Please excuse the watermark on the YouTube video. I had to use a free converter since MS Powerpoint couldn’t convert my slideshow into a video. The timing is a little off as well. Sigh, the perils of technology. If you’d like to view the original high quality version (with the right timings), download my powerpoint here.

[edit] I remade the slideshow into a video! The watermark was just not happening for me. Had to give up my lunch for this! Talk about Much Effort! T__T Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it! BTW, you can still download the original powerpoint here. [/edit]

Credits

Tools

• Drawn with: pencil, paper & my lack of artistic skills
• Touched up & colored with: Adobe Photoshop CS3
• Slideshow: Microsoft Powerpoint
• Audio mixing: Audacity & my playlist of otaku music anime soundtracks
• 1st video conversion: Authorstream.com & iMovie HD
• 2nd video conversion: Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4 & Windows Movie Maker

Tracklisting
Big thanks to the composers and artists.

• Toshio Masuda – Jiraiya no Theme [Naruto OST]
• Taku Iwasaki – Iza, Shousei!! [Yakitate!! Japan OST]
• Benny Benassi – Satisfaction
• DEDEDEJr – K.K. Bossa [Animal Crossing OST]
• Toshio Masuda – Kehai [Mushishi OST]
• Yoshimori Makoto – Nyankorasetsu [Natsume Yuujinchou OST]

Calorie and Glycemic Index Info

• GI Database
• Nutrient Facts
• Calorie King

THANK YOU!!

And that brings the SOYJOY GI Challenge to a close. Huge thanks to all my friends and readers for support. And another big thank you for the guys at Ogilvy, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals as well as the other 4 bloggers for all the fun!

Related posts:

1. The SOYJOY Blogger Challenge
2. Challenge #1: Free SoyJoy Bars For You!!
3. SOYJOY Challenge 3: What is Glycemic Index?

This is just one example of a long list of things I noticed, stuggled with, but could never really verbalize or understand that momentary lapse in what I assumed was my foolproof rationality…until I read Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational. (which I finally found the time to finish, thanks to the fever that has finally grant me a day’s rest from work.)

It’s an amazing, amazing read. It really explains what I noticed long ago in my own decisions ever since I came across Robert Cialdini’s Influence. With Influence, I thought that if seemingly superficial things like words, order and looks could influence someone else’s decisions, then there must be loopholes in their decision-making processes that allowed for these things to influence them in the first place. So I began to carefully inspected my own decision-making processes.

I started to notice that I made strange decisions like paying 5$ for unneeded, overpriced coffee, and then trying desperately to save $5 from my prescription medication by traveling an hour in search of a cheaper drugstore.

And let’s also not mention all the times I could’ve helped that old lady cross the street or spared that homeless man a quarter but was rushing from class to class, so “I just didn’t have time”, while obnoxiously thinking what a good Samaritan I was when I help lost strangers find their way only at a time which is convenient for me.

But with Dan Ariely’s book, I feel a little better of myself now knowing that I’m not the only one in the world who is not perfectly rational. More importantly, however, is that I now not only recognize, but also fully understand the err in my decision-making processes.

With that knowledge, I shall no longer be duped into buying the wrong pads again… I hope.

[Edit] Sorry, if you are expecting to discuss this book at length. This is more of quick reaction than a review. I’m currently too sick to digest and analyze everything. But I share a lot of information social psychology, in particular self-control and decision making processes on my Tumblr at propagenda.org and my Shared Items on Google Reader. If you have time to comb through my entries, perhaps you may catch a glimpse of what I think of this. Cheers, Ivy.[/Edit]

Related posts:

1. Gym Memberships and Marketing Tactics
2. How to Become Successful: 10,000 hours
3. Goodbye Toronto

What is Glycemic Index?

The GI is a list of foods that are given a rating, from 1 to 100, based on how fast they break down and release sugars into your bloodstream. Food with a low Glycemic Index (55 and under) release glucose to the bloodstream at a gradual rate. Food with a high Glycemic Index (70 and above), on the other hand, releases sugar into the bloodstream rapidly, causing a sugar rush (and the eventual crash).

What are some examples of low GI and high GI foods

Some low GI foods include:

• 16: Soy Beans
• 19: Apple SOYJOY Bar
• 22: Cherries
• 27: Whole Milk
• 28: Raisin Almond SOYJOY Bar
• 38: Apples
• 54: Bananas

And high GI foods:

• 72: Bagels
• 76: Doughnuts
• 83: Cornflakes
• 87: White rice (instant)
• 92: Scones

Glycemic Index and Your Lifestyle

Sedentary office people (like yours truly) who don’t have the time to go to the gym or eat meals regularly should stock up on low GI foods. That way we would have a sustained amount of sugar throughout the day, preventing that 3-4pm sleepiness we are all so prone to.

Athletes and other more active people should still maintain a low GI diet, although they could profit from consuming high GI foods (in moderation) after exercise to replenish their energy levels. (Now you know why sports drinks have high GI.)

Glycemic Index and Weight Loss

Studies have shown that weight loss is possible with low GI diets. Researchers put together two groups of rats to demonstrate the effect GI had on weight. One group was fed on a low GI diet, while the other on a high GI diet. 18 weeks later, the low GI rats maintained their body weight, while the high GI rats became a whopping 71% fatter!

Another study was conducted with children. Kids who were fed breakfast with low GI reduced their daily energy intake by 60 calories. That’s 1830 calories over a month or 21,840 calories over a year, which is about 38 burgers. So it’s not surprising that over time, these children become susceptible to obesity and the slew of medical complications (like type 2 diabetes and heart disease) that come with it.

So before you stuff those cornflakes or doughnut in your mouth, think of the poor fat rats that were put on 18 week high GI diet against their will. Or perhaps that 38 sinful burgers that could have saved yourself from. You have a choice and you now have the knowledge, so the next time you need a snack, pick up a low GI food instead – perhaps something like an apple or a SOYJOY bar?

Or even better, an Apple SOYJOY, which is still a crowd favorite here at my office.

Sources:

• http://hubpages.com/hub/glycemicfoods
• http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm
• http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index
• http://www.eufic.org/page/en/page/LS/fftid/Low-GI-breakfast-impact-appetite-children
• And a book. Forgot the title. Oops! Will update this when I find it.

Related posts:

1. SOYJOY Challenge 4: Much Effort, Little Effort Video
2. The SOYJOY Blogger Challenge
3. Office Snacking

I could come up with a few brilliant ways of eating SOYJOY, but to be honest, I like my SOYJOY bars best when they’re half an arm’s length from my workstation… in my pencil holder.

As a corporate communications professional, I work pretty long hours. I arrive at the office at 9am and leave around 7pm daily. Although, I have to admit, leaving at like 9 – 10pm isn’t uncommon when there are major events around the corner. So hunger has always been a problem for me. I don’t have to time to grab a bite, yet I have to resist against whatever is lying around the department pantry since they’re all high on fat and sugar. While they do satiate me for a while, I also end up crashing from all that sugar high and start feeling all sleepy and hungry again. (I’ll leave the science of this for next week’s challenge.) The worst comes when I have to deal with the guilt after reading the nutrition labels for these things.

Anyway, since I started putting my SOYJOY in my pencil holder, I don’t have to starve and feel guilty about snacking anymore. My desk has also become a second (and a much healthier) pantry for my department, since my equally hungry colleagues can now help themselves to some SOYJOY even when I’m not around.

Talking about colleagues and SOYJOY, I’d like to take this opportunity to say that the apple flavor is the biggest hit in my department. So if you’d like try a SOYJOY bar, I highly recommend apple!

Dear Readers, what are your snacking habits like? Do you feel guilty about snacking? What do you have in your office pantry / fridge (for those still in school)?

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their support! Please do keep the votes coming in. You can vote once every 3 hours.

Related posts:

1. Challenge #1: Free SoyJoy Bars For You!!
2. SOYJOY Challenge 3: What is Glycemic Index?
3. SOYJOY Challenge 4: Much Effort, Little Effort Video

Motorola StarTAC

My very first phone was a hand-me-down from my dad. It was 1998 and I was 12 at the time. Before you accuse me of being a spoiled kid, it was really a necessity rather than a luxury. I had just moved to a civil war-torn Indonesia then. The remnants of the violence was still very much visible, and the danger of another uprising was always looming. Hotel windows were broken, rows upon rows of shops were defaced and fear was still the prevalent in city. So my dad gave me his phone as a safety measure.

Ericsson T10

As the turmoil of the times slowly receded and peace finally prevailed again, I began to see cellphone as a cool accessory rather than a lifeline. I was flipping through my favorite magazine at that time, the now defunct Smash Hits, I came across the coolest ad a 13 year old had ever seen. A white page with multicolored phones lined up one after another. It was too cool and Santa sent me one in turquoise.

Nokia 8210

Then clamshell phones became soo yesterday. Nokia candybars became the in thing. And you could buy all these different covers to match your phone to your clothes.
At that time, I didn’t have to wear uniform to school so changing covers was sure hand.
I remember having a ton of covers from Nokia originals to the rip off ones…until I was robbed one day when I was back in Malaysia. And lost my phones along with my Oakleys. Devastation befell…

Nokia 8310

…but not for long! By then I had moved to Singapore, the land of amazing gadgetry for low, low price. I got the upgraded model the 8310 which I remember loving very dearly since it was so cute and tiny!

Nokia 7210

But then suddenly phones had color screens! I mean “snake” with color screens would be infinitely more fun than black pixeled “snake”! So I had to jump on the color bandwagon too!

Motorola V600

After the streak of Nokias, I finally switched to Motorola because it was one of the few early quad band phones with that amazing Bluetooth technology that allowed you to have a wireless earpiece. It even had a camera! I was moving over to Canada then and I needed a quad band phone so I could use it in North American and Asia without having to perpetually switch between two phones. So this was an investment. It still is the most expensive phone I ever owned to date. It lasted me two good years before the screen finally gave way.

Nokia 6131

But by then I really couldn’t care much about phones anymore. Canadians don’t really have craze for gadgetry like Asians do. No one texted me. They called. So all I needed was something I could receive and make calls with. Hence came a very simple Nokia 6131, which too lasted me two years.

And of course now I work for a telco. Phones have become more like business and less of a cool item. So I have two now, which most of you have probably seen. Nothing spectacular. The HTC S630 for my personal line, the LG Viewty KU990R for work.

As for my upcoming phone, I’m impatiently waiting for the Palm Pre. I’ve fallen madly in love with QWERTY phones and there aren’t many out there to choose from (Blackberries aside). We’ll see what Engadget and CNET say about the Pre when it’s released. If it falls short, I guess I would have to settle for the HTC Dream or a Nokia E71.

And on a not-too-unrelated note, here’s a hilarious video on Cell Phone Reunion.

So dear readers, what phones did you own? Any models you particularly adored? What about phones you’re on the lookout for? And OMG, do you remember SNAKE?

Related posts:

1. Review: LG Viewty KU990R
2. Singapore and Cellphones
3. What’s in My Bag?

The closing date to submit your request is this Saturday, May 30 2009.

Sign Up

So if you’d like to stock up your pantry with healthy snacks, fill out the form below.

Please do feel free to extend this invitation to your friends’ and family’s workplaces! If you require an EDM, let me know.

The submission period has ended! Thanks a lot for your submissions! Your call will be answered soon!

Related posts:

1. The SOYJOY Blogger Challenge
2. SOYJOY Challenge 4: Much Effort, Little Effort Video
3. SOYJOY Challenge 3: What is Glycemic Index?

Singapore Art Festival – Hélios 2

So a few friends and I went to the Singapore Arts Festival opening act, Hélios II by French “dream architects” called La Compagnie Malabar. It was held at the newly constructed Marina Barrage.

Hélios is some sort of a post-modern, surrealist performance of the descent of a god. I’m not a Thespian or a great appreciator of the urban arts, so I honestly didn’t quite “get” it. I just read from the event site that there would be insects and “pyrotechnic displays” so I was anxiously waiting for the fireworks like a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

The Hélios insect-grasshopper-thingy with a dude on its forehead.

The performers with the insect-grasshopper-thingy.

The pyrotechnic display.

Another shot of pyrotechnic display.

Marina Barrage

After the performance, we walked around Marina Barrage, which is a dam constructed to be a freshwater reservoir and a public picnic spot. (Pretty neat idea!)

Here’s the bridge that apparently controls the water flow.

This is the pump house.

I don’t know what it is. It’s umm a romantic spot that lacks benches.

This the fountain to wash your legs for kids and big kids to play in.

View of Singapore City

The Marina Barrage being tucked away at the Southern tip of the island has an excellent view of the city. Note: I don’t own a DSLR or a tripod – and my camera was running out of battery from all the incessant zooming, so here’s a few crappy shots of the view.

This is the construction site of Marina Bay Sands, which will be Singapore’s first legal casino. It’ll be completed next year, I think.

And this is Downtown Singapore with the Singapore Flyer and the Suntec City Convention Center in sight.

Ayaschool at the Blujaz Cafe

After our evening stroll at the dam, we went to Bugis in search ofArab Street and Kampong Glam. That’s where there are rows and rows of shisha joints and a South East Asian delicacy (with Indian roots) called Roti Prata. We finally got there after getting lost and walking for about 30 minutes.

We originally wanted to try out the shisha, but I was distracted by the faint sound of jazz playing from an alley somewhere. Turned out there’s a jazz bar (with 2nd and 3rd floor playing club music) right around the corner called Blujaz Cafe.

There was a live band or rather a group friends, playing called Ayaschool led by Aya Sekine, an accomplished jazz pianist who happened to be an alumna from my high school, the Singapore American School. (Now I wished I talked to her!).

The laid back, funky ambiance.

The psychedelic art pieces.

My lime daiquiri at Blujaz Cafe.

…And the Adventure Continued

(Sorry, no pics my camera was flat by then!)
By the time we left the cafe, it was around 2am. We found a clothing store still open and decided to do some crazy late night shopping. And in our tipsy state we began to look for a late night snack. We walked for almost an hour, getting lost (again!) in the process only to end up exactly where we started – at the store. By then, most of the eateries in that area were closed and we decided to walk to Bencoolen Street to haunt the 24 hour Roti Prata joint.

By then, it was almost 4am. We feasted over the prata and the milkshakes, as if they were the rewards of a very long, arduous walk around town. And by 5am, lethargy and exhaustion finally set in, and we promptly retired for the night.

It was a lot of walking – probably about 10 kilometers – but a ton of fun! A really interesting getaway from the shopping and cafe chats that I have become all too accustomed in the weekends.

P.S. More pictures of my adventure on Flickr!

Related posts:

1. A Night in Photos
2. My Valentine’s Day in Singapore
3. Singapore Files: The Tissue Culture

The 5 of us bloggers will be competing in a series of challenges over the next few months. The winners will get free trip to Japan to visit the Otsuka factory to watch how SOYJOY is made.

What this means is that I will be updating my blog much more frequently over the next few months. (not just about SOYJOY of course!) And if I win, I will do a Japan special covering everything from the Otaku HQ, Akihabara to the streets of fashion, Harajuku!

So, my dear readers please vote for me!

All you have to do is go to GI-Joy.com and click on “Vote” under my name! (I’m the one doing squats!) Alternatively, you can click on the flashy banner on my sidebar to vote! If all that’s too complicated, just regularly commenting would be fine too! <3

And if you’d like to go an extra mile…

Get everyone and their dog to vote! Feel free to user Twitter or add my blogger badge to your site.. but no spamming, okay? The blogger badge code is here:
<br /> <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" width="160" height="350">      <param name="movie" value="http://www.gi-joy.com/badgeIvy.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" />     <embed src="http://www.gi-joy.com/badgeIvy.swf" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="160" height="350"></embed></object><br />

…and in return, if I win, the one who helps generate the most votes/publicity will receive a FREE fully-customized, standards compliant, widget ready Wordpress theme from yours truly!

And I shall end this shameless self-promoting spiel now. Stay tuned for the blog challenge #1 and part 2 of “Stuff Singaporeans Like”.

Related posts:

1. Challenge #1: Free SoyJoy Bars For You!!
2. SOYJOY Challenge 4: Much Effort, Little Effort Video
3. Office Snacking

…that is, until yesterday.

While I was watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood last night, the opening song captured my ears – or rather my heart. It’s called Again by YUI (ユイ). There’s so much soul in her music that I could forgive the perpetual annoyance of the electric guitar. Her childish yet calming voice pierces through the normally unforgivable guitars, as if striving to overcome all obstacles just to reach whatever she’s trying to reach. (My soul, in my case.)

So like any Gen-Y’er, I wikied YUIand was just so, so, so impressed. YUI also known as Yoshioka Yui (吉岡 唯) writes her own songs, plays the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar, the bass, the piano and even the drums! She could just be her own band – if only she could clone herself 4 times over. Coupled with her childhood struggles and her dramatic climb to fame, it’s really hard not to respect someone as talented and dedicated as her. (Of course, her childhood drama could all be a marketing ploy. But who cares, this girl’s got talent).

I shall stop gushing like a fan girl and just let you experience it yourselves.

Can’t wait to go home, pick up my guitar and start learning to play her songs! YUI <3!

Dear Readers, do you have any idols? Who and why do you like him/her?

Related posts:

1. Tears from the Ear
2. Girl with a Guitar
3. My Cover of アイシテル Aishiteru

The Bag

I’m a low maintenance kind of person, who loves black leather and solid shapes. I don’t really take good care of my stuff (except electronics). So I carry a relatively inexpensive solid black bag from Braun Buffel.

The Stuff

Like a low maintenance girl should be, I don’t bring too much around with me. Just the essentials.

• Automatic umbrella from Esprit – I’m quite afraid of the blade-like thing used to close umbrellas. So I invested in an umbrella with a button instead. Hahaha. Pussy.
• Black-rimmed glasses from Versace – My astigmatism is off the charts. Since my eyes are too dry, I can’t wear contacts. So I wear this instead when I really have to see. But most of the time, I prefer to walk around half blind.
• Name card holder from Tumbleweed – Been searching for a patterned business card holder for the longest time. It’s nice to have those usual metal or leather card holders, but I always feel that they lack a certain personality. Then I chanced upon this cart at Clarke Quay selling handing handmade trinkets and got this.
• Padlock – for my gym locker.
• Wallet from Danier
• Lipstick from Yves Saint Laurent – This little thing is the most beautiful and functional makeup piece I own. It’s got two colors + a mirror + a brush. How cool is that?! I got it in #1 Sparkling Beige.
• iPhone, LG Viewty, HTC S630 – I work for a telecommunications company. So carrying around 3 phones shouldn’t be too surprising, should it? I don’t really own the iPhone by the way. I just borrow it from the department to check my work email and occasionally tweet when I’m on the move. The Viewty is my office line. It’s also my backup camera. The 5MP camera really comes in handy when I attend events and forget to lug my Canon A590 IS with me. And the HTC S630 is my personal line. I want to replace it soon though. It’s too slow! Palm Pre, where are you!?!
• Cowon D2 MP3 Player – I’m a bit of an audiophile. I need high quality music. So an iPod could never make the cut for me. The Cowon sound quality is simply amazing. On top of that, it has an English-English, Korean-English, English-Korean dictionary. It also has a 52 hour battery life. I rarely ever charge this thing; once every few months at most.

Blogger Cards – Close Up

Oh and here some close up shots of my blogger business card for the non-believers. (Hello Sigg3!)

You’s Been Tagged

I know a lot of people are aversed to memes, so I’m not forcing you to do it. But I’m gonna tag ya anyway!

• Dayna of AmourChaleur
• Katy of TwentyFourCarat
• Iva of Iva is Me
• Tara of Aigoo-Chamna
• Wendy of Rin-Wendy

Related posts:

1. Blogger Business Cards
2. Random Facts Meme
3. Review: LG Viewty KU990R