What to do when you are bored of Netflix

 Sooo... now that we are normalizing all these new norms in our lives, Covid19, working from home, wearing masks, etc... let's move on to what we can do at home... now... watching tele (short of watching the news, cuz that gets depressing at times), here are theGrouch's top 5 things to do at home!!

1. Netflix/Viki/Viu/whatever app/box/programmes

So yes, watching television is a fun thing... good to chill and vegetate in front of the gogglebox and just let your brain go to mush... I personally watch quite a bit. I have also since learnt, that when there is a lot of time being spent at home, it is way better to segment your time, so that you can better "savour" the various moments. So when we first started, I binge-watched several shows that I have been meaning to catch up on. 

And then... emptiness. 

My eyes were sore and gritty, from too much telly... and my heart was empty, cuz now that I have finished all the shows I wanted to watch, I was back to square one... Bored as hell. So now, even when I find a show that I want to watch, I do it for like 2-3 episodes... and then stop. I can always continue it tmr... so I dun have to keep thinking, I am bored as well and there's nothing to watch. So moderation and pace yourself. 

2. Gardening

So yes... the Singapore Govt has even given out some free seeds (yes yes, when you live in a City state such as ours, these are novelty items)... I gamely signed up, and receive two packets of seeds:

- Kang Kong (or water spinach) 

- Tomato (I am still not sure if it's the normal sized ones or baby tomatoes)

So yes, I tried to follow instructions and placed them in the egg holder, to germinate the seeds first. Failed. My excuse is, the dogs knocked them over as I had placed them on the ground. so the soil all spilled out... not sure where the seeds went, but pretty much nothing germinated... 

So 2nd try, I decided to just plant it into the ground, and I focused only on the Kang Kong, cuz according to my wise mommy, that is the easier vegetable to plant. And failed. I forgot to cover the ground, and one of the dogs went to dig the garden (cuz I think there was freshly dug soil and I dun know, maybe the scent of fresh soil makes him want to dig more). So that died. 

3rd try, I planted it and covered it somewhat. Success... some germinated, and I moved away the spikey cover that I had used to "protect" it from digging. Bad idea... dog(s?) ran over it.. two/three got uprooted. that was today. I just tried to stick it back in the soil... not sure if that works, but heck... I am starting to think I have no green fingers and I am jinxed. 

3. Play with the dogs & the rabbit

Yes, so the culprits (rabbit not featured) for killing all my attempts at growing kang kong... and also the loves of my life. 

I have renovated the rabbit's hutch, bough the dogs new bowls, switched up their diets, done whatever I can think of. But I have failed at teaching them new tricks, and getting the husky (name's Zeus) to stop peeing in the garden. That sneaky bastard. So the grass in the garden is totally ruined... ah well... he's already 1 years old... we will get that. We had the excuse that he was too young to hold his bladder... now, we will slowly get it into his doggy brain to wait for his walks before emptying his bladders and bowels... (if the grass in the garden is able to stay alive for that long.

And yes, the rabbit (Biscuit)... he has had a slight reduction in quality of life, but I would like to think that the mega hutch that I built for him, that he doesn't necessarily even leave voluntarily to roam the house, has made up for the fact that he is caged up when Zeus is around. My bad... when we got int Zeus, I didn't take into account his prey drive, which is really strong... and the poor rabbit was caught out a few times. But now we know... and biscuit still gets his turn to roam in the garden, but he no longer has the same amount of freedom. I am sorry Biscuit. 

4. Reading

I had thought that I had lost my interest in reading, given that work and other interests have overwhelmed me. However, when I calmed down enough to review and consider reading again, I realised, hey I still love my books and yes, she is one of my favourite authors. 

Just reading fiction is fun. I read both mandarin and english novels (more of the latter, just cuz I know better what to read, as opposed to mandarin, where there's limited resources and I don't even know where to start). 

And you know what's the funnest part? This book cover, is part of the Valdemar series, where she is like easily maybe 6-7 collections (generally 3 book series), and I had like maybd 4 collections? I used to borrow extensively from our libraries and possibly cost was a reason why I didn't "collect" them all. 

But as I was re-reading this series, I realised, hey, I am an adult who can now afford these books! And it gave me such a thrill when I ordered all the "missing books" that I have in my collection... and while I am still waiting for the books to be delivered, I am already on a high that my series will be complete, I get to them them all in chronological order and... I feel like, I have arrived in life. I can now afford to buy whatever books I want! Wahaha... cheap thrills in life, I know. 

5. Family Time

It was also during this huge slow down (worries about finances, work, business aside), that I realised, my parents have really grown old and it is important to spend more time with them. 

And as my parents are divorced, it means double the effort as we would need to spend time with dad, and then with mom. 

And so, we started twice a week Gin Rummy sessions with my dad, who's an absolute pro at this game. It's good to catch up over a game of cards and it also helps add purpose to gatherings, as we are not really the "sit around the fire and talk" type of family. Heck, we don't even watch tele together. We all have our own TVs/Mobile Phones... haha (anti social family), and since I still stay with my mom, the effort to have dinner with her at home and to go out once a week for a nice meal with her. 

So.... work aside, these are the top five things that keeps the Grouch busy! That and catch up with friends, depending on the social distancing measures in place. I still feel greatly confined, but again, I am glad that we are increasingly normalising some aspects of life... and hey, limited numbers or not, just being able to go out is a huge improvement. 

And you know what's missing in my top five list? Exercise. Don't even get me started on how guilty I am feeling when I see all these folks who managed to drop weight by exercisign at home and eating healthy... I wish I was one of them, but I am not. HAHAHA... ah well, maybe one day... 

Someone once told me...

 Someone once told me...

if you want to have a point of view and you are not prepared to face feedback or arguements on it, write a blog post. And while what I am writing is more of a diary entry (sort of...) that possible wouldn't bring forth arguments or contrary points of views, it is a rather self-reflective piece that I wouldn't mind feedback on, but perhaps, not in the context of a FB/Ig/whatever social media would possible give... 

So this morning, I woke up to news on facebook that a certain ex-colleague of mine (shall call him A) has passed away. And I feel depressed... 

To provide context... I started my own business about 5 years ago. So that means, I left my last place of employment about 5+ years... working in a rather big organisation, A was a colleague that I had engaged with perhaps less than 10 times, chatted with perhaps 5. But he was one of the nicer sales manager around and sincere (very lacking nowadays)... I had hoped that he would get promoted as he was not of those who gave no care to service and the people around him in the pursuit of meeting sales targets. 

Press forward 5 years... I first learnt that A was not good perhaps a few months back, before this whole Covid19 saga. An ex colleague mentioend that he has fallen ill, but he is fighting it, and this was like a hush hush news, as A didn't want to spread the news. And I didn't think so much about it, other than, yes, it is very stressful to work in a big organisation and in a sales role... and I justified to myself (not that I was in sales) that this is one of the reasons why I left. And then I promptly forgot about it... 

Just last week, another ex-colleague, let's call him L, texted me in the morning to say, he is no longer keeping his sickness under wraps and his family has opened up to visitors. L was asked whether he would visit but he had declined as they were not that close. Now, when I heard of it, I too declined, as really, I am not even very sure if A even remembered who I was. 

On that very day, I went to visit my mom in the hospital (nothing serious, just check ups due to a health scare) and when I was leaving the hospital, I saw a huge crowd of people on the ground level, registering and queueing up to visit. And they were my ex-colleagues. I spotted a few I knew, walked over and learned that they were visiting A. They asked if I was, and I said no... but I have heard of the situation, yadda yadda... and then after talking to them abit, I felt awkward to be hanging around and commiserating about a colleague that I was not even particularly close to, and I left. 

And I felt bad. 

I felt bad not because I didn't visit, logic says to me to allow other closer colleagues and friends that time with A, and he would appreciate that too, instead of a distant ex-colleague that he barely remembers, whose sole purpose would be to make myself feel good for I managed to say my goodbyes. I felt bad for A, I felt bad for his family who would have to lose him, I felt bad for colleagues and friends who have to deal with the loss of a buddy... 

And today, after knowing that he has passed on... I wonder what is to become of his family.. I hope he left them financially comfortable... I hope this young daughters are able to grow up well in the absence of a father, I hope his wife is able to get over this and grow stronger for herself and for her family. 

On the selfish side, I then wonder once again, what would I do if I found out I only had months to live? I left my job to start my own company when I last asked myself this question. Then I asked myself, as I increasingly grapple with issues that comes with running your own company, revenue, profits, manpower issues... whether, this was what I wanted. 

And if this is what I wanted, how then can I be at peace with myself. So that I know, if I had a few months left to live, I am doing what I want to do, I am happy, I am at peace... 

I once told my family and some friends, don't feel sad for me if I were to meet with an accident and died, for I am happy and I am doing what I want to do... just make sure to take care of my parents and dogs... for I have no other worries in life. 

I have decided, this equilibrium, needs to be re-calibrated from time to time. And perhaps, now is the right time to do so... 

Caring for a dog in Singapore

A thought went through my head and I was thinking, when I was feeling really lost about dogs, I was trying to google for help. It was kind of tough to find advice on good dog care in Singapore and so perhaps what I can do is to share my two-cents worth, others can comment and add on, and so, we can then all learn more...

So background:
I have two shelties, one from a responsible breeder, and another is from a petstore (long story, don't ask)... and given that they are both only 6 months apart, it's worth noting the different types of problems or conditions that will arise, given their different background.

The tri-coloured one (black, brown and white) is called Simba (the lion king) while the sable (brown and white) is called Xena (the warrior princess). So one male and one female. As of today's post date, Simba is 1.5 years old while Xena is 2 years old.

So weather...
Singapore being hot and humid, the dog's coat and skin condition is always the first to suffer. So lesson One... feed right and the dog will be healthier... there is no need for constant supplements and doing of this and that... (just like humans, eat right and a lot of things will fall into place)

BARF diet.
I have had quite a few dogs in my life and one of the greatest regret is that I did not realise how good this was (or back in those days, it was unheard of in SG)... but now that I have.. it has made so much of a difference.

Case Study 1: Simba
Simba has always had a good luxurious coat. So no issues at all and he moved from a cooked diet (which I later learnt was not as nutritious, as there are many other vitamins and minerals) for the first 6-8 months of his life to a BARF diet.

Case Study 2: Xena
Xena was pretty okay as a pup but up to about her 5th/6th month, started shedding like crazy, to the point where she looked like a rat. A trip to the vet showed that she could be allergic to something in the food. But as with all commercial dry feed (there is really no telling what could be the cause). We placed her on a croc meat (yes, you can get it from Giant and only Giant, none of the other supermarkets carried it, at least not to my knowledge) and sweet potato. As she was a puppy, we were still very reluctant to have her take the medication. so it was just for the first two days, then we stopped the medication. And the food change worked like a charm.

So back to BARF...
We then started this whole cooking for the dogs journey until Xena was almost a year old. Now what happened was a trip to the vet then revealed that while cooking food is all well and good, these is always the possibility that we are not able to balance their meals well (as there is a lot missing from the cooked food we gave, even if we add in veg and stuff). Fair enough statement as dogs when they hunt in the wild, have access to a lot more variety in their diet...

So after much consideration - we started on the BARF diet, and we haven't looked back since.  For the record, we purchase Big Dog Barf. There are many other brands of course, but this seems to work, so we are sticking to it for now. The two dogs are super healthy... don't stink, near to no skin problems (ocassional heat spots, but even that is reducing), teeth can be improved.. but other than that, they are really problem free!

One comment I have had is that the dogs no longer have the "doggie" smell. So there is a bit, as they walk twice a day, but it's definitely not the strong scent that I have come to identify with dogs. So keep them healthy and the smell drops!

Now, I have had like three other dogs before these two, and the smell was a constant, coupled with skin conditions... and for the first time ever, I have two very healthy dogs who are not constantly grappling with bad stomachs and bad skin. I can't say it is 100% attributed to the diet, but I would say, given that we haven't changed that many other environmental conditions, I would say, the fact that they are so healthy and happy (and that makes me happy too) is largely attributed to the change in diet.

Don't do it cuz I said it's good, try it cuz your dog deserves a trial to improve their quality of life.

Anyhow... so what we do is to walk them twice a day and add just a bit of distance, e.g. 20-30 mins minimal, longer if schedule allows, really helps in the paw biting and gnawing... they really do that cuz they are bored, which then leads to skin conditions, which then leads to them biting and gnawing at their paws even more. Couple that with longer jaunts every weekend every two weeks, like visit to dog parks, beach, or just super long walks... really helps them not to be bored and pick up bad habits due to boredom.

No magic rule for walking, just probably that in Singapore avoid walks after 10am (too hot) and and evening walks can start around 6pm when sun is setting. I tend to do midnight walks due to my schedule, but with the help of family members, etc... the midnight walk most times are their 3rd walk...

And...that's all for now... :D 

Dinner Conversations: Yuan Tengfei 袁腾飞

And so... another dinner conversation, another topic. And somehow, due to the location of a monitor on the dining table (I can only assume it doubles up as a work table during non-meal times)... we started talking about movies, etc. and my buddy shows me this particular guy's videos on movies and his take - Yuan Teng Fei. He is what you get when you mix a history teacher with great story telling skills.

And it was just so cool! This is a guy, who takes a movie, typically a historical one (yes, he really was a history teacher before) and he starts analysing the movie. Comparing it to what actually happened historically, events and persons. He even goes into details on the costume and props, what is valid and what is not.

I mean, how many times have you watched movie / tv drama, historical one, and there is some vague thought at the back of your head about... hmm... I wonder if this really happened historically or they are just taking artistic license... or ... last time they wear clothes like this? For real? Or... this era got metal already? or this era got this kind of gun meh? So advanced ah?...

This guy.. answers ALL these questions. So for example the snippet that I watched was on Last Samurai. And we all know how Hollywood has absolutely no idea about what happened in Japan or China right? Script writer in Hollywood does not a good historian make.

So.. right from the start, he starts to relate about the movie, the context, the setting, then he moves on to talk about what's right, what's not, what stands out. He also makes relation to what was happening in other parts of the world, which affected whatever it was (plot, props, costumes, speech, etc) that is happening in movie.

So... I am going to have to find more time to watch more but for now, I think this is sheer awesomeness. I mean, if you watch this, you can start understanding history and it just makes for such a fun learning journey. Isn't this better than just nodding off in class, wondering what is so great about history and why we have to actually take it as a subject?

And in case you are wondering, the link is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/tengfeiofficial

Now, there are alot of political undertones in his story telling, and also, he goes hardcore historian in some videos (not all are based on the "movie approach" and he also goes on tours where he talks about the history of the place, oh how I wish I can go with him on a trip like this...

Go watch it! If you have the time. This guy is sheer awesomeness... if he was better looking, I would be in love (Yes, I know, I am shallow! hahahahaha)

Game Review: Pokémon GO

Game: Pokemon Go
Started Playing: August 2016
Current Level: 21

Synopsis:
Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Pikachu, and many other Pokémon have been discovered on planet Earth! 
Now’s your chance to discover and capture the Pokémon all around you—so get your shoes on, step outside, and explore the world. You’ll join one of three teams and battle for the prestige and ownership of Gyms with your Pokémon at your side.

Review: 
Haha... I had wondered if it was even necessary to put up a review on the game, cuz seriously, there are so many people playing this in Singapore, that it would seem like a redundant move on my end. 

But ah well, my work is done (for now) and it's still raining... and I don't need to be amy appointment till 7.. so... here we go!

It is a super smart game. Whoever thought of merging the idea of reality with these little pocket monsters really ought to win a Noble prize. Cuz seriously, considering that there are so many games out there, that you can think out of the box and come up with a game like this, that is pure genius. I firmly believe that this is just the first step. Moving forward, a lot of other game companies will be coming up with other games.. hopefully that are even more fun!

Anyhow, on to the game: 

The good: It is really an awesome tool for socalising. I am even considering becoming a matchmaker, pulling together different groups of friends to go hunting for pokemons. Haha... but alas, I have more female than male friends, so the gender mix of my social network doesn't seem to allow for me to be cupid!

Haha.. still it is really fun and it's good for me to go around catching pokemons while I am watiing for someone or just bored somewhere. The idea of walking to hatch eggs is also awesome, god knows the number of singaporeans who have bought fitbits, only to NOT WALK (yes, we need data to back up a fact that we already know, which is that we are a super sedentary bunch who don't walk, anything more than 5 minutes to a bus/mrt is a long walk)... where fitbit failed in the encouragement portion, pokemon go has succeeded. I have never seen such a record number of Singaporeans who are out walking!!

I for one, have always walked my dog hahaha (excuses I know), but now he/they (depends on whether Xena is bunking over), gets.. TWO walks a day. Actually, no, I am trying to toilet train them, but the pokemon gives me something else to play with while walking them. Haha. So they get two walks, and they have learned to sit on command, cuz I have to catch pokemons and their tugging at the leash keeps causing me to miss (and waste pokeballs).

Discussion topics which are fun, are about how to calculate CP, IV, and use of the different things. e.g. how to fully utlise your lucky egg? Ensure that you have at least 60-65 pokemons to evolve, it takes about 30 seconds each pokemon, then each evolution will give you 500 XP. So when you activate your lucky egg (which lasts 30 minutes) you will double your XP. So that gives you 1000XP. If you just keep evolving your pokemons, that would give you 60,000 XP. Errr.. my calculations are not the most trustwothy... but really... that would be best use of your Lucky Egg. 

So stuff like that makes lunch fun (and we start plotting different location for lunch), where the nesting grounds are supposed to be. 

The Not So Good: Well, there isn't many. If anything, it is the fact that there don't allow the use of IV calculators, so that you know which of your pokemons have higher potential, so you dump those that are not strong, and build on the strong ones, so you can go to the gyms and "hoot the shit" out of the others.

So for people like me, who can't calulate, it's very tiring le. Then I have to keep going online to check which are the powerful pokemons, and which of their attacks is better.. so many things... to the point where I hit Paralysis of Analysis. Analyse until I can't decide which of my pokemons to dump. But I need to dump, else I can't catch more. HAHAHAHA... 

So I am still upset that they are banning IV calculators that sync up with the app (yah, I get that the servers are struggling with all these 3rd party apps that are pulling/pushing data)... cuz that means I have to make decisions. And I have to think. And when I game, I don't want to think so much! Hahaha... so there... 

In Summary, still an awesome game. Definitely great as a time waster (although I shouldn't waste so much of my time!) ... go download it and play. Can't go wrong. At most you will get bored and delete it. But still, you can entertain kids to at least go walk around, instead of just huddling over their phones in a fixed location. :) 

Performance Review: 林志炫 ONEtake Concert 2016 World Tour

Date: 26 August 2016
Time: 8:30 pm
Location: Suntec Expo Hall Level 6
Kaki: 5 others
Rating: 3.5 stars
Language: Chinese

Sypnosis: 
Known as the King of divine voices, his voice is known around the world that is touched by heaven... Veteran taiwanese singer Terry Lin will enchant us with his lovely singing in August 26, 2016 in Singapore! 

Terry Lin will feature his One take world tour concert in Singapore - will orchestrate a premiere group of top musicians, concert master producers, sound and lighting engineers to showcase an extraordinary musical feast to all! 

From his hit song "单身情歌", "离人", "输了你赢了世界又如何", "浮誇" to "煙花易冷", you will definitely be blown away by these popular and classic chinese songs. These songs will bring you to the top of the world! 

Crafted with passion and with his amazing voice, Terry Lin One take world tour will certainly bring fans an unforgettable and heart-warming night!

Review: 
Woo hoo.. it has been a long time since I have been to a performance (that and it's been a long time since I blogged...) The agreement I have with myself is, what's past is past. Let's blog moving forward!!

Anyhow, Terry Lin, the guy who is the teacher and mentor on many a singing competition, really popular nowadays, and a man who has been famous since his days with  優客李林 （Ukelele).  Well, since I am a sucker for sentimental chinese songs, of course I jumped at the chance to go for the concert. 

The 3.5 star rating was based on this. 

Terry's voice is very good and his vocal range is really amazine. His ability as a performer, is.. moderate. Well, I had already managed  my own expectations prior to the concert. The serious type, I wasn't really expecting him to do a song and dance, and frankly, if he had done that, I would have thought it really weird. 

Well, the 1.5 points that he lost was really due to the fact that while he had his rehearsed jokes and one or two witty moments, he was more focused on the delivery of the song in a pitch perfect tone and I think he has this flaw that many really talented people have... which is 自我陶醉... they sort of get so immersed within their own song and the enjoyment of it, that the audience is sort of left out. Of course, the bulk of it, he manages to draw you in on the song as well, but there were some hits and misses.

He also took on a rather experimental approach towards the choice of songs and delivery, so there were some that came out well, and some, not as well. 

The Good: His performance on Jay Chou's 烟花易冷 was so awesome, I felt that he did a better job than Jay Chou in bringing out the emotions of the song. Of course, if I'm not wrong, he had already performed this on some singing competition, so well and good. :) It was a definite plus and I am still irritated that I didn't record it down in some video form or something, so that I can listen to it again. Yes, it was that good. I also wish for his sake that he would be able to lay his hands on more of such songs, if he releases a new album, where he goes 古风... His hit songs are all really awesome as well - 离人。输了妳赢了世界又如何， etc

The Not So Good: I think he likes Jazz. I like Jazz too. But his jazzy songs were more of a miss. Maybe it is because he is not too strong a performer, so the feel of the beat and the jazz and the blues of the jazz just didn't come through. It was pretty painful watching, as something just felt off about the performance on these areas. He had mentioend 

He also had a performance to show off his voice, something like the diva song from 5th Element, but without the funky bits.... imagine that from a guy! Of course, truly impressive. but as there were no lyrics, and his was not like some italian opera or what not, it was just vocals... so... I started to get a little bored and tuned out again... 


So in summary, it was really great listening to such a gifted singer, but of course, if we are talking about entertainment value, he would lose out to other performers. One phrase that my friend made, which would quite aptly sum up the concert, "actually, his concert is abit like listening to the radio right?" his voice is good (although the concert venue is not that great in terms of acoustics) to the point where he is not the sort that needs any sort of technical assistance to make his voice sound better (or to adjust pitch), but yet, there wasn't any difference as his is not the sort where the presence and "live" nature of a concert value adds to his performance. 

Still, if what you wanted was to just relax, listen to a really good singer (not performance), close your eyes and just listen to the music, can consider. If you are looking for an entertaining fun night, he may not be your guy. :) 

My 10-day Vippasanna Meditation "Retreat" at Dhamma Vikāsa, Lyu-Guei (六龜), Kaohsiung (高雄), Taiwan

And so, a couple of weeks ago, I concluded my 5th 10-day Vippasanna retreat, or in mandarin, it is referred to as 内观, roughly translated to - looking within. Maybe in another entry, I can talk about what goes on during the ten days, the schedule, so that for those who have never been, you would know what to expect.

So, intead of talking about the benefits of meditation, which I shall leave for another day, it's too long a dialogue and frankly, as it really differs from person to person, it's a topic that will really take another entry (or more!) and that would just be a quick dip in the vast ocean that it is, this shall be a Vipassanna Centre Show and Tell session!

So, the aim that I have set for mself is to at least try and attempt a 10-day course every one/two years. And thus far... the centres I have been to:

1. St John's Island, Singapore
2. Dhamma Pokhara Vipassana Meditation Centre, Nepal
3. Dhamma Malaya Vipassana Meditation Centre, Kuantan, Malaysia
4. Dhamma Sīmanta, Lamphun, Chiang Mai, Thailand
5. Dhamma Malaya Vipassana Meditation Centre, Kuantan, Malaysia (as a Server)
6. Dhamma Vikāsa, Lyu-Guei (六龜),  Kaohsiung (高雄), Taiwan

Instead, this shall be an entry to share about the facilities for Lyu-Guei, my most recent meditation. :) So for those who have never been there, what you see and know, then you can pack better and know what to expect.

While the centre is still a work in progress, it is located amongst mountains and when it is completed, I would imagine the place would be a lot bigger, with more routes for slow walks between meditation sessions. 

This a view of the rooms. It's two to a room, and old students (aka, students who have completed a ten-day course once) tend to be given priority to have a room to themselves (if there are enough space), while new students if there aren't enough rooms, would have to share two to a room. 

There are pebbled pathways so the sound of gravel crunching amidst the silence is a giveaway, especially if you are out gallivanting (when you should be meditating hahaha). 

As with most of the centres, the room is a simple affair, typically consisting of a shelf, windows, and a bed frame. In this case, as you can see in the photo below, one bed frame is higher, and the other lower. You can't quite see the instructions, but if you are asked to share, the old student is asked to take the lower bed. I can't quite remember why, but it has to do with doing with as minimal fuss and comfort, so that you can fully focus on meditation instead of creature comforts. 

Since I had the room to myself, I slept on the higher bunk HAHAHAH... Anyhow, compared to other centres, the biggest difference for the room would be that their mattresses, instead of the typical ones you can buy from the market (in Asia at least), you can see that it is a folded and standing up, is their mattress is sort of like a combination of bamboo on one side and mattress on the other. Now I wasn't quite sure which side I was supposed to sleep on, but as I went during Summer (so hot!!), I slept on the bamboo side, in the vain hope that it would be cooler. I never did flip it around to sleep on the other side so I can't comment whether that line of thinking actually worked. But I assume it did. 

It also came with one small pillow, a duvet and a thick blanket (which I assume would come in handy during autumn/winter). In this case, a packet of tissue, a torchlight (which wasn't working hahah) and hangers with clips, as well as slippers (from previous meditators I am sure, but it was all still in pretty good shape, not the gross leftover type.)

So bedsheets, pillow cases (and a small towel to put inside the pillow, again, I assume it's to catch any random liquid like SALIVA! wahahaha... if you drool when sleeping), small towel and a blanket casing are provided separately. You can get it when you first report on Day 0. 

Next up, and something I am sure females are perennially interested in... the toilet! Basic and clean (well, I cleaned it up real well before I left!), the flush works decently well, and yes ladies, there is hot water! Woo hoo!! but frankly, since it was summer, I showered with cold water... ermmm.. at a ridiculous rate of about 4 times a day. I was meeelllltttiiinnng. I know, really bad for the skin, but I really couldn't take it.

The facilities here also includes, garbage bags, toilet and tissues are provided (awesome!!) and also, laundry detergent powder and a simple cake of soap. I have really sensitive skin, so I had my own laundry liquid and toiletries. But for those who travel light, it's provided for. I am sure they can throw in a shampoo if you didn't bring that along as well. Bathroom slippers are thrown in, and two rags, which you can use for cleaning of the room or bathroom.

Moving on to meal times... which is the most look foward to moment (especially since you only get two meals a day hahahha). The instructions for Lyu-Guei were to bring along your own meal cutlery. Now, I brought along a mug, a pair chopsticks, chinese soup spoon and a bowl. Insufficient, I had to borrow more cutleries from the Course Manager.

So really bring these along.
1. Pair of chopsticks and soup spoon (or fork and spoon if you prefer that)
2. Plate (enough to put rice and 2-3 other food options) - abit like those when you buy economical rice.
3. Bowl, for soup. They always have soup. :)
4. If you really want to add this in, it would be to bring along another small plate for the fruit. But you can just squeeze that in on the side (or just hold it if it's an apple or banana) of the main plate. So it's not a deal breaker.
5. Mug - for coffee/tea. They don't have much in the form of coffee.. just instant granules, and no creamer. Somehow, I survived... bad coffee is still better than no coffee. They don't have red tea, but they did have pu-er (chinese tea). so ... tea drinkers...

And finally, they have another separate building where you can do laundry, powder and laundry boards. (Well, I don't know how to use those, so I just washed my clothes in my toilet and that was it)
Within the same area, there are also 6-7 hair dryers, so for those who have long hair, it beats lugging along your own hair dryer or air drying it, which takes a long time!

Finally, they have this very very cool machine, which was the first time I had ever seen anything like it, called a dehydrator. At least that's what is says on the machine. Now, I can't seem to find a photo (darn I should have taken a pic!) but it looks like a very small and slim washing machine, but all it does is, you put your wet clothes in and instead of having wring them dry, which really takes a lot of energy, it will will then spin dry your washed clothes for you. Voila! Just like that... it's a maching that only has the spin dry function! It was awesome as I had injured my right wrist just before meditation and I was really considering just drip drying my clothes as my wrist wasn't really up to wringing dry the clothes. Washing them was stressful enough on the wrist.

So hahaha.. for now, that's what I think is useful for sharing... I will add more if I think of anymore! :) Or leave me a comment (or just ask me la, if you know me) if you have more questions! :) I would be glad to answer them. 

Game Review: Twenty

Game: Twenty
Started Playing: July 2016
Current Level: TWENTY x 15

Synopsis:
Twenty is a colorful arcade/puzzle game that starts at 5, looks easy until 10, gets fiendish at 15 and challenges you to get to 20. Anyone can learn it, but you'll have to concentrate to make it all the way.

Review: 
Wahaha! for those who follow this blog, you must have been expecting me to write a game of Pokemon Go! right? And so... I have been addicted to this game, titled Twenty...WAHAHA... yes, it's another game...  (but yes, I am also playing pokemon Go).

So anyhow, this is a weirdly addictive game, where the aim is the match tiles of the same number, so e.g. if you match 4 & 4, the tile then becomes a 5. You then look for another 5, merge the two tiles, then it becomes 6. So this goes on till you have 19 and 19, which you merge to reach the end goal of 20.

As soon as you get to tiles where you hit 15, it gets a little more complicated in that tiles can now start being linked together. So you have to move them in the block. You can see the little black bar betwen the tiles in the photos, that's the link.

Then the next challenge is to see how many 20s you can get. It is the simplest, most brainless (and yet, not as brainless as you think) game that one can play. And yet, here I am.. playing it day in and out, whenever I have some free moments on my hand. My top score is 15!! any challengers? HAHAHA...

And the one up it has over candy crush.. there are no lives. yes!!! You can just keep playing, and if you die (as in the tiles have stacked up to the point where it reaches the top, sort of like tetris), you just start again. There are no hidden terms or conditions that requires you to fork out cash or irritate your friends.

Anyhow, after some fair amount of time spent on this, I have devised this strategy! Wahaha.. for once, I have a strategy... so this is what I do...

As you can see from this image above, tips are as follows: 

1. I have got three key columns. So what I do is to constantly stack and merge tiles based on these three columns. I have to say, I started with two columns, one on the extreme right and left, but that turned out a little far, and it just takes a bit more time to move the tile from right to left, so having the interim centre column works for me. 

2. Unless it is to free up tiles that are like totally linked together (and it requires a lot of manouvering so as to even reach and free up the tiles), always move a tile only to merge it with another tile. Don't make pointless moves as that wastes precious time and your tiles are just going to stack up more. 

3. And depending on which side you prefer, have the bigger numbers (e.g. 15 and above) stacked on the left or right side of the column. Then it's much easier to move things around to get your twenty when you are very close to it. 

4. Oh, and also, always break up the links first chance you get, or it will get into one big convulated link, where you move them as one big block! that makes it very difficult to free anything up. Which pretty much means you are reaching the end of the game. Haha..

5. And last but not least... it sounds a bit of a cheater bug, but sometimes, if you really need to blink, or just to rest your hands, cuz all that small movement can still result in a build up of lactic acid and also tears (haha, cuz if you are like me, you may tend to forget to blink frqeuently enough)... then hit the Pause button. As you can see... you are still able to see your tiles. Take some time to at least plot out the next 3-5 moves, so that when hit that continue play button, you know what to do to immediately continue the game and you don't lose the  momentum. Of course, this also works if you are stuck. You can use this time to strategise a little to see how you can move what and where. 

So there... waiting for challengers!!!