Ebony & Ivory

I was listening to this song on Light & Easy, a malaysian radio station that plays contemporary and also up todate songs. Singing along with Paul McCartnery and Stevie Wonder, the song indeed reflects on our way of life living with people surrounding us like our families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, cyber friends and strangers too.

Here's the lyrics to the song which are very meaningful and also a good reflection too:-

Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord, why dont we?
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There is good and bad in evryone,
We learn to live, we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive together alive.

Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why dont we?
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, ooh
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There is good and bad in evryone,We learn to live, we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive together alive.
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why dont we?
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony (repeat and fade)

Meme On Ten Things I Miss Of Mum's Cooking

Thanks Evelyn, for inviting me to do this Meme on 10 Things I Miss of Mum's Cooking.
My mummy is a typical Peranankan Nonya who can cooks for big crowds like birthday parties or even weddings lunches! I can never be compared to my mum in term of her cooking skills! Hmmm.. here's ten of my favourites from mum's cusines:-

1. Nonya Mee Siam with gravy ~ the taste of the gravy with a tinge of sourish and sweetness

2. Nonya Laksa ~ lots of fresh coconut milk for the gravy with finely shredded cucumbers and fish cakes, prawns, bean sprouts and the must have "daun kesom"or laksa leaves and mum's homemade chillies sambal that set tongue burning together with head and face sweating with large drops of perspirations.... hot hot hot!

3. Eggskin Popiah ~ mum's homemade popiah skin using the flour and egg batter, the egg skin always turn out soft and tender but never tears even after rolling up with fillings.

4. Chilly Crabs ~ Oooh my uncle would buy the crabs and mum will be cooking like 2 big casseroles with lots of egg in the gravy to dip with "mantou" or crispy crusted french loaves and we'll declare a chilly crab party without any other food!

5. Ayam Buak Keluak ~ the unusal black hard nut shells from Indonesia, the black fillings inside the nutshell dug out to mix with minced prawns or pork and then stuffed back into the shell and cooked with chicken meat and the verdict: Sedap Sekali!

6. Kueh Koh Swee ~ gula melaka batter steamed and coated with grated coconuts... mum made hers all in even sizes using the chinese praying teacups and they really do looked so cute!

7. Fried Egg Omelette Oyster ~ egg and flour batter with alittle starch fried together with lots of eggs, prawns, chuncky oysters and mum's very own homemade sambal paste and then sprinkled with corriander leaves for that extra fragrance

8. Mee Goreng ~ yellow noodles fried with sambal chilles paste with lots of bean sprouts, beaten eggs, sliced fish cakes and prawns. Best eaten when hot really shiokadoo doo!

9. Apom Balik ~ coconut batter pancake with a dash of colouring in pink, blue or lime green for each individual pancake, dipped into durian or banana "pengat" (dessert made with gula melaka with sago, water and coconut milk put to the boil) or santan perkat(thicken coconut paste with a dash of salt)

10. Papaya Titek ~ a refreshing seafood stew made with sweet papaya chunks and salted fish together with the prawn stock, 'buah keras' or candle nut and belachan add to the richness of the broth, best enjoyed with steaming hot white rice and sambal belachan with that extra "oomfgh"

Wow, as I was listing all of my favourites food here, I'm was also salivating....... drool.. drool... drool... Hmmmmm.. I'm defintely going to give mum a call after this to tell her to cook one of these over the weekend! As for passing the baton, I shall forward to
Judy ~ My Lazy Lifestyle and Annie~ Something About Solo

Reasons for choosing Judy because she's a good cook probably inherited from her mum and Annie because Annie's mum is a great cook too.

Looking At Life

A beautiful reflection by Mother Teresa on Life.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventue, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Nonya Kueh Chang

The dumplings festival is just round the corner. Every year I look forward to my mum's homemade Nonya Kueh Chang. The difference between the chinese normal dumplings and the Nonya Kueh Chang is the authentic blue coloring(abstracted from Bunga Telang aka Butterfly Pea flower) on the glutinuous rice and wrapped with pandan leaves that give the Nonya Kueh Chang it's fragrant when steamed. I could still recalled those days when my mum made me separate the greyish rice grains from the pure white glutinuous rice grains so as to achieve the smooth texture of the Nonya kueh chang. For the fillings, slabs of boiled fatty layered belly pork, tangkueh (dried and sugared winter melon) and black chinese mushrooms are finely cut, diced and cooked, seasonsed with fragrant spices like coriander seeds for that alluring flavour. Cleaning and cutting the pandan leaves is a great chore because of the many little thorns at the sides of the leaves that has to trimmed off . Even the strings used for tying the dumplings are from dried banana stems. With so much painstaking preparations to make the Nonya Kueh Chang, no wonder it's so expensive to buy from the shops during the dumpling festival season as it costs about S$2-3 per dumpling! As for me I can take 2 -3 dumplings at one go! Amboi! sedap sekali!

Stand Firm!

It has been the talk of the town of late about Da Vinci Code movie. Horrors of horrors, two floor stickers on the advertisements of the Da Vinci Code that carried an image of Jesus Christ were placed on the floor at the busy Orchard MRT station and imagine how many people could have trampled on them! After receiving feedbacks from passengers, barricades were errected around the image to prevent commuters from walking on it. Indeed, all I can say is that this is the EVIL at work and used Dan Brown the author of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code made into a movie to raise questions and also led readers into confusion instead of enlightenment. The burning questions about Jesus and Mary Magadelene and Mary's presence at the Last Supper? The Bible which is the WORD OF GOD, has been our constant guidance long before Dan Brown was born. To all my Christian and God loving friends out there, though this can be a trying period for us, we should stand FIRM in our FAITH for what we BELIEVE because the TRUTH will set us free!

Respecting Mum

Here's a tribute to all wonderful mothers and especially to my wonderful Mummy dearest. A Mother is a great pillar of strength that gels the family together. She is willing to sacrifice her time for enjoyment to provide for the family like cooking delicious meals, baking mouth watering cakes and kuehs, cleaning the homes and doing never- ending house chores to provide the warmth and comfortable ambience for her family. A mother truly understands the needs of her family by listening to the woes and squabbles amongst the children and will always do her best to be the peacemaker. Especially during exams periods, she will always be around to brew nourishing herbs and drinks to help boost the energy for the tired minds to study and will also stays up late to keep ccompany while her aching body pines for the comfortable bed. A Mother is also the great mediator between the father and the children because she surely knows the way to melt the heart of the father to relent to the children's request though at times the request really seems impossible to be granted! Yes! That's the magic of a being a Mother!

The Fighting Temptations

Over the long weekends holidays, I happened to chance upon a very good and touching movie on cable tv, The Fighting Temptations, a romantic gospel comedy with great soundtracks that actually touched me and made me teared. The story line: Darrin(Cuba Gooding Jr.), a morally hollow and debt- ridden advertising executive in New York travelled back to his hometown of Monte Carlo, Georgia to cash in on an inheritance of his dead aunt Sally, only to discover that in order to collect he must first lead the local church gospel choir to success at a national competition, the Gospel Explosion. Desperate for money, he embarked on the nearly impossible challenge of turning a choir of lackluster parishioners into Gospel gold. Frantically, he searched for the best voices in town and found them in some unconventional places: the county jail, the barbershop, an R&B dance club, and all points in between. Darrin was about ready to give up and head back to the city where he belongs-until he ran into Lilly(Beyoncé Knowles), a beautiful nightclub singer with a satin voice that could rock the competition at the annual Gospel Explosion, Lilly was just the miracle Darrin was looking for only!If only he he could persuade her to sing! Along the way he worked to win the heart of Lilly and comes dangerously close to being redeemed himself !

Joan, The Brave Fighter

My hearfelt prayers went to Joan Chan when I read the Sunday papers about her plight. In 2004, this bubbly, spunky, doe-eyed former Raffles Girls' School (RGS) and Raffles Junior College (RJC) student was struck with Stage IV tongue cancer. Words from Joan herself upon knowing about her cancer: " I will not go quietly into the night. I'm not going to let cancer have its way so easily. If I'm going down, I'm not leaving without a fight." Joan's one wish is to beat the debilitating condition and then attend university, a place at the National University of Singapore's architecture faculty but as for now all her study plans were derailed due to the cancer. The cancer, which has spread throughout her neck and face has also affected her spinal cord and even holding her head up has become a challenge. Doctors has given Joan just a few weeks to three months more to live! Joan wrote in her blog on March 22, which was also her last entry "I just want to say my dear friends, I am prepared for the worst." Joan's friends and family have been keeping vigil at her bedside battling the final stages of her tongue cancer. Her alma mater was so moved by her cancer striken plight that it raised S$130,000 for her medical treatment! Joan is currently resting in the comfort of her home, with family, close friends and her cat, eddie.She is no longer on any medication for cancer, but requires painkillers and occassionally uses a respirator to aid breathing.Her doctor visits her regularly, and so do her priests. Please continue to pray for her! May God bless Joan with courage and strength to fight the battle courageously to the end!
Here's the link to Joan's blog set up by her friends: http://joanchanshufang.blogspot.com/

Jam Tea aka Citron Tea

This was introduced and given to me by my Korean neighbour as their parting gift as they will be shifting out of our estate by end of this month. This is known as the Citron Tea, the Koreans love drinking this mixture packed in a glass bottle resembling exactly like jam with lots of citron slices. The Citron tea is a sugar preserved fruit tea, a very unique and unusal drink indeed. This tea can be made just like any drinks either to be mixed with hot or cold water and stir. The taste of this Citron Tea is really refreshing with it's great benefits, like the vitamins C found more than in oranges, which helps to prevent colds and known to be very good for sore throat plus it also helps to enhance good skin conditions. No wonder, most of the Koreans have beautiful complexion including their MEN!

To All My Online Friends ~ True On-Line Friends

The true friends who we meet online are a very special kind. They pierce your shields and see within the corners of your mind. They're always there when you're in need with their power to discern. They feel your pain ... they offer hope and genuine concern. We bare our souls, expose our hearts and show our inner fears. And then before you know it the keyboard's stained with tears. If we could see them through that screen then no one could deny
That to be a TRUE online friends they too must surely cry. Thanks for being my on-line friends!
And you know who you are!

Good Friday ~ Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns Hot cross buns
One a penny Two a penny
Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters
Give them to your sons
One a penny Two a penny
Hot cross buns

This is a familiar nursey rhyme that I used to sing when I was small not knowing that hot cross bun is related to Good Friday. Hot Cross buns are symbols of Good Friday. Today they are sold in bakeries like Sweet Secrets even the churches also sell them on Good Friday. Each bun has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion of Jesus Christ! Today being Good Friday, as catholics we are encouraged by the church to fast and to abstain from eating meat. Therefore, the thought of eating hot cross buns cross my mind and I thought of baking them myself and to be enjoyed with a wonderful cup of coffee!

Recipe For Hot Cross Buns
1/4 cup water - at room temperature or just slightly above
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped, mixed candied fruit

Glaze
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon water

Icing
1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. water

Preparation
Place all the dough ingredients, except the raisins and fruit, in the bread machine pan. Set on the dough only cycle. Add the raisins and candied fruit at the bread machine's signal for adding extra ingredients. Remove the dough from the bread machine at end of dough cycle. Place it in a bowl, cover with a cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.

**Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and place them 3 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 375º for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light brown on top. Remove from the oven. Place the baking sheet full of buns on a wire rack to cool. Prepare the glaze, then spread it over the warm buns. Let the buns continue to cool on the baking sheet. When completely cool, fill a cake decorating bag, fitted with a round tip, with icing. Pipe an icing cross on each bun. Or... simply spoon narrow stips of icing, in the shape of a cross, on each bun.

To prepare this recipe without a bread machine, use this mixer method
Mix the yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and other spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and water together. Combine the dry ingredients mixture, the liquid ingredients, and the butter in a large bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed. Add the egg and beat 1 more minute. Stir in the raisins, fruit, and enough of the remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use additional flour if necessary. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn over to grease the other side of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place. After about 15 minutes, test the dough to see if it has risen sufficiently and is ready to be shaped. To test, gently stick two fingers into the risen dough up to the second knuckle... take them out. If the indentations remain, the dough is ripe and ready. Continue to follow the preparation directions above, from the **

Milo Dinosaurs ~ Milo Gozillas ~ Milo Chinchillas

This is a must have for me whenever I'm eating at a Malay cafeteria. I love to order the thick chocolatey taste of Milo Dinosaurs or Milo Gozillas or Milo Chinchillas costing about S$2.00 per jug. Hmmmm.. yummy yummy... sedap sekali....
Here's how this drink is to be made:-
Dilute 2 or more tablespoons of condensed milk with warm water because the ice cubes will dilute the sweetness of the drink . Then add in 3-4 heapfuls tablespoons of thick chocolatey Milo powder(would be better to use made in Australia Milo) the more milo powder added, the thicker and tastier it will be! Finally, add in ice cubes and the delicious Milo Dinosaurs or Milo Gozillas or Milo Chinchilla ready to be enjoyed! Slurp Slurp Slurp!!!!! Anyone for a Milo Dinosaur or Milo Gozilla or Milo Chinchilla? Milo Chinchilla the name was created by my friend, Joshua(copyright!)

Sore Throat or Throat Cancer

I've not been updating my blog for a period of time. I've been plagued by this terrible sore throat that has been with me since mid Feb till to-date. Went to the doctor three times, given antibiotics but the cough and sore throat still persists. Even the doctor was telling me that I should have an X-ray and blood test taken, I've been procrastinating it. Hmmmm.. just wondering could it be I'm suffering from throat cancer? I did a google search and all the symptoms shown are similar to what I'm having. To all my friends and colleagues who are so worried for me, thank you for your care and kind concern.

Here are the symptons for throat cancer:-

Throat Cancer Symptoms are related to other head and neck cancer symptoms.
Common throat cancer symptoms are a lump or sore that does not heal, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, a change in the sound of the voice, and a new hoarseness in the voice.

Throat Cancer Symptoms: Other Symptoms
Please keep in mind that while your symptoms may seem like throat cancer symptoms, they may be caused by other unrelated and less serious health conditions. Tell your doctor about any throat cancer symptoms you are feeling.
Throat cancer symptoms, and head and neck cancer symptoms, may also include trouble breathing, trouble with speaking, pain in the ears and frequent headaches. Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also include sinuses that are blocked and will not clear. Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also include bleeding through the nose, pain in the upper teeth, headaches, and swelling in the eyes. Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also include chronic sinus infections that do not go away when treated with antibiotics.
There is more to learn about throat cancer symptoms. If you have any of these throat cancer symptoms, it is important that you see your doctor.
Possible Throat Cancer Symptoms
Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also include numbness or paralysis of the muscles in the face.
Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also include pain that does not go away in the face.
Throat cancer symptoms and head and neck cancer symptoms may also trouble pain that does not go away in the neck.
There is more to learn about throat cancer symptoms. If you have any of these throat cancer symptoms, it is important that you see your doctor

Teen Values

I was reading the sunday times over the weekend about Secret Lives of S'pore teens and it saddened me very much to know that many teenagers are now into sex even before the age of 16? What's happening to the young teens of today? What's lacking in their lives that draw them towards SEX? Am I being paranoid? I remembered during my teenager years, my parents instilled into me about the virture of chastity. Teenagers of today are so different compared to my time, I see many of them in school uniforms hugging and kissing in public places like the MRTs, in the buses, cabs (better still more privacy besides Uncle Cabby ocassional glances through his rear view mirror) food courts, shopping centres and cinemas too.
I know most parents today are busy working hard and comng back very late leaving their kids in the hands of the maids or some even alone by themselves. Parents these days also give their children way too much freedom plus pocket allowances to replace their lack of time with their children, therefore resulting in them splurging on unnecessary stuffs and also going out too often. In the newspaper article I can't believe it , even when the parents are at home, these young teenagers also indulge in having unprotected sex right under the very nose of their parents. What's happening to our teens? How come the parents don't even know what their chidlren are doing in their own home? I believe these teens wanted to be branded as "cool" so that they will not be outcasted by their peers who have tried sex, but where's their dignity? Where is the value that should be imparted to the young teenagers, also our future generations of tomorrow! Parents of today are no longer able to control their teenagers for fear of pressuring them! This is very alarming and we need to help our teens to know the consequences of unprotected sex before jumping into bed with anyone! They seem to have lost the real value of having sex just like the song goes "Saves The Best For Last" Just my two cents worth of thoughts!

The Painted Face

We hardly can see them except during the festivals celebrations for temples and clan associations or during the "Hungry Ghosts Month". The Chinese opera is a traditional form of stage entertainment, weaving together elements of mime, dance, song, dialogue, swordplay, and acrobatics into one fluid continuous flow. Gestures, movements and expressions incorporated within each performer's script come together to bring forth an impressive performance. It is a culture filled with splendid richness of colours and traditions. The vibrant colours of the costumes bring life onto the stage. The beautiful costumes excluding headgears ranges from S$100 to S$1000 depending on the role of the actors and actresses. The thick make ups on their faces had to be done hours way before their performances begin. Trainings and practices with professional instructors before the stage performance can be tedious and could take up about 3 to 4 hours per week. Mostly it's the older generations who appreciate and understand the rich culture of the Chinese Operas.
Here's my colleague, Cynthia who been involved in the Cantonese Opera since her school days and has since been performing for the past 15 years despite her busy and hectic office work. Appearing here in full regalia in her beautiful colourful costume says it all! Well done Cynthia, you revive the spirit of the chinese opera which is a dying culture.

Energy Filtered Water

Of late, my health has been deterioriating and I have been getting this dizzy spell. So a visit to my doctor to have my pressure checked confirmed that I do have high blood pressure! Hmmm.. indeed age is catching up on me. There goes the doctor's advice to eat more vegetables, eat less meat, reduce salt intake and to drink plenty of distilled water or filtered water if I'm not ready to go on the drugs prescription for high blood pressure.
On that note, I decided to embark on drinking lots of my Diamond Energy Water to see if it really can help to bring down my high blood pressure. This being one of the testimonial before I installed the Diamond Energy Water Filter. In fact, most of my plants in my home drink only Diamond Energy Water and indeed the plants grow very well yielding strong and healthy dark green leaves!
If the Diamond Energy Water can do great wonders on my plants, I believe it'll work just as great on human bodies too!
So here's my voyage to drinking Diamond Energy Water!!

Alone Again

Being heartbroken is a pain that no one can understand until they have experienced it for themselves. You obviously have, therefore are aware of how fragile your heart is right now.
Healing a broken heart will take time, but is not impossible, though it may feel that way at the time. It is never an easy process to go through, but with the right prescription, you will be on your way to recovery and happiness again.
The first thing you should keep in mind is that it is okay to feel sad and grieve about what happened and that you are not stupid for doing so. It is perfectly normal to feel sad and cry after a break up. You have invested most of your time and all of your love and interest into your ex-partner; therefore will go through a sad and painful withdrawal. It is notable that you not grieve all on your own. Sure, there will be times when you will just want to be alone and undisturbed. However, it is important that you talk to your friends and family about it.
Talking about it is not only healthy, but will mend your heart quicker because you will release the thoughts and facts that are hurting you so much. Seeking professional advice will be a great help to you as well because your mind will open up and see new perspectives and understandings of what happened. It will help you gather your strength, pick yourself up, and find the happiness you deserve to have. Accepting the fact that you and your ex-partner are no longer together is a necessity if you are going to start mending your broken heart. If you catch yourself unable to function due to constantly thinking about your ex or repeatedly calling or visiting him or her for another chance, then chances are you are suffering from love addiction and should seek counseling.
Discontinuing a serious relationship is emotionally challenging and can drive you to do things that are unhealthy for your self-being. To avoid entering such hazardous areas, keep yourself occupied. Go out with your friends and family to help get your mind off the break up. It is best to spend as less time alone as you can in the first few weeks of your breakup so that your emotions can slowly and patiently form back into their normal pattern. Fight the thoughts that tell you that you are a failure and are to blame for the end of your relationship. When a relationship ends it means that the two of you were no longer compatible and that always takes two, not just you. Instead of beating yourself up over what has transpired, examine your ex-relationship by listing the things you enjoyed most about it and then the things that disappointed you and what you believe really caused the breakup. Look at the relationship as a learning experience and an opportunity to improve your relationship skills, and a way to realize what you truly need and want from a romantic relationship.
Learning to forgive yourself and your ex-lover will speed up the healing process for the reason that you will feel more peaceful and calm about it.
Hating your ex will only build up tension and stress in your life, causing your emotions to slow down from getting back to order. One way to avoid bitterness against your ex-partner is to look at the breakup as a favor. Appreciate their honesty of no longer wanting to pursue the relationship, instead of giving you high hopes for a possible future together. It is always an advantage to exit a relationship that had no chances to survive than to be misled.
Conquer your fear of being alone. You need to help yourself understand that it is not abnormal to be on your own and that your values come from who are rather than whom you are with. Teach yourself that there is more to life than romantic relationships by spending quality time with your friends and family. Learn more about whom the other people in your life are and introduce more of yourself to them as well. Go out and do things together and treat yourself to something you enjoy, whether it is your favorite restaurant, shopping, going to the movies, or anything else. Learning to you be your own best friend will not only improve your relationship with yourself, but with others as well. As you begin to discover the other beauties of life and yourself, you will become more stable and stronger to face anything that crosses your path, such as a new relationship in the future.
Before you consider entering another relationship, take a step back and ask yourself why you want to do so. Make sure that you are not entering a new relationship on a rebound. This will only leave you with unfinished emotions and you will never have closure from your former relationship. Never begin a new relationship because you are afraid of being on your own, or feel the need to just be in a relationship. Form a relationship with someone new because you feel strong and secure on your very own and feel that you are ready to attempt a new romance. Take it one step at a time and keep in mind of what your needs and desires are from a person and observe closely to see if they show signs of the qualities you are looking for. As soon as you notice that he or she is not, then get out of it as soon as possible. Learning from your previous relationships will come in very handy because you will be able to prevent similar situations in the future, leading you to meeting the people who fit your description of a perfect partner.
Lastly, remind yourself that love is a wonderful feeling and experience and should not be generalized based on your past experiences. Do not use facts about your ex as a way to judge new people in your life. Leave your past behind you and focus on moving ahead. Get to know new people for who they are, not by comparing them to others, what they are not, or what they could be. Once you have observed their personality, values and everything else, trust yourself to make the right decisions without constantly doubting yourself. If you wish to try having a new relationship, then do so. If you do not however, then do not feel guilty to kindly walk away from the situation. You would be doing both you and the other a person a huge favor and saving time and emotions from being hurt.
You have nothing to fear or worry about. After all, there will always be one person who will always love you, appreciate who you are and be there for you. . . and that is YOU.

Paper Cranes

Last year before the Christmas seasons way back in the month of September, my colleagues and me decided to do a meaningful project. We bought colourful origami papers and decided to fold paper cranes to be gift packed for the residents at Dover Park Hospice, who were suffering from the deadly terminal illness - cancer. The cranes were beautifully folded using colourful origami papers by my colleagues during their lunch breaks and spare capacity and some even brought home to fold the paper cranes to hit our traget of 2,000 paper cranes. The real story behind the paper cranes is indeed very touching.
Why Paper Cranes for Peace?
Every year many thousands of people around the world fold paper cranes as an expression of hope for a world at peace, where non-violent means are used to resolve conflicts, and where people can live without fear. For most of these people, the origin of the paper crane as a symbol of peace probably lies with the story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was just two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. While she suffered no immediate injury, the effects of her exposure caught up with her some ten years later and she fought a courageous battle with leukaemia. During her treatment she began to fold a thousand paper cranes (senbazuru) so that her wish for good health would come true. She died before completing her task. Her fellow students folded the remainder of the thousand cranes which were buried with her. Sadako’s courage and faith inspired her friends, and students from across the world, to raise money for a memorial to the children who were innocent victims of the atomic bomb.
Each year children and adults from all over the world fold a thousand paper cranes to be taken to the Children’s Monument in the Peace Park in Hiroshima. The cranes are placed at the foot of the monument where the inscription reads: ‘This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.’
When is a good time? Any time is a good time to be folding, but lots of people like to set a goal to finish their cranes by a significant date. Possibilities include:
6 August - Hiroshima Day;
9 August - Nagasaki Day also our Singapore National Day
15 September - International Peace Day
24 October - International Children’s Day; and
17 November - World Peace Day .
What do we do with the cranes once they are folded?
Some projects donate their cranes to brighten the lives of residents and patients in nursing homes or hospitals, especially those treating leukaemia or cancer, thus developing a different sort of link to the Sadako story.
So now whenever you see a paper crane, reflect on the story behind it.

The Pink Ribbon

Last month, a friend's wife who's only 48 years old, went for her Mammograms Screening and was told that she had lumps found in one of her breasts. She was then admitted to the hospital for further biospy followed by surgery and the result: the tumours measured more than 2cm were MAGLINANT! From that moment on, the whole world crashed down upon her and she has to be on chemotherapy treatment of which may result in some side effects like hair loss being the most prominent, loss of weight and appetite, etc.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting Singapore women.
•1 in 5 cancers occurring in Singaporean women is breast cancer.
•Every year, about 1100 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed. This translates to 3 women being diagnosed with
breast cancer each day.
•About 270 die from the disease each year.
•1 in 20 women in Singapore will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
•The incidence is highest in women aged 55 to 59.
Four in five women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors. So it is important to know how to protect yourself and reduce your risk of getting the disease.
To Protect Yourself Against Breast Cancer
1. Practise a healthy lifestyle.
•Be physically active. Exercise 3 – 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time
•Maintain a healthy weight.
•Eat a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in fats with an emphasis on good fats
(monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) over bad fats (saturated and trans fats).
•Limit alcohol intake to less than one alcoholic drink a day.
•Breastfeed children instead of formula feeding them (if possible).
2. Be aware of breast cancer and its symptoms.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
In early stages of breast cancer, there is usually no pain and there may be no symptoms at all. As the cancer grows, the following symptoms could appear:
•a persistent lump or thickening in the breast or armpit area.
•a change in the size or shape of the breast
•a dimpling or puckering of the skin (like orange peel)
•blood or discharge from the nipple
•a newly retracted (pulled in) nipple
3. Screen yourself for breast cancer regularly. Early detection offers more treatment options and a better chance of
survival and recovery. Take charge of your own breast health and detect changes in your breast through the
following:-
•Breast Self Examination
• Clinical Breast Examination (by a healthcare professional)
• Mammography
Never be afraid to examine your breasts or to have them examined. Finding out that you do not have breast cancer is more important than the time and effort required for an examination, or any discomfort you may feel.

Teddy Bank For A Good Cause

Assisi Home & Hospice is a registered charity that cares for more than 700 cancer-stricken live-in, home-care and day centre care patients. It also houses Assisi Children's Centre. Almost all of the children aged from 3 to 17 are fully subsidised and more than 90% of the adult patients are highly subsidised. Thus, they need all help possible to raise $4.6 million to cover their annual operating costs. The annual Assisi Home & Hospice's Teddy Bank drive is based on a mascot drawn by Johnathan Tan aged 9, who is also a luekaemia patient battling cancer. Assisi will be releasing 5,000 Teddy Banks on 25 March 2006. It is a custom-made bear shaped coin bank which was drawn by a little child, Johnathan Tan. Assisi Home & Hospice appeal for 5,000 wonderful families to take home a teddy bank each for a S$10 donation. The theme "Save as a family, Give with our hearts: S$1-a-day to Assisi Home & Hospice" is to encourage families and friends to do their bits for charity for a period of three months only! At the end of the three months period, the donations collection in the teddy bank will have to be returned to Assisi Home & Hospice to provide for the best palliative care possible for cancer patients, especially those in their terminal stages of their disease, and best of all we'll get to keep the teddy bank. S$1 is a small amount to some however S$1 in accumulation, will go a long way to help the terminally ill who need alot of money for their medical treatments bills. Anyone interested to take up a teddy bank can email the following personnel:- ronita_paul@assisihospice.org.sg or geraldine@assisihospice.org.sg
So Book a Teddy Bank now! Yes, I'm going to get mine soon!