Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Scatter Brains

Why can't people learn to be more responsible for their own words?

I was supposed to sell something off to a girl. We were both fairly busy and we mutually agreed that boxing day was best.

At 1230pm sharp, I was there, right where we were supposed to meet. A good 10 minutes later, no signs of her and I started calling her to no avail. She called 20 minutes later. Guess what, she just woke up. I wonder if she's already out of bed.

It was a good thing I was supposed to be around the vicinty the whole day. Her exact words, we would meet at about 2+ and she would call me when she arrived to meet me at my convenience, thats the CC.

3pm came and past, so did 4pm, 5pm and 6pm with no signs of her. 4 hours overdue. She finally called informing she'll be reaching via cab about 10 minutes later. I asked if she could meet me outside CHEERS, to my surprise, she can't cos she had no idea where was it. Ok, we were supposed to meet at the MRT station. She came by the train instead.

I wonder if she has a brain. Trust her to suggest I go into the train to look for her when I had no idea what she looked like and vice versa. Shouldn't one think the odds of boarding the wrong train is pretty high?

It's ok. What irritated me the most was the fact that she did not appear the least apologetic, much less to apologise for wasting my time.

Was I supposed to wait for her like a fool? I wonder...
*ponders*

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 4:45 PM with 0 comments

Have FUN for FREE

MAKE A BIG SPLASH
An attraction that made big waves decades back, Big Splash at East Coast Parkway is slowly wooing back the crowds by offering free admission. The aquatic complex retains its trademark water slides and swimming pools even till today. Ready to get wet? Surf its website at www.bigsplash.com.sg

PLEASE PLAY ME A SONG
Dedicate a song to your beloved husband/boyfriend/dog at the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth. A DJ will read out your dedication and play your request every night from 7pm for free. And on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, eve of public holidays and public holidays, from 8pm to 9.30pm, you can ask for a laser text message to be projected for free on the water screen at the fountain.

GO FISH
Get a hook and line, and some bait of course, and head for Bedok Jetty, Sungei Api Api in Pasir Ris, or Punggol Jetty.

GO FLY A KITE
Relive those kampung days. Go fly a kite in any open space. Marina South is especially popular.

WATCH PEOPLE
From people with little taste indulging in PDA (public displays of affection) along Orchard Road, to kids playing under the dancing fountain at Bugis Junction, to 'ladies of the night' parading their wares - one is never short of amusement if you just open your eyes on the streets of Singapore.

GO ON A HIKE
Climb up Singapore's tallest hill - Bukit Timah Hill - or trek through the forest in MacRitchie Reservoir and get friendly with the monkeys (Just don't feed them). Or check out the new tree-top walk at MacRitchie. The free-standing suspension bridge is 25m above ground and brings you eye to eye with the birds.

WORK THAT BODY
No money to join a gym? Hit these outdoor exercise corners at Housing Board estates and public parks. Do chin-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups. There's no air-con or fancy equipment, but it's better than nothing.

HOP ON FOR FREE RIDE
Okay, so you don't have a car and you're not a frequent flier. And your legs can't take you any further after a full-day shopping spree? Hop onto one of the free shuttle bus services around town, for example, the shuttle from City Hall MRT station to Suntec City.

TAKE IN THE VIEW
You probably need to pay an arm and a leg for a great city view. And most of us, working class folk, probably can't afford to do that. But the next time you are in the city area and need a breather, head for the Esplanade's Roof Terrace. From the top of the 'Durian', you can see almost the whole skyline of the Central Business District, bumboats tugging up and down Marina Bay and even lovebirds snuggling up close.

FUN MESSAGES
Grab one of the free postcards at food and entertainment outlets and write to a friend. In the age of e-mail and SMS, snail mail is surely a welcome change for those who still carry a pen with them.

FIND OUT WHAT'S ON
Pick up a free magazine like IS, Juice and The Finder - found at coffee chains, eateries and entertainment outlets - and keep up with the latest happenings and trends in our island city.

THANKS FOR THE MUSIC
Take a break from the daily grind by checking out the free concerts and performances around town. The offerings range from a capella acts to indie rock bands. Besides scanning newspapers and magazines listings, you can check out these websites: www. nparks.gov.sg, www.esplanade.com and www.nac.gov.sg. Alternatively, head down to HMV at CityLink Mall and The Heeren to test their collection of pop, jazz, rock and classical tunes on display.

BOOK A NICE TIME
Pick a good read at the library. From the latest bestseller to travel guides to self-help tips, the National Library Board (NLB) has more than four million titles, and that's just in English alone. Singaporeans can borrow up to four books or magazines for 21 days with their identity card at no charge. You can rest your bums on armchairs and read right there in the library, if toting a book home doesn't appeal to you. Locate the nearest library to your home at www.nlb.gov.sg. You can also head to the browser-friendly Borders and Kinokuniya, where some bookworms spend virtually all day reading.

CAMP UNDER THE STARS
Spend a night outdoors camping on the beach. Go out and pitch a tent at the Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park, Sembawang Park or West Coast Park Now, you don't need a permit to camp at these parks.

DURIAN'S OFFERINGS
Singapore's $600 million 'Durian', the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, holds a treasure trove of freebies and that's why it makes this list twice. There are monthly free concerts on Sundays at its stunning concert hall, free lunch-time concerts on the last Tuesday of each month, and free performances every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at its outdoors waterfront stage. Plus, there are workshops, exhibitions, meet-the-artist sessions, talks and more, which are often free.

CULTURE VULTURE
So you might not know Van Gogh or anything about the Ottoman Empire, but that's what museums are for: to impart knowledge. The Singapore History Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museum offer free admission on Friday from 7pm to 9pm. Likewise, you can walk through the doors of the Singapore Art Museum free on Fridays from 6pm to 9pm.

SIGHTS, SOUNDS, SMELLS
Put on your walking shoes and explore sights, sounds and smells of Little India, Chinatown and the other ethnic and culturally-rich quarters of Singapore. Say a prayer at some religious buildings here like the Thian Hock Keng temple at Telok Ayer Street and Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road.

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 11:09 AM with 0 comments

Top 5 Sports Injuries

Overuse injuries
Cause: Over-exertion and sometimes chronic repetitive actions. Pushing the body too hard when it is not ready for that level of exercise.
Whom it affects: Those who have stopped exercising for a long time and think they can pick up from where they left off, such as men who only train for their annual army IPPT.
Symptoms: Pain in various parts of the body, from the back to the knee to ankles.
Treatment: As it is not a very serious condition, treatment ranges from tailoring the level of exercise accordingly to giving drugs for pain relief or inflammation.
Precautions: With exercise, always start slow and gradually progress.

Sprains
Cause: Ligaments in the ankle, knee, wrist or elbow are stretched or torn. Ankle sprains are particularly common.
Whom it affects: Teenagers and young adults involved in contact or extreme sports.
Symptoms: Acute pain. Unlike overuse injuries, where the point of when the pain started may not be remembered, people will know when they have a sprain. Besides pain, there may be swelling and bruising.
Treatment: Application of ice, compression and elevation for ankle sprains. For very bad sprains, physiotherapy and surgery to reconstruct the ligament may be required.
Precautions: Proper warm-ups. An ankle guard can help to prevent ankle sprains.

Shoulder dislocation
Cause: As the shoulder joint is inherently unstable - like a golf ball sitting on its tee - it is easily dislocated by falls.
Whom it affects: Younger sportsmen. The more often the shoulder has been dislocated, the higher the chances of a recurrence.
Symptoms: Pain and deformity, unless the shoulder has been dislocated so many times that there is no longer any pain.
Treatment: Physiotherapy, to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joint so that the bone is kept in place. For those whose shoulders keep dislocating, surgery may be required to repair the tissues around the shoulder joint.
Precautions: Keeping the shoulder and upper back muscles strong may help to prevent some dislocations.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Cause: Unknown though it could be due to softening of the kneecap cartilage.
Whom it affects: Usually those under 35.
Symptoms: A chronic, nagging pain usually in the front of the knee.
Treatment: Therapy to strengthen the thigh muscles usually helps to alleviate the pain.
Precautions: Doing adequate warm-ups before doing sports.

Knee injuries
The knee is a complicated joint and the ligaments, cartilage and meniscus found in the knee are all susceptible to injury, much more so for those who play contact sports.

Ligament tears of the knee
Cause: Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (on the inside of the knee joint) are very serious.
Whom it affects: Teenagers and young adults who are actively involved in contact sports and pro fessional sportsmen.
Symptoms: Pain, swelling of the knee, internal bleeding within the knee joint, inability to bear weight on the knee for a few days to a few weeks. The knee may even become wobbly and unstable.
Treatment: Doctors would need to control the swelling as it would restrict the full range of movement of the knee. Physiotherapy is used to regain range of motion, control swelling and strengthen the muscles.
Reconstructive surgery for the ligament may be necessary.
Precautions: None.

Meniscal injuries of the knee
Cause: The meniscus, or the cushion within the knee which helps distribute loads, is torn.
Whom it affects: Those who play sports and those in their late 30s and above.
Symptoms: Pain, occasional swelling of the knee. There may be an increased risk of arthritis.
Treatment: Surgery may be needed to unlock the knee if the leg cannot be straightened.Precautions: None.

Cartilage injuries of the knee
Cause: The cartilage at the knee can be damaged if there is some trauma to the knee, for instance, hitting the ground.
Whom it affects: Younger sportsmen who are involved in higher intensity sports. It can also affect, say, a motorcyclist who falls off his bike onto his knee.
Symptoms: Pain and swelling of the knee.
Treatment: Some people do not require treatment and get better on their own. Others may require surgery.
Precautions: None.


Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 10:33 AM with 0 comments

Monday, December 27, 2004

My Jolly Shandy

Almost a whole month has gone by. It's the festive period and everyone's busy.

My Jolly Shandy is almost a whole year old now. That's 7 human years! He's grown a fair bit and getting more and more mischievous by the day. My cute darling recently amused all of us at home by crawling into a pillow case, which, is still on the pillow.

He has learnt
1) to steal stuff from the rooms (in particular, my room)
2) learnt to stand upright
3) learnt to scratch at me when I return home
4) learnt to be fussy about his food
5) play with his food
6) beg for food
7) bite
8) throw tantrums
9) mess up the house
10) shred paper to bits

Whatever he is, he's still the cutest :D

Posted by LiTTle-FooT at 3:16 PM with 0 comments