Lithium Ion Batteries

Why am I obsessed with batteries suddenly?

Last week, I realized that my battery was swelling. In fact, it has been swelling since some months ago? Just that I only confirmed it when I saw my sister's flat battery.

The flat battery

After knowing that I have a swollen battery, I began to feel scared over the potential danger of charging my phone.  Anyway, the warranty (1 year) for my S3 has expired. The warranty for the battery (6 months only) is also long over. I searched online for information on swelling batteries. Apparently Samsung phone batteries seem to have more of such swells, and one article I read stated that Samsung would provide a replacement battery if swelling occurs? Not sure.

So I went down to the Samsung service centre at Plaza Singapura the next day, potentially "risking my life" as I charge the phone. Thankfully, there weren't many people and I didn't need to wait for long. My number was called within a minute. I explained my problem and told her that I have no more warranty. Then, she said that I have to buy a new battery because if I continue charging, there is a chance that the battery would explode. (Nooooo, not even my fault that it swelled, why you no give me free replacement, I thought.)

The battery costs $59. She told me that swelling may be caused by excessive charging- for example we tend to charge for a few minutes before we go out to top up the percentage. That is not good because we should only start charging when the battery level is low like 15% or less. It is also best to charge your phone while it is off. Non Samsung portable charger should also not be used. Since I can't be using the faulty battery, I decided to buy one from them. I think I may be able to buy from any Samsung store instead of going down to the service centre. (My sister has bought her new battery from a second hand shop at $35, but I think it is better to top up a little bit to get a confirmed authentic one.)

At the other counter, I purchased the battery from another lady. I was told to let it drain to 0%, den charge up to 100%. There was 50% power stored in the battery already and it lasted me at least 8 hours :). Back home, I wanted to charge with the original Samsung cable (I use Lg cable all along) but it took way too long. 40 minutes to charge 4%!? That was the reason why I didn't use their cable from the start. I suspect it is faulty. I am so going to switch brands when I can.

But anyway the new battery is considered pretty good. 12 hours on battery is not a problem now. Compared to the previous 6 hours only and the battery is dead. I wanted to preserve it as much as possible. Bf told me that batteries has this memory in them, so it's best to drain them and charge all the way so that the battery know their real capability. I found it interesting and went to do some research. The memory capability is only applicable for older phone batteries that are nickel based. Currently, most phone batteries are lithium ion. Here are 2 things I found out about lithium ion batteries-

Lithium ion battery doesn't like to be drained

I think I read that it gets unstable at low levels like 0%. By going from 100% to 0% actually damages the battery more. Also, lithium ion batt has no memory, so it doesn't need to remember any range.

Lithium ion battery doesn't like to be 100% charged too

It is suggested to keep the battery level 40%-80% if you can. For me, I think I will go for 30%-90% to maximize the time I can get out of the battery outside of home. For those who charge their phone overnight, it will definitely spoil the battery. Although I think the charger itself has some capability to stop the charging. S3 will beep or vibrate when it is full and plugged in. It should be silent if the phone is on silent mode, but there should still be a notification.

From this information, I think it is safe to charge often as it doesn't really matter to lithium ion battery. Just don't get the battery level too low or too high if you really want to extend the shelf life of the battery. This is of course, contrary to what the Samsung staff said. To be honest, I don't even think a normal battery would swell in like less than a year even with all the bad habits. I charged the same way with iphone 4 last time and it's fine. Damn S.

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These two articles can help us to understand better. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2352232/The-best-ways-stop-smartphone-battery-running-AVOID-fully-charging-dont-let-drop-50-sun.html

http://lifehacker.com/5875162/how-often-should-i-charge-my-gadgets-battery-to-prolong-its-lifespan
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Fried rice

The art of being a good cook is to master the fried rice first.

Today, I was asked to cook fried rice as my mum was not home. Bought the ingredients from Fairprice (so long queue on a Sunday).

MY FRIED RICE RECIPE

Ingredients-

~One packet chicken fillet ($3+)

~One packet white button mushroom ($3+)

~Two hotdogs (from my freezer)

~Garlic 

*Freshly cooked rice (last minute, cannot use leftover rice in fridge)

Soy sauce (go with my feeling, about 2 tbsp)

Oyster sauce (go with my feeling, about 2 tbsp)

Lotsa ground pepper

*Steamed my rice for 10 minutes using rice to water ratio 1:1. Cooked two cups of rice. Can serve 3/4 people depending on appetite. 

~ Wash chicken and mushroom. Cut and slice hotdog, chicken and mushroom into tiny bite size. Flatten garlic and chop chop chop into tiny bits.

Directions-

On the stove to medium heat. Pour some oil (nooo seemed to have poured too much). Let the oil heat up a little.

I decided to add in the chicken first looking at the amount of oil. Sizzle sizzle. Allow the chicken to cook until it's half done, tossing it occasionally. Push the chicken to one side and add in the garlic. This is wrong because the garlic doesn't get the slightly burnt smell due to the water mixture produced when cooking the chicken.

Now, add in the hotdogs and mushrooms (if you want sauteed mushroom, maybe can add in mushroom first to brown it). Stir and simmer awhile with the cover on.

Add in rice. Stir. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and pepper at your own preference. Be careful not to add too much, taste before you continue adding. 

Okay done. Fried rice looks slightly mushy and wet. It shouldn't be due to the oil because it is absorbed up by the other ingredients. It might be because of 1) too much oyster sauce (although it doesn't taste very salty) or 2) not using leftover rice from the fridge in which the moisture is decreased or 3) both. This is what I can conclude from looking up the internet. You can add salt to strengthen the taste instead of spamming sauces, if you prefer your fried rice to be drier. 

Although the rice is a little moist, it taste good nevertheless! Dad said he can give me a certificate already haha. He is probably exaggerating. But not bad la my skill. For a girl who doesn't really cook :P.

This is just an unprofessional noob recipe post. :D

Ishape

My Ushape post made me think about this- My shape. 

All my 23 years, I have been towards the chubbier side. In fact, I have been told that. There's just more than enough fats in every area except my hands and feet. My face is also round, though now less round than last time. I guess my body is protecting me because I feel cold easily haha. 

18 years old me

21 years old me, face at its slimmest

I belong to a family where I am the shortest. I am also the heavier child among the children. I think all of them have used the word fat on me before, even if they meant no harm. Sometimes, I am told that my sister looks better in a dress I just bought (and freaking love). It is not that I cannot fit into that dress, but rather someone just looks better in it than me. Oh that's nice to hear. And even though I don't see myself as short, somehow this label is on me because of the comparison in the family. For years, I have been hearing "Your sister taller than you liao ar", and my mum would go "yea she is short/shortest". Is it my fault that my parents didn't manage to give me that height? And I am not short, they are just tall.

On most days, I am a confident girl. I feel that this is me. There is no way I can look modelly even if I go on diets or crazy workouts. I have broad shoulders and wide hips. Even if I lost the weight, I don't believe I will ever be skinny. On other days, I feel big and ugly. This usually happens when I have nothing to wear. Nothing that will make me feel good about myself. Nothing that can bring out my good and hide my bad. These days are horrible because I would want to get out immediately to buy some clothes that will make me feel awesome.

An article I read stated that a woman who exercises feels better about herself, and I think that is true. I am not an athlete, but I make an effort to get my ass down for a short 15 minutes run. I don't binge eat as much now. And I realised I don't always avoid the stairs now. But all these conscious effort are not entirely for weight loss. I prefer to firm up and get fit and healthy. "You got exercise meh?", somebody had asked me before. No doubt, that person is looking at my body, wondering how could I have exercised when I'm still the same chubby me. You know, I exercise to stay healthy more than to lose weight.

If I say that I don't care what people think of me, I am lying. But because I understood that everybody has their own unique shape and there is no point in pursuing the ideal society-stated body, I don't get hurt that easily with negative words thrown at me. I think that attacking someone based on their appearance is the lowest form. It's like you have nothing better than the person, therefore you use appearance as your weapon to bring someone down.

But if you are my friend, I tend to get irritated if you target at my body. Although I know that you may be joking, and I will not take it to heart, but I will still get irritated. It's like you, who is my friend, don't even know what I am going through. You can be nice and tell me if I put on some weight from the last time you have seen me, but never compare me with someone else because I will be pissed off.

Words may hurt, but my mind is stronger.

Ushape

Osim Ushape; the innovative fitness equipment for the lazy. I never thought we would have this at home but it was on offer at $600++, with an addition of free gift Udurian, so mother decided to get it (after persuasion from aunt). My sister also commented that her friend had a successful experience with Ushape.

It was delivered to our house few days ago and I assembled it! You have to take the device out, unscrew the bottom, insert some metal bars and screw it back again. The extra arm exercisers are supposed to be hooked to the metal bars. The equipment is quite heavy, like 20kg, but there's a roller at one of its side to facilitate movement. However, there are rubber suction pads at the bottom (to ensure that it does not move freely) and it requires a lot of strength to pull one of the sides up.

After everything is assembled, just plug in the power, on the switch at the front of the device and use the controller to select the options. The controller has time and speed settings for the manual selection. Speed 1 vibration was already too overwhelming the first time I used it haha. You can also opt for the auto program in which the speed for the whole 10 minute session will change accordingly depending on your option. The three choices of auto program includes circulation, firming and strengthen. 

The optimum workout time is about 20 minutes per session. For my first experience, I went for manual and set the speed at level 1 throughout. At the same time, I was watching the youtube video of Osim Ushape workout and following the steps. As my knees must be slightly bent throughout the exercise, it was really tiring for my muscles! The intensity increases when you bend your knees further down. Today, I tried to put my hands on it. With my knees on the ground, I bend forward, putting my hands on the equipment to support my full weight. This may cause dizziness because the face is much nearer to the vibration source now. And it is even more tiring than just standing there, though it is better this way if you want to shed arm fats. During the workout session, I could see all my fats vibrating violently. After that, I also felt like my skin was hurting a little (strong vibration, maybe like someone has slapped you). Same experience for my sister, in fact, her legs were reddish after she was done.

After the experience, I find that not everyone is suitable for Ushape. For those who are easily dizzy, this is definitely not for you. I don't think the weak hearted can take this too. For those with joints or back problem, Ushape workout is also quite dangerous as the likelihood of injuries is increased. At first, I also felt quite uncomfortable using it. You need to build up the speed and duration gradually so that your body can get used to it.

I have measured myself before I Ushaked. Not sure if I will be consistent with this workout, but I hope it works. And it's not really true to say it is for the lazy ba. Because it takes effort to shift the machine to where you want (so heavy you use so much strength before you even start). Of course, if you have enough space, you can designate a specific area for it. Also, it's tiring to stand there for a long period, so it takes determination too. And standing with bent knees on flat ground is already suan enough. 

The Charming Mr Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey, the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, has both its supporters and haters. I love the book. Read the first one back in December 2013 and recently completed the next two. I cannot remember the exact details in the first book but it was exciting and anticipating. There are so many twists and turns which make me want to know more.

I have read an article online about how Fifty shades of Grey is bad for its readers. It promotes the bdsm lifestyle and violence towards women. It teaches people that you can treat women the way you want as long as you are rich. Sex is just for pleasure and not love. Yes, the first book suggests something like that, but it's too fast to make conclusions like those if you haven't finished reading the whole trilogy. There are reasons why these books have its fans.

I did not look at bdsm with the standards of my own. Christian may look queer in terms of his sexual behavior because what he does is out of the norm. But that said, it doesn't mean that bdsm should be viewed as something very wrong. Your sexual behavior is your personal choice. Vanilla sex just seems like the normative in this society. In fact, by getting Ana to sign a contract for her consent before he does anything to her is a form of respect. In the end, those extra stuff adds on to their sexual excitement and she learns how to pleasure her body the best way. Isn't that a good thing? Yes, bdsm may be taught but if you don't like it, it's just not for you. And if you embrace it, there's nothing wrong. I enjoyed reading the story because I just see it as something new, another perspective of the world outside mine. 

This is also the story of love. In the first book, the two characters broke up because of incompatibility. However, both realized that they cannot live without each other. They took away the contract, they compromised, and eventually, they got married. The whole process describes how Christian and Ana got to know each other better when they communicated more. She is the world to him, the most beautiful, even if she is just an average girl to others. And she wanted to give him all her love, show him that he is worth it, no matter how screwed up his character and personality. As he reveals more of his past, she stood firm in her decision to stay by his side. She is his miracle and she changed him for the better. I totally like this "love conquers all" message I got from the plot.

There are also a lot of information about the sex but the writing style is quite the same throughout. It's is also quite unrealistic. Is climaxing that easy as portrayed in the books? I didn't enjoy the sex parts as much as the storyline of the whole story. 

Love the book. Let's see how the movie goes!

What do I want?

This is a question to myself.

Just what do I want to do?

It's been 3 months since I am done with my exams and a month now since I have officially graduated. Uni semester have started and now the pressure is on me. NO MORE HOLIDAYS! Since I am not rich enough to travel around the world before I embark on a career, it is now. So I started to look for jobs in the beginning of August.

I sort of know what I want. The dating industry, as I have told the close ones. I have sent my resume and inquired about career opportunities from some of them. No results yet since I just did it. Looked at some other interesting companies' website and tried my luck too. 

Of course, there are also career platforms like jobsdb, jobsbank, career@gov etc etc. I visited those but got really demoralized. Why? The jobs either require experience or are those office desk bound jobs. I don't want to get into a simple administrative job from the start because that is what I have been doing during the holidays. I want to learn something, I want to do something different. And for the more interesting jobs, they require specific skills and experience that I can't give. That is why I decided to look at specific company's website instead for any career openings. 

To date, I have only sent out 3 resumes (& cover letter) HAHA. But that's because I am still quite specific at the moment. A couple of companies have replied me that they aren't hiring at the moment, and I really thank them for their reply instead of leaving me hanging. What should I do if nothing progresses? Take up any jobs offered on the career platforms like what most people do? I feel the pressure to find a job already T.T.

Recently, my bf shared with me his dream. We have been there before but I did'nt know his specific plan. His words enlightened me. He is someone who knows what he wants and he knows how he want to get it. Whether in the end he gets the dream is another story, the important thing is to have a vision. 

Just as my sister told me a few days back. Her dream is to open a provision shop by the beach in some other country. Her shop will sell food, drinks, bikini, beach items, and etc. There will be a hammock on the trees nearby... Life is slow paced and relaxed. She also thought of being a gardener, in which she will grow special flowers and plants at some place. I will be in Singapore, open a flower shop and import from her HAHA. My mum can be the one tending the shop (since she got experience due to her part time job). Few years back, she mentioned that she wanted to be a farmer. Have some sheeps and grow food. A life that one may not be able to get in Singapore. But she knows what she wants and she will probably fulfill it someday in another country.

I have my own interests. But these interests aren't huge enough to be a career. I like to make cards but my skills are too noob to be hired. I like to draw but it's not developed enough. I like to sing but I'm not good enough for the stage. I want to dance but I can't lol. Anyway, all these hobbies are difficult to turn into a career in the Singapore industry right?

Then I realized. My initial dream is real! 

My dream is to be...............................

A HOUSEWIFE.

It's not that I don't want to work outside (which reminds me, housework is also work ok! and one can still work outside even if she is a housewife), but the idea of being someone's wife appeals a lot to me. My dream is to marry the man who loves me, and the one I love back also. Therefore, my job would be to be his wife, his housewife, and the mother of his children. 

But now I'm not there yet.

Back to thinking what I want to do with myself for now. 

Army Stew

Today I present to you... Todamgol!