What would you do if you happen to lose your job or your business goes bust today?
Can you pick up the pieces and move on? Or will your self esteem be shattered beyond repair?
Tag: personal
Off to Undulating Ubud
To recharge, refresh, and relax, my family and I are heading off to Ubud this afternoon for a short break. Considered one of the more scenic and rustic spots in Bali, Ubud is the cultural centre of the island dotted with numerous art galleries, craft markets, museums and temples. From what I’ve seen and read, the Ubud region is full of picturesque scenes – rustic rice terraces, swaying coconut palms, charming temples, and healing resorts.
Of course, we will also be travelling to other parts of the island like Kuta Beach, Tanalok, and the Mara River (we’ll be staying a night at the Mara River Safari Lodge to experience lions upclose and personal). Hopefully, we’ll be able to catch a procession or two – those are quite spectacular from what I’ve seen and heard.
Do take care during the interim and see you all next week!
Picturesque, Placid and Peaceful Peirce
Every once in a while, you need to take a break from the frenzied pace of urban life and to slow down a little. A great place for this is the Lower Peirce Reservoir.
One of the oldest reservoirs in Singapore, the Lower Peirce Reservoir is about six hectares in size, and is the home to many primary and secondary rainforest species. Originally known as the Kallang River Reservoir, the water catchment area was first started in 1901, which makes it more than a century old. The scenic body of water was named in honour of Robert Peirce, who was one of Singapore’s municipal engineers.
Here’s a short photographic tour of a recent visit by Ethan and I.
Joyful Jaunts @ Jurong
After escaping to the East (ie Changi) recently, we discovered that journeying to the West can be just as fun. It has been some time since we brought Ethan out, and we thought that it would be fun to go somewhere different from his usual Northern exposure at Lim Chu Kang. Besides, I didn’t want to risk the Chikungunya virus floating around those parts!
Here’s a short photo essay of our family frolicks.
First stop, Jurong Bird Park, where dinosaur descendents come alive.
Growing Growing and Growing
Like my son Ethan, his birthday tree has been growing and growing in the last 8 months or so since we first planted it in December 2007. If you recall, this was part of the Plant a Tree programme by NParks, with each tree planted costing $200 that goes into the Garden City Fund.
We were pleasantly surprised to see the little sapling bearing large and lush leaves that are dark green in colour, a sign of health as it pushes its way through in its green and sunlit world. Naturally, we couldn’t resist taking a few shots of it as it is also a member of our family – the green, silent and woody kind!
Happy Holiday in Club Med
Sometime last month, my family and I went for a short break in Club Med Bintan. For those who have been there, you would know that Club Med isn’t just an ordinary holiday resort but one that is packed chock-a-block with activities, comes with full-board (including free flow *hic* alcohol) and has performances almost every night by the Gentle Organisers (GOs). Incidentally, the GMs are the Gentle Members who are guests like us, not the head honcho running the joint.
One of the things which we enjoyed about the Club Med experience was that its GOs pay special attention in getting to know you. During meals, GOs are supposed to take turns to join guests at their tables and have a chat.
In a manner akin to Disneyland, all staff members acted like cast members and they even had to perform (nightly), do little funny skits during lunchtime, and generally help everybody have a ball of a time. Of course, I guess it doesn’t help that most of them are hard core party animals (or so it seems, from the way they did the “chi chi” dance at night).
Waiting for the Passage of Time
Shot this from a cab a couple of months ago. Its human nature to wait, regardless of your situation or circumstances.
Yarra River Rocks!
Giant Ferris Wheel and Melbourne Skyline from Yarra River
After my week-long hiatus, I have decided to pick up the pen (or keyboard) once again and to start blogging. Let me continue from where I last left off on our Melbourne trip. This time, our photographic adventures centre around the scenic and lovely Yarra River.
Just a short walk from our hotel, the Yarra River is a scenic spot for sporting fun and social activity in Melbourne. The Yarra River was very important to Aboriginal people, and its name is thought to derive from Aboriginal words meaning “ever flowing”. To us, it offered a nice respite from the buzz of the city like Melbourne’s many parks, and has some of the most splendid views of the city. In fact, it is one of the favourite spots of avid photographers hoping to catch a representative shot of the city.
The Power of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yes, I am finally back from my blogging hiatus over the past 2 weeks or so. Thanks for your well-wishes and continued encouragement.
One of the reasons why I could bounce back to my feet is the result of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments which helped restore my health. You will be surprised at the efficacy of TCM herbal remedies which date back thousands of years. Unlike Western medication which tend to treat the symptoms, TCM looks at treating both the symptoms and the cause of ill health. It embraces a holistic approach and philosophy encompassing lifestyle changes, diet, and stress management in order to achieve true healing.
Of course, TCM isn’t that cheap compared to visiting your regular GP. A typical session complete with medication may cost anything from $60 to $100 or more. Plus, they can’t issue Medical Certificates (MCs). You also have to wait for a long time and make appointments to visit popular “sinsehs”, and this includes hunting them down in obscure corners of the island!
Often, traditional remedies can do a lot more to fortify one’s well being than the synthetic drugs and high potency antibiotics favoured in modern medicine. However, they do take a longer period of healing compared to the “wham, bam” approach favoured by state-of-the-art pharmaceuticals.
Of course, not everything can be healed through traditional approaches. For serious illnesses and emergencies, one should definitely consult a specialist or even make an appointment at the A&E units of hospitals. However, do consider them next time if you have a long-suffering running nose or a dizzy spell. I did and it certainly made a difference to me!
Sick as a Dog
When a bug hits you, it hits you bad.
I never thought that I would be afflicted with such a severe form of influenza until the darn microbes attacked me on Thursday (18 Oct) with high fever (39 deg C) that never seem to completely disappear. As I type out this post, my body temperature is hovering at about 37.4 C or thereabouts, while my nose is blocked and my body aches. Luckily, the gas in the tummy is slightly better although there is a quirky feeling in my abdominal region. The GP I visit regularly tells me that it is probably gastric flu.
I really hate being this sick and unwell. The last time I had a major illness in 2005, I was stricken with acute appendicitis and hospitalised. I still recall how bad I felt then, with bouts of nausea and vomitting followed by diarrhea haunting me throughout my stay in the hospital. I couldn’t eat for days and lost 11 pounds then.
Hope to get well soon.