Monday, April 7, 2008

Health Mistakes - A must read article

Regular Health Mistakes

All of us make little health mistakes that cause damage to our bodies in the long run - simply because we are unaware we are doing something wrong.
Here are some of the most common mistakes made by many of us.

Crossing our legs
Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don"t want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realise you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.

Not changing our toothbrush
How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we"d be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don"t massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain like I do, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you"re damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.

Eating out often
There are oils that are high in cholesterol, and oils that cause little harm and are better for your heart. However, no matter how light the oil is, it is never a good idea to eat too much of it. Avoid fried foods.Remember that in all probability your favorite Indian food restaurant throws a huge, HUGE chunk of butter in a tiny bowl of dal. Rita, who worked in the kitchen of a 5 star hotel, was shocked when she saw the cook chop a 500gm butter slab in half, and throw half into a Paneer Makhani dish. No wonder the customers left licking their fingers. And no wonder they felt so stuffed and heavy afterwards. Limit outdoor eating unless you know that you"re getting served light and healthy food.

Skipping breakfast
Never, ever skip breakfast. Remember, when you wake up in the morning it"s been around 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body needs food now, more than at any other time. Eat a heavy breakfast. You will then be busy through the day, and the calories will get expended quickly. If you are trying to diet, eat a light dinner. Here are some more common health mistakes we make. Being informed and making a few changes can help make us feel a whole lot better.

High heels
High heels sure look great, but they're murder for your back. This however doesn't mean you should steer clear of stilettos. Wear them, but not when you know you will be walking around a lot. Wear them when going out for lunch or dinner - when the only walking you will be doing is to your car, to the table, and back. Avoid high heels when you are going somewhere on foot. If you are constantly tempted to wear your heels, take a good look at your flats. Is there something about them you dislike? Invest in a new pair of beautiful flats or shoes with a low heel. Buy something you love, that you will enjoy wearing. If possible, get a matching bag. You will then enjoy your flats as much as you do your heels.

Sleeping on a soft bed
You don't have to sleep on the floor be kind to your back, but do make sure you have a firm mattress. Although a mattress on springs is soft and lovely to sink into, it's bad for your back. If you already have an old bed with springs, you don't need to invest in a new one - simply get a thick wooden plank put over the springs, and place the mattress on the plank. Similarly, if your mattress is old and lumpy, throw it out and get a new one. Your neck and your back will thank you. The same rule applies to sofas. If you will be spending hours on a sofa, get a firm yet comfortable one. Sofas you completely sink into are not the best idea.

Pillows
No matter how comfortable sleeping with ten cushions is, have pity on your neck and resist. Sleep with one pillow, and make sure it is not too thick. If your pillow gets lumpy, discard it and go for a new one. Get a thin pillow if you sleep on your stomach, and something a little thicker if you sleep on your back, to give your neck adequate support.

Not exercising
So all of us know we should exercise more, but many of us don't. This is a health mistake we consciously make! And why is that? Simply because we refuse to admit the damage we are causing to our bodies by not working out. A number of people only start working out once they've experienced a warning signal. Don't wait for a heart attack to strike before you decide to opt for a lifestyle change. Make the change now. You don't need to train for the marathon to be in top shape. Half an hour of brisk walking three to four times a week will make a world of difference to your health. You could then increase this to forty minutes, four times a week - and you're all set. If you haven't exercised for a week, you're making a mistake.

Today's Message of the Day is:

Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

~ Happy Chinese New Year to all ~

Wishing U Gong Xi Fa Chai

Feel Good And Smile

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. "Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up..

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose" She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the
wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get,
We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Shell Citibank Credit Card - A Cash Draining Card

UPDATED

Table information show when Citibank card first launched:

Latest tiered table displayed on Citibank site


From the new updated table, can I say that we can now enjoy the 1st tier rebate even if we have 0 outstanding balance?



Got this info from lokenyin site:


Are you fancy of getting a credit card that offers 5% rebate on shell
petrol and 1.5% rebate on other purchases?


If your answer is yes, then you are draining your money away!


The newly launched Shell Citibank credit card is not as good as its sounds
- to enjoy the rebate, you must have a carry forward balance. Yes, a carry
forward balance that you have to pay Citibank 18% interest per annum. But
that's is not all, your so called 'rebate' is based on your current month
spending. That means if you have a carry forward of RM10,000 but did not
use the card at all for the current month, you get 'zero' rebate.


To be precise, this 'rebate' card is an old card - it has been around for
about 2 years. But now taking advantage of the fuel cost concern, Citibank
co-branded it with Shell.


This is how the rebate scheme works:
First, you need to have a carry forward balance. The amount of that
carry forward determines the rebate rate (%) that the card holder is
getting.


Shell Citibank
Then based on your current month spend, you will get the rebate (as
shown by the rebate table above) - your rebate is not based on your
total carry forward balance. Repeat: your rebate is not based on your
total carry forward balance, but current month spending


In short, to get your 'rebate' you must have at least of RM2,000
outstanding balance in you card AND continue use the card. The outstanding
balance is the net of previous month balance minus current month payment.
If you do that, every month you will be paying RM30.00, or RM360 a year for
the minimum RM2,000 outstanding balance.


Let's do a simple math here:


If you spend RM500/mth on shell petrol and your classic card has a RM2,000
outstanding balance, at 1.5%, you are getting RM7.50 as 'rebate', while at
the same time, paying RM30.00 for the interest. The 'nett' profit for
Citibank is RMRM22.50. Your are essentially "over paying" 4 times the price
(30/7.5)


To 'break even' (so that your RM30.00 interest payment = rebate value), you
need to pump RM2,000 shell petrol a month, or charge RM6,000 a month for
non-shell related purchases.


The USD100.00 per barrel of crude oil won't kills you, but the Citi-Shell
card will.


Sources: http://smartconsumerbanking.com/

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Taiwan Trip - Day 3

Date: 5/10/2007
Places: Taroko (太鲁阁峡谷), Tienh Siang(天祥), Cisingtan Beach (七星潭海滩), Yu Bao Shop (御宝), Plaza International Hotel (通豪大飯店聳)

Today, we woke up at 7am; as usual have breakfast and then gather up to continue our journey with the rest of the group.

This is our tour guide, Yao Mummy giving us information on the places we are visiting.

The whole day, the rain and wind gushing non stop and one of our destination was closed due to the typhoon.

First stop was in Taroko (太鲁阁峡谷). The gorge was formed by rushing river waters which have cut straight through the marble and surrounded by subtropical forests. There are several notable scenic spots in and near the gorge. Due to raining, we just walk down and took some photographs before rushing back into the bus.

Raining season… but still must say cheese..

View from the bus.. raining

The gorge

We stop at Tienh Siang(天祥) to rest for some photo shooting, resting and drinking coffee.

Tienh Siang features a suspension bridge over the gorge, with a Buddhist temple and pagoda perched on the opposite side of the mountain. The Bridge of Motherly devotion is a popular spot of picnic, with a little bowed bridge across a small tributary.

Me with boy boy

The road…

The coffee shop

The next stop, we went to Cisingtan Beach (七星潭海滩) in Hualien to see the strong waves along the beach and also to feel the strong wind

See how strong the wind blows the trees…

Can you see the strong waves in the background?

My messy hair blown by the wind…
We saw reporter coming to this beach and the police told us to stay away from there as it is very dangerous. So we have no choice but to leave that spot and proceed to next stop.

Our next stop is Yu Bao Shop (御宝).

This is the shop where you can purchase Ling Zhi and other nutritional products.
Look at this guy who tells us the information on products sold.

See how big the real Ling Zhi is…

We bought Ling Zhi for TWD13000.

Name card of the shop

The lady who assist us in the shop.

Sooo big…

Helping him to shade from the sun… Haha…

After that we went for lunch. The place where we had our lunch is nearby the Marble Factory and there’s lots of marble craving statue around.

Some photos with the statue:

Haha, I’m Wong Fei Hong… (just kidding)

I like this statue…

Dragon Ball…
Can you see a man here?

Next we visit Marble Factory and Marble House.

Precious…

With Mickey…

The 12 chinese zodiac
1. Rat, 2. Ox, 3. Tiger, 4. Rabbit

5. Dragon, 6. Snake, 7.Horse, 8.Goat

9. Monkey, 10. Rooster, 11. Dog, 12. Boar

Dinner served at 6.30pm.
Then we went back to Plaza International Hotel (通豪大飯店聳) for spa. We stayed in Room 320.

Entrace to the spa.

The spa pool

**Additional Info:
Taroko
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taroko

Plaza International Hotel (Hualien)
-
http://www.taichung-plaza.com/eng/home.htm