oodles doodles

thaipusam impressions

chuilingaling — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:13:56 +0000

1st time in my entire life I have woken up this early to snap pictures, or rather, attempt to. We got up at 4am to watch the preparation for the festival and one thing that struck home – a superb example of family togetherness that we all should try to emulate.
Thanks Jimmy, for “bringing” us around and the yummy ng ah sio bak kut teh after.
Pardon me if my illustration is not as accurate as it should be, I’m reading up on Thaipusam as I upload these pictures.
This is my 2nd attempt and I really enjoy trying to take good pictures and am on a journey to improve on my skills and become better.

Not for the faint hearted!

en route: pilates

chuilingaling — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:14:10 +0000

i’m happy that i managed to yank myself out of bed at 6.30am this morning and got going with my 1st ever pilates class. i have always wanted to try out pilates but was either too lazy, skeptical about signing up packages, and all sorts of excuses you can think of. maybe the last meal i had was dinner at 6.30pm the night before, hence the lack of carbo and the lack of good sleep wrecked my body a little. i was having a headache before class and after the class in the shower, i almost hurled.

that being said, i think its purely due to the lack of sleep and dreaming of fried chicken wings all night that made me look and feel green. as it was an early morning class, there were only 6 of us, all ladies and boy, were they (middle-aged) young and flexible. everyone (except me) did their stretches with grace. i was stiff as a block of wood, despite being one of the youngest in my class. i could hardly bend over, much less have my head at my knees, i have a terrible hunch and can’t even arch my back like a swan. though the exercises look simple, it was tiring and mentally trying for me. basically, pilates is all about stretching oneself to the limit, and it actually helps to tone up all core muscles in the body and lengthen them, hence regular pilates practitioners tend to have very tone (and taut) and less bulky bodies compared to your average athlete.

despite the morning sickness, i am definitely going to continue with this morning stretch and make it a regular thing to go for. i am contemplating trying yoga this weekend and see the difference.

but at least for sure, pilates is working for me.

hong kong impressions part une

chuilingaling — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:10:49 +0000

central, hong kong, 2010

do it the simple way

chuilingaling — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:30:58 +0000

when life throws you oranges, make the best OJ. somehow there is something really therapeutic about making OJ using the squeezer. the one i have at home has been with us since i was a baby and its still in mint condition, save for chaps here and there. the plunge of the orange into the squeezer and using your body weight to grind the orange from left to right and watching the pulp and juice flow through the slits of the cap has a calming effect on you. i think this might even work better than a stress ball, so chug the modern juice maker aside and invest in this simple, yet practical squeezer that might just make your day.

maybe i will try grapefruits next.

{fotosa}

reality check.

chuilingaling — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:19:42 +0000

back from hong kong and it was a crazy week, i felt like i ate and shopped through hong kong and my tummy is taut and round now. reality check – interviews on both monday and tuesday after such a long wait and i am just feeling very blessed and thankful for chances given.

though we are halfway through january 2010, i am still itching to get a monthly planner which i do every year but almost always never manage to flip to december. the age of technology has somehow wiped out the need to get these paper beauties and as a blackberry junkie, i have been more reliant on my electronic calendar than anything else. the question is, shall i just succumb and buy this simple, yet unnecessary beauty? le sigh, sometimes i wonder why i spend my time fussing on these.

crossed fingers for a great week!

♥

{littlecdesign}

in transition: 2009 – 2010

chuilingaling — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:17:20 +0000

2009 was a terrible year for me. it was a rude awakening in terms of friendship, work and family (but glad that things have worked out very well ever since for the 3rd so, a blessing in disguise). happy notes include a great relationship with b, taking up photography and having a really good mentor: i’m terribly excited about learning how to take pictures and to get better at it in 2010, to have a home to call my own and hopefully a vroom-vroom to boot. of course, on top of that, health and happiness for all those who are dear to me.

to a new decade, and to hell with the death, gloominess of 2009. cheers.

little india, 31st December 2009

music musings

chuilingaling — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:22:46 +0000

just watched the gossip girl episode, they shoot humphreys, don’t they?, and really enjoyed the following two songs. gossip girl always chooses the best mix of songs to compliment the mood of the show and i love how they tend to use indie-ish, foreign yet slow and enjoyable songs that do not clog the airwaves. enjoy! 2010 in 3 days – i’m getting excited.

I am not sure if there is an official video for The Plastiscines’ I Am Down but I can’t seem to find it. To read more about the artists, click here and HERE.

Abstinence

chuilingaling — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:55:40 +0000

as an omnivorous young lady in her 20s, never had I thought that giving up my meat for greens will ever cross my mind. common, like how kermit puts it across aptly, it’s not easy being green. before you take this saying in a flippant way, let me assure you that i am dead serious about it. a while ago, a couple of friends have told me i have put on a couple of pounds and with my mom hounding me incessantly about my horizontally growing hips (she does not realise the importance of having cushiony hips for child-birth despite going through 2), i’ve decided that being an exercise junkie is not enough, i too have to watch what i eat.

never one ready to pass on a meat buffet (think brazilian churrascarias and massive international buffets) and could be the last person standing at the dinner table, this attempt to abstain from meat proves to be a challenging one for me. complete abstinence will be impossible i’m sure (unthink of, too) but i’m trying to cut down on my red-meat consumption in hope to lose some weight but at the same time, relieve my system too?

word has it that rearing cows produces more greenhouse gas than cars..and that’s not taking into account their wastes that pollute the waterways. chickens and pigs these days are injected with growth hormones that have been scientifically proven to have an adverse effect on human health - now, won’t i be saving the earth and my health at the same time if i cut back on my meat?

the environmental imperative aside, and after a few days of keeping red meat to a meal a day, i must say that i do feel healthier, my tummy bulge sure did shrink (i’m not kidding) and generally, just feeling really good overall. definitely going to keep this up but am harbouring the thought of letting lo0se for christmas (who can keep away from the turkey and sweet seasonal ham!)!!

try this out and share with me your experience. you’ll soon realise that you are doing your body a huge favour

2009 in a nutshell

chuilingaling — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:36:01 +0000

try this on merry newsinator! a great way to sum up 2009 with a tinge of wit and crack-worthy jokes. share when you are done!

pluck

chuilingaling — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:59:40 +0000

makes a mean chocolate marshmallow ice-cream and a screamingly good mudpie (topped with wine-soaked cherries – correct me!). Especially delicious if shared with your loved one!

Pluck

31/33 Haji Lane