Chewing Exercise

For as long as I can remember, I eat as though I don't have teeth. I don't chew my food, almost at all. I can finish a bowl of porridge like I finish a cup of water. In summary, I swallow my food and I eat very fast. Too fast.

Recently, we visited a nearby TCM doctor for some aches and pains. The general diagnosis unsurprisingly is, we are unhealthy. Just by looking at our tongues and taking our pulses, the doctor could quite definitively say that we need to chew more and eat slow.

So after that session, I have been chewing my food more and swallowing mashes rather than chunks, consciously thinking that I am doing the right thing, and my digestive system will reward me with good general health in the long run.

Honestly, I don't feel much different yet and I feel "frustrated" already not being able to swallow that delicious chicken chunk immediately, like I always do. But for the sake of good habit and eventually better health, I will persevere.

Maybe I should machine grind my food and drink them instead?

Bumper Stickers

You can tell a lot about a person from his/her car. Japanese or European car? What colour? How much that car cost? Of course it may be ways off from your first impression and subsequent analysis, but you can probably make an intelligent guess and you will probably be 70% right. 

People do a lot for their rides. Some wash and clean their cars every single day. Some decorate their cars with so many plush toys that they look like a mobile toy shop. There are people who plainly make it known what sports team they are fans of. Some have decals and stickers all over their cars that you wonder if they are actually able to see out their windshields.

Their favourite radio stations. The tertiary education institution they attended. Crappy one liners which are suppose to be funny or make a point. "If you can read this, you are too ****ing close!". If you feel you need to put things like these up, you might be driving too ****ing slow.

I drive a black Honda Jazz. I chose this car because 1) it was reasonably priced, 2) easy to drive and 3) has good fuel-consumption. And black because black sucks the least out of all other colours available for this car. And it won't stand out like Ferrari Red or lemony yellow.

I don't put any labels or decals up other than the Road Tax and HDB parking discs. The car is for transportation purposes. Not for naps, meal breaks, entertainment nor as one popular TV show has put it, coitus. 

I don't have plush toys and/or cushions. I don't like to tell people what sports team I root for or what radio stations I tune in to. I attended several schools and all of which don't give out stickers/decals for reasonable prices. $10 for Times New Romans in Bold?!? You gotta be kidding my windshields.

I drive, "free". But maybe a little too "free".

Although decorations like these may be pointless and in some cases, vision-impairing, they do commit the owner/driver to behave accordingly especially on the roads.

Imagine a sweet old lady driving a small pastel-coloured car with a decal that says, "Jesus saves!". Cut her lane and next you will hear incessant honking and from your rear-view, multiple high-beams and a hand gesture which will definitely not be a thumbs up.

Even if you don't own a car, you are not exempted from similar judgements. You are what you wear. Ring = Married. Cross = Christian. Flashy = Attention-seeking. And you can't hide behind your clothes like you can in the car, unless you wear a hood.

Coming back to the car, my point is one better behaves as one like to portray him/herself to others. Stop driving like your dad's name is Thomson. Or worse, PIE.

Driving Me Nuts

About a year and a half ago, I was involved in an accident. To cut the story short, I was making a right turn and the other party zoomed down from the other side to decorate the front left of the car I was driving. It was also the first time I experienced the deployment of the air bag, but was also disappointing because it didn't fully inflate. Good thing my life didn't depend on it. 

That incident was a blemish in my driving confidence. It made me question my ability in driving. And for the next couple of weeks from then, I drove like old ladies who probably wore very thick heels to reach the pedals. I was paranoid. Of course that recovered quickly enough for me to make trips to as far as Legoland in Malaysia. But it was always something that hung in the air. There were no closure for awhile and hardy looked like it is going to soon.

Then today, I was informed by the lawyer's firm that TP has charged the other party for dangerous driving and we are awarded 80% of the claims. Not only its a closure on something that has been hanging too long for comfort, I am technically cleared and it is a huge relief for my insurance renewal. I should feel relief and happy.

But I am not.

At the first instance of hearing the news, I was very surprised that I am now on the plaintiff side, and even a little sad. I feel for the other party. Old guy who, if I didn't remember wrongly, went to his usual lunch place to have his usual delicious <insert name of food> (I think it was some noodles). And he was on his way home. He must have driven on that stretch of road a thousand times.

In my heart, I honestly hope this will be swift and that all the workshops and lawyers will have gotten their "deserved" share from this incident. For me, I just pray that the other party is still alive and enjoying his favourite neighbourhood food. And I won't need to wear shoes with thick heels just yet.

Drive safe.

The Rolling My Eyes White Post

I don't care if you think iPhone is way better than Android phones. I don't care if you think Android phones have better apps than those in any other app stores. I don't need real-time weather updates like your new Nokia can do (I can open the windows and look out by the way). 

I don't care if your phone is so old that the museums won't even want them. I don't care if your phone is so expensive that the phone cover needs another cover for it.

Can make calls? Can text? Good enough.

If I hear another first world problem and I will roll my eyes dead.

"My car just stalled in the carpark, and I can't work out at the gym anymore!".

Sim Lim Square

I haven't been to Sim Lim Square since quite a long time ago. Maybe more than a year even. That is long for someone who use to go there at least twice a week, just to get acquainted with the shops and/or window shop. I decided to pop in today to doll up my new laptop. 

The place have changed a bit since the last time I was there. For one there are a lot more laptop repair shops lining the "backrow". You know you are there when you see junkyard heaps of laptop parts all over the shop spaces and lining the floors. The usual indian proprietors who came in the early 2000s are still there but now with more PRC as sales and tech people. There are also more shops selling used PCs and electronic parts. A sign of prosperity in Singapore. Or more like "I am sick of this 3 month old gadget now. I want that new model."

The usual PRC sales girls selling Chinese gadgets are also still around. And I saw more males hitting on these sales girls. How do I know they are flirting with these girls? Their body language and facial expressions betrayed them. I for one don't believe they will be able to read enough chinese to use the gadgets they are pretending to buy.

I also heard some shouting all the way at the ground floor. From the top (I was at 4th), it looked like a PRC couple, probably tourists shouting at a shop owner. I guess Sim Lim Square has become like the infamous Lucky Plaza. The notices at every lift landing from CASE listing down the shops that received complaints, said it all.

After slightly less than an hour and $54 poorer, I went off with a reasonably protected laptop (cover sticker, keyboard cover and screen protector). What a fun trip!

To Err Is Human

to admit them takes courage. Lots and lots of courage.

Harder Than I Thought

I don't really use it that often since I already have a desktop PC for most of my work and entertainment needs. But it is clean, fast and stable. Good for programming and related development work.

Couple of days ago, got myself a new windows laptop (Samsung NP530) so my old macbook white has to go.

This macbook was bought on a whim. I wanted to develop some apps for iOS and needed a MacOS to do it. I never got down to it (thanks to procrastination). But it did serve us well. It was used as a skype machine for overseas friends, a DVD player before bedtime, a stable PC for web developing and, it was an indoor entertainment machine when we are on vacation and it was raining outside.

And today, it was sold to the highest "bidder" for $300. The room feels empty without it.

But we are going to get some nice dinner with that $300!