tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81199184727126773562024-03-19T20:02:13.781+08:00A New Chapterhfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-74697424631318091552008-08-18T13:09:00.017+08:002008-08-19T00:10:58.729+08:00Beijing 2008 Olympics - Badminton Singles Final<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9_NeKvyGSnyw8ziWxlfnPXHEBOykZfujzwwM0xjpgIZfXG0CIO81O-0obMPce_Y5ngyJfDG_iRLKT3RTm3v7P_VSkSAOB-vE73TQu7-3T2CpXGffRtFDL6jV8rlS2_-R_iu795SqMg/s1600-h/Lin+Dan+Beijing+2008+Olympics+Badminton+Singles+Gold+medallist.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9_NeKvyGSnyw8ziWxlfnPXHEBOykZfujzwwM0xjpgIZfXG0CIO81O-0obMPce_Y5ngyJfDG_iRLKT3RTm3v7P_VSkSAOB-vE73TQu7-3T2CpXGffRtFDL6jV8rlS2_-R_iu795SqMg/s320/Lin+Dan+Beijing+2008+Olympics+Badminton+Singles+Gold+medallist.jpg" alt="Lin Dan Beijing 2008 Olympics Badminton Singles champion" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235730467625994114" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately my prediction didn't materialized as noted in my last post. There wasn't any fairytale ending for Malaysia. Instead China's Lin Dan won the gold medal in straight sets.<br /><br />Watching at how the dragon slayed Lee Chong Wei at yesterday's badminton singles final, it goes to show that the Malaysian has yet to reach the mastery skills of Lin Dan. Just look at his attacks right from the start that saw Chong Wei sprawling all over the court. And his swift movements around the court was a sight to behold and reminded me of his predecessor Yang Yang, China's champion of the 1980's.<br /><br />True that Lin Dan lost to Lee Chong Wei early this year at the Thomas Cup team event. But this time around Chong Wei seemed to be awed by the event and was was too tensed judging from his facial expression compared to the cool and confident poise of Lin Dan.<br /><br />Lin Dan totally controlled the whole 39 minutes of the game, attacking relentlessly from all over the court, even in defense! And Chong Wei had no effective reply. This was evident by the frequent half-court return made by Chong Wei whenever he returned a smash by Lin Dan who swiftly moved in and killed the bird, time and time again throughout the game. Moreover Chong Wei was making all the errors, frequently hitting the shuttle wide, while Lin Dan made fewer. That was also a contributing factor in the former defeat.<br /><br />Nevertheless, the consoling point was that at least Malaysia got a silver in the badminton men's singles - a first in the olympic games. Maybe the expectations were too high and gotten onto him. Nonetheless due credit must be given be given to Chong Wei for his gallant performance in this games. Perhaps the next time around he could avenge this defeat.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-54093883220178213872008-08-17T11:52:00.037+08:002008-08-19T00:13:38.826+08:00Lee Chong Wei's Badminton Singles Final in Beijing Olympics 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH5_xQ0GnXUJNn90K71gqKYZYZTP3nK1j2aoNOiQQxbRS1trkiYy1KMKKl_fE7nYyb3vKnnNv06aSUa_tdDDUKh9Ye5DVJxn3ClwGDyrcRf0PCMUJKoiIJpjO0DOxRpcE_nEFGAQ0SA/s1600-h/lee+chong+wei+2006MacauOpen0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH5_xQ0GnXUJNn90K71gqKYZYZTP3nK1j2aoNOiQQxbRS1trkiYy1KMKKl_fE7nYyb3vKnnNv06aSUa_tdDDUKh9Ye5DVJxn3ClwGDyrcRf0PCMUJKoiIJpjO0DOxRpcE_nEFGAQ0SA/s320/lee+chong+wei+2006MacauOpen0001.jpg" alt="Lee Chong Wei" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235358551020340642" border="0" /></a><br />Today could be a historical day for Malaysian sports. At stake is whether Malaysia could get her first-ever gold medal in an Olympics. The nation's previous best record was achieved through badminton - a silver in the men's double and a bronze in the men's singles way back at the Atlanta Games in 1996. Yes this is the sport that Malaysia could reasonably ever dream of getting a medal in the Olympics since its inclusion in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.<br /><br />Watching Lee Chong Wei's win over Lee Hyun-il of Korea gave me at least a glimmer of hope that he could rise to the occasion, when it matters most, to grab that elusive gold for Malaysia.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr40ls_J1Kpj7hRDFmqV2dRIS0DfUBdH4c5uwzWZbYzlrcRUUlxYirFcCEo5nF-Gjoj3O3KiKRuqP-5uuWBY6rsBPV1pb_CwGr32FQEkys0vtXKa52ty7g9MAa9AB_U0d6w6XmqFRuEg/s1600-h/Lee+Chjong+Wei+mtfh32514olyrss26i18801600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr40ls_J1Kpj7hRDFmqV2dRIS0DfUBdH4c5uwzWZbYzlrcRUUlxYirFcCEo5nF-Gjoj3O3KiKRuqP-5uuWBY6rsBPV1pb_CwGr32FQEkys0vtXKa52ty7g9MAa9AB_U0d6w6XmqFRuEg/s320/Lee+Chjong+Wei+mtfh32514olyrss26i18801600.jpg" alt="Lee Chong Wei" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235359485029211618" border="0" /></a> The whole nation would be watching him this evening waiting for that historical moment to unfold, hopefully. If that happened it would hand Malaysia its best ever present for the country's forthcoming National Day (<span style="font-style: italic;">Merdeka </span>Day) on this August 31st.<br /><br />Lee Chong Wei's opponent in the men's single final is Lin Dan, the No.1 single player both in China and the world. To play against him in his home ground would no easy task as the whole stadium and the nation's 1.3 billion would be rooting for him. Forget about ranking and past records (Lee Chong Wei is currently ranked No.2 in the world) the player who is in top form, both mentally and physically, will win.<br /><br />Whatever the result maybe Lee Chong Wei had already done Malaysia proud by becoming the first-ever Malaysian to reach an Olympics final when he beats Lee Hyun-il in the semi-final on Friday. Mind you the Korean is no easy meat, with nerves of steel and gritty performance that made him prevailed against Bao Chun Lai of China in the earlier quarter finals. I sincerely wish he could win this match of his life . It meant so much for him (he will be rewarded RM1.0 million! Wow!) and the nation. Malaysia <span style="font-style: italic;">Boleh</span>! (Malaysia Can!). Here's what I predict....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ome_8zQ4nX4cGpm6YZlSXNpvAqu34TCGGOfAKMMZZfQ4CYSkbgUOvfc0-MJI4B0dWrU6OfiH_vve9oFIVQ69XypP1PU2-4_vx48ADDVMrUIvG0sG3GzPVdF1ePf5FphFzVj8gt1ddA/s1600-h/chongwei.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ome_8zQ4nX4cGpm6YZlSXNpvAqu34TCGGOfAKMMZZfQ4CYSkbgUOvfc0-MJI4B0dWrU6OfiH_vve9oFIVQ69XypP1PU2-4_vx48ADDVMrUIvG0sG3GzPVdF1ePf5FphFzVj8gt1ddA/s320/chongwei.jpg" alt="Lee Chong Wei after defeating Lin Dan" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235359821402543810" border="0" /></a>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-13791022265038282362008-06-07T23:27:00.009+08:002008-06-08T00:21:59.509+08:00How I manage my credit card debtsOne, two, three….Hey! I am talking about my plastics – credit cards that is! Three! These days it’s so easy to get one. You see initially I just own a Visa but one day while shopping at our local hypermart I got another two, one more Visa and a Mastercard just basing on my creditability of owning the first one!<br /><br />But bad news I got myself stuck with debts as I could only manage pay each month the minimum amount of the total debts incurred. Then it occurred to me that if I don’t manage my spending I would be heading for financial disaster.<br /><br />Here’s what I did to extricate from my financial woes:<br /><br />1. Avoid all consumer debt and didn't borrow to spend.<br />2. Pay only with cash. When I pay with credit card, I paid off the total balance each month.<br /><br />But now I have turned the table on credit cards and use them carefully as a powerful wealth tool. You too may enjoy these benefits:<br /><br />1. A two-months interest free loan – how? When you buy in a month you will only be billed at that month end, but you got another month to pay off!<br />2. Use <a href="http://www.applyfast.com/0-APR-Balance-Transfer.php" target="new">0% APR Balance transfer Card</a> – if for some reasons you are stuck with a high interest card you could transfer the interest bearing balance to one with 0%.<br />3. Bonus points – you earn points for every purchase and could redeem for free products and services.<br />4. A monthly statement that tracks all your expenses.<br /><br />To get maximum effect I pay the full balance outstanding every month to rein my debts. Try it. It works!hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-86470707446120784322008-04-06T10:59:00.007+08:002008-04-08T21:11:20.818+08:00Tibet - Myth and RealityThere are so many reports on the conflict that is going on now in Tibet, both offline and online. So what are the issues that are contributing to this confrontation between the Chinese and Tibetan. There a whole loads of stuff out there on the net and for casual understanding here is an article by Foster Stockwell that dwells on the myth and reality:<br /><br />Western concepts of Tibet embrace more myth than reality. The idea that Tibet is an oppressed nation composed of peaceful Buddhists who never did anyone any harm distorts history. In fact the belief that the Dalai Lama is the leader of world Buddhism rather than being just the leader of one sect among more than 1,700 "Living Buddhas" of this unique Tibetan form of the faith displays a parochial view of world religions.<br /><br />The myth, of course, is an outgrowth of Tibet's former inaccessibility, which has fostered illusions about this mysterious land in the midst of the Himalayan Mountains -- illusions that have been skillfully promoted for political purposes by the Dalai Lama's advocates. The myth will inevitably die, as all myths do, but until this happens, it would be wise to learn a few useful facts about this area of China.<br /><br />First, Tibet has been a part of China ever since it was merged into that country in 1239, when the Mongols began creating the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). This was before Marco Polo reached China from Europe and more than two centuries before Columbus sailed to the New World. True, China's hold on this area sometimes appeared somewhat loose, but neither the Chinese nor many Tibetans have ever denied that Tibet has been a part of China from the Yuan Dynasty to this very day.<br /><br />The early Tibetans evolved into a number of competing nomadic tribes and developed a religion known as Bon that was led by shamans who conducted rituals that involved the sacrifice of many animals and some humans. These tribes fought battles with each other for better grazing lands, battles in which they killed or made slaves of those they conquered. They roamed far beyond the borders of Tibet into areas of China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai. Eventually one of these tribes, the Tubo, became the most powerful and took control of all Tibet. (The name Tibet comes from Tubo.) During China's Tang Dynasty (618-907), Emperor Taizong improved relations with the Tubo king, Songtsen Gampo, by giving him one of his daughters, Princess Wenzheng, in marriage. The Tubos, in response to this cementing of relations, developed close fraternal ties with the Tang court, and the two ruling powers regularly exchanged gifts. <br /><br />The princess arrived in Tibet with an entourage of hundreds of servants, skilled craftspeople, and scribes. She was a Buddhist, as were all of the Tang emperors, and so Buddhism entered Tibet mainly through her influence, only to be suppressed later by resentful Bon shamans. Some years later another Tang princess was married to another Tubo king, again to cement relations between the two rulers.<br /><br />The fact that the Tibetans and the Chinese had united royal families and engaged actively in trade (Tibetan horses for tea of the Central Plain) didn't mean an absence of conflict between them. Battles occasionally occurred between Tang and Tubo troops, mostly over territorial issues. At one point in the 750s, the Tubos, taking advantage of a rebellion against the Tangs by other armed groups in China, raced on horseback across China to enter the Tang capital of Chang'an. But, they couldn't hold the city.<br /><br />In 838, the Tubo king was assassinated by two pro-Bon ministers, and the Bon religion was re-established as the only acceptable religion in Tibet. Buddhists were widely persecuted and forced into hiding.<br /><br />Trade between Tibet and the interior areas continued during the Five Dynasties (907-960) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279) that followed the collapse of the Tang, although relations between the two ruling powers were limited. During this time Buddhism revived in Tibet as a result of the Buddhists' willingness to accommodate some Bon practices. The form of Buddhism that resulted from this merging of the two religions was quite different from that of China and other countries in Southeast Asia, as well as from the form that had been practiced previously in Tibet.<br /><br />Tibetan Buddhism, often called Lamaism, appealed to the Mongols, who conquered most of Russia, parts of Europe, and all of China under the leadership of Genghis Khan. The Mongols, like the Tibetans, were tribal herders who had a religion of animism similar to Bon.<br /><br />When Kublai Khan, the first Yuan emperor, appointed administrators to Tibet, he elevated the head of the Tibetan Buddhist Sakya sect to the post of leader of all Buddhists in China, thus giving this monk greater power than any Buddhist had ever held before - and probably since. Needless to say, the appointment irritated the leaders of the other Buddhist sects in Tibet and the much larger group of non-Tibetan Buddhists in China. But, they couldn't do anything to counter the wishes of the emperor.<br /><br />The Yuan Dynasty divided Tibet into a series of administrative areas and put these areas under the charge of an imperial preceptor. Furthermore, the Yuan court encouraged the growth of feudal estates in Tibet as a way to maintain control there.<br /><br />When the Yuan Dynasty collapsed, it was replaced by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which wasn't composed of persons of Mongolian heritage. Tibet then became splintered because the Ming court adopted a policy of granting hereditary titles to many nobles and a policy of divide and rule.<br /><br />Although the Ming court conferred the honorific title of Desi (ruling lama) to the head of one of Tibet's most powerful families, the Rinpung family, they also bestowed enough official titles to his subordinates to encourage separatist trends within the local Tibetan society. One of these titles was given to the head of the newly founded Gelugpa sect, better known as the Yellow sect. He later took on the title "Dalai Lama."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tibet During the Qing Dynasty</span><br /><br />The next and last dynasty, the Qing, came to power in 1644 and lasted until 1911. At the time of its founding, the most prominent Tibetan religious and secular leaders were the fifth Dalai Lama, the fourth Panchen Lama, and Gushri Khan. They formed a delegation that arrived at the Chinese capital, Beijing, in 1652.<br /><br />Before they returned to Tibet the following year, the emperor officially conferred upon Lozang Gyatso (the then Dalai Lama), the honorific title "The Dalai Lama, Buddha of Great Compassion in the West, Leader of the Buddhist Faith Beneath the Sky, Holder of the Vajra." (Dalai is Mongolian for "ocean"; lama is a Tibetan word that means "guru.")<br /><br />The fifth Dalai Lama pledged his allegiance to the Qing government and in return, received enough gold and silver to build 13 new monasteries of the Yellow sect in Tibet. All successive reincarnations of the Dalai Lama have been confirmed by the central government in China, and this has become a historical convention practiced to this very day.<br /><br />A later Qing emperor suspected the intentions of the seventh Dalai Lama, so he increased the power of the Panchen Lama (also of the Yellow sect). In 1713 the Qing court granted the title "Panchen Erdeni" to the fifth Panchen Lama, thus elevating him to a status similar to that given to the Dalai Lama (Panchen means "great scholar" in Sanskrit, and Erdeni means "treasure" in Manchu.)<br /><br />The largest part of the Tibetan population (more than 90 percent) at that time was composed of serfs, who were treated harshly by the landlords and ruling monks. All monasteries had large tracts of land as well as a great number of serfs under their control. The ruling monks' exploitation of these serfs was just as severe as that of the aristocratic landlords.<br /><br />Serfs had no personal freedom from birth to death. They and their children were given freely as gifts or donations, sold or bartered for goods. They were, in fact, viewed by landlords as "livestock that can speak." As late as 1943, a high-ranking aristocrat named Tsemon Norbu Wangyal sold 100 serfs to a monk in the Drigung area for only four silver dollars per serf.<br /><br />If serfs lost their ability to work, the lord confiscated all their property, including livestock and farm tools. If they ran away and subsequently were captured, half their personal belongings were given to the captors while the other half went to the lords for whom they worked. The runaways then were flogged or even condemned to death.<br /><br />The lords used such inhuman tortures as gouging out eyes, cutting off feet or hands, pushing the condemned person over a cliff, drowning and beheading. Numerous rebellions occurred over the years against this harsh treatment, and in 1347 alone (the seventh year of Yuan Emperor Shundi's reign), more than 200 serf rebellions occurred in Tibet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Foreign Aggression</span><br /><br />Foreign nations made numerous attempts to invade Tibet and take it away from China. These were repulsed by Chinese troops and Tibetan fighters. The first such invasion took place in 1337 when Mohammed Tugluk of Delhi (in what is now India) sent 100,000 troops into the Himalayan area.<br /><br />During the second half of the 18th century, troops from the Kingdom of Nepal invaded Tibet twice in an attempt to expand Nepal's territory. During the 19th century, Britain competed with Russia in pouring large sums of money and many spies into a struggle to see which of the two might eventually occupy and control Tibet. When the British finally invaded Tibet, first in 1888 and again in 1903, the Russians were so involved in conflicts at home that they couldn't stop the British troops from pushing all the way to Lhasa. And the Qing government, having recently lost the Opium War to the British, did nothing either.<br /><br />The Tibetans, using spears, arrows, catapults and homemade guns, fought valiantly but to no avail against the invading British army and its big cannons and machine guns. The British withdrew after imposing "peace" terms and before the harsh winter began because they feared the Tibetan resistance would prevent supplies from getting through to the occupying troops, thereby causing them to starve to death.<br /><br />The British signed a Convention with China in 1906, the second article of which stipulated that the British would no longer interfere with the administration of Tibet and that China had sovereignty over Tibet. But, they conveniently forgot the terms of this agreement when, the very next year, they signed a Convention with Russia that specified British "special interests" in Tibet. It would probably fill a book to detail the many ways the British from that point on tried to take over Tibet and make it a part of their colony of India. <br /><br />Yet, something needs to be said about the conference held at Simla, India, in 1914. Conference participants included representatives of the new Nationalist government of China that had overthrown the Qing Dynasty just two years before, plus Tibetans, and British-Indians. The British had black mailed the Chinese into attending by threatening to withdraw their recognition of the new nationalist government and by saying they would work out an agreement with the Tibetans alone if the Chinese didn't participate.<br /><br />The Simla Conference failed because the Chinese and the 13th Dalai Lama both opposed the British plan to divide Tibet into two parts (Inner and Outer Tibet). The conference, however, did produce one document that since has caused dissension -- a map drawn by the British representative Arthur H. McMahon that never was shown to the Chinese, although it was revealed secretly to the Tibetan delegates.<br /><br />McMahon's map showed a new boundary line that included three districts of Tibet -- Monyul, Loyul, and Lower Zayul -- within the territory of British-India. This so-called "McMahon Line" first became public 23 years later when it appeared in a printed set of British documents related to the conference and other diplomatic matters. The McMahon Line became the basis for India's failed attempt to take over this part of Tibet in 1962. The British, who made a great show of their desire to have "independence for Tibet" at the Simla Conference, in drawing this map were adding 90,000 square kilometers (an area three times the size of Belgium) from Tibet's natural territory to their own Indian colony.<br /><br />During and after World War II and shortly before Britain's departure from India, the American Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S., the forerunner of the C.I.A.), operating under Cold War guidelines, joined the British Foreign Office as the instigator of the Tibetan "freedom movement."<br /><br />Much of what the O.S.S. did in Tibet remains hidden in secret files at C.I.A headquarters near Washington, D.C., but one of their plots has been widely reported. It involved a smear campaign launched against the regent who had been appointed to act for the young 14th Dalai Lama after the 13th Dalai died in 1933. The regent was hostile to U.S.-British intrigues in Tibet, so the O.S.S. spread rumors about his alleged incompetence and criminal activities. Eventually these charges led to the regent's arrest and murder in a Tibetan prison. The 14th Dalai Lama's father subsequently was poisoned because he was a friend and supporter of the regent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tibetan Buddhism</span><br /><br />Before considering Tibet today, some words should be said about Tibetan Buddhism as a religion. The accommodations it made with Bon resulted in its becoming very different from other forms of Buddhism, particularly from the more common and much larger Chan Buddhism of China (called Zen in Japan). Images found in Tibetan Buddhist temples are much fiercer than those found in other Buddhist temples, and some Tibetan ceremonies that once used human skulls, human skin, and fresh human intestines clearly reflect the animistic elements of Bon.<br /><br />Also, Tibetan Buddhists rely a great deal on prayer wheels, which most other Buddhists scorn. These are mechanical devices with prayers written on them that are constantly turned by water or wind so the forces of nature do the work of sending prayers to heaven.<br /><br />The reincarnation of Living Buddhas, which is unique to this form of Buddhism, began as early as 1294 with the Karma Kagyu sect, a sub-sect of the Kagyu sect (known as the black hats). It then spread to all of Tibetan Buddhism's other sects and monasteries, but it didn't reach the Gelugpa sect (the one that includes the Dalai and Panchen Lama lines) until after 1419.<br /><br />From the beginning, the system of selecting Living Buddhas was open to abuse because it was easy for clever members of the monk selection committee to manipulate the objects presented to potential child candidates in order to make sure a particular child was chosen. In the case of the fourth Dalai Lama, the child selected was the great-grandson of the Mongolian chief Altan Khan. He was chosen at a time when the Gelugpa sect badly needed the protection of the Altan Khan's followers because the Gelugpa were being persecuted by the older Tibetan sects, who were jealous of the Yellow sect's rapid growth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tibet Since 1949</span><br /><br />In 1949, the Chinese Communists won the revolution and overthrew the Nationalist government. But they didn't send their army into Tibet until October 1951, after they and Tibetan representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama and 10th Panchen Lama had signed an agreement to liberate Tibet peacefully.<br /><br />The Dalai Lama expressed his support for this 17-point agreement in a telegraphed message to Chairman Mao on October 24, 1951. Three years later the Dalai and Panchen Lamas went together to Beijing to attend the first National People's Congress at which the Dalai Lama was elected vice-chairman of the Standing Committee and the Panchen Lama was elected a member of that committee. After the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered Tibet, they took steps to protect the rights of the serfs but didn't, at first, try to reorganize Tibetan society along socialist or democratic lines. Yet, the landlords and ruling monks knew that in time, their land would be redistributed, just as the landlords' property in the rest of China had been confiscated and divided among the peasants.<br /><br />The Tibetan landlords did all they could to frighten the serfs away from associating with the PLA. But, as the serfs increasingly ignored their landlords' wishes and called on the Communists to eliminate the oppressive system of serfdom, some leaders of the "three great monasteries" (Ganden, Sera, and Drepung) issued a statement, in the latter half of 1956, demanding the feudal system be maintained. At this point, the PLA decided the time had come to confiscate the landlords' property and redistribute it among the serfs. The landlords and top-level monks retaliated by announcing, in March 1959, the founding of a "Tibet Independent State," and about 7,000 of them assembled in Lhasa to stage a revolt. Included were more than 170 "Khampa guerrillas" who had been trained overseas by the O.S.S. and air-dropped into Tibet, according to a former C.I.A. agent. The O.S.S. also gave them machine guns, mortars, rifles and ammunition.<br /><br />The PLA put down the revolt in Lhasa within two days, capturing some 4,000 rebels. The rebellion had the support of the Dalai Lama, but not of the Panchen Lama. After it failed, the Dalai Lama, along with a group of rebel leaders, fled to India.<br /><br />The most disruptive event of recent years was the "cultural revolution," which lasted from 1966 to 1976. It turned most of Tibet's farm and herding areas into giant communes and closed or destroyed many monasteries and temples, just as it did elsewhere in China. At its end, the communes were disbanded and the temples and monasteries were repaired and reopened at government expense.<br /><br />The idea that most Tibetans are unhappy about what has happened in Tibet and want independence from China is a product manufactured in the West and promoted by the dispossessed landlords who fled to India. Indeed, to believe it is true stretches logic to its breaking point. Who really can believe that a million former serfs - more than 90% of the population - are unhappy about having the shackles of serfdom removed? They now care for their own herds and farmland, marry whomever they wish without first getting their landlord's permission, aren't punished for disrespecting these same landlords, own their own homes, attend school, and have relatively modern hospitals, paved roads, airports and modern industries.<br /><br />An objective measure of this progress is found in the population statistics. The Tibetan population has doubled since 1950, and the average Tibetan's life span has risen from 36 years at that time to 65 years at present.<br /><br />Of course some Tibetans are unhappy with their lot, but a little investigation soon shows that they are, for the most part, people from families who lost their landlord privileges. There is plenty of evidence that the former serfs tell a quite different story.<br /><br />You will find some Tibetans who hate the Hans (the majority nationality of China) and some Hans who hate the Tibetans, a matter of ordinary ethnic prejudice - something any American should be able to understand. But, this doesn't represent a desire for an independent Tibet any more than black-white hostilities in Washington, D.C., Detroit, or Boston represent a desire on the part of most African-Americans to form a separate nation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tibetan Culture Today</span><br /><br />The final part of the Tibetan myth has to do with Tibetan culture, which the Dalai Lama's supporters say has been crushed by "the Chinese takeover of Tibet." Culture is an area that requires great care because it is fraught with biases and self-fulfilling judgments. The growth of television in America, for example, is cited as killing American culture by some and as enhancing it by others.<br /><br />Regarding the field of literature, prior to 1950 Tibetans could point with pride to only a few fine epics that had been passed down through the centuries. Now that serfs can become authors, many new writers are producing works of great quality; persons such as the poet Yedam Tsering and the fiction writers Jampel Gyatso, Tashi Dawa, and Dondru Wangbum.<br /><br />As for art, Tibet for centuries had produced nothing but repetitious religious designs for temples. Now there are many fine artists, such as Bama Tashi, who has been hailed in both France and Canada as a great modern artist who combines Tibetan religious themes with modern pastoral images.<br /><br />Tibet now has more than 30 professional song and dance ensembles, Tibetan opera groups, and other theatrical troupes where none existed before 1950. No, Tibetan culture is not dead; it is flourishing as never before.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-20412163304711500952008-04-05T14:52:00.002+08:002008-04-05T15:07:03.780+08:00Can You Calculate Your Age by How Often You Eat Out?Sometimes I am just amazed that simple things in live can be predicted by some numerical manipulation. Take for example the following question:<br /><br />Is it possible to calculate your age by how often you enjoy eating out?<br /><br />I have tried it and I am just awed by its accuracy. Simply unbelievable! If you are skeptical then follow the instruction below and get ready for a mathematical mind-bender...And don't cheat by scrolling down first! This takes less than a minute. Work it out as you read, either in your head or on a piece of paper. But be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!<br /><br />Here's what you need to do:<br /><br />1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat (must be more than once but less than 10 times)<br /><br />2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)<br /><br />3. Add 5<br /><br />4. Multiply it by 50<br /><br />5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1758 ... If you haven't, add 1757.<br /><br />6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.<br /><br />You should now have a three digit number. The first digit of this was your original number, (i.e., how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week).<br />The next two numbers are: ...... YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!)<br /><br />Amazing isn't it?<br /><br />But, this is the only year (2008) the calculation will ever work.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-81095970615700164862008-03-05T22:44:00.014+08:002008-03-30T23:20:12.211+08:00Banana Fritters Fried in Plastic!This is a TRUE STORY ...and it happened in Perlis, the northern most state in Peninsula Malaysia, at a place called <em>Titi Chai Kangar</em>..the <em>pasar malam </em> (night market) area where <em>goreng pisang</em> (banana fritters) are sold in the afternoon...<br /><br />This is a witness account of what happened:<br /><br />"Mom said, my uncle saw the <em>goreng pisang</em> hawker adding plastic straw (for drinking water) into the hot oil (and it melted) before he fried the <em>goreng pisang</em>. That is why <em>goreng pisang</em>, <em>ubi</em> (sweet potato)...etc. all are very crispy for hours.... And when my uncle asked the hawker he just kept quite. Later when my uncle told my mom about what he saw they realized that this is how fried fritters are crispy for a while. My mom said that in Thailand they do the same thing to keep the fried food crispy e.g. <em>ikan bilis</em> (anchovies), fried onions ...which if you leave them in the open air for hours they will still stay crispy..."<br /><br />Here's another one: <br /><br />"I was with my family in Cameron Highlands recently and it was 3 pm when we were hanging around a market area. We saw many hawker stalls, and suddenly something attracted my attention...at one of the stalls, there was a big <em>wok </em> of boiling oil with a half 5-litre empty oil bottle in it. The plastic bottle melted slowly in the hot oil. At first I thought it was an unintentional act by a 7-year old girl...but when I looked closely, I saw she was holding a pair of chopsticks and stirring the bottle.. it appears the act was intentional...Oh! my God ... these people are using melted plastic to fry food...so that the tit bits will not go soft when it cooled due to plastic in it!"<br /><br />So...DO NOT EAT CRISPY FRIED FOOD from the hawkers!..try leaving it in the open air for hours and see what happens...<br /><br />Plastic when burnt or exposed to high tempertaure causes a very toxic and carginogenic substance, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioxin" target=new>dioxin</a>, to be released. So be cautious of the food that you buy from hawkers.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-45894034038304310602008-02-24T23:23:00.024+08:002008-12-10T08:05:46.438+08:00Malaysia General ElectionIn about two weeks' time, that is on March 8, eligible Malaysians will be going to the polls in the country's 12th general election to decide which party is going to rule for the next 4 years. Indications are that the current ruling party, Barisan Nasional (BN), is going to get the majority and the mandate to rule but at what magnitude of majority? A reduced two-third majority is much speculated as the country is now grappling with national issues like high fuel and food prices, security, education and a host of others. The recent blatant street protests by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) certainly does not help and would definitely have some impact on the votes.<br /><br />Nomination for candidates for the various constituencies was held this morning at our local community hall and I happened to stay just a stone's throw away. This is a Sunday morning and, oh!, I thought I could catch up with my sleep for the week but my dream was shattered by the jeering and shouting of two huge crowd of people. And this is what I saw....<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65ZEWakuRB5UWDr2lccsbLz6Zt-7p5WH4gLhuZRNIdn-FttLsIGIUuL5QI6pNT9qcB1Xs6p12aAcAvx0ie8hymuW4Pv49E-svjeB1bUT2bDcRKxxudIF5B95QZ9TpGzSRtBx1ErQj3g/s1600-h/nomination_day.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170571824279361298 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65ZEWakuRB5UWDr2lccsbLz6Zt-7p5WH4gLhuZRNIdn-FttLsIGIUuL5QI6pNT9qcB1Xs6p12aAcAvx0ie8hymuW4Pv49E-svjeB1bUT2bDcRKxxudIF5B95QZ9TpGzSRtBx1ErQj3g/s200/nomination_day.jpg" border=0></A><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAwosprqfK45dQSLEvH5REh0wOClhyphenhypheniX-7xoRq5gqANWJR0rPg60oav7b_6g2tqVvSnkJTQ0BmbbXMajoXaY-jthY9Ms57WVUO8eRrQZD7EVq7hP1IpRMyHaWg3-cfszYVvUN5EbH1A/s1600-h/bn_nomination3+IMG_3943.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAwosprqfK45dQSLEvH5REh0wOClhyphenhypheniX-7xoRq5gqANWJR0rPg60oav7b_6g2tqVvSnkJTQ0BmbbXMajoXaY-jthY9Ms57WVUO8eRrQZD7EVq7hP1IpRMyHaWg3-cfszYVvUN5EbH1A/s200/bn_nomination3+IMG_3943.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170929152673486642" /></a><br /><br />...the group from our current ruling party, Barisan Nasional (BN).<br /><br />And these from the opposition parties,PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)... <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30wq0ohgYoj6Xx4okLpLQHOROFBrwHhaj008dB68TerG-xmbgyC05S65GxSokmUKaM-194Z7TVSbiKVIiiDe9gXnBetaPXUROUijpAme_7yAdKBCttGZ3QYuXDN2jg9mYEoXsfLCupg/s1600-h/nomination_day_pas.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170573709770004258 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30wq0ohgYoj6Xx4okLpLQHOROFBrwHhaj008dB68TerG-xmbgyC05S65GxSokmUKaM-194Z7TVSbiKVIiiDe9gXnBetaPXUROUijpAme_7yAdKBCttGZ3QYuXDN2jg9mYEoXsfLCupg/s200/nomination_day_pas.jpg" border=0></A><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4GYrgMy9buiHGKdpBu5H6FniOBY7QwA55SakNEHjPbLpuuxqa79NscbZCGBRyy9EYfin-3qn5iCpVvO4qWrasFIvtt2kF3NdOqQi20tgxc_GWh4fhWX7xNWj3-922JoEdCZHctH2lw/s1600-h/pas_nom3IMG_3949.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4GYrgMy9buiHGKdpBu5H6FniOBY7QwA55SakNEHjPbLpuuxqa79NscbZCGBRyy9EYfin-3qn5iCpVvO4qWrasFIvtt2kF3NdOqQi20tgxc_GWh4fhWX7xNWj3-922JoEdCZHctH2lw/s200/pas_nom3IMG_3949.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170929517745706818" /></a><br /><br />Their war cries this time around were rising fuel and food prices. And the alleged corruptions by the ruling party. <br /><br />No! No! I am not align to any political parties, just an ordinary folk. But I have already made up my mine as to whom I shall vote for, given the circumstances and happenings in the past months. So, if you are a Malaysian reading this blog, do your part as a loyal citizen and exercise your rights through the polls. Not through anything else that disrupts the peaceful country we all enjoyed! So vote wisely!hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-53030178711052790262007-12-30T22:44:00.000+08:002007-12-30T23:26:52.629+08:00Recognize Early Stroke Symptoms - This Could Save A Life or Yours!STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... <strong>S.T.R.</strong><br /><br />My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. <br /><br /><strong>STROKE INCIDENT</strong> <br />During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes (they offered to call ambulance). They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself during the rest of the BBQ.<br /><br />Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.<br /><br />Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...<br /><br /><strong>STROKE IDENTIFICATION</strong><br />Neurologists suggest the most crucial piece is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for as soon as possible. <br /> <br /><strong>RECOGNIZING A STROKE</strong><br />Remember the 3 steps, STR . Read and Learn!<br /><br />Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. <br /><br />Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :<br /><br /><strong>S *</strong> Ask the individual to <strong>SMILE</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>T *</strong> = <strong>TALK</strong>. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) ( e.g. 'It is sunny today' ).<br /><br /><strong>R *</strong> Ask him or her to <strong>RAISE </strong>BOTH ARMS.<br /><br />If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call an ambulance or medical emergency immediately!! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. <br /><br />NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is ...<br /><br />Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.<br /><br />A prominent cardiologist says if everyone sends this message to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved ...<br /><br />...and it could be <strong>your own</strong>!<br /><br />PASS THIS ON.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-27088423658838646252007-10-23T00:19:00.000+08:002007-10-23T23:48:14.447+08:00Main Causes Of Liver DamageThe liver is an organ that is present in vertebrates and some other animals. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification. This organ is also the largest gland in the human body. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids (fats).<br /><br />Here are some of the factors that might played a role in damaging the liver and let's be wary of them:<br /><br />1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.<br /><br />2. Not urinating in the morning.<br /><br />3. Too much eating.<br /><br />4. Skipping breakfast.<br /><br />5. Consuming too much medication. <br /><br />6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring , and artificial sweetener. <br /><br />7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce the usage of cooking oil when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit. <br /><br />8. Consuming raw (or overly done) food also adds to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store. <br /><br />We should prevent these without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to a "schedule."<br /><br />Because : <br /><br />Evening at 9 - 11 PM : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health. <br /><br />Evening at 11pm - 1 am : is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. <br /><br />Early morning 1 - 3 am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in deep sleep state. <br /><br />Early morning 3 - 5 am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process has reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with the toxin removal process.<br /><br />Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.<br /><br />Morning 7 - 9 am : absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am , for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10 am rather than no meal at all. <br /><br />Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals (toxins) from the body. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good night's sleep and don't sleep late. <br /><br /><br />DO TAKE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.....<br />AND PASS THIS TO ALL WHOM YOU LOVE & CARE FOR .....hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-11883385437649769532007-10-19T23:30:00.000+08:002007-10-19T23:49:08.212+08:00Brain Damaging HabitsHere are some interesting facts that I came across recently and would like to share these with you. Hmm...guilty about some of these. Do Take Care of Your Health.<br /><br /><strong>1. No Breakfast </strong><br />People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. <br /><br /><strong>2. Overeating </strong><br />It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. <br /><br /><strong>3. Smoking </strong><br />It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. <br /><br /><strong>4. High Sugar consumption </strong><br />Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients<br />causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. <br /><br /><strong>5. Air Pollution </strong><br />The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency. <br /><br /><strong>6. Sleep Deprivation </strong><br />Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will<br />accelerate the death of brain cells. <br /><br /><strong>7. Head covered while sleeping </strong><br />Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects. <br /><br /><strong>8. Working your brain during illness </strong><br />Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain. <br /><br /><strong>9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts </strong><br />Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage. <br /><br /><strong>10. Talking Rarely </strong><br />Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-44115729703768192132007-10-14T23:08:00.000+08:002008-12-10T08:05:46.563+08:00Google or GoogirlsToday is a public holiday in Malaysia because of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also Hari Raya Puasa, literally "Fasting Day of Celebration"). It is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr which is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.<br /><br />I took this opportunity to visit a local shopping centre and while browsing around I came across this boutique with its name as "<strong>Googirls</strong>". Of course it at once strikes me as the ubiquitous <strong>Google</strong> that we online folks always linked with. Pretty creative isn't it? Here is a pic of the shop. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVhY9QMQykSEZbgWefwLUp3BxSUp7XkpBzE9mEvf4_z2ItCJ2a0fI25wHxhz6AARausRyEkl8yd0FtP4-te6S-ujkkmNBehPy3IMQOZaMVhQfq_J21h1pvnYp1S8_WsbbJwlcF2IaGw/s1600-h/IMG_3043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVhY9QMQykSEZbgWefwLUp3BxSUp7XkpBzE9mEvf4_z2ItCJ2a0fI25wHxhz6AARausRyEkl8yd0FtP4-te6S-ujkkmNBehPy3IMQOZaMVhQfq_J21h1pvnYp1S8_WsbbJwlcF2IaGw/s200/IMG_3043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121214554833344642" /></a>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-10639565193116319332007-10-13T22:47:00.002+08:002008-05-30T12:01:39.800+08:00Heart Transplant at IJN - Patient Tee Hui YiI read with anxiety and happiness that Hui Yi's heart transplant was successfully executed on 5th October, 2007. And today the local news reported that she could now breathe mostly on her own without the ventilator.<br /><br />What was miraculous about the whole episode was that she underwent two transplants within a span 48hrs! Apparently her body showed sign of rejection to the first heart and doctors were desparately looking for a solution, a new heart that is!. It was almost a mission impossible because for the whole year of 2006 not a single compatible donor heart could be found! But just when all hope was about to evaporate another heart was found from a young man who was pronounced brain dead in a Penang hospital. That leads to a decision by the team of doctors to perfom a second transplant! Wow! that was truly miraculous! Kudos to all those concerned in making the whole operation possible and successful. I believe Malaysia could one day be the leading heart transplant centre in the region.<br /><br />From what I read it is certainly not an easy task to coordinate the whole exercise and all those involved from the police, air-force, hospital staff, doctors and others, who might have played a lesser role but nevertheless contributed to the success of the operation, deserve credit.<br /><br />Perhaps one day in the distant future we could have organ spare-parts grown from stem cells and the question of body rejection to an alien organ would be a thing of the past. If that possibilty materialized one could imagine the tremedous benefits to medical science and mankind.<br /><br />I recollect one doctor as saying that if you could live till 20 years from now then you could live for another 20 years more because of stem-cells organ.<br /><br />In the last few few years, the science of <a href="http://www.med-help.net/HeartDisease.html">heart disease</a> has come a long way. Thanks to modern technology, your <a href="http://www.med-help.net/">medical supplies</a> questions can be answered <a href="http://www.openmri.net/">very</a> quickly. If you need info regarding <a href="http://www.med-help.net/prescription-drugs/viagra_for_women.html">Viagra for Women</a>, we'll help you find <a href="http://libwww.cabrillo.edu/depts/medicine.html">what your looking for</a>.<br /><br>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-41969381524550415912007-10-10T10:19:00.000+08:002007-10-15T00:15:48.050+08:00Precaution - Ladies' PeriodIt has been a traditional theory that ladies are not supposed to wash their hair during their period. But there is no medical evidence as to the question why? The victim will only realise at their later stage of their life, facing the symptoms of breast and ovary cancer. Today ladies still wash their hair during their period with the thinking that they will be safe if they blow dry their hair. But this will not prevent them from getting the cancer.<br /> <br />Apparently a well known Taiwanese medical professor specialising in cancer research based in a Japanese university did a survey on 30,000 cancer patients. She found that these patients are very choosy in their food, wash their hair during their period, carry heavy objects and drink cold drinks. This apparently would cause the incompletion of ovulation and the remaining menses would turn toxic. The resulting imbalance of hormone would lead to ovary and breast cancer. During the research she found a method of prevention to these cancers. The secrets are:-<br /><br />1. One must change their lifestyle and eating habits.<br /><br />2. Do not wash our hair while having period.<br /><br />3. Excessive bleeding must be investigated by a gynae, do not wash your hair just for the cooling effect and contraction of ovary.<br /><br />4. No cold drinks. If you feel drowsy, breast engorgement and constipated these could be the early symptoms of ovary or breast cancer.<br /><br />To prevent use:<br />1. Brown sugar <br />2. Chinese lotus (lean ngau in Cantonese)<br />3. Carrot, and<br />4. Barley<br /><br />Boil as a soup and drink.<br /> <br />Although not substantiated, I would like to think that there is no harm or cost you much by following this simple piece of advice. Anyway prevention is better than cure.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-25664577489055927082007-10-08T13:46:00.000+08:002007-10-08T14:08:57.979+08:00Maxis BroadbandRecently I subscribed to a wireless broadband service through our local provider, Maxis. The package that I took is the lowest end, therefore the cheapest, which gives a connection speed of 384Kbps. I am forced to go for a wireless service as that is the only option I have in my area. Wired service is totally unavailable which is unbelievable as the area that I stay is considered an above average residential area. But don't get me wrong I am not a rich guy but a poor chap surrounded by rich guys.<br /><br />It is almost 2 weeks since I used the service and I am totally dismay at the pathetic service that I received. The download speed can be painfully slow at certain hours of the day. Worst still I faced a lot of drop lines and unconnectivity to the Internet which really wasted my valuable time.<br /><br />I hope the people at Maxis will not say that since it is the cheapest "So what do you expect!". Ethically, I have paid for a service and I should therefore be entitled to a decent service level that commensurate with that price.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-83569480136346697692007-10-03T23:37:00.004+08:002008-12-10T08:05:47.421+08:00A Rejunevated Medical Centre @ KLCCThe dust has finally settled and just exactly one week ago our medical centre was finally reopened for business again without much fanfare. That was almost about three months of closing for renovation and down-sizing. We once enjoyed a luxurious 27,000 sq.ft. plus of foor space on the 4th. level of Suria KLCC but now that has been reduced to almost about 6,000 sq.ft. It's a massive shrink! But that was inevitable.<br /><br />All this was brought about the realisation of the sheer wastage and unproductive use of space then which has bled the centre of cash flow. Retail space cost is exhorbitantly priced in this premier shopping centre of Suria KLCC which is adjacent to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. With the reduction in rental cost we hope to recoup the RM1.5 million spent on this exercise within 18 months!<br /><br />Here are some of the pics of the newly renovated centre:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuckonVju5suE3K3siSvHf19RIyO8niNqdnZ87z8dvknR4afpeQfxx_P62babP5eS-oVRFPoo8mcD9iO4RtLg2mCEgIG4pKjbBXmPgjyOght1OSFQew_v1qZeIpPW4LTBhd0qSP6rwmw/s1600-h/IMG_3021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuckonVju5suE3K3siSvHf19RIyO8niNqdnZ87z8dvknR4afpeQfxx_P62babP5eS-oVRFPoo8mcD9iO4RtLg2mCEgIG4pKjbBXmPgjyOght1OSFQew_v1qZeIpPW4LTBhd0qSP6rwmw/s200/IMG_3021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118041600498784306" /></a><br />This is the frontage of the centre as you approach its entrance.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZGjMKRruOkFaNIHqT6VQbwseElQ5QHNVZ0uk9SCh9kJ-Ht5nUWUC_jCxHlT_2aiaLOzJlqKBBp52UI0evBYlZS0ITTCl5AxD3rMkkqRFSTm_StgtOLxKNbs5CY-3PpwUeT8oWzRi7w/s1600-h/IMG_3026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZGjMKRruOkFaNIHqT6VQbwseElQ5QHNVZ0uk9SCh9kJ-Ht5nUWUC_jCxHlT_2aiaLOzJlqKBBp52UI0evBYlZS0ITTCl5AxD3rMkkqRFSTm_StgtOLxKNbs5CY-3PpwUeT8oWzRi7w/s200/IMG_3026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118042442312374338" /></a><br />Information/reception counter as you enter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs30x-rpG0WJ6nIzcpIJAnI37VDuiZSb6X1O7cHEP7xcHKL5JArOjdP7_IQmaYOOgfoS-tv5S8agdriEwMr5pSNGsM5HilwT_Lpz5Re1BcAjLbCgwmAsTPdtiGn49QNw0raa1Z1ATcg/s1600-h/IMG_3018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs30x-rpG0WJ6nIzcpIJAnI37VDuiZSb6X1O7cHEP7xcHKL5JArOjdP7_IQmaYOOgfoS-tv5S8agdriEwMr5pSNGsM5HilwT_Lpz5Re1BcAjLbCgwmAsTPdtiGn49QNw0raa1Z1ATcg/s200/IMG_3018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118043370025310290" /></a><br />Pharmacy dispensing and billing/cashier's counter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHpc_WCIjUIcu_VSFs2eUgkIC2ywTRHrOxGXDZHJ5LH9bGT5Qm6-AHuZM2Poyugzs4SmOz__xXbb7KKrzK0jLtniSGXKsz1PzVM3eG2SMu7hvz1klyd7YI7BDRebMRnZEmqh9iDy06g/s1600-h/IMG_3033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHpc_WCIjUIcu_VSFs2eUgkIC2ywTRHrOxGXDZHJ5LH9bGT5Qm6-AHuZM2Poyugzs4SmOz__xXbb7KKrzK0jLtniSGXKsz1PzVM3eG2SMu7hvz1klyd7YI7BDRebMRnZEmqh9iDy06g/s200/IMG_3033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118043876831451234" /></a><br />The view behind the pharmacy and cashier's counter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg122D3pDIZvM2hZgVfZP_Yx5Q0bwXkcxmeoYBZmmeKTHJIUFxD53Yx6ymiT85K7SXvw4O2263ypUd-CHYtDZ7oHzPTaK2rD8EdZHt9nO47d6Y88xt2jBi81XA8LY0rVce4xQidKsDdpw/s1600-h/IMG_3017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg122D3pDIZvM2hZgVfZP_Yx5Q0bwXkcxmeoYBZmmeKTHJIUFxD53Yx6ymiT85K7SXvw4O2263ypUd-CHYtDZ7oHzPTaK2rD8EdZHt9nO47d6Y88xt2jBi81XA8LY0rVce4xQidKsDdpw/s200/IMG_3017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118044349277853810" /></a><br />Patient's waiting area.<br /><br><br />Do you think you are afflicted with a <a href="http://www.mesotheliomanews.com/">mesothelioma</a>? If so, you should read some information regarding <a href="http://www.mesotheliomanews.com/medical/mesothelioma-and-asbestos/">asbestos mesothelioma treatment</a>. By contacting <a href="http://www.mesotheliomanews.com/legal/choosing-a-mesothelioma-attorney/">mesothelioma attorneys</a> you will be armed with the <a href="http://www.mirg.org/">information</a> you need to <a href="http://www.nevdgp.org.au/info/lungf/asbestos-related-health.html">receive</a> the payment you deserve.<br /><br>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-24995214213647556292007-07-22T00:16:00.000+08:002008-12-10T08:05:48.241+08:00ChangeThings are now beginning to settle down and everyone is almost back to their usual daily routine work. But this only applies to our department which is administration and accounting.<br /><br />What I am talking about is the massive office moving and temporary suspension of business in our medical centre due to extensive renovation and demolition works in redundant space to be surrendered back to the landlord.<br /><br />I managed to capture some shots in our centre for posterity as I knew everything existing will be gone forever. Here is the picture taken at our reception area before demolition.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTw7DRApi1l3l2KoJjjwdiSKBkcuRE5Mw9RoC8As8Wnz6PNBf6nV_zxDjEvL1lewtC0ux2F1rKe-r8R_3FntZZ1C_mgpT1-XThzRA_g6Ij4e_P6zSlQwF8vp9oYPBFt8TjJsxSJ0v5g/s1600-h/IMG_2778.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTw7DRApi1l3l2KoJjjwdiSKBkcuRE5Mw9RoC8As8Wnz6PNBf6nV_zxDjEvL1lewtC0ux2F1rKe-r8R_3FntZZ1C_mgpT1-XThzRA_g6Ij4e_P6zSlQwF8vp9oYPBFt8TjJsxSJ0v5g/s200/IMG_2778.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089692845214729426" /></a><br /><br />Compare to this picture taken 10 days later at the same area. How messy and awful it looks....<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfX69681SN1k8QWLTP208nX84iXArWI9Y3XIwCXmSJCdaXKfB82HMhwLRb9YGmiAHWGZHI1P0b4igSx-zqep071IeMoFMS083Nd7YWKQtyH4g83qsbGNFGYo_g93uTWXpLNAsPmpWyw/s1600-h/IMG_2823.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfX69681SN1k8QWLTP208nX84iXArWI9Y3XIwCXmSJCdaXKfB82HMhwLRb9YGmiAHWGZHI1P0b4igSx-zqep071IeMoFMS083Nd7YWKQtyH4g83qsbGNFGYo_g93uTWXpLNAsPmpWyw/s200/IMG_2823.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089694623331189986" /></a><br /><br />Another view...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAuikVBJN1x8Fo8Fkzs5AqvBojNN45eVWejcJpg4Gjrm71pRBe6iNaBpsHtF_B-zFLuDayxd4Glee31KtluceUnNGu20rC4_-YNb7zcHpMz4kT_AJNgE5PjYhBpDSeQ0VHAIfW1s-yw/s1600-h/IMG_2822.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAuikVBJN1x8Fo8Fkzs5AqvBojNN45eVWejcJpg4Gjrm71pRBe6iNaBpsHtF_B-zFLuDayxd4Glee31KtluceUnNGu20rC4_-YNb7zcHpMz4kT_AJNgE5PjYhBpDSeQ0VHAIfW1s-yw/s200/IMG_2822.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089696929728627954" /></a><br /><br />The frontage before ...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePprHoqUJdkyQpGw85pGv0VPePc_OYbxS4GlOJJX7SOmU_RJoqthcYgl6LhCwI_PZ99wMZp8d9XLvMDNeSll9N3H0iD3z-GSGQjV3OwtQsiE1ka7otrtQGw5gXdoY9SAzioxcQxeDBA/s1600-h/IMG_2743.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePprHoqUJdkyQpGw85pGv0VPePc_OYbxS4GlOJJX7SOmU_RJoqthcYgl6LhCwI_PZ99wMZp8d9XLvMDNeSll9N3H0iD3z-GSGQjV3OwtQsiE1ka7otrtQGw5gXdoY9SAzioxcQxeDBA/s200/IMG_2743.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089698699255153922" /></a><br />and now ...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub2zDNFIx4PZUAoNKJNBxsHalutLKVDpAYm_jSCXO7URblRt_xLYSFPSq-Kkx2QK4DZKDACfIWyUDiuoeMLLTmPbscYk-Lj2GEPJSVdauZGO6hr7Z1iVoeSbpXn09qAzXOcl14wu00Q/s1600-h/IMG_2831.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub2zDNFIx4PZUAoNKJNBxsHalutLKVDpAYm_jSCXO7URblRt_xLYSFPSq-Kkx2QK4DZKDACfIWyUDiuoeMLLTmPbscYk-Lj2GEPJSVdauZGO6hr7Z1iVoeSbpXn09qAzXOcl14wu00Q/s200/IMG_2831.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089699820241618194" /></a><br /><br />In two or three months' time you will see a different look when the renovation works would have been completed and after the down-sizing of space.<br /><br />Changes is everywhere and happen all the time around us. One must adapt to this otherwise we would suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs did eons ago!hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-80529985179670994622007-07-16T00:01:00.000+08:002007-07-22T11:14:45.072+08:00Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm WaterThis is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about heart attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot green tea with their meals, not cold water.<br /><br />For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and may lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.<br /><br />A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.<br /><br />You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.<br /><br />A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this and send the link to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.<br /><br />Some people say that it is just an old myth to drink warm water to prevent heart attacks. Although there is no research to support this theory, however, it is always better to be safe than to be sorry.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-74772714754305500772007-07-11T00:22:00.000+08:002007-07-13T01:42:46.921+08:00Bananas for Medical UsesNever, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!<br />This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.<br /><br />Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. <br /> <br />Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.<br /><br />But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.<br /><br /><strong>Depression:</strong> According to a recent survey undertaken by <a href="http://www.mind.org.uk/" target=new>MIND</a> amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.<br /> <br /><strong>PMS:</strong> Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. <br /><br /><strong>Anemia: </strong>High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.<br /><br /><strong>Blood Pressure: </strong>This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.<br /><br /><strong>Brain Power:</strong> 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. <br /><br /><strong>Constipation: </strong>High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. <br /><br /><strong>Hangovers:</strong> One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. <br /> <br /><strong>Heartburn:</strong> Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.<br /><br /><strong>Morning Sickness:</strong> Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. <br /><br /><strong>Mosquito bites:</strong> Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. <br /><br /><strong>Nerves: </strong>Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.<br /><br /><strong>Overweight</strong> and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. <br /><br /><strong>Ulcers:</strong> The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. <br /><br /><strong>Temperature control: </strong>Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. <br /><br /><strong>Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): </strong>Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.<br /><br /><strong>Smoking & Tobacco Use:</strong> Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.<br /><br /><strong>Stress:</strong> Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. <br /><br /><strong>Strokes:</strong> According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! <br /><br /><strong>Warts:</strong> Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! <br /><br />So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away".<br /><p>p/s: Want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit ! </p><br /><p> </p>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-47935788525913882882007-05-07T23:23:00.000+08:002007-05-15T02:39:48.719+08:00Mangosteen JuiceOver the weekend I was invited to a health talk at a posh 5-star hotel in the city centre listening to someone talking about mangosteen juice! Mind you this is a Sunday and in the hot afternoon sun I had to cajole myself to go and listen to this supposedly interesting talk. The invitation was through an acquaintance whom I met 2 days earlier, and having revealed my interest in health and wellness he had casually asked me to attend. <br /><br />And I was not disappointed because I gain so much of new information, though I found out later that some might need more evidence and research on what had been said. The talk was centred around some substances found in the rind of the fruit called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthones" target=new>xanthones</a>. There are some 40 xanthones which are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and antitumour agent. Video clips were shown on where the fruit was found and how an American gentleman did some research and a marketing genius to commercialise this queen of fruits found in abundance in South-East Asia. The juice was apparently made from the whole fruit, not just the white flesh.<br /><br />The most interesting part was some life testimonial from a few people with various health problems, some being very serious like kidney failure and cancer!<br /><br />A young gentleman aged around thirty with kidney failure and having on-going dialysis gave an account of how his lethargy after a dialysis session vanishes after drinking some of this mangosteen juice. He could hardly drive home without having to take a nap by the road-side but after consuming this wonderful juice he could drive all the way home and still left with some more energy - something he hadn't experience before.<br /><br />Another middle-aged man who is suffering from nose cancer (nasopharyngeal cancer or NPC) gave an account of the devastating side-effects (hair loss) of chemotherapy that was banished after consuming a few bottles of the juice. From appearance this man certainly looked well and healthy until he gave his story. How amazing I thought!<br /><br />Even a child with dengue fever was discharged from the hospital the next day after his mother made him drink some of this wonderful juice. Apparently this was the first case of its kind being shared.<br /><br />Impressive testmonials! But take a look at this website <a href="http://www.mangosteen.com/Sciencenonscienceandnonsense.htm" target=new> www.mangosteen.com</a> which gave a sceptical slant and a good account of what is science, non-science and non-sense about the product. Apparently, if the juice is made of the whole fruit it must be very dilute or chemically modified to mask the extremely bitter taste of the rind extract.<br /><br />There are even booklets apparently written by a M.D. extolling the goodness of the product. But be wary of the hype that is going around this product. I think there is some goodness in this juice but the question is at what fair price?hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-75023660736878071562007-04-09T23:48:00.000+08:002007-07-22T00:13:04.526+08:00The Correct Way to Eat Instant NoodleHere is the correct method to cook and eat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_noodles" target=new>instant noodles</a> without harming our body and health. <br /><br />Normally, the way we cook instant noodles is to put the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the soup base powder and let it cook for about 3 minutes and then eat it.<br /><br />This is the WRONG method of cooking instant noodles. By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients, MSG (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate" target=new>Monosodium Glutamate</a>), which is normally one of the additives for soup, will change its molecular structure, causing it to be toxic. The other thing that you may or may not realized is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have eaten the noodles. So the CORRECT method, which you may or may not know, is to cook the noodles this way :<br /><ol><br /> <li>Boil the noodles in a pot with water.</li><br /> <li>Once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax.</li><br /> <li>Boil another pot of water till boiling and put the just cooked noodles into the<br /> hot boiling water and then turn off the flame.</li><br /> <li>Only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is still very<br /> hot, you put the ingredient with the soup base powder into the water, to make noodle<br /> soup.</li><br /> <li>However, if you are making dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.</li><br /></ol><br />Hope this piece of information is of importance to your health in relation to eating instant noodles and please apply this cooking method with immediate effect.hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-56209303373612334732007-04-05T22:36:00.000+08:002007-04-05T23:31:51.976+08:00Income TaxThis month is the month that all Malaysian, whose main source of income are derived from employment, dread. It's tax submission time! We all have to submit our tax return by the end of this month, otherwise, a penalty will be slapped on you.<br /><br />I, too, dread this ordeal even though my vocation is in the accounting and finance field. My sympathy goes to those who are not so well versed with this thorny yearly affair called tax filing. Of course one can approach a tax agent to do his/her tax. But that can be costly for a wage earner where every single cents counts. These days, the cost of living is getting higher and higer! <br /><br />There are two things in life that is certain: One is death, the other is tax! How true! One cannot escape from this fact of life. Every where there is tax - service tax, sales tax, real property gain tax, etc. Even in death one is not spared - there is this tax called estate duty!<br /><br />But tax is one way that the government could distribute income fairly throughout society. Thus, the higher the income one gets the higher the tax you pay. I could almost hear you saying "Is that really fair?". <br /><br />From my past dealings in assisting some friends to complete their income tax return form, they seem to have this notion that they should not pay tax at all! They would say "I worked so hard. Why should I share my money with the government? They are rich enough!". This is a misconception that they perpetuate in their mind.<br /><br />I would always do my part as a loyal citizen to explain the philosophy behind this issue and perform my duty to submit the tax return promptly and as accurately as possible to the best of my knowledge.<br /><br />So do your part as a loyal citizen! Go, file your tax return now!hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-91980151022943422102007-04-03T23:23:00.000+08:002007-04-05T17:56:18.204+08:00Unusual EncounterIs there such a thing as ghosts? I think this question has been asked since the dawn of civilization. Well, honestly, I have not seen one, and hope will never! However, I do believe there is such a thing. I recollect one strange encounter when I was a small child around the age of 5 years, or thereabout (I couldn't remember exactly).<br /><br />I remembered that at that time I was very sick then, with high fever and that sort of thing and almost felt like dying, sleeping most of the time. One night while sleeping I was awoken by some strange very loud banging noise on the door of the room next to my parents room in which I was sleeping. The banging was incessant and absolutely very loud and it sounded as if someone was desparately trying to get out of a locked room. It came in a sort of rhythmic banging. <br /><br />But very strangely, despite the loudness of the noise, both my parents were sound asleep as if nothing had happened. I then realised that it was I alone who could hear this sound. I was so scared that I dared not opened my eyes for fear of seeing something fearful. I tolerated the noise and very soon I got so tired and fell asleep. When I got up the next morning I dared not even walk pass the room. Slowly, after a few days had passed by, I bravely went and inspected the door but found nothing unusual - no damages or whatsoever as I expected to see, at least, something if someone was banging that hard!<br /><br />Up till today that thought still haunts me even though I had not seen anything hideous, but the incessant banging noise still lingers in my memory.<br /><br />Is what I experienced was simply a hallucination of the mind when you are very sick, or what?hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-70131530675662556732007-04-02T19:32:00.000+08:002008-12-10T08:05:48.760+08:00Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand PrixOn this coming weekend the <a href="http://www.malaysiangp.com.my/history.htm" target=new>Sepang International Circuit</a> will be hosting the Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix. While shopping in the nearby shopping complex, I came across this exhibition by Honda.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVUoy_TVA2gwsT8kSbPgHKfCBWU1Z_Lya6SZXXPdHduvCFMeiycRqSOin1oaIiyvvLZ-_vlkAtkaln2E2lxHi3eha5usDATj8ZJvXVQpSjYG77OMOshQ_1CJBry4AIwiyLTmk-p1AUA/s1600-h/HondaF1_2081.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVUoy_TVA2gwsT8kSbPgHKfCBWU1Z_Lya6SZXXPdHduvCFMeiycRqSOin1oaIiyvvLZ-_vlkAtkaln2E2lxHi3eha5usDATj8ZJvXVQpSjYG77OMOshQ_1CJBry4AIwiyLTmk-p1AUA/s200/HondaF1_2081.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048836993901710018" /></a><br />Though not exactly an ardent F1 fan but, nevertheless,the upcoming sporting event did caught me with some excitement.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2Ar6oVioyXxdmF27CdkzfYWyPbRSbR0xFWvWoL11R9Lq2Y3ZRmE3ONSnOayDFJkSpxCh7tUxWLoJa3XZy9y8vTzcWDzb52reNYIY2wwSXEVUfdLr2lkykU_jrvXGviQUMVkwzSdleg/s1600-h/HondaF1_2096.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2Ar6oVioyXxdmF27CdkzfYWyPbRSbR0xFWvWoL11R9Lq2Y3ZRmE3ONSnOayDFJkSpxCh7tUxWLoJa3XZy9y8vTzcWDzb52reNYIY2wwSXEVUfdLr2lkykU_jrvXGviQUMVkwzSdleg/s200/HondaF1_2096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048837960269351634" /></a><br />The race over this weekend would be a particularly interesting one because, in the absence of Michael Schumacher (he quitted last year), it remains to be seen who can take over Schumacher as the master of the wet (track). It has been forecasted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department that afternoon showers and thunderstorms would hit the track areas. But Ferrari's Kim Raikkonen may prove to be the team to beat as they have chalked up a comfortable win in Melbourne two weeks ago. However, McLaren, with world champion Fernando Alonso, could be the winner.<br /><br />Let the race begins!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuP5AzbRkTUBN0XhxoVWDFkGwxeRe_RpXLeV9khP9EtLYTMmBchx9uFSBeq855fwd6KKr2oKj8KQw3p_Z3sFWR-b40xWOYESzk_rCNVBIqWK32QROOpOmv2apg_xA4YoYS-4V-LM503Q/s1600-h/Petronas+BMW+IMG_2102.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuP5AzbRkTUBN0XhxoVWDFkGwxeRe_RpXLeV9khP9EtLYTMmBchx9uFSBeq855fwd6KKr2oKj8KQw3p_Z3sFWR-b40xWOYESzk_rCNVBIqWK32QROOpOmv2apg_xA4YoYS-4V-LM503Q/s200/Petronas+BMW+IMG_2102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050733428098764802" /></a>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-83036706817560472002007-04-01T16:48:00.000+08:002007-04-01T16:59:58.663+08:00Mind, Body, Spirit And Fluttering Thoughts: Cleansing Colon For Wellness<a href="http://francoyong.blogspot.com/2007/03/cleansing-colon-for-wellness.html" target=new>Mind, Body, Spirit And Fluttering Thoughts: Cleansing Colon For Wellness</a>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8119918472712677356.post-85449398570150673322007-04-01T14:28:00.002+08:002008-05-30T11:24:06.469+08:00Colon Cleansing and DetoxPreviously, I used to get this colicky pain in my abdomen despite eating fruits almost everyday (we have been advised to balance our diet with fruits and vegetables). As I am approaching mid-fifties I noticed that my bowel movement is getting sluggish although I never did have any constipation problem.<br /><br />One day, about a year and a half ago while doing marketing I saw this stall selling some health foodstuff and among them was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium" target=new>psyllium husk</a>. The stallowner suggested that I should try this.<br /><br />Dutifully ever since then, I would drink this concoction first thing every morning:<br /><ol><br /> <li>A tablespoon of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey" target=new>honey</a>. For this I use unprocessed clover honey.</li><br /> <li>One or two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I use <a href="http://www.bragg.com/products/applecidervinegar.html"target=new>Bragg raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar</a> for this.</li><br /> <li>One tablespoon of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium" target=new>psyllium husk</a>.</li><br /></ol><br />I mix them all in a glass-full of water and drink it immediately. Might not be exactly palatable stuff but it does wonders. Of course you may use fruit juices instead of plain water but I prefer non-sugary stuff.<br /><br />Now I must say that my pain is gone and one unexpected beneficial side-effect I noticed was that my other gastrointestinal problem was gone as well! - that problem was the tendency to purge each time I eat some spicy food like curries.<br /><br />Daniel Reid in his book entitled "<em>The Tao of Detox</em>" advocates that psyllium seed is one useful supplement in a detox diet. It is the most effective available natural fiber-bulking supplement for clearing bowels of impacted faeces, dry mucoid plaque, and putrefactive food residue. Because of its mucilaginous property it acts like a broom sweeping the entire digestive tract.<br /><br />Everyday we would brush our teeth and washes our face. But for most of us we neglect to clean one important organ - the gastrointestinal tract !. Neglect it and we could be paying a price for that in later life - in terms of higher risk to <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/DS00035" target=new>colon cancer</a>. So cleanse your colon now for a healthy YOU!<br /><br />If you are seeking alcohol or <a href="http://www.thecyn.com/">drug rehab</a>, the web is the best way to <a href="http://www.uky.edu/SocialWork/current/field/placements/agency-descrip.php?AgencyName=Recovery%20Works%20Drug%20and%20Alcohol%20Rehab%20Center">get started</a>. Take a look at all of the amazing <a href="http://www.nida.nih.gov/Scienceofaddiction/treatment.html">programs</a> offered such as a <a href="http://www.thecyn.com/virtual-tour/">alcohol rehab center</a>, and a <a href="http://www.thecyn.com/treatment-programs/">alcohol treatment program</a> too.<br /><br>hfchanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14688088974503831092noreply@blogger.com1