Find your Strongest Life

Find your Strongest Life- What the happiest and most successful women do differently by Marcus Buckingham.

I saw this book at DuYi bookstore and I felt the urge to get it and see if I can learn how to build a better life. At age 24, I am clueless about what I should do in my life. Happiness has always ranked high in my priority but I was feeling disappointed and hopeless. Through this book, I gained some great insights as to how to manage my life.

The book starts with 10 common myths about the lives of women in which people believed them to be true. One of them states that 'women are good at multitasking, and it helps them to get everything done'. I couldn't agree more that this is untrue for me after this job experience because I just cannot concentrate on doing anything well. Our brain is not designed to multitask, it will slow us down, increase our stress level and eventually we become worn out. 

The book illustrates some real life experiences of great successful women through interviews with them. How do they live their lives feeling fulfilled, happy and accomplished. What exactly is the purpose in life? Many of us are stuck in a situation in our lives whereby we are not satisfied. This book will help you to identify your strengths and use these strengths to transform your lives.

Women's lives did improved over the years with better education and more decision making power. However, it is also because of the endless possible choices that causes us to have so much stress as to which option would be the best. I have a degree but I never really knew what I wanted, what I am good at and which direction should I go. Therefore, I am confused as to which is my correct path. This book has helped me with some guidelines to make certain decisions. There are 4 emotional signs stated in this book that shows if you have a strong life. You need to feel successful, looking forward to a new day, eager to grow and learn and have your needs fulfilled. 

Everybody is different and unique in their own way, so you can never copy another person's way of finding their strongest life.  You need to identify your own strong moments. "Strong moments are certain moments in your life that creates strongly positive emotions in you." Not all moments are equal because some time you feel nothing with certain moments and sometimes you will feel negative when you do something else. And because I have always been a more emotional person, I am really glad to know that I can rely on my emotions to guide me.

Weak moments are like those activities that makes you feel weak. If it is boring you, draining you and causing you to lose concentration, then it is a weakness. Instead of trying to improve these so called weaknesses, focus on building up your strength. And this is also something I am aiming for in my career path, to be an expert in something, which you might already be good at also. This would probably work better then juggling and trying to be good in all aspects. Similarly, as a student,  all my grades were average and I felt a little sad with no strong subject. 

There is a link provided in the book to determine what kind of lead role you were born to play. My main role is a creator and my secondary role is an advisor. I find that I really fit into the description [very true] of the book. You can try taking the test here! But the description online is a shorter version, so do get the book if you wish to find out more.

After you get an idea of who you may be, you can work your way to achieve a fuller life. Purposely tilt your life and create strong moments that will empower you. Rather than finding a balance in our hectic life, aim for fullness in our life. So start thinking about the moments that you feel very positive and strong. For example in my case, although I super hate this job, I feel that I'm strong when I manage to exceed the satisfaction of the customers. I feel positive drawing on the greeting card for a customer and it makes me happy.

I really like this book and will continue to use the knowledge I have gotten to strive to live a greater life. Remember that the more you dwell on a weakness, the bigger it may seem to be. So just ponder about who you really are and focus on building your strength.

Bedok South Indian Rojak

I wanted to write out this post to really express how much I enjoyed my experience with this stall. Indian Rojak is kind of unhealthy so I don't eat it very often but Bf had this craving so we decided to try it. Before that, we have seen a few groups of people eating the rojak, one of them was even taking a photo of the stall front. It must either be for a complaint or a recommendation.

So we need to choose our items in our plate right but because all of them look quite similar, bf asked the stall owner what all the items are. The owner, who is a really nice Indian man, explained to us row by row what ingredients are each food item comprised of. He even gave us small pieces of food sample to try before we order. I love the small shrimp dough, it is very fragrant and delicious. While we were debating whether to get the vegetable fried dough and wondering what vegetables is used, he gave us another small piece to try. Although I kindly rejected it since we already decided to get one to try anyway, he still persuaded us to take the piece, nice then buy he say. It is really very rare to find a food stall owner who has the patience to explain what he is selling and even provide us with free food samples. I overheard him telling another customer that there is no minimum order too! If you just want like 1 piece, I think he will still be very glad to serve you. 

After our chosen items were heated up with the fryer, he warned us to be careful as it is very hot. He guided us to where the utensils are and tell me that I can take more gravy if we don't have enough. Honestly, we ordered only 5 pieces and had two gravy bowls which is more than enough. He is generous. Since we sat near his stall, I could hear how he communicated with all the other customers. He feels like a jovial and very approachable uncle. I think one of the customers asked him about the beginnings of Indian Rojak and he said that this is Singapore Rojak. He has not seen or heard of any rojak in India hahaha. This is an interesting point. 

Of course the taste of the food must still be good la. I haven't eaten much Indian Rojak to do comparisons but generally since the food is heated up, it taste good and crispy :). The small shrimp dough is a must try because I love it so much! Other than that, it is mostly flour [carbohydrates!]  which can be gelat if you eat too much. And super unhealthy. 

But because the Indian uncle is such a nice seller, we would definitely patronize the stall again. Sometimes, making the effort to build good relationships will bring you further. 

Bedok South Road Block 16 Market & Food Centre. #01-07. 

Banana Tree

Bf brought me to a dessert place called "Banana Tree". He said I would love it, I think more in terms of the interior design and the cutesy decorative items. It was a quiet and nice atmosphere that day as there were only few people in the cafe. They have those mini pots as the serving bowl of their desserts, and with the addition of a stalk of flower, it becomes a miniature potted plant. These potted plants are also accompanied with spoons which look like shovels!

 

Self service free flow iced water as per most cafe style. I have the same banana keychain that is displayed on the shelf beside!

Here is a therapeutic corner for the bookworms, but I'm not so sure what types of books they have. I saw that there is a "chicken soup" for something. 

My Love, after I adjusted his hair abit.

We just ordered a chocolate flavoured one to share, with ice-cream and cake included.

This looks good! The chocolate ice cream is bittersweet and rich in flavour [really dark chocolate kind of chocolate]. The cake is also very very chocolate-ty. However, the strong flavour above will make the chocolate ice below taste rather bland. Also, it was a little difficult to eat because the wooden base is curved and not stable when you dig into the food. You have to eat the ice cream and cake with care lest everything drops on the table. We almost lost our cake >.< .

And I end the post with the "after" picture of the chocolate dessert :P

 Banana Tree, 26 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089133

 

Grace Clay

I decided to buy Grace clay [about $26!] because reviews seems to suggest this is high class clay. For two small tubes, the price is already proof. It's good that the clay is separated into two tubes so you only need to open one before the other. This is air dry clay, so it will dry out once opened, no matter how slowly. I think there are supposed to be different grades but I have no idea because I had only one option when I purchased it.

The texture looks oily and it doesn't feel very moist on the hands. It can stretch quite well. Kneading it, you would feel that it is harder than the previous clays. By adding water, it can be softened. Sticking the clay is possible but requires some water and a little force. Not a very good point as it doesn't stick easily. Then, when you use too much force, the figure might be slightly distorted. If you remember my post on Kin's miniature workshop, I believe she had use Grace clay for the head, body and limbs. The clothing is another type of clay which sticks instantly upon contact with Grace clay. Therefore, if you want to achieve great sticking qualities, you may want to mix and match.

Acrylic paint mixes very well with this clay! A little colour can create a dark/vibrant coloured clay. However, the clay dries darker than the initial colour, so beware of using too much paint. The clay dries slightly translucent so it's important to add white paint if you want the end result to be white. It is also heavier and harder when dried. I would think it is much more durable than the other clays. 

During the process, if you add too much water, small bits of clay will stick to your fingers. After which the dried pieces may stick to your clay ornament and destroy the whole design. :(

Fimo varnish works well here, giving the clay a shiny finish. The finished product looks a lot more exquisite than the others. If you can create something really creative and precise, it would look very high quality, like a nice pendant.

This is my ugly sadness. I find it really hard to make this with Grace clay. The clay turned quite dry after awhile. This is quite a fast drying clay which is better used by more experienced clay artist.

The good points:

Add water to increase moisture
Mixes very well with acrylic paint,
Does not crack,
Does not break,
Parts stick together alright without glue,
Takes varnish well,

The bad points:

Harder to stick together

Clay is harder for kneading

Dries faster

The verdict: No more expensive clay until I master some skills. This clay is good for jewellery making in my opinion but you need good colour mixing skill! I find it quite difficult to make figurines without combining with other clay. But, I'm a noob after all, and this clay really produces some exquisite effects. It is graceful indeed. 

Jumping Clay

Jumping clay- $4.70 per 50gm found in Popular.

I consulted Kin on the clay to use and she recommended Jumping Clay. This clay feels similar to the soft clay I used that day, so it should be the same. Jumping clay really lives up to its name as it is really bouncy. Even if it is not rolled into a ball, it will still 'jump' upon landing on the ground. I don't like this feature though because when I accidentally drop small pieces of clay, it is so difficult to find it back! 

The packaging is great because you can reseal it back. However, it is best to keep it in another airtight container or ziploc bag to be double secure. Upon opening, you can smell the strong and nice jasmine scent. This is a very good difference from other clays which generally are not nice smelling. 

Jumping clay does not stick to your hand so much. It has a blue tack consistency and water can be added to increase moisture. There is no need for glue to stick the parts together. If there are cracks at any point, you cannot just blend it away, you need to re-knead it and apply some pressure while rolling the ball. 

I think that Jumping Clay does not take acrylic colours well. A lot of paint is required, but the colour still remains quite light. The paint should be blended in bit by bit, hence more kneading is required to get a darker colour. The result of the colour is also abit patchy dotty if you look closer, not evenly spread. Jumping clay is bad if you wish to get a darker shade. Super dough would fare better in this case.

Jumping clay is good for making irregular shapes, shaped with the bare hands. The shape also stays better because it is not so soft. After the clay dries, it is light and slightly squishy. When bent, it does not break. The dried clay (before gloss) seems to attract dust more than super dough. Surface feels less smooth and more sticky (in terms of texture of flat surface) when dried.

Fimo varnish works well with Jumping clay, providing a good shine. The finished product also feels harder after the varnish. However, when I tried to bend it, the dried varnish teared on the surface, leaving a wrinkly surface. 

Coloured Jumping Clay.

I thought that Jumping clay would get its colour by mixing the coloured ones with the white one. Hence, I bought a used gift set on carousell. It was all half dried when I received it so I added water. Never ever buy second hand clay unless totally sealed! 

The result is bright vibrant colours. But do note that jumping clay only comes in certain colours, so to get a special colour is a difficult task. Hence, I still prefer mixing acrylic paint to get colours. I think you can make more professional crafts than my cutesy examples below with better colours.

For the coloured clay, everything was good until I applied the fimo varnish. The varnish is not taken well by the coloured clay. Gosh it made me super disappointed. Somehow, the colour lightens upon contact as if the clay never dried because it mixed with the gloss. My octopus was wearing white shades before the gloss dries up and after it dries, my octopus looks like it is peeling from a sunburn. I don't think I would buy the coloured Jumping clay anymore.

The good points:

Add water to increase moisture,

Does not crack so much,
Does not break,
Parts stick together without glue,
Takes varnish well (white only),

Jasmine scented, 

Package is resealable,

The bad points:

Does not take acrylic colours well,

• Knead for a longer time 
• Fingers get tired 

Does not take varnish well (Coloured only)

The verdict: I may buy the white clay, but not the coloured ones. Ideal for models with lighter colours. I think this is more for figure making with no moulds. 

Bliss House Theme Restaurant

My birthday lunch at Bliss House, The Central. 

Bf researched on a place to bring me on my birthday and he thought that I would sure love this place. And sure did I! As we walked in, I was thinking to myself "wah so romantic feeling, well done!!". This place is a theme restaurant which has a lovey dovey ambience which suits my personality well haha. They probably spent a good deal of money decorating the place but it is absolutely lovely! 

They should change their menu since the words have faded already! Lol. I cannot remember the soup of the day but I think it tasted like borsch soup and it's yummy.

The staff was nice to recommend me a nicer range of vanilla milkshake but my ordered milkshake was not very good either. It didn't really have any hint of passionfruit. His oreo milkshake was good though.

While bf liked his grilled chicken, I found my cheesy pork chop very xin 腥. The porky taste is strong and not covered even with the cheese. The fries don't look so appetizing but it taste alright. The calamari is crispy and slightly saltish. I think this can be made better.

Their service is great, providing assistance to us promptly, delivering the food quickly and showing initiative to help us take photos. This is also an area catered specially for wedding events. The background decor is perfectly suited for such an occasion and great for photoshoots. 

I didn't dare to sit fully on this thingy because I'm not sure if we can even sit on it. So afraid that I would spoil it haha. 

My impression of this theme restaurant is quite positive. It is a place that gives off a happy and relaxing feeling. However, if you are a person who place more importance on the taste of the food, then this is not for you in my opinion.