Can You Predict Your Future?

(Source: PhotoBucket)

When I was just a little girl,

I ask my mother what will I be,

Will I be pretty, Will I be rich,

Here's what she said to me,

Que Sera Sera, Whatever will be will be,

The future's not ours to see,

Que Sera Sera, what will be will be.

I remember when I was young, my mum used to sing Que Sera Sera song to me. I woke up this morning with the song in my head and when I sang along and reached the second last line, I begin to wonder whether things like fortune telling, horoscope and Chinese astrology are for real.

It seems so accurate and yet there is always a thought at the back of my head telling me how it could only be a coincidence. Isn't life all about unpredictability and uncertainty? If these so called, blue prints of life are precise, there will be no mystery and excitements left in life, thus there be no reason to live anymore.

Having said that, some people are willing to hear what life has in store for them. Don't get me wrong, it is reasonable for a person to want to know their future, but it is the thought of knowing that your very existence is all planned out and you are just living it according to how it was "planned" that scares me. It's like there is a greater power other than your own out there governing you and there isn't really anything you can do about it.

How accurate are they? Back in Malaysia, on one fine day, I followed a friend to a palm reader. To my surprise, the palm reader was able to tell accurate things that occurred to me, and when was put to the test, he seems confident about what he was saying. I also noticed that there were books about the lines on your palm and what they represent. Another thing was that the palm reader was able to tell very realistic picture of your future plus your personality. It's like your palms has a record of every statistic and traits about you and it will calculate your future. Freaky, isn't it?

When I read the daily horoscope on magazines, newspapers or the Internet, however, it doesn't seem to be very accurate. It was very general and most of the time, it tells about things that have nothing to do with what's happening today. Even so, whenever I picked up a magazine, I find myself turning the pages to the horoscope section and started reading just for the fun of it. I sometimes wonder whether the daily horoscope applies to anybody who is Libra. I have a few friends who have same horoscope as mine, but our personalities are different, and events around us are the opposites. So far, I find astrology reading by Susan Miller quite accurate. I read it every month and have recommended the website to a few friends.

It has always been in my opinion that future speculations are made on the basis of possibilities. For example, if your horoscope says you will be forced to spend a significant amount of money today due to an unexpected event and you so happened to spend a bit more on something, the normal reaction would be to believe it - but how about the other days which the same thing occurs but nothing was mentioned in your horoscope? I guess the mind is what makes future readings true.

I try not to believe 100% in all readings. I trust that our future will change depending on the decisions and path we take today. I may go to a fortune teller once in a while just to listen to what he or she has to say about my life, believing maybe 50% of it. I rather not have a predictable life. I wouldn't want to know what's around the river bend until I reach it.

How about you? Which topic will you concentrate on when you are trying any of the astrology reading such as Face reading, Palm reading, Clairvoyant, Tarot cards, Numerology, Chinese Zodiac etc? I find the most popular topic to be compatibility in love and relationships; or fortune and money.

Do share your experience!

Save the Puppies, Say No to Puppy Mills

On May 29, 2008, Oprah Winfrey revealed an industry fraught with problems and apparent cruelty. The broadcast showed puppy mills with small cages, with chicken wire floors, stacked in rows from floor to ceiling, and stated that many dogs spend their entire lives within these tiny cages. Many of these dogs are sold on the internet or by pet retailers to buyers who are unaware of the dogs' background. The report claimed that customers who object to this treatment of puppies unknowingly allow the industry to thrive. It also pointed out that many of the puppy mill bred dogs suffer long-term health problems. (Source: Wikipedia)





You may have watched these on Oprah last year, but for those who missed the show, please take a moment to watch the videos. I think it is important to share this because not many people are aware of the treatment these dogs get in puppy mills.

I am a dog lover (as well as my whole family), and whenever our dog gave birth to a big number of puppies, we always try to give the puppies away to close friends who will take care of the puppies well. Back in my hometown, I remember seeing dogs being kept in wired cages under the hot sun and never been left out to run around in the garden. Some dogs are tortured, beaten up and kicked. Instead of being treated as part of the family, the dogs are only to "take care" of the house. The owner never play with their dogs, clean/shower, feed them proper food etc.


It is painful to know that these dogs are not loved the way they are supposed to.

What are Puppy Mills?

Puppy Mills (also known as puppy farms) are large scale dog breeders that force dogs to produce litter after litter. The breeders only care about profit-making than the health and welfare of the animals. The puppies are sold in pet stores, over the Internet or newspaper advertisements.

Conditions of Dogs in Puppy Mills

- Very poor hygine and housing conditions

- Breeding animals continually mated, including over-breeding (too many litters per female) and in-breeding (mating close relatives)

- Kept permanently in overcrowded cages. Never allowed out of the cage to exercise, play, have companionship or to urinate/defecate. Some never walked on grass their whole life.

- Minimal or no vet care

- Limited shelter, cramped environment

- Poor maternal nutrition

- Lake of adequate socialisation

Consequences of Poor Breeding Conditions

Puppies from mills normally have:

- Long-term health or behavioral problems

- Social problems. More prone to have problems with their temperament.

- Dogs transported over long distances in poor conditions, sometimes resulting in deaths.

- Surviving dogs are more prone to develop respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, and hereditary defects such as hip dysplasia as they grow older.

How can we help?

You can help by:

- Choosing not to buy pets or pet supplies from retail stores, internet sites or newspaper ads.

- Adopting abandoned pets from Animal Rescue instead of buying

- Making donation to funds the animal rescue. They are many sites through which you can donate. One of them is http://stoppuppymills.org

- Signing a Petition to ban puppy mills in your area. I have signed the petition "Save Our Animals! Ban Puppy Mills in Australia"(<---click here to sign the petition). If you are in Australia, please sign this petition to help reach their goal of 5,000 signatures.

- Spread the word. Create awareness.

Please think twice before buying animals from pet store. Find out where they really come from before you take them home.

Save the Puppies, Say No to Puppy Mills!


References:
http://stoppuppymills.org
http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/
http://www.seawolfproductions.com.au
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_mill
http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-a-puppy-mill/puppy-farm_322.html
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/slideshow1_ss_global_20080404

Mid-Autumn Festival

Above: Courtesy of exif

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie, in Chinese), also known as the Lantern Festival, Moon Festival or Moon Cake Festival, is a popular harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Lunar Calendar. On this day, family members and friends will get together to admire the bright full moon, displaying colourful lit lanterns and eat moon cakes. Children will be seen carrying lit lanterns in various shapes and designs, and walking around their neighbourhood in a group.

How the festival comes about has so many variations and sources. However, the story which is more familiar to me is about an archer named Houyi and his beautiful wife, Chang'e. You can find other versions of the story in Wikipedia.(<-- click here)

Above: Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit are often shown on the moon cake packaging (from Wiki)

Houyi was an immortal, who married  beautiful young girl, Chang'e, who was working in the Jade Emperor's Palace as the attendant to the Queen. They were consequently banished from heaven due to conspiracy by other jealous immortals, and forced to live by hunting on earth.

During this time, there were ten suns, in the form of Three-Legged Birds. Each day, one of the sun would have to travel around the world. One day, however, all ten suns circled together, causing the earth to burn.

The Emperor of China commanded Houyi, who became a famous archer, to shoot down all the suns but leave one to the benefit of the humans. As a reward, the Emperor gave him a pill which granted eternal life. He advised him not to take the pills until one year later. Houyi brought the pill home and hit it.

While Houyi was away one day, Chang'e discovered the pill and swallowed it. All of a sudden, she began to fly. Houyi, who had returned home at that moment, saw Chang'e flying and was upset at her. She then flew out into the sky. Houyi sped after her but failed because of the strong wind.

Above: Chang'e (courtesy of globalgal)

Now, there were three fairies who appeared as poor old men. They begged for food from a fox, a monkey and a hare. The fox and the monkey both had food to give. The hare, empty-handed, jumped into a blazing fire and offered his own flesh. Touched by the sacrifice and act of kindness, the fairies sent the hare to the Moon Palace, where he became the Jade Rabbit.

So Chang'e reached the moon. She was too tired and started to cough. Part of the pill fell out from her mouth. She requested the hare, who was accompanying her on the moon, to make another pill so she could return to her husband.

Until today, the hare is still trying to make the pill. That is why when you look at the moon carefully, you may see a figure of a rabbit. Others say that it is a shape assumed by Chang'e.

Above: The full moon shines extra brightly (from tangdynastytimes)

As for Houyi, he built himself a palace in the sun. Once a year, during the full moon of the eighth month in the Lunar Calendar, Houyi visits his wife. That is why, on Moon Festival, the full moon shines extra brightly and looks so beautiful in the night sky.

Above: Original simple moon cake with egg yolk

In another folk tale, during the Yuan Dynasty, the Chinese rebel leader distributed thousands of moon cakes to the Chinese residents. Inside each cake, tehre was a piece of paper with a message to kill the Mongol rulers on the moon festival. The rebels successfully overthrew the government, and Ming Dynasty was established. From that day onwards, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated with moon cakes nationally.

After a long story on the moon cake festival, it's time to drool over this! So get your towel and bucket ready...

Please click on the link below to view. It's a MUST see. =)

1. 12 Moon Cakes You Don't Want to Miss in 2009
2. 12 More Moon Cakes You Don't Want to Miss in 2009

I saw these two articles while searching for moon cakes pictures. They look so delicious but too many photos to post.

You may notice that most of them are from Singapore hotels...ahhh...I'm so envious of anybody who is Singapore right now. =P Anyone care to send one across to me??

Anyway, some more photos to share...enjoy~


PS: I know I steal many photos from the Internet, but once I buy myself a reliable camera, I will start posting my own photos *winks*

Photos: Courtesy of asiaone

 

I love this the most!! After eating the moon cake, I can use that as a pretty little jewellery box

Photos: Courtesy of he@rt

Photos: Courtesy of Joze

 Photos from StarMetro

More Photos courtesy of subby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading. Till next time. Have a good day.

Dust Storm attacking Southern QLD!

Above: Photo I have taken from the Internet - before and during dust storm in Sydney (sorry, I did not manage to capture the picture in Qld with my own camera)

This morning I went to work as usual - was too busy to even look outside the window, until my husband sms-ed me and told me that the sky is red. Very very red! I thought it was the sun or cloud, but when I got the chance to get up from my seat and went to look outside, it was soooo orange and blur! Unbelievable! It was dust storm!! Look at the photo above..so much difference.

Above: Another photo from the Internet

The whole sky was red/ orange. I could not even see the Gateway bridge in front of my office. Other building disappeared. The news stated that it was the worst dust storm in a decade. Yesterday, Sydney was blanketed with the dust...the strong wind must have driven it here today.

Above: Another photo from the Internet (this looks closer to what I was seeing this afternoon)

The dust storm caused slowdown in traffic, bye-bye to horse racing and also delays and cancellation of flights. This has also raised health concerns. I was okay because of the indoor, air-conditioned office..now while writing this blog, I feel like I'm breathing dust and sand into my lungs. Even my car was covered with brown "sand" so now it looks rusty.

The Health Department advised those with respiratory illnesses and heart problems to stay indoors. For most people, the dust will only irritate the eyes, nose and throat.

I hope the dust storm go away...

Venom Spitting Snake behind my Kuching House

I was at a friend's house for Hari Raya visit yesterday when my mum called. She said there was a snake in the garden at the back of our house! A venom spitting snake! Apparently my dog, Tina, was really noisy the whole morning and was beginning to push my dad's flower pots down. My mum and my youngest brother went to check but thought maybe it was just rats. My youngest brother moved the flower pot away (to see whether there are rats), and seeing nothing, he walked away, towards my kitchen door.

Suddenly, my mum spotted a black snake about three or four feet away from my brother! She asked him not to move or the snake will attack him. Before she could do anything, Tina jumped between my brother and the snake and tried to attack it. My brother quickly ran inside the house after that.

                      Above: Not very clear but you can see the black snake with white spot on its head in an attacking stance

Anyway, during the "fight", the snake sprayed its venom on Tina's eyes. After a while, it escaped. Poor Tina. My mum and my two brothers are trying to treat it because she doesn't let them bring her to the vet. She is a very, very fierce dog. I am still waiting for news whether she is getting better.

I did some research on the internet last night about venom spitting snake and summarized them as follows. If you come across any venom spitting snake, please be careful.

What is a spitting snake?

Spitting snakes have the ability to eject venom from their fangs. These snakes do not actually spit but rther squirt their venom. Pressure on the glands forces the venom out through forward facing holes at the tips of the fangs.

Species of spitting snake and where they are commonly found

1. Haemachatus
 - Hemachatus haemachatus (African ringhal cobra)

2. Naja

Naja nigricollis (African black-necked cobra)
Naja siamensis
Naja pallida (Mozambique red spitting cobra)
Naja mossambica (Mozambique spitting cobra)
Naja ashei
Naja katiensis (West African spitting cobra)

Naja sumatrana (Eastern Asia golden spitting cobra) of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra

 Above: Naja sumatrana

Naja sputatric (Indonesian spitting cobra) of the southern Indonesia
Naja philippinensis (Common spitting cobra) of the Philippines
Naja samarensis (Samar spitting cobra) of the Philippines
Naja atra (Chinese and Indochinese Asian black cobra)

Above: Naja atra

Naja kaouthia (Asian monocled cobra)

Above: Naja kaouthia

These snakes usually make their homes in underground holes or below rocks, logs, in hollow tree-stumps or in termite hills; or old derelict buildings which probably attract food in the form of rats and mice. They are seen mostly at dusk or at night when they hunt mainly small animals such as mice, frogs, birds and their eggs, and larger insects.

Why spit instead of bite?

The spitting is used as a defensive gear against ther predators and not to obtain food. They spit at a larger animal, and feast on smaller creatures. These snakes are not particularly muscular (boas and pythons squeeze their prey to death), and they have small fangs. Thus, they intimidate anything they see as a threat by going into the attacking stance. They have hoods that expand out like a half umbrella so they appear bigger and scarier. When cornered, they will spray their venom, aiming on the eyes, or rather the highest point of the attacker.

How far can they spit their venom?

Depending on the size of the snake, they venom can travel a distance up to four to eight feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters). It travels as fast as a water pistol and a human couldn't evade it. So if you are confronted by a spitting snake, stand back at least 10 feet (3 meters) and protect your eyes.

What happens if a snake's venom lands in your eyes?

The venom consists of nerve poisons and other components harmful to tissue. If it lands in the eyes, it is quickly absorbed by the capillaries of the conjunctiva. This may cause temporary blindness by cornea irritation and damage (cornea reacts with severe stinging pain), and can lead to permanent blindness.

However, venom landing on the skin is harmless unless it enters an open wound.

First aid treatment

Without first aid treatment and medical attention immediately, the venom may cause blindness. Rubbing the eyes will do more harm than good. Instead, rinse the eyes with large quantities of water (running water) or any other harmless fluid like a cold drink, milk, beer or even urine. Never try to neutralize the venom, but rather flush it from the eyes. Wipe any traces of venom around the eye area. Then, seek medical advice as soon as possible. Usually, the eyes should recover fully in three or four days.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_cobra - Spitting Cobras
http://www.manbir-online.com/htm2/snake.29.htm - Spitting Snakes
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0210_050210_cobra_2.html - Cobras Spit Venom at Eyes with Nearly Perfect Aim
http://www.kingsnake.com/elapids/first_aid_by_spitting_cobras.htm - First Aid by Spitting Cobras
http://www.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Taxa/AsNaja.htm - Asiatic Naja
http://www.gamelodges.com/resources/reptiles/snakes.htm - Reptiles found in the greater Kruger Park area

Interesting Ads on TV

My Fav Commercials


1) MM's - Back Together (Take That)



I love "singing" ads...they never fail to make me smile.

2) Honda Civic




...another singing ad?

3) Carlton Draught Beer, Talk Talk, U.N.O.



there are three ads in this one...I personally like the first two.

4) Bridgestone


LOL! Poor dog...

5) Learn English


learn to spiak engris





6) Sexy Girl


I've seen the same ad back in Malaysia...hahaha


7) Proline




8) Use "protection"




9) Fedex
Is your boss sick??


...and finally,.....
10) Petronas 



Petronas always come out with interesting and meaningful advertisements. Some even make me all teary. I enjoy all their ads but this one, although it's old (year 2003), is dedicated to all my friends who are celebrating Hari Raya today.


Selamat Hari Raya!

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.

Somebody became angry about it because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody couldn’t.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody

(Excerpt from Anata, Because I Care) 

Things Happened for a Reason

One typical day, a king and his servants went hunting in the woods. The King was aiming at a deer and missed, accidentally hurt his finger. Annoyed and frustrated that he missed the shot and hurt his finger, he threw the bow on the ground and screamed.

One of his servant, seeing this, said “Your Highness, please calm down. Do not be angry. Things happened for a reason.”

The King was even more annoyed. “Why would I listen to a servant like him? I am the King!” he thought to himself. Immediately, he ordered the other servants to throw him into a small cave nearby and closed the entrance with a huge rock.

Hours passed and the servant still could not find a way to get out of the cave. He waited and waited, but nobody came to help.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps getting closer to the entrance of the cave. Somebody is trying very hard to push the rock aside to free him.

It was the King! Surprised, he asked the King the reason he was freed.

“While we were on the way back to the castle, we were surrounded by the Red Indians. The other servants fled. The Red Indians then captured and took me to their village. They were about to sacrifice me when they saw my wound on my finger. Then, they freed me because they said I am not perfect enough to be sacrificed to their God,”he explained.

“I am very sorry for not believing you earlier. I was too proud. Please forgive me, “ the King continued.

“Please do not blame yourself, Your Highness,” the servant said. “Things happened for a reason”

The King looked at the servant, confused.

“If you did not lock me inside the cave, the Red Indians will take me instead,” the servant smiled.

The End.

************************************************

That is a very good story that I share with a lot of friends. It helps me when I’m down, because whenever something bad happens, I think of the story and I say to myself that things happened for a reason. I might not know now, but I will find out in the future.

No matter what happens, just remember that things happened for some reasons. Do not expect anything in return and giving, and if you forgive and forget, life becomes simple and you'll find more happiness. Make the people around you happy and let their happiness reminds you of the value of life everybody is striving for..

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the story. =)

Creating Webste

I was very excited since last week because I was assigned the most interesting task since I work for the company - creating local website!!!

I totally have no idea how to do that. I don't even know how a website works, from the beginning till the end. It's not like I am computer-illiterate, but my knowledge is limited. I use the computer like everybody else does (or at least most of the people in the world), for checking emails, friendster, facebook, streaming videos, but most of the time for work. Oh, I love to do work with Excel...Anyway, what I am trying to say here is that when it becomes more technical, my mind goes blank.

So I started to ask around, talk to my IT Manager (I feel bad for disturbing him all the time because he is really busy), do some research online, eat five times a day, sleep more than 10 hours a day...I did almost everything I can to find out more about creating websites and finally I can break it down into a few steps.

1. Register Domain Name

You can google the list of companies in your area, which will register your domain name (if available) for you. You must have a registered domain name to continue.
I use www.i-net.com.au and it will cost between AUD$19 to AUD$119 per annum.

2. Web Hosting

Usually the company registering your domain name will provide web hosting as well. For this, depending on the type of your plan/ package ranges between AUD$10.95 to AUD$85 per month, maybe more for other companies, I am not sure.

3. Web Design

Yeah, here comes the fun part. You should be provided a free site builder and you can start to create your website immediately. I used RVSiteBuilder and it has a step by step guide to help me. Start creating the site, choosing template to use as website background, customizing it and typing in the contents in  your webpage. Anytime you can preview the web to see how it looks like once it goes live. Take as long as you want to design your webste.

4. Publish Web

Finally, when you are happy with how your website looks like, click on the publish button and ta-da...there you go, your masterpiece! (-_-)

I know many people out there know how to create website professioinally. I am just a beginner and it was not easy trying to find out how to start and what to do, that's why I am posting this article. So, if you are also very new in this, I hope this helps.

If you would like to have a look at the website which I have just created with the help of the I-Net consultant, here you go ---> www.getinge.co.nz

Thanks for reading!

Purple Hazy Look

Just thought of sharing this. Few weeks ago, while I was searching on Youtube for funny videos, I stumbled across this interesting video. I know nothing about makeup but I really like this - and then I started viewing other videos from Michelle Phan - so I subscribed her channel.

I love the purple hazy look and it really looks good on her.

Hope you enjoy this video.


URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDZFL9VHnVs&feature=channel_page

My first blog!

Welcome to my first blog. I have been reading many blogs since the last few years and I always thought of creating one but never got the chance to start. Been busy working, studying and occupying myself with other things but since I moved to Australia, I have more time for myself. So, after hesitating for many months, I have finally decided to create one.

Still unsure what I am going to blog about - since I am very new at blogging and anything related to the process of creating a blog (html, css etc) - but I will try.

I hope that one day, I will be able to blog professionally =P

Anyway, thanks for reading (if anyone is)...

Have a pleasant day