Our Wedding Day on 20.03.2011 - Lin Yee & Vanessa

After many many days of planning, worrying and more planning...it all finally fell into places immaculately :)

Thanks to all those who made it a reality...Vanessa, my family - Pa/Ma, Tuako, Tuasoh, Diko, Disoh, Sako, Sasoh, Jassie & Gary :) My newly gained family :) Both sides for their unwavering support throughout the wholetime. Michelle, thanks for doing the great work during the registration time..

Also a special thanks to my heng-dais - Kay Jinn/Kayse (wife), Jaydee, Gelearn, Kin Mun, Nat & Chee Hoong/Lit Ping (wife). And also Serena! Lih King thanks for being my Chief Hengdai - with perfect time-keeping and running the chores during the day and the banquet evening.

The ji-muis - Michelle, Agnes, Phooi Teng and Mei Fui for sacrificing their precious morning sleep and for making the evening event run smoothly.

And all the guests who came and celebrate our big day with us in the evening ^_^

Thank you!

And here's a little electronic memento from our big day to all. Enjoy. Below is our wedding day photos:



Here's the same day edit/MTV version of the photos:



And here's the same day edit/MTV version of the videos:

Yin and Yang of food

Important article on food...
[copied from Ruth Tan's article in ezinearticles.com]

When a Westerner hears the term 'heaty' or 'heatiness', he/she would probably ask what it is. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is a common concept related to the balancing of 'yin' and 'yang'. Most people, especially the Chinese in Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singaporeans are familiar with this notion of heaty (yang) (as opposed to cooling or yin) as it is a Chinese form of expressing certain set of symptoms or sensations often associated with emotional or physical reactions such as:

o Feelings of irritability;

o Short temper;

o Fever;

o Constipation;

o Flushed face or cheeks;

o Dark yellow urine;

o Sore throat;

o Nose bleed;

o Outbreak of pimples and acne;

o Rashes;

o Mouth ulcers;

o Indigestion.

Excessive "cold" energy in the body, on the contrary, will make us feel weak, lethargic, tired and restless.

The constitution of each person is influenced by congenital factors as well as the acquired lifestlye (e.g diet, stress level, amount of exercise and sleep, living environment), and this varies from person to person. In other words, different foods act upon the human body in different ways and affect our state of health. The body's metabolism, functioning of organs and organ structure all combine to determine our susceptibility to these heaty and cooling effects of foods.

Examples of cooling and heaty foods:

Cool (yin) Foods:

Bamboo shoot, banana, bitter gourd, clam, crab, grapefruit, lettuce, persimmon, salt, seaweed, star fruit, sugar cane, water chestnut, watermelon, lotus root, cucumber, barley, bean curd, chicken egg white, marjoram, oyster, pear, peppermint, radish, strawberry, tangerine, and yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower, zuccini, corn, tomatoes, pineapple, turmeric.

Neutral (balanced yin and yang) Foods:

Corn, abalone, apricot, beef, beetroot, black fungus, carp, carrot, celery, chicken egg yolk, cuttlefish, duck, fig, honey, kidney bean, lotus fruit and seed, milk, olive, oyster, papaya, pork, potato, pumpkin, radish leaf, red bean, plum, sunflower seed, sweet rice, sweet potato, white fungus, yellow soybean, brussels sprouts, snow peas, sweet potato, taro, dates, figs, raspberries, raisins, sage, rosemary, thyme, brown rice, apple.

Heaty (yang) Foods:

Pepper, cinnamon bark, ginger, soybean oil, red and green pepper, chicken, apricot seed, brown sugar, cherry, chestnut, chive, cinnamon twig, clove, coconut, coffee, coriander (Chinese parsley), date, dillseed, eel, garlic, grapefruit peel, green onion, guava, ham, leaf mustard, leek, longan, mutton, nutmeg, peach, raspberry, rosemary, shrimp, spearmint, sweet basil, tobacco, vinegar, walnut, jackfruit, durian, leek, shallots, spring onion, , apricots, blackberries, black currant, mangoes, peaches, cherry, mandarin orange, grape.

How a food is prepared also matters. E.g Beef is considered as neutral, but if you have it deep fried or grilled, it would be considered as heaty. In addition, there are some interesting broad guidelines to determine whether a certain food is heaty or cooling:

Heaty/yang foods:

o grow under the hot sun;

o are sweet;

o have lots of fats;

o rich in sodium;

o are hard, dry or spicy.

Cold/yin foods:

o grow in little sunshine;

o are salty;

o are lean;

o rich in potassium;

o soft and wet;

The heatiness and cooling effect of foods refer to their capacity to generate sensations - either hot or cold in our body. They do not refer to the state of the food but its effect on our bodies. For example, tea is a cooling food. This means that it generates cold energy in our body. To seek a balance in diet, we can classify food as predominantly yin or yang. Hence, if you eat predominantly yin foods, your body will be capable of producing only cold energy, in contrast, eating predominantly yang foods produces hotter energy. If a person suffers from cold rheumatism, eating foods with a warm or hot energy would be helpful. If a person suffers from acne eruptions due to consumption of fried foods, it is beneficial to eat cooling foods to counter heatiness and relieve symptoms.

The concept of heatiness is not meaningful or relevant in the western medicine paradigm. However, it is believed that there is some parallel to Acid (heaty) and alkaline (cooling) balance, or protons and positive charges (heaty) and cooling (electrons and negative charges). Medicine evolves. Conventional medical doctors in the west has long started to integrate and learn about alternative treatments or medicines and incorporate them into their practice. Today they believe that these new medical approaches are beneficial and effective in many ways.

On Cancer cells

Below are some useful facts that most, if not all, of us will find useful.

"AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHRAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
    
    CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

• Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
  
  
• Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.
  
  
• Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
  
  
• A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
  
  
• Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
    
    

CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL, U S - PLEASE READ

1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.

Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life."

To Reiss or not to Reiss?

Serena came and went. Life is back to normal on Sunday afternoon.

Let's have a walk backwards in my memory lane.

We both flew to Edinburgh to visit her aunt on Friday very very early in the morning. Left the apartment at 4.30am. Yes, it was that early. And that essentially meant only like one hour of sleep, or rather rest, for me since we were out until late on Thursday - doing shopping in the morning, shopping in the afternoon and then dinner with Yu Meng and Chee Hoong in C&R and then dessert in some cafe in SoHo. Kinda nice. I believe this is the kinda life I have been missing all too much at home in KL.

There was lotsa fun and education. Yes education! One of them being BST. Binary Security Token. That's what you get from an American-ised friend :) Although, I can't exactly say she has been fully American-ised considering she flew into the UK on the fourth of July. Some might say she is a traitor. But I just think she missed me too much! Hehehe. (Chee Hoong, see what you have done to me!)

Anyway, let's have a look at some of the first set of photos that my new friend has captured when we were in Edinburgh.

So what's changed post-Serena's visit apart from being able to blog this? For one thing, Paper Denim & Cloth stock now has one pair of jeans less. Ted Baker found a most unexpected customer for its shoes. And some manager in a Covent Garden Reiss store is one jacket closer to his sales target. Quite a big spend there, but I think it's definitely worth it. Especially when this coincides with the completion of one stage of my actuarial exams :) That means three more papers to go! :) Great weekend, albeit a sleep-deprived one.

My new friend :)

She is very pleasant looking. Not exactly the supermodel type or the actress/celebrity type of beauty, but comfortable enough for my liking. I have already fallen for her ever since I was aware of her existence in mid-May and though we were still strangers until last week, my feelings for her has just been growing and growing over the weeks.

So enough is enough, I needed to do something about it. I finally made my move. I went and got her acquaintance. That has just been a week ago. Initially, my feeling was quite nervous and unsure about it all. But now, it felt good. Am so glad that I went up to her that fateful day. One interesting thing about her is that she constantly helps me capture memorable and meaningful moments in life. Even dull moments can be uplifted with her accompaniment.

Don't think you will have a chance to meet her in the near future. So, let me introduce her to you. Her name is peculiarly similar to one of my favourite classical piece by Pachelbel. Her name is Canon. But most people call her by her nickname 400D. Canon 400D. Below is a picture courtesy of her.

Gap standard

The last couple of weeks has been one of the more interesting periods that I have had in a long while. Nothing can be as good as meeting old friends and more importantly spending countless hours jiang niao hua and having a good time. And doing so many things in a span of one weekend. Here's a glimpse of the topics that popped up. From defining what organic food constitutes to discussing Blair & Iraq war, from Gap shopping to Gap standard, from a refreshingly thought-provoking 'play' in Dean Street to witnessing a refreshingly good experience outside Sainsbury (am sure someone would agree ;)), and from being introduced Functional integrals to introducing Copulas. Really does seem like enormous span of time and space has been traversed in only two-three days. Good time has been had.

And then just a week after, I got a letter saying that I have been exempted from one of the actuarial exams: ST0. May mean nothing to almost everyone who reads this. But to me, it means almost 3 months of my expected study life! Or simpler still, I can enjoy life three months longer than expected :)

For celebrating the exemption, I went shopping. Got myself a white jacket. Do I look good in white? I don't know. Just want to try something new. Weird, unique, interesting, bright, contrasting are the words that comes to mind. Mr. Tong seems to think it looked okay. But I am still sceptical. Looks like a medical doctor. But am slowly getting used to it though. But I am up for trying new things now :) And hence, I just washed it and decided to keep it.

Random news. My metabolism rate seems to have increased! Evidence? I am eating more, feeling less cold than people around me and I am even sleeping less. Ok..maybe the sleeping less is unrelated. Whether this is good or bad, I have no idea, but I just feel good. That's more important.

Life is just beginning to get interesting. London is beginning to appear more and more attractive than I first expected. I have a feeling that I am beginning to fall in love with the city more and more.

I think I - Byul

"I think I" by Kim Go-Eun (김고은) aka Byul (별)
(Soundtrack for Full House)

그럴리 없다고 아닐꺼라고 믿었죠 um-
It wasn't possible, so I believed it wasn't true

내가 그댈 사랑한단 이말도 안되죠 um-
Me loving you, these words don't even make sense

괜한 질투일꺼라고 내가 외로운가보다고
I'm probably just jealous, I guess I'm getting lonely

자신을 속여봤지만 이제 더는 난 감출수가 없는걸요-
I hid my feelings before but I just can't do it anymore

I think I love you 그런가봐요-
I think I love you that's how it seems

Cause I miss you 그대만 없으면
Cause I miss you when you're not around

난 아무것도 못하고 자꾸생각나고
I can't do anything except think about you

이런걸 보면 아무래도-
If I look at how things are I know

I'm falling for you 난 몰랐지만-
I'm falling for you, I didn't realize it but

Now I need you 어느샌가 내 맘 깊은곳에 아주
Now I need you, somehow deep in my heart it grew

크게 자리잡은 그대의 모습을 이젠 보아요~ um-
Now all I want to do is take care of you


우린 안어울린다고, 친구 그게 딱 좋다고 um-
Maybe we are not suited to each other, it would be good if we are just friends

하나부터 열개 도대체 뭐 한개라도 맞는게 없는데-
From one to ten, we never agree on anything

어떻게사귈 수있냐고 말도안돼는얘기라고
How can we have a relationship? People say we won't be able to do it

말하며 둘러 댔지만 이제더는 난 그러기가싫은걸요-
I've been surrounded by those words and I don't want to be anymore.

I think I love you 그런가봐요-
I think I love you that's how it seems

Cause I miss you 그대만 없으면
Cause I miss you when you're not around

난 아무것도 못하고 자꾸생각나고
I can't do anything except think about you

이런걸 보면 아무래도-
If I look at how things are I know

I'm falling for you 난 몰랐지만-
I'm falling for you, I didn't realize it but

Now I need you 어느샌가 내 맘 깊은곳에 아주
Now I need you, somehow deep in my heart it grew

크게 자리잡은 그대의 모습을 이젠 보아요~ Hoo~
Now all I want to do is take care of you

왜 몰랐죠 그대라는걸 Woo~
I didn't realize how I felt about you,

왜 못봤죠 바로 앞인데~~Hoo~yeh-
Why couldn't I see? It was right in front of me

그 동안 이렇게 바로 내곁에 있었는데
That whole time you were right next to me

왜 이제서야 사랑이 보이는건지~~Hoo-
Why is it now that I finally see that it is love?

I think I love you 그런가봐요-
I think I love you that's how it seems

Cause I miss you 그대만 없으면
Cause I miss you when you're not around

난 아무것도 못하고 자꾸생각나고
I can't do anything except think about you

이런걸 보면 아무래도-
If I look at how things are I know

I'm falling for you [Falling For You] 난 몰랐지만-
I'm falling for you [Falling For You], I didn't realize it but

Now I need you [Now I Need You] 어느샌가 내 맘 깊은곳에 아주
Now I need you [Now I Need You], somehow deep in my heart it grew

크게 자리잡은 그대의 모습을 이젠 보아요~
Now all I want to do is take care of you