Crunch it! Crunch, crunch, crunch!

If you're following my Twitter, you might have seen this:

A little background information about Amanda Russell, extracted from www.amanda-russell.com :

After moving to the United States from Canada on a running scholarship, Amanda Russell was closing in on the Beijing Olympics for the 10,000m when she suffered a career-ending leg injury. Told by doctors she’d never run again, she was determined to recover and continue pursuing her passion for fitness. After two years of intense rehabilitation, she was winning triathlons. 

Putting her unique running background and extraordinary passion for health and fitness to work, Amanda created The AR Program. A holistic mind and body system, the proprietary program focuses on intense dynamic workouts combined with a healthy diet and has been praised for its ability to achieve a lean and fit runner’s body without running.

Alongside her work teaching and inspiring others to conquer their health and fitness goals via The AR Program, Amanda has partnered with award-winning Makers Studios to create Amanda Russell TV, a popular YouTube fitness and lifestyle channel that brings the gym to you, for free. Amanda showcases a fun, new, calorie-torching workout every week while helping motivate viewers to look and feel their best with insider diet tips and tricks. She also hosts an interactive website (www.amanda-russell.com), where viewers can find everything from latest tips and trends in health and fitness to personalized fitness programs based on one’s unique needs.

Amanda was recently selected by Google as one of“YouTube's Next Trainers,” a title awarded to only 16 contestants around the world, and is the successor to supermodel Molly Simms as the spokesperson for ZICO Coconut Water. She is creating her first private label fitness clothing line (Amanda Russell for Zweet Sport) and has partnered with EverdayHealth.com as one of their in-house fitness experts.

And this is THE 6mins Abs of Steel workout that got me bowled over:

My goodness! When I first watched this video, my jaw dropped literally at the kind of ab exercise Amanda can do. She makes it look so effortless & beautiful! Gaah, when I started doing them, I was panting like a dog!

If Amanda looks that slim and toned in videos, she must be even more gorgeous in person.

I used to do a lot of crunches to maintain my waistline, but have been slacking off for very long. Had gained like 6 kg since my uni days! Though most people tell me I look slim, they don't see all the fats bulging underneath!

This exercise video really works, gals! I'm trying to do it every other day, with the Husband's Ipad playing the video! 

Because of the long amount of time I spent sitting down battling the emails, I feel my body shape has gradually changed. My hips has gotten bigger and I really don't like how I look in maxis and some pants. When I wear cropped jackets with skinnies, I look weird with a capital W. No point asking the Husband for pointers, because everything he says can be so unconstructive. Long gone are the days when I look good in ANYTHING! =(

Here's another video that I felt it works for my body!

It's very thoughtful of Amanda to include the pared-down modified versions for almost all of the exercises, so that more people can do regardless of fitness levels. I definitely can't do all the 'siong-like-mad' versions at one go. 

I have never watched other fitness gurus' videos as right now, I'm pretty happy with what Amanda is teaching. Her videos are so professionally done and I can tell she puts in a lot of effort in pumping in useful content, easy chic exercise wear and what a beautiful home she has! Not only did she inspire me to have a better body, I want my next home to look like her New York apartment too! Manhattan style with luxurious furniture! (Go TFL go!)

A screen shot taken from one of her videos. Awesome equipment Makers Studio has for her videos! I wonder if ever any Singaporean will make such useful videos! In the meantime, it's great that we have Michelle Phan for makeup tutorials & Amanda Russell for workouts videos!

When her Youtube subscribers cross the 25,000 mark, Amanda promises that she will make full length videos of her workout! Can't wait! That will be much easier & more motivating to follow!

And if you gals are looking for a video to fit into that summer beachwear, here's one that looks real 'siong' but I'm sure will reward you with a fabulous body!

Watching her videos can be so uplifting on my down days too! She exudes such positivity and confidence, which I think come with having good health and a fabulous body! Let's work towards that, babes!

Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu

Back in Singapore!

I'm so so so so so HAPPY that I made it to Grandmaster's puja in Jakarta! It is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and no-matter-what-must-make-it kind! As with all good things in life, there's always some struggles and setbacks before we made it to Jakarta! I'm glad we all pulled through!

 

Jonas pants from PolkaDotPigs. An upcoming bag on Tian Fen Lan! Next next collection in 4 colours! I have a penchant for yellow/mustard bags! Even if they outright-ly clash with my outfits. Don't care! Still love! I mean, can't be yellow match with yellow/creams/browns only right? Sounds boring. Mad love the suede fringe and bucket effect at the opening! I think this colour will goes well with dainty frocks too. It's like adding a bad-ass bag to a pretty outfit!

Sometimes customers will email me saying that TFL bags are all too nice and wish I didn't bring in so many colours for them to choose. They say it's always a headache choosing a colour to buy. I know how that feels. For my case, apart from a black bag for down days, I like my bags colourful, no matter what outfit I'm wearing!  In fact, TFL is one of the very few bag blogshops that offer such huge variety of colours!

Hmm, looking at the photo above, I think I stand better for photos when I wear heels. But my 2-inch heels have a been a pain for my legs! So I wore my G2000 oxfords whose shoelaces are now officially missing. No idea where they went!

On hindsight, I think I should have tucked in my blouse. But I was just feeling too tired from all the parcel packing after my luggage unpacking. #nonstoppackingunpacking. Almost wore the outfit without the satin blazer actually. I was prepared to look unkempt till I remembered Mum asked her friends along. And knowing how my Mum always has a thing for looking polished. =___=

Wore this outfit to my mum's steamboat birthday dinner yesterday night. Had wanted to bring her to Ikoi at Miramar. In fact, I had wanted to do so for the last 2 years, but everytime something will crop up. This time, Mum said she had ulcers and wanted something soupy. So it was off to Rangoon Road Fish-head steamboat...again. 

Guess where am I seated? *grins*

Mum invited 2 of her long-time friends and their husbands. When I say long-time, I really mean long-time! One of them was Mum's primary school friend and the other was the elder sister of that friend. They knew one another since Mum was 8! That's like 50 years of friendship! 

Guess what kept them together for so long? Mahjong. Hahaha!

Rangoon Road's Whampoa Fish-head steamboat is really yummy by the way! I love their broth! With so many of us yesterday, I didn't get to eat as much fish and vegetables as I would like. No big deal, as long as Mum is happy! 

Reminded her not to eat those herbal jelly made from powdered turtle shells after the steamboat. I really think some delicacies can be done without.

Only thing about such gatherings with Mum's friends is I get a lot of unwelcome questions & comments thrown my way. 

What are you working as now?

Selling bags? Branded bags? No?

But you studied so much and are still so young, why don't you work for a big company?

You can get CPF and won't have to slough so hard physically to earn that amount of money!

Auntie has 2 grandsons, so when it's your turn to make your mum a granny?

I tell you, it's very important to have CPF in your a/c.

 You looked like Gigi Leung when you were younger and had short hair!

Actually you also look like Daniel Chan! The mouth part!

Right after the last comment, the Husband commented I resembled Michelle Chong too. Then the auntie said, "No no no no! Michelle Chong is not as pretty! More like Daniel Chan!"

*takes a deep breath to calm down*

Maybe my outfit is too androgynous. @$^#%*

Nah, it's not like I'm offended or miffed. Just, well, you know...

It's a tad tiring to prove to others why online retail is just as feasible a occupation too. Next time I will just say I'm a housewife and that I'm an expert in scrubbing toilet bowls and keeping my toilet clean with perfect white grout. Try beating that. 

After dinner, we drove my mum back and amidst the usual squabbles between my mum and I, Mum said her heart didn't seem to be working well recently. We walked over to Tiong Bahru Plaza, wanting to get Really Raw Honey (it works very well for hearts with no strength)  from Guardian, but that branch was too small for a botttle of this really good and premium honey. Gonna try buying it later at Compass Point.

I gave my parents a 护牌 each that I bought from the puja at Jakarta. The 护牌 have been blessed by my Grandmaster. 坐飞机回来的! I lug almost 2 kg of new purchases back!

It's a strange and yet heartwarming feeling of deja-vu being the giver of such accessories with divine protection, because when I was young, it was my dad who would give us, the children, such stuff, telling us the benefits of wearing them and reminding us to wear them no matter what. Now it's my turn. And the reason for giving? No less than the love my dad has for us.

That's Domino's Pizza takeaway at Blk 111, Jalan Bukit Merah! Near my parents' home!

To save some waiting time, we called to place an order through the delivery hotline before driving over. #sosmart

Best discovery of this week is finding out that Domino's Pizza in Singapore is just as great as back in LA, albeit with a slightly thicker crust! And you know what! A personal pan pizza with a can of Coke/Sprite is only S$7.80! 

I love Spizza for its thin crust! But Domino's has the usual Hawaiian range, less expensive and like what they claimed, you can really taste the freshness in their ingredients! Both beats Pizza Hut ANYTIME!!!

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

Back to work!

9:37am  Put up a last-minute launch on TFL, with mailers sent!

Last minute because I had seriously toyed with the idea of taking a break, before whizzing away for the weekend to Jakarta. Last post was a Sales launch 2 weeks ago. Orders are still streaming in everyday and I really thought my back deserve a break.

But...the Husband will be back from his 10-day trip and hence, see the humongous amount of stock (3 launches worth of bags!) stacked at home, with no sign of movement. That means a lot of explanation why he will not have the space to kick his toy football (the size of my palm) around. Don't think I have the energy to handle his disappointment with my aching arms in tow.

And customers have been asking when the next launch will be. 3 weeks of no new launch sounds cruel to me too.

Plus, I have so so so so so so so MANY things I wanna buy at the upcoming 法会 (Buddhist prayer ceremony, also known as puja in Sanskrit) in Jakarta and 为祖先报名超度! The last time I saw my Grandmaster in real life was in 2008, when he came to Singapore Expo and hosted a 60,000 turnout 法会. Shin Min Daily did an interview with Grandmaster and I kept the newspaper cutting in a file. I was a volunteer, together with my in-laws, the Husband, my nieces and a couple of friends. I still have that orange polo uniform till now! Gonna keep it even if it disintegrates into shreds!

Had wanted a longer break, because I would love to be in a less tired mode when attending this puja. You know, at least look healthy, radiant & bright-eyed, not the dark eye bags, bloated face and half-awake mode. Have not been as diligent in my cultivation homework as I should be. And I don't like it.

I went for a haircut at Salon Vim yesterday and happiness that I finally got my haircut from John! His schedule was packed like sardines pre-CNY.

And our conversation went something like this:


John: How's work?
Me: Busy, extremely busy.
(I could have repeated that sentence non-stop. So busy until don't know how to say.)
John: That's a good thing!

Have you ever asked yourself why you are so busy? What are you busy for?

I was and am busy for my passion. But spirituality makes up a huge part of me. It keeps me grounded and at peace with myself (alright, I'm still working on that but hey, at least I have a direction to work towards to!). So many, so many times the flame in me could have been blown out, but the Dharma gave me the strength to hang on. Okay, okay, I admit, Coca Cola too.

I feel very blessed that I have family and friends who share the same religion as me. There are about 30 of us (family and friends) heading to Jakarta. Can't wait to see my Grandmaster! I mean, even though it will be from very very very far....but I'm contented!

Times like this, I'm really very grateful that I'm doing TFL and not flying. Flying schedules are so out of our control! People tell me they envy my flexible working hours now, but they don't know that the flexibility also mean 没天没夜地做, and whatever time I take out now means I make it up later when I'm back. Work isn't gonna diminish when I'm overseas. But yes, I still love the flexibility because I can go puja!

And I'm also thankful that I have one passion to feed me so that I have the means to go for my another passion! So yes, like what John said, it's a good thing to be busy! #thinkpositive

Erm, don't think I'm very coherent in this post after having only slept 5 hours in 2 days. But I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT JAKARTA! I EVEN BOUGHT NEW CLOTHES!!! =DDD #asifIneedanexcuseforthat

I hope to buy nice kueh lapis too!

And I think I know why Indonesian tai-tais have such nicely coiffed hair! Hair salons at malls offer very affordable wash & blow + head massage services! Like less than S$20 last time when I was there!

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

Furniture-shopping online!

I'm a fan of Scandinavian designs. When I first arrived at Copenhagen Airport, I fell in love with the minimalist design coupled with warm wood. After Changi Airport (no other airport beats ours!), this is my next favourite airport. I have seen tens of airports, with many using the modern glass & steel structures. But most are too stark and cold for my liking. Sometimes a lot of spaces just result in hollow emptiness.

Changi Airport & Copenhagen Airport 很有情. Take the fatigue out of travelling. =)

Some Googled pics of Copenhagen Airport!

Source: Google Images

Source: Google Images

We will be doing some small renovations to the in-laws' home next week and I had been on the lookout for a couple of new furniture. Nowadays, I hardly go shopping at the malls. Barely had time to finish my long to-do list everyday and it's really awesome that almost anything can be bought online nowadays!

Being a fan of Scandinavian designs, Ikea is definitely the first store I checked out. Almost everyone is bound to have something from Ikea at home. Such is the power of their competitive advantage! I love their bath towels by the way! I couldn't find my Ikea catalog so I went to check out their local website. They have an amazing e-store! As a marketing major, I'm in awe of how Ikea extends its brand identity and keeps it constant even in its e-store. Uploading hundreds of room ideas (just like what you can see in their catalog!), thousands of products and their relevant information must be a lot of work!

 

I'm eyeing the chair above! It's a new item! Not the usual black and boring-looking office chairs, with a great price to boot! I tried it out at Ikea Tampines on Sunday. It was really cushy & comfy, with the wide-seat base that allows me to sit cross-legged! I hope it fits into the Husband's small car. =D

The Husband recommended some furniture sites to me. I never knew shopping online in Singapore is really that convenient! Prices are 20-40% cheaper than brick-and-mortar shops!

www.beds.sg

Beds.sg was started in 2006 and is probably one of the most popular furniture sites that boasts prices lower than brick-and-mortar stores. Under each furniture design, you can read about the reviews submitted by customers.  有好也有坏，但好的居多。

www.furnituremart.sg

www.homestore.sg

The best thing about such sites is there is free delivery & installation for purchases of S$150 and above, compared to Ikea's S$55 for delivery alone. Some furniture from the cheaper range are like those that you can find at neighbourhood furniture stores. And there are some that are very designer-looking! 

Beds.sg has the best and clearest photos of the 3 sites. It's a pity that for the other 2, the measurements and descriptions are not very clear. If 'agarration' (estimation) does not work, you can call the customer service number or send in an email online. Some designs are common to the 3 sites, so remember to check & compare.

Beds.sg has also received the most media coverage, being featured on Home & Decor, Square Rooms, Straits Times and more.

This article was published in the Straits Times on Saturday March 3, with a photo showing the furniture the featured couple bought online. Click on the photo to read the article!

I was looking for a wardrobe and Ikea doesn't have one that is suitable price and design wise. Because of Scandinavian influences, Ikea always have better designs than most furniture shops (not referring to the upmarket designer ones). But hehe, better designs doesn't mean better quality.

I'm getting a small wardrobe for the in-laws' home from one of these sites. Waiting for the Husband to be back to show him. When I do, will let you gals know how the quality is like!

Oh by the way, if you are looking for electrical appliances, I recommend

1) Goh Ah Bee at Kovan:

Blk 210 Hougang Street 21 #01-247 Singapore 530210

Tel: 62888611

 
or

2) Everjoint at Ang Mo Kio:

Blk 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, #01-534, (S)560159 Tel: 64582531

I bought my Panasonic fridge from Everjoint last month after comparing with Goh Ah Bee, Mustafa, Best Denki & Fairprice Xtra. My first LG fridge for my home, stove, toaster oven, thermos flask and washing machine were from Goh Ah Bee. You can always call to check out the prices. Delivery is included in the prices too! 

For the Panasonic fridge, the Husband placed the order via phone, without ever going down to Everjoint before. No deposit was required. Way before online furniture shopping got hip, there are already brick-and-mortar shops making buying even more convenient!

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

It's a small world after all

Recently, I have an unexplained fascination for small boxy handbags. You might have noticed if you are a regular at TFL, even if just 'window-shopping'. Don't underestimate the size of such bags. Unless you are trying to stuff your Ipad inside, the bags are more than enough for our daily essentials!

I like to use such small bags during the weekends when I can be away from work temporarily for that precious 2 days. To breathe fresh air and to charge my brain.

Most people I've seen tend to sling it long at the side. I like to shorten the strap to the shortest possible and carry it like a handbag. Feel damn vogue that way. Hahaha!

Back in my SQ days, my colleagues and I were whining about how the company should update our blue handbags. It felt so old-fashioned to be using that bag. Yes, we all agree it looked good with our kebayas. But surely we can have a more fashionable bag, right? I was smitten with those sand-coloured hobos the SilkAir gals were carrying. Well, fashion comes in a full circle and now I'm eating my own words.

Sometimes I hide the strap (if undetachable) and use the bag as a clutch.

Work has been weighing heavily on my mind since the beginning of the year, when the workload has intensified. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very happy doing all these. =)

But I have to say I feel overworked recently. Keeping up with weekly launches, all the late nights, the endless packing, the emails-battling, the need to keep renewing TFL to stay ahead of competition. Since last week, I have been battling with work phobia. Somehow I got a bit hesitant to start work on the emails everyday. No, it's not that I have difficult customers or what. I just felt mentally very exhausted. It was like there's nothing more I can give to my passion. Packing the parcels took longer than usual. My body was constantly aching from all the heavyweight moving I do daily. Imagine 30-50kg packing every work day. I felt uber worn out everyday. The laptop virus slowed things down and got more frustrating for me. The Husband was some few hundred thousands kilometres away in Pakistan and no one was quite around to hear my ranting (well, except my Twitter followers =P ) or rather solve my laptop problems for me. 

So it was a head-on battle alone. I think I should get back to my routine of having Coca-cola with potato chips at night while working. That will cheer me up loads!  #badexampledonotlearnfromme

I think using small bags over the weekend is my way of carrying less with me. Literally & figuratively. You know, less things, less burden, less stress, less burn out? I tried explaining to the Husband but girls' mentality are kinda too complex for the average man.

This is one of my current favourite outfits! I love the brown pants! I love my 12-year old denim jacket! I love my jacket so much that I only send it for drycleaning, so that the colour will stay true! I don't even handwash it myself. It is not too thick or too thin and has travelled round the world with me! You won't be able to tell that it's 12 years old!

TFL does not usually bring in canvas bags, but this one caught my attention. The factory made this design in a huge order placed by a Japanese store and there were extras. This has happened to TFL bags before too when the factory wants to use up the remaining fabric and makes a lot more than what was ordered. 

I used to have a fascination for Japanese style bags when Muji first came to Singapore. They are always so clean-looking, stylish and can be so versatile if you know how to! This comes in Orange too in the next collection!

About Japanese retailers, I recently discovered that the best place for plain tank tops is not Cotton On but UNIQLO!!! I bought my white tank top at S$15.90 from Uniqlo 313 and because there's lycra in it, the tank top does not turn 'giam-chye' that easily! Cotton On's version are pure cotton and not as durable. Best of all, Uniqlo's version is longer and the neckline does not get lower that easily after washes. LOVE!!! I am a size S, but bought M for the tank top so that it will not be too tight. #nolongersweetyoungthing

Here's a non-touched up photo for you to see the length of the tank top! Can still pull down somemore. No lah, I didn't pose for the photo like that. Was pushing away my irritating fringe.

Back to my favourite jacket! It originally came with white fur trimmings and looked really nice when I wore it during cold weather overseas. There's even a detachable fur collar! I got it from a now-defunct shop at Tiong Bahru Plaza for S$60+. Back then, I was still an undergrad, working to pay for my school fees. S$60+ was A LOT to me. Was loitering around that boutique for days before I pluck up my guts and decided that it was now or never to buy this jacket!

After I stopped flying, this jacket was dumped to the back of my wardrobe for so long that I had forgotten all about it. When I dug it out one day and tried it on, I decided that there's no way I can wear this in Singapore with all the fur trim, so I brought it to my favourite alteration seamstress at Metro to remove the fur trim. Paid S$6 for it. I don't trust myself to do such time-consuming delicate job. =D

She did an excellent job! You couldn't tell that there were fur trim sewn on it before! There was another time when I brought my black pants to her because all the 3 frontal buttons fell out (it's not my waistline that causing it!) and her stitching is so much stronger than the original version.

BIG HEART! Albeit a bit skinny. =D

So difficult to find a nice denim jacket of the right wash, fade, detailing & fit! I'm gonna hold on to this jacket till it disintegrates into shreds! It's just as lovely when worn over dresses or flowy skirts!

Maybe next time I will post up some beautiful skirts that I have kept for years and have maintained them very well because they are so precious to me! Those were the days before online shopping got hip!

Do you have any clothing that you love to death and have kept for years? I'm not the only clothes-hoarder around, right? Haha!

Have a fabulous Sunday, my dear readers! =)

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

Random

I'm especially in love with what Mr Buffet said about spending. So true. Too many people I know are in credit card debt. It's a neverending cycle for them.

And is it only me who thinks this same set of rules somehow apply to relationships as well? Apart from the Investment quote of course. =P

Now if you don't agree with the previous one, I'm dead sure you will agree with this.

Reminds me of falling in love. Will the rate of return be proportionate to the risk that we took?

I don't think we ever know till everything ends, isn't it?

And that's what makes love so enchanting.

Though I must say the older I get, the harder it is for me to take such risk all over again.

The amount of risk we can take in love is probably somehow equivalent to the age we are. Haha!



Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

Murphy's Law

If you haven't know by now, my laptop was hit a malicious worm called W32 last Thursday/Friday. It all started when I was browsing the net, planning an impromptu trip to Jakarta next weekend. So while checking out the website of the shopping mall (it was all in Bahasa Indonesia, jeez) near my hotel, my Norton program started flashing warnings of trojans detected. I was silly enough to continue surfing, under the fallacy that it was still safe.

Before I knew it, my laptop came to a standstill and this screen popped up.

While the scan is being performed, the "Internet Security 2012" program reported how many hundreds of viruses had infected my files. And when I tried to open any program or file, a message would pop up saying the file/program was infected. Like, EVERY SINGLE FILE! Couldn't open Firefox/IE, my docs/spreadsheets or even any folder! Rebooting didn't help either. (Yes, I wished I was just dreaming all these up.)

This is like the ultimate nightmare of a blogshop owner, apart from late backorders, missing normal parcels or screwed-up stocks. My laptop is my rice bowl! HOW AM I GONNA WORK WITHOUT IT???

The Husband was going away for a 10-day trip and he didn't have the time to help me out or loan me his laptop. Felt like I'm forever battling such PC/laptop screwups. Happens every 2-3 years, based on past user history. I'm cursed.

When I clicked on the "Get full-time protection now!", I was prompted for my credit card details. That was when I knew it's a bogus scam! Can you imagine all the efforts those people put in to make it look like it's your PC/laptop program??  This program is so smart that it disabled my Norton security suite and cripped Navi Update. Talk about 道高一尺，魔高一丈. Damn it!!!

Used the Husband's Ipad to google for solutions and found one that provided a verification code, which bluffed the "Internet Security 2012" program that I had paid for its full protection, and my laptop was back to normal. Or so, i thought.

Things started hanging, every single file & program takes 5-15 mintues to open up while jamming up the whole laptop, printing address labels was futile because the spreadsheets just clammed up and hung. It was RED BUTTON PANIC MODE!

I had 3 programmes downloaded to clean up my laptop, including the popular free anti-virus program Avast. Either this  "Internet Security 2012" is so new or the anti-malware/trojan/virus programmes out there are too retarded. None of them detected anything! Till I downloaded Norton Anti-Malware.

2 malicious objects found. Muahahaha! One's a malware while the other's a trojan. But guess what, even this new-until-cannot-new-anymore version of Norton anti-malware does not have a way to clean up the trojan! Gaah, what is this world coming to??

I'm dead serious about what I circled.

When I told the Husband what happened, he laughed at me, said Indonesia was known for having many hackers and I should have known better, given my experience. Really?? I only knew about the hotbed for terrorists. #$%&^*! Nvm, karma never forget, but still, #@%$##%!!!!

The scan is still running right now as I am blogging. Not sure how long more this is going to take. Was feeling extremely tired this week with the time of the month and coupled with this fire-fighting & getting all the parcels out + replying the emails as prompt as I can, I'm totally drained right now. Really wanted to launch, but there's no way I can edit 100+ photos without this machine messing things up.

I'm so gonna buy a Macbook for my next laptop!

Did I mention on top of this attack, I booked the wrong flight to Jakarta? Didn't dare to use my laptop, as I wasn't sure how safe it would be to key in credit card details. So I used the Ipad. Gosh, it's such a torture to use it for serious form-filling! I have NEVER made a wrong booking in my life before! S$150 more to pay!!! *sobs*

So, Murphy's Law has it, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

In Chinese, we call it 禍不單行.

In Singapore, we call it #bornsosuay.

Wait till I tell you how suay I was pre-CNY.

Never mind, 福禍相依, I'm convinced something fabulous awaits me after all this nonsense.

來吧！可口可樂一 打！

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

Insurance matters (pun intended)

On Thursday afternoon, I accompanied Grandaunt to NTUC Income at Bras Basah. It was almost impossible to get me away from TFL work on a weekday afternoon, with the parcels and emails always piling up. I hardly pick up calls or reply smses in the daytime, even if they are from my mother or the Husband. But it was very rare that Grandaunt needed a favour from me. At 72 and single, she has always been very independent and self-sufficient.

On top of that, I'm the only working adult in the family that understands insurance matters and have flexible working time.

Grandaunt bought an insurance policy at age 54. That was 17 years ago. So one day, when she got my mother to help her interpret a letter of insurance summary from NTUC Income, my mum told her to terminate the policy.

Reckless is the word here. My mother did not attempt to understand the policy nature, the breakeven point, the coverage of the policy and how relevant/useful it might be to Grandaunt. Mum's logic was at 72, there was no need for Grandaunt to continue paying for a policy. She said it was a burden for Grandaunt and tried to convince me that Grandaunt was keen to terminate the policy and needed the extra cash.

Knowing my mum, I was sceptical.

So on Thursday, when Grandaunt and I were at NTUC Income, we sat down with a random financial consultant in a bid to know more about what policy my Grandaunt bought. I wanted to know what it covered, the sum assured, the breakeven point, the bonuses, their growth rates and if any interest was given for the bonuses kept with them.

Took us half an hour and 3 different staff but it was a good half an hour spent.

Deciphering insurance illustration takes a lot of patience and skill for the layman who is not interested in numbers. Tons of them. It would have been easy to just ask the consultant explain everything, without pouring through the papers. But how would we know it was really everything that was said? That the consultant did not miss out anything accidentally or intentionally? I can't be sure, so I rather do the dirty work myself.

It was a life insurance policy that covered 30 critical illnesses, total permanent disability & death. Either one happen, Grandaunt can make a one-time claim. The sum assured was pathetic. Firstly, the amount of premiums my Grandaunt has paid for the past 17 years is already more than the sum assured. Continuous payment would just tip the scales further. Secondly, apart from Medishield, Grandaunt does not have any hospitalisation or surgical policy. The sum assured will definitely not be enough if Grandaunt is diagnosed with a critical illness or TPD and requires long-term medical care. Death would have been cheaper. #justsaying

Sum assured  <  premiums paid over 17 years

Buying a life insurance policy at age 54 wasn't a wise choice, in my opinion. For the same amount of premium Grandaunt pays every month, term insurance might have been cheaper and offers more coverage. I was still schooling when Grandaunt was 54 and had very little knowledge of insurance, compared to now. I wondered what the insurance agent had in mind when he proposed this life insurance policy to Grandaunt. I hope it wasn't the huge commission difference between selling a life insurance policy and a term insurance policy.

The only benefit is the bonuses that are distributed by NTUC Income yearly.

Sum assured + bonuses accumulated over 17 years  >  premiums paid

That was the only way this policy made any sense. The thing is bonuses are never guaranteed. It is always an assumed figure that the insurer gives in the illustration, based on past performance. The past, however, does not secure the future.

For this policy, the bonuses kept with the insurer do not grow, apart from the annual giveout. This was unlike my endowment policy with Prudential, where bonuses earn a few percent interest annually if I do not cash them out.

And you know what, it's another 16 more years before the cash value (if opting for termination) exceeds the premium paid . Early termination definitely meant loss of thousands. Based on calculations of the performance of fixed deposits, bonds and even gold, my Grandaunt would have earned more if she had placed her money in these instruments for the past 17 years. Then again, the premiums paid were accumulated over 17 years and not a lump sum amount.

Yes, it might be like a saving-for-the-unforeseen thing but still this policy does not make sense to me numerically.

Coming from a low-income background, Grandaunt was bewildered at the thought of losing thousands of dollars after 17 years. So the policy remains, because of this inequality equation:

Sum assured + bonuses accumulated over XX years  >  premiums paid

If anything happens to Grandaunt, this policy would be profitable, so to say.

It is apparent that a portion of the premiums goes to NTUC Income's investments. NTUC, like most insurers, buys bonds and other stable securities and gives back a percentage of the returns to its policyholders in the form of bonuses. This reminds me of investment-linked policies (I never believe in those), except you don't get to choose the funds and exposure to risk is kept to the lowest.
Buying life insurance is not a way to grow your finances. It is to protect your finances if anything happens to your health. Life insurance should not be bought based on projected figures. It should always be based on what is guaranteed.

17 years ago, it would have made more sense if Mr Insurance Agent has recommended term insurance + hospitalisation & surgical policies to Grandaunt. Because along these 17 years, Grandaunt has done 2 operations which cost her thousands of dollars. Yet, she can't claim from her insurer because there is no critical illness.

So gals, before you buy anything for yourself or your parents, do your research carefully and understand your needs thoroughly.

After the financial consultant was done explaining Grandaunt's policy, he waited at the sides for a while before coming up to me and asked, "Miss, by any chance, will you be considering buying a savings policy?"

I smiled back at him and shook my head.

It was savings policy that he asked. He didn't offer to do a financial assessment for me, to see if I'm adequately covered in critical aspects. I don't know if that crossed his mind or he would ask later on, if I had agreed to speak more with him.

I understand the need for sales staff to be proactive. With the carrot dangling in front, every agent is bound to say his company's policy is good enough or better than the rest. That may or may not be true.

And I worry how the average consumer will know. Especially the older folks.

A random picture to end off this post! I love parcel posting at the airport! Long opening hours + No heavy lugging with the readily available trolleys, no matter how many bags I have! Woohoo!

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

Chocolate Fondue on Boxing Day!

Mum-in-law's birthday falls on Boxing Day. For many years, I remember Mum will be cooking her birthday meals, in anticipation of the gathering of her 3-generation family. Because of the proximity to X'mas Day, the home-cooked buffet spread will always have festive dishes and her birthday cakes have been too many log cakes for too long. My in-laws are very frugal in nature. They believe in savings than spending, a rule that has served them well through these decades. But honestly, who cooks on their own birthday? Not me, for sure. Dad-in-law is a lucky man.

The Husband's family loves gathering together. It can be the birthday of any random family member or just a simple weekend mahjong session. I wasn't brought up to be so 'homely', so to say. This was really something new to me when I was living with my in-laws.

For Mum's last birthday, I decided that enough is enough. No birthday girl should be toiling in the kitchen on her big day. She usually cooks 9-10 different dishes for such buffets. Imagine the work! So the Husband, siblings-in-law and I decided to have a potluck party. We will don the apron strings, just for Mum!

Turned out not as easy as I thought. What we like to eat (and hence, can cook) and what the elders like to eat are 2 diffferent worlds altogether.

I wanted to do something different for Mum too. She is like the best mum-in-law in the world! Not that I have had more than 1 mother-in-law to arrive at that conclusion, but really, I think she's even more amazing than my own mother! At the very least, she doesn't have a ferocious temperament like my mother. (Pretty sure my mum doesn't know of my blog's existance. And my nieces, if you are reading this, you know better than to tell my mum.) 

Was berating the Husband how as the eldest child, he has never taken the initiative to lead his siblings to do something special for his mother. No wonder some people say having a daughter is better than a son sometimes. 女兒比較會有父母的心。

I was so pleased with myself when I thought of renting a chocolate fondue fountain, as a surprise for Mum. It's something fascinating & entertaining for everyone! Dad-in-law likes chocolate and my geomancer has told us that this is a suitable food for them, according to the elements they lack in their birth charts. So yes, I'm a genius! =D

I spent a lot of time googling for such rental services and although there were 3 possible options, Liquid Chocolate turned out to be the most feasible.

I opted for the Basic Rental package, chose the 16" Chocolate Fountain (the smallest & ideal for small parties of 10-20), which includes 1kg of fountain milk chocolate, 400g of marshmallow and 40 satay stick. This came up to S$65 for a one-day rental. I admit, I found it a bit expensive. I mean, it's the same machine that is going around for a while, and S$65 + S$120 refundable deposit+self-collection at Amoy Street? I can buy some very nice cakes with that!

If I opt for the machine without the condiments, only a miserable sum would be deducted from the price. I knew Phoon Huat sells such fountain milk chocolate for fondue but time was not on our side then. Work at TFL was very hectic pre-X'mas. So aiyah, just pay lah!

Wasn't quite impressed when the Husband showed me the machine he collected. The lady boss of Liquid Chocolate ran through the machine set-up with the Husband and tested the machine during self-collection. Apart from fixing sling straps on bags, I'm lousy at setting up such stuff.

Potluck means packing & carrying lots and lots of food in various bag sizes (basically whatever bags that we can dig up) from home to party venue and making sure nothing get left behind at home. That also means a lot of yelling at home pre-departure. Haha!

The food provided by Liquid Chocolate. This was my first time seeing this brand of Fountain Dipping Candy by Chocolate Line. Given how often I stalk Cold Storage, I'm pretty sure this is not available at most supermarkets. The packaging looks really classy. One packet of this would have cost S$19 from Liquid Chocolate.

While unpacking the fountain from the box, we realised it was the same brand as the Fountain Dipping Candy. I've never heard of this brand before. But the box design looked European, I thought.

Halal chocolate! I thought it was really awesome how many food companies sell food products that cater to our Muslim friends too. While reading the instructions, Auntie-in-law said Tuesday Report did an interview with this company just one or two weeks before Mum's birthday on how their high-quality chocolate are made in Singapore and exported to European markets. They are rarely sold in Singapore. That explained their expensive-looking packaging!

This is 1kg of chocolate that you are looking at. I was expecting the chocolate to be thicker and more nugget-looking. This was like chocolate chips. But I guess this facilitates melting. One uncle took a chip and said it was really good!

Although the glass bowl looked full to the brim, don't worry about chocolate overflowing when it melts, because there are gaps in between the chips and after melting, the bowl was only 3 quarters full.

Off into the microwave it went! This is the fastest & easiest way to melt the chocolate! Only 40 seconds needed!

Who buys what, who cooks what! The roles were delegated before the potluck, to prevent duplication and ensure variety. Here's cut fruits by Brother-in-law for the fondue! There were even bananas and watermelons!

But 人算不如天算. With everyone contributing something, even though the guests didn't have to, there were too many dishes on the table after al. =D

Happy was most happy to see so many of us gathered there! The previous family dog was a singing talent.  Mickey will be barking in unison while we sing the Birthday song. Happy, however, hasn't show any signs of such talent yet.

Tadah! This special guest was so special that it got a table of its own! Doesn't it look so inviting & party-appropriate?

Auntie-in-law! She's a very humourous lady. Together with the uncles, they laid down all the rules for everyone, before we had a go at the fountain.

"Eh, eh, NO double dipping!! Hygenic hygenic!"

"Don't take so much chocolate! That's all we have for the night!"

"Dessert first! Come queue up! Queue up! Don't push har! DON'T push!"

The family were having so much fun with the fondue that they dipped some marshmallows to share with the neighbour's kids. At that time, we were running short of the chocolate, so Big Uncle said, "Aiyah, no need to dip the whole marshmallow, just some on the side will do! If the whole thing is covered with chocolate, they won't know what you are offering to them! At least partially dipped, they can see that it's a marshmallow!"

Hahahaha!

There were about 20 of us and 1kg of chocolate was supposed to be enough. But Chocolate Line's chocolate was heavenly! My goodness, of all the chocolate fondues I have had at Haagen Dazs, Meltz at Mandarin Oriental, The Line at Shangri-la, Cafe Brio at Grand Copthorne & others, NONE of them come close to the rich & intense chocolate taste as Chocolate Line!

I wasn't expecting that great a standard, thinking it will be just like any other fondue and on Liquid Chocolate's website, there was no mention on how great-tasting their chocolate is. I was so pleasantly surprised at how dark-chocolate tasting their milk chocolate is! Awesome!

I would have ordered 2 packs if I know how well-received the fountain and the chocolate will be by everyone in the family! 老少咸宜and wholesome fun!

My plate of chocolate fruits! I think I had at least 10-12 sticks that night! Yummy yummy yummy!!!!

Found this photo amusing, because towards the end of the night, the uncles made themselves comfortable sat around the fountain, made small talk. And you guess it, NON-STOP fruits dipping!

The machine could only be on for 2 hours to prevent overheating. So after 2 hours of fun for everyone, the uncles were scrapping whatever they could from the remnants. Talk about regardless of age!

Washing up of the fountain was troublesome, as we the Husband had to dismantle tier by tier and swept off the liquid chocolate into a small bowl. If you are one to host regular home parties, I think such fountains will make great conversation-starter!

Come to think of it, why don't those candy bar services provide such chocolate fountains?

Mum-in-law birthday present from her daughter & son-in-law! They got it from Singapore Ebay for about S$600+. I had read about such stuff and didn't really know how useful such a cleaning machine was. Sister had been using this at her home for a while and she no longer sweeps the floor! I remember her telling me there's a wet version that does mopping! Cool!

The boys with some random dust to test the machine. Boys & gadgets.

This comes with 2 sensors that you can place at certain areas to prevent the robot from trepassing e.g. the altar. According to Sister, after a few cleaning rounds, the robot will remember the layout of the house and how to get about its cleaning in the most efficient way. A cleaning schedule can be set in the robot, say every morning 10am, the robot will do its round and when done, it returns to its charging station.

Amazing! Only thing is I find it a tad too noisy. But hey, clean house!

O-Photography

Home-baked tiramisu by Brother and his girlfriend! It had Bailey's so I didn't get to try. The Husband said it was delicious and better than the orange birthday cake Sister had gotten. =P

O-Photography

All the rush and frantic preparations became worth it because of this smile. =)

I hope to do something like this for my mother. She likes things grander and rowdier though. And provided we don't end up quarrelling. Oh well! Happy Thursday, folks!




Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

A trip to Ikea

After every annual feng shui audit of my home, there will be some minor changes to the house's colour scheme, which I'm most happy about. A change in the colour of bedsheets, curtains, seat cushions etc. is always very refreshing and welcoming for the new year.

No matter how hard I try, I'm very bad at coordinating colours for the house according to the Husband. There goes my Martha Stewart dream. It's a god-sent honestly that Master Dai Hu is very good at colour-coordinating. Because the Husband isn't any better than me. Haha!

In any case, a trip to Ikea is always fun to me! I only get to go out on weekends! No parcel packing/mailing!

I was staring at this set of bedsheets for some time with a deja vu feeling, but I couldn't put a finger to it. Then, it struck me. The spreadsheets that my stock lists are keyed in! I see these grids everyday! Excitedly told the Husband but he couldn't understand what my glee was about. Sigh. We have an 'industry gap'.

I love the Raspberry Pink cushions! So cheery! But I was looking for green or blue seat cushions. Got to 割愛.

Shopping at Ikea always have to end with having Ikea food. I love their food! The thing is their restaurant is always very crowded on weekends. So we usually get our food at the takeout counter. 

The queues are just as long, but it sure beats stuck in a noisy restaurant with kids around. I had not been to Ikea for very long and we were thrilled that the takeaway menu now includes the famous Ikea chicken wings! 好久沒吃了！There's meatballs too! The Husband is convinced that it won't be long before the cakes & tarts make their appearance at the takeout counter too. I love their cakes & tarts!

Snapped this while the Husband was queuing. It was his first time wearing this lime green FBT T-shirt and he was mad happy with it. He has a thing for green tops and this T-shirt was very comfortable on him. I think it's also because it only cost S$16.90 (if I remember correctly). Same colour as my green seat cushions. He kept going on and on about how he was returning to NTUC @ Nex to buy another piece. 哎喲，很長氣耶。

The last time I was there, I don't remember Ikea serves Coke. It has always been Pepsi in my memory. Was slightly grouchy when I thought I had to drink Pepsi. So thrilled Ikea is now serving Coca-Cola!! Happiness!

There were tons of people at the bar tables, chomping on their takeaway. We were lucky to find an empty sofa at the delivery arrangement area. It was a red sofa. I preferred their previous wooden benches.

I was holding my cup of Coke (no ice!) very precariously, because I had zealously filled it to the brim. Haha!

Found another photo in the Husband's Iphone. Most of us probably know how the nerves in our feet are linked to the health of our organs. But did you know our palms are too?

I started pressing certain areas on my palm after seeing this picture and oh my goodness, my palms are so sore! Someone I know has a heart problem and the fleshy part of her palm is always slightly blackish, especially when she lacks sleep. Now I know why! TCM is so cool!




Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu