Grapefruit juice

I was quite repulsive towards grapefruit because of its bitter sour taste, but eventually I chanced upon a wonderful recipe which made me embrace this super food ^^

Just simply blend 1 peeled grapefruit, add a handful of ice and a drizzle of honey and blend all the ingredients together. The pretty looking pink juice is a good source of fibre and vitamin c:)

Those on a diet or have weak immune system should incorporate this into their everyday diet:) However take note, this fruit interferes with medicine! So don't take this with other medications!

[REBLOG] 25 Witty Comebacks To Use On Terrible Pick Up Lines

25 Witty Comebacks To Use On Terrible Pick Up Lines

Darren Johnson

1. Are those space pants? Because your ass is out of this world!
No, they’re prison pants. And it’s time for me to make my escape.

2. Are you Jamaican? Because Jamaican me crazy!
No, I’m Finnish. Finnish with this conversation!

3. Feel my shirt. That’s boyfriend material.
It looks a little too clingy and hard to maintain.

4. I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away.
I don’t. But I know karate and I could rip your lungs out.

5. There’s something wrong with my eyes. I can’t take them off you.
I’m having a problem with mine, too. I can’t see you getting anywhere with me.

6. What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?
I was gonna ask you the same thing!

7. Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?
Go ahead. I need to practice hitting a moving target.

8. Why don’t we get drunk and make some bad decisions?
You look like you already are, and you just did.

9. Didn’t we take a class together? I could’ve sworn we had chemistry.
I’m thinking it was history. Which is what you should be right now.

10. Are you a magician? Because abraca-dayum, girl!
Yeah. Now watch me disappear.

11. Is your last name Campbell? Because you’re Mmm Mmm good!
Your nickname must be Dirt Devil, because tonight you’ll be alone with the power of an upright in the palm of your hand.

12. Do you have a map? I’m getting lost in your eyes.
Sorry, no map. So why don’t you just get lost?

13. Is it hot in here, or is it just you?
Actually, it’s you. Because you just crashed and burned.

14. Excuse me, does this napkin smell like chloroform to you?
Not as much as that pick-up line smells like desperation.

15. You know, you look a lot like my next girlfriend.
And you look exactly like the guy I turned down two seconds from now.

16. Do your legs hurt from running through my dreams?
No, they hurt from dodging corny lines like that all night.

17. Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see!
Are you from Istanbul? Because you sound like a real turkey.

18. I just Googled “sexy” and a picture of you came up.
You’ll get the same result if you search for “not interested.”

19. If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?
If I said I wanted to check out your ass, would you turn around and walk away?

20. That’s a cute dress. It would look even better on my bedroom floor.
And it would look fabulous jammed into your windpipe.

21. Here I am! What were your other two wishes?
That he be charming and handsome. I guess not all wishes come true.

22. All those curves and me with no brakes.
So cheesy, and me with no pizza.

23. Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got fine written all over you.
No, but you must be a jury notice, because I’m trying to avoid you.

24. I feel like a library card, since I’ve been totally checking you out!
Did you notice that I’m like a best seller? Currently unavailable.

25. If you were a McDonald’s burger, you’d be the McGorgeous.
Thanks, Ronald, but I’ve already talked to enough clowns tonight. 

http://thoughtcatalog.com/darren-johnson/2014/07/25-witty-comebacks-to-use-on-terrible-pick-up-lines/

Day trip to Malaysia

What is a holiday without stepping out of Singapore? Since we don't have the luxury of time to travel to faraway places such as Korea and Europe, we decided to cross the causeway and enjoy 1 day of pigging at Malaysia:)

First stop for lunch: This place in city square basement selling shabu shabu, I think it's called Arashi Japanese. The steamboat pot may look small, but it is super filling and worth for money! Mine's V.Special Tofu Shabu Shabu. It then dawned on me the "V" stands for "vegan", not "very" :P Feeling adventurous, I went for the spicy milk soup base which turned out to be the best I feel:D It may sound weird, but it actually tastes like laksa or curry. Other food items on the table included beef teppanyaki, herbal soup shabu shabu, tom yum shabu shabu and vegan tom yum shabu shabu. All these amounted to approximately SGD$80, with 5 super full adults. Bet if this is in Singapore it would cost at least a hundred bucks.

V. Special Tofu Set 

Saw this super kawaii corn at one of the shops! It's sooooo cuteeeeee! I had to resist myself from buying it:/

Mr Corn says hi!

A wide array of polaroid cameras with pretty colours^^

Polaroid cameras with pretty colours

For dinner we ate at this soup restaurant called Tang Shi Fu. Apparently it is quite famous in Malaysia with quite a number of franchise branches. Sorry for the bad photography skills but don't be deceived by the photo. The food is really good. Dishes include ginseng chicken soup (which was too bitter for my liking because of the addition of authentic ginseng), some luxurious soup with all the treasures including scallops and fish maw inside, herbal braised duck, pu-er stir fried french beans and drunken chicken. The concept of the shop revolves around rejuvenating the body, thus all their food items are herbal based targetted at benefiting the body. All the food are yummy and we're all happy:P Pu-er stir fried french beans was the most creative dish, for in Singapore we only heard of sambal or garlic stir fried french beans. Integrating tea leaves with veggies added sweetness to the dish, quite a good combination! The herbal braised duck was also worth the try as it was really soft, making me reminisce the good old CNY days when we have braised duck at my ahma's house:) Bill totalled to about SGD$80, which was once again a good deal considering they were all high end tonic food:)

5 tired souls returned back to Singapore, with bags of clothes and cookies. I am really glad to have this one day trip, at least it takes my mind off some stuffs and I just eat all that I want:) Therapeutic day today, be it in terms of spending quality family time or retail therapy or food therapy.

Back in Singapore, back to harsh reality.

Sense of hesitant. Reluctance. Fear.

Went back Block Dee to witness the incoming batch of freshies undergo block culture today. Unknowingly, it has been a year since I was a councillor, sitting there trying to hype up the freshies despite fatigue looming over me. Now the batch of freshies which I led has taken over the role of councillor and doing a great job in integrating freshies into our block. As much as they are tired, I can tell that the excitement in bringing joy and fun to the freshies is still their priority as they put in 100% effort and energy into the activities, be it taking care of freshies or playing of games. Now a year 3 senior, I can enjoy the comfort of simply sitting there and watching show. Possibly the last time I'm witnessing block culture as I doubt I'll be staying in hall for Year 4, Block D is indeed a major part of my life. As I was talking to another hall friend of mine, I realized all our habits and talking styles and behaviors are shaped by hall life. Sheares Hall and more importantly, Block Dee, shaped us how we are now. Perhaps this is the major reason why I chose to stay in year 3. I am reluctant to change. I do agree that hall life takes a toll on our external social and personal life but up till now I am not regretting. With a change in social dynamics given that some familiar faces are leaving the hall, there is definitely going to be changes. Will I regret staying in hall for year 3? I have no idea. All I can do now is hope that there will be people tolerant of my high frequency and click well with me. If I never try I will never know.

1 more week to moving in to D704 again. Sense of hesitant. Sense of reluctance. Sense of fear. 

[REBLOG] 23 Signs You're A Pisces

http://thoughtcatalog.com/koty-neelis/2014/02/23-signs-youre-a-pisces/

23 Signs You’re A Pisces 

by Koty Neelis

1. You have a crazy intuitive nature and can sense other people’s feelings without them saying anything. You rely on your gut instinct when making decisions or sizing up a situation and you’re rarely wrong.

2. You can feel tons of different emotions all at once and you feel things very deeply.

3. You’re immensely creative, imaginative, and always working on a new project.

4. You don’t do well in highly structured or conventional work environments or situations. You do your best when you have a lot of freedom.

5. You can be flaky as hell. You don’t intentionally mean to be this way but when your energy levels are low you’re likely not going to go through with previous plans you made unless you know it’s really important to someone.

6. You’re a great listener and very empathic when listening to other people’s struggles. You’re the one your friends all go to when they need to talk about something. Their problems become your problems.

7. Nothing makes you feel better than caring for the people in your life. You love being generous but sometimes your kindness can be seen as weakness and is taken advantage of.

8. You’re laid back and carefree. You don’t get hung up on the details and consider your easygoing nature one of your best qualities.

9. You don’t hold grudges. You deal with an issue when it comes up but forgiveness is your forte.

10. You’re in love with love itself.  Love and romance is your kryptonite. It’s the very thing that fuels you. You don’t need to be in a relationship all the time but you definitely feel complete when you can give your love unconditionally to someone.

11. You have a dreamy outlook on life. You find beauty in the world around you and seek inspiration from everything.

12. You’ve pulled a disappearing act a time or two. When things get bad you launch into self-preservation mode and retreat back into your dream world until you feel it’s safe to come out.

13. You’re drawn to the ocean or other bodies of water and feel most at peace when you’re in nature.

14. You see both sides of every situation. Sometimes this can make it difficult to make a decision and you know sometimes you’re seen as indecisive or wishy-washy.

15. You take everything to heart. You’re very sensitive and can get your feelings hurt easily. No one can throw a pity party like you can.

16. If you’re not invested in something or have little interest you can be extremely lazy and stubborn.

17. You have a soothing and calm presence. You’ve been told you’re easy to talk to and you enjoy being someone others can turn to when they need help overcoming life’s obstacles.

18. You’re a natural nomad. You love traveling, experiencing other cultures, and the road is constantly calling you. Wanderlust is something you’ve been stricken with since you can remember.

19. You believe in the best in people and will go out of your way to help people, even if it means great sacrifice.

20. You can adapt to any environment you’re put in, regardless of the circumstance. Whatever the situation is you can adapt easily.

21. When you’re in a relationship you’re a very devoted partner. You’d do anything for them and you’re always thinking of little ways to make them feel special.

22. You’re highly in tune with your surroundings and you notice the details other people miss.

23.  You love getting lost in the unknown. You believe life is a great adventure that should be lived spontaneously. You love having a variety of experiences because you know it will make for a great story later. 

Life is a Roller Coaster Ride

Teaching is like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it sucks totally, so much that you really feel like you're screwing up the lives of kids and really want to quit to avoid ruining the futures of more lives. Sometimes just a simple statement from the students will bring you to cloud nine and erase away all your fatigue. Hearing students say that they liked coming to class, preferring to attend my class to other classes, passing their tests make me feel that no matter how physically and mentally drained I am, it is all worth it. It is having kids like this who makes me feel a greater need to do all that I can to help them improve their grades. I know this happiness is short-lived as I cant guarantee every lesson is a fulfilling one where I achieve all my expectations, but how long can my passion in teaching sustain? 

Credits: https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8413/8710087045_70ea238726_z.jpg

Credits: http://33.media.tumblr.com/75f0ea5e2e7d58896b4595fbb5d7c045/tumblr_mjmpmqoFmO1qh8iwno1_500.jpg

It's not going to be easy, but it's gonna be worth it

Tuesday again and it was tuition day. However somehow I felt that the spirit and enthusiasm of the class was heightened judging from the class participation. They seemed more interested in the class and involved in the lesson. This is possibly due to 2 very simple questions that I asked at the start of the class.

The moment they stepped into the class, I asked each of them "Did your parents ask you to come for tuition or were you the one who wanted to come?" Second question "On a rating of 0 to 10, 0 being you don't give a shit about what is happening in the class, 10 being you really want to learn something out of the class, what would you give?"

Simple as it is, yet it had a deep impact on my teaching approach. In my opinion, undoubtedly I am paid to do my work as a tutor. As long as a student steps into my class, I have the duty to ensure work is delegated to him/her and I attend to his/her educational needs. However according to my own principles and understanding that they are already young adults who understand their own priorities, I will dedicate more of my energy and focus to those who are truly interested in learning. Should you be uninterested in learning, I will not expend extra energy on trying to ignite the passion of learning in you. Instead, I will use this energy to teach those who sincerely want to takeaway some things from my lesson. I am only 1 person, who have this amount of time and this amount of energy to teach the class, which has that many people and that much amount of work which needs to be cleared. 

Thankfully, even though there were a few tutees who were sort of forced by parents to come, all the students rated their passion to learn in class as a 5 and above, even up to 9 and 10. This was heartening for me as I could see their passion in learning evidently displayed in the lesson after the questions. It was quite late of me to ask this question given that I am only left with 1 lesson with them but I hope they maintain that passion in learning and hopefully this will motivate them to work harder:) 1 student even told me that he passed his recent Maths test and I was really happy when I saw the broad and proud smile on his face:) Such joys and sense of accomplishment in life is what makes me feel like it's all worth it and makes me want to improve more so that I can make an improvement in their educational paths. 

Credits: http://www.iliketoquote.com/img/35.jpg

SHY'14

In the blink of an eye, this is the 3rd SHY I have went for. It seemed like it was just yesterday when I donned in a white tee shirt and walking up the stairs to MPSH, greeted by groups of strangers who gradually turned into important puzzles forming part of my life. Now, it is already the 2nd batch of freshies that I am welcoming to Sheares Hall. Not a councillor, not a block commer. This time, it was on a voluntary basis and I was really glad I went for SHY.

It was horribly awkward at the start, with me retreating to a corner not knowing who to talk to. All the freshies were playing games and those close to me had already moved to other halls. I really felt like just leaving the place as there was just no one whom I can talk to. Luckily, some familiar faces approached me and eased my awkwardness. If not for them I bet I'd be on the MRT home half an hour after I reached SHY. I guess this is another new chapter of my book. I had to deal with all these awkwardness, getting used to being alone and making new friends again. All new freshies in my short wing, no more familiar year 3 seniors around to talk about what happened during our years, some people distancing away for I dont know what reasons. Sad it may be, but I know I have to learn to deal with it. Thankfully, from the interactions I had with the freshies, they seem like a bunch of nice people who are patient and fun to talk to, so I guess my assimilation process will be eased:) Hopefully I am able to deal with this huge change in social environment and that my final year in Sheares Hall will be a happy one:)

The new blk d family

Sad truth of life
credits: http://quotes-lover.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/You-have-to-realize-that-people-change.-Sometimes-they-end-up-having-nothing-to-say-to-each-other-even-best-friends-grow-apart-250x250.jpg

Happy 21st Deniese

21st birthday party of the cute girl:) Funny how we didn't talk much in year 1 despite staying on the same level but I'm really glad how we grew closer this year. Cheers to many more years of friendship and may our friendship not be confined to simply lecture halls when we attend lectures together xP Thankful to have such an understanding friend who listens patiently to my problems, constantly being concerned and being able to notice when I'm having a bad day, and motivating me to work harder:) Can't imagine how life in NUS will be like without u:( A great party today with pretty decorations and it was really cozy seeing all the familiar faces:) Not a typical boring party where people sit around engaged in awkward silence, good party:)

Sadly, I had to leave halfway for my cousin's wedding at MBS ballroom. Classy setting with dreamy floral carriage on stage as decoration (damn I didnt manage to take a picture of that):( Thankfully I was seated with my uncles and aunties whom I can talk to, so at least I got to chat random topics with them:) 

I didn't know MBS is such a nice place with such beautiful setting! Sorry if I sound like a noob, but I was really joyous when I saw the artificial river! It reminds me of Venice where you get to sit in a sampan, then the person rowing the boat will wear a hat and sing a country song while rowing the boat. That is my definition of travel. My goal is to visit Venice and sit in a boat like this, with nothing else in my mind except thinking of which camera angle to take:) Graduation trip, maybe? That is like a short 12 months away. Time flies and it is really scary :x

First time ever wearing a red dress

Rare occasion with make-up on

On a side note, my makeup was a success:D Not a superb job done, but at least I managed to make them seem symmetrical without smudging. Rare successes like this deserve a selfie on this blog so here it goes! But one bad thing about makeup: I wanted to crash badly upon reaching home after a super long shag day BUT I STILL HAVE TO REMOVE CONTACTS AND MAKEUP DAMNNNNNNNNNNN. #woesofagirl

Photos of the cute girl and her birthday party to be uploaded soon and more touristy photos of me and my mum at MBS to be uploaded tmr when I gain access to her phone^^

Time to retire finally! Good nite world:) Sweet dreams! ^^

Mini Maybelline collection in preparation for wedding dinner tomorrow:) Yes, it's gonna be a rare occasion when the lazy Qianying puts on makeup to hide her dark eye circles and freckles.

Played with it for awhile today as suggested by my mum and the result was -.- Maybe in addition to my laziness, my cuiness in applying makeup accounts for the fact why I don't wear makeup usually. Think its time I check out YouTube videos on "makeup for absolute dummies" :P

10SH23:)

Although attendance was quite poor, I'm grateful for this timely meet up as we managed to catch my fellow QY before she flies back to her land of chillness:P

I can see our class dynamic improving, with all of us being able to talk about a single topic and having similar frequency:) It's so different from last time when we all talked about different things and having totally different wavelengths. Really grateful to have this bunch of nonsense peeps who made jc life bearable:) At least a happy funny end to a shag day:)

Time flies. It's already 2 years since we graduated from njc. May our friendship stay strong and cheers to more fun filled catching up sessions in future! ^^

A happy sister:)

Brother returned with this cute bucket of cookies for me^^ A sweet (or rather, salty) treat that totally cheered up my day and pushed me on for the long night of work:)

Really grateful to have such sweet and random funny brother who makes my day:)

On a side note,  I'm finally done with the designing of IBG poster! After much complaints and frustration, it's finally done even though it's super cui and 100 x away from what we wanted. Time for a short rest before moving on to marking of my students' papers in the morning!

Good nite world:)

World Cup 2014

It is already 6.14am in the morning, just minutes after World Cup 2014 beautifully ended with Mario's goal. However I still feel a strong urge to write this post.

YAY!!! GERMANY WON!!!!! Really happy when the goal was scored. I could feel a wave of euphoria overwhelming the entire team and horde of supporters when it was announced Germany won the title of World Cup 2014 Champions. Being the first year I am watching World Cup, it was a sense of ecstasy that I have never felt before. Despite Germany not being my home country, I am genuinely happy to see how their sweat and tears have been generously reciprocated with this championship. To see the supporters triumphantly crying over their country's winning is a heartening scene as it goes to show how much pride they take in this sport. Good job Germany. The tactics, the perseverance and never give up attitude despite the overwhelming fatigue is truly applaudable. Y'all deserve the championship:)

On the other hand, sadness looms the Argentina side. It was a super close fight. To be honest, Argentina put up a strong fight against Germany with its tight defence. Argentina players displayed skilful techniques especially in dodging opponents and dribbling of ball. However luck was not on their side. To see the players who have fought so hard for the entire 123 minutes having a look of despair was a painful sight. It was heart-wrenching to see how the masculine looking players broke down upon hearing their team's loss. This goes to show they really care alot for their country and for their team and I am really glad that they feel this strong urge to win for their team, their country, their people. However, they have put in their heart and soul into the match and I have to say their skills are top-notch. This by itself is already worth more than a title. Good job Argentina:) 

And so, this marks the end of FIFA World Cup 2014, with me jubilant over Germany's championship but at the same time heart-wrenching for Argentina. It was an exciting match that was well-played by both teams:) At 6.28am, I'm finally done writing this post and time to sleep. 

Good night world and good morning world:) 

Fan of Germany here^^ Germany yall have played well in first half. Although the results for first half was disappointing, jiayous for second half! All the best!!!

Regards from sg :D

Cactus Juice

Decided to be adventurous today and added cactus to my smoothie adventure:) The result was more of juice. The cactus is a bit sticky and has a very greenie taste but since I added orange, the citrus twist made it acceptable:)

For those who are new to this plant, below is the benefits of cactus: 

(from http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-cactus-juice.html#b) 

Cactus juice has shown to help to prevent inflammation in the muscles, arteries, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular region.

Cactus juice has a laxative effect and has shown to effectively treat constipation. In addition to easing constipation, cactus juice can reduce inflammation in the urethra and bladder. This has shown to help reduce pain experienced by individuals with bladder infections and gallstones.

Cactus juice is a good source of photochemicals, which can help strengthen the body's immune system. Lab animals have shown to have a reduce tumor growth after ingesting cactus juice because of an increased immune system response.

Additionally, the nopal cactus has high levels of betalins, which are antioxidants. This antioxidant has shown to prevent premature aging, promote optimal cellular health, reduce inflammation and detoxify the human body.

The American Heart Association has conducted research examining the benefits of cactus juice in reducing cholesterol levels. Nopal cactus nectar is high in soluble fiber, which the American Heart Association has shown to help control or reduce cholesterol levels.

Cactus juice has shown to be an effective remedy for non-insulin diabetes. Research shows that cactus juice can help decrease and stabilize blood glucose and insulin levels. 

Cheers to more smoothie and juice recipes:) Looking foward to more exotic and fun tasty smoothies^^

Although Brazil has lost once again, I'm happy to see them putting in their hearts and souls into the match. Last few minutes with a score of 3-0 where there is evidently no sign of catching up and they still poured in 101% effort into the game. I'm really proud of the players effort and the supporters who take such great pride in their national sport:) I can't say it's a good job but their courage and perseverance skill is definitely worth commending:)

Here's to all the Brazil players and their suporters:) And of course, well done Netherlands who have proven their worth:)

Yogurt parfait

Made a yogurt parfait and allowed it to sit from last night for my brother who's gonna do ndp again today. But too bad he didn't receive my whatsapp so I ended up eating that as breakfast :P Dunno if he purposely siam my food or he genuinely didn't receive xP

Anyway wishing my Bro a good day at work today! May everything go smoothly and he gets his 3 meals and he gets to pangkang early with no problem:)

Happy Girl Today:)

Shopping trip at Orchard with mum today:) Really grateful to my mum for jio-ing me to orchard for dimsum high tea and being the ATM machine for today haha. I really felt super guilty as she is always so selfless, saving food for me for fear that I'm hungry and always paying for every single thing that I want to buy even though I insisted I'm working and I have pay. I will really miss eating lunch with her once I move back to hall, which is one major reason I'm contemplating staying at home instead of hall for my final year in NUS. 

Anyway, I was quite lucky that there happened to be a food fair at Takashimaya today where they sell alot of different kinds of food including korean, japanese, nonya and typical singapore food haha. 

I wanted to buy a cup of tea but ended up buying a cup of milkshake thanks to the handsome angmohs at the milkshake booth:P The power of marketing strategy which made me succumb to it. Think my skin is getting thicker as I buay paiseh and asked for a photo with one of the cute angmohs xP Oh well, YOLO ^^ $6 worth of happiness to make my otherwise depressing demoralizing week better:)

The Decline

Went for my last lesson for this week and it was such a disaster. I thought that my week had been bad enough, with students not giving a shit about learning on Tuesday and students complaining my game was boring (as compared to the previous week's game) on Wednesday. I was wrong. Horribly wrong. I went to the lesson half an hour early with the marked worksheet and decided on what to teach each student. 15minutes into the lesson and I was still waiting. Alone. In the classroom. Only at the 15th minute mark did 1 student step into my class. 1 student out of a freaking class of 6.

I felt a surge of despair and guilt as I spent the entire 2 hours fixated on 1 student. I felt so bad for screwing up the lives of the students as they must have skipped my lesson to go for makeup lessons, meaning to say I'm a useless teacher who can't even teach properly. Even for that one student, I couldnt teach properly as he was a slower learner, hence making me slightly exasperated. Exasperation compounded by my sense of guilt just threw me into a deep hole of shit. Think I should just give up on this path and source for alternatives, instead of screwing the lives of students who are unluckily placed in my class. 

Since there is still 1 month of relief tutoring left, I shall just persevere and strive hard to lessen my guilt. In the meantime, I need some Running Man and Mango-Orange-yogurt smoothie to ease my depression. 

"Life is a marathon, there are times you're ahead and times you're behind. But ultimately it's merely a race with yourself" 

(thanks to a special friend for this inspiring motivation:)

Matcha latte

Tried making my own matcha latte:) Now, there's no need to spend $7 on Starbucks or some matcha shop to get a decent matcha latte:D

Best thing: I only used magnolia milk, matcha powder and condensed milk! All the ingredients are readily available at home, so from the convenience of my home I can have my cuppa^^

Efforts not appreciated. So much for putting in so much time and effort into designing and writing notes, planning the lesson and trying to find interesting videos to engage the class. Kids who are not even interested in helping themselves. I really cannot understand why these kids still come to tuition despite being indifferent about learning and come here just to waste time and money. Not only that, they are disturbing others' learning experiences. Every passing moment further compound the doubt that I cast on myself. Halfway through my disastrous lesson I felt super guilty for not being able to achieve what I wanted the class to achieve. Lesson today sucked, but I shall persevere for the remaining one month of relief tutoring. In the meantime, an exotic flavored Chocolate Coconut Pocky to make my day slightly better.

Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

Couldnt resist myself from posting this photo because I love the colour of this Blueberry Avocado smoothie:) Special request from my mother which made me try making this smoothie:)

On a side note, I just changed my Apple to Samsung phone! Still trying to get used to the interface:/ Hopefully I can get used to it asap^^

NDP 2014 Preview

Lucky few who got to watch NDP 2014 preview:)

Lucky girl thanks to my brother:)

Funky coloured fun pack^^

Red lions

Pretty night neon colours

The happy girl with her beloved fun pack

My favorite part was the red lions and contingent parade (yes, I know I'm weird because fireworks is not my top choice). Especially when I heard the inclusion of 1 female in the red lions, I felt really proud of her and I applaud her for her determination, given that the route to being a red lion must have been a tough one. The contingent parade was an impressive performance, as usual. Some people might say it is boring to see all the marching but I strongly beg to differ. This huge number of army have taken months of hard work, shedding lots of sweat under hours of hot sun to showcase this high level of neatness in line-ups. I am really proud to see them marching in, knowing that these guys undergo 2 years of hardship to give us safe and security:) Thank you guys (and girls) for contributing so much to the country:) Really reignited my passion to join as DXO once again:P

After hearing how much frustration my brother underwent in organizing the parade, I felt really heart wrenching. How he had to withstand the busy schedule, the hunger pangs, the irritating side-tasks. I really want to help him badly but there's nothing I can do, except being a good sister. Really praying hard that NDP will go well so that he can take a break:)

Special thanks to all the people involved in NDP, be it being a performer, or organizer, or marshals:) Y'all were great! Hope that NDP will be a great success:)

Green Citrus Smoothie

Woke up in the morning and while I was preparing the ingredients, my bro requested me to make an extra serving. Glad that he liked it:)

Green Citrus Smoothie
Makes 2

Ingredients:
1 avocado, fully ripe
2 oranges
2 cups of frozen spinach, chopped (I froze the spinach to prevent it from turning soggy in the fridge, to extend their fridge life)
2 carrots, chopped
2 handfuls of ice

Blend avocado and oranges with a bit of water until smooth. Then add in frozen spinach, ice and carrots to blend.

Indeed, $50 per lesson is not alot of money. But as the saying goes, "do more of what makes you happy". Strangely, I derive great pleasure and satisfaction from planning lessons and designing activities for my tuition sessions:) Despite being greatly discouraged by my poor teaching and how students fail to comprehend concepts, rendering my teaching useless at times, I shall persevere in designing my lessons. Hopefully my efforts will be recognized by the students as reflected in their grades.

At times, I really feel that I am a useless teacher who can't teach concepts properly. This makes me very demoralized and unwilling to plan for any more lessons and want to just shut out the route to teaching career. But the thing is, there are only two choices in life. Either do something that you like or something that you are good at. I can't find anything that I am good at. If I shut off my option which I am passionate about, what am I left with?

Student said to me " Teacher, I think you should bring panadol next lesson, in case you headache. Or you can tell your family to call 911 if you're not home by a specific time".

The best advice my student ever give to me. Dont know to laugh or to cry.

Matcha Azuki Avocado Milkshake

Had a sucky tuition, so here's a happy sweet milkshake to make my day:)

Matcha Azuki Avocado Milkshake

Makes 1:

200ml of milk 

1/2 avocado, fully ripe

1/2 tsp of matcha powder, dissolved in 2tbsp of hot water

3tsp of azuki bean paste

A drizzle of honey

Throw all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth

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The best smoothie I've made so far:) Happy how it turned out to be of a thick milky consistency with no taste of avocado:) Now I can make matcha milkshake at home with low costs and low fats! :P

Passion vs Strength

Today's tuition didnt go as well as expected. Despite planning so much and putting in so much effort trying to make sure the students understand, I doubt my efforts and patience was appreciated as it was drowned in the students' noises and handphone addictions. Babbling in their own groups, playing with their phones in class. Whatever. Honestly, I don't care about what individuals do in my class. "If it is not meant from the heart, it is not worth doing it". If you are not interested in my class, so be it. I won't expend energy trying to engage you in the class as it is not worth my effort and it is unfair to others who are truly interested in learning. So I dedicate my remaining energy and passion to delivering the lessons to those who are truly interested in learning, who truly want to make their money worth, who truly want to understand the mysterious beauty of learning. I believe, since you are matured enough to walk from your home to my class, you should be matured enough to understand the importance of paying attention. So I shall not waste time and effort trying to teach basic manners and principles of learning.

During the afternoon over lunch I was discussing with my mum and decided that I will go for teaching career upon graduation because of my passion in communicating with kids. However halfway through my lesson today, I doubted my capabilities. If I can't even control a small class of 8 how am I supposed to teach classes in future? If I can't teach a simple Math concept efficiently how am I supposed to make significant improvements to the kids' results?

Passion is one thing. Strength is another thing. People say if you like what you're doing you become good at it. But for my case they are two different things. I am not good at what I am passionate in. So which road should I take?

Credits: http://www.pinterest.com/explore/lucas-scott/