How Mobile Phones Can Cause Instant Death

Richard Pow, 26, from UK, was seen using the mobile phone a split-second before the horrific fall to his death, from 5 storeys down. His wife is pregnant with his child.

The government has rightly banned everyone from using the mobile phone when driving because it is highly dangerous. It just takes a split of a second to be distracted, lose your concentration and cause death, either to yourself or to others.

However there are still many people who use mobile phones while walking along the streets, crossing roads or pushing thier babies along. They are equally putting themselves or others to danger. Is the government going to do anything about that?

I once saw a man with 3 mobile phones in his hand! And he was so busy juggling around with his mobile phones when 2 of them started ringing. Until today I still wonder how he is able to manage 3 mobile phones at one time & why he needs to use 3 mobile phones.

What about those who use mobile phones to send text messages? I think that is worse. They don’t really look around when they are texting. I wonder if anyone has banged into a lamp post or someone while texting on the mobile phone.

Do share your views about using mobile phones in the comments box below.

Thought of the day……

“When life’s problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate.”

Ann Landers

How To Increase Your Energy Level Naturally?

A very common complaint these days is, ‘I’m so tired’. Even little children are complaining they are tired. What is the reason behind it. Is it because of stress, overworked or overeating, or under exercise and undernourished?

Is there a way to increase the energy level naturally? I came across this video on Natural Remedies For Energy which I find interesting and good.

These are the recap of the video. I have been applying all the 9 points stated below though with some slight differences to suit my lifestyle and personality,

Natural Remedies For Energy

1. Cut out caffeine
   Caffeine is a stimulant. It stimulates you and makes you feel high. but it doesn’t give you a lasting effect. It can give you insomnia or heart palpitation. To help myself, I only drink it on very rare occasions, sometimes once a week. Drinking a good Chinese tea is a better alternative. The taste is very refreshing.
2. Drink more water
   Drinking pure, clean water is very important for proper body functions. We need about 8 glasses of water. A Chinese Dr told me that it is easy if you drink half a glass every half an hour or a glass every hour. Another Dr told me to drink 4 glasses before noon and 4 glasses after noon. That’s very good suggestions and really helped me.
3. Eat high energy food
   Fruits and vegetables require very little energy to digest them so you will be left with more energy for other activities. Freshly-made juices is the best. Heavy food that’s more difficult to digest like meat and dairy products will drain you of energy. That’s why you feel tired and drained after a heavy meal.
4. Watch how you eat
   It is important when to eat and how to eat. I start off my morning with a glass of plain water. A short time later will be my freshly-made carrot-apple juice and then fruits for mid morning. Usually I will have a slice of bread too. Keep lunch and dinner light. Eat something light in between meals. Do not go more than 3 hrs without food.
5. Take a multivitamin
   Depending on individual, you may need it if you are not taking proper food and not living a healthy lifestyle. It’s best to check it out with your doctor first.
6. Try a supplement
   B6, B12 and COQ-10 do help your body to metabolize food to release energy. They are good supplements for your body.
7. Engage in alternate nostril breathing
   Be active. Exercise is important, whether slow or fast type of exercise. Choose one that suits you. I go for a lot of badminton because it’s fun, challenging, indoor, team game and fast-moving. Badminton is not hindered by weather condition so it’s a very good form of sport for exercise. Sometimes I go to the gym to do some workout for my muscles too and a good steam bath. Tai Chi is a very good form of exercise too like yoga.
8. A good rest
   A good rest or sleep replenishes your body with energy. Recognize the warning sign. If you feel tired, take a short nap. Sleep earlier at night helps.
9. Apply Acupressure
   Acupressure or a good massage all work well to boost your energy levels because they help to release energy blockages. A very good reflexology session is also very beneficial.

Always give yourself some time to see improvement. Natural ways take time. Some people will see immediate improvement while others may take days or weeks. But as long as you keep to a healthy diet and lifestyle, you are surely going to see an increase in your energy level. It does take a lot of intentional planning and discipline to start. It will become easy when it becomes part of your life. The greatest motivation is when you feel alive, vibrant, energetic and excited about life once again like a little child.

Do you feel tired and exhausted each day? What do you do to keep your energy level up. Do share and comment here below. I would love to hear more from you.

To know more about making your own juice, you can read more about it at:

Carrot-apple juice - what a wonderful drink!
Simple cure through the power of carrot-apple juice
6 great health benefits of carrot-apple juice
The best juicer for health

Thought of the day……

“Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.”

Confucius

Michael Jackson - A Great Man But A Sad Story

Michael Jackson - a life that carries a great story and yet carries a heart-breaking story. Thoughts about him were deinitely on my mind since his sudden death which sent shock waves throughout the entire world. Everyone is asking, ‘Why? Why? Why?’  Tributes poured in and tears poured out.

The most heart-breaking about Michael Jackson was when his beautiful 11 year-old daughter, Paris Michael Katherine said at the funeral yesterday, ‘Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I just wanted to say I love him so much.’ Tears just rolled down her face. As I watched her said those few words, my heart just broke for her and tears rolled down my face too. I still get choked each time I think of her and her 2 brothers.

Michael Jackson has brought a new dimension to music. I love his voice and his songs. He has phenomenal stage-presence. He is undeniably a great singer and a performer. He has left behind a great legacy that goes down in history. Like the multitudes, I am very touched by his love for kids though he may be a little crazy in his ways. He was a man of awesome musical talents.

But very sadly, Michael Jackson didn’t live long enough to see his children grow up or to see more of his musical achievements. Like many famous artiste, his life was consumed by destructive drug dependency. Like many, he lived in a world of his own. Like many, he couldn’t accept his physical looks and went under the knife many times to change his looks. Like many, he loved his children dearly but did not take care of his own health to live a long life for them. Like many, his actions caused him his prematured death. It is all so tragic. Such a beautiful and wonderful life destroyed! The world carries the pain and continues to mourn but his children carry the most intense pain and grieve the most at the loss of the greatest person in their life - their most beloved DADDY.

Is there anything that we as an indivisual, as parents, as communities and nations learn from this great and yet heart-breaking story? Do share your thoughts and comments in the comment box below. You can subsribe for free to my RSS (orange button on top right) or by email if you like this article so that you don’t miss out on future articles.

Thought for the day……

‘In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.’

Bill Cosby

Garden Flowers and Flower Cross-stitch

Flowers, flowers, beautiful flowers everywhere! It’s summer time in the Northern Hemisphere. Everything seems to become more alive. Not only does the longer daylight make people happier but also all the bright colours around from flowers. To me, the best is to be able to run in and out in cotton T-shirts without having to pull layers and layers over myself because of the cold. This is like the hot Malaysian weather!

Well, when I go to my garden everyday, my eyes always get drawn to the beautiful bush of bright, yellow coloured flowers. They look especially bright and beautiful under the hot sun and just brighten up my whole garden.

Bright, yellow Senecio flowers

I didn’t know the name so I asked a very nice friend of mine yesterday when she came to my place. She immediately said she’ll find out for me when she gets home and she did. What a really nice friend! She possesses all the characteristics of good friends in my post yesterday. I’m always very thankful for her friendship.

The name of the flowers is Senecio. This is a mid-summer yellow flowering shrub with soft grey foliage. It grows without complaint, and seems to recover from the hardest pruning sessions (inflicted whenever the gardener remembers).

This flower reminds me of a piece of cross-stitch which I made purely out of inspiration from a colleague. She was always there to show me her beautiful cross-stitch pieces and tirelessly encouraging me. With all her support and help, I chose the beautiful Senecio flowers.

Beautiful Senecio flower cross-stitch

This is the beautiful flower-cross-stitch that I made framed in gold frame. I am so proud to have accomplished that. The only problem is that I did not realize that the white portion will turn yellowish after many years. So, my next job is to restore it by cross-stitching the back-ground with white threads.

Isn’t it amazing how much we can accomplish when we have good friends who believe in us, support us, encourage us, help us and cheer us on? I am very thankful to have many good friends who actually inspire me to be a better friend.

Is there any particular flowers in your garden that attract you? Have you tried any cross-stitch? Have you been inspired by friends to do something? Do share and comment here below.

Thought of the day……

‘If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.’

Henry David Thoreau

Eating Boiled Dumplings In A Chinese Shop

I have been sharing about making Chinese Dumplings in recent posts, just how simple and easy it is to make it yourself. Last weekend my husband and I thought we will go out and try some from Chinese shop. We had to wait a while for the dumplings to be cooked. The Chinese shop was small like a little cafe. We ordered one plate of dumplings and a can of Coke.

The cook preparing our dumplings

We had to wait quite a while for the dumplings to be cooked. Finally it came - piping hot. A small dish of hot chili oil was served free on request, much to Steven’s delight. There were 2 small bottles of sauce on the table - balsamic vinegar and soya sauce. The dumplings go very well with the balsamic vinegar. I learned that from my Chinese friends.

Dumplings with chili oil and balsamic vinegar.

The dumpling skin was very good but the filling was a little too salty for me. When we finished, Steven just signalled to the cook. He gave her £10. But she came back with £8! You don’t need to be a Maths teacher to know something is wrong. A plate of dumplings and a coke for £2? We signalled to the cook again and told her she gave the wrong change. She apologized and thanked us profusely, took back the change and returned us £5.30. I think that’s cheap for a fairly big plate of dumplings and a coke.

Have you eaten boiled dumplings from Chinese shop? How’s the price? What about the taste? Do share your experience and comments below. If you like to make Chinese dumplings, you can go to my previous posts. You save a lot of money making them yourself. Yesterday evening I must have made at least 40 dumplings for 4 persons - in seaweed soup. Of course everyone loves me for that! Remember, ‘The way to your family’s heart is through the stomach‘!

Thought of the day…..

‘If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.’

Mark Twain

Related Articles

Simple, Easy Chinese Dumplings To Make At Home (Part 1)
Simple, Easy Chinese Dumplings To Make at Home (Part 2)
Simple, Easy Chinese Dumplings To Make At Home (Part 3)

7 Ways To Live A Balanced, Meaningful Life

How to live a balanced, meaningful life? Ever wonder why some people’s lives are very exciting and fun while others are not. Ever sit back and evaluate your life to check the areas that you had done well and the areas that you can improve? To help myself there are several things that I do to make my life balanced, exciting and meaningful. Life is not all doom and gloom. It depends very much on us. Plan it well and you will enjoy each day of your life.

I plan my life and invest into it for excitement, relaxation, fulfillment and meaning. My goal is to live contented, healthy and happy. Here I have:

7 ways to live a balanced, meaningful life

1. Health

   The most important area of my life is undeniably health. You are never going to enjoy life if you have poor health. Sickness has no respect of person. If you abuse your body, it’s just a matter of time before sicknesses and diseases catch up with you. I take great care of my body through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Live nutrients like freshly made juices and raw salad are power packed with nutrients that your body needs. I keep myself active and play a lot of badminton, at least 3 times a week, and some gym workouts for exercise. Practicing and training hard for a badminton competition next year keeps me very excited, focused and disciplined to exercise.

2. Knowledge

   It is highly important to keep learning. If you stop learning you stop growing. Lack of knowledge is powerful enough to destroy, whether it is marriage, parenting, your career, your business, your health, friendship and so forth. Read widely and in depth. I love to read. There are always books or articles in my bag or car wherever I go. I read while waiting for my appointments, read while waiting to pick up my children, read while waiting for food to get cooked, read when relaxing in the garden, read while having a cup of tea at McDonald and many other places. Some places are more condusive to reading books while some places are more condusive to reading short articles. You will be amazed at how much you read in a week, a month or a year. Besides reading, I listen to a lot of good messages from my iPod - messages that motivate, inspire and so on. Ipod is great. You can listen to it even while shopping. Knowledge is treasure to your life. We need to be knowledgeable. I share a lot of what I read and listen to my children to entertain them and teach them the many important things about life.

3. Friends

   Friends are like desserts to your life. They sweeten up your life when the going gets tough. You need to take time to build up friendship. You need to know what type of friends you want in your life. Do your friends support you, cheer you on, encourage you and be real to you? Or do your friends disappear when you go through problems, make use of you or betray you? I am always thankful to have lots of friends. I have many awesome friends who are always there for me to cheer me on, to celebrate my life and to bring comfort when I plough through tough times. Such friends are more than diamonds in my life. But I have experienced difficult friends. What did I do with such type of friends? I forgive them and move on. To keep friendship fresh, I love to invite friends over for coffee time or for a simple meal or I’ll bake some of my favourite food to give to friends if they are staying nearby.

4. Laughter

   Laughter is the best medicine. Never go through a day without laughter. Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t take things too seriously too. I always have things to cheer myself up. Sometimes I laugh at my own silliness. I read jokes, watch comedy shows, joke with friends, tease my family and laugh and even have some funny pictures to laugh. A 6 year old boy yesterday really made me laughed. He told of a boy named John who has no hair because he went through an electric wire fence, then he met a tiger and was so frightened his hair all fell off! He told it sounding so serious that every one laughed so much. We wonder whether John’s hair fell off because of the electric wire fence or from sheer fright of the tiger……haha. Children just have a way to warm my heart.

5. Relaxation

   Take time to relax. I love to relax with the music on. It sort of tickles and eases my mind. When I am at home, I just enjoy listening to my daughter’s piano pieces on the grand piano. It’s so soothing and relaxing. It is often during those times that I get a lot of crazy ideas which really excites me. I also play guitar and sing, not good enough to join ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ but lovely enough to entertain myself and relax. Music is very powerful and therapeutic. When your mind is relaxed, it is capable of churning out many new, fresh ideas. A relaxed mind is a productive mind.

6. Inspiration

   Inspiration generates desires and confidence to achieve. It generates creative thoughts. I get a lot of inspiration from real life incidences, from things, people and animals. If you want to be a champion, read up and get inspired by people who have gone through the journey to become a champion. I read a lot of cooking books and watch a lot of cooking shows to get inspiration to cook like a professional chef which later helped me to run a successful food shop. I drew a lot of inspiration from some of my greatest school teachers. That helped me to become a successful Maths teacher, helping many pupils to love and gained fast improvement in Maths and later pioneered a successful Maths Tution Centre. I also gained tremendous inspiration from children’s shows on TV which gave me a lot of great ideas to organise and run 3 successful children’s camps. All these achievements further inspire me to embark on bigger and greater things. Inspiration builds upon inspiration.

7. Creativity

   I believe that everyone is creative. The more you do something the more creative you become. If you have never tried out something new, you will never know how creative you are. Many of the workers who worked alongside me to run the chilldren’s camps were shocked to realise how creative they were. Many of them came out with extraordinary ideas, worked hard on it and achieve what would have just been their wildest dreams. When I burned my brain thinking hard how to make puppets, my first puppet came out to be utterly ugly. But from there, my creativity continued to flow and I improved on each puppet that I made, ending up with about 20 puppets, much to my amazement & utter delight.

The above 7 areas are what I engage regularly to build my life into one that is fun and productive even in the most busy and challenging of days. It gives my brain little room to get into the negative mode, more of a fighting mode when the going gets tough. Read Who is Mary Moh to know more about me.

What do you build into your life to make it meaningful and fulfilling? If you don’t have, you can start doing something. Things will only get better if you keep learning. It may not be easy at the start, but stay focused. Choose to enjoy it and keep smiling at whatever little progress you make until it becomes part of your life.

Do share and comment. If you like this article, you can subscribe to my RSS (orange button on top right) or through email for free so that you don’t miss out on any future articles.

Thought of the day……

‘People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it. ‘

Brian Tracy

Characteristics of Good Friends

What are the characteristics of good friends? We all know that ‘no man is an island’. Simply put, you cannot isolate yourself and avoid others. We all need friends. We all want good friends. But how do we tell? How can we learn to become good friends?

One of the cartoon shows that I loved to watch with my children when they were young was ‘BAMBI‘. I still like to watch it. It’s such a nice, touching movie. There are a lot of things you can learn about friendship in ‘Bambi’.

Watch this short video clip first.

The video clip shows the:

Characteristics Of Good Friends:

1. They surround you and support you when you are confused.
2. They show you the way when you don’t know where to turn
3. They encourage and cheer you on to achieve your dream.
4. They are patient with you and will always be there to help you.
5. They accept your flaws and mistakes and correct you in love.
6. They laugh with you and celebrate your achievement.

Are there any other characteristics of good friends that you can see from Bambi?  Are there any characteristics that we ourselves can improve on to become good friends to others? Do share your thoughts in comments below.

Thought of the day……

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.

George Washington

Related Article

5 Easy, Simple Ways To Keep Friendship Fresh

Dumpling Seaweed Soup - Simple, Easy, Light Meal

Dumpling Seaweed Soup - a very simple, easy and light meal - good even for those on weight loss programme. This is what we eat for lunch sometimes. This is what you will need.

Recipe (for 3 persons)

24 pieces dumpling pastry (wonton pastry)
dumpling filling
3 T Wakame Seaweed
1 piece of chicken stock
fried shallots and oil for topping

There are 3 of us eating so I made 8 pieces each.

Add the seaweed to half a pot of boiling water. The dried seaweed will expand fully in less than a minute. The Wakame seaweed is very dried and comes from Japan. You can get it from Oriental shop. It costs about £1.50. The look is very deceiving because on touching water, it can expand a lot. Seaweed is a very healthy food, very high in trace minerals which is reputedly very good for thyroid functions. It is widely eaten in Asian countries especially Korea and Japan.

Wakame Seaweed

Wakame Seaweed Soup

While putting the seaweed soup to low boil, you can start making the dumplings. It is very easy as shown in the picture. Wet 2 sides and fold the opposite sides together to look like a triangle. When all is done, add the chicken stock into the soup, break it up to dissolve fast and increase the fire. Then add in all the dumplings. Cover and let it cook till done. Dish it up into bowls. Add the fried shallot oil and also the fried shallots. That’s it - a very easy, simple, light and fast meal.

Put some filling on dumpling pastry

Dumplings ready to be cooked

Cooking the dumplings in the seaweed soup

Dumplings in Seaweed Soup - Just delicious!

Thought of the day……

“Don’t limit investing to the financial world. Invest something of yourself, and you will be richly rewarded.”

Charles Schwab