What/Where To Eat

To begin with, since in this diverse group, there are preferences for sustainable seafood, Halal food and eco-friendly organic food, the first location that I’ve shortlisted to bring my fellow friends and visitors to have their lunch will be …

MAXWELL ROAD HAWKER CENTRE

I’ve decided to bring them here as this is one of the most famous hawker centre in Singapore that sells a whole range of food that caters to everyone. Besides that, the cost of the food is also cheaper than other coffee shops or restaurants. My friends and visitors will get to taste all of Singapore’s delicious delicacies without having to pay a huge amount. With that said, this is also the best place for them to visit to have a taste of Singapore’s local cuisine such as our chicken rice, laksa, roti prata and many more!!

Some food that I will recommend them to try out will be the Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice stall, Zhen Zhen Porridge and Lau Pa Sat Bak Kut Teh. The price range for these food are between $3 to $6, depending on the portion that is ordered.

Maxwell Road Hawker Centre is also easily accessible as it is located in the heart of Chinatown which is within walking distance from Tanjong Pagar MRT. This hawker centre opens as early as 8am in the morning and it is opened til 10pm daily. There are over 100 stalls in this hawker centre so i’m certain that my friends and visitors will definitely find something that fit their taste buds.

Prior to the problem that the concept of street hawkers in Singapore has been eliminated and seriously reduced over the years, i hope by bringing my friends and visitors to this hawker centre will make the younger generation have a healthy appreciation for Singapore’s heritage and get in touch with how food is made in the old-fashioned way instead of using machines and mass production. By doing so, I hope this will sustain the hawker culture and lend a touch of respectability to this profession. Furthermore, the younger generation will also have a better understanding of the hawker culture and have more awareness about how much effort it takes to be a hawker.

 TIMBRE+

The Timbre+ is a gastropark, where you can enjoy your food while watching performances. As their slogan goes ‘Where music feeds the soul and food feeds the body. ‘ I’ve decided to bring them here as it is an upgraded urban food court which offers a variety of restaurant-grade food and casual eats at an affordable price.To improve the ambiance, there are even performances to entertain them while they enjoy their food. At Timbre+,  there is a community of chef owners, F&B entrepreneurs, new-generation hawkers and traditional hawkers who are there to cook for us. Apparently, there are 21 hawker stalls and 14 restaurant brands that are featured at Timbre+!

Some food that I’ll recommend to my friends and visitors will be the Wong Kee Wanton Noodles, Dancing Crab Shack and D’s Joint. Although the price range for the food at the Timbre+ is slightly higher, I think that it is still worth it as we are paying for the ambiance, performance, as well as the delicious food.

One reason for why i chose this place is because i really love the idea of different types of chefs working together, regardless of what type of cuisine they are specialized in or how skillful they are. By working in an environment like this, everyone will start to appreciate each and every profession and start to respect one another. It is very important for everyone in Singapore to be kind and caring to one another so that we can be bonded and stand together as one. As such, terrorists will think twice before attacking Singapore as we are ready to defend and protect one another regardless of how different we are from each other

THE LAB SG

For the last shortlisted location, it is none other than this hipster cafe at Jalan Pinang, Bugis. This cafe is a Muslim-owned cafe and it is one of the top few most famous Halal cafe in Singapore.

Some dishes that are quite popular are the

Salmon and Thai Shrimp Bao

Burger Stack

Passata Mussels and Shrimp

Strawberry and Nutella Milkshake

The food price range are between $10 – $20 . It is a little pricey, however, considering that these are food served at a hipster cafe, I still think that it is still quite worth it. Since teenagers these days love to take pictures of their food, this is definitely a great place for them as the food there are presented really well and can be considered as ‘ Instagram Worthy ‘ .

I decided to shortlist this place as i really wanted my friends and visitors to see the different types of eatery in Singapore. From hawker centres, urban food court to hipster cafes. Besides that, this cafe is considered affordable as compared to other hipster cafes. Thus, my friends and visitors will still get to experience the hipster cafe vibes, without having to pay restaurant price for their food.

 

Credits:

Year published: 2017

Page title: The Lab SG (The Experimentalist): New Hipster Cafe At Jalan Pinang, Bugis

Website name: Lepak With Yaops: Cafe Hopping & Food Reviews

URL : http://lepakwithyaops.com/the-lab-the-experimentalist-new-hipster-cafe-at-jalan-pinang-bugis/

 

Year published : 2017

Page title: Maxwell Road Hawker Centre : Recommended Hawker Centre | TheBestSingapore.com

Website title: TheBestSingapore.com

URL: http://www.thebestsingapore.com/best-place/maxwell-road-food-centre/

 

Year published: 2017

Article title: The Lab Reviews – Singapore | Burpple

Website title : Burpple

URL : https://www.burpple.com/the-lab-sg/reviews

 

June 18, 2017July 15, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

Unusual Occupations

To me, an unusual occupation will be an occupation that not many people know about and something that will make people go ‘ WHAT?! ‘ . After researching, I’ve found many weird occupation such as the toilet man, yellow man and many unique occupations. However, only one occupation caught my attention. The occupation is …

TCM Vet/Nurse

Yes, that’s right, you didn’t read that wrongly. Traditional Chinese medicine is now available for animals!! For example, animals can now receive acupuncture to treat their diseases or illnesses, just like human beings. Just like us, sterilized needles are inserted to the acu-points of the animal. The yin-yang theory can also be used to find the source of the illness before beginning with the acupuncture treatment.

The duration of the treatment is variable as it depends on the seriousness and type of disease the animal is suffering. However, a single acupuncture session is usually less than an hour. Normally, therapy requires multiple treatments. Positive signs of improvement will often be observed after the 2nd or 3rd treatment.

However, it is important to know that how completely an animal recovers does not always correspond to how fast improvement is noted. Many illnesses require persistency in order for acupuncture to respond positively.

Another treatment is Tui-Na Bodywork Massage. This treatment uses therapeutic manipulations to affect the muscles, joints and also the flow of Qi in the body. Due to its focus on the stimulation of specific acupoints along the energy channels, it is considered as a form of needle-free acupuncture. Tui-na methods include the use of soft tissue massage, acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi, and gentle manipulation techniques to align the joints. Simple tui-na techniques can be taught to the pet’s guardian to perform at home, reinforcing the treatments received during the visit.

 

Lastly, animals can also receive Nutritional Therapy. According to Chinese beliefs, herbs and foods are closely related, if not extensions of one another. Different foods have different energies, and affinities for different body systems. Some are warming, others cooling. Some have beneficial effects on the bowel, others on the heart. Besides the common adage “we are what we eat”, TCM vet views food as a daily replenishing of qi. The appropriate foods for an individual pet will energize and harmonize; the wrong diet can not only deplete qi but cause continuing imbalance and disruption of its flow. By adding or eliminating certain foods in a pet’s diet, the body can be supported and healing achieved.

Being so interested in this unusual occupation, i even found some local clinics for pets that offers TCM treatment such as the Nam Sang Veterinary Clinic Pte Ltd, Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic and Stars Veterinary Clinic. Considering that i am in a Science course, i might actually considering taking up the job as a TCM vet in the future after graduating. However, that is just an interim thinking thus i will still focus on what i really want currently and put aside this thought.

After researching on the many different types of unique occupations, I feel that there are many jobs that can contribute to the country in one way or another. Although the occupation that I’ve chosen may not be of a great contribution to the society, however, I still chose it as this is the occupation that appeals to me the most as I really love science and I am super interested in discovering new type of medicine & treatment. Little do we know, TCM may be the best treatment for diseases in the future. Thus, i will continue to pursue my ambition which is to work in the medical field in the future so that i will be able to do my part in the country by finding cures to diseases.

CREDITS

Year published: 2017

Author: The Ark

Page Title: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Pets or Animal Acupuncture

Website name: Arkvet.com.sg

URL : http://arkvet.com.sg/about-us/services/traditional-chinese-medicine.html

June 17, 2017July 13, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

Army Open House

We visited the Army Open House 2017 last Wednesday on 24 May. It was held at the F1 Pit. We gathered as a class before processing to the location together. The bus ride was a quick one as we arrived at our destination in a blink of an eye. To our displeasure, it was drizzling when we arrived. However, nothing can stop us from exploring around the area to learn more about Singapore’s military defense forces.

We were greeted with many different types of equipment and tanks such as Bionix II, Light Strike and SSPH-1 etc. And did you know, there is air-conditioning in the tanks so that the soldiers can be freshened up before going for the battles/trainings.

The army officers we met were all very friendly and willing to share about their experience in the military force and information about the different tanks.To end the day right, there was a Dynamic Defence Display(D3) performance for us to watch. During this performance, they showcased their different types of military vehicles such as the Leopard 2. Besides that, they also presented to us their K9 units which are 3 very obedient dogs. I really enjoyed the performance put up by the dogs and their SAF trainers as it showed me how well-trained they all. The dogs went through a series of obstacles such as the agility test, strength test and even sniffing ability. The dogs did an amazing job during those tests and everyone was impressed.

Moving on, the SAF officers also demonstrated a real life scenario of a possible terrorist attack. During this ‘attack’, the terrorist planted a bomb somewhere and held a person hostage as they hid inside a shop house. The officers tackled this ‘attack’ by moving in groups. One group was guarding the shop house, while the other group tries to denote the bomb. In the end, they managed to successfully save the person that was being held hostage and at the same time, denote the bomb just in time so that no one was hurt. Lastly, the terrorist was also being captured in the end. This incredible performance put up by the officers showed me how efficient our Singapore Armed Forces are and how mentally and physically prepared they are when it comes to dealing with a threat to our country.

Objective of the visit/ Were the objectives fulfilled?

Personally, I think the objective of this visit is to allow us to know more about Singapore Armed Forces. I was more aware of what was going on when boys enter NS after turning 18 and what they go through. Besides that, this army open house made me have a different perspective of the military forces as it showed me their capabilities and how they have evolved over the years.

Is there a change in your attitude towards the role of national defence before and after the visit? Why?

To be honest, before going for this army open house, I was very reluctant to attend this programme organised for us as I think that it is a waste of time and there is nothing much to learn about. However, I’m glad that i attended this open house as i get to see the different side of Singapore. The part of Singapore that is ready to defend and protect the citizens when we face terrorist attacks or any other danger.

After this visit, what do you see as your role or responsibility as an individual to the community?

Seeing the soldiers being so enthusiastic while talking to us and the passion that’s coming from them, I actually feel like being part of them and contribute to Singapore as well. However, since I am a girl and it’s not likely for me to enter the Singapore Military Forces as i am a weakling, i feel that I can give back to the country in a different way such as volunteerism and helping out with one another so that Singapore can progress and improve together as a country towards a brighter future.

What did you enjoy most about the visit? Why?

In a nutshell, i certainly did enjoyed this trip to the army open house as I expose myself to a different side of Singapore that i seldom get to see. My favorite part of this open house is actually the finale performance. I really get to see and experience the capabilities of our Singapore forces and how well prepared we are to deal with any danger targeted at us. Besides that, I really enjoy the performances by the attack dogs. They may look dainty but they are very protective and well-trained.

Would you recommend anyone to visit this Open house? Who and why?

I feel that more schools should bring their students to attend future army open houses as it will really benefit the younger generation as the younger boys will be more aware of what they have installed for them when they reach the age of 18. Whereas for the girls, they will appreciate the efforts of our Singapore Military Forces and be more respectable towards them.

June 17, 2017July 3, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

Heritage Trail

For the heritage trail, I decided to go for the Bukit Timah Heritage Trail as this is the part of Singapore that i don’t usually explore. To what i know, there is lots of history behind Bukit Timah especially during the Japanese Occupation. Besides that, even the name of this place has a meaning behind it. Throughout this trail, i will unravel all the history behind this place and discover all the attractions in this area.

To begin with, I met up with my friend, Cheryl at Beauty World MRT Station at 10:30am on 17 June. Yes, we decided to meet up this early so that we can explore more parts of Bukit Timah.

For the first stop, we visited the Former Ford Factory at Upper Bukit Timah Road. We took bus 67 from Beauty World Mrt Station to after Old Jurong Road. When we arrived at our destination, there were many tourists there, showing interest to the history of Singapore before and after the war.

Here’s a little bit background introduction about Former Ford Factory before i start sharing my experience there. Ford Factory began operations in 1941 as Ford Motor Company’s first assembly plant in Southeast Asia. It was the historic site where the British general officer surrendered to the Japanese commander during the war. This building is now gazetted as a nation monument and is currently managed by the National Archives of Singapore. There are World War 2 exhibitions which presents the events and memories surrounding the British surrender, the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, and the legacies of the war.  This was presented through a series of oral history accounts, archival records and published materials.

When we first walked in the exhibition, we learnt about the fall of Singapore when the Japanese first attacked us. We get to see 3 different perspectives ( The British, Japanese and civilians of Singapore ) during the war. We even get to see the surrender room where the British forces surrendered to the Japanese in the boardroom of the Ford Factory.

Second part of the exhibition was when we became Syonan. After the British surrender, Singapore was renamed to ‘ Syonan-to ‘, which means Light of the South. At this part of the exhibition, i learnt about all the acts of atrocity done by the Japanese and how much the civilians of Singapore suffered during this period of time. One of such example is the Sook Ching Operation. This was carried out three days after the British surrender of Singapore. This operation was a mass screening of the Chinese community to sieve out suspected anti-Japanese elements. Many people died during this operation while some managed to escape and skip all the killings. This operation is one of the cruelest act that the Japanese had done as many lives were taken innocently and this was the start of a period of suffering and unfulfilled promises.

Last part of the exhibition was how Singapore were like after the war. Singapore was in a state of chaos after the war as everyone was struggling with poverty, unemployment and many other problems. The British returned to us after the war, however, the betrayal done by British during the war left the people with a less than rosy view of the returning colonial rulers. They refused to listen to them and obey their rules. It was at that period of time when the crime rate was at its climax too.

All in all, the exhibition ended on a contemplative note on how we remember the war and its enduring legacies.

To our surprise, as we were heading out of the Former Ford Factory, we saw a garden next to the area. However, this is no ordinary garden. This garden planted a variety of food crops that were widely grown in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. There are crops such as tapioca, sweet potato and papaya. These crops were planted for survival during that period of time

( pic credit to http://thedeadcockroach.blogspot.sg/2017/02/syonan-gallery-war-and-its-legacies.html as we forgotten to take pictures here!! 😦 )

Following next, we went to the Bukit Timah Old Fire Station

The fire station was actually the fourth station to be built in Singapore in 1956. However, it was closed down in 2005. Since then, it was relaunched as a lifestyle and education hub in 2012. Now, it has enrichment center and even a new cafe called Spruce.

Next stop of our trail was the Bukit Timah Old Railway Bridge/Station

We spent nearly an hour finding this railway station as we followed the wrong map. Apparently, we’ve already saw it since the very beginning, however, we thought that it was just some ordinary bridge. Thus, we walked deeper and deeper into the woods and found out that the ordinary bridge that we saw earlier on was actually the place that we were going to … After suffering under the hot sun and wasted time going in the wrong direction, we finally found our way there!

Here’s a little background information about the railway station. It was actually owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), the main railway operator in Malaysia. It opened on the now defunct Tank Road mainline in 1903 and was rebuilt on the current Singapore-Johor Bahru KTM Inter-city mainline in 1932. On 1st July 2011, the line closed due to a historic land-swap agreement between the Singapore and Malaysia governments which saw rail service between Woodlands and Tanjong Pagar cease. Thus, most of the tracks were removed, but there are still a few places with tracks left for the interested explorers to visit.

Afterwards, we decided to chill at a cafe before heading for our next location which is the Masjid Al Huda Mosque. We didn’t do much there as they were praying inside the Mosque and we didn’t want to disturb them or cause a nuisance. However, we did some research on this Mosque and found out that in the past, this old-generation mosque served the needs of residents living in the Malay kampung near Sixth Avenue.  This Mosque was built in 1966 and it apparently can accommodate up to 400 people!

Since the weather was unbelievably hot on that day, we decided to head for a mall to rest. We went to Bukit Timah Plaza. 

Did you know, Bukit Timah Plaza was constructed with the vision to become Singapore’s first comprehensive shopping and residential hub outside of the city centre!

After resting for awhile, we went to have some food at Bukit Timah Food Centre. We wanted to try out some local cuisine here, however, most stores were closed as it was around 5pm when we arrived there. Thus, we just bought some random dishes to eat.

I wanted to order Wanton Noodles initially, however, all the stores that sells that are closed. Thus, I ordered Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles which cost $3. It was really tasty and flavorful, despite it looking unappetizing.

Cheryl and I also bought a plate of carrot cake to share between us. You will never believe how much this well-fried heavenly plate of carrot cake cost…$2!!! It was super super cheap and really yummy!! This dish is definitely a must try when you visit this hawker centre!!

Cheryl decided to get some Bak Kut Teh which cost $5. According to her, it was really delicious too as the herb of the soup pack a punch of a peppery taste.

This marks the end of the heritage trail, i really enjoyed myself throughout this trail as i get to explore another part of Singapore. I learnt more about Singapore’s history during and after the war and how much we’ve developed and evolved over the years. Besides that, I’m really glad that i get to get in touch with the hawker culture again as it have been ages since I’ve last visited one. As a person whom is born in the 21st century, it’s good to learn more about my own roots and get to know how Singapore managed to overcome the horror during our darkest period. It makes me appreciate more about the things that we have now and how we can contribute to the society as a nation through simple acts such as lending a helping hand to those in need, keeping the country clean and many more.

 

 

 

June 16, 2017July 15, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

We Learn To Play

For this topic, I’ve decided to share about my experience at an art event, iLight @ Marina Bay.

Here’s a little introduction into the event before i start sharing about my experience…

iLight @ Marina Bay

• It is the Asia’s leading sustainable art festival that is held in Singapore since 2010.
• The event was held from 3-26th March 2017, 7:30pm to 11:00pm. However, it will be extended on Friday & Saturday nights for more people to enjoy the festival.
• It showcases light art installations that is created by artists from Singapore and around the world.
• And did you know, the light art installations are actually designed with energy-saving lighting and environmentally-friendly materials to promote sustainable living in an urban world!!

My Experience

This happened during my March holidays, I was scrolling through my Instagram on a Friday night and found out that many people were posting pictures of themselves in front of art installations that led up the city’s skyline. Being the curiosity cat, I decided to research on the place that people were going to. After a touch of my fingertip, I found out that there was a light art festival that is being held around Marina Bay Waterfront called ‘ iLight ‘ . Following the trend, I decided to ask my friend out to attend this festival together.

We went to the festival on a Monday evening to avoid the crowd. However, the crowd was still insane!! The festival was packed with Instagram-obsessed teenagers of my age whom were busy posing for their pictures. Besides the beautiful art installations, there were also tents selling food from different delicacies! We bought a butterscotch beer ( it’s actually just sprite and caramel sauce!! no alcohol involved ) to share because there was a crazy queue for it. There was also a marketplace selling knick-knacks such as environmentally-friendly souvenirs, a selection of eco-products and crafts which are made up of recycled materials. To enhance the entire festival, there was even a carnival set up by Uncle Ringo to attend to the younger audience. The vibes on that Monday evening was amazing as there is a lively ambiance as people filled the place with laughter and joy.

 

Moving on to the abstract light art installations, there were many beautiful pieces but some that caught my attention was the

• Moon Flower

This is created by a local artist Lee Yun Qin.  “MoonFlower”  uses solar-powered LED to glow in the dark. The artist also offered 800 stalks of ‘MoonFlower’ to the public to adopt for $5. All these proceeds will then be going towards the Garden City Fund, a charity which supports urban biodiversity and landscape-enhancing efforts.

 

• Horizontal Interface

This installation looks beautiful right? Did you know that all it was made up of was long neon ribbons !!

• Ocean Pavilion ( my favourite!! )

This is actually designed by Luke Jerram from the United Kingdom. Local students and the community were involved in creating this wonderful installation. Due to this festival, 20,000 recycled plastic bottles were actually distributed to schools and community institutions to attach onto structural sheets that will be assembled to form dome-shaped structures. During the festival, the structures were lit up from within with energy-efficient LED lighting. The structures were super sturdy and it was literally the perfect place to pose for an instagram picture.

• Hybycozo

This is inspired by the best-selling book, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as patterns from Islamic tiles to create this interesting installation.

• Home

This installation is designed by  a Polish artist. It shows a different concept of a one-storey house which looks like a child’s sketch. Apparently, the message behind this art installation is to imply that home is always a safe haven for love, family and light in a world of darkness.

 

My overall experience for this festival is definitely a great one. I really enjoyed myself taking pictures with the amazing art installations and appreciate the artwork done by the very talented artists. I really love the fact that most of the art installations were created using recyclable materials such as plastic bottles and energy-saving lighting. Being a citizen of Singapore, it is our duty to protect our environment and keep Singapore clean. Also, we have to ensure that Singapore is not polluted and continue carrying the name of ‘ Garden City ‘ .

As such, even a simple job such as recycling can help Singapore to maintain our name as the Garden City. For example, if we recycle paper, it means that lesser trees will be cut down to make paper and thus there will be more trees in Singapore. Furthermore, there will not be a need to destroy the natural habitat for animals as we slowly remove the forest so as to use the trees to produce paper. The air around us will also be cleaner as there will not be a need to burn down the forest for paper which will produce a huge amount of carbon gases which is harmful for us and our environment.

Besides that, by using energy efficient appliances, it helps Singapore by saving energy and money which can be used in other areas such as education,transportation and many more.

Credits:

Year published : 2017

Page title: iLight

URL : https://www.ilightmarinabay.sg/

 

Year published : 2017

Website title : Little Day Out

Author: Wai Yip

URL: http://www.littledayout.com/2017/03/02/i-light-marina-bay-2017-highlights-festival-hubs/

June 16, 2017July 15, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

$5 Challenge

WHAT IS THE $5 CHALLENGE ABOUT

It is where people pledge to spend not more than $5 a day on their transportation expenses and their meals. This challenge is part of the campaign ( Singapore Against Poverty ) to raise awareness about poverty in Singapore. According to Department of Statistics, it is known that 105000 families in Singapore are earning an average of $1500 per month. After paying for all their expenses such as utilities and other loans, they will be left with $5 to survive with daily, taking into account that they will have to pay for their own transport and meals.

Thus, by doing this challenge, we will learn to put ourselves in the shoes of those that are less privileged and learn to spend wisely while appreciating what we have.

After pledging, I did the challenge for 2 days as i wanted to really challenge myself to this activity.

DAY 1 ; 16 June

I woke up at 9:50 am and nearly forgotten that i was doing this challenge. After coming to realization that i have to be committed to this challenge, I went to the kitchen to grab some cookies and a bottle of Yakult for my breakfast.

Afterwards for lunch, I headed down to the coffee shop and got myself a pack of mixed vegetable rice which cost $2.70 . I drank plain water instead of my usual store-bought apple juice as i wanted to stick to the budget.

Then, I took the train to Singapore Polytechnic for my MMA training which started at 5pm and ended at 7.30pm. Since i’ve bought concession pass, my fares are technically prepaid already, so i didn’t add my transport expense into the $5 budget.  After training, i went home and had my dinner. I cooked myself a bowl of Macaroni with Black Pepper Sauce as i wanted to save the remaining money and put my culinary skills to test. So at the end of the day, I was quite proud of myself as i don’t usually eat at home or even cook. However, for this challenge, i actually cooked and eat from home. Besides that, I managed to stick to the budget and even had money remaining. Thus, i am quite proud of myself for getting through the first day of this challenge 🙂

DAY 2 ; 18 June

I totally slept in on this day as it was raining cats and dogs on this Sunday morning. I woke up at 11:50 am which was already too late for breakfast. Thus, i went to the kitchen and make myself a fruit bowl which consists of grapes and strawberries.

After running all my errands on this day, it was finally time to eat. I usually eat my dinner at around 5pm to 6pm as I didn’t want to eat after 7pm. Thus, i went to bought some sushi which cost $4.50. I decided to buy it even though it is considered expensive as i was doing this challenge but since this was the last meal of the day and i still have money remaining, i just decided to pamper myself and just buy it.

This marks the end of the $5 challenge for me. To be honest, during this entire challenge, it was really hard for me to stick to the budget because i am a big spender and an impulsive buyer. Thus, i am very easily tempted to buy stuff or try out new food. I remembered during the first day of the challenge, my CCA mates actually invited me to have dinner with them, however i politely rejected them as i know that i will definitely burst my budget if i were to go with them. Doing this challenge really trained me to be more disciplined and have more self-control. At the same time, I learnt to be more appreciative for the things that i have and be grateful that i am very fortunate to even have food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof for me to stay under.

My heart aches for those that can’t afford to even buy a proper meal every day. Some even have to work 2-3 jobs a day just to sustain the family. This is definitely not an easy job as you must be ready to sacrifice a lot of things such as your freedom and energy. Besides that, having to survive on only $5 a day, including transport is nearly impossible. Imagine having to walk home after a long and tough day at work just because you can’t afford to pay for the increasing price of the transport fares. Imagine having to skip meals because you simply can’t afford to have the proper 3 meals… This is simply too tiring and challenging to deal with everyday.

With that said, I will change my bad spending habits and learn to be a thrifty person. I will only spend when necessary and think twice before buying something. Even though this challenge is over, i will still do this challenge once in a while to remind myself of how the less fortunate are living and how lucky i am to even have food to eat.

All in all, be grateful for what i have and thank god for blessing me with much more than I deserve ❤

June 16, 2017July 3, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment

Made In Singapore

For this topic, I’ve researched on many products invented by our own fellow Singaporeans. However, there is only that caught my eyes. It is none other than the ‘ GIY Stick ‘, GIY stands for ‘Grow-It-Yourself’. This stick helps to self-water the plants when one is away for holiday or not at home for a period of time.

The inventor of this amazing product is none other than Dylan Soh, whom is a 10 year old Singaporean boy. With the aid of his father, they managed to make use of simple Physics theory to create this wonderful product.

How does this product work, you must be wondering. Well, it starts by mimicking nature’s capillary action and waters the plant automatically by bringing water from the bottle to the bottom of the soil. No batteries or apps are needed for it to work. All this product needs is a plastic bottle and a piece of fabric. Just simply fill the plastic bottle with water, attach the piece of fabric to the stick and put it into the bottle. Next, place the stick into the bottom of soil so that the top soil and air breathing roots will still be dry. This is to ensure that the plant is not being overly watered which will cause the root to rot. See, it is that simple to make sure that your plants are watered and remain healthy while we’re out there enjoying ourselves.

Besides that, this GIY Stick can also hang off from the side of your potted plants without causing any trouble. It can fit almost every Household pot, wooden planter boxes, tall pots and even long troughs!

Now you must be thinking, how is it even possible for this tiny plastic stick to hang off the side of the potted plant without dropping or causing the entire pot to topple when there is a bottle of water attached to it? Well, get ready to be surprised because this product can hold up to 5kg of water and can still be hung off the side of your potted plant! Amazing, isn’t it?! The magic behind it is the material that is used, it uses ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic to create this product. Impact resistance and toughness are the most important mechanical properties of ABS thus it is used to make this product so as to make it sturdy for the user to use.

This product is also a great invention to tackle Singapore’s dengue problem. Since the bottle will be capped the entire time, the mosquitoes will not be able to enter the bottle which will prevent it from breeding. Other than that, this product uses recycled materials such as used plastic bottles and pieces of fabric which can be easily found in the household.

As a citizen of Singapore, it is important to do our part to prevent diseases from spreading so as to ensure that we are healthy, strong and free from illnesses. With cases of dengue fever increasing each year, it is even important that we prevent mosquitoes from breeding so that the rate of of people having dengue fever will be reduced. Furthermore, in consideration to our environment, it is important to use recycled material and recycle as it helps us to convert our old products into new useful products. This is good for the environment as we are saving resources and at the same time, sending less trash to the landfills which will help to reduce air and water pollution. Added to that, the accumulation of waste trash will cause us to run out of places to bury them. Thus, we will end up com busting them which will release carbon monoxide and other dangerous green house gases to the environment. As a result, this will lead to global warming.

In a nutshell, as a citizen of Singapore, it is our job to do our part to protect our environment and our people so that we can progress together as a country into a brighter future.

Credits	https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/849992274/giy-stick-let-nature-self-water-your-pots
Article title:	GIY Stick. Let Nature self-water your pots.
Website title:	Kickstarter

June 14, 2017July 13, 2017 by jamiegsj Leave a comment