Hassle-Free Moist Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1. 125gm of softened butter
2. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3. 3/4 cups of soft, brown sugar
4. 3 eggs (room temperature)
5. 1 1/2 cup of organic self-raising flour
6. 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1/2 cup of soya milk (room temperature)

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1. Preheat oven at 180C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients until just combined.

3. Pour the mixture in a baking tray lined with baking paper.

4. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Recovering!

Still having very low-grade fever during the nights. Just waiting it out. Still feeling tired and weak but slowly getting better, that's for sure!

Now that the worst is over, I started listening to music again. I like one of Justin Timberlake's latest song from his 20/20 Experience. It's called Mirrors.

Norah Jones' 'Miriam' is a chilling one! Watch it!

This woman is amazing!

Still Battling Influenza B!

It has been a week since I fell really ill. In those times when I felt the nights really creeping by, today a week has passed.

The crazy fever spikes have left. I was still burning till 101F on Monday night. I went to see my ENT on Tuesday afternoon. He said that I was recovering and I might have a few more nights of mild fever. The insides of my sinus and nose were red, swollen and mighty bruised. And that's part of the aftermath with an encounter with Influenza B. He also said that I did not have any sinus nor ear infection but there were some crackling and popping sounds in my lungs.

I got a Ventolin inhaler from the hospital and used it every 4 hours just to get relieve from the hacking cough. It helped. And I continued with Zrytec-D every night to help with the severely blocked nose.

The fever still comes back every night at around 8something, but it is less than 100F. Other than that, I still have the severe dizzy spells, trembling, extreme fatigue and exhaustion.

I have started moving around a bit at a time. But at this point of time, I dare not push myself too much as my body is still not completely well.

But it's a start that the end of the battle is drawing near!

I Can't Win, Can't I?

Ok, so yesterday I sunk into depression. Five days of continuos fever-yo-yo-ing drove me insane. I think I would have yelled, 'OFF WITH MY HEAD!' if I had the voice and strength.

So fever finally downgraded to mid-99F and I thought, 'Finally! I'm finally winning this battle!'

And then a small little thought whispered a voice, 'Uh-oh! Never jinx oneself'.

'BAH!' I replied, 'I don't believe in such rubbish'.

Demon virus started cackling from the bowels of Hades of Influenza B.

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I went to bed to rest as usual at 8 something.

As usual, I could not breathe with the clogged-up nose. I took Zrytec-D to clear the clogged-up nose and to knock me out. I haven't had a good night's rest since Wednesday night. Zrytec-D took 1 1/2 hours to relieve my clogged up nose and it couldn't even knock out an ant! What more me???

And then it happened.

I could feel a talon embedded in my throat. And the talon would twitch and THAT would send me into a never-ending-coughing-spasm which could last for a duration of 20 minutes.

And when it finally stopped, I would be so exhausted but relieved that it had stopped.

Demon virus must have been rubbing its hands in glee because the never-ending-coughing-spasm kept me awake until 4am this morning. By 4am, exhausted was an understatement. I dared not even breathe in case the talon which demon virus had embedded into my throat would twitch again.

In my exhaustion, I started hallucinating that I must have been a murderer in my past life. Or even a pimp, who whacked the shit out of his prostitutes. Or a wife-stealer. Or husband-stealer. Or a politician.

You could see that demon virus was now playing with my mind.

I even told hubby that I prayed that I would die in my sleep last night.

God was deft to go deaf when I spoke that sentence. He did not hear me.

I collapsed with exhaustion.

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I woke up at 8am.

Oh god. My right sinus was in searing pain until to my right ear. I knew I had developed a sinus infection. And the right part of the throat too was in searing pain.

And the mucus that came out was rust colour.

And then demon virus started twitching its talon again.

Finally at 11am, I dragged myself out of bed to make lunch. My brother too had succumbed to this virus. The hospital gave him Tamiflu. So it's only hubby left standing strong. May he be strong forever!

My hands have been shivering since the high fever. Thus, I dropped an egg on the floor (CRACK & SPLAT!), poured sugar all over the counter while cooking, forgotten whether I've added salt to the chicken, etc. It was a miracle that I did not burn the kitchen down. I seem to have memory problems these few days.

But I did manage to cook some scrambled eggs, stir-fried broccoli with carrots with sliced garlic (garlic is supposed to help chase away demon virus!) (I'll hang lots of garlic in the house tonight!), salt chicken and ABC chicken soup.

Lunch was good. Though we couldn't eat much.

I felt good!

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And then a small little thought whispered a voice, 'Uh-oh! Never jinx oneself'. 

'BAH!' I replied, 'I don't believe in such rubbish'.

Demon virus started cackling from the bowels of Hades of Influenza B AGAIN!

De-ja vu! 

Within 5 minutes, demon virus twitched its talon which sent me into the usual never-ending-coughing-spasm. But demon virus took it to a new level. It made me threw up my beautiful lunch! Every single bit of it. Until all I could do was retch out air and nothing else.

I just can't win, can't I?

And then the washing of the throne and the showering and the collapsing in bed exhausted and YET, the talon would not leave me alone.

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I am counting down till Friday as it would be the day my parents can come back. I banned my parents from coming home. 3 doctors told me the same thing, keep them away! They'll suffer worse then us. The elderly can develope complications. And mum is diabetic. Friday, how I love thee. Please come quickly.

I am also very glad to have a neighbour who has been cooking whenever she can for the guys. Buying food that we need. Calling and messaging us to fight on, to keep on going. She has been such a great help. No words can describe my gratefulness in her helping us. And thank you all who wrote to me telling us to fight on. 

This battle has been tough because I caught BOTH bacteria and viral infections. To top it off, the period decided to come at such wonderful timing. 

I just can't win, can't I?

Fighting A Losing Battle

It looks like I am fighting a losing battle. I'm in very bad shape today. Today has been a horible day. The flu is beastly. The fever won't give up. The cough is unrelenting. And I started wheezing. Which means my lungs have constricted. Each breath is becoming very tiring. I've depleted all my strength to fight. I can't go on anymore. It looks like I will have to get myself admitted in the hospital.

I am on the verge of giving up. This is just too great a battle for me.

Nightmare on Influenza B Street - The Viral Fever From Hell!

This unwelcome visitor does not waste time in pouncing on its host. It comes with the speed of the Ferrari which leaves you blindsided. And before you know it, the virus will have you knocked down with its overbearing presence in no time.

You will NEVER be able to sleep! It will make sure that you are aware of its presence at ALL times!

Every joint and body parts will ache to the point that if anyone 'touches' you with a finger, bloody murder will be the only thing on your mind.

Anxiety and panic attacks will strike for no apparent reason.You'd think that the 'ping' sound that pinged during the middle of the night is from a group of guerrilla soldiers waiting to ambush your house.

OR

The bed is all out to kill you.

Every step your feet steps on the floor = stepping on durians.

The only purpose of the cough is to expel your lungs out of your body.

The fever has a temperament of a woman with menopause. It will swing to extremes like the pendulum at any time of the day and when it is quiet, you'd think that the battle is finally over.

That is where you are wrong.

It will come back and scream at you like a bitch with its scorching temperature and will be all out to fry your brains; sunny side up.

Your good friend for the next one week or so will be the throne. You'll expel 'stuff' from both ends.

You'll be so dehydrated that the Sahara dessert will pale in comparison. You'll be dripping a drop or tiny drops of pee.

OR

You'll be peeing boiling lava out.

The taste of water = water from the sewer.

Your nose is all out to suffocate you.

Your body will think that the Gangam dance is not hip enough. It thinks that the shivering dance is the coolest thing on earth.

Your body will adorn itself with a self-produced tattoo - the viral rash.

Nausea and vomiting will be your new best friends.

You new BFF is EXHAUSTION.

Your throat's only purpose is to cause you great pain. VERY great pain.

You will not need blusher. AT ALL. In fact you can be called Miss or Mr Red.

You'll adopt a new name; Little Miss or Mr Sensitive. Every single sound will be amplified 100x. The toilet bowl flush will resemble the Niagara Falls. The neighbour's kids' laughter will sound like the cackling of witches. The stirring of the spoon in the mug will sound like the contractor's polishing tiles with his grinding machine. The neighbour's cuckoo clock will be so damn bloody irritating that you will feel like blowing it to bits with a shotgun.

You will be able to do spells. It is called The Dizzy Spells.

Your stomach will behave in only one manner. Revolts at the sight of any food.

My ways in overcoming this nightmare:

1. Showering

Easier said than done. Even the water spray from the shower hurts!!!!!! Even warm water is so freaking COLD! Cold is an understatement. But this will help lower your body temperature. The doctors recommend it. By showering, you'll show the fever who the BOSS is. If it comes back to scream at you like a bitch with its scorching temperature, you shut it up with tons of water.

2. Move

Moving a little bit at a time helps. Slowly shuffling to the toilet, to the dining table, back to the bed. Of course this feels like scaling Mount Everest at the moment. But moving helps. A bit of blood circulation will help the body to recover faster.

3. Hydrate Yourself

Drink lots of fluid. And I don't mean alcohol. Lots of barley and water. Some doctors recommend 100Plus. Though water tastes like sewer, you have no choice. For Joel, he drank ORS. Lots of it.

4. Eat

Even a small bite will do. Easier said than done. But seriously, if you don't eat, you can't fight. That is what I have been doing. It's not much, 2 tablespoons of rice, a ladle of soup. A bit of crackers. Better than nothing.

5. Wash Up!

After every puke or episodes of diarrhea, WASH the throne and surrounding area/bathroom. And then bathe. This will prevent the virus from spreading to the other occupants of the house.

6. Air-Circulation

Open ALL windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate in the house. And also switch on every single purifier/ioniser you have in the house!

7. REST!

8. And if you can, get Tamiflu.

I went through worse than my son, because being a person with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis, I'm not sure whether Tamiflu would heal or kill me. But Joel recovered at a faster pace than me. I'm still having fever and it's the fourth day!

So, what good comes out of this? You'll lose tons of weight.

The downside?

Immunity for 2 or 3 months! After going through hell, you would think 1 year or lifelong immunity would be good!

People with impaired immune system or diabetics must avoid us at all cost! It can lead to complications should they get infected. Yes, even the elderly.

Ah yes, before I forget, the virus will leave you with a forget-me-not present, before it really goes away. It will attack your muscles. Especially the calf muscles and leave you with a walking impairment for a few days. Joel was unable to stand when he woke up this morning. His calves couldn't support his weight. He has been shuffling like the zombies in the 'Walking Dead' and 'Plants vs Zombies'. His father carries him up and down the stairs or supports him when he walks. I on the other hand have been walking like an old woman with severe osteoarthritis. I'm bent over. My whole body feels as though I have been in mortal combat and kick boxing classes. My shoulders and knees are stiff. I can't bend my knees and I can't lift my arms.

Truly a nightmare.

Oh, yes, did I tell you that it could lead to meningitis and pneumonia for kids and for the adults, encephalitis and pneumonia?

Freddy Krueger is not so bad, eh?

Super-Duper Germs!

I started to have fever late last night. Sleep was terrible. My whole body was aching. My joints were aching. I felt as though I had been run over by two buses.

By this morning, I was burning at 100F. And then it became 101F. And then it became 102F. And then it became 102.9F. Hubby took EL and rushed home and took me to the ER.

The doctor ordered a nose swab for me since Joel is Influenza B positive and also some blood tests. Results showed that my platelet count to be very low. So are my white blood cells. And I have a bacterial infection. But the swab came back negative for Influenza A and B.

Doctor suggested dengue could be the cause since my platelet count is low. But then again, viral fever can be a factor in lowering the platelets too.

I have to return on Saturday morning to do a dengue test and also the platelet count again as it will be the third day since the fever attack.

We had to bring Joel to the ER last night as he was wheezing and his body broke out in rash. We were worried that it could be dengue as he and I were bitten at the beach in PD. His tests were negative! Yay! His platelets are good!

The doctor prescribed Zithromax antibiotic for the bacterial infection and at this point of time, the fever has dropped. As I am typing this, the fever has broken. What a relief....

Your prayers for us are much appreciated.

Thank you!

Influenza B Positive

Joel has been tested positive for Influenza B positive and is currently under house-quarantine. He has been given the Tamiflu to fight this.

He is currently in very bad shape. Even with ibuprofen his fever will not go down. He has not eaten anything. And he is throwing up.

He had to have 2 suppositories inserted into the bum today.

Do keep us in prayers as I too have developed a raw throat and excessive sneezing and extreme fatigue.

Chinese Green Mung Bean Soup

The Chinese believe that everybody's body is a combination of the 'yin' (cold) and the 'yang' (hot). The Chinese have a habit of drinking a bowl of cold sweet mung bean soup everyday. It is a 'cold' (yin energy) dessert which can cool down your system during the hot weather.

Beans are naturally rich in protein, fiber, good carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, these tiny green beans, when made into soup or congee is able to expel toxins from our body! As the mung beans are the 'yin' (cold), they help greatly in dispelling internal heat, promote urination and relieve hot weather ailments and rashes!

I am a 'yang' person. I get heaty very easily. Just 2 minutes under the scorching sun, and I will feel as though I am a dragon, breathing fire out from my mouth. I will get ulcers. And I will feel as though a great, big ball of fire is inside me, burning me from inside out. Even my eyeballs feel as though they are on fire!

Before the anaphylaxis attack, I could eat all sorts of food. Ginger included. A dish cooked with ginger would induce a sore throat the very night!

Thus, I would go for all sorts of 'cooling' food to cool my body down.

This is one of the dishes that helps me 'cool down'.

_________________________________________

Ingredients:

1. 250gm of dried mung beans
2. 1 cup of sago
3. Approximately 6 litres of water
4. 1 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar

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1. Soak the mung beans in hot boiling water for about 1/2 hour. Alternately, you could soak it overnight in the fridge.

2. Rinse the mung beans.

3. Pour the 6 litres of water into a large pot. You could use a pressure cooker, or slow cooker. I used my multi-purpose electronic rice pot which has the soup function.

4. Add the mung beans and sago into the pot.

5. Boil on high heat for 1/2 hour and medium low for the next 1/2 hour.

6. Stir it and add the soft brown sugar.

7. You can continue to boil it until the beans have softened and broken up.

8. You can either serve it hot or allow it to cool to room temperature. You can even chill it in the fridge and have a cold dessert!

Bon appétit!

Note: Many people add screwpine leaf or pandan leaf to this dessert. They tie the leaves into a bundle and throw it in and boil it together with the dessert. This plant is known as the 'vanilla of the east'. It will give this dessert a very aromatic smell. That being said, I do not know whether it has salicylates or not. Be careful if you wish to experiment with it.

You're A Housewife???

click on link.

Enjoy!!!!

A Brief Respite! (Part 2)

I woke up to such amazing skies on Saturday morning at 7.30am! Felt grateful and peaceful as I saw the rising of the sun.

By 8.30am, it was a furnace!

So calm and peaceful! And then I had the thought of 'If a tsunami would come at this time, we would be doomed!' A definite of too many Hollywood movies!

A peahen!

On the way to another smaller beach, we passed a small bird/pet park which the hotel had made within its grounds.

I thought of Peter when I saw this cute little rabbit! Isn't it cute Miss MCS? Hehe...

Shadier and much cooler!

Very busy with his sandcastle making! Because of sandflies, I applied tons of repellent for the both of us and covered him with his PJs. The hotel placed signs telling us to be aware of sandflies and to apply repellent.

4 little castles. I am so happy that he had such a great time! 

We went back to our room before it was 10am. The heat was getting to me. As usual, we stayed in during the afternoon. The heat was terrible. It was 35C! But Saturday being the last day, we had to venture out at 4.30pm to catch some mini crabs during the low tide. And venture out did we.

What the hell was I thinking? It was a FURNACE! As hot as hell!

We braved the heat for THESE???!! The little young man was ecstatic! 

The video above shows hundreds (if not thousands) of the baby crabs walking on the beach. One would think that it was the sea water trickling back in. It wasn't. It was the crabs. A whole lot of them!!

A Brief Respite! (Part 1)

Hubby had a 2-day company retreat on Friday and Saturday. And it was held at a hotel which has water chalets.

Joel had suggested that we follow hubby for a short holiday. You see, he LOVES beaches. I wasn't really thrilled of the idea. I was exhausted and going anywhere would need extensive preparation. We said no to Joel.

But then I started thinking. Why not? Joel is a kid who needs to go to places to have experiences in life. And he is such an outdoor person.

Thus I decided that we would go. And we kept the change of mind from Joel until Friday morning. Boy, was he THRILLED!

I baked and cooked my food from Tuesday to Thursday. Even though it was only two days, I would need main meals and snacks! And the place had no kitchen. I had to get creative with my food!

The first day's meal was kept in 3 Thermos jars. I made chicken + potato stew, stir-fried cabbage with garlic, fried egg and rice. The second day's food was my own home-made instant noodles which I had froze in the freezer on Thursday. I packed the two frozen packets of noodles with ice-packs in a styrofoam box. And I brought my trusty old rice pot and used the steam function to reheat the noodles. I baked potatoes and boiled some hard boiled eggs to be eaten as snacks. I also made some rice crackers. I baked a butter cake but I had forgotten to bring it along! But food was more than enough because I did not have much appetite.

The one good thing that the trip did for me was that I was able to sleep in the afternoons! I'm always on the road during afternoons. I never get a chance to nap even though I am exhausted. But I managed to nap for about 3 hours during the 2 days! And that really refreshed, rejuvenated and recharged me.

The beach is about 109km from our home. The journey took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

And I am extremely glad that we went.

For it was a brief respite indeed!

BLISS!

2 beds and a day-bed.

The tub.

The 'outdoor' shower.

The 'open-roof' which is next to the shower area.

You can look down at the sea while you are showering.

Low tide on the 1st day! Perfect for crab hunting.

Awesome cloud!

The high tide was returning!

The water chalets!

A dead crab.

Beautiful skies!

4 Years

A very big congratulations to myself for having lived to tell the tale of living with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis.

In a blink of an eye, 4 years have passed.

In a blink of an eye, I have travelled through the driest deserts of life, climbed enormous mountains, swam across the continents of the world of faith, bungee jumped off cliffs of obstacles (in order to get a better view of life!) and battled in never-ending battles of life. 

In short, in a blink of an eye I have arrived at a destination called exhaustion. I have never been more exhausted in my body, soul and spirit than today. 

How I long for times where I could just jump into a car without planning and just drive wherever the road leads me to without worrying of the consequences. 

How I long to be able to travel to places afar without worrying about food and the smells that permeate my airspace.

How I long to break out of this cocoon that I am in that keeps me safe from all the perils of life.

How I long to be free.

Free from all the bonds of Idiopathic Anaphylaxis. 

Free from all the bonds that synthetic chemicals and salicylates have bound me with.

I have many times longed to just go to sleep and never wake up. Because even in my sleep, I struggle. I am unable to attain the deep rest that my body and mind craves for so much. Nightmares constantly haunt me.

Damn this pre-menopause that decided to strike so early with all its damnable symptoms!

Damn this insomnia!

Damn this migraine!

Damn you, Idiopathic Anaphylaxis and Salicylate/Chemical Sensitivity!

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They scream,

They taunt,

Haughtiness brim,

'Oh thou look so gaunt.'

They snicker,

They giggle,

They never seem to end the bicker,

'Thy brain is such a muddle.'

When will it ever end?

Will I ever attain the Beckham Bend?

Or will it be forever a dead end;

Even though I press in again and again and again?

I gaze into the starry night,

And cast my burden onto the great, big paper moon,

I prayed with all my might,

That the great, big explosion might be soon.

The sea was severely choppy,

The wind was more than howling,

Even the fishes agree,

That it is useless to be bawling.

So I guess I'll do the boogie,

And say goodbye to Broody,

Reward myself with a cookie,

Bid hello to Life is Wacky!

Oatmeal for Breakfast!

Ingredients:

1. 8 tablespoons of regular, organic oatmeal
2. 1 1 /2 cups of boiling water
3. 3 teaspoons of brown sugar

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1. Pour 1 1/2 cups of boiling water into a bowl.

2. Then pour 8 tablespoons of oatmeal and continue to boil the mixture over high heat. (You can either use the stove or microwave). Stir continuously.

3. Boil for another 4 minutes or until the oats have fully softened.

4. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.

5. Allow to cool before consuming.

Bon appétit!

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

My mom attended a gathering yesterday with her friends. I made a chocolate cake for them. Below is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups of milk
2. 100gm of butter
3. 1/4 cup of sunflower oil
4. 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
5. 1 cup of self-raising flour
6. 1 egg (beaten) - room temperature
7. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 100gm of brown sugar

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1. Heat milk, butter, oil and cocoa powder until the butter melts.

2. Set aside to cool.

3. In another bowl, add flour, baking soda, sugar and beaten egg to the cooled wet ingredients.

4. Preheat oven at 170C.

5. Beat/whisk until all ingredients are mixed well.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Remove from oven promptly once cake is done. Allow to cool.

8. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

Bon appétit!

Fair & Lovely, White & Pure (Part 3)

Back in ancient times, Cleopatra did not have hydroquinone as her skin lightening remedy. According to history, she bathed in milk and honey and was beautiful beyond words. And she was not laced with chemicals.

Many times we spent exorbitant amounts of money in order to look beautiful. And many times, the ingredients that can be used to beautify ourselves are actually in our PANTRY! And they are safe, cheap and convenient. (The skin whitening that I'm writing about is the face and neck. I think that it is a waste of time to 'whiten' your intimate parts!)

1. MILK

Milk is a popular skin lightening ingredient. It contains high levels of lactic acid. Lactic acid is capable of lightening and can brighten up the tone skin complexion because it reduces melanin. That being said, skin lightening is a process which takes time. So if you decide that you want to be as fair as Nicole Kidman by tomorrow morning, you will be sorely disappointed.

Skin lightening can be achieved in a minimum of 3 weeks. And that is entirely up to how consistent you are in applying your home-made remedy.

2. LEMON

The alpha-hydroxy acids in lemon juice is capable of lightening and brightening up the skin. Lemon juice also has mild exfoliative effects. Fresh lemon juice is capable of peeling the skin's top layer off and remove/lighten an age spot!

Lemons also contain antioxidants in the form of herperidin, coumarin and erioticin. It is also antibacterial and has antiviral properties. Lemons also naturally contain alpha-hydroxy acid substances. Many commercial skin care products use synthetic made alpha-cydroxy acids.

3. PAPAYA

Papayas contain papain, which is a natural enzyme that promotes skin renewal and cell turnover. It helps in exfoliating the skin to reveal newer cells. It also has restorative properties that help soften the skin.

4. POTATO

Potatoes contain bleaching agents!

5. ALMOND

Almonds too contain whitening properties. Almond oil can remove superficial blemishes. It also can do away with the wrinkles.

6. WATER

Drinking adequate amounts of water everyday contributes to healthy and glowing skin. Who needs that 100 dollar bleach when you have healthy, natural ingredients?

NOTE: Do experiment with care as your skin might be sensitive and might break out in an allergic reaction. 

Fair & Lovely, White & Pure (Part 2)

As I wrote in the previous post, skin whitening seems to be the latest trend. People in general have come to a point of equating fairness with beauty. If you're not fair enough, you're not pretty enough or attractive enough. It is sad that people have to expose their bodies through 'chemical processes' in order to 'look/feel' beautiful.

But this so called 'beautification process' comes at a steep price. The ingredients that are used in these whitening products contain chemicals which cause harm to our bodies. 

1. Hydroquinone

Hydroquinone has been clinically tested to be a potentially dangerous ingredient. In experiments on mice, hydroquinone caused cancer in them.

Creams which contain hydroquinone are capable of burning through layers of the skin; thus leaving behind scarring. And it is a known fact that hydroquinone is a skin irritant!

This ingredient has been banned in many countries, which include Japan, England and France. 

2. Mercury

Mercury is another ingredient used in whitening products. Small amounts of this chemical can cause damage to one's nervous system and cause kidney problems. Pregnant women who use skin lightening creams during their pregnancy can pass the mercury to their unborn child!

Mercury can also cause the treated area of the skin to become thick and discoloured. This definitely beats the purpose of using the whitening products!

*Note: Mercury is sometimes listed under other names: calomel, mercuric, mercurous or mercurio.

3. Steroids

Topical use of steroids on the skin can cause thinning of the skin, acne and poor wound healing. 

Fair & Lovely, White & Pure (Part1)

I was enjoying my nightly affair with the idiot box when suddenly, I was beyond dumbfounded when this came upon the screen.

'I care to look my best!'

'But friction from tight clothes can darken my intimate area.'

'Now, I wash that problem away naturally with the new Lactacyd White Intimate.'

'Cares better than ever!'

'The first feminine wash with marine, plant and milk extracts to safely lighten in FOUR weeks!'

'My natural way to intimate fairness confidence. My best EVER!'

'Lactacyd, what's best for us!'

WHAT????!!!!!!!!!!

That certainly knocked me out of my stupor for sure.

So our vagina is too big, too hairy and now it's not 'white' enough?!

Seriously, who the hell cares what colour are our vaginas?! It could be green, purple, orange or blue for all humanity cares. Or how dark or light it looks. Unfortunately, the walking-dead-blood-sucking-vampires of the money-making-industry has decided to cast dubious thoughts about every single female's self-worth! If your vagina ain't white, then you ain't got anything. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU! You just HAVE to look whitewashed down there. 'Cos if you ain't white down there, when you walk into a restaurant filled with guys, no one, I mean, NOT ONE guy is gonna give you a second look.

WHY?

Because all men have super-sonic eyes (just like Superman) which can zoom into your intimate area and check out whether you're worth the chase.

They have this mantra in their head all the time:

'If you're white,
You're worth the fight!
But if you're less than white down there,
Sorry chick, but that's just a nightmare!'

So if you've been detected to have a perfectly-coloured-vagina, they'll howl like wolves and give you the chase of your life.

First it was the face whitening products. Then it progressed to the armpits. And now they have moved on to the intimate areas. And not forgetting the anal bleach too.

Don't believe me? Check out the following videos.

The person who did the ad below totally has no-brains. The wife in the ad should have just fed the husband-bum-worthless-moron to the dogs. Such a worthless bum who only wants his wife when her vagina is 'enlightened'!

I like the comment at the bottom of this video. The man feels sorry for women who have to do this because of their low-self esteem. So do I.

God help us all....

The 4-in-1 Dish

Ingredients:

1. 5 large eggs (beaten)
2. 1 large carrot (peeled and cut into thin strips)
3. 12 medium sized prawns (marinate in a pinch of sea-salt and soft brown sugar)
4. 100gm of minced chicken (marinate with sea-salt)
5. Sea-salt
6. Sunflower oil

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1. Heat a wok on high heat.

2. Drizzle some sunflower oil into the heated wok.

3. On medium heat, stir-fry the minced chicken and carrot strips until 90% cooked.

4. Pour the beaten eggs and add a pinch of sea-salt. Continue to stir-fry.

5. Add the prawns and fry until the prawns are cooked.

6. Scoop up onto serving bowl.

7. Serve warm with hot rice.

Bon appétit!

Wind & Cloud

I am one person who is so behind movies that it actually took me 15 years later to finally watch this show. It's a Hong Kong movie called 'Storm Riders'. 

This story is about two warriors named Wind and Cloud, played by Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok. When they were just children, they were abducted from their respective families who were murdered by the evil Lord Conqueror, head of the Conqueror Clan. He then raised them as his own children and taught them to be the best martial artists of their times.

Mud Buddha did not tell Lord Conqueror of the second portion of the prophecy when he prophesied that he must have two disciples named Wind and Cloud in order to rise to dominance. He told him to look for him 10 years later. 

10 years after the prophecy, Mud Buddha was nowhere to be found. Lord Conqueror searched him out and when he was told of the second portion of the prophecy, the evil lord was livid. He was bent on destroying Wind and Cloud. Mud Buddha said that Wind and Cloud would either join forces with the evil lord or together bring the end of Lord Conqueror once and for all. 

Certainly the power crazy, evil lord did not want to risk his position on being the conqueror. Thus, he devised a plan to kill them both. Of course, his plans failed. Which brings me to my point in writing this post. 

Cloud had a very unpredictable behaviour. He was moody, emotional, had trouble controlling his anger and temper, volatile and cold. Wind, on the other hand was the stable one. He was kind, gentle, emphatic to others and did not let his emotions dictate his decisions. He was the anchor to Cloud's rash behaviour. 

Towards the end of the show, they both tried to kill the evil lord individually. Of course they failed horrifically. But when they both combined their powers and strength together, they defeated the evil lord effortlessly. And their powers exceeded everyone's expectations. Even themselves. 

Aren't the calamities of life unpredictable like Cloud? Are they not volatile? But in order to be a warrior in Life, you need both Cloud AND Wind. The Wind in our life would stabilise us to handle the turbulent Cloud. The Wind in our Life would anchor the storms that Cloud would bring. 

Many times we curse our bad days or bad incidences that happen in our lives. But it is the bad incidences that make us strong. That make us rise up to be better than the average human being. That shape us. That mould us. We need Cloud to grow in life. And it is the Wind in our lives that helps us go through the Cloud. 

You need them both. You cannot have Life without going through the rough patches. You will not learn about Life if you do not go through hardship. And all hardships in Life will make you a stronger person IF you allow it to teach and strengthen you. Wind and Cloud are inseparable. They are the Yin and the Yang to our lives. Without Wind, you would not get Cloud. And without Cloud, Wind is useless. For with both Wind and Cloud, comes the Rain. 

"Thirty-nine years of my life had passed before I understood that clouds were not my enemy; that they were beautiful, and that I needed them. I suppose this, for me, marked the beginning of wisdom. Life is short.” 

― Iimani David

"There is bound to be turbulence in the clouds of confusion before one can view the friendly skies, and an illuminated landing strip.” 

― T.F. Hodge, From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with "The Divine Presence"