Vaccinate or not !

 I have been feeling pressured to jab due to my work nature and also volunteer work. It is a huge struggle for me cos I always have delayed responses to my food allergies to prawn, mango, and yam delayed as well as drug allergy for penicillin. 

Though the delayed response is not fatal as in just coming out red spots as in rashes, it still instills fear within me. Thoughts like what if the delayed response reacted when no one is at home with me or I am out at work, who is going to send me to the hospital? 

Employment has become difficult where non-vaccinated people are being discriminated against even at the start of the application. The application form will be having questions like are you vaccinated and which are the two dates that you have vaccinated.

Seriously, the art or pcr testing for my line of work is going to cost me a lot which I feel it is not going to be worthwhile. Even before I start work, I already have to pay for the test to say that I am negative from covid 19. However, the tests are costing about a few hundred each month.  Worst of all, employers can choose not to pay for employees on the test. Then what is the rationale for people who are working on a freelance basis to even do the vaccination?

Review of Hokkien bak zhang bought from 30s_kitchen

 Seriously, I was just contemplating to buy the bak zhang for 端午节·or not cos I can't really eat too much glutinous rice due to indigestion issue. However, I decided to get it for my bf as he was feeling a bit down under due to covid jab .So thought of something savoury that might cheer him up.

The moment I took the bak zhang from 30s_kitchen I took it for my bf to try. For a fussy and picky eater like him can say nice it must be really nice.  While at home, I tried it myself. I love the ability to taste the individual ingredient and also salted egg in the bak zhang that I like.

After trying the bak zhang myself, I decided to text my bf again to ask him if he managed to finish the second one. He said he managed to finish. I told him you see I never bluff you you will want a second helping one the zhang so small. I told him when I saw the post I knew this was the bak zhang I would love to eat. 

I think sipping with green tea or earl grey with bak zhang is going to be best.

So I will be looking forward to the new products from 30s_kitchen

My short vacation at colmar tropicale (not sponsored)

This year, it is the first time that I truly gave myself a break on labour day. Flying to Kuala Lumpur for the first time. It seems so suaku 'cos most people would have flown to Kuala Lumpur many times already.

For this trip's purpose is mainly to check off one of my bucket list which is Colmar Tropicale resort. It has been on my mind for about 3 years. This year, I finally decided to go there for the labour day holiday.

It was a short holiday of 3 days 2 nights. What attracted me to want to visit Colmar Tropicale was that French theme village. The last time that I visited a French theme village was in 2015 at Petite France, Seoul.

Why did I choose to come here for a short vacation? It was the romantic view which I miss petite France in Seoul. Needed a break to detox myself from the toxic people in the workplace. If not, I will have no creativity to come up with new dishes which are healthy and wholesome for myself and family.

Day 1

Upon arrival at KLIA airport, the first thing to do is to get to Berjaya times square to catch the free shuttle bus to Colmar Tropicale. Due to that, AirAsia has the tendency to have flight delay I requested for the shuttle bus timing to be at 5pm. 

I had arrived at Berjaya times square earlier at around 1pm to do some shopping. I had always loved clothes from nichi fashion. So I headed straight to the store while I was at Berjaya times square.

The journey to Colmar Tropicale takes about 1 hr from Berjaya times square.

Day 2 

As usual, I woke up early to have a hearty breakfast before heading out to the various places which I had intended to go like the Japanese village, an organic farm. When I was about to head for the organic farm, I heard that there was a landslide thus unable to go.

I had a very nice candlelight dinner to relax myself

Day 3 

Home sweet home to Singapore

How to stay upbeat at work even if it is at home ?

Working from home is pretty daunting for most of us due to the lack of space and also aircon issue. So in order to have personal space, you might want to schedule break times for each of you in the house so that there will not be cramming for space.

So these are a few things that you can do to stay upbeat at work even if it working from home

1. Trying new things at home- try to find new space or work out new schedules with your counter parts to do the zoom meetings.

2. Controlling your emotions- you might want to get a stress ball to hold onto to reduce your stress, taking control of negative thoughts, going out for a breather after half an hour with the pc or laptop.

3.Gratitude- counting your blessings 

4. Believe in yourself-When an involuntary thought makes you feel inferior at work, think of how far you have come.

5.Take time to recharge even during work cos you need a clear mind to work

How to choose a sport bra?

Photo taken from decathlon sg 

For a start, to look for better support the band around the bottom of the bra should be wide rather than narrow. Next, it should sit against the chest wall underneath the breasts and be a snug fit which will not slide up if you raise arms. If you have large breasts, you should look for wider straps so that the straps would provide better distribution of weight. At the same time, the straps should not stretch too much so as to reduce the up-down movement of the breasts.  The material of the sports bra should be able to wick away moisture from your skin. In order to prevent the chafing around the arm-holes, shoulders, and below the breast, select seamless material, cover those seams or those rolled with edges. Most importantly is to ensure that your whole breast should sit inside the bra and is held against the chest.

How to stop your sugar cravings

1. Eat small, regular meals

You have probably heard this one a few times before, but it's worth repeating! To eliminate sugar cravings you need to eat small, regular meals, with no more than three to four hours in between each meal. If you fast for longer than that, your blood glucose is liable to drop and you'll be tempted to reach for a sugary treat. Be sure to plan in advance for your day ahead; when you leave the house take a bag or cooler bag with healthy, low-sugar treats that you can snack on during the day. Planning really is integral to managing your sugar cravings.

2. Food Choices

Stand in front of your fridge and grocery cupboard and take a good look at the food inside. Throw out any food item that is processed, refined or loaded with added sugar. Replace your white rice, white bread, biscuits, sugar-coated muesli, cake, instant macaroni, ice cream, crisps and fizzy drinks with healthier options. Choose foods with a low Glycemic Load - they release energy slowly and steadily throughout the day, maintaining your blood sugar levels, preventing cravings, and leaving you satisfied for longer.

3. Water

Each of us consists of over 70% water, and it's needed for every single function in your body. In order for your body to function optimally, you should aim to drink at least two litres of water each day. If you are active, you may need to drink even more. In many cases, people reach for unhealthy snacks because they think they are hungry when they are actually just thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before each meal will make you feel fuller, reduce cravings and prevent bad dietary decisions. Remember that if you are feeling thirsty, that means you are already dehydrated.

4. Get Moving

You know that feeling you get after eating sugary snacks? Sugar releases a neurotransmitter named dopamine into your brain, which gives that characteristic 'high' associated with sugar. Well, exercise actually has a very similar effect, and can be used as a substitute to help wean yourself off your sugar addiction. Even something as simple as a long walk or a gentle cycle ride can help ward off those sugar cravings.

Tekka market goes online for the very first time!

Due to the coronavirus, many wet market stall owners have been affected. Especially our seniors who enjoyed shopping at the wet markets and also to bargain for the freshest deal that they could find.

So what happens is that the IMDA decided to partner with Tekka market to create a Tekka online market Facebook page for our seniors to be able to purchase the groceries via the Tekka online market Facebook page. The page will be launched on 5th of May 2020 between 12-3.30pm for its first debut and 2nd debut will be on the 12th of May 2020.

This is done for the sake of getting seniors to engage with social interaction via social media and also to be able to purchase fresh items from the wet market.

Here's the link for the facebook page to be able to shop at facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/TekkaOnlineMarket

The stall directory for stalls that are participating for the Facebook live selling

81 SHENG YU (81 生魚)

Founded in 1993 by a first-generation fishmonger, 81 Sheng Yu (81 生魚) sells a wide selection of fresh and saltwater fish – including pomfrets, leatherjackets, red snappers and of course, their specialty sheng yu (a.k.a. snakehead or ikan haruan). They also carry a variety of fresh seafood, from clams to cockles, crabs to prawns.

CHIA’S VEGETABLES SUPPLY

Chia’s Vegetables Supply has been bringing Singapore the freshest and most exotic fruits and veggies since 1981. They sell every vegetable under the sun – from Asian greens like kailan and chye sim to Western varieties such as New Zealand purple carrots, Australian fennel bulbs, Belgian endives and many others you’ve probably never even heard of before.

HAJI M N SHAHUL HAMEED MARKETING

As one of Tekka Market’s oldest stalls, Haji M N Shahul Hameed Marketing is a trusted source of Halal mutton, lamb and goat. Their high-quality meats are airflown fresh from New Zealand and Australia, and come in a variety of different cuts for your cooking needs.

Stay safe everyone! Have fun guiding the seniors to shop online :)