Hello Everyone,
Baby and I just caught the movie, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and while many medias [such as the radio and magazines] rated it rather highly, Baby and I beg to differ. Out of a rating of 5, Baby and I would give it a 3 because it didn’t quite met our expectations, especially when it was given numerous positive reviews by rather credible sources.
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, “WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING” is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don’t stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy’s husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who’s expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler. Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn’t so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a “dudes” support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is. And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco’s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date? A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, “WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING” finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world.
Our Opinion of the Movie:
Well, Baby and I first saw the film poster when we were in Johor Bahru and we thought that it might be a worthwhile movie to catch because of its rather high-profile casts which included Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, and Brooklyn Decker. While we knew that the genre of the movie would be along the line of a romance comedy, we felt that it was rather more of a documentary documenting the lives of 5 different couples whom were expecting to have babies and how they overcame the different sets of challenges/obstacles/circumstance that comes with expecting a child. The comedy aspect of the movie were not that comical and if you ask us, we felt that there would perhaps be better movies to catch. Well, this movie might just suit couples whom have gone through parenthood or are undergoing parenthood. Either way, we felt that the movie was just average.
A Little Side-Track Here:
If you are catching a regular movie [not those 3D movies or premium ones] at Shaw Cinemas and you own a Citibank Credit Card, be sure not to miss this promotion where you can purchase a pair of tickets that comes with a large popcorn and two large drinks for only $25! Using simple mathematics calculation, a pair of tickets on a weekend would cost you $22 and that means you only pay $3 for a large popcorn and two large drinks! How cool is that right? Well, this promotion is only valid till 30 June 2012 so be sure not to miss it!
Hello Everyone,
I am sure that by now, many of you would have heard about the horrific car crash that happened last Saturday morning at Bugis Street. While I didn’t gave much thought about it and dismissed it as just another car crash/accident [because car accidents are pretty commonplace in Singapore], I came across the video of the car crash that was uploaded on Youtube and I decided to give my opinion on this matter.
Before going deeper into the subject, here is a 29-seconds video of the car crash that was taken by a Taxi Driver whom had a onboard camera on his vehicle:
Observations I noticed from the video:-
1). 5 seconds after the green light has changed, the Ferrari crashed into the Taxi
2). A person was jaywalking before the “green man” sign was flashed
3). There was no signs/intentions of the Ferrari driver to execute an emergency brake
4). There was a rather innocent insensitive comment made during the last part of the video
5). The Taxi that was crashed into was stationary at the junction before moving off
My personal opinions:-
5 seconds after the green light has changed, the Ferrari crashed into the Taxi. This shows that the Ferrari driver had no intention to stop even though the traffic lights were not in his favour. Having heard some people pinpointing that it was the Taxi Driver’s fault for not checking his surroundings and for not slowing down when approaching a junction, I beg to differ. First and foremost, the Taxi was already stationary at the junction. When the green light was flashed, it is only normal that cars that are going straight go straight, cars that are turning left turn left, and cars that are turning right turn right. Even when checking blind spots, every driver only check blind spots when they are filtering to the left or to the right! Nobody checks blind spots when going straight! At most, a driver would check his rear mirror when going straight. So, I seriously detest it when people point their fingers at the deceased Taxi Driver and said that he should have slowed down when approaching a junction. Note that the deceased Taxi Driver was not approaching the junction; rather, he was moving from point A to point B!
The rest of the road users shown in the video should count their blessings; had they travelled the same distance as the deceased Taxi Driver, the consequences could have been worst. I just could not imagine the disaster, had the person who was jaywalking obeyed the traffic rules instead. In addition, there was certainly no signs/intentions of the Ferrari driver to execute an emergency brake. The Ferrari just simply zoomed past and rammed straight into the taxi. Also, I noted that some people actually commented that an insensitive comment was made during the last part of the video. Honestly, I initially felt that the comment was quite insensitive. But after some pondering, I felt that the insensitive comment was quite innocent in a way as well. If we were to put ourselves in the shoes of that person who made the comment, I am sure many of us would have exclaimed pretty loudly and thanked our lucky stars.
Questions to think about:-
Well, many newspaper reported that the Ferrari driver was a foreigner so I do have some unanswered questions.
1). How many foreign drivers were involved in a traffic accident thus far? Is the percentage larger than the locals?
2). How does a foreigner gain qualification to drive on local roads? Is there a driving test of some sort? What about foreigners whom lives in countries that drives on the left side?
3). Many news reported that the road junction at Bugis is an accident-prone area. Are there any study/research being done to implement safety features/measures for users of the road junction?
4). How are the victims being compensated especially since the driver isn’t alive to answer to the law?
Well, I totally sympathise with the victims [less the Ferrari driver] in this horrific car accident. For all you road users out there, be mindful/wary of the traffic conditions whenever you use the road. Make sure you look all around before attempting to cross the road.
Hello Everyone,
as you all would have known by now, I have gotten a Canon Powershot S100 as a birthday gift from Baby and Mum this year. Hence, from now onwards, I will be sharing with you my photography journey with the Canon Powershot S100 and please do not be mistaken, I am no professional photographer. So, please feel free to leave your comments about the photographs that I have taken so that I can improve myself.
Personally, my photo composition skills are lousy and I am literally a noob at photography. Nonetheless, everytime you see a blog entry that has a title beginning with “My Photography Journey“; it means that the blog entry contains the interesting photographs that I have taken during the day.
So for this virgin blog entry on photography, here are the photos that I have taken today.
The photos were taken right from my bedroom and in case you guys are wondering where on earth I am staying right now, you could very much have guessed where I am putting up from the photographs that i have taken. Enjoy~!
My place has BBQ Facilities, Swimming Pool, Function Room, Basketball Court, and Gym Room!
Hello Everyone,
this would be my last and final installment with regards to my personal NS experience. In this blog entry, I will be sharing with you what happened after I was put out-of-course (OOC) for the 82/11 Officer Cadet Course (OCC).
I was put OOC in May 2011 after sustaining a ligament tear on my left wrist. As my wrist condition worsened, I had to undergo a ligament reconstruction surgery and was given a few months to recover and recuperate. During this period of time, I was also put on a splint and was practically immobile. While I was waiting for my posting to be out, I was attached to the Human Resource Shared Services Centre (HRSSC) in SAFTI MI and I was involved in helping out the Student Affairs Branch. In total, I spent about 9 months at HRSSC and I have learnt a great deal about general administration and other taskings which are adhoc in nature. The work atmosphere was positive, friendly, and encouraging and I really enjoyed working with the people at HRSSC.
While waiting for my finalised posting to be out, CPC [it stands for Control of Personnel Centre, credits to Joel Chen for the information. They are the ones handling the posting of servicemen] had initially posted me to be a Supply Supervisor at a classified unit. However, as I didn’t have enough liability left, the idea was dropped. Then, I was issued another possible posting to be a Supply Assistant. I have absolutely no idea why CPC was bent on assigning me a Supply vocation but for me, it just will not work out because given my condition, I wasn’t able to lift heavy loads and furthermore, I was in a splint, causing me to be extremely immobile. After countless email exchanges between my superiors and CPC, CPC finally posted me to become an Admin Support Assistant at SAFTI MI.
Well, as an Admin Support Assistant, my main taskings were mainly centered on general administration [filing, setting up/tearing down of meeting room, IT support, and etc.] and while it may not be physically challenging, it might at times be emotionally challenging. Many people say that once the training phase during NS is over, life would be much more smooth-sailing and I no doubt share the same sentiments. In fact, I am really excited as I’m counting down to my ORD on 13 September 2012.
Honestly, though the 2 years in National Service might seem long and daunting, it will soon be over in the blink of an eye. Then again, there will be a new set of challenges and a new chapter of my life begins right after NS.
Well, Baby and I were really excited to check out the newly revamped GV Jurong Point which officially reopened its doors on 1 May 2012! The revamp cost a whopping $4.5 million dollars and there were many new features installed! When we reached there, there were already big groups of people whom were queuing up to get their tickets.
Some of the new/improved features of GV Jurong Point are wider leg room, stadium seating with clear sightlines, 7.1 Dolby Sound, latest EAW speakers, and all Digital screens!
Check out these photographs of the newly revamped GV Jurong Point! [Credits goes to GV for the photos]
In addition, to celebrate their opening, GV Jurong Point is running some daily special promotions!
Here are the daily offers from 2nd to 23rd May!
· Monday: Free coke drink with purchase of one large popcorn
· Tuesday: $2 for two cheesy hotdogs (usual price $4)
· Wednesday: All-day student pricing and $2 off on Nachos combo
· Friday & Saturday: Free late-night parking at Jurong Point Shopping Centre
· Sunday: Complimentary restaurant vouchers with every pair of tickets purchased before 2.00pm
Well, for those of you whom are staying in the West and are looking for opportunities to organise a reunion party/family gathering of some sort, why not organise a movie outing at GV Jurong Point?! We personally felt that the major revamp of GV Jurong Point was a resounding success and it will definitely offer an extremely comfortable and pleasant movie experience for movie-goers residing in the West!
Hello Everyone,
thanks to OMY.SG and Golden Village, Baby and I were given a pair of complimentary tickets to The Avengers Movie and out of a rating of 10, we would give it a 9!
Ok, maybe we are kinda bias here, but truth be told, the movie is too good to be missed. We were absolutely blown away by the action effects, the light humour, and also the solid storyline.
The story buildup was at a good pace and every character was portrayed really well and given sufficient screen time. Alright, we shan’t spoil the movie for you but here’s a heads up; do not leave the cinema straight right after the movie ends as there is a surprise trailer that might indicate a sequel to the movie. Enjoy!
Hello Everyone,
due to work, school, and personal commitments; we will not be putting/posting up any blog entries as frequently as we can over the next two weeks. Please be patient with us as there are many exciting events that are coming right up, especially in the months of May and June.
Upcoming Activities/Blog Entries for the Month of May
Panasonic Eco-Lifestyle Event
The Avengers Movie
Labour Day
and many more~!
Should you have any queries, do feel free to drop us an email at admin@awinsomelife.org and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Hello Everyone,
here’s part 2 of my personal NS experience. But before that, I have some readers asking me if my field camp experience was for real and so, here you go [no elaborations needed]:
And eh, if you look carefully at the background, you would have noticed a group of recruits whose uniforms are quite green. There are two reasons for that! Either they have changed to a new pair of uniform, or the rain have probably washed off all the mud. In fact, this photo was taken on the day we were presented with the letters specially written by our parents and loved ones.
How fit was I? Quite fit.. but now? I’m quite fat instead.
After BMT, I received my posting order and was posted to Officer Cadet School (OCS) as an Army Officer Cadet for the 82/11 Officer Cadet Course (OCC). On the first day of reporting, I was given a sticker that says H3 and was promptly ushered to the Warriors Hall. Well, I didn’t really thought much about what H3 stands for and I went on to look for familiar faces. Then, I chanced upon an old friend of mine [Rui Xiong] and I saw that he had a sticker that read H2! So, I curiously asked him what H3 meant and to my dismay, I found out that H stands for Hotel Wing and 3 stands for platoon 3. For those whom haven’t heard about Hotel Wing, Hotel is infamous for its turnout and 1000 sit-ups challenge!
Hotel Wing’s 1000 Sit-Ups Challenge [Photo from Singapore Book of Records]
When the Senior Officer Cadets marched us to the SAFTI Parade Square, the commanders from Hotel Wing took over. And for the very 1st time, fear griped me as I saw the many commanders of Hotel Wing whom donned on red and khaki berets. In my mind was this, “Darn, OCS is going to be tough as hell!” and boy, was this so true! My Section Instructor is a Guards Officer, my Platoon Commander is a Guards Officer, my Platoon Warrant is a Guards Specialist, my Wing Sergeant Major is a Ranger/Commando Warrant Officer, and my Wing Commander (WG COM) is a Ranger/Commando Officer! [Multi-Kill indeed!].. even my Wing Quarter-Master is a Guards Specialist!
And to make things worst, my WG COM gave us quite a “welcome”! 100+ push-ups within the first few hours of reporting to OCS! Truth be told, within the first 24 hours, everyone’s morale was so down that most of us told our commanders that we desired to be posted to Specialists’ Cadet School (SCS) instead.
But was everything that bad? NO! To be honest, to be able to train at Hotel Wing is indeed a privilege and an honour. Because of the scary first impressions we had on the 1st day of reporting to OCS, most of us pretty much had our toes in line and dared not fool around excessively. Regimentation at OCS was heavily emphasized and any foolish mistakes [such as forgetting to put on the OCT rank] would cost 40 push-ups without any questions asked. Outfield trainings were very common and the duration can be quite long and tiring. Physical fitness was extremely important and anything less than Gold meant Remedial Trainings (RT) over the weekends.
As you can see, training in OCS is tough and it is also physically and mentally demanding. While training can be tough, it can be quite fruitful as well. I remembered there was once our WG COM asked us to describe what the letter ‘H’ stands for and I wrote these, H stands for homework, honour, heart, home. In essence, these 4 things encompasses what Hotel Wing was to me. When I was in Hotel Wing, we had tons of homework! [Officer Cadets whom have RT have much lesser time to do their homework and I am one of those whom always struggle with this. =P] Because of the tough training, I considered it an honour to be training in a premier Army wing like Hotel. While Hotel Wing was a tough training ground, every commanders had a heart for their men. We often engaged in dialogue sessions with our WG COM and it was always an inspirational time as he shared with us the thoughts and feelings that were in his heart. And last but not the least, Hotel Wing was a home to me. Training together with my fellow platoon mates and living together under one roof sharing common facilities every single day, I considered Hotel Wing to be my second home.
Well, unfortunately, I did not commission as an Officer. I injured myself during an exercise at Pulau Tekong and wasn’t able to recover in time. In fact, I was very much in pain but yet continued to go for as much trainings and lessons as I could. After the completion of a long arduous 24KM route march that marked the end of Service Term , I was placed out of course as my wrist ligament was unstable and I had to go for a surgical ligament reconstruction. Despite the fact that I didn’t complete the OCC due to my injury, I was nonetheless proud of myself for having pulled through the entire service term. Not only that, I participated in the 1000 sit-ups challenge and completed the challenge!
Truth be told here. I’m really glad and thankful for the training that I have had at Hotel Wing before being put Out of Course. Because of Hotel Wing, I have learnt values that no other place on earth could teach. Because of Hotel Wing, I can lift my head up high knowing that the tough training I have undergone separates me from being just an ordinary soldier. And because of Hotel Wing, I had the privilege and honour to learn and absorb lifeskills and essential military skills from the many experienced commanders.
Photos taken during the family day after our confinement!
In case you are wondering what the main emphasis of this blog entry is all about, I would just want to share with you that NS training is tough and there are risks and dangers present during training. Even when every single safety measures and precautions are put in placed, there will sometimes be circumstances that the unavoidable happens. Even for myself personally, despite knowing that I was injured during an exercise, I voluntarily continued training which I felt that I could manage because I didn’t want to give up so easily. We call this the, “Fighting Spirit!” and no, we’re not crazy. It’s just that we want to challenge ourselves and do the best that we can to train well. It is only when we train well during peacetime that we bleed less during war time.
My last few photos taken during my time in OCS Hotel Wing before being put Out of Course. These were taken during the Social Night.
In the final part of my personal NS experience, I will be sharing with you about how my journey has been ever since I was put Out of Course from the 82/11 OCC.
Hello Everyone,
recently, there have been an online furore about some girls whom have made rather insensitive remarks about NSFs and especially about one particular NSF whom sadly passed on during training. I have also read a rather inspirational note written by an OC of an Infantry Regiment and I shared the same sentiments as him. Apart from him, there were also other notes written by ladies whom signed on and they fully supported us NSFs (NS-men included). So, I will share my two cents worth.
Much of the experience that I will be sharing is very much based on my Basic Military Training (BMT) at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC), my Officer Cadet Course (OCC) at Officer Cadet School (OCS), and my current posting as an Admin Support Assistant (ASA) at SAFTI Military Institute. This entire experience will be shared through a series of blog posts because one blog post would definitely not be enough to document my entire NS experience. In this part 1 of my sharing, I would be focusing my experience mainly on the BMT Training I undergone.
I enlisted in Mid-September 2010 and was filled with much anxiety on my first day of enlistment. When I boarded the ferry at the Changi SAF Ferry Terminal with my parents, my heart sank because at that very moment, I knew that it would be a long time before I am able to set foot on mainland Singapore. During the oath-taking ceremony, I had an indescribable feeling. Every single word of the oath was meaningful and while I don’t remember every single bit of it now, I definitely remember the last 3 words, “With My Life!”
After taking the oath, I was expected to behave and train like a soldier. I was posted to BMTC School 3, Whiskey Company, and was assigned to a Platoon where our bunks were situated at the highest level! The feeling of being away from the comforts and warmth of my home was quite a depressing thought. Despite the fact that I was quite prepared for National Service due to my active involvement with the National Cadet Corps, I wasn’t entirely prepared to be away from home for such a long period of time.
Day by day, I trained with my fellow platoon mates and I was glad that my section mates were an awesome bunch of people to be with. As we belonged to the Physical Training Phase (Leadership) batch of trainees, we enlisted earlier and had more physical training than the standard BMT batch of trainees. But truth be told, we were glad we enlisted earlier because the physical fitness build-up was progressive and helpful in the sense that we became fitter and stronger.
During my BMT, I encountered many challenges.
My first challenge in the first few weeks of BMT was this; surviving a relationship break-up. I broke up with my ex-girlfriend whom cheated on me [more than twice] during the first few weeks of BMT. We were in a relationship for more than 3 years then. And though I was quite disappointed, I decided to just let it all go and focused on my BMT training. With the support and encouragement of my section mates and my really closed BMT Buddy [Meng Kian] [whom always jioed me out for drinks after book-out], I pulled through and continued to train extremely hard. Seriously, it is one of the worst things that could have happened, especially during my confinement in BMT.
My second challenge was overcoming an ankle injury. During a route march, I injured my ankle and though it hurt like crazy, I didn’t want to fall out and just pushed on as hard as I could. By the time I finished the route march, I was practically limping and unable to walk with two legs. I went to see a Chinese Sinseh [Siah Ah Cheok] and she said that my ligament was over-stretched and my bone was displaced. I went back to the Medical Officer [MO] and was given light duty for more than 3 weeks! Now, that wasn’t very good news. In fact, I could have been put out-of-training [OOT] and my hopes of getting into OCS would have been dashed! Because of my ankle injury, I wasn’t able to walk with two legs and had to drag my left leg wherever I go. But thankfully, because of my constant visits to the Chinese Sinseh, I was totally healed within a few weeks and was back in action. One of my bunk mate [Vanga] was vital in the healing process of my ankle. Because of his constant encouragement and help [he offered to help carry my fieldpack whenever we book-in/book-out], I was able to recover faster than usual.
My third challenge was surviving field camp. My field camp was without a doubt, the most shiong and the most terok one. Throughout the whole field camp, the weather was unrelenting and kept pouring and pouring. No matter how well we have built our basha and dug our drainage, we were literally still sleeping in mud. Our uniforms were wet, our boots were damped and clogged with water, and the most gao wei and demoralising feeling ever, was to wear our soaking wet underwears [trust me on this, we soldiers do not mind having our uniform wet but when our underwears are wet, it really demoralises us]. It was during this field camp that for the first time in my life, I experienced what is commonly known as heat rash- the needle pricking pain on my back! Having heat rash is unavoidable and it is not a pleasant thing at all.
After all the tough trainings and countless tekan sessions during field camp, we were given letters that were written by our parents and this literally broke all of us down as we sat there, read the letter, cried, and re-read the letter, and cried somemore. No, we were not weak. Rather, we cried because we knew in our hearts that no matter how tough the training was going to be, we would continue to train and fight hard just so that we can defend the ones we love so much. When we returned to the company line after the field camp, new recruits whom marched past us were in total shock as our uniform was muddy brown in colour instead of green. Boy, were we glad we survived field camp because the experience definitely made us mentally and physically stronger. Even today, field camp is undoubtedly one of the key highlights of BMT and I have to say, because of field camp, I have learnt to appreciate the little things in life more.
Soon, graduation parade drew nearer. We had the privilege [we were the 2nd batch of recruits to do the 24KM route march in mainland Singapore] of carrying out the 24KM route march right in the heart of mainland Singapore and had our graduation parade at the Marina Bay Floating Platform. This was rather significant to us because there and then, we knew what we were fighting and defending for- the sovereignty and independence of Singapore.
Overall, my BMT experience was a rather fruitful one despite the many challenges that I have encountered. And because of my stellar performance and my fellow platoon mates whom evaluated me quite positively, I made it to the top 10% of the cohort and was given the honour and privilege to continue the next phase of my NS training in OCS [details will be out in the next blog entry].
Pardon me if I have left out too many details or have somehow cut short the story. All in all, the main emphasis of my BMT experience is this; that we NSFs are humans and we face many challenging circumstances during NS. Though serving NS is mandatory and not a choice, we still serve with a passion and a clear purpose in mind- to defend the ones whom we love. Never mind the fact that we are two years behind in education/work experience than the ladies. Never mind the fact that we sacrifice our lives to serve. What we NSFs would really love to have, is to feel appreciated for the sacrifices and efforts that we put in to defend our country. All it really takes is to have someone saying just a simple, “thank you!” for serving the nation, and we can go on fighting and training hard.
Hello Everyone,
I am proud and happy to announce that A Winsome Life would be participating in the Singapore Blog Awards 2012 and we have registered to participate in the following award categories: “Panasonic Eco Best Lifestyle Blog“, “Panasonic Best Y-Bloggist“, and “Domino’s Best Food Blog“! If you feel that we deserve to participate in other award categories, please feel free to nominate us! As this is our first time participating in an event like this, we are quite excited about it and we hope that you regular readers would give us your fullest support!
Also, for those of you whom are interested in blogging as a hobby and would like to begin your journey as a blogger, I would strongly urge you to join the OMY Blog Club! By joining OMY Blog Club, you would be invited for events such as movie screenings, food-tastings, and even product launches! This would then offer you a platform for you to network and interact with other bloggers whom will share similar interests as you! In fact, many of our food and movies reviews have been made possible because of the tremendous support and opportunities that OMY Blog Club gave us. Most importantly, it was through attending the events organised by OMY Blog Club that we managed to get to know other fellow bloggers and even picked up a skill or two about improving the way we manage and write our blog contents!
As for you seasoned bloggers out there, do take part in the Singapore Blog Awards 2012 because there are loads of attractive prizes to be won. Not only that, you might get the opportunity to travel to Macau for the International Fireworks Festival and make new friends with other bloggers. Personally, we joined because we wanted to know more bloggers especially in the local blogosphere. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry and register your blog for the Singapore Blog Awards 2012 now!
