The other evening, Jie jie and I decided to take a dip in the pool at her place. She’s back home with us for a short time while Kevin is at training, and I’m absolutely loving her company.
Love you + 1 ! 
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This post has NOT been endorsed by Starhub. I’m just a loyal customer.
Guess who made the switch from the orange to the green? And he got a new handset at the same time, these photos were taken with the new HTC Diamond.
My two cents on the HTC Diamond: Battery life is terrible, and applications are laggy. Besides that, it’s pretty comprehensive.
p.s. Wayne desperately needs a haircut… 3 more days love, 3 more days before we see Edwin. Hang in there!!
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So we crossed the 5 year mark, this time, I insisted on buying dinner. Since my dinner with Dru, I’ve been raving about La Strada’s amazing carbonara. And since its Wayne’s favourite Italian dish, we got dolled up and went out for a beautiful 3 course dinner.
La Strada
1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre, #02-10
Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 6737 2622
Dress code: Casual
website: http://www.lesamis.com.sg
Appetisers
Caprese - Buffalo mozzarella with confit Sicilian cherry tomatoes, basil agar-agar and char-grilled ciabatta bread
Mains
Spaghetti Alla Chitarra Con salsa Carbonara Tartufata
Hand made spaghetti with Spanish ham, truffle butter, parmesan and confit egg
Dessert
Tiramisu - Mascarpone cream with marsala, layered with coffee sponge and served with coffee sauce
Verdict? He loved it. After dinner, we watched Indiana Jones just upstairs at Lido. Verdict? Good movie CRAP VENUE. Am never booking at Lido again, that place has really gone downhill. Or maybe they just haven’t spent the money to upgrade themselves. Seats were super uncomfortable, Oohhh my back!?!
I think we’ve been together longer than some married couples have
Happy 5 year Anniversary tubs!
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My favourite Sunday afternoons are spent in front of my mac in Wayne’s decked garden with a cup of java with the puppies by our feet.
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3 weekends ago, I went to Prisita and Devraj’s wedding at a Hindu temple in Serangoon. She looked absolutely GORGEOUS! I love Indian weddings, they are just MASSIVE, full of colour and flavours.
It was also a good opportunity to catch up with my Ogilvy girlies. The last time we met was probably for dinner at New York New York Suntec City to celebrate Averil’s last day at OPR.
After the wedding lunch reception, we headed down to Raffles City Gloria Jeans for a coffee & catch up. The only one missing was the bride.
From left: Gina, Averil, Angela, Tiqah
Miss you’all already! Hope you’re still wearing the necklaces!
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The longest 84km of my life.
We were support cyclists for the Adidas Sundown marathon, the last time were doing this, it was for the 70.3 half ironman last year.
My day started really early, Wayne and I were running errands in town, so I’m surprised I managed to stay awake all the way till 7:30am the next morning.
Adidas lighting the way for runners
We rushed to pack and load the bikes at 7pm and headed towards Changi Village to report for ‘duty’ at 8pm. Wore my ‘Race Official’ bib, whistle, walkie talkie and I was good to go.
Wild boar William and Wild boar Wayne
Initially, I was assigned to lead the marathon category (42km), but we had someone pull out. So I had to bike the Ultra-marathon category (84km) instead.
DirTraction Crew
I’m not too fussed, how bad can it be right? It’s just going to be double the distance?!
And there they go
Well how wrong was I!?! After 42km, my bum was starting to numb and hurt from all that sitting down. It came to a point where I had to stand and cycle for awhile just to get the blood flowing.
And because we were cycling at running pace… no disrespect to the runners, but it felt sooo loonnggg.
Jeanette and me at the finish line
9 hours 14mins and 36 seconds later… Ladies 1st position crossed the finish line. My job was done. Congratulations Jeanette!
When we were driving home, it started to piss down really heavily. We felt so sorry for all those runners still on route, they must have been drenched, cold and tired.
You know what’s the best part? Going home, taking a HOT shower, turning on the air con, having a piece of toast, and climbing into cold bed sheets exhausted.
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I spoke to soon. The whole office had the flu or mycoplasma except me. My whole family had their round of the flu and so did Wayne’s, and I didn’t get it at all. Here I was thinking I had a fortress of a immune system, and today, I’m sitting at my work desk with a runny phlegmy gooey nose and feeling like my head is a ticking bomb about to explodes.
It doesn’t help when I have so much work to do I can’t even take medical leave.
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During the start of the work day, I usually begin by writing down the things I have to do. On the days I’m feeling down, I would paste a lil sticker on that page just to cheer me self up.
Oh the little joys in life!
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15. Wake the dead!
If your hand falls asleep while you’re driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It’ll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don’t let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.
16. Impress your friends!
Next time you’re at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He’ll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that’s a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you’ve offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body’s ability to resist.
17. Breathe underwater!
If you’re dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first—essentially, hyperventilate. When you’re underwater, it’s not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it’s the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin’ ain’t right. “When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity,” says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. “This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen.” It’ll buy you up to 10 seconds.
18. Read minds!
Your own! “If you’re giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep,” says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.
10. Unstitch your side!
If you’re like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.
11. Stanch blood with a single finger!
Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed—if you don’t mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums—just behind that small dent below your nose—and press against it, hard. “Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose,” says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. “Pressing here helps stop them.”
12. Make your heart stand still!
Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It’ll get your heart rate back to normal.
13. Thaw your brain!
Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. “Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too,” says Abo. “In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache.” The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.
14. Prevent near-sightedness!
Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. “It’s usually caused by near-point stress.” In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles—like the eyes—into relaxing as well.
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5. Clear your stuffed nose!
Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you’ll feel your sinuses start to drain.
6. Fight fire without water!
Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? “Sleep on your left side,” says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you’re on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity’s in your favor.
7. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!
Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.
8. Make burns disappear!
When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natural method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.
9. Stop the world from spinning!
One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance—the cupula—floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. “As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises,” says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.
Here are some interesting facts. How true? I don’t know, but its still a nice read. It’s quite a long list, so i’ll do 4-5 facts a day till Friday.
1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear.
That tickle in your throat; it’s not worth gagging over. Here’s a better way to scratch your itch: “When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm,” says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. “This spasm relieves the tickle.”
2. Experience supersonic hearing!
If you’re stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It’s better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.
3. Overcome your most primal urge!
Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about Jessica Simpson. Thinking about sex preoccupies your brain, so you won’t feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. For best results, try Simpson’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking” video.
4. Feel no pain!
German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.
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Added some new tracks to the radio on the right sidebar. Am loving Death Cab for Cutie and the new Jason Mraz album.
Enjoy!
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There’s this pub down the street from my place in South Perth called The Windsor. A few years back, that place was quite a dump.
No one really went there, it was dated, and patrons were mostly old foggies. Recently it went through a facelift, and today its bustling with activity and hot bartenders (ok maybe just one).
Jon, Naree, Chris, David, Louise and myself walked there to watch the footy over some beer and pizza. (By the way, the eagles were getting trashed man! What happened! They used to be so good! )
It was great, a simple evening filled with friends and laughter. I missed them. 
and I will miss them.
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When I was studying in Perth, I’ve always had a weak spot for the shoestring fries at Oriel cafe Subiaco. The chips thickness was just right, cooked to the perfect crisp, and the aioli gave it that extra kick. So of course I had to go back for a taste… just to be sure it hasn’t changed 2 years on.
With the girlies Naree & Emma
Jonus & Naree
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So i locked the bathroom door in right? I went through the yellowpages and called up two locksmiths for a quote, and it was going to set me back at least A$90. But one of them was nice enough to tell me that its likely my lock has a little pinhead sized hole on the handle that releases the lock.
So I went all McGyver, got a paper clip, bent it straight, found the hole, and WALAH!!! I UNLOCKED IT! WOOHOOOoooo… i just saved myself A$90!!
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Just when I posted about a good start, the shits of the shits happened. So here’s what happened. My car battery was dead, and my dad told me he bought a jump start kit. Ok. So i took it out of the cupboard, charged it for half a day, and tried it out.
Didn’t work.
So i thought I’d charge it overnight, and try again in the morning. Morning came… and it still didn’t work. I called up RAC to find out how much it costs for them come over for a jump start, and they quoted me something like A$120. So instead, I just waited till Jon and Chris finished work.
They came over, jump started the car, so far so good right? By the way, this was after I posted the previous ‘happy-feel-good’ blog entry.
I drove up and down the freeway for a good 40mins to charge up the battery again. 40mins sounds like a lot, but i really wanted to make sure I didn’t run into any trouble.
Anyway… as I turned off my freeway exit, the unthinkable unbelievable happened……. MY CAR DIED!!!!!! O H M Y G A W D ! I couldn’t believe this was happening to me!
The battery was completely DEAD! I couldn’t even put my hazard lights on! I was so afraid a car was going to hit me from the back! I was crawling to a stop, and i just managed to steer myself a bit to the side.
I couldn’t find my hand phone, so I couldn’t call Jon. I managed to hail down a cab, and he drove me home. To cut the story short, RAC didn’t want to come out to the freeway because it was too dangerous for them, so I had to get my car towed home for A$99. Which by the way was the easiest 99 bucks that guy could make, because my house was less than 2km away.
Sigh… now i’ve got to wait till tomorrow to get a new car battery. Flips of flops man.
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Woke up at 7:20am in the morning in a bit of a shock, I forgot where I was and was shocked to wake up in an unfamiliar bedroom. Got changed into my running gear, and decided to go for a morning jog.
The air was crisp and cold, running in this temperature is definitely a lot different. It takes you a longer to warm up, and your chest feels extremely tight and small.
Spent quite a lot of time sorting out the hot water, phone and internet connections, car servicing and dead battery. Which by the way still isn’t fixed yet. Am waiting for Jon to jump start my car later this evening.
Feel like I’ve wasted a day, because I’m stuck in this apartment with no transport. But I did walk to the nearby shops to get myself lunch and a coffee. Sat by the esplanade and fed a seagull and soaked in the sun’s rays.
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With all the hype surrounding the F1 night race coming up, here’s a novel idea for you running buffs, a night marathon!
The Adidas Sundown Marathon will be held at the end of May.
Race Details
Date: 31st May 2008
Venue: Start and End Point, Changi Point.
Time: Various Race Start Times from 8pm onwardsUltra-Marathon 84km Marathon 42km Corporate Challenge Relay (10.5km x 4 Runners) Team Challenge Relay (10.5km x 4 Runners) If you’re scared to do it alone, register as a team! I’m sure it’s a lot more fun! Maybe get your colleagues together to form a team? Registration closes soon!
Did a shoot last month for the creatives at Maxling’s crib, which went really well.
I’m loving the final artwork, so here it is….If I’m not wrong it’s in the upcoming issue of Shape. Whoop!
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