MALAYSIA CHABOR by Joyce Chu 四葉草@Red People

I got captured by her sweet smile and cute looks... she is so pretty.... her singing is not too bad. This song is a bit funny. Just for laughs to reduce monday blues

Snapshot stories - theme for the day by wordpress

Snapshot stories for me are pretty few cos i rarely like to take photos. However, the one who makes me like to take photo would be the someone special whom I got to know a few years back.

Taking photos help us to engrave our memories with more meaningful rememberances when we are old and trying to reminiscence. Hmm... let me see which is the first photo I took.

This was taken on my 28th birthday

 

Something to remember about that I celebrated my birthday with my lovely cell of SM165.Besides me is my friend Dan Yang. Looking at the photo makes me think that I need to go and find that brown tee shirt to wear again. Haha, I have got too many clothes that I have only worn a few times and I chuck it one side. I think i really need to revamp my wardrobe again.

 

 

Going on a blogging challenge

I am planning to go in on a blogging challenge hosted by word press. It seems interesting  and that you have to blog according to the theme. I guess it is something for me to write on more interesting articles as well.

This challenge will start on 2nd June 2014. It is going to be first blogging challenge that i am going on. Hope that  I will not disappoint u people out there.

I also submitted for a blogging challenge on blogging award for best cooking blog. Let's see how it goes. I am going to write out some receipes that I have been practicing to share with you guys out that as well for th.e best cooking blog award

單戀雙城 - 主題曲《很想討厭你》by 林夏薇 (TVB)

 

This is my current favourite chinese song from the drama. So nice and it is sung by raymond lam's cousin lin xia wei. She has better talent in singing rather than acting i feel. Overall , this show 单恋双城 is also nice .

My new cooking toy ~~ playbear electric lunch box

Actually , I bought this new cooking toy for about 2 weeks already. Today is is the first day that I attempted to use it. Reason on buying it is because my thermo flask which has been serving me throughout my uni years is no longer able to keep food warm.

It is pretty simple to use just that the manual is in chinese. If your chinese is not good, you can try to get someone to translate for you. I attempted to cook the rice and the steam egg as per the instruction manual.

The rice is cooked just like in normal rice cooker. As for the steamed egg, it is pretty hard to wash off the stains even putting some oil on it. However, I am quite happy with this buy. I am looking forward to cooking more healthier meals at sch when i am studying during exams  with all the food pre- packed in it . Just go to sch to steam it.

**Note: please do not follow the manual to cook 150g of rice. Cos it can be taken in by 2 person.

 

Talent management - part 3 (talent planning)

Talent planning goes by the formula which is called A.C.E. A.C.E is being defined into 3 categories. A stands for alignment of business strategies and the needs of the people in the organization. C stands for creating the capabilities to develop talents and  E stands for engaging employees to stretch and excel.

There is a framework for talent planning which consists of coaching where you can use the intentional change theory, development based performance management more likely to be your normal KPIs and appraisals at work , application of strategic competencies in recruiting where you use the job descriptions to help you recruit the best employees to your organization, leadership development where you tend to identify and retain your star performers in the organization, implementation of skills and competency based workforce planning that is championed by the management in order to achieve the current and strategic business goals.

Factors that will help to optimize the talent planning are :

• Using the talent life cycle to link to business and people strategy
• Ensuring the alignment of the business strategy and people needs, creatping the capbilities to develop talents and engaging the employess to stretch and excel.
• Getting the committment from the leadership to influences the adoption of the ACE formula and also be able to handle the issues at large with closure.
• Optimise talents with better people measures to identify talent reservoir
• There must be a holistic talent management system that is being build.
• Having a career progression plan in mind for the staff will encourage them to perform better.

For further read ups, you may want to look into this book which is the talent management handbook by Lance A. Berger.

What is your brain good at?

I just did a simple quiz on what is your brain good at ? This quiz is simple and casual but not mean to be serious . My result is......

For me, this is pretty accurate cos i rarely think about stuff in images. This makes me think about cognitive psychology. What makes language interesting is the synatic first approach and the interactionist approach.

Synatic first approach means that it goes in the way of proper english sentence construction. You  would actually check the way the sentence is structured rather than the meaning that is wrapped within the sentence.

Interactionist approach actually take note of the meaning that is wrapped within the sentence. In this case, we look at how at sentence is phrase according to the meaning.

Parents at times might have problem coaching kids in terms of english sentence construction is because the kids tend to use this term which is called principle of late closure in sentence construction. Principle of late closure means that the person keep on adding on the new added word into the sentence without considering the context. It meant that  a sentence might never end in this way. Therefore, for composition writing it is best to help the kid to understand that when they are writing the story , they must consider the context and know when to end for a sentence.


You may want to try out this quiz just for fun at http://www.quizony.com/brain/9.html

 

Recent blog post which the blogger roy got into a law suit

Sometimes I wonder if blogging about politics is a taboo or what. I would feel that blogging about politics need a sense of justice to be aired and also that hoping the government would start to understand how citizens are feeling.

In the recent blog post which the blogger roy posted about the politics, he was issued with a letter. To a certain extent , there are really some hard truth reality but what matters most is that the government would not be corrupted. That's my prayer....

Seriously, at times I would really feel anguish on all the policies that are more catered to the high earning people. How would the ministers feel if they are supposed to probably live on 1.5k a month to feed a family of 5 ? I mean seriously even the welfare might not be enough to help them. Have any of our ministers really tried living out the normal citizens lifestyle? No doubt there are policies to help the elderly or so called pioneer generation . What about the sandwich generation ? Sandwich generation is those who are young parents and need to feed their kids and support their parents. The pioneer package cannot help a lot for the sandwich generation as there are many daily necessities to pay off . For e.g. 2 meals a day outside would cost a person about $15. How to cook at home when there is no time for cooking?

Seriously, I would rather say since some of our ministers for some reasons are already directors of some companies getting directorship. Would they really work for free to serve the country for certain months?

I would just hope that all governments in the world to be fair and just in their ruling and no more corruption in the world.

Free Parenting Workshop on 25 May 2014 or 29 May 2014

I am writing this in lieu of a free parenting workshop on financial education and also how to create a champion in your child as it has got limited seats available as provided by my friend. This free workshop is hosted at cool de sac. You may want to check out the website at http://cooldesac.com.sg/

For me , i believe in having sound financial education aids in planning for a better future for your kids. Giving them the champion mindset will help them in life as well as they will be more self reliant rather than dependent on others.
Interested parties, please email me at akimoto_emi05@yahoo.com.sg by 21.5.14 to reserved seats.

Reflections on the days where I am busy

As I was reading my textbook for my exams, I was just wondering on one of the topics that I am reading. Is it true that all of us would prefer to make our decisions of our hectic workload at the early part of the morning or would it be that we would ponder first till midday then rush through the day?

For me, it seriously depends on my caffeine intake for the day. Though it seems that having to plan at the earlier part of the day is better , it also depends on what kind of body u have. For me, I am a person who performs better from afternoon onwards.

With this I would like to leave you guys out there with this verse to help you take a stock check on your life.

New Living Translation of the bible: But as I looked at everthing I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless- like chasing the wind, There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

So make sure you live your life meaningful each day!

Chocolate Review~~~a dream come true

Recently , I have been invited by Choc Gourmet Chocolate to do a review on chocolates. However, I was really sick at that point before the tasting session so I asked one of my friend, Arifin who had done food review with me before to do the tasting.  Thanks to James and Mr Benny for the invite  and allowing my friend to do the tasting on my behalf.


Here's a little back ground of Chocz Gourmet Chocolate

Started by Mr. Benny Chua, who has had experience importing European ingredients, his goal of starting Chocz is to educate Asians on the art of appreciating fine chocolate.  By immersing yourself in the culture that the Europeans have cultivated, we can then reach a higher level of appreciation.  To that end, Benny has setup both a retail arm as well as wholesale business to reach his aim.  Also, by conducting Chocolate Appreciate as well as Chocolate Making Workshops, he hopes that more Singaporeans will be able to differentiate between fine chocolate, and the kind of additive-laden chocolates found in retail shops and supermarkets.  If you are interested in attending such a workshop, register at http://www.chocz.com.sg/chocolate-workshop/.  Because Chocz also caters to major hotel establishments in Singapore, don’t be surprised if you might have had a taste of the creation made by Benny’s company.


** Note: For the month of May except for Mother's Day , anyone who likes the facebook page of Choc Gourmet is entitled to a 10% discount.

Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/#!/chocz.sg

 

Here comes the review from the guest blogger for the day on his review for the chocolate tasting session.

Chocolate Heaven By Arifin

If you are a chocolate lover and are looking for seventh heaven, Chocz at Esplanade Mall might just be the place you are looking for.  Located at unit #02-13/15, it is next to the escalator from level 1 of the Mall.  Here, they serve not only just chocolate cakes, but also pralines, fondue as well as drink concoctions made from the best beans of cocoa on this planet.  As it is found in the heart of the Central Business District, if you need to have a meet outside of the office, make your way to this place.  It seats 20 to 30 people nicely.  They are also willing to host you should you need a place to conduct some discussions outside the office setting for 5 to 8 people.

How can you describe an establishment like Chocz, besides being a Shangri-La for fine chocolate?  Let me count the ways …

Firstly, they only use imported dark chocolate from Europe, Africa and also cocoa beans harvested in Java.  Chocolate was first introduced to Europe in the 1500s when the European explorers brought back the treasures from the New World.  Because the exploration business was expensive, it was mostly sponsored by the royal families and aristocrats. So, when we partake in these wonderful creations created by Chocz’s chocolatiers, we have to remember we are taking in something that is steeped in history.

Take for example, their Chocolate Drink.  Unlike a cup of hot chocolate you get from a fast food outlet or a coffee shop, at Chocz, they make it to order here.  So, instead of getting a drink that is in powdered form, what the staff will do is to making it from their imported chocolate bar.  They will make it from the finest dark chocolate (between 55% to 60% of dark chocolate) using a recipe from Switzerland.  For us Asians, unaccustomed to such quality products, we might find that the taste is too rich and bitter.  My first sip of this hot chocolate, it felt slightly bitter.  But a second sip, when the taste of cocoa gets to my palette, it is both rich and satisfying, and the luxuriousness of the chocolate envelops your mouth.  That’s when you want to wrap your hands around the unique cup that it has been served in.  The cup does not have a handle, so that you can wrap your palm around it.  If you were at Zermatt, a ski resort on Matterhorn (a mountain in Switzerland), you would welcome the warmth the cup of hot chocolate brings you!  Because they do not use vegetable fats, unlike the chocolate bars you might find at your convenience store or neighborhood supermarket, they achieved this result by using only the freshest of dairy cream.  Also, as this is unlike your typical Mars bar, it has a lower melting point.  A tip to enjoying such exquisite chocolate, it is best to eat these chocolates after you have let it warm up to room temperature.

If you like your hot chocolate to have a higher percentage of cocoa, you can create your own DIY hot chocolate too.  Add as much cocoa to your heart’s content!  You can even go up to as high as 72%!

 

 
                                           Figure 1: Hot Chocolate, in a handle-less cup

If you like dipping your food into warm liquid chocolate, then yes, they have got fondue too.  And they have 3 varieties to choose from – Standard, Venezuelan and Madagascar.  The differences are in the taste, color and viscosity of the liquid chocolate. 

The Standard, which uses a mixed blend of beans from Africa, is thicker and has a stronger taste, even though it uses the standard amount of dark chocolate, which ranges from 55% to 60%.  For us Asians who are used to spicy food, the Standard isis something familiar. 

The Venezuelan, using cocoa beans from the South American country, has a stronger aroma, lighter in color, even though it uses about 64% of dark chocolate, is more runny, and the tastes will linger in your mouth longer.  So if you are a health conscious chocolate lover, go for the Venezuelan, and watch the chocolate drip from your fruits and marshmallow. 

                                      Figure 2: Standard Fondue, using Dark Chocolate

Figure 3: Venezuelan Fondue, with a lighter viscosit of Dark Chocolate

Of course, the best is saved for last.  Cakes!  And they have a variety of cakes, and their signature line is, what else, a chocolate cake, it is topped with a ball of chocolate truffle!  It is a wider slice compared to other cake shops, and a slice retails for $6.50 for a slice of heaven!  It is rich and luxurious, but if you are sharing, 1 is not enough.  Weighing in at between 120 and 130 grams, it uses pure chocolate.  For me, having had 1 slice, makes me realize how much more time I have to spend at the gym and the extra laps in the pool!  But I would say, it is worth it.

 

                                          Figure 4: Chocz's signature line Chocolate Cake


I would call them a specialty shop, as they do not produce their cakes in large batches.  As such, if you would like to buy a cake for a special occasion, like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it is best that you place your order in advance, so as not to be disappointed!  This is because they want to ensure freshness in their cakes by producing only in small batches.

For Mother’s Day, they have made a special creation, a heart-shaped Chocolate Truffle Cake, made of dark chocolate and truffles, topped with shavings of white chocolate and nuts all over the side of the cake.

                                            Figure 5: Creation by Chocz for Mother's Day

Dark chocolate has been scientifically researched to be good for your heart and it helps to control your blood sugar, while being full of antioxidants.

So, if you are in need of some chocolate pampering, head down to Chocz today!  They are open from 11am to 11pm everyday.  The best time to pay them a visit is just after lunch at 2pm or before the start of any show at the Esplanade.  Then you’ll be able to enjoy such sinful pleasures that will only benefit your heart!


Pricing of the items tasted

Item	Price (Excluding GST & Service Charge)
Chocolate Cake (slice of 120 to 130gms)	$6.50
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – ½ kilogram (14cm)	$33
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – 1 – 1.2 kilogram (20cm)	$52
Fondue	$25 - $28
Hot Chocolate	> $10

 

 

 Location of the 2 outlets

Esplande Mall                                                   Leisure Park Kallang
8 Raffles ave                                                      5 Stadium Walk
#02-13/15                                                          #01-13 Leisure Park Kallang
S(039802)                                                          S(397693)
Tel/ Fax: 62380803                                           Tel/ Fax:62420135

 

What does your cup of coffee says about you?

For me , I am between a cappucino and a frappucino as it depends on my mood. I would say that the capuccino drinker seems quite accurate for one of my friend who loves to drink cappucino.

My latest buy -the xiao mi's redmi handphone

With all the recent advertisement of Xiaomi's red mi on the facebook so frequent on my facebook, I was lured into getting one myself as the specs where pretty not bad for a smartphone without contract.

Today marks the first month that i am holding on to a redmi. So far the only thing I would want to complain is the volume of the phone is too soft. However, it can be done by doing some changing of the settings in the phone. Here's the link http://en.miui.com/thread-17459-1-1.html.

Given for the fact that it is a China brand phone, I would not expect much. However, I really like the user interface ....so nice got so many cute cute cartoon theme for me to download.

Here's some photos i took using the redmi

 

For those who love taking selfies

For those who love taking selfies , please do take note that AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION MAKES IT OFFICIAL: ‘SELFIE’ A MENTAL DISORDER.

 

Levels of the disorder can be rated in the following

 

Borderline selfitis : taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day but not posting them on social media

Acute selfitis: taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day and posting each of the photos on social media

Chronic selfitis: Uncontrollable urge to take photos of one’s self round the clock and posting the photos on social media more than six times a day

 

I guess why taking selfie can be considereed as a mental disorder is because of this mental disorder called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD for short).

 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder  is a pre occupation with some imagined defect in appearance by someone who actually looks reasonably normal. The person afflicted with this disorder is concerned by skin and hair, doing a variety of checking or compensating rituals to alleviate their concerns, becoming house bound for fear of showing themselves to others, - excessive grooming and skin picking are also common,imagined bodily defect was real and reasonable source of concern and avoid looking into mirror.

Statistics- onset during adolescence peaking between 16-17 till 20s, chronic, men focus on body build , genitals, thinning of hair and women focus on varied body areas and more likely to have eating disorder, reluctant to get treatment , easily to get depression and substance abuse.

Causes could co–occur with obsessive compulsive disorder( concern with intrusive thought and also compulsive checking looks) and it displace mental stress to physical symptoms.

Treatment –Medicine to prevent the reuptake of serotonin, plastic surgery, skin treatment, dental surgery, cbt.

Easter Presentation True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre

 

Have you wondered sometime whether if you showed others your true colours will they leave you ? Sometimes, it is better to show your true colours rather than keeping it under wraps then you will know who are actually your real friends . It is the acceptance which is genuine just like Jesus loves us. With this, I would like to invite all to go and view the Easter Presentation , True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre . The above trailer is a sneak preview of how this presentation is done.

Just a side note of what is my daily reading from the bible about character building and helping others:

It is coming from Proverbs 3:27 -28 New Living Translation 

27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it

when it’s in your power to help them.

28If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,

“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

Talent management - part 2 (competency model)

Competency model ? How many of us who have worked in our own company understand that the

company that we worked in has a competency model ?  I bet there is rarely a handful of us.

Competency model is a model for the foundation for staff planning, career management and staff development management. After the development of the competency model, the competencies can be integrated into the recruitment process. Recruitment must be aligned to the businesses strategy and not based on any other requirement. Identifying the key competency of the present/future employees enables the company to determine if the current or new hire is right- fit.  Setting a performance target for every single employee not only improves the performance of employees, it also improves the organisation as a whole. With goals set, appraisal must be done periodically to let every employee not only gauge of their individual performance but also areas requiring further improvement  Through appraisal, areas where they are lacking can be improved with training  and development plans. The performance of an organisation is based on the quality of its values, employees’ competences and their ability to lead and excel. As organisation leaders, HR executives have to implement the appropriate competency framework/model and align the employees’ competencies to meet the business objectives.

Review of the show Mr Peabody and Sherman

I have watched the movie last sunday. So thought of writing it down for you guys out there. This show talks a little about how parents would sacrifice for their kids and also how kids get to understand their parents a little bit better only after they see how the parents rescue them from danger encounters.

Although this is an animated movie, i kind of like the animation.  There is a little tiny weeny bit of history that was been shown in animated form. However, I do not really like the way the language that was been used. It is kinda of coarse for kids to learn that especially for those aged below 5.

Anyway, it is time to spend some time bonding with the kids before school holiday ends.


 

Haze is back!

This is the status that at around 8.53pm which i have gotten from this website http://aqicn.org/map/singapore/. If you are feeling itchy around your eyes area, perhaps you might want to go to the link to check on the PSI level.

For sore , itchy throat,  perhaps you may want to try this herbal drink.

Ingredients:

prunella (selfheal spike), 夏枯草 (Pinyin: xià kū căo)
honeysuckle flower,金银花
chrysenthum 菊花
black sugar

you can just boil it with water and drink it to clear your throat.


 

Apprentice need for restoration industry

Hi all,

I am helping my friend to advertise for an apprentice for the restoration industry. Here's the following criteria he needed.

4 hours 5 days a week afternoons  12-4pm

No work experience required,  will teach on the job.

Requirements:
Good manual dexterity
Good colour perception
Punctuality and Thoroughness a must.
Some office work.
Remuneration depending on experience. 

Minimum 1 year for PA.

4 Years for Apprentice

Interested parties please contact him with CV at  info@faltermeier.biz

Dr.  Robert B.  Faltermeier
36 Moh Guan Terrace #01-34
Singapore 161036

Nice instrumental song

It so happened that i chanced upon this while on you tube and the music is fabulous to me . It helps me to be creative in writing my answers for assignments when i am stuck.