Davies McDonalds Happy Meal Project

The whole world is talking about Sally Davies's photos about this popular McDonald Happy Meal. Mrs Davies, 54, had purchased this McDonalds Happy Meal from McDonald on April 10, 2010 and posted her pictures to Flickr and have been photographing for the past 6 months.

Take a look at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/sallydavies/sets/72157624739645253/

Placed on her coffee table with nothing covering it. According to the reports and photos, the Meal looks almost as fresh as the day it was bought with no sign of decomposing after SIX MONTHS.

Without any sign of mould or decay ? According to her, it no longer emit any smell on day two of her experiment and her dogs stopped circling and sniffing around the Happy Meals.

Many had responded to Yahoo! Answers on this Happy Meal.
Will you still eat this Happy Meals ? What is your response and view ?
We welcome to share your view with us.

Facebook and Mark Elliot Zuckerberg

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg,a Harvard sophomore,is the youngest billionaire in the world,as at March 2010. Do you know what is his net worth ? US4 billion, yes, ie 24% share of Facebook. Wow, so how old is he ? Born May 14, 1984.

Facebook,founded in 2004, apparently the world's largest social-networking site now has 500 million members and a valuation of $10 billion, according to some reports. Facebook is cementing itself as the leader and often displacing other social networks,MySpace and Friendster

Who are the investors in Facebook ? Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel,Accel Partners, and Greylock Partners. Microsoft took a 1.6%, which is $246 million in 2007. Hong Kong billionaire, Li Ka-shing also made a large investment too. Interested to buy over. we have Yahoo! and Google, but Mark Zuckerberg apparently has rejected that Facebook is not for sale.

Interested to find out how to search Facebook by location ?
http://www.ehow.com/how_4818870_search-facebook-location.html

Double helix bridge at Marina Bay

The Helix Bridge ( Chinese :螺旋桥), previously known as the Double Helix Bridge (Chinese : 双螺旋桥) is one magnificent structure was officially opened on April 23, 2010 at 9 pm. It is the world's first double helix curved bridge. It is located beside the Benjamin Sheares Bridge.

The Helix Bridge is to link up the Marina Bay precinct, from Esplanade, to the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort.

This 280-metre long new iconic pedestrian bridge,assembled with great precision, using a special stainless steel to withstand corrosion. It includes a computer-controlled lighting system to set the mood.

It is made up of a major and minor steel helix that wing around each other. If the steel was stretched out straight end to end, it would have a length of 2,250 meters and the entire structure weighs about 1,700 tons equivalent to about 1,130 saloon cars.

The pedestrian bridge, just beside Marina Bay floating platform - world's largest floating stage and is chosen to hold the opening and closing ceremonies of the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olypmics in August - further help to transform Singapore's city landscape to another level.

At night, the bridge will be illuminated by a series of lights that highlight the double-helix structure, thereby creating a special visual experience for the visitors.

It will probably take less than five minutes to walk the entire length of the bridge. While doing so, one will be able to admire the city skyline and the entire structure of the bridge.

How to go to the Helix Bridge?

Nearest MRT station: Promenade MRT Station (just opened on 17 April 2010)

Getting to know Hokkaido

Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands.The four largest
islands together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. They
are : Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū & Shikoku.

Japan is separated from the east coast of Asia by the Sea of
Japan. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for
example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto
capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

Recently, we have the chance to take a short trip and visited Hokkaido. Will take this opportunity to find out more about the island.

Hokkaidō - 北海道, literally "North Sea Circuit", is Japan's second largest island, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands. The largest city on Hokkaidō is its capital, Sapporo. It has a population of 1.8 million, is the administrative and economic center of Hokkaido. It is the largest city north of Tokyo, and about a third of all Hokkaidō residents live there. Sapporo became a household name in 1972 when it held the Winter Olympic Games.

Hokkaido's weather is harsh in winter with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and frozen seas, while in summer, it does not get as hot and humid as in the other parts of the country.

With its unspoiled nature, Hokkaido attracts many outdoor lovers, including skiers and snowboarders in the colder seasons and hikers, cyclists and campers from June to September.

Home to Japan's aboriginal Ainu race, Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks.

Asahikawa, the coldest city in Japan & Noboribetsu Onsen is Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort.

Japanese sometimes feel that Hokkaidō is not really Japan, although it belongs to it. Even food is different. Here, people eat lamb (a popular dish is called "Genghis Khan"), which most other Japanese never do.

Hokkaidō has however become indispensable to the Japanese economy and even culture. Most of Japan's milk and dairy products come from Hokkaido. Japan's first beer brewery (Sapporo) is also from Hokkaido, and is still one of the country's most popular.

We also visited Lake Toya (Toyako) which is part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. In addition to the lake itself, the Toyako region features hot springs and an active volcano, Mount Usu, which last erupted in the year 2000. The area also offers many fishing, hiking, and camping opportunities.

What are your thoughts about retirement

After the stock-market debacle,the challenge of retirement seem hit uncomfortably close to home. Time to re-think about your retirement plan and check your assumption again. So how do you realize your retirement goals?

What are your thoughts about retirement ?

* Do I want to retire?
* How do I want to spend my time in retirement?
* How will I handle not having to go to work?
* How much will I miss the social contacts and friends at work?
* Will my friends also be retired?
* How much income will I need in retirement?
* Am I psychologically ready to retire?
* Should I consider semi-retirement or a second career?
* What impact will my retirement have on my family?
* What if I don't retire and instead keep on working like I am now?
* Will I have to get a part-time job to make ends meet?

Let take a look at some of the quotes on retirement :

1) A time to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, where you want to do it, and, how you want to do it."
Catherine Pulsifer

2) Is the beginning and not the end.

3) Retirement is when the living is easy and the payments are hard.

4) Retirement: World’s longest coffee break.

5) The challenge of retirement is how to spend time without spending money.

6) Retirement is not at what age but at what income level.

7) Retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials - much to live on and much to live for.

Share your views on how you would plan your retirement. We welcome your comments here.

Singapore Ageing population

Singapore has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, with over 65-year-olds estimated by 2030 to represent 23% of the population, the second highest percentage in Asia lagging behind only Japan. If current demographic trends hold, the island state's median age will rise from 36 presently to 41 by 2030.

Silver tsunami - referred to the Baby-Boomer generation, those 76,000,000 persons who would begin celebrating their 60th birthdays in 2006.

Baby-Boomers are unlike their parents and grandparents in the following ways:

* Achieving higher levels of education with different quality of life expectations.
* Hold worldviews vastly different.
* Not experienced the same struggles and suffering of the Second World War and Great Depression as their parents and grandparents did.
* Living Longer and have greater physical health.
* Able to take better care of themselves, physcially and financially, less in poverty.
* With high disposal income.

Singapore government has long enforced individual savings through the mandatory Central Provident Fund (CPF). More recently the government has also announced plans to pass a so-called Re-exmployment Act, which will take effect in 2012 and extend the standard retirement age from 62 to 65.

With the growing number of senior citizens and cash-strapped children who are unwilling or unable to shoulder the burden, what are some of the solutions to our ageing population ?

Is ageing population, a looming time bomb for Asia or can be repackaged as a business opportunity ?

The inaugural annual CEO-level conference, Ageing Asia Investment Forum (AAIF) the first conference in Asia, held in Singapore on 5 & 6 April at Pan Pacific Hotel. They included business and government leaders from the Netherlands, USA, China, India, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Malalysia.

It focused on key growth industries - Property, Nursing, Healthcare, Wellness, Finance and Investment. By 2050, the number of people in Asia above 60 years of age is expected to be
1.2 billion, four times higher than Europe and the United States, combined. In Asia-Pacific, baby boomer consumers control an estimated wealth of us$11.3 trillion, 35% of the total.

That prospect has led to rapid job creation in the health and social service sectors. Property developers are also cashing in by building multimillion-dollar integrated retirement villages and private residences catering to the needs of the elderly.

What are your visions on your retirement plans ? Share your comments with us.
Photo extracted from Straits Times article 6/4/2010 -Riding on silver tsunami.

Singapore Circle Line another 11 stations opened

At last the long awaited opening of the Circle Line's (CCL) 11 new MRT stations opened on Saturday, 17 April 2010, joining the 5 stations - Marymount to Bartley - which were opened on 28 May 2009. This is part of the 29-station line, 33.3 km long.

These 11 stations, Tai Seng - Dhoby Ghaut, opened to much fanfare. From now,catching a concert at the Esplanade, support your favourite football team at the National Studium, and shop at Plaza Singapura is just a train-ride away from one another and linking these parts of town to the suburbs.

A summary of the 11 stations are :
1) Dhoby Ghaut station
2) Bras Basah station
3) Esplanade station
4) Promenade station
5) Nicoll Highway station
6) Tai Seng station
7) Stadium station
8) Mountbatten station
9) Dakota station
10) Paya Lebar station
11) MacPherson station

As at 8pm Saturday, SMRT had a ridership of some 220,000. Over at the Stadium Station, we
had the Taiwanese pop band SHE event and Taiwanese rock band Mayday's concerts.

Before the opening of Stadium Station, concert-goers had to go to the Kallang MRT Station, transfer to a bus or walk to reach the Singapore Indoor Stadium. With the opening of Stadium Station, which is withing walking distance to the one of Singapore's most popular concert venues. Cheers to all concert-goers.

1) The Dhoby Ghaut and Paya Lebar interchange stations will allow commuters who are travelling to and from the east, north and north-east to bypass City Hall and Raffles Place.

a) Paya Lebar to Bishan, 17 minutes instead of current 35 minutes.
b) Kovan to Suntec City, 26 minutes instead of current 40 minutes.

The original budget of $6.7 billion was busted after a tunnel near Nicoll Highway collapsed in 2004, killing four workers. Since then, all underground works had to be made far more robust and changes made for some stations. Also with the increasing cost of raw materials like sand, concrete and steel from year 2007, it definitely has pushed the cost up. What is your guess of the cost of the entire project may reach, $10 billions ?

The Circle Line Stage 3 that connects Bishan on the North-South Line and Serangoon station on the NEL was opened for revenue service on 28 May 2009. More stations on the Circle Line such as the Thomson and West Coast Stations will be opened subsequently to enhance the reach and connectivity of the Circle Line, and allow more people to benefit from the MRT. The remaining stretch of the line will open some time next year, he said. It lies in the northwestern and western parts of Singapore, with stations at places such as Holland Village, Botanic Gardens and the National University of Singapore.

To enhance the accessibility of the Marina Bay area to the rest of the island, LTA will also build and open the Marina Bay station as part of the CCL extension beyond Bayfront station in 2012.

Alkaff Mansion for public tender in Singpaore

Sitting majestically atop Mount Faber, The Alkaff Mansion was built in 1918 by a wealthy trader and philantropist,named Syed Abdul Rahman Alkaff who came to Singapore from Yemen. It was one of Singapore's more expensive and elegant resturant, offering international cuisine and an Indonesian-Dutch Rijsttafel buffet. It was located on Bukit Jagoh (the old name for Telok Blangah Hill) and was also known as Mount Washington. The house sits along the Mount Faber Ridge and had a commanding a panoramic view of Singapore Harbour.
1) The Alkaff Mansion was sold after World War II.
2) In 1986 the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board restored it to become a restaurant.
3) In 2003, the restaurant ceased operation again due to economics reason.

Alkaff Mansion is located at 10 Telok Blangah Green, Singapore 109178.

The property has a land area of 96,699 sq ft and a gross floor area of 13,142 sq ft. An outdoor refreshment area (up to 969 sq ft) may be allowed subject to evaluation Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has launched a tender to lease out the property, which has conservation status, for the following uses - food & beverage/ restaurant, art gallery, wellness/spa facilities and museum. The guide rent is $28,100 per month and SLA will issue an initial tenancy term of three years, renewable for a further two terms of three years each.

Take a look at the first 3 highest value bidders :
1) The two-month-old company,LES, topped the tender with a monthly rent offer of $79,251,

which is about three times the SLA's monthly guide rent of $28,100.

2) The second-highest bidder is listed Fragrance Group, with a monthly rent offer of $41,300.

3) The third-highest bidder is Bakerzin Holdings with a monthly rent offer of $36,380.

The two-storey property is said to have been left vacant since former tenant Hotel Properties Ltd returned it to Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 2004, when its 15-year lease expired.

The tender closes at 11 am on April 6. Bids will be evaluated on tender price, concept and proposed uses, among other factors.

What is your opinions on how bids will be evaluated ? Should you prefer the SLA selects the

bidder that offers the highest rent, or SLA should choose the operator with the best concept
or product ?

Do let us have your comments here. Most welcome to comment.
Photo extracted fr ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

First made-in-Singapore satellite launching soon

Singapore is ready to head to space with the country's first satellite built from scratch. With the launch of the 120kg satellite, Singapore is believed to be the first Southeast Asian country that will have its own locally built satellite in space.

Work began as early as nine years ago.The estimated cost of the satellite is about 40 million Singapore dollars (about US$29 million. X-Sat, a micro-satellite about the size of a refrigerator will be expected to launch in June or July 2010 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh, 100km north of Chennai.

The X-Sat, expected to spend three years in orbit at a height of 800 km, will take photos to measure soil erosion and monitor environmental changes, the communications systems on the satellite will also be able to relay information from sensors to a ground station at NTU, according to articles in ST 29 March 2010.

Other countries like China, US and Isreael, with more established space programmes has launched more sophisticated satellites weighing between 500kg and 1,000kg every year. These include spy and communications satellites by military agencies.

While the X-Sat is small, it is still a credible effort by Singapore.The fact that not many countries in the world have this capability to build their own imaging and communications satellite,is an achievement to Singapore.

AIG and Prudential on possible merger

AIG, which is nearly 80 percent owned by the U.S. government and is trying to pay back taxpayers after a $182.3 billion bailout, had been planning an initial public offering for AIA in Hong Kong, when Prudential jumped in with an offer.

Lately the latest news that Britain's largest insurer, Prudential plc confirmed that it has reached an agreement to merge with AIA Group, the Asian life insurance business wholly owned by American International Group (AIG).

On March 1 2010, AIG agreed to sell AIA to Prudential for US$35.5 billion (S$50 billion), comprising US$25 billion in cash, and US$10.5 billion in shares and other securities.

Prudential arranged with Credit Suisse, HSBC and JP Morgan Cazenove to underwrite a US$20 billion rights issue of shares and US$5 billion of senior debt to raise the US$25 billion in cash. Prudential agreed to pay AIG a break fee of & pound 153 million (S$322 million) if it failed to complete the purchase within 12 months.

The merger, which ranks as the largest insurance M&A ever, will create a life insurance powerhouse in Asia with more than 20 million customers and businesses in 15 countries. It will also provide AIG with much needed cash as it strives to repay the $182.3 billion.

Now a bit of the history,American International Assurance (AIA),founded in 1919, is the Asian insurance business of American International Group (AIG). AIA is a major player in 15 Asian markets, with 23 million policies in force for more than 10 million customers and a sales force of 320,000 agents.

Faced with financial difficulties, AIG had planned to divest AIA through an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in the company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. However, British insurer Prudential pre-empted the IPO.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange announcing the acquisition, Prudential remarked that the combination of AIA and Prudential would be 'the leading life insurer in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines'.

It would be one of the largest overseas deals to date for a British firm and make Prudential one of the biggest insurers in Asia.

For Prudential, one of the key benefits is to establish itself as an industry leader in seven Asian markets. In Singapore, the combined company would be responsible for 28 per cent of all non-investment-linked life insurance policies in force. It would command an even larger share, 59 per cent, of all investment-linked life insurance policies in force. The market share of the combined company in new policies would be similar.

To show how important is this merger, soon after the agreement, Prudential chief executive officer (CEO) Tidjane Thiam made a flying visit to the region with AIG chief Robert Benmosche. Together, they met staff and agents to reassure them of their future with the combined company. In Singapore, about 800 staff and agents attended a town hall-style meeting at Suntec City with the two CEOs. Apparently, Mr Benmosche and Mr Thiam also met government regulators.

The extent to which a merger or acquisition limits competition depends in part on the market shares of the respective parties. In the AIA-Prudential case, as the figures above illustrate, the market shares vary with the market. Clearly, there will have to be deep analysis and discussions about the definition of the market in each instance.

The Prudential acquisition of AIA potentially affects millions of policyholders. From the consumer viewpoint, this may perhaps be one of the most impactful cases to come before the competition authorities in the region.

Incredible Versatile root vegetable - Radish

Do you know that radish, a popular root vegetable in Chinese and Japanese cuisine is also known for its health promoting properties.

According to the article extracted from The Straits Times dated 4, 2010. this root vegetable is rich in vitamins A, B and C, calcium and potassium. It has an extremely low calorie content - an 85g portion has only 18 calories.

Daikon, radish in Japanese, is promoted by traditional Chinese physicians as a " cooling" food that is good for those who have phlegm, cough and fever.

I have appended below the recipe extracted from the article. I hope we can try it out and share our comments on the results of our cooking.

Daikon Beef Soup :

Ingredients :
1 small radish ( daikon), 500g, peeled
1 large carrot, 300g, peeled
300g lean beef cubes ( more if you want)
3-6 cloves garlic
1 large knob of ginger, peeled and bruised
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tsp sea salt ( optional )
1.5 litre water
Spring onions, finely diced for garnish

Method
Cut carrots and daikon into chunks of about the same size.
Blanch beef in hot water to remove surface impurities.
Place all ingredients, except salt, in a slow cooker and cook on medium heat for three hours or on low heat for six hours.
If you are not using a slow cooker, simmer over a low heat for two to 2-1/2 hours.
Check on the dish halfway through the cooking process and top up with water if needed.
Serve with brown rice and kimchi for a healthy Korean-inspired meal.

How a Heart Attack happens

What Causes a Heart Attack?

The medical term for heart attack is myocardial infarction. A heart attack is also sometimes called a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.

The heart is a muscle that acts as a pump. The heart pumps blood, rich in carbon dioxide and depleted of oxygen, through the lungs. The lungs remove carbon and add oxygen. Once oxygenated, the blood returns to the heart to be
pumped to the rest of the body. After blood circulates through body tissues, it is returned to the heart and the process is repeated.

The heart muscle requires a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to nourish it. Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the buildup over time of a material called plaque on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. The plaque deposits are hard on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. With blood flow impeded, the heart becomes starved for oxygen, causing chest pain. (angina). If a blood clot forms and completely obstructs the artery, a heart attack (myocardial infarction) can occur.

If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, muscle cells suffer permanent injury and die. This can kill or disable someone, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged.


Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

* Chest pain, discomfort, pressure, squeezing or fullness
* Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw or stomach
* Shortness of breath
* Feeling sweaty, nauseous or lightheaded

Not all these symptoms happen in every heart attack. Heart attack symptoms may start slowly and gradually get worse or they may go away and come back.

If your heart disease is severe, or if your chest pain and other symptoms can't be controlled with medicines, you may need to think about other treatment, such as:

* Angioplasty.
* Stenting.
* Atherectomy.
* Coronary artery bypass surgery.

These treatments, along with making changes like eating right and not smoking, can help you live a longer, healthier life. If your disease becomes much worse, it can lead to serious medical problems. Many important end-of-life decisions can be made while you are active and able to communicate your wishes.

Sudoku - brain training game

I am wondering anyone interested to crack your mind on this piece of paper which I have extracted from ST dated 3 Jan 2010 ? Yes, this is Sudoku - the puzzle where you fill numbers in on a grid. The number puzzle can help to keep the mind busy.

BTW, do you know who is the "Father of Sudoku" ?
Yes, Mr Maki Kaji. He gave it its name and helped to make it to a worldwide success.

The rules of Sudoku are simple. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

Be the first to comment on this topic. We look forward to your interest and participation.

Boon Lay Air-con Bus Interchange

The old bus interchange has turned into the new extension building of Jurong Point. The new Boon Lay Bus Interchange is fully air-conditioned and has 60 bus bays with escalators linking from JP2 Level 3, near Fairprice Xtra, JP2 Basement 1, beside Stalford Learning Centre, and 3 linkages from JP2 Level 1.

Boon Lay depot, the busiest, largest and newest air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore was opened on 27 December 2009. Together with Jurong Point Shopping Mall, the MRT station and itself, it is part of the Boon Lay Integrated Public Transport Hub.

The fourth air-conditioned bus depot in Singapore, the $24 million facility, will serve 150,000 commuters daily, nearly double that of the second-largest air-condiitoned bus interchange, in Toa Payoh.

Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang, the 3rd and 4th airconditioned bus interchanage. In 2011 we can expect Clementi and Serangoon will undergo similar makeover.

Photo by courtesy of ST

Christmas is round the corner

Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A global festival, it is all around the world celebrated. A time for beloved traditions that are honored on 25th December, year after year, the most popular holiday of all. The festival of Christmas brings happiness, joy and love.
Christmas is celebrated differently by the the various countries and cultures of the world. It is interesting to see how different countries celebrate Christmas.

Christmas In BETHLEHEM
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations every Christmas. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas In CHINA
Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call "Trees of Light," with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns. Chinese Children hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom they call Dun Che Lao Ren (dwyn-chuh-lau-oh-run) which means "Christmas Old Man.".
Since the vast majority of the Chinese people are not Christian, the main winter festival in China the Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are brought out and hung in the main room of the home.

Christmas in Singapore
Christmas Light-up stretching continuously from Tanglin Road, Scotts Road, Orchard Road to Marina Bay area, the myriad of Christmas celebrations promises both residents and visitors, an exciting and memorable time this festive season. The wide range of activities include countdown parties, mega concerts, internationally acclaimed performances, art exhibitions, special programmes at Singapore’s attractions, attractive shopping promotions and tantalising culinary treats that will bring festive cheer to one and all.

Christmas Celebration Ideas for You
How are you planning to celebrate Christmas this year? If you have not yet decided, then I hope the following Christmas celebration ideas are of some help to you.

• Present gifts to your loved ones
• Visit a Church
• Make Christmas cakes
• Arrange parties at home or go out for dinner

Do you like any of those items shown above ? Delicious and tempting to lure you to have them for your Christmas celebration ?

Share with us on how you celebrate your Christmas. We welcome your comments here.

Brittany Murphy death sparks speculation over cause

Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her roles in films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home, police and hospital officials said. She was 32.

Actress Brittany Murphy first made an impression on audiences in 1995's "Clueless" as Tai, the socially insecure friend of Cher ( Alicia Siliverstone). Following her iconic role in 'Clueless,' Brittany appeared in more than 25 movies, including 1997's "Bongwater," "Girl, Interrupted" in 1999, "8Mile" and "Sin City."

Los Angeles, Investigators later said foul play was not suspected in the death.

Murphy's family meanwhile appealed for privacy.
"In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy," read a statement released by the actress's spokeswoman.

As we mourn the loss of such a talented young actress, we trailed into some of the talent of Brittany Murphy. In addition to acting, Murphy also enjoyed a successful foray into music, collaborating with British DJ Paul Oakenfold on the single "Faster Kill Pussycat," a club hit that reached number one on the dance charts. In the dancing penguin animated hit film "Happy Feet," she performed a cover version of Queen's "Somebody to Love" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland."

On a side note, earlier this month, when Murphy and her husband of two years, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he lost consciousness on the plane and was rushed to hospital.

We will miss our talented Brittany Murphy. We welcome your sharing here.

Recipes for Kueh Ambon

Recently we have organised a trip to Batam and the tour guide had recommended us this kueh. A few of us bought a box each home. Out of curiosity, after the trip, I wanted to know the recipe for the kueh. From the internet, I established that the name for the kueh is called Kueh Ambon.

I have managed to find the following recipe from Asiarecipe to share with those who are interested.
Ingredients :

• 15g instant yeast
• 110ml warm water
• 80g plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• pandan leaves
• 350 coconut milk
• 30g butter
• 250g sugar
• 120g tapioca flour
• 6 eggs
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix yeast, warm water, 1 tsp of sugar and plain flour in a bowl. Stir till batter is smooth.

Cover and leave in a warm place for an hour.

Cook pandan leaves, coconut milk and salt over low heat.

Stir in butter and leave it to cool.

Pour in the batter and sugar.

Beat briefly.

Add in tapioca flour and eggs.

Beat at low speed for a while and add in coconut milk mixture.

Pour into a lined tray and leave to prove for 2-1/2 hours.

Bake in a preheat oven at 170 degree for 15 minutes and then lower to 150 degrees and bake till cooked.

Once you have tried it out hope to hear your comment.

Share your recipes or good eating places with us

When it comes to food, I think it is dfficult to lay claim as its own and over the origins of some popular dishes. Our recent debate caused some uneasiness among food experts and food critics in Malaysia and Singapore when Dr Ng claimed that food such as Hainanese Chicken rice, chilli crab, nasi lemak and bak kut teh belonged to Malaysia.

Just within the first 11 months, Malalysia recorded its highest tourist arrivals this year at 22 million and RM 50 billion in reeipts. With a projected forecast for next year's arrival at 23 million tourists and reeipts to expect at RM52 billion. It is apparent and understandable why the The Malaysian Tourism Ministry goes all ways out to promote the industry.

The Ministry launched the new website, fabfood1malaysia, as part of the campaign to promote popular local food.
By any chance, if you have tasted any of these popular dishes, do drop us your comments.

Smart cities not just about clean air

Do you want to know which are the countries rated as the "Smartest" cities ?

• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Monterrey, Mexico
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Seattle, the United States
• Houston, US
• Charleston, South Carolina, US
• Huntsville, Alabama, US
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada

You can read more about the articles, written by Joel Kotkin, here.

The articles was also published in ST Friday, 11 December 2009.

Take a look and share your comments.

Dr and Mrs Schwoerer - Family seafaring with a mission

A mission to scale the highest summits in each of the seven continents, while leaving a zero carbon footprint. Swiss adventurers Dario and Sabine Schwoerer, who for the last seven years have called the world's seas their home, not just the two of the them, but with their three young children. Their mode of transport which does not use fossil fuels.

The 15m yacht runs on solar power and wind, what a fantastic idea. Using 11 panels and two wind turbines donated by sponsors. Once they reach a country, on land, they move around on bicycles. Oh! How I envy their lifestyle.

Dr Darlio Schwoerer, 40, a Geneva native and his wife, Sabine, 33, a trained nurse with their three children ( daughter, salina, four and son Andri, three and their youngest child Noe, just three months old, are halfway through their expedition. They have scaled the highest summits in Europe, Australia and South America: Mont Blanc in France, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia and Aconcagus in Chile.

Along the journey, they educate young people about climate change by engaging them in outdoor activities to raise their apppreciation of nature. They also conduct clean-ups in the places they visit along with other expedition members. Presently there are about 130 members from 33 countries under the ToptoTop Foundation set up in 1999 by Dr Darlio Schwoerer.

To read more about their mission, an article published on Saturday, 21 Nov 2009 : http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100019547&docId=l:1078782646&start=2

Also you can visit : http://www.toptotop.org/ to know more about the Foundation.

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