ASSignments >_<

I seriously think the person who coined the term, "assignment" must have been a pain in the ASS :(.

HE SHOULD BE STONED!

Okay, maybe not stoned. I'm just being a lil' hot now.

Oh man, I don't understand how everyone seem to be able to produce 2000-5000words long assignments, JUST LIKE THAT?! And here I am, trying to ingest those articles into my puny, demented (tt's why puny! Shrunken!) brain yet nothing seem to be really going in.

And, to my horror, I realised that this doc (doctorate) previously from my sch whom I went Japan with previously, has produced SOO MANY research articles, and a THESIS. Oh man. How can anyone write thesis?? That's.. insane.

I wish I have doraemon now! :'(

Reflect and refrain

Its been a long time since I last posted any entry on this blog. And it has to be after a rather mind-boggling conversation and read.

In my thinking mode again.

Isn't it funny how human works? When things happen, its so fast to say, "that person is a bitch/bastard! its all his/her fault!", pointing fingers, passing nasty and totally unnecessary remarks and etc.

What about YOURself?

Well, I always think that in relationships, communications and anything that involves human, everything is a 2-way traffic. Things didn't happen because that acclaimed "bastard/bitch" made it happen SOLELY. Hey, what about YOU? Reflections, anyone?

Has anyone really stopped to think about whether you yourself, are the cause of adverse things that happen in life? Broken relationships, I should think, make up the most statistics. Its when there's a heartbreak that we see things like the above (nasty remarks) being passed everywhere, tarnishing the involved party's reputation.

I guess reflections is not a habit for many.

Even for myself, I find it so easy and so quick to pass judgments and point fingers when things go wrong. Yes, I do have the habit to do reflections, but I reflect only at the end of the day, or at the end of the whole situation. By then, it seem a little too late to have reflected, for we have already passed nasty judgments and pointed our filthy fingers at people. The damage is done.

I think we should all cultivate a habit of reflect and refrain. Reflect on what exactly happen and get a clear, objective picture, so as to Refrain from passing unnecessary remarks and pushing responsibilities on other people completely. We should all bear in mind that when things happen, WE are the cause of it too.

Just a food for thought, after a long talk with a friend and reading an involved friend's entries. Just find it a little upsetting to see things becoming so ugly!

PS: Sorry ar, as u can see, this entry is posted a little late, so I can't fully describe how I feel. Just pardon my lousy english cuz I'm really sleepy now!

Been and back :)

I certainly enjoyed Hong Kong!!!!! WHEEE! :).

Many first times during this trip:

1. First time travelling with Jetstar.
2. First time to Hong Kong.
3. First time staying in such a tiny hostel, yet the service was great!
4. First time sitting a cable car up the mountain! Scenic :).
5. First time to Ocean Park! Whee :)!! Love it!
6. First time seeing a panda!! Cute!!! :)
7. First time seeing such a spectacular dolphin show!!
8. First time taking a ferry bigger than those to Pulau Ubin.
9. First time to Macau.
10. First time to a casino.
11. First time PLAYING in a casino. HAHA. Lost money with the jackpot machine T_T
12. First time seeing so many outlet stalls! Nice!
13. First time I don't feel guilty about my wallet when I buy mid to slightly up-market products cuz of the outlets! :)
14. First time eating from a fast food outlet with things like Lo Mai Kai. Awesome. Singapore should have it!
15. First time taking public transport outside Singapore.
16. First time taking a tram up the mountain.
17. First time standing on a tram down the mountain! Scary!!
18. First time I totally forgot about work! Hehe.
19. First time having my flight delayed..

Blah blah. Really enjoyable experience! I wanna go Hong Kong again! Fun moments always end with a snap of fingers. Just like that! :(. BUT, I still enjoyed my trip alot. Its even better with OH around. I just feel alot safer just knowing he's there. And of cuz, I didn't have to fret over those heavy shopping bags. Hehe. Love you dear :)!

Anw it was a little unpleasant at the end cuz the flight was delayed. We were supposed to return to Singapore at 1450hrs. BUT we only came back at 1625hrs (if I didn't remember wrongly). But the pilot was so humourous that I just ignore the unpleasant experience. Anw, the reason for our flight delay was an oven -_-. YES, an oven. Seems like the ground staff and the pilot were communicating to an oven instead of communicating to each other -_-. Messages weren't get across, and thus the plane cannot proceed. Its silly, but the way the pilot said it when we went on board was so funny. He sounded as exasperated as we are. Haha.

Aye, Monday gotta return to work! So fast! But after this enjoyable getaway and break (actually not really a break cuz we walked ALOT!! I think we probably exceed the target of 10000 steps/day just by SHOPPING alone!), I should be able to work properly, I hope!

Before I end, enjoy this finale of the dolphin performance. Filmed it down at the Ocean Park. Spectacular!

Will upload photos when I have the time! There're still photos in OH's camera that needs to be combined with mine. And my camera alone has 600+ shots :S. Sooo.. Yepps! Need time to filter them out before I can upload!

out of town

Cincin will be out of town till Saturday :). I'm still reach-able by my mobile! But please call for urgent, emergency matters only. Overseas call ain't cheap! Finally a nice getaway after bonus, its awesome ;).

Don't miss me too much! HAHA :D.

When time is up..

I'm really convinced now when the older folks say, "when your time is up, its up."

The other day I was on night duty. At 4+am I was still looking at uncle who was sitting up and smiling at me. 5+am when I went to attend to him, he was unresponsive. I thought I was dreaming and it was just one of those time whereby I'm knocking off soon and my eyes were playing tricks on me. When I shook and shook and he didn't respond and there was no spontaneous breathing, I know I've lost him.

As the family turned up, crying at the sudden loss of their loved one, I felt like crying myself. I was still recovering from shock myself. I explained to them what happened, and I felt my lips quivering. Like, what just happened?? Wasn't he still alive just now and looking at me?

Its when you're so helpless, u can't say, "its gonna be alright" cuz its not. He's dead.

After experiencing so many people leaving my life just like that, you really have to admit that sometimes some things are just meant to be. And if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Whatever you do will just be deemed futile. So just treasure everyone around you now, for you really won't know. The next moment you see them will be just during their funeral. Sighs.

Sorry for being so morbid and gloomy, but its really sad! Just need to let it out...

Updates.

Wow, its been one month since I last blogged here! :S

Sorry for the lack of updates! I'm still alive, really! Life hasn't been exactly awesome for the past one month as I struggled with tiring rosters, preceptee who doesn't seem to understand anything I say and of cuz, the stress at work which is a constant.

The only thing I thank God alot for is an OH who supports, loves and is always there for me :). Thanks dear... <3

I was just talking to him yesterday, after a relaxing camping trip at Changi Beach (superb place! Better than ECP!!), looking back at my life I feel a little sad that I have to face the harshness of working world at such a young age.

I believe all the poly graduates will understand what I mean.

Upon graduation, we're only mere nineteen-year-old fresh graduates. If you have nice colleagues, they will "sayang sayang" you for being a xiao mei mei/di di (little girl/boy). But if u are in a working environment that is full of politics, people will just tekan you because you're young.

But I'm thankful I have nice colleagues, won't deny the fact that there are bad ones too, but still, I'm thankful for surviving. I do wish I had more time in school and that I will be able to enjoy more of those student days. Seriously, there are days when I hated work so much, I just wish I have the money to pay the bond and tender in my resignation. But well, also thank God for the bond, that I'm still here, learning how to survive in the workplace earlier than all my peers in university.

I guess this is life. Its just that I have to face it younger.

SIM sent me a brochure on degree courses at SIM Global. I was seriously contemplating to join the part time degree course (over 2 years). But sister asked, "are u coping at work anot first?" That struck me. I'm not.

I just hope all these will go away as I continue to learn how to cope, how to handle all the difficult situations that will face me in time to come. Keep me in prayers :)

One year...

Just 16 days ago, I "celebrated" my first year at work!



How fast isn't it? To think I was so apprehensive about work back then, wondering if I'm able to cope and all. One year has just past like that!



But that doesn't mean as a one year missy I'm good. I'm still making blunders here and there (sighs..) and its outright demoralising. I need to knock some sense into this coconut of mine already! Playing sudoku to keep my brain active. Aiyo.



I just hope I can soon soon li li and work well, don't get myself into anymore trouble! Still got 2 years of bond wor. Haha.



Jiayou woman, you can do it! :)



"I need to piss!" *flashes victory sign* PEACE!

Apologies...

I had a chat with Junyuan the other day about this particular person. Just few months back, when I was still serving in church, she was my leader, my teacher. She taught me many important and useful lessons and principles in life. How to handle situations in godly manner. She tried to be personal, and I know she is. But maybe due to her authority over me as a leader, there was a barrier between us and honestly I just can't share the deepest of my personal thoughts to her..

But to me, she was a friend and someone whom I know I can look to if I needed advice. She taught me how to be a leader. She led me to my calling for God and she encouraged me when I was broken by members of the cg. However, in my eyes, our relationship was no more than that of a leader and disciple. I simply did not dare to show her that I really couldn't cope with the leadership role in church as much as she thought I could.

I guess, for too long, I have been maintain too much of a spatiality between us, so naturally I suppressed too much of how I really felt. Despite toying with the idea of leaving, I struggled to stay on but I still try to appear spiritual in front of her and my members for the sake of the cg. God knows, and I know. Eventually I left church as the cg disbands. And naturally, she was the first person I couldn't face. I know I broke her heart by leaving, I've disappointed her as I wasn't able to meet her expectations.

She tried to contact me but I really can't face her. Moreover, being in church for too long, I know that she's also making attempts to bring me back to church again. At that point of time, the idea really puts me off, and I didn't want to respond to any of her calls, email or smses.

Of cuz, she is still someone dear to me as all that she taught me are valuable lessons to me. I try to catch up on her life by reading her blog, but each time I read it, I felt so remorseful as I thought about what I've done. Part of me wants to explain and apologise to her. The other part of me is too proud, ashamed, afraid to do so.

So as I was saying, I told Junyuan about what happened. He told me to take the initiative and email or sms her. I picked up my phone and didn't know what to text her. I opened my email and I didn't know where to start...

Sighs. I just pray that somehow something will happen.. Like a script will fall from heaven. Or somehow she'll see a vision of how guilty I am. Or whatever that will let her know that I am really sorry about leaving abruptly and being uncontactable subsequently.

God, can u teach me what to do..? :S

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

As I was looking through my MSN contacts today, some names led me into deep thoughts..

Aren't these the people who always went, "u can count on me!" or "lets keep in touch", and the like? What happened to them now?

As we pass through life, we will have met people from all over the places who call themselves "friends" to you. These may be people from ur school, church, workplace, etc. But isn't it sad that when you leave these places, all these "friends" leave altogether as well?

It just makes me feel sad that after I left this institution, all those so-call "friends" of mine haven't quite gotten in touch with me anymore. And sadly, these were the people whom I confided in or who confided in me. And now, I don't even hear from them anymore.

So, u may say that I'm also one of the culprits, for I didn't take the initiative to keep in touch. Alright, I won't deny it. Maybe I should start saying hi again?

Ahh. Shall not let such thoughts spoil my beautiful Saturday. Moreover, I'm going out with my OH so I should cheer up! :)

RICH KIDS.

With all the crappy things about Wall Street and AIG, I thought that there's a bad 'economic downturn', as everyone is saying..

Today as I was on the bus home, I spot this supposedly JC kid (from the way she speaks + the things she say) looking very poised. She was holding to this Gucci handbag. I was already quite surprised at how she could get that Gucci bag, when she whipped out another Kate Spade wallet from that bag. Like what?!

Actually its not the first time I'm seeing things like these.

Take more public transport, open ur eyes bigger and you'll see that LV Gucci Chanel is no longer something for the rich. EVERYONE (alright I'm exaggerating..) is holding a LV wallet, Gucci handbag, Miu Miu bags, true religion jeans, ed hardy tees... whatever brands u name, I'm sure within one hour of standing around the streets, u can find someone possessing them. Interestingly, most of them are young people! Alright, lets give a them benefit of the doubt, MAYBE its just an A grade counterfeit product from China. But really, even so, where do all these people get the money to travel even!

The other thing that's commonly seen is MP3 players. I guess that there're about 20-30% of commuters on one bus ride alone listens to a MP3. From observation, most of them are carrying branded MP3 players like Ipod, Creative, Samsung or the like. It is as though Ipods are selling at 10bucks each but NO. Still the same price, no change at all. In fact, I do think that with more added functions to the newer generations of Ipod, the price actually increased! Same as for other brands of cuz.

I can't help but wonder, what's with the so-called "economic downturn"? Lets think this way, with "economic downturn", Singaporeans are already so well-to-do, what happens when we're really prospering?

I was just thinking, is it a REAL economic downturn, or is it more of a MENTAL downturn. Mind over flesh. Quite familiar to all eh?

Just an interesting thought.

Alright I shall stop here. With my bad command of English, I really don't know how to express myself well. Hahaha :D. Hope that everyone reading will understand me! :S

PMS

"Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle."

Its something every girl goes through monthly.

Its the time of the month whereby you'll just do silly shit for no reason.
Shout for no reason.
Cry for no reason.
Laugh for no reason.
Eat for no reason.
Starve for no reason.
Tired for no reason.
Hyper for no reason.
Grouch for no reason.
Irritated for the slightest or even no reason.
Mood swings like mad with no reason!
Just want to cuddle your little teddy, hide under those nice comforter and have some sweet chocolate ice cream (to hell with all the diet plans).

But when you are working, in order to present your professional image, you hide 'em. Trying ur best to mask everything.

So after suppressing your deepest emotions, you just wish that those close to you actually understands what you're going through instead of getting mad when you do irrational and silly things.

Being a woman is not easy. Do men actually understand? Or do they think that we're just trying to be silly/difficult/irritating/______(fill in the blanks) and using PMS as an excuse?

What do you men know?!

Okay fine. I hate to be a woman. Maybe I should be a man.

AHH. I'm PMS-ing. Can't you tell?! Damn it!

Okay I'm really, going irrational already. Stop it Cinthia, stop it!

Uncertain..

Had a long random chat with Sau until a point whereby we started talking about religion.

Yes dearies, I'm no longer attending church since about 3 months back. U didn't know? Now you do. I guess I'm taxed out by all the juggling with work + church, plus, to be frank, I don't really know who from church can I share the most deepest of my struggles and feelings with, without them feeling that I'm backsliding and start getting all preachy on me.

Yes, been taught to have friends and that iron sharpens iron, I've been sharpening other people's iron so much that I don't know which iron I can find to sharpen my own anymore..

Well, I tried to psycho myself that I shall look for a church to settle down or go back to my own church again soon after I sort out my thoughts when I left.

But interestingly, nobody came to ask about me, except my cg boys who came and asked me out for dinner and reminisce. And in fact when I told another churchmate that I left, he went, "oops, sorry." and i never heard from him again. Ha.

So 3 months after leaving, talking to someone about church from another church is awkward, but thank God Sau was friendly and approachable enough not to make me feel awkward...

The only issue here is that after 3 months from leaving, I really don't feel like going back anymore. Aye, give me some time to think through things ba..

Let me enjoy my leave and then think about this when I'm back :).

Bye people!

"Cinthia likes to..."

This is more fun!

A. Go to Google
B. Type your name and the words "likes to" all in quotation marks. (e.g. "Stephen likes to")
C. Report back on the first ten things that come up for your name.

1. Cinthia likes to participate in the Good Shepherd Catechesis program. -_-
2. Cinthia likes to play outside.
3. Cinthia likes to get away and drown her pain in lemonade. (HAHA)
4. Cinthia likes to help little kids, she thinks its fun.
5. Cinthia likes to hang out during off hours and is trying to improve skill in order to get ahead professionally.
6. CiNTHIA LIKES TO SHAKE HER BOMM BOOMMM UP N DOWN. (wth?!)
7. Cinthia likes to play outdoors during off hours and is trying to learn from master/mistress in order to get ahead professionally.
8. Cinthia likes to run into trees. ($*&(#*&*%%?!?!?!?!)

There's only 8 results for my name! How sad! But its super funny can! Omg :D

And no, I don't like to run into trees -_-

urban dictionary

Go to urbandictionary.com and type in your answer to each question in the search box, and write the FIRST definition it gives you. Read this! Its SUPER funny but silly at the same time. I had a good laugh :D


[1] Your First Name: Cinthia
a common name for an es salvadorian girl who likes to call everyone dorks. Is called a "fat lard" by mighty midget. Also dates a guy named kenneth.
Omg, throw that mayonnaise at cinthia!

Now what's with me and mayonnaise?! And who is Kenneth?!

[2] Your Last Name: Lim
1. Lesbian Identified Man. A man so identified with lesbians that he loses perception about his role as a man. Acts and behaves extremely woman like, up to the extent that he refuses to engage in classic intercourse with a woman (eg. no penetration). The fictional character "Lisa" from the showtime drama The L Word is an example of a Lesbian Identified Man. He appears for a few episodes in the first season of this series.
I will not put up the example sentence.. Too vulgar!

2. Lips In Motion. A person who verbally expresses extrodinarily long versions of a story, usually true accounts.
There he goes again with that long story, he is such a LIM.

3. Laugh Inside Myself
Let's be honest. How many times do you type LOL when you really aren't laughing out loud? LIM let's the person know that they made you laugh inside yourself.

4. Laughing Inside Me
Better than lol in office enviroments
A: I saw this guy trip in a bucket
B: Lim

5. The worst huntard in all of World of Warcraft.
You got ganked by LIM?! Wow, you're trash, go /wrists kthx.

6. n. used to describe a bad joke or pun. popular among international students.
-what did he say?
-he screamed, 'i said i want I SCREAAAM!'
-oh he pulled a lim again.

7. n. An elaborate bad joke, usually a pun
"We ought to have a friend named Ruth. That way, when she left the table, we could say 'We're Ruth-less.'" "
Wow, man. That was a huge lim."

8. The stage between liking someone and loving them.
'I'm just so... in lim with him'

9. When staring at a hot guy makes you hungry for chinese takeaway
"Oh, he's so Lim right now!" "Just the sight of him makes me lim"

I have totally nothing to say about all the definitions of LIM but to LOL. -_-.

[3] Your Birth Month: December
1. The month in which the hottest women are born.
That girl is FINE! She must have been born in December.

Oooh! I'm HOT! HAHAHAH :D:D:D.

2. The best month out of the entire year. That's why they left it last.
Her birthday is in December.

3. An excellent time of year where the snow is beautiful, the weather is cold, and the closer you get to the end of the month the more your birthday sucks. If your birthday is very close to Christmas, it is okay to hate your birthday.
I and four other people in my family have birthdays in December, all around Christmas. I hate my birthday.

That's cute :D

[4] Your Age: 20
There're a couple of definitions, will put up a few..
1. location or current status/activity
what's your 20, fool

2. the number before 21 and after 19. generally used when counting.
"i can count to twenty!" "twenty is my favorite number."
What kind of definition is this man?!

3. the number of balls 10 guys has
lets see.. how many balls are here? 19? HAH!
wth?!

4. Refering to a $20.00 bag of marijuana. Also known as a "twin"
Let me pick up that 20 fool.

[5] Your Birthplace: Singapore

5 types of climate: hot, very hot, damn its freakin' hot, wow look roast human char siew all over the streets!, otherwise.
4 common interest among all typical Singaporeans: Food, glorious food! Shopping, Welcome to the Great Singapore Sale! Toto/4D, come Saturday Sunday.. will I win? (bai liu li bai hui bu hui kai), Education - "Boy AH! u finish tuition homework liao or not! Later got piano lesson! AIYO! Your spelling learn already anot?!"
3 MRT lines: North South line, East West line, North East line
2 hours(approx): is needed to travel from one end to another end of Singapore.
1 common language: Singlish "See liao lah... What you want?" "SCUSE"
Singapore is rojak.

[6] Your Current Location: Bedroom
1. The romp room. ;-)
Hey Janet, let's go to the bedroom!
-_-........ *speechless*

2. The room in your house where you sleep and keep your clothes. Bedrooms usually have a closet in them.
I need to go check my bedroom to make sure everything is still there.


[7] Your Favorite Number: 7
1. The fiercest digit known to man.
7 is the fiercest digit because 7 8 9. Ha.
7 ate 9, u get it?

2. A verbal middle finger.
person 1:"man, you really suck at bowling!"
person 2:"7"
Oh wow.. Anw there's 3 pages of definitions, go check it out urself!

[8] Your Favorite Color: Green
yes... it is most definitely referring to the marijuana... and also, upon occassion, any substance with similar uses. too, properly, of course, it is a golfing term, but that;s really not very much fun, now is it?
''yo, where da green at?''
Cute! :D Yo where da green at! :D. Anw there's 14 pages of definitions....


[9] Your Favorite Movie: can't think of any at this moment. May fill in at later date.


[10] Your Closest Friends: AMY!
to take, hold, or steal your heart. a person who is a soulmate. a good lover.
she pulled an amy on my heart. (she stole or holds my heart)
my heart was amyied. (my heart was stolen)
watch out she will amy you. (she will steal your heart)
you have yourself an amy. (you have yourself a soulmate)
AMY! :D U're a good lover! HAHAHA!

[11] The Last Person You Talked To (Who Isn't Already Mentioned): Muan
muan is another word to describe the female genitals (minge). first discovered by phil and sam in a moment of intoxication.
Man that bitch has a nice muan!!!
AHHHHH!!!!! I'm going crazy!!! $#%*(#&%(&^%()!

[12] Your nickname: cin
A small asian loving person/child. Its habitat is heavily wooded areas such as Spinneys and Forests. They have the inability to move, instead they travel by hanging on to people walking past. They are very vicious, but generally cannot cause any damage. Also there scent is to be noted as it is a musky scent with a tint of what seems to smell like smoke. Nobody knows the source of their scent but is globally accepted as repulsive.
Kaotik: Did you see that Cin back there?
Skitik: No, where was it?
Alex: I saw it aswell it tried to grab Dauccia
What is this?!

JOOOO KOOOOON

This is really a post-dated entry.

Few days back on the 18th, I went to Bugis to do some shopping alone since it was a hard-earned day off. I was at City Hall MRT changing train, so was looking at the East-West line's signages to acertain where to go. Then I saw this:

For one moment I thought I was at the wrong place. Where the hell is Joo Koon?! What happened to Boon Lay?

Then I went to the directory board, and it was like a light bulb just lit up in my head.

Chey. New lines extending from Boon Lay to Pioneer and Joo Koon. Half of circle line is out too, for Marymount, Bartley, Serangoon, etc. Not too sure is it I never read newspaper or what. But seems like I was not the only one who was wondering about the Joo Koon thing cuz when I was waiting for the train back from Bugis, there were alot of people who were like, "what Jooo Kooon?!" and it was damn funny :D.

Oh wells, just an update for those who don't take trains THAT often. Like me. Haha.

Joo Koon!

Bilingual Children Have an Increased Risk of Stuttering

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 22 - The risk of stuttering is increased among young bilingual children, according to findings published in the January issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood. These children also have less chance of recovery from stuttering than monolingual speakers who stutter.

Bilingualism is considered a risk factor for stuttering, Dr. Peter Howell, of University College London, and colleagues point out, but "there is little information about how a second language affects the chances of stuttering onset and of recovery."

A total of 317 children between the ages of 8 and 12 years who stuttered participated in the study. The 69 children who were bilingual were matched to a group of fluent bilingual controls.

The main outcome measures included subjects' stuttering history, Standard Attainment Test educational scores, and measures of recovery or persistence of stuttering.

Of the 38 bilingual children who used a language other than English at home, 36 stuttered in both languages. Two of the 38 children stuttered in their native language but did not stutter in English.

Fewer children who used their alternative language exclusively at home and learned English in school stuttered, compared with those who used both languages at home - 39.5% versus 60.5%, respectively.

By contrast, fluent bilingual controls were more likely to speak their alternative language exclusively at home -- 73.7% versus 26.3%, respectively. The difference between bilingual stutterers and bilingual fluent speakers who spoke only their original language during their preschool years was statistically significant (p = 0.003).

The recovery rate for children who spoke both languages at home prior to school age was 25%, compared with 55% in both the alternative language exclusively and monolingual speakers.

However, Dr. Howell's group also found that early school performance was not affected by stuttering.

"Together, these findings suggest that if a child uses a language other than English in the home, deferring the time when they learn English reduces the chance of starting to stutter and aids the chances of recovery later in childhood."

Taken from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/587209?src=mp&spon=24&uac=113552SK

---------------------------

Now I think I understand how come I catch pronounciations easily! Cuz when I was young, I only speak mandarin and nothing else. During English class, I stutter trying to make myself understood. So now I know why I can speak in English and Mandarin fluently! :D. Heh heh. *brags*

Now we know how to teach our children to be bilingual scholars next time! Make them speak only ONE language first! Haha.

Bruxism

Something to share :D. Its a lengthy post as I directly copied and paste from Wikipedia, so u can skip the details if you want :). Mainly read the headings and the 1st line :D. Hahah.

Bruxism (from the Greek βρυγμός (brugmós), gnashing of teeth) is the grinding of the teeth, and is typically accompanied by the clenching of the jaw. It is an oral parafunctional activity that occurs in most humans at some time in their lives. In most people, bruxism is mild enough not to be a health problem. While bruxism may be a diurnal or nocturnal activity, it is bruxism during sleep which causes the majority of health issues, and can even occur during short naps. Bruxism is one of the most common sleep disorders.

Associated factors
The following factors are associated with bruxism.

• Disturbed sleep patterns and other sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnea, hypopnea, snoring, moderate daytime sleepiness)
• Malocclusion, in which the upper and lower teeth occlude in a disharmonic way, e.g., through premature contact of back tooth
• Relatively high levels of consumption of caffeinated drinks and foods, such as coffee, colas, and chocolate
• High levels of blood alcohol
• Smoking
• High levels of anxiety, stress, work-related stress, irregular work shifts, stressful profession and ineffective coping strategies
• Medication, such as SSRIs and stimulants
• Hypersensitivity of the dopamine receptors in the brain
• Stimulant drugs, particularly those of the amphetamine-based family (MDMA)
• GHB and similar GABA-inducing analogues such as Phenibut, when taken with high frequency
• Disorders such as Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases
  

Treatment
There is no single accepted cure for bruxism. However, treatments are available.

Bruxism may be reduced or even eliminated when the associated factors, e.g. sleep disorders, are treated successfully

Mouthguards and splints (you can skip the details if you want :D)
Ongoing management of bruxism is based on minimizing the abrasion of tooth surfaces by the wearing of an acrylic dental guard or splint, designed to the shape of an individual's upper or lower teeth from a bite mould. Mouthguards are obtained through visits to a dentist for measuring, fitting, and ongoing supervision. There are four possible goals of this treatment: constraint of the bruxing pattern such that serious damage to the temperomandibular joints is prevented, stabilization of the occlusion by minimizing the gradual changes to the positions of the teeth that typically occur with bruxism, prevention of tooth damage, and the enabling of a bruxism practitioner to judge — in broad terms — the extent and patterns of bruxism, through examination of the physical indentations on the surface of the splint. A dental guard is typically worn on a long-term basis during every night's sleep.

Professional treatment is medically recommended to ensure proper fit, make ongoing adjustments as needed, and check that the occlusion (bite) has remained stable. Monitoring of the mouthguard is suggested at each dental visit.

Another type of device sometimes given to a bruxer is a repositioning splint. A repositioning splint may look similar to a traditional night guard, but is designed to change the occlusion, or "bite," of the patient. Randomly controlled trials with these type devices generally show no benefit over more conservative therapies and they should be avoided under most if not all circumstances.

The NTI-tss device is another option that can be considered. The NTI covers only the front teeth and prevents the rear molars from coming into contact, thus limiting the contraction of the temporalis muscle. The NTI must be fitted by your dentist.

The efficacy of such devices is debated. Some writers propose that irreversible complications can result from the long-term use of mouthguards and repositioning splints.

Botox (HAHAHAH!!)
Botulinum toxin (Botox) has recently been seen to be very successful in treating the grinding and clenching of bruxism. Botox is an injectable medication that weakens muscles and is used commonly in cosmetic procedures to relax the muscles of the face and decrease the appearance of wrinkles. Botox was not originally developed for cosmetic use, however. It was, and continues to be, used to treat diseases of muscle spasticity such as blepharospasm (eyelid spasm), strabismus (crossed eyes) and torticollis (wry neck). Bruxism can also be regarded as a disorder of repetitive, unconscious contraction of the masseter muscle (the large muscle that moves the jaw). Botox works very well to weaken the muscle enough to stop the grinding and clenching, but not so much as to interfere with chewing or facial expressions. The strength of Botox is that the medication goes into the muscle, weakens it and does not get absorbed into the body. The procedure involves about five or six simple, relatively painless injections into the masseter muscle. It takes a few minutes per side and the patient starts feeling the effects the next day. Occasionally, some bruising can occur, but this is quite rare. The symptoms that are helped by this procedure include:

• Grinding and clenching
• Morning jaw soreness
• TMJ pain
• Muscle tension throughout the day
• Migraines triggered by clenching
• Neck pain and stiffness triggered by clenching

The optimal dose of Botox must be determined for each person as some people have stronger muscles that need more Botox. This is done over a few touch up visits with the physician injector. This treatment is expensive, but sometimes Botox treatment of Bruxism can be billed to medical insurance (plans vary - its good to call your plan beforehand to find out what is covered and what documentation is necessary). The effects last for 3 months or so. The muscles do atrophy; however, so after a few rounds of treatment it is usually possible to either decrease the dose or increase the interval between treatments.

Other authorities caution that Botox should only be used for temporary relief for severe cases and should be followed by diagnosis and treatment to prevent future bruxism or jaw clenching, suggesting that prolonged use of Botox can lead to permanent damage to the jaw muscle.

Dietary supplements
There is limited evidence that suggests taking certain combinations of dietary supplements may alleviate bruxism; pantothenic acid[citation needed], magnesium, and calcium have been examined.

(information taken from wikipedia.org)

Reason why I put this is because I grind my teeth during sleep and seems like my sister has been telling me since I was quite young. And apparently, the problem seem to be getting worse lately, but I'm not sure if its true! Cuz I dunno :D. I'm asleep what. I get from feedbacks :D.

And I see the associating factors, I kinda understand why. I drink so much coffee and am under so much stress, I think I will grind my teeth till it turns into powder soon :S.

ANW. After reading the article, I'm proud to say, I have all the reason to go for botox! Don't stop me! :D Heh heh.

But before I go for botox, maybe a cheaper alternative will be a proper mouth guard. But I seriously feel like some mad dog if I really wear a mouth guard to sleep. And I'm very sure I will wake up with wet pillow from all the drool! EEeeeeks!

Looks like I will be wearing dentures before everyone of you :D

ARRRGHH..

I'M ON DUTY THIS WEEKEND AGAIN!!
I'M ON DUTY NEXT WEEKEND AGAIN!!
AND I'M ON WEEKEND NIGHT YET AGAIN!!!

WHAT THE HELL.

This is just crap la. When can I EVER get another weekend off?!?!?!?

As if this is not enough, yet another thing to Argh about:

MY OH IS OVERSEAS ON V-DAY!! :'(.

I'm certainly looking like the baby in the picture, albeit more less cute. Er hem. Sighs.

I feel that my life is so sad. Hahaha. But NEVERMIND. I'll probably go for an ex colleague's wedding, then maybe da bao some nice makan back for my another colleague who's on call if time permits :). V-day is not just about me and OH, but everyone around me too ;). Hehe.

Okay Cin, stop whining, go and sleep. Tmr is AM shift....... (SIAN)

WEEKEND ON AGAIN

Grrrrrr. I keep having to work on weekends! I hate this :(.

For how many weekends I've been working alr. But I don't want to request, cuz if I keep requesting weekends off, I won't get the chance to take the off next time lo.

Request also no use la. I requested a day off for 16th cuz my other half (OH) is off. THEN I was scheduled to go for some talk and be an usher, given official hours somemore. Best.

Grrrr.. I just want more weekends off, or at least give me one off one AM shift or something like that la. Very sad. Especially when my OH is a 5-day workweek person! Hmmm :(

Ahh just want to whine. Going to sleep soon. Yes tmr is Saturday and I'm working AM shift. While everyone is snoozing their heads off and waking up late, I've gotta be up at 4.45am to prepare. ARGH!!!! >_<

Complain complain! >_<

Nobody wants to read my blog no more :(

HELLO EVERYONE! Sorry for the LOoooOoooooooOOOoong delay. If Junyuan haven't told me, I wouldn't have realised that I haven't been blogging for 1 month +! Man!

To think I used to blog like twice a day? HAHA :D Silly silly me.

For the past one month, basically I've been rather busy. Many things have happened. I've been writing notes on Facebook instead cuz I can write them on the go, using Facebook Mobile via my HP. For those who doesn't have FB, summary:

- Thanks to all ur prayers. My aunt decide to pull the plug since my cousin was certified brain dead. So yepps. He left peacefully la.

- New year was spent camping with my other half, and had lots of fun!

- CNY reunion dinner, brought him to show mommy, and mommy seem to like him :). Hehe.

- CNY day 1 went to grandma's place. Mixed feelings, dealing with a loss and yet an inclusion to the family. Its odd. But everything brought us closer, which is good to a certain extent..

- Apart from these special occasions, I've been basically working hard in my workplace still. Still slogging hard to deliver the best I can :D. And still complaining alot, as usual. Hehe.

That's so much about my life since the last post.

To everyone, Happy Niu Year :).

I will try to update more la :D. Hahaha. So sorry!