wine, Bloody Marys or spirits with diet mixer which have fewer calories. Remember: Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdomen. People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol.
Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body.
Physical activity: take nice brisk walks with your loved ones and enjoy their company in the holiday season. Or do some roller-blading or go down to a skating rink…It is an absolute good workout for your thighs and bums!

Try substituting your snack to healthier version: I have to admit that I’m a person who loves food and desserts. But, I always will try to research on a healthier substitution to satisfy to cravings! I have extracted some snack swapper tips from this renown dietitian Lyn Grieger:

Cereal: There are three guidelines for choosing a healthy cereal. First, look for the word "Whole" in the first ingredient, meaning that the cereal is made primarily from unprocessed grain that contains more of its natural vitamins, minerals and fiber. If the whole grain is oats or wheat, that's even better. Second, be sure to choose a cereal with no more than 8 grams of sugar per serving. And finally, avoid any cereal that contains trans fatty acids, which increase risk of heart disease. Measure out one or two servings, pour on fat-free milk or yogurt and enjoy!

Chocolate: Chocolate -- especially dark chocolate with cocoa solids or chocolate liquor listed as the first ingredient -- may actually be good for your heart due to its antioxidant content. However, it still contains more calories than we'd like to admit. The secret is to enjoy dark chocolate in very small quantities, for example, two to three strawberries dipped in dark chocolate or one Hershey's Miniatures Special Dark chocolate treat (only 45 calories!).

Donuts: Be careful what you order. A glazed donut contains 180 calories, but a glazed cake donut packs almost twice as many calories (350). Don't be fooled by the phrase whole wheat in the whole-wheat glazed cake donut -- it's still over 300 calories. Better to enjoy just one glazed donut hole for only 40 calories. Sorry guys who enjoy donuts from J-Co Donuts or Big Apple.

Potato Chips: A single-serving bag of most plain potato chips contains approximately 150 calories. You'll save half those calories if you choose fat-free baked chips. But if what you're truly craving is something crunchy and salty, opt for popcorn instead of chips. One cup contains only 55 calories if you don't add extra butter.

Cookies: There are two problems with cookies: We can't eat just one, and if we can, the one we eat is usually HUGE. A typical chocolate chip cookie at a mall cookie store contains over 300 calories. One bite-size chocolate chip cookie has only 11 calories. Eat five of these mini-cookies slowly, enjoying every morsel, and you'll get the taste sensation you crave without adding to your waistline. Also instead of cookies, you might want to consider whole-wheat crackers from Jacob. It taste incredible good too. Or my recent craving is McVities, ginger nut cookies. It is yummy......

Fried Food: Choose the unfried version whenever possible. Have a choice of crispy or grilled chicken on your salad? Go for the grilled. Broiled or fried fish? Broiled is better. Raw veggies with dip or tempura veggies? You know the raw version wins every time. Baked or regular potato chips? Baked is a no-brainer. Learn to oven-fry foods at home by baking at a high temperature until crispy. A spritz of cooking spray or drizzle of olive oil before baking adds flavor and contributes to crispness without hurting your heart -- or your waistline.

Ice-Cream: Fat-free ice cream or ice milk may contain fewer calories, but most people don't appreciate the gritty texture. Frozen yogurt sounds like a healthy alternative, but it's still packed with fat and sugar. Try a fruity sorbet instead of ice cream. You'll save 13 grams of fat and 100 calories, and the intense fruit flavors simply pop in your mouth. Just one scoop is plenty! You can try the New Zealand Ice Cream or Lecka-Lecka which is made out of gelato. Tasty and guilt free!

Nachos: They may look healthy because they contain foods from most of the food groups, but you know better. Just one loaded nacho chip will set you back 50 calories, with over half those calories from fat. But who eats just one nacho? One cup of nachos (about two handfuls) contains 560 calories and over half the amount of fat most active women need in one entire day. To prepare guilt-free nachos, cut soft flour tortillas into wedges and crisp in a 400 degrees F oven for four minutes. Then top with lots of veggies: tomatoes and onions, of course, but also add shredded carrots, lettuce and jicama and green and yellow pepper strips. Instead of hamburger, use fat-free refried beans and sprinkle with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese. You'll save more than half the calories without sacrificing taste.

Pastry: One cheese Danish will set you back 260 calories and 24 percent of your total fat and saturated fat needs for the entire day. If grabbing a midmorning pastry is your habit, it's time for a new snack! A piece of whole-grain toast bread with peanut butter contains fewer calories (170) and half the fat. Plus, it supplies whole grains and fiber, protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top if you crave something sweet.

Cream Based Soup: It's simple to make your own healthy, low-fat, creamy soups at home. Instead of cream, trying using fat-free evaporated skim milk. You'll save 87 grams of fat and 620 calories per cup! To make an even healthier cream soup, use pureed white beans or pureed vegetables (try potatoes or cauliflower) instead of the cream. Thin it to the desired consistency with skim milk or broth. If you're using canned cream soup, reconstitute with skim milk to reduce the fat and calories and boost your calcium and vitamin D intake. Try using lower-fat canned cream soups when making casseroles; you'll never notice a taste difference.

Coffee: Long gone are the days when people routinely drank black coffee. It's astounding that many of us regularly guzzle 16- to 20-ounce coffee drinks every day -- sometimes two or more times per day! Down a 16-ounce caffe mocha and you just drank 300 calories -- 400 if you add whipped cream. Drink two of these each day, and you've spent one-third of your daily calorie budget! If plain black coffee isn't your cup of tea, try these ideas to downsize the calories, fat and sugar in your coffee drinks:

Ask for skim instead of whole milk and save 50 calories in most 16-ounce drinks. 1. Downsize to the smallest cup available. Cutting back from a 20-ounce to a 12-ounce cuts 100 calories. 2. Avoid whipped cream -- it tacks on 80 to 130 additional calories depending on the size and type of drink you order. The amount of added sugar in some coffee drinks is simply unbelievable. 33 grams (eight teaspoons of sugar) in a 16-ounce syrup-flavored latte, 50 grams (12 teaspoons of sugar) in a 16-ounce caramel mocha. It makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it. Your best choice? A 16-ounce caffe Americano -- only 15 calories and no sugar.

Soda:Drink water instead. If it's bubbles you crave, try carbonated mineral water. If you simply have to drink something sweet, choose diet soda or calorie-free flavored water. And anyone concerned about building strong bones or losing weight should opt for fat-free milk instead of soda -- the calcium and vitamin D are essential to health.

Pasta: The real key to eating healthier when you eat pasta is to reduce the portion size. Rather than making a platter of pasta, have a small dish (about two cupped handfuls). Switch to whole-wheat pasta to bump up your intake of whole grains. You can get this from Tesco. And of course, choose a sauce that's low in fat and packed with veggies.

Anyway, my conclusion guys is "Moderation is the key!" .I hope you enjoy this article and wishes you a Happy Holiday & Happy New Year!!

Cheers........

My New Hair Cut @ Qube, Plaza Damas

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:17:00 +0000

Phew...finally got my photos from my bf's place. Apparently his Nikon camera had some problem and had to send back to the shop. The pictures that he took with his Nikon camera was in his memory card as well...What a bummer. I've actually wanted my friends to see my new haircut that i did last 2 weeks! What made me decided to spend RM400 for a haircut? Well, for one Christmas is coming and am going to Singapore. Second, i totally hated my old hair cos it grew so long till it touches whatever food I'm eating. And finally i got so stressed up about work cos it's year end and tons of job need to rushed...clients chasing me up and down for quotation...Midnight oil burning to do proposal...But when my bf heard the amount of money spent on my hair, he went "bazooka" !! His first reaction was , "What?? My hair only cost me RM 10 or the most RM15!"

That's the difference between men and women. We would be willing to invest hundreds (some even thousands) on our hair, face and body to look good. Men just go for the cheapest and the most practical! We are willing to sit in the salon chair for hours (Mine was 6 hours!!) and yet pay so much for it....Oh well, guys will just never understand us. We need our own pampering at the end of the day...Hey we deserve it after hard day of work right? Some of us reward ourself by major shopping, and some just spent on good massage. Me i just like a new look!

This is my old hair.....

My New hair..Spot any difference??

This is actually a very lame shot...but just trying to mock those typical chinese girls who like to take sideway shots with a finger....Hahahaha...No offense...

Anyway, my final conclusion is I am happy with it though i had to sit through 6 solid hours (Coloring,Perming, Washing & cutting). I find the hairstylist very professional and she was not the typical one that keep asking you to buy products. She could just give you advise what you should and should not do with your hair and your face feature. I like her alot and highly recommend to people who would like to change their hairstylist. She was in fact recommended by high school friend who also had a good cut from her.

Just in case you want to know how to get to this place:
Qube
No.E-02, Plaza Damas,
Jln Sri Hartamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:03-62012711
HP:016-694 5369 (Milcah)

Food Poisoning!!!

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:36:00 +0000

What a weekend! Can you believe that I spent my whole weekend at my bf’s place being sick? I lost count on the number of times that I had to run to the toilet and release whatever it was left in my intestine. My stomach was so bloated that I swear it looks like those “Blow fish”. And I had so much “wind” in my stomach that I couldn’t stop farting or burping. And even my burp smelled of some stinky spoiled food! Ooops I think I better stop being so graphical as some of you might be feeling sick imagining it. Anyway, it was the worse diarrhea/food poisoning I had ever experience….

It all started from the day after I had my Japanese food at Jagoya! I knew I wasn’t feeling up to myself when I had really bad stomach discomfort. My stomach kept growling and I kept letting go of air. Then when noon time comes, I had to rush to the nearest toilet and the rest is history! There goes my RM51 Japanese buffet!! I went to the first doctor and he gave me medicine like gastric, diarrhea and stomach pain. It did cure me for few hours, but the next day it came back again. Then I thought I should just try Chinese medicine cos the last time I had a bad fever, I was cured by it (And yes it is the normal traditional Chinese herbs in which you have to boil for hours!!). Guess what, this time it didn’t work for me, it was already Sunday and I was still running to the toilet like nobody business. I even had fever. Luckily my bf’s mom was there to take care of me, helping me to cool my body down. But my aching tummy was really giving me a hell of a time! And could you believe it, I was even praying to God that if I’m cured I promise to do more charity things. I was in such a pain that I just wanted it to go away no matter how much I need to spend on it. I didn't even mind giving up all my savings (In that moment of pain of course...)Now, I understand why people turn to certain religion when they are in the midst of pain. Mine is nothing compare to those who suffer greater illness like cancer or Aids...

Pig out @ Jagoya

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:09:00 +0000

Jagoya oh Jagoya...familiar? I'm sure all of you have heard that it is one of the most expensive Japanese Buffet in town which charges you up to RM 90-RM100/person. I have heard and read on other bloggers' review on it. Mostly giving this restaurant a thumbs up. I always wanted to try it out and even bugged my bf to take me there...He just say, "Honey, it's too expensive and i rather take you to some local hideaway or rent a good hotel and enjoy room service!". Anyway, he is not much of a sushi or sashimi person, so i could understand why Japanese buffet doesn't appeal to him.

However, my lady luck shine on me when my good friend, Chai sms me about the their 50% percent promotion for LADIES only. Sorry, guys have to pay full price!! I know it's unfair but if they let the guys have the 50%, they know they will lose money. Cos seriously, how much can a women eat?? So at the end of the day, we women will HARDLY recover our money...

Just yesterday (Wednesday), we manage to get our booking for 4 person at 9.30pm -1am. The dinner time was all fully booked. The promotion was for a week and surprisingly it's all been taken up....As my friend made a sexist joke saying that the women in Malaysia is getting fat this December cos of Jagoya buffet, Christmas eating parties and the 31 % off for Baskin Robbin on New Year!

It was definitely an exciting moment for me when I arrived at the restaurant as my stomach was growling for food! It was already 9.30pm and we still had to wait in lines to get a table despite booking earlier. There were tons of "walk-in" trying their luck. Just look at the lines!

I was actually getting kinda annoyed cos we actually had to wait in line for 20 minutes before allowing us to enter. There were even a signage that they put there, saying " Proper Manner To Follow while Dining @ Jagoya":

1.) Please "q" even for those that made the reservation
2.) Please pay cash before dining
3.) Please allow our waiter to sit you at your place.

Finally, after getting in...i have to admit that the decor was impressive and very cozy indeed. Then we were given this metal clips in which according to my friend is suppose to be thrown over to food counter you wanted. And the chef will cook it and serve it to you. What a brilliant idea...I guess that's what made it different from other's Japanese buffet restaurant.

Look at their decor...must say it was systematic

Mountains of food...This was the Western section. Wonder why they use red light. It was kinda difficult to see what food it was and to know whether it is delicious or not....Bad concept....

You see those small white bowls? That's where you suppose to throw your numbered clips into it. The chef will cook on whatever you order and serve it at your table! Cool huh...

This is the "Dim Sum" section....

Look how delicious the sushi is...Ahem by look ah...But actually it was better than normal Sushi place but nothing to shout about that is a"WOW" factor.

Eddie loves eating the crab....He couldnt get enough of it..

Us pigging in!!! Look at how greedy we were...there were so many food left and yet we still continue to dive in to take more food! People..think of Africa...(Ahemm....)

Chai, my friend feeling really unhappy cos the "vegetable" that she ordered and waited for nearly half an hour turned out to be an "Extremely" small portion. Poor thing...

Though, we enjoyed pigging out and indulging in their "Unlimited" Haagen Daz and Baskin Robbins ice-cream(Me of course i only digged into Haagen Daz cos you can always get those 31% discount for Baskin Robbins right?), the food to me is nothing to shout about. Sure they have the normal Japanese food like Sashimi, Sushi, Tempura and etc...and they even have mix of Western& Chinese cuisine like Pasta, Steak and Dim Sum but nothing that i can say, "I'll definitely come back for this again" dish! I guess why people go there is actually attracted to their layout of the place, the concept (E.g. the metal clip of ordering food) and a wide variety of food. So, we are basically sucker of this concept. But to normal Japanese food, they would never step into it. Their Sashimi was not fresh nor was the oyster. To me, it;s just plain "OVERRATED"

After having such a big meal in which the clock ticked at 12.30AM, we had be chased out cos it was closing time. And on the way to our car park, I couldn't help but took the picture of the STUPID concept of signage marking on each floors in Starhill. I think this people behind this wanted their shopping mall to be "different" or high class cos their signage it's hard to understand. Who in the right mind would label each floor like, " Relish, Indulge, Adorn, Muse, Pamper, Feast and Explore"?? It doesn't even relate to the floor we are going to. For example, if you want to go to our "normal" terms of Ground floor...well in Starhill there are known as Indulge!! Anybody have a clue how to link that?? All of us took minutes to figure out which button to press and true enough we found another old couple looking puzzle at the buttons before pressing it. If i were to give an award to "THE MOST SILLY SHOPPING MALL"....Tadaaa.... "Starhill" would have win hands down!

The Confusing button....

The Relish Sign where the Jagoya Restaurant is located!! Any connection anyone???

Indulge sign where the "ground" floor is suppose to be....

My Verdict:
Ambience: 3.5 out of 5 sushi

Food: 3 out of 5 sushi

Staff Efficiency: 4 out 5 sushi. They are quick to clean up your plates.

Possibility of return: 0 unless they have another 50% discount promotion.

Ratings: Over-rated

Finally a Puzzle for all my fellow readers....please guess below...

Guess....number 1

Another clue for you guys....

I shall review the picture next week.....Let's just see how many intelligence earthlings out there yeah....

My Calorie Cutting Tactics!!

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:07:00 +0000

Recently while having dinner with one of my good friend @ the Manhattan Fish Market. Believe it or not it was the first time since it opened 5 years ago that i actually stepped in and order something to eat. I always thought it was just another lame Fish & Chips restaurant filled with unhealthy fried stuff. Surprisingly, there was some healthy stuff found in the menu like baked and grill fish and even salad. My friend decided to order her seafood grill platter( and me just the baked dory fish with "vege" of the day. Yummy...Anyway, as we finished our meal, my friend suddenly complaint saying that she shouldn't have eaten the food cos the platter that she ordered comes with rice, fries, prawns and fish. She kept saying she put on weight already cos she has been eating dinner for the past week. Then i look at her up and down and told her, "Are you crazy, you are still as slim as ever!!". She pointed at her stomach and said, "Look at me, my tummy is all bloated out". I should just stop having dinner now. I tried convincing her for half and hour and even given her some facts about not skipping meal. And she insist that skipping her dinner is what kept the fat away! So, now i decided to educate my pals and some of people who is reading this to wake up and read the facts that I've been gathering over the years. For me, i have been a gym goer for about 3 and half years now and been reading alot on food. Believe it or not i used to be chubby but i managed to get my weight under control thanks to the right exercise and food intake.

First fact is that exercising alone doesn't get you to your goal without proper "food management". I used to do like 5 cardios workout a week but my weight still stay the same. Sure enough i did see my thighs and arms were getting a bit wee smaller but overall it was still chubby! Until, i met a "guru" who told me that food contribute 60% and exercise ONLY 40% of losing that few extra pounds! Oh and Starvation and deprivation diets simply don’t work. Instead, the little things are what matter.

BEFORE. Look at those arms!!

AFTER. I started with workout + "Food Management".

Here are my eight guideline to get you started:

1. Eat breakfast.
A study published in the February 2002 journal Obesity Research found that eating breakfast was a key behavior among people who averaged a 60-pound weight loss and kept it off an average of six years. Participants told researchers that skipping breakfast made them so hungry that they overate during other meals and snacked on unhealthy, high-calorie foods. Plus breakfast is essential for you to start the day right. When you go to work hungry your performance tend to slacks as well! Have you ever feel had that all you could think "Lunch, Lunch, and Lunch!" . And when the clock strikes 1pm, you would rushed out and order the big meal cos you were so hungry that you could eat one whole cow! That BIG meal, my friend may just cost you to put on more pounds that you ever imagine.

2. Eat Frequently
Whenever I tell my friends that i actually eat 5-6 meals a day, there were shock written all over their face! Then the next spontaneous thing that they do, is looking at me up and down with disbelief. Last but not least, the same question thrown at me like, "Are you sure you eat that much in a day, but you are not fat all??". And i always comes down to explaining to them that it is actually better to eat more frequently (2-3 hours after each meal) with smaller serving size then eating 2/ 3 BIG meals. I break down to 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 2 snacks( fruits/smoothies/nuts/yoghurt) and a glass of milk before sleep. Research proved that people who eat frequently, tend to increase their metabolic rate (which you need it to burn fat) than people who don't. When you deprive your body by skipping meals, your body will automatically goes into "slow mode" by reserving the energy thus slowing down your metabolism. And when you have low metabolic rate, your body are not efficient in burning those fat. Ever wonder why people who only eat 1 or 2 meals a day is still finding it hard to lose that extra pounds?

3. Don't Eat Like Your Man
If you're a woman trying to lose weight, one of your biggest roadblocks may be your husband. Studies find that women often put on weight soon after they get married. The reasons are varied. He eats bigger portions and you try to keep up (you only need about two-thirds of what he eats). You're cooking a full dinner every night, whereas in your single days a salad may have sufficed (a large salad with a bit of tuna for protein and an olive oil-based dressing can work well for both of you). Or you eat out more (it's far easier to eat healthfully at home).

4. Fruits & Vegetables
How do you grade your plate? Is your plates fills with mostly meat, rice and fried food? About 35 percent of cancers can be prevented by getting at least five servings of fruits and veggies a day. What's more is that healthy eating can help prevent heart disease, High blood pressure,Obesity and Diabetes. Children between the ages of 2 and 6 should get five. Older kids, teen girls and women need 7. Teen boys and men need at least 9. For me, i tried to have fiber in each meal of the day and having fruits as my snacks. That way, i know i have enough fiber for the day! So start munching that apple away....

5.Buy the smaller size.
The larger the portion in front of you, the more you’ll eat. It’s a proven fact. When researchers sent 79 parents home with a video and either 1- or 2-pound bags of M&Ms along with either a medium or jumbo size tub of popcorn for each family member, they ate more M&M’s from the 2-pound bag than the 1-pound bag, and about half a tub of popcorn, regardless of the tub size.

6. Make smart switches.
I found this article in which you can save by switching from high-fat, high-calorie indulgences to lower-fat, lower-calorie options. Just by making the following substitutions, you could lose 25 pounds a year:

Instead of eating this once a week	Try this once a week	Calorie savings
Large fries	1-ounce snack-size bag of Tortilla chips or pretzels (found in Tesco & Carrefour)	383 calories a week, or 5.7 pounds a year
Fried chicken breast	Roasted chicken breast and wing and thigh without skin	243 calories a week, or 3.6 pounds a year
Burger	Veggie burger	216 calories a week, or 3.2 pounds a year
Three slices bacon	Two slices deli-style ham and two egg whites	199 calories a week, or 3 pounds a year
Chocolate ice cream	Gelato & Yoghurt Ice Cream	240 calories a week, (1 cup) or 3.6 pounds a year
Pasta carbonara	Pasta with tomato sauce (1 cup)	246 calories a week, or 3.7 pounds a year
One slice cheesecake	One slice angel food cake with strawberry topping	130 calories a week, or 1.9 pounds a year

7. Skip the soda & Gulp in those water
If you drink non-diet soda, you can cut 160 calories (per 16 ounces) out of your day just by switching to diet soda. Better yet, drink up that 8 cups (1.5 litres or more) in a day and mix it with drink green tea (optional).

8. Start with soup.
Studies show that people who start a meal with soup--especially broth-based soup--end up eating fewer calories by the end of the day without feeling hungrier. Please be aware of those creamy soup(main ingredients is butter) cos that will really fill up those unwanted calories!

So, now other than writing about my daily events, I will also try to have a weekly updates of articles about health and fitness now. Do give me some feedback whether you would like me to post more on it or if you are sick and tired, let me know and will stop it! Hahahaha....

Feng Shui @ Tip of your Fingers

noreply@blogger.com (vampynyam) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:50:00 +0000

I recently got a forward email from friends and was about to delete it as usual cos i HATE opening forward emails! But wait a minute, the title that caught my eyes was "Feng Shui". Being the typical believer in Feng Shui and Chi, i opened it and found it amusing. Thought of sharing it with you guys. Tell me whether it describe you...Well, mine is WWWOW and now i feel so much more intelligent...Hahahahaha...Anyway according to the article, every single person in the world has a different set of fingerprints and the Chinese have devised a way to read personality & destiny traits by studying the waves and the circles that appear at the tips of everyone's fingers. The article also stated that the old days, fingers of prospective daughter-in-law who showed alternate circles and waves were "unwelcomed" by the family. It was believed that such women would bring trouble into the family, being particularly difficult to control and usually very aggressive. How "MCP" is that??

Please read on below. Guys should examine their left hands while women should look at their right hands.

Here are the two different patterns of circles and waves seen on every finger. To make a reading, look at your thumb print first, then your index finger, your middle finger, your ring finger and then your little finger in that order. This is the sequence that offers clues to your destiny & fortunes of your life.

For ease of reference we shall refer to circles as Os and to waves as Ws.

Fingers: OOOOO (all whorls)
Means: This person is very confident, has a strong character and a hot temper. He/she is an independent person. The luck of this person changes dramatically in life from one period to the next. The undoing of this person will be his/her hot temper so it is vital that this person must learn to be patient and calm.

Shape: WWWWW (all waves)
Means: This person is a straightforward honest person who goes with the flow. The fingers indicate someone very sensitive, who is especially suited to design and creative work. People with these fingerprint patterns tend to be shy and uncomfortable in social situations, so are not suited to work in PR, politics or any kind of work requiring them to meet people.

Shape: OWWWO
Means: If you can choose a prestigious working career, you will be very successful. However, you should avoid the tendency to get big-headed and you must never take your career for granted. You should also watch your back, as you tend to attract jealousy into your life and could get betrayed. Always look for long-term benefits.

Shape: OWWOW
Means: You will need to work harder during the early days of your career. When you reach middle and older age, you will get recognition and wealth luck. So your life gets better the older you get.

Shape: OWOWW
Means: It is vital that you resist the tendency to be narrow-minded in your attitudes and in the way you think and work. Try to be humble and learn as much as possible. This is how you will get influential help that brings you to the peak of your business and career life.

Shape: WOOOO
Means: You are a very clear-minded person. As long as you work hard, you are guaranteed to be successful. Even though you tend to be in a hurry, there will be those who help you along. You are also a person with a kind heart.

Shape: OOOOW
Means: Because you are kind and have an in-built polite attitude, you will easily get help from older persons and friends. You will enjoy great success in your working life and your only weakness is you don't trust people too easily. This can make you too conservative.

Shape: OOOWW
Means: You have a tendency to be bad tempered, and rather quick to judge. This is a shallow attitude and could easily get you onto the wrong path. If you can correct this tendency of yours, you will have great success. The potential is in you, so try to be calm in your approach.

Shape: OWWWW
Means: You have good character but can only become really successful in older age. Be prepared to have to work really hard during your younger and middle age periods, but you will become a successful person in older years.

Shape: WOWWW
Means: You are very good in the social skills. No matter what industry you are in, you like to take risk and you will always face uncertainty. Be careful as the later years of your life could bring yet more challenges. Take less risk as you get older.

Shape: WWOWW
Means: You are a person who has high vision and heavy responsibility. Be careful. Your visions could get you into serious difficulty. Better to stay more grounded, then your life will have greater success.

Shape: WWWOW
Means: You are very intelligent and will enjoy a lot of scholastic honours. You will have a smooth life and benefit from wealth luck. If you can work hard, you will become a great and successful person.

Shape: WWWWO
Means: You will inherit a business or property from your parents or from an older person. Even though you are a capable person and can be successful in your own business, your tendency towards impatience could get you into a lot of difficulty.

Shape: OOWWW
Means: You have a tendency to be proud and snobbish, although deep inside you are a kind-hearted person. Your social skills however need improving. Your relatives tend to take advantage of you.

Shape: WOWWO
Means: You are a deep thinking person. At a young age, you are already thinking of your future. You will enjoy a smooth and peaceful life; you will be very happy in your old age.

Shape: WOWOO
Means: You are a very sociable person and you enjoy the carefree kind of life going out, partying and clubbing. When you reach middle and older age, you will rely on people to support you. Be warned, if you do not prepare yourself, you might have a hard time during your older years.

Shape: WOWOW
Means: You are not an easy person to control or to convince, as you are something of a rebel. If you can stay focused on what you want from life, you will be successful. The problem is that you can be fickle and vague in what you really want from life.

Shape: WWOWO
Means: Your whole life is full of ups and downs, successes and failures. However, if you can move steadily step-by-step, you can enjoy a peaceful life as you grow into maturity.

Shape: WWWOO
Means: You are very kindhearted person and there will be good people in your life, as you will attract these kinds of people towards you. Work hard and you will easily reap your just rewards. You will definitely become successful.

Shape: OWWOO
Means: You will get recognition and become famous. Even though your life appears unstable during your earlier years of working life and you need to work hard in your thirties, when you reach maturity, your life gets better and better.

Shape: WWOOW
Means: You are a very capable person, but you tend to lack good judgement. You also tend to start something and then lose interest. Stay focused if you want to succeed.

Shape: OWOOW
Means: You are a noble person with a good character. You tend to be very helpful towards colleagues and friends so you are a popular person. Because you can think in-depth and have sensitivity towards others, you will enjoy success in the creative fields.

Shape: OWOWO
Means: You are blessed with a fast and formidable intellect. You work very quickly and with great effectiveness. However, your character is very aggressive and people tend to be intimidated by you. If you can correct this trait, you can rise to great heights.

Shape: WWOOO
Means: You are a very straightforward person. But your thinking tends to be rather naïve and shallow. Even though your suggestions are good, if you don't think through what you say, you should not be surprised if people tend to ignore your views. Your speech tends to lack power.

Shape: OOWOW
Means: You are a high-minded person, able to see and grab opportunities. You are best suited to work in the financial and investment fields. Your luck gets better as you grow older.

Shape: OOWWO
Means: You are a very honest and reputable person. You have little urge to get rich or pursue material wealth. But watch it, if you don't know how to take care of yourself, you can easily get conned and taken advantage of by people.

Shape: OOOWO
Means: Your social skills are good, so you attract guidance and help from influential people. Many people help you in your rise to prominence, and your luck turns fabulous in later years.

Shape: OOWOO
Means: You are a very brave and hardworking person. A lot of people trust you when you are young. However, unless you work at preserving your reputation, you could make enemies on your rise up and find that life becomes harder as you get older.

Shape: OWOOO
Means: You are a kindhearted character and easily get along with others. You are not good at doing business, but you are good as a teacher or even as a spiritual master. You can enjoy success in the academic world.

Shape: WOOWW
Means: You are reputable and have a peaceful character. So you are definitely someone who can become successful and recognized. However, because of your tendency towards pride, you could end up offending the wrong people.

Shape: WOOWO
Means: You are a simple but logical person. If you can focus on the fundamentals of life and adopt a step-by-step approach in your climb up the success ladder and not be too impatient, you will benefit from wealth luck and be honored by people.

Shape: WOOOW
Means: You are a straight talking person who is forthright in your approach. You are strong in character, playful but you also easily offend people. But you are also lucky because when you reach middle age, you will rise to a prominent position and your luck really changes for the better.