Hair Talk

Hair Products

Just tried this series of shampoo.. it dries up my oily scalp and I can see less visible hair loss or at least I saw less strands of hair in my comb.. worth a try.
I just started on this, shall review after finishin the first bottle.
Hopefully I may not need the hair treatment afterall.
BUT its very drying, you will need conditioning for the ends of your hair.

PHYTOCYANE Series


Revitalizing ShampooWith Grapeseed Procyanidins and Ginkgo BilobaHighly recommended for temporary hair loss, PHYTOCYANE shampoo fortifies the hair (Cinchona bark decoction, Provitamin B5, Vitamin B6) and provides anti-aging action (Grapeseed Procyanidins and Ginkgo Biloba). Density and shine are restored to your hair.

Revitalizing Lotion With Grapeseed Procyanidins and Ginkgo Biloba PHYTOCYANE combines all the advantages of a growth stimulating treatment with anti-age care. A cocktail of amino acids, B Vitamins and botanical active ingredients (Ginkgo Biloba extract and Viburnum bark) regenerate and tone the hair bulb. Grape seed OPC (Procyanidols) protect the hair bulb from free radicals and prevent premature aging.
85% positive results.
Do not rinse, does not leave hair greasy.Facilitates styling.

Food for promoting Hairgrowth

I found some information online

Hair loss affects up to 40% of women and half of men at some point in their lifetimes. Some causes of hair loss include:

Heredity
Stress
Inadequate nutrition.

This factor can be eliminated by incorporating plenty of foods that promote hair growth into your daily diet.
High levels of DHT, a hair-loss contributing hormone. Green tea may help correct these problematic hormone imbalances; a low-fat diet may also be beneficial.
What are the top foods that promote hair growth?
When choosing food for hair growth, remember that hair is made of protein; therefore protein-rich foods should make up a high percentage of your diet. The second most important hair nutrient is iron. Each key nutrient below lists the foods that promote hair growth:

Protein: liver, brewer's yeast, fish, eggs, beans, cottage cheese, yogurt, tofu.
Iron: liver, whole grain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, dates, raisins.
B Vitamins: eggs, meat, poultry.
Essential Fatty Acids: walnuts, canola oil, fish, soy.
Vitamin E: avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil.
Sulfur: meats, fish, nuts, legumes, vegetables (especially onions).

As you plan ways to incorporate food for hair growth, also be aware that there are some culprits in our diets that are actually detrimental to our hair!

Caffeine
Sugar
Fat
Carbonated drinks

Men and Women: Top foods that promote hair growth

Hair loss in men and women may be due to different factors. Women's hair loss may be due to a gastrointestinal (GI) tract problem. To help correct a sluggish GI tract, women may want to increase their intake of low-fat yogurt with active acidophilus cultures. These helpful bacteria will help to speed the GI tract and, in turn, improve the overall health of hair.
Men may benefit from a low-fat diet. Hair loss is tied to elevated testosterone levels, and meat and fat in the diet act to raise these levels even more. By reducing fat and meat intake, men may be able to lower their hormone levels and thus slow the hair loss cycle caused by hormones.

*********

Anyone has any other suggestions? Feel free to contribute

Positivity again

I am really trying not let the bitterness overwhelm me..again
Sometimes I think I know what I want but somehow the more I want, the more it eludes me.
Sometimes I think, some things cant be hurried but sometimes I think it aint making any headway at all.
Life is a contradiction.

Another day

I cant believe another day is ending soon.
Woke around 7am and the usual papers and coffee.
Started revision around 9am and on and off till just?
gah.. 500 MCQs and 5 parts to a chapter aint no joke.


I managed to watch Marley and Me some time back...and yes, I teared terribly.. it was just alittle too much to bear.. got me all emotional
Story seems simple enough, guy likes gal, guy marries gal, gets a dog, have kids..
but its because the storyline is so realistic that I somehow feel so attuned or should I say can relate to it in real life...
especially when I have a dog of my own too.

Anyway just filed my income tax.. maxed out the deductions..
included my school fees and insurance and cpf deductions.. hopefully I do not need to pay income tax..

AND I just realised a poly friend is getting married this year.. a simple ceremony overseas.. now she proved that time aint no barrier to marriage.

I have friends who marry after 1-2 yrs of courtship and some after 10yrs..
I still give them my upmost blessings

so this year there are 3 couples that I know that are getting married.

Steamboat and durians

Morning travelled to Bukit Timah for dental then walked over to King Albert's Park Cold Storage to do some grocery shopping, stockin up on my pasta before walking over to SIM to wait for dear to finish his class.

Oh my dentist was so funny and talkative lol he kept talking about how singaporeans are not sociable and mostly restricted and not living life to the fullest..
and he even suggest I should go socialise and go pubs often -_-
even finding "friends with benefits", in a sense, finding "rich friends" tsk tsk
A very modern dentist ah lol
I agree with the "live life" theory... sometimes i wonder...
am I really getting too "domesticated"?
it's like ppl are always thinking of "what we ought to do" "what we ought to follow" then "what we like to do" and "what we have not done"
time to do a "mind check"

Anyway, after dear's class, he brought me to eat fish steamboat lol at TianFu.
The weather was so freaking hot so we hid at dear's place to watch drama after lunch

I rarely sit down to watch dramas and this was just one of the days we didnt feel like doing anything else
watched like 6 episodes? I think I broke my own record lar.. for sitting in front of the TV for so long -_-

Then dear drove me back and on the way home, I bought durians for my family~~
dear stayed awhile before making his way back
simple and short day with dear.
Meant to be treasured dearly.

Tml will be "K books day"
There's test on Monday.. anyway after that...

we will have a major celebration for dear's birthday heh heh


fish steamboat

speciality balls

blue spotted stingray
one of the many species that dear caught from his most recent malaysian fishing trip with his kakis

Mao Shan + D24 durians~~

Taiwan food

woke up a tad too early and decided to browse through photos from our taiwan trip.
here's a collage of some of the "street food" that we tried, the restaurant food were not included.



I dont mind going back there again :P
I especially love those "skewered sticks of food" dipped in their "broth".
And their fried stuff on sticks, from squid to pig's blood to "smelly beancurb"

AND It's like there's always something new/interesting to eat from those Taiwanese variety shows.. we haven tried alot more yet.

Events~

Positivity

Life goes on
Don't look back
To have a better future together

tentative schedule

Tried booking SHangri La for dad's birthday at The Line but it was not available, time for plan B

Have discussed dear's birthday plans with him and he likes my idea.. now only waiting for his friends' responses lol
If its confirmed, it will be the first time that he is having such an event, I am so excited
hope he likes my gift for him this year

And my schedule is out for the intensive marketing principles
exams end at 8th of may and the new course will start at 13th may and will be three times a week for 6 weeks.. zzz
no more holidays..
Should be taking leave on and off for the two weeks that I am having exams.. time to "isolate and hibernate" for studies

Tomorrow, I will be hosting my first ever "class" at work, ganbatte!

Have discussed with dear and we may be going Hong Kong at the end of this year!

and we discussed a few other things which made me so hopeful.

this is such a bittersweet week for me....so glad to have dear around me all the time.

Hotpot Culture and SNowFlakes

some outdated pics
dear was busy feeding me again

HotPot Culture
we love the varieties of cooked food there
soup was thick and aromatic, not diluted
ingredients were fresh




dried chilli pork

curry leaf chicken

grilled prawns

beacon with prawn








chocolate fondue even
they used dark chocolate, good quality

SnowFlakes with dear

yakult snowflakes and mango
soft texture!

milk snowflakes and coco crunch


melts in your mouth
not like icekachang which is rough
perfect for the hot weather

********
and I bought two pairs of shoes for 25 from Cotton On lol so much cheaper than my shoes from SCHU which i bought at 39.90 each zzz
and I bought Phyto series shampoo.. hopefully it can help my hair condition

And I bought online, 4 different types of masks from Drugstore, a top froM F21 and 7 eyeshadows from Pure Luxe

I am so waiting for my USA loots

Better grades, lower interest rates

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/416545/1/.html

SINGAPORE: As more people consider returning to business school during the downturn, one bank is offering an unusual carrot to this pool of postgraduate and students at private institutions.

Introducing its new education loan on Thursday, Citibank Singapore is offering top performers lower interest rates - an industry first, according to the bank.

Students who graduate in the top tier of their cohort will qualify for a 0.5 percentage-point reduction in the interest on their loan. Currently, the bank extends education loans with an interest rate of 4.99 per cent a year, for up to five years after graduation.

So, a student who takes a S$100,000 five-year loan on a deferred scheme — where only interest is paid while studying, followed by monthly instalments of the principal and interest upon graduation - could end up saving S$1,600.

For now, the loan is open to students from the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programmes at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Insead, as well as undergraduates at the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) enrolled in business degrees from the University of Wales and University of Bradford.

To be counted as a top performer, students at NTU will need a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 out of 5, those at Insead must make the Dean’s List at least once, and MDIS undergraduates will have to graduate with first class honours.

“The courses were selected based on their popularity as well as the existence of well-defined grading criteria,” said Citibank.

Over the next six months, the programme may be extended to at least 10 schools, including the MBA programme at the National University of Singapore and the varsity’s Risk Management Institute.

How attractive are the unusual loan terms? A final-year, part-time MBA student at NTU, Siti, 32, said while the loan provides “an incentive to do well”, it is “very hard” to get a GPA of 4.5.

Those who are working have to juggle their studies and work, she said, adding that perhaps full-time students would be more in need of a study loan.

An MDIS spokeswoman told TODAY the scheme would “give students more options and make them work harder to get good results”.

Typically, undergraduates at the three public-funded universities who need education loans get them from the Government administered through banks, or from the universities themselves.

Postgraduate and private institution students, however, would usually need a commercial loan. “The market for such loans is a sizeable one,” noted Citibank Singapore’s head of secured finance solutions Vibha Coburn.

Last December, TODAY reported on the increase in applications for MBA courses at various business schools, with working adults looking to possibly hit the books during the recession.

***************
have such promo?
I wish they extend to more courses though...
I wonder.. if I can ever reach that MBA...

I want to go out and play

I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
I WANT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.

and I want to meet my friends again.
I want to eat, drink and make merry.
dunno how long since i ever step in to drink.. like from new year's eve?

I am forcing myself to stay in cause of my freaking assignments. zzz
I am not that studious. I just do not want to take leave to do at the last minute.

Can you believe it? my last movie was Valkyrie and I am missing so many shows... zzz
by the time I end my weekend class, those type of irregular time only for bf and family and not much else.

even the bf has a much better life than me..
he's like meeting his friends from this wed till fri.. everyday different activities, from bowling to fishing to overnight trips.. shucks

(i sound too darn bimbotic.. tsk tsk )

ok, I feel better ranting out, time to go back to assignments
I will complete at least 1000/1500 in a day.
yes I will.

and my first test of this sem was out, 13/15..good try.

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE "Transatlanticism"

The Atlantic was born today and I'll tell you how...
The clouds above opened up and let it out.

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole.
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean,
Making islands where no island should go.
Oh no.

Those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door have been silenced forever more.
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before
Oh no.

I need you so much closer [x8]

[instrumental break]

I need you so much closer [x4]
So come on, come on [x4]

snoopi loves walks

see how excited he is whenever we go "gai gai"
he can hold his own leash hahahaha

exam schedule's out

my exam dates

27th april
29th april
8th may

dear's schedule even more cramped, all in late april.. and all within a week.

so it meant.
april is DOD month

so again, we will be meetin up lesser.. not that i think we are meeting alot anyway -_-
i usually meet dear once a week..

and then it will be freedom soon!!

and hopefully we can go for a short trip together..everything's so cheap now leh.. the air tickets omg..like to Perth is like freaking 100SGD only exclude taxes, to Macau only 20SGD lar

not very fruitful week

Friday 130309

Felt really uncomfortable and went to see the doctor. Diagnosed with gastric flu and has to lay off spicy, fried and coffee etc.. that's like taking away my "life" zzz

took half day, went back to rest but before that went to buy dessert from JI DE ZHI for mum and dear.
Dear came late in the evenin and we watched HEll's Kitchen together..
I had to sleep early.. couldnt keep my eyes open..

Sat 140309

Very unwillingly dragged myself to school..before that we went IMM for a walk, had LONG JOHN's grill fish for lunch.. it was not good to me.. maybe i have not eaten Long John's for ages..

Went school... really tried to keep awake.. with that uncomfortable feeling.. dear went back after sending me to class.
After class, went back home to meet parents for dinner.. and i slept at 9+

Sun 150309

woke at 7+ and brought snoopi out for a walk with mum.. and did some marketing..
came home and watched Twilight first..

Seriously, i do not know what's the big deal with the show
cheesy romance.. just lots of "looking in each other's eyes.."
gosh, because of Twilight, people do not have a realistic view on romance
and that is why i seldom watch romance shows.. especially those Korean and Taiwan romance shows..
to me, it's just entertainment.. and there's no such thing as being a princess of whatever sheesh.

anyway, did a little reading.. drafted out my essay.. and did some research.. while still nursing my gastric flu.. sigh..
i wan to eat properly again..

transport pests

sad to say, i encountered such ppl before, who think they have HUGE BALLS, who loves to sit with legs OPEN WIDE, and arms folded till they were touching the people at the sides..one got on my nerves, i promptly stood up and stared at the person and he got off at the next available station. tsk tsk
PESTS.

another poll

For curiousity sake, i came across a thread in flowerpod asking women/men about their views on their SO(significant other) earning power

seems like alot of women would want their bf/husband to have at leat $3000 and above..
i wonder.. do guys have expectations regarding their gfs/wives earning power too?
I wonder if the guys will mind if their gfs are earning much lesser and they have to "subsidize" everything

i know I very kaypoh but hey, just for the fun.
comments welcome too.

and again

I am feeling not so well...might be my gastric/gastric flu or whatever's acting up making me feel damn uncomfortable.. now the feeling after eating is horrible.. maybe I will just eat lesser again..and gotta make myself see doc ..

i wish to just cuddle on the big cushion with snoopi boy.. which i usually try to in the morning.. he just looks so adorable half asleep on his cushion and will not bulge when i lay beside him..

last night, made him sit on the chair cause i wanted to trim his fur but the boy protested by refusing to sit/stand and always lying on the chair.. throwing tantrums maybe.. then gave him a good scrub and he's clean again lol
his fur all fluffly and much neater.. couldnt stand all the matted fur tsk tsk..

Josh Groban - "You Are Loved"

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy
I...I will lift it for you

Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I...I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I...I will be there to find you

Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I...I will shine to guide you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

You are loved
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
Don't give up
Every one needs to be heard
You are loved

Surviving the recession ... OR face the blues

From Mr Wang

Here's some conventional wisdom from the world of personal financial planning. One of your first financial goals should be to build emergency reserves worth about six times your average monthly expenses. For example, if you normally spend about $3,000 per month, then your financial goal should be to build emergency reserves of about $18,000. This amount should be held in cash, not stocks or bonds or something else.

The general idea is that in most cases, if a person suddenly loses his job, he will succeed in finding a new one within six months. Thus if the person does have his emergency reserves all nicely built-up and ready, then it can adequately sustain and support his usual lifestyle until he finds another job. The reserves should be in cash, because that's the safest, most liquid asset.

Here we see two assumptions. Firstly, that six months is enough time to find the new job. In more-normal times, this may be a reasonable assumption. But current times are proving to be somewhat extraordinary. So quite arguably, the "six times" figure should be revised upwards, say, to "nine times".

The second assumption is that if you lose your job, you will largely continue to live the way you lived before, and therefore incur roughly the same amount of monthly expenses. In practice, this assumption could turn out to be true in many cases. Why?

Because when a person suddenly loses his job, he may not adapt quickly to the changed circumstances. He may promptly cut back on some smaller, more easily cuttable expenses (for example, eating out less often). However, there will inevitably be psychological resistance to the bigger lifestyle changes (eg giving up the car, or the maid).

Some of this psychological resistance will arise from the person's hope that perhaps he'll find a new job really quickly (eg maybe tomorrow, or next week), and therefore he doesn't really need to make any major lifestyle changes. The hope isn't necessarily unjustifiable or irrational. But it's important to have a Plan B ready, just so you're not unexpectedly caught with your pants down.

The way I see it, the trick to dealing with the psychological resistance is that even when you still have a job, you should start becoming very clear on what you've been spending it on. Then you'll know exactly what you need to cut, if it later turns out that you really do need to cut. Gather the information now, when you still have a calm, clear head. Don't wait till you actually lose your job, by which time you may be too upset and your emotions start getting in the way of rational decision-making.

Right now, do you know how exactly you've been spending your money every month? If you don't, there's a good chance that you're wasting some of it. And let's say, for the sake of discussion, that starting from tomorrow, you have to spend 30% less every month. What decisions would you make, which parts of your lifestyle would you adjust, to immediately bring your expenses down to that level?

***********

OR ELSE
the last thing u need is this

More people seeking psychiatric help for recession blues

Life's pleasures

My life's pleasures..good food with the family

Friday 060309

Dear came to fetch me to hand in my assignment in school and we went Sunset Way for dinner at Rocky's Pizza.
I let him try the "Rocky's Mountain" and we concluded it was the "thickest" pizza with all the ingredients.. usually we can have 2 regular between ourselves.. this time round.. only 1 "Rocky mountain" is enough.

Went to the petshop nearby to buy some treats for Snoopi then we headed over to West Coast Park again for a stroll since it's still early. Then dear came back with me.




Saturday 070309

Dear had classes in the morning and mine in the afternoon so I accompanied him to school first then I headed off to a corner to do some readings on my own.
After Mum had finished her work, I went over to Bukit Timah Food centre to have lunch with her while dear went back home after his classes.
I wonder why everyone's queueing for the "satay meehoon" ...we had the "mixed organ souP" which was good too..

Then after lunch I walked 4 bus stops back to school as there's no buses back to school from the food centre..

After classes met my parents at Jurong Point for dinner.. decided to bring them to try this "Benten" at lvl 3..famous for its japanese pasta..
Parents like it hahah though the dry pasta was oily according to mum.
Glad they like my little dinner treat




my salmon soup pasta..

hahahha gotten them to pose

chocolate pafrait to end off the dinner

Sun 080309

Had dim sum with dear and his mum at RED STAR restaurant for lunch....it was around 1pm already but we still had to queue for around 15-30min for our dim sum..it was TAT popular.. one of the oldest authentic dim sum places in Chinatown..
Thanks to dear's mum for the treat, I tried something new again.
Dinner was homecooked by his mum...




rare! the second time i am having the "猪脚冻"

fresh and portions are big, the "凤 爪 " was tender and full of spices..

soft! and not too sweet

chewy texture..

Dog Grooming classes

http://www.a-a-a.com.sg/about.htm

http://prestigegroomingacademy.com/Grooming_Courses.htm

found these two places that teaches introductory grooming.. thinking which to take up
its better to groom myself ever since the incident that my boy came back with bloodied paws after he came back from a groomer..