Simply Citified!

6 Last Minute Ideas for Mother's Day! Hint: It's tomorrow

2015-05-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh! It's Mother's Day again, and how many of you are still wondering what to do for your Mum tomorrow?

At least you're trying to find something to do for her tomorrow. I know of people who don't even know there's a special day to celebrate our mothers!

There are, of course, the usual things you can do for your mom. Like buying her the usual gifts - jewellery, perfumes, branded purses, a spa treatment, all expense paid shopping trip, bringing her for out for a fine dining experience or a special meal. (Look at the bottom of this post for special offers in these categories) At this last minute, these might be a good option to go for.

But nothing can beat the sweetness of making a personalised gift for mum. Here are a few easy-to-do craft ideas, borrowed from Pinterest, that can make Mother's Day a little sweeter for the most beloved woman in your life.

1. Make a Mother's Day card with a heart in the middle

Things you will need:

Coloured paper
Scissors
Your hand :)
Coloured pens, pencils, crayons, marker pens or anything of your choice which can be used to write on the paper.

Taken from: http://krokotak.com/2012/03/tchestit-8-mart/

Here's how to do it:

1. Fold the paper

2. Keep your hand on the folded paper, with your thumb touching the folded side.

3. Trace the shape of your hand.

4. Cut out the shape. Do not cut through the middle of the paper or else it won't open up like a card; it will just become 2 pieces of paper. However, if you do accidentally cut it, fret not - just use a clear tape to tape it together. Or repeat the steps (correctly, this time) on another piece of paper.

Taken from http://krokotak.com/2012/03/tchestit-8-mart/

5. That's it, actually. You're card is almost complete. Now, just add your messages, and a splash of colour. Get creative! Use any form of decoration on your card to personalise it. Just make sure you leave enough space for your message.

Tip: Write your message first, and then proceed with the decoration.

There you have it - an economical and easy-to-make gift for your mom. Have Fun!

2. Thumbprint Love

This is an awesome idea for Dads planning to help their young ones prepare something for mommies. It is really simple to do.

Things you will need:
* Paint
* Paper (coloured or plain)
* Coloured pen or pencils
* A poem
* A photo of you and your child or your family (optional)
* Scissors (optional)
* Fingerprints

The steps:

1. Fold the paper into half, if you want this to look like a card. If not, leave it as it is or cut it to your desired size.

2. Dip your or your child's finger into the paint and create a finger paint art. It can be anything. Even just random colourful drops on the paper. Or you can make the flower shown on the left.

3. Write the poem, as shown, under the flower if this is a one page card. You can even make this on a thin, hard piece of paper to be used as a bookmark. If it's the kind of card that can be opened, then write the poem inside. You can either leave the front blank with just the art or write Happy Mother's Day or any other message you like.

Simple isn't it?

Original idea taken from here.

3. Flower Coupons

Ahem.. this should be done on a regular basis, but more of that later. Apart from being pampered, what do you think mothers will love for Mother's day (or any other day, for that matter?)

Taken from: http://steppingintofirstgrade.blogspot.sg/2011/04/mothers-day.html

Exactly! She would love someone to help with the chores!! This is a very inexpensive way to pamper your mother.

Things you will need:

Coloured papers
Scissors
Pen or markers
Adhesive (Glue or Clear Tape)

How to make it:

First cut out the shapes of a flower pot and as many flowers as you need. These flowers are going to be "coupons" that your mother can choose to use on the special day. This can even be given to her as a birthday present.
Then glue the left side, right side and bottom part of the flower pot figure onto another larger piece of paper. Make sure you just glue the edge and not the whole area. Leave the top of the flower pot unglued.
Then make stems for the flowers. There are 2 ways to make it. Either cut a long thin strip of paper or roll up a piece of paper. The rolled up stem would be sturdier than the long thin strip.
Attach the flower shapes to one side of the stem. Use a glue or a clear tape to fix it. Make sure you are able to push this flower into the flower pot.
Write down the coupons. You can either write it on a separate piece of paper and fix them on the flowers as shown above, or just write straight onto the flowers.
Write a note for your mum, with instructions (like the fine print rules and regulations on a coupon) and stick it on the flower pot.

That's it. You're pot full of flower coupons are ready for your mum.

4. I love you thiiiiiiissssss much!

That's right. This is probably the easiest of all to make.

What you will need:

* Coloured paper

* Scissors
* Handprint
* Adhesive (glue, double-sided tape or clear tape)
* Marker pens, pens, pencils or crayons

Steps to make it:

1. Like the first idea above, trace the shape of your or your child's hand on two pieces of paper.

2. Cut out the two shapes. Write a message on one side of both the pieces. It can be as simple as "I love you" or any other message as per your preference.

3. On another piece of paper, write a message or simply write "I love you this much!" and cut it out.

4. Fold this piece of paper the way you would fold to make a fan.

5. Stick the ends to the two different hand shaped pieces and wait for it to stick on firmly before opening and closing it.

Original idea taken from here.

5. Cook a Fantabulous Feast for Mommy!

YES!! Cook something for her. Just, don't bake unless you have experience, because it takes a lot more time and there is a higher chance of burning something you're trying to bake than something you're cooking.

Cook something special for her. Or cook her favourite dish! Or cook with her. That's a special kind of bonding right there.

Make her breakfast in bed. Rope in your dad for some extra help. Additional points if it's your first time cooking. But please put safety first and have someone oversee you or help you if it's your first time.

6. If you're in Singapore...

Here are a few discounts available for Mother's Day:

Courts is having a special offer for Mother's Day. Just key in the promotional code LOVEMOM when purchasing products from the following categories:

I didn't know Courts had these categories either. Tomorrow (10 May 2015) is the last day for this promotion.

Visit http://book.hungrygowhere.com/mothersday-2015 for awesome dining deals. There are deals for different budgets.

Resorts World Sentosa - One mother dines free with a minimum of 3 other pax.

I hope these last minute ideas serve you well, loving fathers and children. Share these with others still fumbling for ideas and make more mothers happier around the world :)

The Bombing Technique

2015-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

So this is the second NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Program) technique I learned, and also one of the easiest. I wrote about the first technique I learned, which was the Swish Technique here. I have also written about the 4 basic human emotions that affect our daily routine. You can read that here :)

Now, the second one is called, as the title of this post suggests, the BOMBING technique.

Yes, this one's as simple as the name suggests. That is, you bomb people / things / situations.. In your head. Live the dream of a terrorist.. In your head.

I repeat, In Your Head.

Meaning, you imagine it. Safe as that :)

Basically, this technique helps you overcome anger towards anyone, anything or any situation which has affected you in the past or is affecting you right now.

As we all know, stress is at an all time high around the globe these days, and Stress leads to Anger.

You find yourself angry at your child, partner, boss, random people on a packed train or bus, cats, dogs, food...the list just goes on. You're basically not happy. You're frustrated and you don't know why, and you have no reasonable avenue to vent your anger when you don't know why you're angry in the first place.

How do you do it?

Say you're angry with your boss, or your parents; just imagine them in front of you.

Imagine a situation you had with them where they really hurt you with their words or actions.

Relive it in your head, and then you throw an imaginary bomb at them. Destroy them! Destroy everything.

Do it as many times as you want, and you can feel the anger slowly dissipating.

Again, as explained in my article about the Swish technique, do it only for as long as you feel comfortable.

If your anger doesn't seem to be subsiding then stop, take a look around your surroundings, bring yourself and your mind back to reality and then try again.

Tips:

1. Don't push yourself too hard. This is supposed to relieve your stress not stress you up even more.

2. If you've been trying for quite a while, then take a break. Go take a walk and walk it off.

3. If at first you don't succeed, don't get fed up. Some people may not get it in the first try. So be patient with yourself and try again after a while.

4. If you're having a lot of difficulty then I suggest you consult a professional who can coach you. That way you can apply this technique better and get better results.

If you think this is not your thing, then do stay tuned to know about 3 more techniques that I learned.

They sure helped me get a hold on my anxiety and I can positively say that I'm about 90% free of it now. I hardly ever get emotional or cry. I'm able to make better decisions because my emotions aren't getting in the way.

Do take note that I am not a professional and I'm only sharing my experiences and what I learned, here. If you feel like you need someone to confide in and seek advice or therapy, and think the psychologist I consulted can help you, do contact me and I'll share his details with you.

Wish you an anger-free life!

The Singapore Life of Foreign Children - Part 1

2015-04-24T02:53:00.000-07:00

This article (written by me) was first published in Pravasi Express. This is a four part article.

Consider this:

You are a parent of a teenager. You were brought up in India, and you came to Singapore following a great job opportunity with which you can provide a better life for your family, and maybe even for your parents back in India.

Everything is going well and smooth like you planned, until your child becomes a teenager and starts secondary education here. One day, out of the blue, you feel like your teenager has changed. All of a sudden, your world has been turned upside down because you feel like he or she is no longer the innocent child that you still considered them to be.

Maybe they have started talking back. Or showing you bad attitude, sometimes even questioning your authority. He or she starts to constantly complain that he or she is being misunderstood or that you are not trying to understand them. Something just doesn’t feel right. You feel disconnected with your teenager. You feel helpless. You are worried.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

If it does, you are not alone.

Don’t worry, you are not a bad parent. Neither is this a situation that you cannot resolve. These are things that most parents of teenagers face. If you are a parent and have a teenager who is not giving you trouble like those stated above, then consider yourself lucky - either you have a very understanding teenager, or you have gone out of your way to take the effort to understand your teenager and bridge the generation and cultural gap.

Yes, the keyword here is “Understanding”.

While as a parent you may feel stressed up and worried about your teenager’s behaviour, there is a very important factor that you may be overlooking. Your teenager is facing the same predicament as you are.

They are growing up in the Singapore culture, which is unfamiliar to them just as much as it is unfamiliar to you.

Growing up in Singapore has its fair share of difficulties for children. As someone who was not brought up in Singapore, you may not be able to relate to it, because you do not know what student life in Singapore holds for teenagers here.

“What could be so different from the student life in India?”

This is a common question that pops up in many parents’ minds.

In order to answer this, let me just put forward a few simple questions which you may hopefully be able to relate to:

Is there a difference in the office and work culture between India and Singapore?
Is there a difference in the general public culture between India and Singapore?
Do you feel stressed up at your workplace, or feel out of place at least once during your stay in Singapore?

If your answer is yes to at least one of these questions, then the answer to the question asked earlier regarding the difference in student life, is also a resounding yes.

Just as you may find it difficult to fit in to life here or the pace at your workplace, your teenager may also find it difficult to cope with studies and student life here.

This leads to frustration, but your teenager does not know who to turn to for advice.

“Why? We parents are always here for them, right?”

This is another question that many people have. But think of it from your child’s point of view.

Your child knows that you were not brought up here. Hence, he or she automatically deduces that you are unfamiliar with the problem that they are facing and therefore you cannot provide them with a viable solution.

Can you blame them if they feel this way? Many a times, when you have a problem, you choose not to share it with a person who does not have experience facing and resolving the same (or at least similar) problem, don’t you?

If you, as an adult think this way, then imagine the thought process of a teenager, who has much less life experience and is surrounded by a lot of emotional and psychological pressure in the Singapore lifestyle. Sometimes, teenagers do not approach adults for help with solving an issue simply because they are afraid of getting scolded or upsetting you.

For teenagers with parents who are not brought up here, life at home is very different from the life they face at school. They face a constant clash in cultural differences as they transit between home and school. It is a culture shock that many youngsters find difficult to adjust and adapt to. Some children may never be able to adapt at all, and this combined with the feeling that their parents do not understand them can have a lasting negative impact.

Teenagers always yearn to be accepted by their peers. In this case, their peers are most often Singaporean children, born and brought up in the Singapore lifestyle.

What is this Singapore lifestyle?

The answer for this question can be summed up in one word: Freedom. There is freedom for everyone to do what they please. There is freedom to explore the unknown, and learn about things that they are curious about. As a modern nation with 24 hour amenities, night activities are common things. Get togethers and outings are different from what you are used to. Student-Teacher relationships are different, and so is friendship.

While parents like you are concerned and protective of your child, showering them with care and love, parents here are not so protective. Most of them give their child the space to explore and learn from their mistakes, while just keeping a lookout for them, so that they do not make serious, unethical mistakes.

For this, understanding and trust is very important.

As a parent - or rather, an adult - there is only one way to reach out to children and teenagers. You have to go down to their level of maturity and think with their mindset. You should never expect them to come up to your level and think with the maturity of an adult. Constantly calling them immature because their actions are immature when you look at a situation from the adult point of view can throw them off and make them very confused.

This is because, as mentioned earlier, they are just growing up, and have much less experience in life than you do. The maturity and wiseness that you have as an adult was developed from the many experiences you have had in life - both good and bad.

The kids are still learning. You were once a child and a teenager, before you became the adult that you are now, and that is the reason why it is possible for you to imagine yourself as a teenager in the current society and align your thought process with theirs, even for a little while.

Children, however, have always been children for their whole lives. They do not have even the slightest idea of how it feels like to be an adult. So how can parents expect their teenagers to think like adults?

Besides, as we all have felt when we were young, they also can’t wait to become an adult, and all that they are doing now, is trying to act like they are an adult. They are trying to believe that they know what life is about. We, as adults, now know it is foolish, but the truth of the matter is that this is a learning process - for them as well as for us.

Pulverised Dreams - By Abhiram Nair

2015-04-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

Education, as we know plays a major role in defining who we are and what we will become in the future. It doesn’t always have to be the things we study from educational institutions, but every bit of good knowledge is crucial and will help us in our life in one way or another.

There is a saying, “No other investment has such a lasting effect as the education of children. Children who go to school are healthier, more self-assured and can more easily assume a profession”. So education should be made mandatory for each and every child for their well being and for a healthy future.

Another thing about education is that it shouldn’t be forced onto a person, it should be willingly accepted. Without that acceptance, education doesn’t serve it's purpose.

India, home to more than 1.2 billion people and counting, is rather known for a very strange and bizarre practice which has happening for quite a while. It is not seen anywhere else in this world. When you are done with your high school studies and waiting for your results, you have relatives and family friends coming from all over, even those whom you have never seen in your life, and saying: “ DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT? GO FOR ENGINEERING. IT’S THE FIELD WITH MOST HOPE!!!"

And there starts your misery!

In a country which has the most number of highest and lowest educated people in the world, a very limited number of children make it till high school and go beyond for further education without any hindrance. Whenever a child passes high school, there starts the family's dilemma and at the right time enters many known and unknown people giving all sorts of advices and suggestions, which always, sadly, ends in ENGINEERING!

So the child is pressurized and then gets pushed into a whirlpool. Putting up a fight in the beginning and later understanding the fact that there is no fighting it, the child finally have to give up and go with the flow.

Then, starts the most miserable four years of his or her life. My life was no different.

Born in an average family, I was educated a very good school. In my lower elementary classes, I remember teachers asking, “who do you want to be when you grow up?”. I remember my friends saying football player, astronaut, soldier etc.

Mine was to be a pilot because I was always fascinated with flying. Years later, even though my ambitions changed, my academic grades remained consistent. In the 10th standard board exams, I scored very high marks.

But then, I got lazy in my 11th grade and I somehow managed just to pass. Then came the final year of high school - the deciding year, on what your real goal in life is and to pursue it in the years to follow. But I was faced with much worse problems. I was affected by a rare medical issue and I was struggling with its treatment for 3 months and was totally depressed about how I could manage to write my final exams.

Against all odds, ignoring all the possibility of failure, I worked hard day and night and attended my final exams and scored excellent grades.

The happiness, however, was short-lived.

The biggest question in my life hit me - WHAT NEXT?

While I was down with treatment, all my friends were planning their future. I was left clueless. There were debates within the family on the courses I could go for. A sudden decision was finally made based on opinions from other's suggestions as I was without one of my own.

There I was, with the only option left - to join engineering.

In most cases parents don’t even think of asking what their child aspires to be in life and simply make their kid walk a path that they feel is best for them. That is the most gruesome thing one can do to their child who has dreams and ambitions about his/her future but is helpless to speak about it.

As I was depressed and clueless on my goal back then, the only thing I could do was agree with my parents' decision and go with them to the place that I will be regretting for the next four years of my life.

Classes commenced a month later. I was in a totally different atmosphere there, trying to mingle with people I've never seen or talked to ever in my life. I felt like a penguin in a group of African grey parrots struggling to fit in. It went on like that for several days till I made some good friends. But as the classes went on full swing, my head started feeling like a pressure cooker kept inside a microwave which was about to burst!

I was totally feeling out of place, left with no choice but to endure it. After finishing the 1st year exams, I really grew more and more conscious about my passion for photography. But by then it was really late. I flunked my exams, big time. So there was no turning back. I was literally suffocating like a fish out of water, the more I realised I was in a place I didn’t fit in. Bearing my parents' faces and expectations in mind, I had to keep my interests and passions aside and bear this headache called engineering.

After four years of hardship, here I am one among the millions of jobless engineers in the country who are facing constant criticisms from family and relatives and bearing the burden of expectations on my shoulders. Now I am forced to look up a job that doesn’t even have any relation to what I studied and spend the rest of my life working within four walls to earn a living. This is not just my story. It’s the life story of many people out there whose dreams were sacrificed so that their parents could call their child an engineer.

The main reasons for such a weird trend is because

Parents don’t trust their children to take risks in life by doing something new. They always choose the easy way.
They prefer to follow someone rather than make their own way.
Lack of proper carrier guidance.
Countless number of engineering collages make things much easier for parents to blindly choose that field rather than look for something different.
Lack of knowledge about other opportunities.
Jobless and ignorant people giving unwanted suggestions and advice to innocent parents who don’t have much knowledge about the opportunities that are available outside.

To every parent out there who are planning on sending your son or daughter for engineering, here are some information I would like to share:

On an average, more than 1.5 million engineering graduates pass out every year in our country (India) of which about a million are jobless. Among the ones getting placements, only 20% get good pay. The rest work for so little salary that they won't be able to survive 2 weeks with a family in that income.
The sad truth is that even after knowing all these facts, parents still line up at engineering collages with donations for admissions for their child. So next time before you listen to others' suggestions and advice, go to your child and spend time with your child to know his / her interests and motivate them to pursue their dreams. Or else your child will end up like millions of other children who dreamt about flying, but whose wings got clipped even before they tried flapping it.

Todays children are the ones who plays the major role in reshaping the future and face of our country with new innovations and talents. So next time when someone walks up to a parent and ask “why didn’t you send your child for engineering?”, they should proudly say, “I didn’t, because I let my child follow his / her dreams”!

At the end of the day, a secured future is what every parent want for their child. Parents can be proud of themselves for raising an amazing kid and letting their child follow his / her own path towards their success, rather than pushing them off a cliff into something they aren't even vaguely interested in.

The Swish Technique

2015-04-20T07:18:00.001-07:00

As I'd mentioned in my earlier post about the 4 basic human emotions, I wish to share the techniques I learned to control my anxiety disorder. These days, anxiety is a common problem in children as well as adults and seniors. There's nothing to be embarrassed about it because, let's face it, today's world is a stressful place to live in. It is really sad that so many people are suffering from anxiety but so few realise it and worse, even less get professional help to get rid of it.

Unfortunately, anxiety isn't something that can be treated with medication. Very seldom, the medication we get for anxiety basically just reduces your blood pressure, to make you somewhat relaxed. You know the connection -> higher BP = hypertension = anxiety (the general equation).

For people with mild anxiety, it might work. But for others, like me, who suffer serious disorder, in which an attack can last hours and leave you and your loved ones absolutely exhausted, medicines do little if not nothing.

The best medicine I received was one which just put me to sleep. So I'd get a panic attack, freak everyone out, pop the pill before I lose consciousness and slowly fall asleep - painfully (panic attacks are painful!)

There were times when I couldn't sleep even after taking 3 pills. Yes, that's how bad it was for me.

This is the 1st one I learned. It's called the Swish technique, which is one of the hundreds of
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques that Psychologists use to help their patients overcome fear, anxiety and many other problems.

Basically, NLP has everything to do with training our brain to process our thoughts differently. It can be used throughout your life in various situations to bring your emotions under control, and to make yourself better at handling tough situations.

I found these techniques really easy to follow and it helped me take control of my mind really quickly. I was told by my Psychologist that it's not the same for everyone. The experiences may vary with different people. So if you don't get it on your first try, don't worry - just keep trying and you will definitely see results.

Of course, for better results, you should consult a professional. He / she will be able to coach you to bring out the best in you. :)

How do you do it?

When you feel anxious (or scared, or anything negative), close your eyes, relax your body and mind. Relax your forehead, eyes, facial muscles, mouth, neck, shoulders, hands, fingers, legs, back, hips, feet, toes, fingers.. You get it - your whole body.

That's a difficult task to accomplish when you're anxious, I know. When you feel like you're heart, mind and body is simply not in your control, it is a really big deal trying to relax.

But, just do it as far as you can go. You can feel a difference just by trying. Trying is the keyword here. As long as you don't give up, you're halfway there.

Concentrate on the parts of your body that are having a reaction to the anxious feeling and once you have identified that, envision the pain in your mind. Imagine it as something physical, with a colour.

Then, use your hands and in one motion, envision yourself pulling the discomfort out of your body. Imagine pulling out the coloured object from the zone of your pain or discomfort. Imagine it leaving your body.

Repeat these, increasing your speed of removing the discomfort with each repetition.

After a few times, open your eyes, have a look around you and take in your present state. Bring yourself back to reality. Take in your surroundings, and the state that you're in. Feel the emotions. Figure out if you are feeling better.

If you feel like you're not completely ok yet, then repeat the same steps.

If you feel like you're ok, then stop the technique and allow yourself to relax.

I've been doing it continuously for a while now, but I'm not getting better. What should I do?

Stop. That's what you should do. Take a break. Try to walk around a bit or, if you feel like crying, cry.

Don't push yourself too hard. Anxiety is something that gets better over time. Even then, some people never get rid of it 100%.

With anxiety, you have to be patient with yourself. Accept the fact that it won't disappear overnight. You have to keep working at it regularly and have faith in yourself to truly see a difference in the long run.

Or else, you will just get better for a while, and then go back to square one the next time you face a challenging situation.

After taking a break for a while, try the technique again. There are other techniques you can try too, if you don't find this cut out for you. I will be writing about 4 more techniques that I learned in future posts.

Till then, let me know how you felt after trying this.

Wishing you guys a healthy mind and body. :)

Happy Vishu!

2015-04-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a month since I last blogged. I was in India, and the internet connection was slow so I thought I'd come back to Singapore and get back to my blog.

Now I'm back and well, here I am, back to blogging.

I would like to start off by wishing all fellow Malayalees a very Happy Vishu!

Vishu is the harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, and many people mistake it for the New Year - even some Malayalees.

The New Year of Malayalees fall somewhere in September, on the Malayalam month of Chingam. The 1st day of Chingam is the New Year.

The most common reason for mistaking Vishu as the New Year is because it falls on or one day after the Tamil New Year.

This time of the year is celebrated by most Indians. It is either their New Year or Harvest festival. We Malayalee Hindus set up a special altar (like shown in the picture below) for Vishu, with a photo or statue of Lord Krishna, flowers, some seasonal fruits and vegetables, new clothes, coins and rice grains to represent abundance and prosperity. It's a way to seek blessings from Lord Krishna to yield good crops during the year, thus resulting in good food and wealth.

This is called the Vishukani and should be set up the night before. On Vishu, when we wake up, the Vishukani should be the first thing we set our eyes on. So in most households, the mother or father will light the lamp at the break of dawn, wake their family and guide them to the altar as their eyes will be closed. Then there is the usual Vishu feast with a variety of dishes, rice and desserts.

Malayalees overseas celebrate Vishu with what they can get in the country they're in. My husband and I are having a small celebration with a small altar set up, a couple special dishes and a dessert.

Ultimately, whether the celebration is big or small, it all comes down to one's faith in life. If we decide to stay positive, with positive thoughts and actions, we will always have a positive and prosperous life :)

Life on Two Wheels - By Abhiram Nair

2015-04-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, Abhiram Nair is a friend of mine, a bike enthusiast and a photographer. While I was talking to him one day, he was telling me about his biking experience, and I wanted to share it with all my readers. What is it like to ride a bike? Many people rule it as being supremely dangerous, but what does a biker guy say to that? Read on...

'When in doubt, pick a direction and go.' These might be the words that echo in most riders' minds when it comes to riding... believe me, it helps - every single time.

Riding a bike is purely an art. It's not for the faint hearted. That mechanical rumbling of the engine; the feel of all that power in your hand at the twist of a throttle; that sudden surge of adrenaline and that pure rush of excitement. All that balanced on two wheels - the feel is simply second to none.

That moment when you are faced with a tough choice in life - something to let go, or just to feel the wind in your hair and breathe the fresh air - nothing proves more helpful than a long ride on your bike. The more you ride, the more solutions you will find to all your unanswered questions.

As we ride, we see everything around us move backward as we are striving forward. This can be related to our problems in life. As we move ahead in life, all our difficulties and sorrows are left behind.

Everyone should go for long ride at least once in their lifetime. Go places. Explore the unknown. Feel the nature. It's not somthing that everyone can do. But it's definitely something everyone should try to do. It's something that you are never going to regret. There are no true riders who left for a ride and came back disappointed. What they will return with is a smile on their face and lots and lots of great memories to remember for a lifetime. Every single time.

Next time, to everyone out their who haven't rode a bike, never miss a chance to learn to ride one.

Only then will you know why they say, "Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out car windows"!

Be safe. Ride longer.

The 4 Basic Human Emotions

2015-03-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

View image | gettyimages.com

Today's post will touch on a slightly personal note, but I felt like this should be shared just to lend some form of hope and encouragement to others like me.

I have not confided much in anyone about how affected I am by anxiety and depression. In my 26 years of life, twice I have been at the lowest point in my life - both times equally bad. I learned many different things through both experiences. But, as is well known about depression and anxiety, the phases were the most difficult and I have just started to slowly recover from it now.

The second phase has been as recent as last year, when I actually lost my memory and couldn't recognise people or places. Anxiety attacks were my constant companion - a painful shortness of breath which can cause you to black out in serious cases. Losing consciousness was common in my case.

After much struggle and support from my near and dear ones, I have reached where I am today. I was given medication to support my brain function as well as for sleep and recently, the dosage has been increased.

Recovering is a long and slow process, if it has affected you as much as it has me. And it is definitely not easy on your loved ones either. Earlier in my recovery phase, I was prone to self-mutilation and sudden fits of crying without knowing the reason. My moods also fluctuated drastically and it was nowhere within my control.

There were many instances where I asked why I keep going in circles and how I can change it. And it wasn't till my current visit to India that I found the answers I was looking for, through a counseling session.

The difference between Psychiatrists and Psychologists

I also learned that Psychiatrists are different from Psychologists and Counselors. Psychiatrists only mostly prescribe medicines. Very few psychiatrists actually spend the time to counsel you. Meanwhile, psychologists and counselors do not prescribe medicines. They listen to you, communicate with you and teach you methods to overcome your difficulties.

It is rather important to know this difference, for it can greatly influence the recovery phase. Medication alone is not sufficient in most cases. It was definitely not enough for me.

My counseling was arranged with a well known professor in Kerala, Prof. V. J. Anthony. Today, I just attended my 3rd counseling session. I have been showing significant improvement since the 2nd session, which was last week. I feel different and people around me have also noticed the positive changes in me.

The 4 basic human emotions

When you are anxious or depressed, it is not easy to motivate yourself. And the most common emotions are fear, grief / sorrow and anger.

I learned that these 3 are actually among the 4 most basic human emotions. The words used are Sad, Mad and Scared. The 4th emotion is happiness.. 'Glad'. So it's Glad, Sad, Mad and Scared. Easier to remember that way.

Isn't it really eye-opening and somewhat philosophical that the majority of our basic feelings are negative? Is it not little wonder that people always have to try hard to be happy? It is easier for us to feel angry, scared or sad, because it requires much less effort than to find happiness.

The aim in life is to actually overcome Mad, Sad and Scared, to live with Glad. Many people don't know this and many people, in their effort to face problems in life succumb to Mad, Sad and Scared. That's when depression and anxiety sets in. See - Mad, Sad and Scared leaves people feeling hopeless and helpless.

The methods that Prof. Anthony has been teaching me in the last two sessions are aimed at overcoming the 3 negative emotions and encouraging the indulgence in happiness without feeling undeserving of it. The methods are called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, NLP for short. And I will be writing all about what I've learned in upcoming posts. It's much better to dedicate single, descriptive posts to each of the methods I learned because I wish to share what I learned with everyone out there, instead of just mentioning it.

Whatever I have mentioned in this post was learned through my counseling sessions, and was taught to me by Prof. Anthony. It has shed light on a lot of the questions I had about myself and my illness, which is the reason why I am confidently able to say that I am finally on the road to a complete recovery right now.

Stay tuned for more details on what I learned.

4 Things You Can Do During the CNY Holidays

2015-02-19T01:06:00.001-08:00

So it's that time of the year again when the whole country seems to be locked down.

Yes! Everywhere you go most of the shops are closed and you can hear the beats of the lion dance now and then.

The Chinese are ushering in the year of the goat and the rest of us are having a good long break.

So, with the shops closed, what else can we do in during the Chinese New Year holidays in Singapore? Well, here are 4 great ideas!

1. Go shopping!

That's right. Shops like Cotton on have huge discounts only during this period. We had our hands full shopping at the Cotton On at Causeway Point last year. Maybe you can hit it up this year and see what's on offer. I'm sure other shops will be open too. Have yourself a fun time and go check out random shopping centres these few days.

2. Visit your Chinese friends and learn about their culture

That'll be nice, won't it? I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about their new year celebrations. You can meet their family, experience their customs, taste their food and have a great new experience. Oh, and don't forget to bring oranges and Ang Bao.

3. Just relax at home and watch movies with your family. Even better - watch a Chinese movie

Try it. It'll be a change from the Hollywood and Bollywood movies. There are many awesome Chinese movies you can watch. My favourite are the ones that depict old myths and legends. Don't forget the subtitles. Enjoy!

4. Explore the Chinese cuisine - in your kitchen

Noodles, Rice, Dumplings... Whatever it may be, just give it a shot. Plenty of recipes to be found online. Worst case scenario - if you can't get all the ingredients, fret not, for there's always cup noodles.

I hope you guys have an awesome, well-deserved break and may the year of the goat bring you plenty good luck, good health and great fortune!

Cheers everyone.

The Dark Yarn

2015-02-18T00:45:00.000-08:00

Taken from http://nigelk.org

“Push, twist, pull through. Push, twist, pull through.”

That was all that went through Cedi’s mind as she frantically knitted. Her dirty blonde, uneven hair was untied and falling over her pale face. Her eyes were sunken deep into her head, her lips chapped, and she didn’t care about the beads of sweat rolling down her face. All she had in her mind was knitting.

“Push, twist, pull through. Push, twist, pull through.”

She gripped the knitting needles and yarn so hard that her nails had turned white. Pain throbbed in her lower back from sitting slouched for so long on the stool. There was a small, round table right beside her but she never took notice of it. The pain hardly made her budge.

So engrossed in knitting was she, that she didn’t hear the door crack open behind her, or her daughter Heidi walking in.

A splitting image of her mother, Heidi was tall, fair and had a pretty, oval face. Hidden under heavy makeup and messy hair, she too, had signs of sleep depravation. She had just returned from school, and as usual, ignored the hunched figure sitting in the living room.

A hormonal teenager, she was growing more irritated with her mother each day. By night, she wished her mother dead.

Heidi banged the door shut.

No response from her knitting mother.

She threw her bag across the room and walked into the kitchen shaking her head and cursing under her breath. She dreaded the time she had to come home.

There was no food in the fridge or on the stove. “Of course,” she thought, “when was the last time there was any home-cooked food in this house?”

She found an old packet of milk, almost near expiry and poured some into a saucepan. She lit up the stove and put the pan on. Then she went to rummage for the bottle among the pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. By the time she had found it and washed it, the milk was ready and she poured it into the bottle.

The bottle in one hand, she strolled out of the kitchen, noticing her paranoid mother from the corner of her eye. She sulked and quickly walked away so as not to get any more infuriated by the sight of her mother.

Heidi walked into her mother’s bedroom, her room, and then checked all three bathrooms, but she didn’t find what she was searching for. She retraced her steps once more, but what she was looking for was still missing. She went outside. Not there either.

She came back in and didn’t hesitate to show her anger and impatience, throwing things on the floor in her search.

Cedi hardly noticed what was going on. “Push, twist, pull through.” That was all that concerned her.

Heidi checked every nook and corner, and finally decided to try the storage room. Swearing under her breath about how stupid it was of her to search here, she pulled the heavy door open and stood there in the dim light. Her eyes didn’t adjust to the darkness of the air-tight room.

Switching on the lights, she was taken aback by what she saw. There was blood all over the room. The bottom part of walls were filled with small hand prints, and she saw her baby brother’s mangled body sprawled on the floor. He had just started crawling the week before, and now, here he was dead. Murdered! Stabbed to death and disfigured. A waste of young life.

Without realising, she broke into a panic attack. She stood rooted at the door and couldn’t take her eyes away from her little brother’s body. Yes, she’s thought he was an unnecessary addition to the family. Yes, she thought he only took away her freedom. But she had loved him. He was still her younger brother; her flesh and blood.

She leaned onto the wall for support, tears of fear and confusion rolling down her cheeks. She knew who had done this. There was only one person who could have done it.

“This is it,” Heidi said to herself. “I’ve had enough of this. I cannot live with this any longer.”

She walked slowly to the living room, holding a baseball bat. When she could finally get a control on her thoughts, she’d quickly grabbed hold of the first thing that came to her mind.

Walking up behind her mother, she said, “For better or for worse, Mom, I wouldn’t have this any other way.”

Cedi stopped knitting. A cold chill ran up her spine, and before she knew it, something had struck the back of her head.

Cedi was thrown off the stool and before she hit the floor, came the next strike.

Heidi hit her mother with all the force she could muster. Even when Cedi fell on the floor and didn’t move, Heidi couldn’t bring herself to stop. She cried and yelled at the body that used to be her depressed, demented mother.

Finally, when she stopped, she threw the bat to the side and walked back towards the wall. She needed the support.

She looked around. The furniture and walls were splattered with her mother’s blood. Her knitting was still in her hands, now red with blood.

Heidi slowly stood up and walked to the land phone. She punched in some numbers and waited. After three rings, a man answered the phone.

“Dad, I killed mom.”

The Bridge

2015-02-18T00:41:00.003-08:00

I remember the day our village became a national attraction. We had built a bridge - the first in the country - connecting our little picturesque village to the mainland. It was a pleasantly warm February morning. Winter had passed but it wasn’t quite spring yet and it was one of my favourite times of the year.

I was just ten then. My mom had stopped me from running off with my friends that morning after breakfast, to make me wear my jacket and a hat. “There you go,” she had said, “now you’re ready to go. But wait for us; don’t go running off to the riverbank just yet. Your father will be ready in 5 minutes.”

All the villagers were gathered around a make-shift podium that was erected the day before on the river bank. The bridge was to be grandly opened by the man who undertook most of the funding for the project. He, Uncle Joseph, was the richest man in the village and he was also the first to buy a car two years down the road. People said although he spent a lot of money on the bridge, he made it big and got back all that money and more.

He was a nice man, always smiling and talking to everyone he sees. Always ready to help anyone in need and more than willing to invest in our village. Everyone liked him. He was even a popular candidate to become the mayor but he rejected the offer saying he didn’t want politics to stain his reputation. I didn’t know what he meant by that back then.

It was like a funfair. There were people handing out free balloons and lollipops to the children gathered there. I was short and couldn’t see much and the waiting was starting to get the better of me. With the lollipop in my mouth, I started looking around and spotted my friends in the crowd. First Johnny, then Henry and William, they were all there. There were even people from the newspapers, wearing their fancy coats and hats, pens and notebooks.

Just when I thought I’ll leave my family to go play with my friends, a man walked onto the podium and announced the opening of the bridge. A sudden doubt crept into my mind. Was there another grand opening being held on the other side of the bridge? Who would be opening it there?

Lost in my thoughts, I couldn’t concentrate on what Uncle Joseph was saying. Something about the construction of the bridge. And before I knew it, the band was playing and Uncle Joseph had cut the ribbon. I couldn’t even see it properly. People started rushing past me to get onto the bridge, just to get a view from the bridge.

And like that, our village was on the news and our mode of transportation changed overnight. We still loved the boats but the bridge cut down travelling time by 15 minutes. We also didn’t have to wait for the boat to be full anymore.

As the years went by, I grew up and went off to the city for college. I found a job there after I graduated and then I found the woman of my dreams. She was a city girl, so after our marriage we didn’t come back to my village much. We would only visit during the holidays. The bridge had become part of the village and after Uncle Joseph’s passing, no one was particularly interested to handle the welfare of the bridge.

When public bus services started, people found out that the bridge had the width to hold only one. As national transportation improved, the villagers started feeling that the bridge we had just wasn’t enough. They wanted a bigger one. But no one was willing to invest in reconstructing it.

Now, 60 years later, a company which set up it’s office in the village has sponsored a bigger bridge. It won’t be that big a deal now. There are bridges everywhere. There won’t be freebies for the kids or journalists covering the event. The boat business will suffer a huge hit, though. I heard many of them are stopping daily trips and offering their boats up for rental. Recreational activities, they call it now, what used to be a daily task for us back in the day.

My daughters brought me down to the riverbank today. I’d asked them to, just to see the bridge one last time. It was a mighty exciting day for us in the beginning after all.

We stood there, watching as the company’s CEO made his speech and cut the ribbon. He was very business-like and didn’t smile like Uncle Joseph did, but the bridge will benefit the people of my village.

After the opening ceremony, I walked by the old bridge. It was scheduled to be taken down and no one was allowed on it anymore. It was on the verge of collapsing, said the engineers who inspected it.

I saw a few of my old buddies. We smiled at each other and parted ways.

12 Photographs of Nature that'll make you rethink City Life

2015-02-17T01:30:00.000-08:00

Nature is a beautiful, wonderful thing and sadly, as we get more citified, we get more detached from it.

Skyscrapers and ornamental buildings take the places of flora and fauna as humans continue to forage for "economic" success.

But I believe strongly that there will come a day when these tall buildings and jobs mean nothing sooner or later.

In the meantime, I collected some beautiful photographs of nature that will remind us that it is nature that we should be more connected to than WiFi or the internet.

Enjoy.

Here is a photograph of the night sky, filled with stars - a relaxing scene we hardly come by the heavily light polluted cities.

Taken from http://www.joshbrewsterphotography.com

Here is a photo I took during my trip to Europe. This was taken atop the Swiss Alps. 2 White swans in a lake at sunset - I didn't want to leave that place. This photo doesn't do justice to the beauty I witnessed there.

Cherry Blossoms in Japan. These flowers are a special during the Chinese New Year here, but I bet you've not seen this in Singapore.

Taken from http://www.demilked.com. Image credited to Sue Hsu.

3. And this is the Tunnel of Love in Ukraine.

These are in Pulau Ubin, a tiny island just offshore Singapore. It's a nature reserve. If you've not been there, you should definitely go there.

These photos are taken by my brother-in-law on his trip to Wayanad, Kerala, India.

And these were taken by me, on my trip to Munnar, Kerala, India.

We were designed to be part of nature. Nature completes us. It's never too late to start doing your part to conserve nature and reduce pollution. Bring up your children teaching them to conserve nature as well, so that their children and grandchildren can enjoy whatever is left of nature now.

To Celebrate or Not To Celebrate

2015-02-14T00:21:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day has been quite the deal for a very long time. But recently, people are starting to
question the purpose of Valentine's day and debating on whether it is right to have just one day out of the whole year dedicated to love.

While many people say love should be shown all year round, others still support the notion of having romantic and special plans for the day.

So which is it?

Well, it is a day dedicated to showing love and appreciation but I also agree that love and appreciation should be shown whenever you get the opportunity.

But let's look at this another way. There are many people who harbour special feelings for another person and are too afraid or shy to approach them. This day could be for them.

It is nerve-wrecking when you have to be the one coming out and confessing your feelings for the other person. Rejection is a very difficult condition to handle. And it is the fear of rejection that holds most people back. They rather see the person they love with someone else than approach the person themselves and take a chance.

So I say, this day is all about encouraging these people to take the chance; to take the first step. When you know there's a day coming up when everyone's going to be expressing their love, it makes it ever so slightly easier for you to do so as well.

Let's show someone the appreciation for being courageous enough to open up their feelings. Let's celebrate the fact that there is at least a day dedicated to love. It's there anyway, so you might as well love your heart out. If there's no special someone, make a new friend! Rather than spend our time on the internet debating whether Valentine's day should be scrapped or kept, just grab the day like every other day and enjoy every moment of it.

'Cuz that's how you respect your life, love, time and that of others in your life, even when you're busy living in a hustling bustling little city.

Happy Valentine's everyone!

A new perspective

2015-02-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

As someone suffering from anxiety disorder, I am constantly looking for ways to lift my spirits and stay active.

I have my daily routine to keep myself motivated and though it's hard sometimes, once you push through and overcome your fear of anxiety once, it will get easier every day. You just really really need to take the first step.

So as I was floating around the internet today, I came across this great video which I felt like sharing with everyone. As she says in the video, there are many people nowadays who go through anxiety issues and I think the best way to overcome it is when we tackle things (our fears) ourselves.

This video was made by Lauren who runs a YouTube channel called LaurDIY, where she shares all kinds of DIY projects.

Although these DIY projects seem like really small things, it is these small things that can actually make a difference when you have anxiety.

At the end of the video, Lauren shares her story. Check out the video below:

I find that DIY projects are a great way to overcome any negative emotional or psychological issues, as they can divert our minds through creativity. They keep us occupied and, not to mention, the feeling of satisfaction we get with the finished product is truly motivating.

I hope you guys enjoyed her video as much as I did, and if you know of any interesting DIY projects, do share them with me. I am a lover of all things DIY!

Free Online Courses!!

2015-02-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought that education should be free? Are you interested in constantly upgrading yourself and acquiring knowledge but you put it aside because courses are expensive?

Well, if you are, congratulations! You're just like me. :) Oh, and I have just the solution for you.

Some of you might have plenty of courses in your country which you have free access to, but for us in Singapore, it's not that easy. Money rules here and if you ain't got money, you ain't got nothing here. And you'll live a really sorry life.

But here is a link that my father-in-law shared with me. He is very active and constantly on the lookout for learning new things, and he motivates me to do the same. If he was in Singapore, he would definitely be nominated for and win the award for Active Ageing.

So he came across this site called FutureLearn, where you can take online courses from top Universities and cultural institutions FOR FREE. There are 44 partner Universities from the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. There are 13 categories of courses available and they will all be taught online.

Categories:

You even get certificates when you complete these courses. All you need to do is just sign up at their website, and join the courses that interest you.

I've already signed up for mine and I'm so excited to start it.

* All visuals are screenshots taken from the FutureLearn website. No copyright infringement intended.

Don't fall for scam when renting or buying apartments!

2014-12-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

It is every newlywed couple's dream to move out on our own, and we decided to just rent a room for now so that we can get used to the new lifestyle. Besides, getting a house in Singapore is a huge financial commitment, and we wanted to just take it slow.

We started our house-hunting a few months back and our idea was to try and find one on our own - you know, without getting an agent involved. So we hunted.. and hunted... and hunted... checked out most of the real estate websites like propertyguru, stproperty, roomsdb, iproperty etc. but most of the listings were made by agents, and they had a very popular method of listing a much lower rental value just to attract possible tenants... and then when you contact them, they drop the bomb on you.

Some of them don't upload photos of the house / room in the listings. Sometimes, they even provide false listings. All in the name of competitiveness (I think there are more real estate agents in Singapore than traffic lights!)

So anyway, as we ran out of time, we decided to just change our strategy and seek the help of an agent. First we contact a Chinese agent, whose contacts we came across online in gumtree.com or something. He had listed a room in Hougang and all the specifications met our requirements as well.

SO we contacted him... and he told us to check out his website (which happened to be a blog) and see if there are any other listings we're interested in. We thought he's just so nice to get a list of rooms we're interested in so he can help us pick out the best one. BUT, it turned out that he'd already closed the deals for most of the rooms mentioned in his blog, and not only didn't he bother to update it but also conveniently forgot to mention that tiny detail to us. We wasted our time searching through his whole "website", and at the end of the day, he left us high and dry with just one room out of our shortlisted rooms available for viewing.

We decided to view it.

So we fixed a time for the next day. The room was at Boon Lay. We left early. We reached Boon Lay early.

BUT the room was so far inside the residential area, that by the time we found the block, we were half an hour late.

Once we were under the block, we called the agent and guess what. He had left the place, because he thought we were "not going to come anymore". Well, for the sake of simple courtesy or at least client service, he could have called me and asked if there were any changes in our plan. I find that very unprofessional and mainly because of that we decided not to take that room. It was a common room in a nice flat, with built-in wardrobes but no bed. We were to share the house with an Indian Muslim family of 3.

That was our first experience with a real-estate agent.

After that we decided not to take our chances with unknown agents, and contacted a friend of my parents' and PropNex agent, Mr. Arun Sathyan. He was really friendly and professional. Believe it or not, he found us a room which matched all our specifications within just one day! We were extremely satisfied with his service and would recommend him anytime to anyone who's looking to rent or buy a room or house in Singapore.

We signed the agreement and shifted on the second day. We're back in India now counting down to our wedding... :)

I will update his contact details here once he's approved of it. Till then, feel free to drop me a message if you'd like to get his details.

The Best Way to Enjoy the Singapore Night Safari

2014-11-23T03:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a Foolproof Way to See and Experience Everything that the Singapore Night Safari Has to Offer

The Night Safari is a must visit attraction for anyone who visits Singapore. It is just beside the Singapore Zoo, but it would be better to visit the Zoo and the Night Safari on separate days, so as to enjoy both to the fullest, unless of course you have very high stamina to keep walking for an entire day and night. Here are a few steps to ensure a fully enjoyable trip to the Singapore Night Safari.

1. Check for promotions

The first thing to be remembered is to check the Night Safari website for any promotions that you may be entitled to during your intended time of visit. They often have discount coupons on their website, nightsafari.com.sg. You can also check out the highlights of the Night Safari in the website.

2. Know the attractions

All details regarding the attractions can be found on their website. They currently have 2 shows, the Thumbuakar Performance and the Creatures of the Night Show. These two are strategically timed such that if you plan your visit well and keep to your plan, you can catch them both. The Thumbuakar Performance is a cultural show of dancing with fire, which you can watch while having a snack or an early dinner at the Bongo Burgers restaurant.

The first Thumbuakar performance is at 6.45PM, while the first Creatures of the Night Show is at 7:30PM. The Creatures of the Night Show is the highlight of the Night Safari, where they showcase the habits and instincts of various nocturnal animals. It is a 30 minute show, and you can watch it only on a first come first serve basis. There are no tickets needed for this show, but if the venue is packed by the time you make your way there, then you will have to wait one hour till the next show. Therefore, keeping up to your planned timing is crucial.

You can choose to watch the Creatures of the Night Show first and then watch the Thumbuakar Performance later as well.

3. Be early

It would be a good idea to reach early, as you would not want your trip to lag behind schedule because of long queues at the ticketing counter. The Night Safari opens at 7:30PM, but you can get the tickets as early as you want. It is advisable to be there by 6:00PM. That would give you enough time to purchase the entrance ticket and grab a bite at one of the restaurants inside, before proceeding to watch the shows.

4. Catch the shows before taking the tram ride

There is a tram ride that goes one big round around the Night Safari. It is mostly always crowded at the tram station, and many tourists often make the mistake of heading straight for the tram ride before watching the 2 shows. This could be because they think they could catch the later show, when it is less crowded, or because they simply do not even know the existence of 2 such shows.

The fact is that the shows will always be crowded, especially later on in the evening. As the saying goes, "the early bird gets the worm". So it is always a better idea to be early than to watch the later show. Besides, the rush is always for the shows, so once you get to watch it, the sense of urgency eases off and you will be able to enjoy the rest of the attractions at a more relaxed pace, hence making it a more worthwhile trip.

5. Go one full trip around on the tram

Be prepared for long queues for the tram ride, but now that you have watched both the shows, you will feel calmer about waiting for the tram. Night Safari has a very good crowd management system, and as such, there is a tram picking up passengers every few minutes, so your turn will come soon.

Once on the tram, in order to enjoy your ride to the fullest, listen to and follow the instructions given by the tour guide who will be on the tram with you. Flash photography is strictly not allowed, as this will disturb the nocturnal animals. The lights are dim, so as to imitate their natural habitats, in an attempt to showcase the animals' natural characteristics as much as possible to the tourists. Also, remember to keep your noise level down, so as not to scare away the animals. This is a ride where the animals tend to wander close to the tram, and you can experience this only if you follow the rules set by the guide at the beginning of the tram ride.

6. Walk the trails

You can find the Night Safari Map on their website. The tram route and walking trails are clearly defined in it. Once you have gone a complete round on the tram, you can start on the walking trail. These are two different routes and do not coincide with each other at all, except at the 2 tram stations.

There are 4 walking trails, namely the Fishing Cat trail, the Leopard trail, the East Lodge trail and the Wallaby trail. This is the best order in which to follow the walking trail - starting with the Fishing Cat trail and ending with the Wallaby trail. This is because the Fishing cat trail starts from the place where the tram ride ends, and it joins with the Leopard trail, which then joins with the East Lodge trail, which subsequently joins the Wallaby trail, and ends back at the entrance. That way, you would have made a full trip around Night Safari and not missed out on any action.

And this, so far, is the best way to make your trip to Night Safari a well enjoyed one. Of course, if you check the website, they offer a couple of different itinerary suggestions as well. You may choose to follow the one that would suit your needs the best. The Night Safari is also a wheelchair friendly park, so you do not need to worry about bringing young children on prams or even the elderly along on the trip.

After a long night of rushing to catch shows, queueing up for tram rides and walking a reasonably long distance, it would be nice to relax and recharge at one of the bars or restaurants at the Night Safari before heading back to your place of stay.

The man on the road

2014-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

It was a pleasant evening when I decided to hang out with my fiancé in the city a couple of days back. We took an auto-rikshaw and was halfway through our journey when we came across one of the very rare red lights that we see in Kerala.

While we were stopped there, I saw something that made me sit in shock for a while afterwards. Right there, in the middle of the peak hour evening traffic, was a man - thin and shabby, wearing a half opened shirt and a dhoti (sarong) - dragging himself across the road. He was carrying a bag too.

Both his legs seemed to be dysfunctional, but that's not what shocked me. My fiancé explained to me that he was probably working somewhere and must be on his way home now. He was quite old, maybe in his 50's. He just dragged himself and weaved through the traffic like how we jaywalk. He didn't care about any of the vehicles. The motorists acted like he was invisible. Nobody cared! I was tempted to get out and help him, but my hubby stopped me, saying that he might get offended.

"This is a normal sight here. This is how they live. This is his life," he told me. And I saw the point in that.

My mind was immediately transported back to Singapore, where handicapped people like him were welcome everywhere. They had special spaces dedicated for them in every public place. Buses have built-in foldable ramps that the driver opens up to let the wheelchair-bound board and alight. Wherever there are staircases, there will be a ramp right beside it. It was a way to make them feel independent and like a part of the society.

There were none of that here... yet, did these people feel like the lesser human among their peers? Judging from the man I saw, I don't think so. He seemed very much independent and confident of his capability to do anything that we did.

And as much as I felt bad seeing him in that state, I respect him for his courage and persistence. In Singapore we come across blind people or handicapped people busking or selling tissue papers in public places. Not many people bought these packets of tissue or donated money to them. Whenever I used to see that, I always wanted to go up to them and tell them that there are other jobs they can do to earn money if they wanted to.

They had the luxury and opportunity there but many people don't see it - or rather, don't use it. Here, these people don't have much of a choice, but they create opportunities for themselves. That's the difference and that's the attitude that I find respectable.

I am in no means comparing the difficulties they face. And it's true that I can't use one person to judge a whole community of people, but one person who does it makes a difference.

If you know of someone who is challenged in any way, I would suggest you tell them that just because they are handicapped, it doesn't make them any less deserving of anything that we normal people can achieve. Their hurdles may be more difficult to overcome, but that should not stop them from building up the courage to step out and live their dreams!

Many people, handicapped or not, get very comfortable with the help they get from others, especially help groups. I hope more people will see the opportunities lying in front of them rather than pitying themselves or relying on others to help them out.

What do you think?

A night without electricity

2014-11-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

It is not very often that I experience a black out. It is only when I come to India that I experience it. Now that I'm in India after two years, I need to get used to power cuts that are seemingly normal here.

Living smack in the middle of a city. for some time there wasn't any black outs since I'd arrived. But then the rains started pouring in the evenings and the power cuts followed suit. The first time, it wasn't for very long, but the time frame started extending subsequently.

And last night, I experienced the longest one yet. The power was back on after 45 minutes, then went off and on until past midnight. Not used to staying such long periods of time without a source of heat-relief, I was absolutely positive I was going to die of heat stroke in the middle of the night.

There I sat, for a couple of hours, fanning myself. But I was perspiring like crazy. I thought a cold shower might be a relief, but it only made me feel the heat more. Slightly after midnight, when I could no longer keep my eyes open, I retired to bed thinking I might fall asleep quickly (I was wrong!).

And as I laid in bed fanning myself with a magazine, trying to convince sleep to take me in it's tides for the night, I thought to myself the predicament our world will face if there ever was a situation where we ran out of electricity. How would we overcome the problem? Now that temperatures are rising everywhere, how would we find a way to cope with the heat? Places like Singapore, where people are so pampered in air conditioned environments wherever they go - what will they do?

Alternative energy sources have been identified by scientists and intelligent people around the world, but why are they not in mass production yet? True, there are some cars that run on hydrogen or water or electricity now, but if I'm not wrong, they're more expensive than normal cars. At least, in Singapore, they are. So what are the huge corporations (or governments, maybe?) trying to prove?

On the other hand, there are professionals predicting that our energy reserves are only going to last for the next 50 years. Then there are others who say it will last for way longer than that. Who should we believe and what is the truth? How will we know?

I still couldn't sleep. It was too hot.

The electricity came back shortly after, and I slept even later. But I did come up with a list of things we could do if ever faced with such a situation. Writing it here, now, in this post would make this post awfully long. Besides, it would kill your interest. So I would like to know your solutions 1st... and I'll list down my ideas in another post.

Let's see what we can come up with :)

Changes are constant

2014-11-12T06:56:00.001-08:00

When I was a little girl, I could never fall asleep without covering my eyes with a cushion. It was big enough to cover my entire face, but I would adjust it such that it covers only my eyes. I was afraid of the dark and wasn't very comfortable sleeping on my own. And being the first child, I had to sleep on my own from a pretty young age.

I remember thinking that all sorts of monsters and aliens would enter my room at night and I would be invisible to them if I kept my eyes closed. Pretty much like how a cat thinks nobody sees it eating or drinking because it's closes its eyes when eating or drinking.

But no matter how hard I tried, curiosity always had the better of me, and I would take a peak - just to be sure that there weren't any ungodly creatures invading my room when I'm trying to sleep. So, the solution I figured one of those days was to use the cushion to cover my eyes.

I slept like that for many years. We shifted a few houses in that duration and nothing changed. Then we bought a car, and my mom decided she needed back support and took my darling little cushion. We've given the car away but I've not seen my cushion since. Of course we've had many other cushions but somehow none of them were as comfy as the original.

Thankfully. by then I'd outgrown my fear of aliens and monsters and was only afraid of ghosts. So I still had to cover my eyes. With the cushion gone, I resorted to using a blanket instead. At first I used a comforter but it was too hot. Then I traded it with my sisters for another warm but thinner blanky. And immediately grew very attached to it.

But it had an itsy bitsy problem. I had to hold one corner of the blanket up around my face with one hand. That way I covered my ears and eyes but left my nose and mouth out to breathe (smart!). But I'd grown taller over the years and now one leg would stick out. What could I do? I had to choose between my leg and my eyes.. and I chose my eyes.. My leg stuck out like a thermometer gauging the temperature of my surroundings. Now I'm used to it.

It remained like that until the near future. I don't know when it changed, but now I can sleep with or without a blanket or cushion covering my face, and if a ghost ever decided to take the chance to bug me in my sleep, it would really regret life in the afterlife.

This is just a very small example of changes in our daily lives. It is little changes like this that we often miss to realise in life. Most of the time when people say we have changed, they are not referring to big changes, but little changes like this. Most of us are too busy to look within ourselves to identify how we have changed with the times but are the first to step up to another person and accuse them of changing at the slightest bit of change in their habits or behaviour. That's because it's human nature to resist change and it's easier to observe others than observe ourselves.

But that's never a good habit. Firstly because it will create a false sense of confidence that we are better than others. Secondly, a person can never grow unless he/she looks within, realises their own faults and put in a conscious effort to change for the better.

I hope this message with inspire at least one of my readers to search within and become a better person for a better future and a better world. And do share with me your memories of change in your comments to this post :)

Taken from www.gauraw.com

Glad to be back

2014-06-12T02:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, I'm back.

After about five months of wanting to get back to blogging, I've finally made the decision to start again.

To be honest, I went AWOL cuz I was trying to get accustomed to full time work after being a freelancer for a year and a half. It's also cuz I got to know that the company I'm working for isn't very supportive of employees having their own blogs etc. So I have to be very careful about what I write, and what I say on social media. So, I just didn't want to have any complications cuz of this, while working.

But, I guess I can find a way around it, cuz as much as writing is now my full-time job, I still want the freedom to write what I want, the way I want to. It's not to earn a side income or anything as much as I just want to write about the things I want to write about.

Although I get to write a lot in my job, I feel like there are a lot of restrictions. So, I thought, why not just get back to blogging to make myself happy.

So.. I'm back :)

Random Acts of Kindness

2014-01-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

In our busy daily lives, it is easy to overlook the simple acts of kindness we come across or experience. That is why I thought of starting this series called "Random Acts of Kindness", where I plan to chronicle the different acts of kindness, big or small, that I witness or experience in my daily life.

It's just going to be my way of sharing these happy and simple moments, to remind all of us that there is more to life than just work, party, acquiring money, creating our personal space etc.

So this is what happened today:

Just a while earlier, my husband and I went down to the coffee shop near our house for a quick breakfast. I wanted to have Red Bean Pau, also known as Tau Sar Pau locally. I believe that's Mandarin. A middle aged Chinese lady was standing in front of us in the queue and she was buying Chwee Kueh.

Chwee Kueh. We bought 5 of these for $1.50 from Vista Point Kopitiam.

The dish intrigued my husband and he wanted to try it out as well, so when it was our turn, I tried to communicate with the counter staff in English, and to my dismay, realised that she is not very familiar with English. She was from China and was more fluent in Mandarin than English.

To my pleasant surprise, the Chinese lady in front of us started helping us out. She said even she, being a Chinese, had difficulty communicating her order to the counter staff. So I told her what I wanted to order, and she translated it to Mandarin for the counter staff. I was so thankful to that lady.

It may not seem like much, and it is such a simple act, but it made a difference to me and my husband when we were hungry and looking for food.

This is what made me start this series, and I'll be tagging posts like these under "Random Acts of Kindess". I'll pin this tag to the top of my blog so that it'll be easier to view all these posts in one place.

Have you experienced any such acts of kindness? I'm sure you have. If you remember any, feel free to comment below or email them to me, and I might just feature them in this series.

New Year brings Good Cheer

2014-01-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

The New Year has just started and it has brought me a good reason to cheer. Hearing a good news at the beginning of the new year gives us renewed hope for the upcoming year, and that's exactly what it did for me.

I've been a full time freelancer for about one and a half years now and I have to admit, though there were some setbacks because I'm a newbie, I did enjoy the perks it came with.

A few months back, in July 2013, I started working freelance with the national news agency. I learned a lot from writing for them, and I have been chronicling the lessons learnt in my other blog. They were happy with my work and I was getting a decent pay for each story I submitted.

Somewhere around November 2013, the Editor asked me if I would like to take on the post of a journalist with them.

So I went for the written test in Novemeber and I passed it. Then I went for the interview in December...

And I just got news of it...

I have officially been appointed as a journalist at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and I'll be starting work later this month.

As much as I enjoy working freelance, I just couldn't let the opportunity pass when the Editor asked me if I would be interested to try out for a full-time position.

So I jumped at the opportunity. What did I have to lose anyway? If I got it, I'd be a full time journalist; if I didn't get it, well, I still enjoyed being a freelancer :)

And here I am now, starting work again after a year and a half.

The New Year seems to bring a lot of opportunities. I hope the good luck will last throughout the year. I sure would like to wish all of you plenty of happiness, success and good health for the year ahead. Stay happy and stay positive, work smart and allow time for play everyday and we should all have a great year ahead.

Cheers...

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014...

2014-01-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

This is it, it's the end of yet another year.

We're saying goodbye to 2013.. forever.

The days, the moments, the feelings that we had experienced in 2013 is never going to return, except in memories..

Take the good that 2013 came with, learn from the bad, be grateful to God for the year that has passed and pray for the upcoming year.

While my husband was talking to his friend today, his friend said, "There's no such thing as 'New Year brings good luck'. Luck is in your hands. It depends on how you handle situations, the decisions you make in life and how dedicated you are to your life."

I found it very true. Although there are situations where we think, "man, that person is just plain lucky", most of the things that happen in our lives are directly related to our decisions and mindset.

If you choose to always complain about your life, you will hardly find something to appreciate in it.

If you choose to compare your life to that of others' based on what you only see and not experience in their shoes, then you'll most probably not have time to look into your life and realise your worth.

Everyone has problems. Most do not show it out, because it's their personal life. Others show it in different ways. Whichever it is, one will not know the true feelings of another in any given situation unless you live in their shoes 24/7/365.

This is because, many things (such as a person's past, attitude, mindset, feelings, mood, etc.) can affect a person's reaction to or perception of situations. So it's always best not to judge by comparing. It's never fair...

Then, if you choose to justify your actions, especially when you know it is wrong, then what is the point in making mistakes? In life, we are bound to make mistakes, and when we do, the right thing to do is learn from it - not justify it.

Learning from mistakes can ensure we don't harbour grudge, animosity or hide things from our conscience. It can also teach us how not to repeat a mistake, thus making us wiser and better at handling situations, resulting in a better, happier and more contented life.

This is my motto for the upcoming year - "Do not complain, compare or justify. Just give my best in everything I do, and if I make a mistake, learn from it."

I'm looking forward to a great year ahead.. and I wish one and all the same. Happy New Year!

Friendship...

2013-12-30T02:36:00.000-08:00

True friendship is a very special gift that we get ever so rarely. Anyone can be an acquaintance and hang out with you, but true friendship is very different.

True friendship is when you feel perfectly comfortable with another person knowing you inside out; someone with whom you feel you can share anything and everything, without having to worry about whether he or she will judge you. It's when you can be alone and quiet with another person and not feel awkward in the silence. At least, that's what it is for me...

In my life, I have not experienced that feeling many times. I'm a friendly person and all, but I learned the difference between true friendship and just friendship at a pretty young age. After many years, it is only recently that I met a very special friend.

Though I'm friendly and can easily make conversation with most people, I am very bad at keeping contacts, for the simple reason that I can't be bothered to call them up randomly and ask them how their life is going.

I find it pointless, because I truly have no interest to poke my nose into their lives and be updated on their ups and downs. I don't even like to follow celebrity news because of this. I like to be in the know and all, but I really cannot be bothered to follow through for days at a time. As if to emphasise on my laziness in this matter, I also do not like to watch drama series.

But I'm fair. As much as I don't keep contact with people I make acquaintances with, I also don't expect them to do that with me. If I ever need anything, I'll just call them and get straight to the point rather than make small talk. Some people have found that to be somewhat rude, and after hearing what they say, I feel like it is, after all, not so nice. So recently I've started to change my ways.

Anyway, recently I met someone who shares the same mentality. She's my mother's friend's daughter, who came to Singapore to study at a young age. I've known her for a few years now, but me being me and she being herself, we didn't bother to contact each other often. But ever so rarely, when we did bump into each other in between, we didn't find it difficult or uncomfortable to talk to each other. I only became close to her in the past one year.

By "close" I don't mean the kind of "close" that girls are when they call someone their best friend. Ours was very discreet, or indifferent. The closeness was felt in the heart; we hardly showed it to the other through actions. Even though we lived in the same house, we didn't talk to or check on each other daily. She did her stuff, I did mine.

There was a sort of silence that we were both comfortable with. We were close yet distant. We knew the other would be there for us if we really needed them. We didn't take too much liberty with each other, respected each other's private space, etc. But we were close. It's a closeness that cannot be put into words, and can only be understood through experience.

And that's what brought this friendship to another level. I knew I wanted to keep her as a part of my life for many years to come, for she understood me in a way that I could never make anyone understand by explaining about myself. She saw me from within me, for the person that I truly am. She understood the words I never spoke. I have never felt this comfortable with a friend ever in my life before.

All I know is that this is not a common feeling. It is not common to find a friendship like this, and I consider myself really lucky to have found it. That is what made me dedicate this post to her. I know she wouldn't want me to mention her name or other details, but when she reads this, she will know that I wrote this for her.

This is a friendship.. a true one.. a beautiful one.. that I hold close to my heart.