Some Clarification

My blog may sound more like an advert. lately but I have to admit that those "extra" embedded links that might or might not connect are for blogging work purposes. For instance, I might embed a link to rhinoplasty or ferrari parts while blabbering about my daily life or talk about other topics that I intend to blog about. Click the links if you are interested because they are merely advert. links or just ignore it. However, the content in each blog of course is still genuinely written by yours truly.

Hope I don't confuse you too much! :)

Soy Products, Good for Health?

I was reading Chris's blog today and thought I might share this in my blog too. Truthfully I haven't done a further research on this myself apart from reading what is on here and other articles online but for long people have been talking about the one substance that exist in soybeans - isoflavones.

Isoflavones comprise a class of organic compounds and often naturally occurring. The benefits of isoflavones: ease menopause symptoms, reduce heart disease risk, protect against prostate problems, improve bone problems and reduce cancer risk. However, some critics claim that isoflavones can increase the incidence of epithelial hyperplasia and cause goitre and hyperthyroidism. Up to this moment, isoflavones remain the subject of many scientific studies.

According to the food expert/author of "Diet For a New America" John Robbins, he prefer the brands made with whole soybeans, and avoid those made with soy protein or soymilk powder. Looking at this issue with two opposite views somehow reminded me of the saying - too much of something is bad enough.

Yup, moderation is the key... which reminds me that I haven't settled my term life ins quote yet!

Buy Dot Com

Since it is Green Day today, there is a unique online shop called BUY. What I like about this shop is their efforts supporting the environment. Their motto says: Save Money, Save Time, Save Earth.
Through this online shop, I learned about The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). It is basically a system that helps purchasers evaluate, compare and select desktop computers and notebooks based on their environmental attributes. It also provides a clear and consistent set of performance criteria regarding products design and basically secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its product. So if you buy say computers from BUY, you could easily make a pick on which product causes less harm to our environment. Other than gadgets, check out their books, bags, shoes, etc which mostly are on sale right now.

The Cleaner & My Chickduck Thai

I am studying for a test that I am going to sit in a few hours time this evening while observing how our third house cleaner does her work. This is our third cleaner who have just started work this month. The previous one was fired by her agency and it didn't surprise us why. She was older compared to the rest. Back before the second, the first one we had before we moved to this apartment was absolutely awesome. She should get some sort of a cleaners award!

So back to the present cleaner. She's young but Hobbit met her little daughter about the age of 4yrs old once when she came last week. She is capable yet has "really bad" eyesight that she can't see piling dust around the house. The shelf, rubbish around the trash, the windows...Before she left a while ago, I managed to chop off the language barrier and had a chicken-duck conversation.

Me: Excuse me, please clean the 2 balconies the next week you come.

(Above was what I intended to say but it went this way...)

Me: Kho thoot ka, thum ti kang nok wan...wan...wan...........................

Khun Cleaner: A rai kha? Wan ni? wan a thit? wan wan wan....(confused!!)

(yelled at Hobbit--What is next week in Thai???)

Me: (continued) a thit na men dem dai mai kha?

Khun Cleaner: Dai kha...(and uttered several other blahs..)

Me: Clean them twice in a month, especially nowadays that it rains a lot.

In chicken-duck Thai I said...

Me: Thum song khrang tuk wan....ah mai chai, tuk pi....ahhhh...

(yelled at Hobbit again...got it)

Me: (continued) tuk dern!!!

Khun Cleaner: O.K kha, dai kha...

Oh for Babylon sake!!!

Public Holiday

Today was declared a public holiday by Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. We were supposed to celebrate Songkran day at school and now I don't know what to feel at the moment. I just feel bad for the Thai department at school. The teachers and students are all prepared for this day--They have practiced dancing performances, put up posters and various activities for the whole school to participate and enjoy but who's to blame??

p/credit: The Nation

If last year it was the sunflowers who flooded the street and mess with the government, this time it is a bed of roses you see! Both fighting for better sunshine! Who are these roses? Read here. So beware guys, don't wear your Songkran's summer shirt with sunflowers or roses on, or else you'll be soaked wet by klong water!

p/credit: bbc.co.uk

Happy Songkran everyone. Enjoy the heat and wetness!

Also, Happy Easter / Good Friday! Go dig the golden egg! :)

His Early Surprise

My thoughtful husband gave me an early surprise --

Chocolate Forest Ice Cream Cake from S&P.

I love it.

Now I can better feel and smell the scent of the figure 3 ahead! Hah!

Happy Sabbath and don't let the red shirt bite! *_*

Price Tag Stickers

I hate it when I buy glass wares and the price tag stickers is always hard to remove! Don't the sales person know that it is a hassle for us consumers??

Why can't they use stickers such as the blue tag below? It sticks to any glassware and does not leave stains or glue residue when removed??

I remembered a friend told me once that her mom's technique of removing stubborn stickers that won't come of was by rubbing some eucalyptus oil or the Malaysian brand medicinal oil - minyak cap kapak to remove the sticky paper or left over residue. Another way like what Hobbit did (and I am sure everyone has tried) was to wash the glassware and wet the stickers When the sticker is moist, it is easier to remove compared to when it is dry!

Fortune Strawberries

I went to Jusco to shop for fruits and only fruits the day before I left for EARCOS last week and what thought to be cheap was actually expensive (at least to my pocket). Here's why...

Hobbit and I got too excited on the idea of buying nothing but fruits on that evening and so we walked hand in hand and la la-ed into the store. First thing we picked up were roasted coconuts followed by ready packed jack fruits. Then our eyes caught up with the shiny orangey persimmons. Those of you who live in this city (Bangkok) know that this orange colored fruit is not so cheap compared to prices down south say Hadyai. Well, we looked at it and it's 45B each and the texture didn't look fresh anymore. Expensive! Suddenly, we spotted this big, fresh, well packed strawberries. The label on the shelf right below the strawberries' packs says SALE - 35B. Wow! It looked imported but what the heck...big, fat, glossy, shiny red strawberries! Hobbit got excited just by the look on my face and he took one pack and shoved it into our shopping basket! On we went to pick bananas, ciku (not sure what this fruit is called in English), milk...

At the counter, Hobbit and I slowly observed the figures that appeared on the cash register's screen...300+...400+...As the sales lady lasered through the strawberries, I noticed the price stickers behind the pack....

It's 139.00Baht!!!

It should be for imported fruits...:(

Maybe this amount meant nothing to you but here we were thinking it was on some stupid 35B SALE!! Argh how silly! The total of our FRUITS ONLY shopping amount to 500+Baht.

Smart...not!

Lesson learned. Never trust the labels on display. Check the item's price that you are going to purchase if you don't want regrets to kiss you at the counter. Not only that, I think it was Jathrow who reminded me again to always check your bills before paying at any restaurants you go to regardless. You might not know what unnecessary extra you would end up paying without your eagle eyes! :)

p/s: Forget the price, the strawberries actually tasted REAL STRAWBERRIES!! *wink*