A lil' something to lighten up your day :)

*WARNING : lotsa images ahead*

Happy Holidays Peeps! :)

Dealin' with stress? Fret not !

Here's a few ways to combat stress.
Good to know,especially when the number of assignments keep increasing. :S

1 Good news for garlic lovers ! EAT GARLIC !



The main ingredient in garlic when digested is organosulfur allicin, which triggers your body to produce hydrogen sulfide. The combo creates an internal reaction that relaxes blood vessels and encourages blood flow. Translation: garlic is good for your heart and your head and helps manage stress.

2 Rub your hoku !



Hoku is that flap of skin on your palm that connects your pointer finger to your thumb. It's also an acupressure spot related to upper body tension that, when squeezed, can minimize stress by up to 39%—that's according to scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

3 Get away.



Everyone needs a "get away" sometimes.
Sometimes a change, however small, can do wonders for your spirit.Go somewhere new for a few hours, or a few days if you can afford to. If not, it may be helpful just to "get away" to a warm bath for a little while!

4 Just TALK !



Don't hold all your feelings within! Discuss your stressful feelings with someone you trust who will listen without being judgmental or pressuring you to their own point of view. Even if you can't change the immediate situation, talking about it helps alleviate some of the tension you may be feeling. Supplement the verbalizing with something physical: write it out, exercise or hit a pillow.

5 Embrace your clutter.



For years, neat-freak moms have been insisting on orderly bedrooms for the sake of productivity, sanity, and just seemingly to pester. Not anymore! Eric Abrahamson (a Columbia School of Business Professor) and David H. Freedman (a journalist) have found that moderate messes can actually enrich creativity and minimize anxiety.

Dolphin Safe.

Dolphin safe label on a can of ayam brand tuna.

Have you noticed this label on the tuna can?
Have you even wondered why is there a dolphin safe label on a can of tuna? TUNA !
The label basically shows that the fish has been caught without harming or killing dolphins.

What most people do not know is that dolphins are common bycatch in tuna fisheries
as dolphins usually can be found swimming together with a school of tuna.
Specifically yellow fin tuna.

Dolphins are also used as a way to track tuna as dolphins are easier to spot.
Cause dolphins swim closer to the surface.Hence,they get netted together with the tunas.

HENCE,the logo.haha.

Two standing spirals.

Ferrofluid on a sheet of glass with a magnet underneath.

So what is Ferrofluid?
A ferrofluid is a liquid which contains incredibly small pieces of a magnetic substance.
Cobalt,magnetite & iron are usually used.
It is crucial that the pieces of metals in the substance is small enough to remain in a liquid state when magnetized.

Morpho towers - TWO standing spirals

Basically its an installment that's designed by Sachiko Kodama where two ferrofluid sculptures moves synthetically to music.

Once music is played,the magnetic fields around the tower strengthens .Fluid then moves & rotates up the tower & forms different shapes as the music plays.

Want to make ferrofluid?
One type of ferrofluid you can make uses magnetite for the magnetic particles, oleic acid as the surfactant, and kerosene as the carrier fluid to suspend the particles.

The surfactant is to prevent the particles from sticking together.
A typical ferrofluid is about 5% magnetic solids, 10% surfactant, and 85% carrier, by volume.

Dolls at the gardens.

So I came across these japanese dolls when I spent the day out with my cousins at the gardens.
After some research,these dolls are called kimmidolls.
Each japanese doll have their own japanese name that carries their own meanings.
I think each doll also has its own purpose?
I'll let the pics do the talking.

Food & its trad.

First of all,Happy Chinese New Year !



Last time,fishermen along the coast of guangzhou traditionally celebrated Renri by feasting on their catches on that day.Renri,is the seventh day of chinese new year.

Those catches are now known as Yee Sang,Yu Sheng which is a chao-zhou style raw fish salad.

Basically,family and friends gather around and toss this dish with chopsticks.As they toss,they chant auspicious wishes out loud at the same time to mark the start of a prosperous new year.

It is believed that the higher one toss,the greater the fortune! :D

Moving on to the japanese,



Ramen is the fourth most eaten food in japan & the japanese do take their ramen seriously.
A bowl of ramen holds a house-made soup, springy noodles, the chef's own tare (a mix of soy sauce, sugar and rice wine to flavor the soup) and exactly six traditional toppings. The wait at top Tokyo ramenyas can be up to three hours.

Did you know that slurping is expected at these eateries?Loud,sloppy slurping is not only tolerated,but encouraged?

It is a japanese tradition to slurp ramen & drink the soup out of the bowl.


Picture shown above is cha soba noodles.Cha as in green tea.

I had this while I was still in Sabah with my mum before I came here.
Apparently,that was the first and last time my mum's gonna have this hahaha.
Soba noodles are served cold with a raw quail egg.
So you just pour the quail egg into the cold broth and then pour it onto the noodles and slurp away.

Then you have the jews.



Soofganiot (doughnuts) and latkas or livivot (potato pancakes) are traditional fried and dairy food eaten during Hanukkah.

So why fried?
Fried food reminds them of the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Dairy on the other hand because it is often eaten on Hanukkah to remind us of the story of the Jewish heroine, Yehudit (Judith).

Yehudit saved her village which was under siege by the Syrians. The Syrians were trying to starve the Jews so they would surrender.Thus,in memory of this story, it has recently become a tradition to eat dairy food on Hanukkah.

Reduce,Reuse,Recycle.

The issue global warming is no stranger to the society as the earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change.One of the ways to slow down drastic climate change is by recycling.

It would be a waste to use eco bags to throw out the trash now wouldn't it?
Hence,I'd like to share a plastic bag folding method to all of you as it helps save a lot of storage space.At the same time,promotes the reuse of plastic bags.


Before : (Plastic bags all crumpled up in another plastic bag.As you can see,it takes up alot of space.)



After (The same bag with more storage space.) :


1) Fold the bag sideways twice.



2) Fold the edge into a small triangle and continue till you almost reach the other side of the bag.

3) Fold the end


4) Open up the slit between the triangle and fold the end in.




The end result :D :

I personally think that this method of folding the bags is far more effective than the usual way of folding them,which is the square-ish way.So yeah,try it out.