Oopsy! I ate it again!!

3 overripe bananas on the table, waiting to be consumed
but that's 315 kcal in one go

i looked at my food diary

crunchy oats 600 kcal
skinny mocha 160 kcal
apple 47 kcal
kiwi & orange 70 kcal
mushroom omelet 100kcal
ovaltine 76 kcal

total calorie : 1053

it was only 3pm but i had already squandered 87% of my daily calorie allowance! *gasp*

then i stared back at those bananas again, wondering what to do with them.

Eat them? my calorie intake will exceed 1200 kcal
Leave them? they will rot by tomorrow which is such a waste and i'll be damned if i waste my money that way during economic recession
Offer someone? there is no one in the flat. Besides, it's not so nice to offer people rotting bananas.

hmm..maybe i should make something delicious out of bananas for my flat mates since i havent contributed anything to this flat yet. I quickly scanned through a list of cake recipes that require bananas and finally came to this simple kitchen formula --> steamed banana cake aka Apam pisang

problem solved! *woohooooo*

While waiting for the cake to steam i chatted with some fifth yr medics and was happy over the great news. Congrats doctors! The future of Malaysia healthcare relies on you people!!

Anyway, back to the cake...menaka, fatiha and ash came by and discussed whether to go for beer race or not

'lapar laaa...let's try your apam pisang!' Fatiha gave in to the temptation of food...lol

So there we were...4 girls sitting around the freshly steamed cake, talking while helping ourselves to the cake.

'OMG, we're almost finishing it! There is no more left for the rest of the flat.' We looked down at the last tiny piece, thinking about one and the same thing --> who is gonna have the last one??

then i saw fatiha scraping it off the tin

'You shudn't have told Lyana i was making apam..see now it's all gone!' i purposely scowled at Ash

'Alamak!' Fatiha suddenly realised she took the last slice and wanted to put it back after taking one bite

We all laughed at the scene, right away....

Fatiha is sooo helplessly funny sometimes...hahaha

Anyway,that was the first time in a long while i hadnt thought about calorie when eating. It really feels so good to put that daunting thought aside which also makes me jealous of people who can eat whatever they want, how much they like and still remain slim...Grrr....not fairrr!!!

Well, thank you for enjoying the cake even thought it wasnt superb and sorry for those who din get to taste my virgin banana cake (blame fatiha!)

When will i bake next?
Hmm...perhaps when i have rotting fruitsss?!

going against the tide

People are surprised when i tell them i want to lose weight. I have had a fair amount of people tell me i am small and thin. But NO, I DON'T FEEL THIN!
When i look in the mirror, i still see problem areas that need more weight taken off. People dunno these areas are there becoz they are well-hidden under clothes!
Call me insane or whatever, i'm not gonna dwell in comments like ''you don't need to lose anymore'', ''you are getting too skinny'' bla bla until i'm contented with the way my body looks. Right now, i still feel FAT, as always!

anyway, i came across this sad sad shocking news about coffee which titled

"Don't Be Latte Fatty - the awful truth about your daily caffeine hit"

Whether you prefer skinny or whipped, with an extra shot of caffeine or a pump of syrup, your favourite beverage probably contains more calories, fat and sugar than you imagine.

....it's perfectly possible to get more than 500 calories in a Starbucks drink.

All figures given here are based on averages in drinks made from whole milk (where relevant) from High Street coffee chains.

LATTE
What is it: 1-2 shots of espresso with steamed milk.
Calories: Small, 200; large, 341.
Fat: Small, 10.6g (6.6 saturated); large, 17.9g (11.2 saturated).
Verdict: Surprisingly unhealthy. A large latte contains almost one third of the daily recommended fat intake for women. Add a vanilla shot and you 380 calories and 14.5g of fat in each large cup. This is equivalent to ten rashers of bacon.
How to make it healthier: Stick to skimmed milk and the calories in your large latte drop to 160, reduce saturated fat to zero and still provide a healthy dose (450mg) of calcium. Soya milk contains 50 calories more per large serving, but is still healthier than whole milk.

MOCHA
What is it: Three-quarters steamed milk, 3-4 pumps of chocolate sauce and 2-3 shots of espresso topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 255; large, 484.
Fat: Small, 9.3g (5.4g saturated); large, 25.3g (14.3g saturated).
Verdict: Very fatty. This is sweetened with a massive 41g of sugar in a large cup. Things could be worse: a large white chocolate mocha with whipped cream contains 628 calories and 28.9g of fat.
How to make it healthier: Order a small skinny (skimmed milk), no-whip (without cream) dark mocha and your calorie count drops to 175.

AMERICANO
What is it: 2-3 espresso shots topped with water, and optional milk.
Calories: Small, 11; large, 23 (more with milk and sugar).
Fat: None (unless you add milk).
Verdict: Most people add milk, but to cut calories make sure it is skimmed. A few studies suggest that a high intake of caffeine promotes the leeching of calcium from bones, but the National Osteoporosis Foundation says adding milk will offset any such risk.
How to make it healthier: Avoid full-fat milk and sugar. Better still, take it black.

ESPRESSO
What is it: Coffee and water.
Calories: Single, 6; double, 11.
Verdict: If you don't add sugar (10 calories per sachet), this is the lowest-calorie coffee. Consuming more than 5-6 cups a day is not recommended by doctors or nutritionists, but a strong black coffee 1-2 hours prior to exercise has been shown to be beneficial. Substances in caffeine trigger the release of fats into the bloodstream during activity, enabling the body to use fat as its primary energy source, say researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport. You will also burn up the fat faster.
How to make it healthier: A macchiato (espresso with foamed milk) provides some calcium and not many more calories (there are only 20 in a double shot drink). But avoid caramel and other flavoured macchiatos - a large one has 390 calories and 17.4g of fat

CAPPUCINO
What is it: A mix of steamed and foamed milk added to an espresso shot.
Calories: Small, 122; large, 207.
Fat: Small, 6.4g (4g saturated); large, 10.7g (6.7g saturated).
Verdict: Better than lattes. But, with 6.7g of arteryclogging saturated fat in a large mug, it's hardly healthy.
How to make it healthier: Ask for skimmed milk. This will remove the fat and cut the calories to 129 in a large drink (76 in a small). Sprinkle on cinnamon instead of chocolate.

HOT CHOCOLATE
What is it: Chocolate drunk with whole milk, often topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 357; large, 549.
Fat: Small, 18.7g (10.7g saturated); large, 27g (15.2g).
Verdict: A large cup has the calories and fat content of three hot dogs, according to the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. Worse is a large, white, hot chocolate containing a whopping 719 calories and 33.4g of fat. Be wary of fast-food chains that make hot chocolates not with milk, but with a mix of sugar and non-dairy creamer (containing the unhealthy partially hydrogenated soybean oil and more sugar).
How to make it healthier: Go for a small, no-whip, skinny hot chocolate to drop your calories to 209.


In short, skip the whip, sugar, syrups and replace full fat milk with skimmed. Better still, have your coffee plain like americano or espresso which contains less than 10 calories per cup.

So, to make my coffee healthier and diet-friendly i can only order the skinny options: skinny latte, skinny vanila/ hazelnut latte, skinny mocha or black coffee i.e. americano, macchiato, espresso

It's not all bad news, isn't it? I dun have to remove coffee from my diet, at least!!

Kvetch of the week

for some reason i feel that time seems to pass slower than usual this week

lectures 9 to 5 almost every day. I find it racking to force myself out of bed early in the morning when normally i can sleep until i naturally wake which tends to be in the afternoon :P

the good thing about lectures is you can just sit back and relax while the lecturer is talking in front. consider yourself lucky if the lecturer has a wicked sense of humour but most of the time, it's long, dull and above all, excessively informative to the extent that your brain gets tired and switches off. At the end of the day, what you bring home is only 10% of the lectures and for someone like me, whose memory is equivalent to RAM, that 10% is *pooooofffffffffff* gone as soon as i snooze.
Honestly, what stays on is nothing but lecturer's jokes

sigh..have to endure another week of 9-to-5-lecture before we go back to clinic (Arghh..that's another pain in the ass!!) ..why do i complain so much??am i coming to the point where i'm already fed up with my routine life even before i qualify as a dentist??

*Gulp*

I can't wait till i'm home.

April. Please come soon!!!!

23 + 1

not in the mood to blog but since it's my birthday and i owe a lot of ppl a big thank you, i should drop some words here.

24. Gaspppp....

"Relax, it's just a number!" i hear that a lot, recently. But, deep down inside..i'm friggin' scared to turn 24...haha...simply becoz i cannot accept the fact that i'm getting OLDER!
No longer an innocent little gal who counts down to her big day and wishes for a big chocolate birthday cake. Not to say that the birthday celebration was greater when i was a kid. In fact, it was very typical. A dinner at a restaurant of my choosing and a birthday cake. Still, i looked forward to it every year.

If turning 24 is already disturbing..what more for 30, 40??

Maybe i should look at the bright side.
It's a day to indulge myself, hang out with friends and have fun. A day to harbor a secret hope that someone will do something wonderful. A day to reflect on how silly i was and try to wipe the slate clean. A day i feel cared for and appreciated by family and friends.

I'm 24. So what? It's just a number....pffttt


P/S Thank you for all your wishes, cards and gifts!! *hugs*

GREASE is the word

What did i enjoy most about Grease?

the thrill of having my 3 first-times in one night

Hey,dun get me wrong!! It's nothing suggestive

it's just the first time...

i had been sitting so close to the stage, seeing the performers' facial expressions so vividly

i had met a celebrity in London or more accurately, bumped into a celeb without having a clue who he was but just joined the frenzy

i had failed to get through to my hard-core-phone-junkie friends whose identities are self-evident

Ahem! Ahem! *cough cough*

a night like no other - began with an electrifying rock n roll musical and ended with a zany celeb encounter

Grab your seat quick!

Guess what i came across when i was looking up fun things to do and see in tokyo??

The world's busiest starbucks in Shibuya,Tokyo !

Not that it serves the best starbucks coffee, it's being in front of the world's famous Hachiko crosswalk that makes it frantically packed day in, day out.

Yes, one of the cool things to do in tokyo is people watching, especially in Shibuya. A lot of people visit this starbucks just to feast their eyes on the busiest intersection on earth so it's extremely difficult to get a seat at the window. sounds crazy? maybe...but i'd love to check it out when i go to japan this summer..Watching waves of pedestrians going everywhere at once can be a breathtaking sight..

Here is a video of the famous 'scramble crossing' taken from Starbucks! LoL *wink*






i cant help wondering if it's possible to get lost in throngs of people when crossing...hmm

Like a kid again

The day we woke up treated with an accidental holiday

the city being blanketed by snow...

releasing our inner child....

enjoying fresh kisses of snow....

building a snow man....

lying in the snow....

jumping...

fiddling around....

kicking...

chasing....

Happy Snow Day!!

it's all about ....

MONEY
dum dum de de dum dum

Name those things money can buy
so many that you dunno where to begin
comfort, freedom, power, choices, satisfaction........

However, we still hear people say there are things money can't buy
luck, knowledge, love, friendship, health........
In short, money can't buy happiness

But in reality, we know that's not entirely true
Perhaps people who say money is not the answer to everything are
either
some humble toffs trying to solace the miserable hearts of the poor
or
destitute but being determinedly optimistic

Personally i think money does buy happiness, just for a brief and fleeting moment.
And, people who say money is not everything, probably dunno what it is like to live in poverty.
Imagine if you had no money
how would you eat?
how would you pay for anything you do?
rent?education?car?house?medical check-up?

It is a material world that we all live in, whether we like it or not, money is certainly one necessary commodity we can't live without

So what about true happiness? inner fulfillment?
Well, only when we have no worries about our basic needs we think about the pursuit of happiness i guess.
Otherwise, would you bother to run after the so-called true happiness when you don't even have the fundamental requirement to stay alive?!

Undeniably, money doesn't bring happiness
but
not having any does bring unhappiness

--- a reflection arisen from January financial blues

The Best Gift of All

is not always the most expensive one
but
a gift of warmth and joy that touches your heart in dark times

It puts a smile on your face just when it feels as if you will never smile again

The best gift of all

is more than words can say

Dilly Dally Shilly Shally

a 60pd pay as you go phone
OR
an 18 month contract @ 9pd a month?

both offer Sony Ericsson G502

the only difference is the 18 month plan comes with 100 min and/or text and a free 2GB memory card

but an additional contract = 2 numbers = hassle + paying extra 102pd for the exact same phone

then again, i can't afford a new phone at the moment...sigh...if 20pd is already considered my limit, let alone 60pd.

should i wait until next month and grab a new phone
OR
go for the deal, get a phone right away and put this hitch behind me?

Life is full of choices. Happiness or unhappiness is often a matter of choice.
Perhaps, i grew up with little choice about anything so i see having more choice as a burden.

a phone or a contract??

Arghhhhh!!!

you two manipulative rats!!

This afternoon i went in for perio with an expectation that my patient won't turn up. A Chinese patient.

The reason being he didn't reply my message nor pick up his phone. An early sign of DNA.Woohoo!!

Hence I didn't bother to set up the bay, just waiting to be signed off and at the same time, talking to happy helen whose partner was 'ill', permitting her to an afternoon off.

But very unlucky for her. I had to snatch her brief joy when I suddenly caught a glimpse of my patient in the waiting room...arghhh..frankly, i also felt robbed of my happiness for a moment.
Since my clinical partner was nursing somebody else, poor helen had to take over his place. Still pouting, we rushed to set the bay up and start the treatment. Thank goodness, it was a short one!

''so your next appointment will be in two weeks which is on the .....26th Jan,'' i reminded my patient b4 he went off.

''It's Chinese New Year!" Helen squealed with eyes wide open.

Splat!
How could i forget that???

"err.. you sure you wanna come in on the first day of Chinese New Year?'' i looked at his hesitant face, hoping he would say no.

"It's a Chinese superstition that going to hospital on CNY should be avoided but it's ok, my teeth are more important,''

''Actually it's up to you whether you want an appointment on CNY or a later date. It's a good news for both you and me if you cant make it. But like i said, it's your decision. I cant cancel the appointment for you until you say so,''i tried to hint that he should call it off. Dude, it's CNY!

My attempt was in vain as he insisted to choose scaling over CNY
I turned to Helen, with a disappointed look.

"Are you gonna have a CNY party?'' Helen changed the topic

"Yea..we are gonna have a big party on the 25th and count down to CNY,'' his face lit up suddenly

"Wow..you will be staying up all night and drinking then..Maybe you should take a rest on the next day and save yourself the pain of having to come to dentist on CNY,'' Helen's suggestion made my patient hesitate again

"Yea yea..i might be too drunk to wake up the next day...i'll probably have to cancel the appointment then,'' we all laughed, for different reasons obviously.

He might be laughing at the idea of getting hangover on CNY but helen and i were laughing for our moment of triumph. Our dirty little trick! Woot!!

Cheers to Helen for the early CNY pressie :D

World's most expensive poop

If you were given 50 pounds, what would you do with it?

save it?spend it on
a Nica handbag? a pair of Nike Air Force Premium trainers? a concert ticket? a day trip out of London? an exquisite dinner at a French restaurant?
OR
a cup of world's most expensive coffee?

Still think Blue Mountain is the most sought-after coffee in the world? Update yourself!
This honour belongs to a unique Indonesian coffee known as Luwak coffee or Civet coffee.

Interesting enough, this coffee is made from cats' droppings!!
The raw coffee beans are eaten, partly digested and then excreted by a small cat-like creature called the Toddy Cat. The cat is said to be very selective in it's choice of only the best and ripest coffee berries which explains the superior quality of the beans as well as its staggering price.

Still, 50 pounds for a cup of coffee sounds insanely extravagant.
What's worse is it is literally cat poo! *splutter*

No way!

Drink my poop!It's sumptuous!!

so...what now?

5 days
That's how long i haven't been to Starbucks.
That's also how long i haven't set foot in anywhere out of Whitechapel.

A lot of things have changed in Starbucks, from indoor decorations to menu board. The 3 seasonal coffee treats are gone, replaced by a new slogan ' a moment of goodness with vivanno nourishing blend'. Seeing these changes reminds me that I should get myself a new calendar.
It's 2009 now. OMG!!
I've been too busy battling with poor appetite to usher in new year and make new year's resolutions.

Anyway, it's not too late to set goals now, right?
EAT LIKE A NORMAL PERSON
that's going to be on top of the list, definitely.
No joke, being able to enjoy what you eat is a bliss!
For the past few days, i have been trying different types of food to stimulate my appetite. Food that i have been refraining from for a long time. Food that i have been considering sinful aka diet killer.
Sadly, none of them works.

You may think '' good news! i can lose weight!!''
But trust me, you wouldn't want it this way.
Imagine you lose feelings of hunger and everything tastes like plain water.
Imagine you feel so bloated that you can barely breathe after half a muffin or a quarter bowl of noodle.
Imagine you have to keep forcing yourself to eat for survival's sake until you feel nauseous like a chemo patient.
Awful! Awful to the max!!

As for my second resolution, I'll think about it once I've achieved the first one.

Let's talk fashion

Fashionistas: here is a list of trends to watch for spring 2009

• Prints - Wonderful Parrot-like prints from Peter Pilotto, huge playful polka dots, and tropical exotic holiday prints.
• Motif - The butterfly takes over from the star as the motif du jour in 2009. Don't fall into the trap of glitzy blingy kitch though - the butterfly this summer is all about elegance.
• Colors - Tropical and zesty fruits and nutty flavors from pistachio, citrus lemons and limes to juicy papaya. An abundance of nudes offer a neutral (and transparent) palette. Metallic liquid silver and gold is everywhere, from jumpsuits to evening gowns. Black is out, nude is in, so is kingfisher-type blue, named as Palace Blue.
• Jackets - Rolled or pushed-up sleeves especially on jackets and baggy blazers, or kimono sleeves. The Vest jacket gets a new look, from cropped to tunic length.
• Jumpsuits and Playsuits - Figure hugging jumpsuits in slinky jersey and metallics and candy stripes and leopard prints.
• Short suits - Not the demure variety, but sexy hotpants styles with matching jackets. Stylish daywear or sporty versions.
• Trousers and Pants - The 7/8th crop length trouser (especially in florals) comes of age this season and cigarette pants are the look of the day. Add some floral printed pants from Henry Holland and DVF or slinky wet-look leggings.
• Dresses - From single-shouldered dresses to tops and bikinis, asymmetric shoulder-lines have made a huge return in 2009. There are plenty of peplum waists (not good news for those with a bulging tummy) and spring-like papaya shifts and caftans.
• Lovely in Lace - Last season’s black punk-goth-style lace has been given a softer romantic make-over with Edwardiana dresses from Erdem, in French lace.
• Fashion Accessories - Think sash-like scarf belts and bug-eyed glasses, huge chunky necklaces,almost chest pieces and long, chandelier earrings.

reference: Spring 2009 Trend Report

Top left : playsuit ; Bottom left : single-shouldered dresses; Middle: big chunky necklace; Top right : long, tasseled earrings; Bottom right : transparent, sheer fabrics

Time for a new wardrobe??
Honestly, I'm tempted to shop after browsing through the fashion sites but let's face it: I'm financially handicapped after coming back from Turkey and Bulgaria.
So, forget about spring shopping spree until next month.

*sob*

so near, yet so far

Last New Year's Eve I had so much fun counting down to a brand new year along the banks of River Thames and watching a spectacular 10 minute fireworks display fired from the London Eye.

Same time this year I curled up in my bed, under a duvet and layers of clothing to fight off an infection called FLU!

No cheers. No gathering in great crowds. No drunkenness. No talking to strangers.
Just me and my bed in a cold, cold room.

How long I slept I remember not, but as i opened my eyes I saw only darkness outside the window and the clock struck 5.
5 a.m. or 5 p.m.? I can't tell

Feeling heavy-headed and shivery, I groped for food.
Crunchy oat cereals. That was my first meal after a god knows how long sleep.
Bluek!
Not even managed to eat a handful of cereals.
I stuffed another handful and again, I threw all up.
Feebly, i crawled back to bed and slept it off.

It must have been an extended sleep as the second time I woke up, it was still pitch black outside and the clock showed 4.35. Only this time my head wasn't as heavy as before so I could shove myself to the fridge which was just 1 metre away from my bed.
I need FOOD!!I didn't feel hungry but my intuition urged me to eat.
Sighhh,,,what was in the fridge? Oranges, kiwis, lemons, apples and milk!!

Bluekkkk!!! Half of the apple i endeavoured to swallow was all out.

Gosh! What's wrong with me??I wanted so much to cry for help but my voice failed me.
Pretty sure that i wasn't alone in the flat. My flat mates were just a few metres away but my body was so frail that even walking a few steps might kill me. Worse still, i didn't have a phone. It felt as if i was all alone, completely isolated from the world; as if i was being left here to decease slowly. No one came by to check on me. No one! So much for living in a 145-resident hall..sigh!!

I can't help wondering how long it would take to discover my body if i died in the room.
One day? One week? Maybe when my body starts to rot and stink the whole place??
It was ironic that the first person to learn my condition was actually miles away but was the one sending help signals to my literally reachable friends in London for me.

A world without friends is a very lonely place, indeed!
Nonetheless, is it fair to say otherwise?


P.S. a big big hug for my life saviour aka my ex-roommie aka Pei Lian :):) You proved one thing "distance is no obstacle for saving lives"!!!!! *muaks*