Swing Instead Of Hit

Not been touching my clubs for a while and can't believe they have been idled for about 2 years now!  Lucky they didn't get rusty!

I decided it is probably time to recall some muscle memories before they are really lost in space, so there I went for some practice.

For me, the worst part of playing golf, by far, has always been hitting the ball.  A friend reminded me I should concentrate on my swing, not the hit.  

Bam!  I can feel the momentum's coming back.  What a shame to waste those great shots on the practice tee!

The Brunch Club

I crawled up pretty early today to get into the office for a 7am conference call and my stomach's alarm system was set off rumbling at 10:30am! 

Who would possibly go with me on a Friday for a meal that is not breakfast, not lunch, but something in between? 

A Continental breakfast was what I had in mind, so I decided to wander off to my favorite Brunch Club - "The Place" to go if you are craving for a big English Breakie, jonesing for eggs Benedict, or desperately seeking just plain toasts with jam!

I don't ever need a reason to get up before noon during weekends, but if you need one, this might be a good one.

 

This Isn't The Life I Ordered!

The Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong predicts the average lifespan for women in Hong Kong may exceed 90 years in 2039, while men's lives will increase by 3.9 years to 83.7 years in 2039. That means 28% of the population will be grey!

They also predict that the population imbalance between men and women in Hong Kong will worsen in the next 30 years, that there could be 1,000 women to 744 men in 2039! 


What do these stats boil down to?

• We are going to live a lot longer (good news)
• We will have to work longer, and harder (bad news)

Slinging In Singapore

I realised I have written a fair bit about Singapore in the last few pieces.  Okay, this will be my last concluding remarks for the Lion City Series, I promised.

I have to say I quite like the ‘frankness’ of the Singaporean government and they certainly don’t beat around the bush.

Citizens there do not pee, spit, pick the flowers, feed the birds, smoke, jaywalk, eat on trains, and definitely zero marketshare for Wrigley’s Chewing Gum!

If you litter? Bam! $1000 fine. 

If you sell drugs? Bam! Death. 

They mean business and it works.  Unemployment is low, crime is virtually non-existent and I have never felt safer wandering alone in a foreign city at night.  

Talking about night life though, what I found unbelievable was the fact that they didn't ban smoking inside the 2 casinos at Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands.

I found that is the oddest account of all during my slinging in Singapore!

The Quintessential Singapore Identity - HDB

I get to explore the city of Singapore a bit in my recent visit and I am quite impressed to learn that 85% of Singaporeans live in public housing and that in Singapore does not reflect as a sign of poverty or lower standards of living.

Public housing in Singapore is managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Board builds and maintains houses commonly known as HDB flats.  Unlike public housing say in Hong Kong, their HDB flats are mostly (90%) owned by those living in them. Most of the owners have very little to complain about because apparently, HDB, in the last 50 years, has done a pretty good job in providing affordable and pleasant housing for their residents (See the results of a recent survey).

Just look at their latest iconic HDB project - Pinnacle@Duxton.



Born out of the first international design competition for public housing, it is also the first in the world with 2 unique skybridges linking the 7 blocks at the 26th and 50th storey. I was told the skybridges create possibly the longest continuous skygardens in the world, offering panoramic views of the city skyline.

Gudos to the Singapore Government, they build houses not just to achieve a housing objective, but has a wider social goal in mind, attaining racial harmony and community integration while upgrading and maintaining high quality living environment for the entire Singapore population.

Retire In Style?

My uncle, at age of 70, is still a keen golfer who travels around the world to play golf.  

To enable him to do that, he needs first of all good health physically and second - financially sound of course. 

Watching him play on the green, prompted me to think about my own retirement plan. 

Human beings are distinguished from other species by our ability to think ahead and to plan ahead.  That may be true, but it is also true that most of us (myself included) have great trouble thinking about the long term and preparing for it. 

I get these questions upfront which immediately give me headache:

• How much will I need in order to live comfortably? 
• What should be my goals? 
• When should I start? 
• What should I do? 
• How much can I count on from Mandatory Provident Funds? 

It is difficult enough to plan something just 6 months down the road, like a summer vacation.  How on earth am I supposed to be able to think about something in the distant future - like a retirement plan and let alone one that lets me retire in style?

But heck, the clock is ticking and we all get older the minute bygone.  What should we do?  Should we carry with us the immediacy of our animal cousins, or start planning now? 

What do you think?

The Intelligence in Singapore's Car Parks

Life's full of chaos we know and thank goodness there are some technology innovations out there to help simplify some part of it for us.  

I am thoroughly impressed by the intelligent car park systems in some of the newer, bigger malls in Singapore.  They contain car parking space sensors which detect each and individual slot's availability. 

This information is processed and then displayed in signs around the car park, directing shoppers to areas where there are free spaces. Saving them time going round and round searching for free space, thus spending more time inside the mall doing what they go there for - shopping!

Life's little helper this is. 

Double Decker

Cadbury's Double Decker has almost always been one of my favourite chocolate bars.  But its also one of those that are, kind of being ignored when we picked our chocolate and, when it actually occurred to us to have one or two in a go, we can’t figure out why we left it for so long!

Just like the proverbial double decker bus today - I waited for ages and none appeared, then numerous arrived all at once!

I guess the name is so apt in more ways than one. 

Sell Sizzle, Not The Steak

There is a well-known piece of advice in the world of marketing: "sell the sizzle, not the steak."

Taglines and slogans ought to be the leave-behind, the take-away, surely the opportunity to implant a key message should not be missed.

I came across these 2 curiosity provoking statements in Singapore today that should have helped anyone impart positive image of the brand.  

Guess what?  I found the sizzles too dazzling, I lost track of the name of the brand! 

Gladiator Shoes

This historic fashion is back with a shout and has become the trendiest style of shoes in the market - the gladiator shoes! 

Do you happen to have a pair or two?

Sorry, no offense...but I personally think it's a trend that should die.  These gladiator sandals are so terribly outstanding and yet outstandingly terrible. 

Seriously, if we stop buying them, may be they will stop making them, hopefully? 

My Love For Singapore

All these years, I have loved visiting Singapore. 

Yes, it is a clean, orderly and pleasant city with lots of green, leafy streets and parks.
People are polite, friendly....and the list goes on. 

That's basically the generalization of it, but the big fat tick of mine goes to my aunt and uncle, who have all these years, given me a warm welcome whenever I came over and stayed at their place. 

It's the hospitality that I am so accustomed to, which made me feel like I have a second home. 

Yes, it's like coming home with a betterment - coming to a holiday home!







 

Sex And The City Cocoa

Who wouldn’t want to eat what Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte eat? 

Exactly.

Laura Secord released a line of chocolate based on the four elegant ladies.  Each piece of the confection has a pattern that relates to the character: 

Manhattan skyline for Carrie, high heels for Charlotte, leopard print for who else but Samantha and inexplicable blue splotches for the un-girly Miranda. 

Thanks Rosanna - love the gift, the thought and the logo-emblazoned pink box too.  

As to the taste of the chocolate....emmmmm...they are just too pretty to eat!  Give me some time, I shall be able to tell.  

In Faith Go Forward

I remembered time stood still when I received a piece of really devastating news on June 12 last year.  It was Neuroblastoma that was found on him - cancer in the adrenal glands and, stage IV.  

Oh lord I asked, could it be more dramatic in a day for anyone to take that all in?  How were they ever going to cope?

I am no mother and I couldn't say I understand what could have went through the parents' mind and if i did, they probably won't believe it. I didn't know what to say to Betty when I saw her online, all the words just seem to come out wrong and the best I could think of was tell her to be strong and have faith.

She replied after a long pause and said she would be strong and be a role model for Hayden. And then I went - cry if you need to.

Gosh, thinking back, can it be said any better?

400 days down the road, this kid - as the ultimate fighter I came to know, has fought the battles and won the war.  He did it.  They did it.  

After thorough checks and repeated tests, the doctor confirmed today that this kid is officially in remission (freed from the bad guy named Cancer).



In Faith Go Forward:  Let the vision of the great and marvellous future that lies ahead, steer us to believe and act what seems the impossible.  

Miracle does happen.  

A Different Perspective

Person A asked Person B, "You woke up this morning, is your husband the same husband as the one you married yesterday?"

"Of course he is, are you out of your mind?" asked Person B. 

"Of course he isn't, " claimed Person A.

The Person A here is perfectly sober and he in fact has an inspirational point.  

He has a tendency to look at a person in a fresh new perspective and not many people have that ability.  

The point I am getting at is, we need to look at each other as if this is a new person we are interacting with on a new day, even if we have known him/her for ages. Because it is.

You need exactly 60 years to grow from age 0-60.  What does it mean?  It means we can't possibly be the same old person we were yesterday and your partner is not the same person he or she was yesterday either. 

Call me old fashioned, but I believe you should treat everyday like a Valentines' Day when you are in love.  Do not wait for that one day in a year to tell the person, “Hey, thanks for being awesome.” 

White Cherries

The thing is, they don't really look real.  Until, that is, you take a bite.

Cherries are one of the joys of summer and White cherries are one of those things you come across very occasionally at markets, right about this time of the year.  I have always had the perception that the other, black or dark purple ones are better, sweeter, intenser.

For the first time, I tasted some shiny, blushing white cherries last night and I discovered my perception has been totally wrong all these years!

Tasting the black and white cherries one after another, it was very clear that the white was my pick. A slightly softer texture on the skin, tasted a bit more refreshing with a tad lower in acidity.

  
So exquisite. Just too lovely. 

Why haven't I discovered this earlier?

Water With A Twist

Vitamin Water had me believed on an image of a healthy and rejuvenating elixir. The bottles are colourful, the text on them is certainly snappy (this bottle here - suggests that we date our neighbour as one of their innovative energy-saving tips)!

There is no question that there exists some genius marketing at hand for a water with a twist!  I am buying all that, but how does the taste actually weigh up?

That's when it fails totally.

It tastes like you've just poured yourself a plain glass of water in the same glass you were using for...juice.  That's exactly it.  Diluted juice x 10 times!  Worst of all, with a hint of cough syrup left on the palate.  Imagine that.  Most revolting.

The packaging kind of looks like a bottle of cough syrup as well when you look again.  I assume they are really trying to play up the 'medicinal' aspect of this drink!

Am I missing something here?  I don't really understand why it is selling so well in the States.  I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase this ever again under any circumstances.

If I want some flavouring plus doses of water-soluble vitamin added to my water, squeezing a lemon or lime should do the trick!

Half Way Through Project 340!

There is something about telling others your objectives and what you are going to achieve.  That can help us follow through and get on with it. 

I give you a personal example.

For the longest time, I have been trying to become a blogger and whenever I leveraged my own will power to write every now and then, that felt rather impossible.

What I did was I made the decision to tell others I was going to start this Project 340 - to write something daily (see, I am doing this again, telling people whenever I got a chance)!  

 

170 days into the project, I have basically been able to stick to the plan, because I felt a moral obligation to follow through with my own words!

Did people care? Probably not.  
Would I get punished if I don't write?  Absolutely no.  

But the sheer fact that there just might be someone out there witnessing if I was telling the truth, was quite enough to give me the motivation to keep my promise - to complete the second half of my project.

Double Chocolate Stout

After coining London Porter as the finest gentleman, this might actually top my list for lovers! 

Simply - a yummy delight.  

If only I can find it on tap - I think it would send me rocking to heaven and back!

Quick Fix for iPhone 4 Users

This is perhaps the least expensive fix short of following Steve Jobs' advice of  "Just avoid holding it that way."

The basic idea is to cut a tiny piece of cello tape and place it over the little black strip in the lower left corner of the phone.  The idea is to keep your electrified fingers from touching that problematic corner where the stupid antenna is hidden.

Not cool, but what can you do if Steve does not do a recall and insists that poor reception is just "a fact of life in the wireless world?!

I am just going to wait and see what Apple can come up with to rescue the dampened PR.  Not that I care that much, as I don't own any version of iPhone nor any shares of the company. 

iPhone4's Extended Arm

In essence, Apple cops to the fact there are reception issues with the new iPhone 4. That if you cover the bottom-left corner of the phone and bridge the gap between the notch there with your naked flesh, you would see some signal degradation.

Yes, you read that right.

It's not a software or production issue, simply a matter of the physical location of your hand in regards to the phone's antenna - a bad design flaw. 

The company's suggested fix?

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for a big round of applause to a big hand for iPhone's....iHand.

Team Jacob vs Team Edward

Even at a 9:30am showing of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, there was screaming going on whenever the young Matt Damon in the body of Marky Mark made his appearances in the movie - half naked. 

First screaming was when Edward asks "Hasn't he got a shirt?"
Second was when Jacob says “Let’s face it, I am hotter than you!” 

If my cinema was 2/3 full at that hour this morning, is any indication, Team Jacob has definitely gained momentum over Team Edward. 

Rhubarb It Is

With a name  "Yorkshire Pudding", it is pretty obvious the kind of cuisine served.  Just to make sure there can be no doubt whatsoever, the whole exterior is decorated to look like a huge British phone box fusioned with the London Underground branding. I could hardly miss it as I rumbled up the escalator to Staunton Street.

British cuisine often gets a bad rap, but I just seem to love them all.  From the simplest sausages with gravy and mushy peas, to its classic Roast with Yorkshire Pudding to my favourite Fish n' Chips.   

Normally my usual pick to round everything off would be an Apple Crumble with double cream.  But hey, did I see a Rhubarb Pie? 

I can't remember the last time I had it.  Must be in boarding school I think.  

It was Rhubarb and ice cream that won my heart and stomach, but as I write, I have those added calories in my tummy and...at the back my head too. 

Holly Brown

 

I heard they offer glamorous cupcakes, spot-hitting gelato and perfect cups of coffee prepared by Hong Kong Grand Barista's Champion.  Imagine you can get all these under one roof in a cafe.  How can I not take a sneak peek on its opening day?

So there I headed to Holly Brown in the heart of Central, hoping to see Hong Kong's first Barista champion, Tracy Kwok, stretch her espresso-pulling muscles at her new locale (Epoch was her previous employer).  

After meddling my way through the cafe, I discovered pricing is not high in view of its location.  Though the coffee and gelato look authentic, the only complaint I had, was the customer servicing.  I had to wait far too long in the queue and at the end, I decided my best bet was to leave and return again for a sip of their coffee some other day. 

Decisions Decisions...Tall, Grande, or Venti?

I remembered when the original Starbucks first came out, they offered nice, simple, easy-to-understand "Short" and "Tall" - 2 sizes - that was all.  

"Short" is actually much closer to the Italian understanding of the proper size of a Cappuccino.  The "Tall" to me, is really tailored for the Americanized too-much-is-never-enough version!

When Starbucks started to expand, the too-much version wasn’t quite enough.  That was when they introduced even bigger sizes.

"Even taller" doesn't sound cool at all, so they went with "Grande", drawing on the Italian roots of the drink.

"Venti" happens to be the best representation, since it is the only name that accurately informs you the amount of oz you order (Venti means 20 in Italian).

Have you ever wonder the amount of caffeine in those differing sizes of beverages?  It has remained a mystery to many of us hasn't it?  As if they have deliberately hidden that info.

So I went digging and I've inserted a list for your reference.  You will discover you ain't given more shots when you ordered a 4oz taller Cappuccino, Caffè Latte nor Caramel Macchiato!

If all you are looking for is a little caffeine kick in the morning, for those who don't know, even it's not shown on the menu, you can still get a "Short" nowadays - that's what I do.  

Wish I Had Sherlock Holmes' Power of Observation

I once came across a wise man who told me
"Vision is the art of seeing things invisible to others."

What a perspective!

Don't you wonder why some people see things differently when we all got a pair of eyes?  One of the strangest things about us human is the way we have to unconsciously ignore most of the information available to our senses. 

Think about your day today, I am sure you have to be blind to most of what you see and deaf to most of what you hear simply because, that helped you get by your day, or else you would probably be too overwhelmed by today's data-driven society. 

Unfortunately there is a flip side to that.  The fact that we are so in the habit of not looking, of not hearing, of not noticing, we are missing a great deal of very important stuff.  More so when it comes to our increasingly complex work environment, where office politics and competing personalities can leave us baffled and floundering.

I saw this book in the bookstore today "The Noticer: Sometimes, All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective" by Andy Andrews.

"When we notice things about ourselves and other people that allow us all to regroup, 

take a breath, and begin our lives again, the best is surely yet to come. "

From New York Times Bestselling Author

May be just the book I need to get closer to Sherlock Holmes' power of observation?  

Introducing The Octopus Oracle!

Hey German football fans out there, you could be in a minor shock when you heard the world's renowned psychic octopus "Paul" picked Spain to beat Germany in the World Cup for a berth to the finals this Wednesday!

For your information, he has been spot on in his last 5 predictions on the German team at the World Cup, wins over Australia, Ghana, England and Argentina as well as Serbia's victory over Germany.

I do hope this eight-legged Oracle's correct!   

Read more from here. 

Edible Beer?

There aren't that many coffee places that serve decent Italiano Coffee in Hong Kong, Caffe Vergnano 1882 is one of my recent favourites.

Their coffees flavour rich with complex notes and seldom fail to satisfy.  Apart from coffees, light meals such as pasta or panini are found in their menus too, but those were of varying standards.  Nonetheless, I do praise them for their daring innovations in terms of coming up with new recipes every now and then. 

They are currently doing a special promotion on dishes that are cooked with traditional brewery of an Italian beer - Birra Moretti.  

For a limited time only (riding on the World Cup fever no doubt), beer will be added to salad dressings and you will find their Margherita pizza featuring a tomato beer sauce!

What really attracted me was one of the desserts - their Homemade Beer Ice Cream as shown in this menu.  

Stay tuned and I shall let you know if it's any good.

Knight And Day

Either on the chase in motorcycle, car, train, plane or parachute, Cruise and Diaz spent half the movie in dire danger. 

Then at least hundreds of bullets have missed them while they ran for their lives and fell in love along the way.  

Wait a minute, that sounds just like the trailer does it not?  

A promising trailer preceding the movie - Yes.

A truly entertaining romantic comedy - Yes. 

Lots of explosions and yet they survived anything - Yes. 

Surprises - No.  

Still...if you are looking for entertaining + romantic + comedy, then definitely worthy of watching it this summer. 

Beautiful Morning Hike

In these past few months, I have been determined to try new and different things, as well as do some things that I used to do and love. Never quite made the change.

I woke up to this beautiful morning - Just enough clouds to block the fierce ultra violet rays and plenty of breezes not to feel stuffy.   

I have been wanting to hike and been procrastinating forever.  Somehow I knew I would regret big time if I didn't get out of bed and go for a hike this morning. 

Felt supreme after 2 hours of walking, followed by a cold shower and a big breakfast!  Riding on the wave, might even consider taking the same route again tomorrow!

It's in our nature

Went to the movies the other night and came across this marvellous commercial just before the actual movie. 

The ad shows a man lost in the snowy mountains, feeling cold and rather hopeless, trouble came not in single spies, but he was soon being embraced by a pack of wolves!

Check this video out and see how Shangri-La expressed "there's no greater act of hospitality than to embrace a stranger as one's own".   Really impressive stuff.

Can I Bother You?

Ever faced with someone who seems to bother you? 

OK when we just have to face them every now and then, but headache when these people emerge in facets of our lives where we have to deal with them on an ongoing basis.

You can't really ask them to get out your grill when they are your business associates or fellow colleagues.  

And certainly not a wise move to ask friends, or even your closest family members to get out of your face.

So what have I got to suggest here? 

Pull out a notebook, start listing everything that this person is bothering you. Including the things you wish didn't bother you. 

I did.

And it felt very whiny and I was actually relived that most of it was seemingly reversible. And apparently within my control.  

I realised someone doing something that has nothing to do with me isn't going to ruin my day.  Like someone wearing provocative clothing or having a billion photos on Facebook. 

The thing is....why should I let it bother me when there are worse things in life to be bothered?