New York Minute Part 3: The High Line, The Met & Union Square

"First World Pain" would be quite the right term to describe my new york trip. Jet lag, too little time and too little money too many things to buy aside, it's a first world pain to do short trip in New York because there's so much to do.

Planning where to go in two days became an agonizing task that required great mental discipline to decide on something and stick to it without straying. The focus of a laser is a prerequisite to keep to the time allocated in a specific area and move on to schedule, while fighting the urge to linger longer with a constant onslaught of interesting and visually stimulating everything in sight.

With a miserly two days free to myself under the influence of jet lag, I've done pretty well, covering new grounds and revisited old favorites, sweeping the entire Manhattan from downtown to uptown via the complicated Subway (which I strangely think is a piece of cake). Among the many places I walked through, the three that made it to my musing list by providing the most pleasure were The High Line, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts and Union Square Farmers' Market.

The High Line
Being very much the only new ground that I covered this trip, The High Line was one I enjoyed thoroughly. Stretching from Ganesvoort Street near the 14th Street in the Meat Packing District all the way to the 34th street, The High Line is an urban park built on an abandoned old railway track. A stellar example of recycling old spaces and preserving heritage while breathing a new least of life into dated urban landscape.

Fully opened in August 2011,  The High Line is an unconventional walk in an elevated park above the city, spotting a partial view of the Hudson River to boost. It is now a favorite among many New Yorkers to chill, relax, sunbathe and soak in on a slice of garden in the Big Apple of urban jungle. The only shame was that the flowers weren't blooming when I was there since the plants are at their best and most colorful during Spring and Summer, but it was totally enjoyable nonetheless!

Sun deck near the 14th for some sun-worshipping

An amphitheater near along The High Line with a viewing gallery to the road below. A favorite hangout for many New Yorkers

A partial but still beautiful view of the Hudson River near the 14th street stretch

Part of the old railway track that used to transport meat around the Meat Packing district in the olden days is still clearly visible

No time wasted to catch some sun at the first sign of Spring and Summer. A respite from the bitter winter

Graffiti wall is not only legal, but part of its soul

An amazing bird house structure with colorful fruits makes an instant live art installation

The Met
An old turf that will forever be a favorite is the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. Being the largest museum on the Northern Hemisphere, it is said that the Met is so extensive that if you spend one day every week to carefully look at its exhibits, you can't finish looking through everything in your life time (according to my New Yorker aunt). Fact or Fiction, I haven't the honor to find out but I know that to attempt sharing all the photos I snapped during my fleeting visit might overload and crash my macbook.

The European painting section on the second floor will forever be my favorite spot in the Met and I took the chance to sit in the middle of a few different galleries surrounded by magnificent work of European masters like Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet and so many more. It's really not every day that you get surrounded by stunning painting and every visit to the Met will be a special one no less. You simply can never, ever, get enough. At least I know I wouldn't and that much I'm sure.

The famous steps outside the Met. Fans of Gossip Girl and Blair Waldorf would definitely recognize those steps where Queen B sat in her throne

Union Square
Right smack in the middle of 14th street lies Union Square. It's a simple square on Tuesdays and Thursdays with garden benches and people hanging out but for the rest of the week, it's the Union Square Farmers' Market where indie farmers in New York (usually not from the city) sell their produce. Not only do you get the freshest flowers, produce and products, you meet the people who farm or make them, giving what you buy some much-needed provenance in the faceless age of hyper mart and mega mart.

Being from a little island starved of such luxury, Union Square excites my senses every time. Food stuff and flowers aside, you see people playing chess everywhere. How I wish there's the equivalent of such lovely place in Singapore!

 

Photos overloaded yet? That's it for now! Till the next post which is very soon.  Yes, I really have tons to show and share!

March Muse

Reading: Comics! It's super unlike me to read comics and the last time I read comics was more than 15 years ago. Embarrassingly, I used to totally dig Sailor Moon and I read the comics then (seriously, the comics are much better! No judgement please!). This time, my sister showed me a really funny one called Saint Young Men and I have to read it because it's about Jesus and Buddha coming down to Earth to live as housemates in modern day Tokyo. It's hilarious and I love all the jokes (harmless really!) about these two religious icons. It's so funny I would laugh out loud reading it and I'm hooked. There's a total of seven volumes and I definitely would want all of them. Now I just need to go somewhere to find the rest of the volumes. Wish me luck on that as I have no freaking idea where I can find comic shops these days.

Watching: New Girl with Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day, the quirky school teacher who lives with three other guys as house mates. I love it cos Zooey's my March's girl crush and I started a series after my friend J told me I have to watch it cos he thinks I resemble Jess Day with my weird ass ways. So I downloaded the series out of curiosity and I'm hooked! The season just finished with 14 episodes and I can't wait for the new season to start.

Wearing: Navy blue polka dot skirt from Mango. I love the versatility of a classic polka dot skirt and this Mango one can take me from work (just wear with shirt or a slouchy tank and structured jacket) to weekend (with slouchy tees).

Using: Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner. These certified organic hair products are my all time favorites! Started by Horst Rechelbacher, the founder of Aveda (he later left the brand to start Intelligent Nutrients), Intelligent Nutrients does fully organic products using super safe, food grade ingredients. In fact, it's so safe that Horst actually took a swig of their hair spray in his mouth during a press launch as proof of its product safety. Anyhow, this shampoo and conditioner combo is such a winner with super fresh minty feel to leave hair thoroughly clean, soft and shiny. You can also use the shampoo as a body and even face wash as it's super mild! It's a total pleasure using them!

Burt's Bees Radiance Serum. This tiny bottle is jammed packed with the goodness of royal jelly, licorice roots, glycerin and tons of Vitamins (A,C, D & K) and amino acids. It promises to brighten your skin in four weeks and it works. In fact, it's been less than four weeks and I already feel that my skin is more radiant and even-toned. Zit marks also heal faster too! I absolutely adore this one and it's got a very light fluid texture that's quickly absorbed into the skin. You'll need only 2 to 3 drops each application. I highly recommend this one!

Drinking: Lemon Water. This is gonna be a new project. I'm gonna try and drink a glass of warm water every morning with the juice of half a lemon. There are tons of reasons to do so and it's great for health too! Not only does it detox you while packing in all the Vitamin C, it also maintains an alkaline pH environment in the body which is the ideal anti-cancer environment. Now the challenge is to wake up a wee bit early to guzzle down the goodness and that's gonna be a wee bit difficult!

Loving: The Clarisonic Mia! I simply can't gush enough about this little convenient contraption that thoroughly cleanses your skin with sonic vibration. It gives your skin a good micro massage with just a mere one minute a day. I really wish I had bought it earlier and maybe I won't be having so much tiny oily bumps on my forehead which thankfully, are going going gone with the Mia.

The Sakox Lollipop Pen. This is such an "act cute" pen with a fluffy pom pom fur ball but I really couldn't resist when I saw them in City Super in Hong Kong. I get attracted to colourful shiny stuff and I'm glad I got a purple one for myself cos it really brightens up my desk and make it looks all chirpy. It makes perfect gifts for your girl friends too!

Lusting after: The birdie ring from Twinkle Bird it's so cute!! I love all their stuff especially the cloud necklace! Things to collect slowly one by one.

Zen Supplies....

Stress is carcinogenic. It's a well-known fact. With the increasing occurrence of manic days peppered with murderous thoughts of mincing up some specific people with a meat grinder, I'm bordering on needing some serious anger management courses. Dealing with stress needs mental capacity, but I have some little helpers which make dealing with stress a wee bit easier. Say hello to my stash of  Zen Supplies that keep me sane and prevent carnage in the office.

1. Bach Flower Rescue Remedy - This homeopathic classic has been a main stay in my bag for more than a decade. It calms my nerves and is handy. Four drops on the tongue each time and I use it for my cat, Mr Bond, too when he gets pissed off after vet visit. Just add a few drops into your pet's drinking bowl. 
2. Badger Headache Soother - Aromatherapy is definitely one of life's many little gifts and this organic olive oil based balm is infused with soothing lavender and peppermint. I take a deep inhalation when I need a mental break and rub it on my wrists and sniff it all the time. You can even use it to moisturize dry spots on your skin and I use it as hand balm all the time.
3. Lemon Ginger Yogi Tea - I always say there's nothing a cup of nice ginger tea can't fix. This aromatic brew smells strangely of my zen yoga studio and it brings me the "Ahhh" factor every time I have a sip. Not to mention it's good for aiding digestion. 
4. Aurora Alchemy Instant Happiness Oil - I love my oils and Aurora Alchemy does really lovely oils infused with a little bit of magick! Each bottle is hand blended with love and light and you'll see crystals in the bottles for added good vibration and healing. I'm a proud owner of seven different bottles for different occasions but I have Instant Happiness in the office (since work is usually my biggest source of stress and distress these days). When I'm grumpy or moody, I rub a drop on my wrist and inhale. It's refreshing citrus blend shifts your mood and energy to invoke a hint of cheerfulness for a much-needed perk-me-up. 
5. Bach Flower Rescue Sleep - Now that I have the misfortune of getting insomnia, anything that helps with sleeping and unwinding at night is welcomed. A sidekick of the original Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, Bach Flower Rescue Sleep is my bedside companion to help calm the mind and encourage restful sleep. 
6. Cute fluffy pom pom pen - Look, it helps. It makes everything looks more chirpy

Sleepless in Singapore

This is not good. It really is happening! For the first time ever in my life, I'm plagued by the curse of Insomnia! What used to be something only my friends experience is now happening to me. Laying wide awake in my Egyptian cotton sheets at 4am can do crazy stuff to your head and I finally understand how it could drive someone to complete insanity. Finally, I believe the people whom I once felt were simply suicidal when they went to the A&E with an overdose of sleeping pills saying they OD "out of frustration" cos they "couldn't sleep". Not that I've OD on sleeping pills cos I haven't got any but I popped 3 tablets heavy melantonin consecutively in an hour (something that's not advisable), only to find myself still alert like an overprotective hawk guarding its nest of babies.

Work is to blame for my insomnia! For sure. Because I got it when I was due back at work today and last night, I was chanting the Green Tara Mantra nonstop for some zen effect till 4am hoping to fall asleep but the insomnia so dire that even Green Tara's divinity couldn't send me to lala land. A week ago, it was a totally different story with me sleeping sound like a baby while I was in Hong Kong on a break. So yes, it is work. No doubt about it.

The ordeal started about a month ago when work was insane. The whole new job with better package thing. But well there's no free lunch with more responsibility being part of the package. Long hours means I go home late, void of any mental space and time to wind down before I hit the sack and voila! I joined the dreadful Insomnia Club.

At its worst, I had work jargon flying all around my head the moment I closed my eyes. I would wanna slap anyone who asked me to "Just relaxxxx!" because if I could switch off my mind, I wouldn't be in this mess. The mind simply couldn't switched off even with crazy yoga session that exhausted the body in the hope of some decent shut eye. I turned into a miserable grumpy sod who's angry with every single damn shit. You know the type of grumpy old hag with a couple of plastic bags in hand, messy hair and blotchy make up on the bus yelling at everyone and angry at the world? That was me, the sleep deprived me.Yes, that bad because I felt like slapping every crying baby I see, cute or otherwise, and scratching out the eyes of whoever came and tell me he/she was so busy and overworked. 

Now that I'm back in Singapore after an amazing time with my family and a week of sleeping like the dead despite the bad pillows, the freaking Insom-fucking-nia is back. I blame it on being homesick and dreading to go back to work. But ultimately, it boils down to work still. It got me wondering how it would be if I had an easier job with less responsibility. Say, being a secretary who works strictly 9 to 6 Monday to Friday, or a sales girl in some chi-chi boutique at Palais Renaissance that closes at 7pm and Sunday. Something along that line.

During one of my many sleepless nights and loathing sessions of my new responsibility at work, I thought of my one-time foot reflexologist with a bald head at this new foot rub place. He was good and gave some pretty decent foot rub, but the second time I went back, he wasn't there anymore. Apparently, he comes and goes because he'll go off when he makes enough money and comes back when he needs to make some more money. My initial response in my head was "Oh so he's one of those slackers who doesn't work enough".

Funny how a perception can change in weeks, if not days. After my struggle with insomnia and a crazy job that leaves me with an inhumanely tiny amount of personal time, I'm starting to think that my baldie foot reflexologist might be on to something good. Quality of life over quantity in the bank account or material possessions. That could very well be the new zen to a happy existence. BUT, can I do what he does? Well, that would require another night of insomnia to think through, but at this moment, I'm guessing no.

So here I am, the living testament to the theory that after your happiness index plummets when you get a pay raise and hit a certain pay. Double screw it as I wasn't even there yet! I merely got a better package, not some ridiculously fantastic one, and already, my happiness index went down the gutter. It really got me wondering if it's really all worth it. I'd better find a way to deal with insomnia sans Valium. Meanwhile, perhaps it's time for me to make a cup of sleeping aid herbal tea and visit the foot reflexologist to get some zen tips for a restful night. Well, wish me luck!


Image from http://www.insomniacurestreatment.com/

Why you should not eat processed food!

More youtube video! But this time, this one shows you why you should avoid processed food like instant noodles and Gatorade! Good thing I don't stock instant noodle at home! Most processed food can't be properly digested by our body. I have only organic brown rice noodle and natural real food! Go for the real stuff!



Click here to read the full article. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying all the awesome food in Hong Kong! Woohoo!

McScary, McGross, McToxic!

Still wanna eat McNuggets? Watch and learn more about the processed meat you're eating!

The Ethical Consumerism Manifesto

Supporting my consumerism overhaul to consume less, choose well and buy ethnically, here's my new manifesto.

The Ethical Consumerism Manifesto:

• Say NO to mindless consumerism. Buy only when you need something, not when you need shopping to relief boredom or stress. Alternative to shopping, choose a service like a good massage
• Quality over quantity! Go for the good stuff that lasts. No more "Buy and Throw Away" mentality
• When possible, buy products that's ethically sourced with fair trading. Be aware of externalized cost such as pollution, exploitation etc. (Read more here). Don't buy from companies that exploit animals, human beings and the environment. For instance, don't buy any Disney or Nike products as they are notorious for underpaying factories and poor working conditions. Here's a list of unethical companies to avoid. 
• When buying something you don't need but want (eg, clothes or shoes etc), take some time to consider before impulse buying. Statistic shows that most consumers use only 1% of what they have bought six months down the road. 
• Fashion purchases have to be timeless and classic with good quality that will last. If the French can be fashionable with a few key classic items like stripes tees, black cigarette pants, and ballet flats, so can we. No need to deck up like a Christmas tree. 
• De-clutter and give away useful stuff that you don't use to people who need it more (but don't give rubbish to people!)
• Switch to non toxic toiletries and skin care with no harmful chemicals. With the human breast milk being one of the most toxic food (refer to the video I posted in Consumerism Overhaul), you'd like to think twice about using chemical and toxins laden toiletries. Your skin absorbs up to 64% of what you put on it, so don't put toxic stuff on it! Here's where you can check if your products are safe. David Suzuki has a pocket guide of a dozen of toxic substances to avoid called the Dirty Dozens, click here to print it out and keep it in your wallet as reference when you go toiletries shopping. 
• Use non-toxic household items like floor cleaner, washing powder, dish washing liquid etc. Yes, the toxic stuff is cheaper but think about this, it isn't just about protecting the environment, it's protecting your health too since your skin will be expose to the toxins. The fact that research has shown an insanely high amount of toxins and chemicals in the body of crawling toddlers and home pets  ought to make you think about switching to safer products. Also, when you buy less of other stuff, the money you save can use to buy these eco-friendly products. Create the demand and hopefully the cost will go down too! Good Guide provides a great database on the safety index of many products and is my favorite go-to source.
• Bring your own recycling bag! Reduce the use of plastic bags!
• Locally grown vegetable and produce are more environmentally friendly. Not only are they fresher, they require less fuel to reach your market
• Consume less, choose well and buy ethically!

Image from Grafter

Toxics In, Toxics Out! Choose Non Toxic Products!

GO ORGANIC! CUT TOXINS!!

That's my new mantra when it comes to my toiletries. I've always favored organic products but in the last two months or so, after doing some serious research and reading on the negative effects of chemicals in our everyday products, I've been progressively switching to organic for all the stuff I use from shower gel, shampoo to face cream. It's part of my plan in streamlining and buying less stuff by buying only good quality safe organic products that isn't a health hazard. It hasn't gone 100% organic yet but that's my plan in the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, here are some of my favorite organic stores and brands to check out!

Super Nature
@21 Orchard Boulevard, Park House
They're potentially my number one favorite place in Singapore! It's happiness every time I get there cos they have SUPER extensive range of organic everything from toiletries, homeopathic remedies to fresh meat and vegetable.


Bud Cosmetics
@Square2 (Novena) and Mandarin Gallery
My second favorite store for organic toiletries after Super Nature, they stock a pretty good selection of products including The Organic Phamarcy (not available at Super Nature) and Filthy Farm Girl soaps.

Pure Tincture
@OUB Plaza Level 4
Smaller range of organic products but they stock Suki Skincare, one of my favorites and have organic facials too. I'm gonna try that out soon.

Brown Rice Paradise
@Tanglin Mall & Siglap Center
This one needs no introduction, having been around for so long. I've been going to the Tanglin Mall outlet for the last 10 years I realize!

VitaKids
@Forum Shopping Center
Awesome selection of supplements!

Brands I love and use:
Suki Skincare
The Organic Pharmacy
Intelligent Nutrients
Avalon Organics
John Masters Organics
Sante
Balm Balm
Alba Organics

Choose organic! Choose well!

Consumerism Overhaul

In my quest to simplify, de-clutter and streamline my stuff, my things and potentially my life in a recent overhaul exercise inspired by the book The Joy of Less, I've chanced upon a youtube video that is completely life-changing. It's totally changed the way I look at consumerism and capitalism and I'm so sure that my serendipitous discovery of this video clip (I chanced upon it while researching on safe organic toiletries!) is a sign that I REALLY must change the way I participate in the whole consumerism cycle.


The Story of Stuff is a project started by Annie Leonard in 2007 when she got fed up with the whole "Buy and throw away" culture, prompting her to investigate and dig deeper into the whole cycle of consumerism and what fuels its fire. Along the way, she's uncovered many ugly truths about consumerism and exposes its nasty underbellies that challenges the way we would (at least I did) look at consumerism.

It's a pretty long video but I savored every seconds of it and it'll be something I'll re-watch every now and then whenever I feel seduced by the lure of advertisers and big money-making corporations. I'm even more determined to go through a "consumerism rehab" and re-program myself to not "want" and "need" things too much! This video is truly life-changing for me!

January Muse

Reading: The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide by Francine Jay. I've been on a mission to declutter, downsize and pare down my stuff. When I told my friends I'm gonna TRY to be minimalist, they all burst out laughing, knowing that shopping and buying stuff seems to be my super power. But really, perhaps one of this year's resolutions (I don't do resolutions btw) is to buy very selectively and to give/throw away all the stuff I don't need. This book is awesome as Francine teaches you how to declutter, drilling down to the the psychology of why people hoard their things. I've been decluttering some stuff and I love the feeling of chucking out old stuff and reclaiming space. It's a wake up call that the stuff I chuck out is money too and it's all from my senseless consuming and buying. So from now on, I'm gonna be very selective in the stuff that I get. Wish me luck!

Also reading Time Out Singapore. I check in on Time Out Singapore every now and then to keep up with all the stuff that's happening in this sunny island of durian eaters. Great tips on where to eat, what to see, where to go etc. A must-read if you're bored of your routine and would want something new to do and see.

Watching: Animations from the Ghibli Studio! How I love Hayao Miyazaki's work! My dad started me on it when I was 9 or so when he took me to watch my first Miyazaki cartoon, Laputa, Castle in the Sky. I've been a fan since, with special affinity to Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service because they're my childhood favorites. I've been re-watching Miyazaki animations over the holidays. LOVE them!

Later this month, I'll also be watching Giselle by The Paris Opera Ballet. I can't wait!! And I've got pretty good ticket!

Wearing: Diptyque Do Son Perfume. I got the solid perfume version of this lovely Tuberose scent. Will blog more about it another time. It's super nice and I love the packaging!

Also wearing a lot of my Vamoose necklace. So pretty! Perfect for layering!

Using: The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Cream. I was done with my Ole Henriksen moisturizer and I'm switching a lot of my face and body care to organic stuff. I got The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Cream this time. It smells divine with a nice citrus scent and nice texture that's quickly absorbed. I just started using it for about 2 weeks now. Will blog more about it soon when I can speak more about it, but so far so good.

Drinking: EveryDay Detox tea by Traditional Medicinals. I'm hooked on herbal tea and I'm drinking this one almost everyday. Traditional Medicinals makes really great herbal tea and I've got the night time sleep well tea as well for the occasional insomnia.

Loving: Hardly a sexy thing to love but I must admit I love using the NeilMed Netti Pot. The ceramic netti pot I bought in India broke long time ago and now I've replaced it with a plastic one from NeilMed. It comes with its salt mixture in convenient sachets and it does wonders for my sinus. I rinse my nose every night now. I know it sounds painful and uncomfortable to flush your nostrils but trust me, if you have sinus, this is a god sent! On top of keeping sinus at bay, ancient ayurvedic medicine also says using a netti pot balances the Ida (ying) and Pingala (yang) energy too.

Lusting after: The Dior Oui necklace. I love it. Plain and simple. Oui si vous plait!!

The amazing lavender hair oil

I've come full circle with hair products and I've finally returned to using the trusted Oshima Tsubaki Camilia Oil for my hair.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about Oshima Tsubaki Camilia Oil and I loved it so much. I've since tried many products, including the famed The Moroccan Oil but nothing seems to work as well as the Camilia Oil. So in the spirit of my current mission to de-clutter (will tell you more about it soon, it's a project that is potentially laughable), I've junked all the lousy hair product rejects that's been sitting in a corner and pushed the trusty Camilia Oil on the pedestal. But this time with a twist.

The Oshima Tsubaki Camilia Oil is odorless and to make using it more pleasurable, I've blended in pure Lavender essential oil to make it smell divine and infuse an extra boost of goodness from Lavender.

There are many different grades of essential oil and a lot in the market are meant for diffusing with a burner and not suitable for applying to the skin. So when choosing essential oils for cosmetic purposes, go for the quality therapeutic grade type. It's a lot more expensive but it's worth the quality.

I use Lavender essential oil from Young Living. Young Living does amazing essential oils that's 100% pure and free from chemical. The Lavender oil they produce is so pure you can use it as food supplement and flavoring.

For my amazing Lavender Camilia Hair Oil, I added 24 drops to 40ml of Camilia oil and viola! Camilia Hair Oil with the lovely smell and nourishing properties of Lavender oil!

A note of caution when using Camilia oil; please use sparingly as it's very rich. For shoulder length hair, you probably need just one drop for the hair ends and two drops max. You can apply it either on damp or dry hair. I use about 3 drops on dry hair after blow dry and it keeps my ends moisturized and sleek.

Another way I like to use it is to apply more to the lower half of my hair half an hour before shampooing. I'll put about 6 to 8 drops so that it's a little greasy. Let it sink in and absorb for half an hour or as long as you can before shampooing and conditioning your hair as usual. The result is soft, nourished and manageable hair! Lovely!

Yoga 2.0

I'm back on the mat. After a 5-year hiatus, I've somehow found my way back on the mat again and this time, it's so much more mellowed, and a hell lot better.

Yoga was introduced to me in my teens by my cool aunt, after an ankle injury forced me to detour from doing classical ballet the professional route. I was given a copy of the original Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar in its orange cover with Iyengar illustrating all the fascinating bendy poses.

What started as my rehab got all serious when I hit my early twenties. The perfect post-yoga mental calm was just what I needed at that time; an effective antidote to the mental stress brought on by a constant existential crisis and an avalanche of bad romantic situations. It was an hour and a half of Ashtanga before sun rise and an hour and a half of Iyengar for alignment at night, six days a week, with a subscription of Yoga Journal and a shelf full of yoga books thrown in no less.

Then came the teacher training course of almost 2 years and yoga trips in India at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai and Sri Pattahbis Jois in Pune, completed with the infamous "Delhi Belly" for 2 weeks post-India (strange cos I thought I would get it during India). Next, I found myself studying the Vedas, The Yoga Sutra, The Bhagavad Gita and Vedantic text, all of which now covered in dust on my bookshelves. I was so devoted I could write in Sanskrit the entire opening prayer of Ashtanga yoga which I made myself learn by dictation.

It was hardcore. Yoga was me. I lived, breathed, ate, talked yoga and even dated a yoga teacher (who turned out to be a big mistake!). Then, came subbing in for a couple of Ashtanga classes at On The Mat (now defunct, used to be at Robertson Walk) before teaching 5 classes a week while holding a job in a luxury company.

That completely ruined it. Teaching yoga was fun for the first couple of weeks. I loved my yoga practice but hated teaching. The whole "Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work for the rest of your life" is a complete farce for me. Instead of doing my practice in a 6am Mysore class, I was teaching, adjusting my students in different stages of their "pretzel-ness" when all I really wanted is just to do my own practice. Led classes were even more tedious, with the constant need to give out instructions on the asanas, watching everyone and correcting them. My dream job turned out to be a complete drudgery and it was a disappointment I couldn't understand.

First the teaching stopped and slowly, over a period of a year or so, my 6 days a week routine whittled down to drips and drabs before drying down to nothingness. I have no idea how it happened. I traded yoga for Power Plate training and pole dancing but despite being physically fitter and stronger, something's missing.

Then, some weeks back, I clutched my mat and went back to the yoga studio I started out at over a decade ago and then I feel home again.

This time, gone are the obsession and addiction of using yoga as a form of escape and respite from my troubles, it feels so much more mellowed. Yoga used to bring me peace in the 20s but for the simple reason that I wasn't at peace with myself then, my dependence on yoga manifested into a somewhat toxic reliance on it. It was too serious, too intense and it burnt out.

Now that I'm a lot more at peace with things, yoga brings new perspectives, new joy and new teachings. There's no gripping, no stress, no pressure. The way yoga should be.

Namaste.

Feel Good Supply

"It's too short!"....That's my answer to the standard "How's your weekend?"....Hopefully the lovely tea would make office a wee bit more bearable. Heavy week ahead!

• Pukka Cleanse, Organic tea with Nettle, Fennel and Peppermint
• Clipper Chamomile with Lemon Balm & Manuka Honey
• Dr Bronner's Rose Magic Soap
• Dr Bronner's Organic Hand Sanitizer

Home made cat food

I've been a responsible "mother cat" to my Mr Bond. Since taking him to the famed Dr Jean Paul Ly who specializes in nutrition and natural therapy, I've been making homemade wholesome pet food for my furry boy after hearing Dr Ly's lecture on the evilness of commercial pet food.

Now if pet food and nutrition bores you, you might want to skip this post. I'm it's gonna be a somewhat long one on it and I feel the need to do my duty and spread the homemade pet food gospel.

After doing my own extensive research online and speaking with my Aussie friend who's also a vet who advocate homemade raw food, I'm so abhored by the shitty and harmful commercial pet food that I feel the need to do a post on it so whoever read my post with pets might benefit. I mean I'll have to try right? I only wish I had known this earlier and started Mr Bond on good decent food. I try to stop kicking myself for being ignorant until now!

To spare you the eye damage of reading pages after pages of reports and research on why commercial pet food is bad, here's the gist of it:

• Commercial pet food brands care more about their profit margins than your pets' health. I mean after all, it's a business and they need to make money
• Low quality ingredients are used in commercial pet food. When they say it's chicken meal, you get chicken parts like feathers (seriously), becks and feet thrown in and that probably make up the biggest bulk since it's cheaper than the real meat parts of the chicken. The same goes for other types of meat
• Dry food is the worst as they're always processed in high temperature for a prolonged period and all the nutrients are destroyed in the cooking process. Not to mention the amount of preservatives added as it's meant to keep over a long period of time
• Dry kibbles all have artificial flavors and additives added so that it's tasty to your pets and pets always get addicted to it. Some pets are so addicted that they wouldn't eat anything else. It's the same way some humans are addicted to bad junk food or soda sugared drinks. If your pets are addicted, you don't change brand and they get more profits
• Dry kibbles have been the main cause for an increase in urinary and kidney diseases in animals. Wet food is better but they, too, are processed in high temperature and their nutrients are gone and protein denatured
• The evilness of commercial pet food affects cats more compared to dogs as cats are biologically pure carnivore. It means they should be having a very high protein diet (at least 80%) and their bodies aren't meant to digest grains (carbs) and vegetable. Doing so means health issues like diabetes, obesity and kidneys issues etc. Commercial dry food often use plant protein to cut cost since it's cheaper and a lot of feline dry food is nothing but "meat flavored cereal" and it is known to cause kidney diseases and urinary problems that can be lethal
• A lot of vets push commercial pet food saying it's healthy and optimal but do you know that a lot of these commercial pet food companies actually sponsor and produce education materials for vetinerarian studies???? Very smart of them to brain wash vets

Okay, this is just the gist of it and it's by no means all. Far from it in fact. So with Mr Bond being plagued by urinary problems (one bladder stones removal surgery already) and kidney stones (small ones that got recently discovered), I'm not taking any chance and I'm making homemade cat food good enough for my own consumption (minus the seasoning of course). If I won't eat it, I won't feed it. And here's the recipe that even Mr Bond, the finicky and fussy eater, would eat:

• Minced LEAN chicken meat. Please remove skin if you're mincing your own meat
• Pumpkin and brown rice (organic if possible and you can replace pumpkin with carrots or broccoli and even dou miao, but never put onion, garlic and grapes as they are toxic to cats)
• Flaxseed oil
• Vitamin E oil (buy the ones in capsulated oil form and you can then squeeze it in)
• Multi vitamin for your pet (I recommend Life Extension Cat/Dog Mix)

I don't have the exact measurement of it cos Dr Ly told me that it's not that strict but keep in mind that it has to be mainly protein, so I'm doing a 80% protein and 20% veggie and carbs. However, cats with kidney problems would have to take in less protein and I would recommend doing perhaps 50% protein, but check with your vet first.

To make it, it's quite easy breezy. Cook brown rice as how you would cook rice. One cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Simple but make sure you cook the rice well and it's all soft and not half cooked etc. Then cut the pumpkin in chunks and blanch it in boiling water for a while until it's a bit soft but not mushed up. Next, throw both into a food blender and blend into small tiny bits.

Once that's done, mix it with the meat according to the nutritional needs of your cat as mentioned earlier (check with vet if you're unsure). I do a 80% meat and 20% veggie. Add in a tea spoon of flax seed oil and a few drops of vitamin E (2 or 3 drops is fine and not too much cos it's got a bit of bitter taste) per 100g or so. Mix well.

Then group them in small servings that you would feed per meal (I feed about 100g a day, 100g is suitable for cats. For dogs, check with vet), freeze them in the freezer for 3 days. You can clump them into meat balls and cling wrap them before freezing. Freezing the meat for 72 hours would kill off any potential parasites but in general, the meat you get from the super market is pretty safe to begin with.

To feed, take one out and defrost IN THE FRIDGE. It'll take about 8 to 10 hours for a solid lump of frozen meat to defrost nicely in the fridge. So it it out at night to defrost over night so it's in time for the morning and defrost one in the morning so it's in time for night. You get the drift. And here comes the most important part.

It's supposed to be fed raw. Yes, RAW. Raw food diet is the best as both cats and dogs are biologically built to digest raw meat. It's how nature intend it to be. RAW. If they're in the wild, they'll eat their meat raw and cats would hunt for small mice and they eat them raw. According to Dr Ly's over 30 years of veterinarian experience, the healthiest and longest living pets are those who were/are fed raw food diet. I wouldn't elaborate more but do your own research and you'll find out that raw is really the best way to go.

Initially, to help with the switch, you can blanch it a little in boiling water so it's cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. After that, mix in a scoop of multi vitamin and you're ready to serve.

To help transition your kitty to new food, raw one especially, slowly switch over by adding a bit into the current food and slowly adding more over a period until it becomes totally acceptable. Mr Bond was relatively open to it and it took him about 2 weeks to transition fully to raw food.

Once your kitty accepts raw food, to warm up the meat, just cling wrap (use the microwave cling wrap) the meat and put the whole thing in hot water before feeding.

Now, one important note is to discard leftover raw food after you leave it out for an hour. Given the weather here, you don't want to leave it out too long.

It's really easier than it sounds. I really enjoy making cat food these days and I make it once every 2 weeks. Mr Bond has been on it for a little more than a month now and I could see that he's peeing better as raw meat provides more water content which is essential and very crucial for cats with urinary and bladder problems. He's due for a review in about a month's time and I'll then get to know more about how he's doing with the new diet.

If you're interested to switch your furry buddies to healthy homemade diet, please do more research and read more and check with your vets before making the swtich!

Eating Tree Bark

You've heard eating tree bark as a survival tactic for fighting starvation. According to my dad and a couple of history books, back in the days of China's Cultural Revolution, it was a common sight that villages were filled with trees that were robbed of tree bark. The tree bark was feasted upon by the famine sufferers in creative ways like cooking it in sauce or eating it neat for the even more unfortunate ones.

Decades later, scientists in another part of the world are stripping tree bark for a totally different reason. The French Pine Bark, to be precise, is now a much sought-after ingredient for one of the most powerful antioxidants available. Otherwise known as Pycnogenol (pronounced as pig-no-gene-nall), it has been hailed miracle supplement by many.

My friend, Princess, happily skipped to my desk one day proclaiming that he has jumped onto the Pycnogenol bandwagon and will soon be young and gorgeous again with the health and beauty promises it's supposed to deliver. Hope in a tablet it seems! Then suddenly, I found myself at the GNC check out, dishing out hundreds of dollars for a year's worth of Masquelier's French Pine Bark supply.

It seems like there are a big selection of Pycnogenol and I guess when in doubt, always get the original one. The Masquelier's French Pine Bark is the original formula founded by Professor Jack Masquelier who is the pioneer researcher for Pycnogenol.

Here's why I'm paying hundreds of bucks for tree bark:

• improves overall health with powerful antioxidants. It is 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C as an antioxidant
• helps strengthen capillary walls
• reduces the appearance of unsightly veins
• healthy veins support nutritional support for the heart, legs, eyes and all vital organ by assisting circulation
• protection against the breakdown of skin collagen 
• reduces wrinkles
• improves skin suppleness
• improves skin tone
• assists vision
• increases energy and vitality

It does sound like miracle in a pill doesn't it? It's been more than a month of French Pine Bark popping and though I don't think I see major improvement in the beauty front compared to say Imedeen, I do see and feel some result healthwise. Yes, see, because I bruise less from my pole dancing class despite I'm doing more classes more frequently. And no, it's not because my legs get used to bruising cos there will always be bruises anyway. Since I've started the French Pine Bark, I bruise less significantly and the bruises go away quicker. It's probably got to do with the blood vessels strengthening effects I think.

I also get a wee bit more energy I THINK. I'm just as tired as usual but then I do feel that I have say 20% more energy, considering that I haven't exactly been sleeping well at all the last couple of weeks.

Princess, on the other hand, said he feels less tired too and French Pine Bark ups his alcohol limit and he didn't get drunk as easily. A search on google confirmed there's such an effect apparently.I don't see his eye bags receding but then I'm sure health wise, we have both benefited from it.

Verdict? Go for it for better health and leave beauty benefits to Imedeen, botox and good creams. I'll probably take it long term anyway. Well, I did buy a year's worth after all. 

Move like Jagger, Age like Jagger

First you've heard "Move Like Jagger" and now you can also Age Like Jagger.....Why the hell not when this 68-year-old rocker is fit like a fiddler and with a 28-inch waist to boot?

Recently flaunting his trim bod and waist in his trademark pink suit iconic of his early Rolling Stones days, the coolest grandpa in the world celebrated his 68th birthday and proved that he's definitely still got it. Apart from the ability to pull of an otherwise tacky pink suit with much gusto, below is evidenct that his fit physique can easily put men half his age to shame.

According to the Daily Mail, if you want to Age Like Jagger, you need an anti-aging ammunition of expensive face creams, organic food, avocado and ballet lessons. Yes, you read it, ballet lessons cos that is how Sir Jagger gets fit and keeps his swagger. Here's a summary of his best kept secrets:

• Work out. No short cut to this one, but Sir Jagger is a fitness fanatic since he early days and runs 8 miles a day...long-distance runner of his age is extra sexy. It keeps the mojo high
• Personal training and ballet lessons. Yes he takes ballet, yoga and pilates for balance
• Organic food and tiny portion. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips darling
• Lots of avocado. The treasure trove of good fat and nutrition
• No smoking, drinking and doping. Yes, his wild days of psychedelic drugs are over
• Hitting dreamland by 11pm
• Creme de la Mar, Le Prairie Caviar cream, Prescriptive Super Flight Cream, stash from Clarins and Lancome and some secret mask called The Lift (now it's my mission to uncover what that is)
• Multi-Vitamins, Cod Liver Oil, Ginseng and Gingko Biloba 
• Hot girl friend
• Young friends to hang out with. He supposedly bans old peeps in his circle of friends...

Looks like I'll have to adopt some of his strategies...maybe with the help of a botox jab or two to keep my Jagger Swagger! After all, he is the one man I would want to be if I were given the choice to be any man. 

Fat by Toiletries

You already know all the chemicals like sulphates, paraben etc in your toiletries are back for you but I just read this scary article that Phthalates, a very common chemicals found in 70% of toiletries and household cleaning products, is very much linked to weight gain and obesity and could very well be making you gain weight!

Apparently, doctors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York claim that phthalates have been shown to throw the body’s natural weight control system, a delicate balance of hormones, off kilter. They suggest that exposure to phthalates through daily use may be linked to childhood obesity and weight problems in adults. Read more here!

Now that's some serious shit no? Time to look for "non-fattening" options without Phthalates!! I'm gonna go home and go through all my toiletries, read the labels, and do an "audit"....I think brands like Avalon Organics, Akin, John Masters Organics, Balance Me and Aromatherapy Associates do some pretty good Phthalates-free options...time to chuck out the shitty fattening toiletries!

Are you feeding yourself dis-ease?

Watch this if you really care about your health.....it's a bit long but it's worth it if you're a health freak like me! Feel super guilty that I broke my vegetarian diet and gave in to a burger :( .....I paid the bill cos I couldn't sleep that very night from bloated stomach cos my stomach isn't used to digest meat anymore....instant karma!

Hmmm.....raw food for thought?? I wish I have a personal raw food chef!

Pill Popper's Anonymous

Hi, I'm Miss B and I'm a pill popper.

Yes, it's been established that health supplements are my favorite candy and I've just added one more pill to my repertoire of daily pills (on top of multivitamins, calcium, evening primrose oil and gingko biloba). And yes, it might be a bit much but with a shitty family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, lung and colon cancer, you can never be too careful.

I've added the amazing Aged Garlic Extract (or AGE for short) pill to my daily stash of supplement. I'm taking the Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract Formula 102 Candida Cleanse & Digestion....ok, it means it's got AGE and stuff that's good for stomach in short...

Garlic definitely warrants its own shrine for all the health and medicinal benefits thanks to this thing called the Allicin. That's the active ingredients you get when you crush and pound the garlic. Yup, you need to crush and physically abuse the garlic to activate the Allicin and whole garlic doesn't release Allicin. So if you want to have your garlic intake by swallowing cloves of garlic, it won't work. You need to chew it but let's keep to taking the tablets and pills and not repel vampires and human alike.

Then you'll probably ask why not normal garlic but aged garlic. The difference between normal garlic and aged garlic is that aged garlic doesn't have that pungent smell as it's aged in oil for 20 months before making them into pills. The Allicin in raw garlic is super unstable and it gets denatured and loses its beneficial quality quickly. So when you age the garlic, the process not only eliminate the socially repelling stench, it also transforms the unstable, harsh and potentially irritating compounds in raw garlic to stable, mild and beneficial compounds that's easier to be absorbed by the body.

Anyway, to keep this short and sweet, here are the benefits:

• Anti-bacterial. It's a super powerful natural antibiotics and soldiers in WWII used it to treat infections and stuff like gangrene even! It'll help with infections like sore throat, flu and even prevent food poisoning
• Anti-fungal. If you want natural remedy for yeast and fungal related problems, Garlic is your weapon. Externally, if you have unfortunate things like ringworm or athlete foot, garlic would help and you can even apply chopped garlic directly. And if like many women, you are prone to yeast infection, then garlic would definitely help prevent it
• Anti-viral
• Rich in anti-oxidant
• Reduces the risk of heart diseases 
• Lowers your bad cholesterol 
• Caner prevention. Clinical studies show that it prevents breast, lung, colon, liver, stomach and bladder cancer
• Boost the immune system

Okay, these are just the main ones and there're more but I think that's good enough for anyone to take garlic supplement regularly and that, too, explains why I bought 3 bottles at one go last night....

Delicatessan....China Version

First it was soy sauce made from boiling human hair from the barber. Then it's the rumored char siew bao made from cardboard. Next, the horrible poison milk and fake egg. Now the sci-fi luminous meat is totally this season...Seriously, this whole fake/poison food thing in china is getting more and more creative and ridiculous that I literally laugh-out-loud reading it. Only that it's anything but funny for those who got affected.

You just gotta give it to the China peeps for being so fucking inventive with coming out with toxic food. I mean seriously, it's quite inventive to even think of making fake eggs no?

I just read an article in L.A. Times with all the deeds...it's horrible...read here...Apparently they have:

• human hair soy sauce
• a fake egg making kit (like wtf??)
• chemically altered pork (spiked with clenbuterol which is meant for asthma)
• exploding watermelon...yes, watermelon that's spiked with so much growth hormone that they literally explode...sorry, it's super funny if you ask me and HL's friend actually had a watermelon exploded in the kitchen...
• some glazing material that makes pork look and smell like beef (since beef fetches more money)
• Glow-in-the-dark pork due to some luminous bacteria 
• Fish fed with human birth-control pills
• Recycled oil collected from sewage water!!! (which has carcinogenic fugus!)

YUCKS! It's basically toxic anything and everything! And the most ridiculous thing is that, if you go sue and report the case, you get fined and might go to jail cos the Chinese government is so freaking good at covering up shit like this!

A man whose son was so badly affected by the toxic milk powder (his son developed kidney stones) led a campaign for safer baby formula got a 2.5 jail sentence for "inciting social disorder"....what the fuck is that???

Sad, really sad....I don't think I'll ever consider going to China for a holiday. I wanted to go to Yunnan and the original Shangri-La (not the hotel, but the place that the hotel was named after)....Now I don't think so. Not unless I pack enough instant noodle with me.....