Tiring times

These are tiring times. Work has been tough lately, with many challenges thrown my way every single day. Competition has increased in the wedding stationery industry and customers are again turning to the traditional hotel card (albeit almost free but not as pretty) to fulfill their needs.
Physically I haven't been feeling all perky and energetic as well, and sometimes, life can weigh me down.

On the other hand, I have been very busy (or at least trying to!) with various projects at home and at work, and with many good things to look forward to, this age-old adage popped into my head -- "No pain, no gain".

So very true.

We complain to bond with each other

Sometime in the last ten years, I don't know when exactly, it suddenly became "cool" to complain about our country, our government, and its policies. Why I say it seems "cool" is because everyone seems to be doing it, from taxi driver uncle, to your neighbour, your friends, relatives, and perhaps a stranger on the road. If you don't "join in", you might be deemed weird and different.

Is this a sign the government is not doing its job as well as it could be, or are citizens becoming better-informed and thus, more unhappy?

I'm not one to dwell on things that irk me, but I do have gripes about my country and the way things are sometimes. However, I must admit that despite all the inconveniences, headaches, and dissension, there have been many good things happening here, and Singapore has never been more exciting.

So are citizens complaining for the sake of it? Are they truly unhappy here? Or as a friend said, every country will have its disgruntled inhabitants, sort of like a characteristic trait of any developing or developed country. I can just imagine political leaders of various countries chatting when they meet, "Are your citizens always complaining?" "Pretty much so!"

I conclude that I think Singaporeans complain to bond, to share their gripes and grievances. In sharing our joys and heartaches (hardly any joys), we draw closer to each other, our fellow countrymen. Ultimately, this is something that will never be changed, whether or not we have more freedom of speech, two political parties, sexual liberation, or even free parking for everyone for life.

Breadtalk celebrates a fantastic 10 years!

Thanks to Breadtalk and Omy.sg, I finally got to taste Breadtalk's "Fantastic 10" buns. This year is Breadtalk's 10th anniversary and as a special treat, they sold all the special buns they created over the last 10 years. Alas, due to a busy schedule, I was unable to get the buns from 2007-2009. 2001's special bun was also unavailable as it was sold out.

Here are some photos of the Breadtalk "Fantastic 10" buns. I am pleased I got to try these as I never quite made it to buy them over the past 10 years. Whilst I don't often buy buns, I would say Breadtalk is probably the most creative of all the bakeries, and were the ones who ignited Singaporean's love for bread. Nowadays, bakeries are choc-a-block. Many are inferior, although some are pretty good.

2000 Floss Bun
Because of Breadtalk, every bakery from Jurong to Pasir Ris sells buns with floss toppings now. A testament to "copying is the best form of flattery".

2001 O'Sambal
Didn't get to try this as it was sold out. :(


2002 Dinosaur
Super duper cute! I was reluctant to eat this one as his eyes were staring at me adorably. I'm glad I ate him in the end as he had ham and cheese in him. Delish~


2003 Bull Run
A great variation of the floss bread, it looks like a bull indeed!


2004 Luv Bite
Sweet white chocolate and filled with strawberry love, Luv Bite was created as a partnership with Singtel to help underprivileged children.


2005 9.0
Filled with chunks of chicken and topped with bonito flakes. Tasted a bit Japanesey which I liked. This bun was sold to raise funds for victims of the massive tsunami the previous year.


2006 KimCheese
A huge-ass piece of bread infusing kim chi, cheese and bread. Really unique!

Sadly I didn't get to try the rest of the Fantastic 10 buns, except for Merrily, Hairy Crab (2007), Peace Panda (2008), Ferraberri (2009), Leonardo+Merrily (2010)
which I ate this morning. It was nice, with chunks of tuna and onion on the inside.

Herbal Shampoo

I have been using this shampoo from Melaleuca for the past few months. It smells great and works for my hair. I haven't seen increased hairfall in the shower and actually don't drop as much hair nowadays. (I don't have very thick hair so will probably try one of those treatment shampoos from Phyto in the near future to see if I can improve my locks).

The bottle really didn't seem very big for the price, but after 3-4 months there's still half left so I'd say it's pretty value for money. The shampoo lathers up well so for my short hair I only need a blob about the size of a 20-cent coin.

Let me know if you're interested to try.

Fatty needs a home

This is Fatty. He was the biggest and fattest of all his siblings. Alas, he has yet to be adopted because two of his siblings were given away and he couldn't have gone with them because he was terrorising them all the time and making them scream. If you noticed that I said "He", it's because my mother, with her years of experience, is guessing that he's male.

So Fatty needs a home. He's really cute, fluffy and round, but still small -- he's only about 8 weeks old. Do be prepared that he might turn out to be female. But that's ok because females are very cute too. :)

Repo Men are coming

I wonder how it'd feel if Jude Law comes to take back my liver, or heart, or lung, or something. Jude Law is certainly drool-worthy and to die for, but to die literally at his hands? When someone's coming at you with a scalpel it's impossible not to freak out. This is generally the premise of this movie, or so I thought. Two hours later, I was depressed and yet impressed by Repo Men (a new movie coming to cinemas near you). Depressed because the story involves the morality of organ trade and the brutality of yanking it out of humans when they can't pay their bills. Impressed because the movie was well told, well acted-out and well, I had a great time.

Repo Men takes the idea of repossession of your house or car when you don't pay your bills, to another level. Get a new heart, lung, liver, anything, but if you don't pay your monthly installments, someone will be cutting you up to take back the organs you purchased. Remy (Jude Law) is the best repo man in the business, but when he suffers a cardiac arrest and has his own heart replaced, he starts to question the very job that he was once so good at. With no money to pay his hefty bill, he goes on the run, and discovers many like him who live desolate lives.

Set in the future, the movie features loads of fancy city skylines, sort of like NYC but x 100. It also features many action scenes, sequences, and graphic violence. There are some graphic scenes of blood and gore that took my breath away. Yes, very bloody, but wow, I loved it. (Just like how I loved 300, appeals to the art director in me). Don't be turned off when you read this. I feel it's absolutely necessary to paint the picture of a mercenary world which values money over human life. There are some scenes which are unrealistic and far-fetched, but at the end, everything falls into place.

My overall verdict is, this is definitely a film to watch...if you're into futuristic thrillers (think Minority Report). Check out the thriller here, where there's a short clip presented in graphic novel style as well. If you're still not convinced, there's Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, and Liev Schreiber as well, both good actors to watch.

LoveMoon Anion Sanitary Napkins

Having been a tampon user for quite a few years, I was hesitant to try these regular sanitary pads that my parents' friend was trying to introduce me to. However, with the free sample that I was given, I discovered it wasn't just any ordinary sanitary pad.


Made of pure cotton, with a soft surface feel, these pads pack a punch, and are able to hold a huge amount of fluid. They also feel lighter than an average "heavy day" sanitary pad. Whilst they can't beat some other pad brands for their ultra-thinness, these Love Moon pads definitely "go the extra mile", requiring less change. Being cotton with a breathable bottom layer, you won't feel like a baby getting nappy rash either, as it's not warm and sticky. And I believe most women know how uncomfortable it gets having their period in hot, humid Singapore.


Another benefit is that each pad comes lined with a negative ion strip on the inside. Many believe negative ions promote good health and sentiments, by combating the positive ions in the air and in our bodies. This could potentially eliminate moody and fatigue symptoms one might experience with PMS.


Last but not least, there's an ad running in EzyHealth magazine this month (Available at Guardian and Watsons) that offers a free sample pack. See the last photo for more details. Or email me for more info. :)