Restful Airports

It is amazing that there is such a term-“Airport Sleepers”. This term is referred to people whom sleep at the airports in other countries or also in their own country (I presume). For airport sleepers, they have comments on different countries’ airports.

www.sleepinginairports.net is a site which gathers reports from travellers and ranks the world’s airports according to the comfort of their public lounges.

According to www.sleepinginairports.net, airport sleepers in India report “unacceptable seating, foul odours, filth, fleas and general hassles.”

The best airport-and no, I am not bragging or lying. But it is the Fact. Cause it is from my country-Singapore’s Changi airport! Even though I got this information from Reader’s Digest 2004, I have just went to the above website and saw that Singapore’s Changi airport is still the best airport in 2010! Yay! *hugs and kisses to my hometown* :X Opps. Ok. I know, I’m getting too high and over the moon. My apologies.

Now, back to topic.

Based on the site, it says that, *Jermain starts swooning* Singapore’s Changi airport is “the reigning mother of all airports that airport sleepers simply must visit”.

Runners up include airports in Hong Kong, Auckland and Brisbane.

The worst places to get a snooze include airports in India, Boston, Cairo and Bali.

Now, based on what has been posted, you guys most probably know I am proud of my hometown. However, I am not that crazy about my hometown until I talk about it 24/7. I am just proud that even though, Singapore is such a small state, such that it has a nickname-the little red dot-, and few people know where is Singapore, I am so proud that it is known for something (: Singapore also was known for hosting the Youth’s Olympics Games. This again, made me proud. Singapore may be small, but we are working hard as a nation. (:

And with this, I end my last post for Reader’s Digest January 2004. I finally finished you! :D

Throughout this whole process of reading and typing it out, at times, it was tiring, however, it was fun too (:

Geez, it’s like..2.59 a.m. in the morning. I have to get my beauty sleep. Nights people! :D

P.s. Have you guys residing in Singapore realize that it has been getting hotter in Singapore after the past few weeks (or was it the previous week only?) where it rained almost every day in different times of the day?

Tips for Perfect Wildlife Photos

If you are very keen in photography or are a photographer, then you must know who Pete Oxford is and am interested in the tricks/tips from him on how to take beautiful wildlife photos. For those whom do not know him, here is a small bibliography on who he is.

Pete Oxford is an award-winning photographer. He grew up in Brandon, Vermont on a family farm. For those interested to read more about him, here is the web.

Back to the main point, below are the tricks/tips he gives for taking good pictures of wildlife.

1) It is a must to have long lenses. To avoid blurring, do not use shutter speed less than the focal length unless you have a tripod.

2) Sand and dust are your enemy. Wrap the camera in a cloth and use an aerosol blower at each film change.

3) Extreme cold reduces the life of batteries. Carry spares and keep your camera warm.

4) In the tropics, keep silica gel crystals with your gear to dry it out.

5) At sea, wipe salt water spray off the camera at once. Sea motion on boats can make composition tough. Take your shot at the top of a rising swell, at the split-second of stillness.

6) Wind can make it hard to snap flowers. Carry a cloth and stakes to make a wind break.

Source

BBC Wildlife Supplement

Need a map to find out where you are headed for? Check the net!

When we do not know a specific thing, the first thought that will come to most of our minds is to google it to find out more about it. The internet has been advancing so rapidly that now, you can find basically anything online. This includes maps.

If you are headed somewhere and need a map but you do not wish to spend money to buy them or, you could not find any area nearby you now that sells map, so long as you have internet connection, try out these webs below:

1) www.streetdirectory.com

It has maps of Singapore that can be searched by street, postal code, landmark or building. It also has excellent maps of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Taiwan.

2) Maporama(www.maporama.com)

This website is useful for people heading for the United Kingdom(UK) or elsewhere in Europe.

3) The Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas (www.lib.utexas.edu/maps)

This is the most impressive map site on the Internet. It is a free site that offers detailed road and geologic maps of areas around the world, as well as charts of remote areas and rare historical maps.

Also, speaking of google and stuffs like how internet has become such a conenience for us all, here is a cute video that i would like to share with you all. :) Enjoy~

Go Google It

The beauty of science in how he buys and how she shops

Research in the UK has confirmed that, in terms of shopping, men do not have the same stamina as women.

The average guy’s breaking point is seventy-two minutes, after which they will turn grisly at the shopping centre; whereas for women they can still browse happily for a further 28 minutes. This timing has/can been/be quantified all thanks to Tim Denison, a retail psychologist at Exeter University in Devon.

In the same study, it has also been found that women tend to be better bargain hunters, saving an average of ten per cent more than men, and the process itself is fun and thrilling for them. Most women are also excited by their finds for an average of 15 minutes after purchasing, whereas men’s satisfaction peaks once they find what they’re looking for.

Now we know why men are from mars and women are from venus. J

Or, why men are yin and women are yang. Or the other way round. J

How to make more confident calls

It has been seen that nearly 80 percent of workers prefer e-mail to the phone. They dread calls as they find it scary or, says Richard Weylman-business consultant and author of Opening Closed Doors, People dread calls as they feel like they’re on the spot. However, people tend to get more attention than in an email.

Thus, in the article “Making More Confident Calls” by Sharon Liao, below are some effective phone manners to make one look forward to dialing:

1) Stand up

a. Standing up leads one’s voice to sound more energetic. Believe it or not, but there are organizations, like Bloomberg financial media, whom encourages salesmen to get off their backsides before calling.

2) Don’t cradle the receiver

a. Instead, hold it eight centimetres away from you mouth, says Weylman. That way, you’ll sound less muffled and more like you’re there in person.

3) Just talk

a. Don’t use phone time to open mail or type. Do not multitask. Just focus on talking to the person on the phone. One study found that multitasking reduces one’s ability to listen. More ever, if you are distracted with other task or stuffs, it will be very obvious to the other person.

4) Take a pause

a. If you get flustered, just stop talking and collect yourself, says business communications coach Judith McManus. “Silence is better than ums and ahs because if projects thoughtfulness, not confusion.”

Source

Liao, S.(2004) Making More Confident Calls. Reader’s Digest 2004, 137

How to raise well-behaved kids

Now, before I start, I would like to say to parents that this may not work for some kids of yours (If you have more than one that is). This is because, different children have different personalities and thus, the way of coaching them differs too.

Below are what Shelwyn Tay, a clinical psychologist at Singapore’s Centre for Effective Living, says on how to raise well-behaved kids.

Give clear appropriate rules that are consistently enforced. This will help your child learn which is acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Consistency is also important not only over time, but also among people whom are involved with your child. These includes; extended family members, nannies and others whom care for your child.

It is very important that parents themselves discuss and agree on rules which they would like to set. It is also vital to include extended family members, nannies and others whom care for your child when discussing on the rules and consequences.

An example might be, how many warnings should a child receive before being punished.

When doing the decision, it should be done in private where the child is not informed of it. Parents should NEVER discipline in anger as this often leads to over-reaction and guilt. Also, knowing that you have thought through the situation and that you have your spouse’s support will reduce the temptation to give in when your child pleads for “one more chance.”

Disciplining and controlling your child by force are NOT the same thing.
Disciplining is more on teaching, guiding and correcting. While controlling is just, from the dictionary, dominating and curbing one’s actions.

Rules should also be stated in a positive manner. E.g. “Hang up your towel after you shower,” rather than, “Don’t leave your towel lying around.” Specifying what is required is more likely to lead to the learning of the desired behavior than an arbitrary punishment after the deed has been done.

Many parents dislike the idea of using rewards to encourage their child to follow rules. They find that it is a form of bribery and they do not wish for their child to be born with the mindset that one should only do things if they got something back in return. However, rewards need not always be in the form of money, toys etc. It need not be anything in material form that will lead the child to become materialistic. Affection, praise, recognition and creating a sense of achievement all work extremely well as forms of rewards. When your child does her homework or chores properly, tell her how proud you are of her or give her a hug.

3-minute home fitness test

Want to find out how fit you are without spending big bucks on hiring your own fitness instructor?

Dr Garry Egger, adjunct professor of health sciences at Australia’s Deakin University, has devised a simple test which anyone can do in the privacy of their own home.

Note: If you have trouble with this exercise or find it hard, stop immediately. If you are concerned about the results, visit your doctor for more information.

The key to fitness, Egger says, is not isolated and vigorous activity. But, simply moving more during your daily life.

Equipment needed

1. A 40-centimetre step, such as a solid box. Check its stability before attempting any climbing.

2. A watch with a second hand.

You also need to be able to take your own pulse(Using the fingers-but not the thumb- of one hand, press firmly on the wrist of the other hand about two centimetres down from the base of the thumb. Practice finding your pulse before you start the test.

Method

1. Stand in front of the 40-centimetre step.

2. Starting with the left foot, step up. Step dwon with the right foot. Continue this at a reasonable pace for one-and-a-half minutes.

3. Without stopping, change legs so you step up with the right foot. Complete the three minutes.

4. After completing the three minutes, sit down and find your pulse. Count how many times your heart beats in 15 seconds.

5. Multiply it by 4, this is to give your pulse rate per minute.

6. Check your results below.

Rating	Very Good	Good	Ok	Poor	Very Poor
Men	<110	110-124	125-140	141-155	>155
Women	<116	116-130	131-146	147-160	>160
Boys	<120	120-130	131-150	151-160	>160
Girls	<124	124-134	135-154	155-164	>165

Are you a Supertaster??

A study done by the University of New South Wales in Sydney found that a quarter of people have a heightened sense of taste. Thus, due to this, they tend to taste broccoli as being bitter and rich foods unpalatable.

As they have an aversion to fatty foods, this means that “supertasters” tend to be slim and have a lower risk of heart disease.

To determine if you are one of the unique supertasters in the world, put a dot of blue food colouring on your tongue and look in the mirror. If you see a densely spotted area in your tongue, a good chance might be that you are a supertaster. If the spots are sparsely distributed, then you’re not.

The study has also found that 15 per cent of the people, mostly whom are men, were “non-tasters”. This means that they’ll devour anything placed in front of them. Thus, though they get the benefits of a broad diet, they risk overdoing it.

Now, how cool is this-That in this world, there are actually people whom taste food differently from us all? :D

Video Games & Your Vision

Recent research has found that video game players are more aware of their surroundings and they process more information faster.

It can be seen in the study where, people tallied small objects as they flashed on a computer screen. Those whom played video games several times a week spotted the correct number more often than those whom do not play video games. Also, novices’ scores were boosted after just ten hours of playing time.

Co-author, Daphne Bavelier suggested Pac-Man for those whom would want something less violent than the game-Shoot-‘em-up- which was used in the study itself.

However, I would like to say that too much of video games is bad for health and for the eyes. Thus, limit yourself to at most two hours of video games a day. It is better if it is only 1hours of games.

Source

Illustrated by Ingo Fast

Your Health & Mathematics

Surely, all of us here knows our height and weight. However, do you guys know about these other indicators of health?

1. Body Mass Index(BMI)

a) It is a measure of body fat and is calculated by:

dividing your weight(kg) by your height(m²).

18.5-24.9= Healthy

25-29.9=Overweight

30 and above=Obese

2. Waist circumference

a) It is an indicator of abdominal fat, which predicts risk of having a heart disease.

Wrap a tape measure round your waist to measure your waist.

For Women,

Over 87.5 centimetres increases your risk.

For Men,

100 or over 100 centimetres increases your risk.

3. Waist-to-hip ratio(Waist size divided by hip size)

a) This figure shows where you mostly carry your weight.

For Women,

.80 or less is safe.

For Men,

.90 or less is safe.

The time when you take your medications matters

Chronotherapy

It is where medication is coordinated with biological rhythms to treat conditions.

This practice stems from research which showed that some illnesses are worse at different types the day. Below are the illnesses and at which type of the day are they bound to be worst.

1. Hypertension

a) Blood pressure will peak when you wake. This is the reason why heart attacks and strokes tend to strike between 6 a.m. and noon.

If the beta-blocker which your doctor prescribed to you does not have 24-hour effectiveness, it is best to take the medication in the morning.

2. Asthma

a) Asthma symptoms peak between 3.a.m. and 6.a.m. That’s the time when the body’s levels of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol(which are needed to keep airways open) are at their lowest.

Steroid tablets taken at 3 p.p. offset the loss and other common treatments can be used at bed time.

3. Osteoarthritis

a) For those with the most pain in the morning, take ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medications the night before.

b) For those with evening pain, take your medications during noon.

Source

Samuel, N.(2004) Timely Medicine. Reader's Digest January 2004, 132

Tips on How to Keep your New Year's Resolution

Was there ever a chance when at the start of the year, you start making your new year resolution and as the days go by, you did not follow or accomplish anything? Wells, there were times when i did.

Thus, here i am, sharing with you what i found from Reader's Digest, whom got their tips courtesy from the explicitly named website how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolution.com

1. Don't try everything at once.

a) Start everything slow and steady, one by one.

2. Work it carefully.

a) Let’s say your resolution is to relax more. If you phrase it as, “This year I’m going to relax,” it will put you under pressure as it makes it sound that you have to force yourself to relax by sheer will power. Thus, phrase it such that it is much gentler. E.g “This year I’m going to explore different ways of relaxing.

3. Make a plan.

a) Break your resolution down.

E.g. For relaxing, you might make out a plan like; 1) Use the Internet to find different relaxation techniques. 2) Pick one and try it out for a month. 3) Try a new one each month until I find one that I like.

4. Write it down.

a) Make a note of the resolution and pin it in a place where you’ll see it daily. This is so that it will always be a constant reminder to you. As the time passes, you can change the wording if you find it necessary.

Thus, with these four tips, I hope you guys can start making good new year resolutions and feel accomplished for fulfilling them at the end of the year (: For those whom wants more tips, please feel free to head to the above website.

Cave Clan in Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn

When Paul Connolly followed a band of underground explorers in Melbourne, suburb of Hawthorn, whom seeks solace-and adventures- in dark places like drains or pipes, i can't help but envy them.

Even though all these adventures in pipes or drains are dangerous (there may be times when strong currents of water may unexpectedly gush out when you least know it and it could drown you), it still holds thrills and excitement of venturing into the unknown. In my homeland in Singapore, there are no such people that would venture inside drains or pipes. Partially is because they know that it is dangerous or dirty, and another is mostly attributed to our government, which has placed green railings to prevent people from going in. Also, once a person has gone inside the drain, there might be a chance that he/she might not be able to get out of the drain as the drain is so deep, with no steps or any grips to help yourself up.

However, near my home, there is a big drain that leads to the sea. When it is low tide, you can just enter the drain. However, when there is high tide, you could not even see the drain at all.

When I was young, I used to be a tomboy. I like to adventure with two boys and another girl. Once, we went to the drain when it was low tide but they did not walk further in. Intrigued by the darkness and the water dripping sounds from inside, I walked a little bit in to see how it looks like from inside the drain. However, all that I saw were just passages that enable water to go out to the sea from unknown places. My female friend told me to go out of the drain and since she was not following me, I ended my curiosity there and then and from then onwards, I have never adventured the drain again.

At that time, I was just a mere age of 15. Now, thinking back, I really thanked God for letting nothing happen to me. I could have just died there and then if there was water coming out of the drain to the sea. I do not know how to swim then, and I still do not know much till now. Reading the article, Cave Clan by Paul Connolly, made me a little envious of those people whom are in the cave clan. It sure must be nice to escape into silence and peace that the drains and pipes bring when the outside world is always bustling with noise and activities. I am a person whom likes peace and I seek solace in the dark. Thus, thinking that in other parts of the world, there are people like me, I can’t help but feel a little tinge of happiness.

However, although seeking peace in drains and pipes may be exhilarating, it might be very dangerous. One of the person whom bought Paul inside the pipe told him of a real story where two boys, both aged 14, went to adventure drains when it was about to rain. They wanted to join the cave clan, however, were told that they had to wait till they were 18. Being impatient, they went to adventure by themselves. When the strong waters coursed down the drain, they tried to cling onto the drain’s supporting pillars. However, it was not long before both of them lost their grip and got pulled into the torrent. One boy died while the other survived. When one of the boys did not return home that day, his worried parents lodged a police report. Police combed for him throughout the whole city. It was only about after a week when they found his body about a 100 kilometre downstream of the drain, wedged under the branch of a willow tree. Since that incident, the police has searched the site daily and renewed appeals for children to stay away from creeks, drains and pipes.

It must be very heartbreaking for the parents of the boy whom had died. To raise your own child till the age of 14 where, due to a moment of folly or fun, he is gone from you forever. Thus, before you guys ever do something foolish in a moment of curiosity or folly like me in the past, think about your loved ones and how sad they will be if you were to ever do something dangerous and were to get injured or lost your life because of it.

Here are more information of the cave clan for those interested to find out what they do etc. However, think before joining. It may bring peace and solace and you might meet more people of your kind. However, note that it is also dangerous and risky at times. So, tread with caution i would say (:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_Clan

http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=5114

Source

Connolly, P.(2004) Cave Clan. Reader's Digest January 2004, 74-80

Stained Glass-The Colours of Courage, Rosalind Grimshaw

Stained Glass

I’ve always been a lover of stained glass. I like their beauty and colors and I love it especially when light shines through it to show the mixed array of colors on the wall. I love the pureness it brings especially when found in those ancient castle-like church.

However, little did I know that, behind the beauty of stained glass, lies hard work by stained-glass makers.

Thus, when David Moller written a story in Reader’s Digest January 2004 on Rosalind Grimshaw, I felt that I must really post it up here to let everyone know that, behind everything beautiful, lies hard work by another.

Rosalind Grimshaw

Grew up in Highgate, north London

After finishing her studies at art college, lived and painted in Africa for several years.

Was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the young age of 39.

By the early 1990s, she was sometimes unable to move for eight hours at a time, and assailed by crushing waves of anxiety and depression.

Brought up in a Jewish family, she is the daughter of a German refugee dentist.

Rosalind Grimshaw was chosen to create a major cathedral window for England’s Chester Cathedral. Initially, it was a competition hosted by the Cathedral’s organizers whom wanted to source out the best stained-glass makers that can help create the window for their Cathedral and Rosalind was one of the competitors they invited to join this competition. When she submitted her work to the organizers, they were so electrified by her design that they abandoned the competition effectively and awarded her the job of creating the stained-glass.

Creating stained-glasses are never easy. However, for Rosalind Grimshaw, it sure is more difficult for her as she is down with Parkinson’s disease. Even with regular medications, her body twists and turns, and her head jerks sideways in almost constant spasm. At some times, she is locked with taut immobility. However, despite all these, she still wills herself to go on.

As there are six large and six small panels of the window in England’s Chester Cathedral, Rosalind decided to let the six large main panels be the six days of creation while the small panels will link the creation with the present and future world. Rosalind knew the Old Testament better than most, for she has been reading it in Hebrew as a Child.

Thus, she started her work.

On the first day

For the background of the first panel of the cathedral window, the creation of light, Ros drew upon this treasure house of light-with a sheet of glorious deep mauve. Other pieces in red and brown made up the forming earth, interspersed with lightning in opalescent blue glass.

For the lower “modern” panel, Ros assembled tiny squares to form an image of skyscrapers at night. Long, thin silvers of glass depicted the lights of carsas if photographed by time-exposure.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

On the second day

Ros wanted to depict a river estuary as water reaches the sea and dry land appears. She planned to use a lot of glass that was blue or blue-pink. The pink would represent the man-made pollution seen in some estuaries photographed from space.

She also wanted to show the oceans of the earth as seen by the Hubble space telescope. However, the exact glass she needed had been evading her. After many exhausting attempts to represent the earth using many pieces of glass, she came across a single piece of magnificent blue and streaky-white glass some 60 centimetres across, which caught the essence of that unique view.

And God…divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament…And the evening and the morning were the second day.

On the third day

In seed-bearing plants, herbs and fruits, some of them modeled on specimens in Ros’s own garden that stretches over 100 metres from her studio along a hillside overlooking the River Avon, the colours Marrakesh took their place to create the Third Day of Creation. Ros used those colours to make the plants, herbs and fruits.

For the lower panel, a magnified butterfly egg on young plant tendrils and pollen taken from a flower was created by her to represent humans’ growing understanding of plants and their ability to feed the world.

She had a beaker shaped pattern to hint at the science laboratory and genetically modified foods.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind…And the evening and the morning were the third day.

On the fourth day

Ros created images of the stars, planets and galaxies of outer space for the upper panel.

As it seemed the most natural to pair it with “inner space”, she paired it with a scan of her own brain, in which the yellow ares represented the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. She chose this spot to sign her work in glass: “RG 2000 AD.”

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also…And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

On the fifth day

It was the creation of creatures of the sea and air.

There were often days when Ros’s ravaged body was so shaky and had so little strength that she was able to cut just one piece of glass-and some days not even that. She also had wild mood swings that Parkinson’s inflicts. When she was bad-barely able to move- she’d despair of finishing the project within the 14-month deadline. Yet, each time, she held on. She persevered. Eventually, she would be back selecting, cutting and positioning pieces of glass on a tray over a light table, before handing them over to Patrick, who will help her to join them with varying widths of lead.

Gradually, the fifth day was completed.

The waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind… And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

On the sixth day

Due to her warmth, it attracts many people to her house. Her house is always frequently crowded with family, friends, carers, neighbours and wandering artists.

Among these people, Ros found inspiration for the sixth and final day. A couple had met and fallen in love at her home. They help model for the two humans in the sixth panel who represented the creation of man. Discreetly, they hold hands behind a kudu cow with blue sideburns.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them...And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Below is the final combined work which Rosalind Grimshaw has created. When the sun shone through it, a stupendous blaze of colour lit the pink sandstone walls. Many people, including Ros, gathered at Chester Cathedral to see the final creation of Ros’s work when it was placed up. As Ros’s eyes travelled over the crowd now transfixed by her work, she saw that some of them were gazing on her creation in tears.

Along the bottom of the window, the final words of the creation were brilliantly illuminated:

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

If you guys happen to visit that church, be thankful and know that this stained-glass, was not made in a few days. Instead, it took about a year to create this magnificent beauty. All done by Rosalind Grimshaw, whom is down with Parkinson’s disease, but still, she did not let that affect her and her creation.

Also, as i was looking through the web for stained glass, i happen to chance upon this video which is mostly used for churches. The video's title captured my attention and interest. Upon listening to it, i realized that it is really a very admirable and enticing song. Thus, here i am, sharing it with you all.

Casting Crowns-Stained Glass Masquerade

Somehow, it sure reflects some parts of our life when we feel very inferior to others...

Have you ever felt like this before? Where you put on a fake smile to show others that you are a really very lucky person and that you are always happy when you were never to begin with?

Source

www.google.com

Moller, D.(2004) Colours of Courage, Reader's Digest January 2004, 66-73