Throw Away Your Worries – Breaking Point

I was having breakfast with my friend yesterday at a restaurant (chuckling and laughing at her jokes) when a group sitting next to our table suddenly turned their attention towards me and one of the men casually commented “Ahh... look at Katrina, a person with no worries.. sooooo relax!” 



Eh? Apparently they were having some heated early morning discussion about life in general, fretting and grumbling nonstop.

So this is how people here see me all these while? What else can I say except throw them my usual smile? 


hmmm “”If only they knew!”” that a few years back I was struggling within and was once on anxiety pills - “panic attack” said the doctor. “Try as much to avoid stress, change your ways of life” he advised.

I was given anxiety pills by the doctors; I sadly confided to my best friend over the phone… “Oh oh, that’s a mild dose of medication, doctors usually will give to psychiatric patients a stronger one (Crudely put in Malay - Ubat untuk Orang Gila). This definitely is bad news!”.

She drove all the way from Kulim and we spent the weekend analyzing and discussing my ‘panic attack’ – I had to get an honest outside opinion of what is actually wrong with me.

Many women especially Single Mothers these days have to work full time in high stress jobs plus take care of the house and kids. This is definitely not an easy task, however, sadly to note our society places very uncompassionate demands on us women.

Without realizing, ‘silly we’ unconsciously submit/comply to these expectations hence pushing ourselves unnecessarily – finally, at one point somehow your “sanity” just cannot cope and you will eventually explode.

I am not going to waste any more of my precious time being a slave to my worries. I decided to spring-clean my brain. 

Breaking Point - 
Why Women Fall Apart and 
How They Can Re-create Their Lives  

by Martha Nibley Beck is an interesting read, a real eye opener.

Read more: 

HOMEMAKER – Resume

Basic guidelines of what is expected once you decide to leave your career and become a full-time housewife;

 

1                  Cook – Breakfast-lunch-tea-dinner-snacks-visitors-  parties

2                  Butler – 24hour duty

3                  Gardener

4                  Cleaner – house - cars – laundry/ironing

5                  Driver – kids to schools/tuition/marketing/shopping

6                  Nanny – 24hours  kids (ages ranging 1day old to 24years or more)

7                  Private home tutor – 7day week

8                  Private Nurse – home health care

9                  Plumber

10             Electrician

11             Carpenter

12             Hostess – visitors, parties

13             Clown – 24hour duty

14             Social escort - husband/kids

15      Bookkeeper - Accountant

16      Secretary

And finally, financially in cases where your husband is not able to provide sufficiently for the family, you are expected to again seek either part-time or full-time employment.

Did I leave anything out?

Desperate Housewives

The ABC Television Network announced today that this season will be the final one for the landmark series "Desperate Housewives." 

All good things eventually come to an end, and in the eighth and final season, the stakes for everyone on Wisteria Lane are at an all-time high. 

Season Eight of "Desperate Housewives" will roll out in a way that is accessible even to viewers who may have lapsed in their viewing, and be all the richer and more rewarding to the series' loyal fans. More here.

MENOPAUSE - What your mum n doctor may not tell you?

OBLA DI OBLA DA – Life goes on rah!.. la~la~la~la life goes on. Oh dear, the  lyrics ~~~Molly stays at home and does her pretty face ~~~

How I wish life will go on and on like Molly and her pretty face!

My late mum never discussed the horrible ‘M’ with me. In fact she never complained or had anything to say about this sneaky ‘M’. Well, don’t blame my mum; even Dr John R. Lee M.D. came out with his book titled “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause”. 



Now, now...... why all these silence? hmmmm

This is a phase in our life where not many women are prepared to talk openly? Huh! Menopause typically (but not always) occurs in women in midlife, during their late 40s or early 50s, and signals the end of the fertile phase of a woman's life.

Anyway this is one refreshing and educational book for those about to enter or are now going through menopause – one can learn what to expect and it is always better to be prepared.


I feel husbands/men should also know more about this topic so they can understand their women/mums and help their ladies go through this phase smoothly. I was told even men go through menopause?

Students - the food they survive on.

Students and the food they eat neatly summarised in pictures - picked this clip from my son’s group facebook... 

I had my fair share facing similar situations while I was a student many years ago – instant noodles!

Sad - why can’t the authorities look more closely and help resolve this issue?

 

The Moon that Embraces the Sun

Update:

On March 15th, 2012, MBC Wednesday and Thursday drama series The Moon Embracing The Sun rang down the curtain with viewership ratings of 42.2%. The highest single minute ratings of the day even hit as high as 48.1%. 

Although the audience had already guessed the ending through the original novel of the same name, but people was still concerned about the tension development of the plot, until the last moment. The Moon that Embrace the Sun had been broke in in full fury since debut.

cr:asian-drama.org 

The South Korean MBC TV historical television series  The Moon that Embraces the Sun recently was exported to 7 Asian countries -Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia - the TV series that fetches the highest price in the history of South Korea’s per episode export price. 


This Hit series also caused the share prices of many companies involved in the production to rise sharply.  Source MyDaily 

STORY PLOT

The story of the love shared between Lee Hwon (a fictional king of Joseon) and Wol (a female shaman) is based on the novel by Jeong Eun Gwol. Yeon Woo (Wol), born from a noble family was selected to become the Crown Princess of Joseon, until the Dowager Queen plotted against her (political conspiracy) and secretly ordered her death.


 

With the help of the powerful head shaman, Yeon Woo was given a medicine to fake her death; all including Lee Hwon the Crown Prince she was to marry, believed her to be dead. Yeon-woo awaken in her grave six feet under - the shock and trauma robbed her of all past memories. She was secretly shipped away and lived as a shaman under the care of Jong Nok Young, the head shaman. 

 

Years later Yeon Woo returns as shaman Wol. Lee Hwon notices her close resemblance to his 13yr old deceased Crown Princess. “He’s mistaken her for someone else (Yeon Woo), or that his longing for her has created such illusions and heartache”. Wol, having no memory of her past, firmly denies that she is Yeon Woo.

 

Confused, suspicious yet doubtful, Lee Hwon secretly begins investigations to find out the truth of the princess’s death eight years ago and broke down hysterically when he finally discovered the true identity of Shaman Wol.

  
 
 
Superb and exceptionally outstanding performances by these beautiful Korean actresses........

                        
                    


Aja aja Fighting!



Han Ga In as Heo Yeon Woo / Wol
Kim Yoo Jung as Yeon Woo (13 years old)
Kim Min Seo as Yoon Bo Kyung
Kim So Hyun as young Bo Kyung
Jun Mi Sun as Jang Nok Young
Bae Noo Ri as Jan Shil
Jo Min Ah as young Jan Shil
Kim Young Ae as Queen Dowager Jung Hui
Nam Bo Ra as Princess Min Hwa
Jin Ji Hee as young Princess Min Hwa
Yoon Seung Ah as Seol
Suh Ji Hee as young Seol

VERTIGO – Simple Exercises

You feel dizzy, unstable, nausea, sweaty, the room is spinning and you are floating about crazily, try lying down and the moment you rise – starts all over again.

 

The first attack caught me by surprise, without any warning, very scary indeed as I have never been through dizzy spells before. A few hours in the hospital for thorough examination, tests and observation, the doctor explained to me what Vertigo is all about. Phew… what a relief, something’s just not right with my inner ears!

Image Source: here

I was very lucky my first experiences happened at home but imagine if one is driving a car, swimming, climbing the stairs or carrying your baby etc? 

Roughly a third of patients have such recurrences within a year of treatment and half have recurrences within five years, do you need to carry the pills with you at all times?

There are vertigo exercises that you can do at home to help manage these attacks, simple steps that will take less than 5minutes of your time, it works. There are many videos posted in the internet to help you with these exercises.

Learn more here and here.

Back to the Kitchen – Cooking Varieties – Chef Dato Dr Rusly

In Malaysia we have our celebrity chef an Accountant by qualification, the famous Chef Wan. And I too have a special friend Wan, also an Accountant by profession who is as passionate in cooking and shares her special interest blogging on food - Cooking Varieties. 

What makes CookingVarieties exciting is that Wan invites guest bloggers from all over the world to contribute and share their interest in food; recipes, food ideas, tips, suggestions, health benefits and food jokes etc. 

In one of her recent posting on Pancakes we get to learn of the varieties of pancakes enjoyed by different communities around the world. 

I have no talent in cooking. Years of being away from home I had no opportunity to learn to cook from my late mum. When I was home she would rather I not enter her kitchen – I only mess things up for her. Even at this age I am struggling, left to cook on my own, I am simply lost. I still need to depend on cookbooks, surf the net for food blogs and attend cooking lessons - yes, learn how to cook from scratch.

Chef Dato Dr Rosli (Chef Li) inspired me the most; his easy simple ways make cooking bearable and fun. I attended many of his classes – tricks, shortcuts and tips from him are priceless. In one traditional menu “Nasi Lemak” session, within just few hours we can come up with as many as 25 dishes! Fantastic - learning about his simple paste system, will save us so much time in the kitchen. 

And you get to learn of the little secret ingredients/herbs used, for instance to prepare the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice. You may try as hard but if just one special ingredient is not added, you may not get the original taste right. 

 

Anyway Chef Li offers a wide selection of menus to choose from - traditional dishes, Chinese, Thai, Western, baking, ice-creams, drinks and also how to process noodles, yoghurt, bean curds etc. 

He is also the author of motivational books such as “Jutawan Senyap”, the Silent Millionaire, where he encourages others to venture into simple food related business as means to earn a living.