Food for thought

Here's a way to create the healthiest instant ramen without resorting to packet noodles filled with artificial flavorings and preservatives. And yes, you can take it to work too. A piping hot meal in minutes.






I was thrilled when a close childhood friend of mine, Christine agreed to be interviewed for the Beauty Secrets series over at Swoon Mag. By the way, this photo was taken with an iPhone. No photoshopping. Nada. And yup, she's 41. And what's more....she's not only beautiful and smart, she's one of the most thoughtful and nicest people I know.


Recently, Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans of New York featured the principal. teachers and students of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a school in Brownsville, a high crime and poverty ridden area in Brooklyn. He has raised well over a millions dollars (thanks to readers all over the world) and counting. The funds will provide scholarships and funding for trips to Harvard and summer camps for the next 10 years. It's an incredible feat. What's more...it'll help many underprivileged students and change the next generation for the better. More on this here.

Interesting Weekend reads

English in America vs the U.K. For the record, I use the word stroller but over here, it's not pram as stated in the video. It's either buggy or pushchair.

10 steps to looking photogenic. Invaluable tips especially if you're camera shy.

How to cut an onion without crying. You'll be surprised.....

Why I bought a $4K jacket I can't afford.

How I broke up with my clothes.

What I instagrammed vs what was really happening.

Interesting Reads for the weekend

I couldn't stop laughing my head off reading this. Having grown up in two different continents, this article certainly hits the nail on the head. 10 ways to spot an Asian from Asia vs an American born Asia (include N.Z/Australia/Canada/UK in the mix too).

What British people say vs what they mean. So so true.

Be blown away by this itty bitty 8 year old lean mean dancing machine.

15 minimalist hacks to maximize your life.

Too lazy to iron or you loathe ironing more than your frenemies? Here are 5 easy ways to de-wrinkle your clothes.

Interesting reads for the weekend

The truth behind Facebook.

The sweetest love story I've ever read.

Learning to say yes the Malaysian way.

Off duty dressing with Miranda Kerr.

A special exhibition for trench coat lovers titled "From Field to Fashion", carefully curated from start to finish by a dear friend of mine is now on at The Discovery Centre in Winchester. More about it here.

20 actual responses to stupid tourist questions about Australia.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend

Sometimes what you see is all made believe. Instagrammed versus what really happened.

This song "Agape" is based loosely on a real story of a mother who sacrificed her life to save her baby during the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008.

10 things I've learned in my career.

31 photos that will rock you.

Blowing the lid off racial profiling.

Skinny jeans: destroyer of iPhones, enemy of sperm and threat to the world.

As more Asian friends and THEIR friends, all in their 20s discuss about having multiple cosmetic surgery procedures done on them, it made me think of this.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend

Why red carpet make up looks bad in real life.

What is it like to be discreetly wealthy? Here's the goss, straight from the horses' mouths.

What do parents REALLY feel when they brag about their kids.

10 incredible hotels in Bali for under USD $50 a night.

Skincare tips from around the world.

Inside Hermès: Luxury's secret empire.

Interesting Reads for the weekend

All these talks about sun and aging. Here's how you really look.

The complacent generation.

When a fashion shoot goes too far.

31 before and after photos of Korean plastic surgery.

Perfectly timed photos.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend

35 genius hacks that everyone should know.

Actions speak louder than words. Based on a true story.

How cultures around the world think about parenting.

A trip down the memory lane for my early days growing up in Borneo.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend

Here's the ultimate Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote guide complete with everything you'll ever need to know about the bag.

The co-founder of the popular Polyvore, Jess Lee with the story of how she went from a super user to being the CEO of the company.

What happens if you have to tell someone something important that will change their life forever?

The case for fewer but better clothes.

10 life lessons from a Navy Seal.

Food For Thought

This post titled "Life lessons I learnt in my 20s" touched my heart in more ways than one. Michelle's wise words will undoubtedly resonate with many regardless of which age group we belong to.

She might be known as Tiger Woods' ex wife but Elin Nordegren's inspiring speech when she was honored as her class' 2014 Outstanding Graduating Senior demonstrated dignity, determination and humility.

The next generation elevator? You WILL howl with laughter.

If your passion is food and travel, you'll love this blog.

And to all of you in the U.S, New Zealand and Australia who are celebrating Mother's Day today  - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I hope you managed to get exceedingly spoiled by your little ones.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend.

I hate to be the proverbial clichéd (adopted) English person who talks incessantly about the weather but when you have the ever changing atmospheric conditions like here, it's difficult not to get obsessed with it. I'm not packing my winter coats just yet. Right. Marching onwards and discarding the temptation to continue to whinge about it.

I've never truly dieted but being on hypertensive meds for life has a way of changing one's lifestyle which included eating healthier and doing more strenuous exercises. However, this heartfelt and truly inspiring story about losing 100 pounds (yes, you heard right. 100 pounds) just blew me out of the water.

I'm guilty of never listening to the flight attendants' spiel about air safety. Bet most of us are equally guilty of committing this particular sin. Here's a different take on it. You'll want sit up and pay attention if you get a flight attendant like this.

I'm still a HUGE fan of anything Hermes despite thinking that their Petit H range is a little naff. Here's an interview with Pierre-Alexis Dumas about the principles of Hermes.

If you love Paris, this is one blog you'll NEED to read.

These are simple words but many of us make that mistake time and time again. Here's a description of 30 incorrectly used words that make us look bad.

The mantra of this blog has always been buying less but better quality clothes at a price range that you can afford. There's more awareness of ethical clothing these days but it is still difficult to identify which manufacturer practices it and which ones don't. In any case, here's an insight to this dilemma.

Interesting Reads for the weekend

Happy Mother's Day to all exhausted moms out there doing the very best they can in their most challenging and rewarding job on earth. I woke up to find a beautiful handmade card from Lil L, carefully placed next to me on the bed. I know I've featured this video here before but it needs to be seen again. Why? Because we are so hard on ourselves. We beat ourselves up for every little "failure" yet our kids see a completely different picture of us.

If you think your life lacks drama, perhaps this might jazz it up a bit.

10 famous bodies that look so different from their photoshopped selves.

I hate housework. Period. If you're like me and want to find shortcuts to make your life easier, then check out these 21 DIY cleaning tips.

Here's a remarkable story of a stray dog called Hero who'd saved a life.

Interesting Reads for the weekend

Pretty Loafers/Pretty Ballerinas

There's an ongoing debate on who has it worst off - the stay at home mom or the working mom.  Perhaps this article will offer you a fresh perspective.

The rise of fashion sweatshirt. All the more reason to keep buying them.

My Hermes Cape Cod double tour watch gets a lot of mileage. It was interesting to see a watchmaker  at work by painstakingly putting each minuscule piece together at the Hermes exhibition a year ago. Here's an  intriguing animated video about Hermes watches.

Whenever you feel despondent about your career, remember that the much lauded successful people faced rejection too.  Perhaps this will make you feel a little better and give you hope.

I don't see the point of paying £25-40 for Lil L's simple trim so I decided to cut her hair myself. Obviously, I've been doing it all wrong. Here's a step by step instruction on how to do it right and save yourself some money.

Interesting Reads for the Weekend

Here's what Eva Chen, editor in chief of Lucky magazine has to say about being cocky.

A tearjerker video about the love of a mom in the most unusual circumstances.

Ever wonder what an undercover Michelin inspector actually do? A reporter followed one for a day. Here's the story.

How to be successful in life and business - by Jack Ma, a billionaire and the founder of Alibaba

Remember my post about Women and Our Self Image? Thank you to those of you who'd shared the story on Facebook and Twitter. I'm humbled by the lengths that you go to just to get the story out to friends and followers. So tweet or Facebook away if you think someone needs to hear the message.

Following on the theme about beauty, Oscar winner Lupito Nyong'o's speech will blow you away.


Don't forget to enter my Monica Vinader Fiji Friendship bracelet giveaway. The final day is Sunday 9th of March.

Food for thought

This is a hilarious video which I'm sure many of you who'd immigrated from Asia to a western country can relate to.

And oldie but a goodie. A video of what street style is like these days.

Jarrid Wilson's post about why he's getting a divorce. Well, a different type of divorce......

Here's a reminder why bullying is NOT ok. Cyber bullying, high school bullying or any kind of action with a malicious intent.

This is an unbelievably moving poem about why this man misspelled the word father.

Lastly, I want to thank those of you who wrote and told me a little about yourself here. It's never easy to bare a little of your soul and for that, I want to thank you for your courage. Keep writing because your words will touch many others who're going through similar situation.

Food for thought

We've been living like hermits this week with Lil L being sick. It doesn't help that the weather has been rather.......lacklustre (trying to be diplomatic rather than spewing out negative adjectives). We managed to console ourselves by eating like queens and princesses. The sliced peaches reminded me of the lovely sunshine in Provence. Le sighhhhh...... Speaking of south of France, here are 10 top villages you'll have to visit on your next trip there.

Anyhoo....moving forward onto more cheerful matters. I thought I'd share more interesting reads. I think women are hardest on themselves, particularly if you're a mom. You question yourself and beat yourself up for the littlest mistakes. Your kids, on the other hand, remember the love the radiates through your gestures and actions. Take a look at this video. It will inspire you to do your best and put a tear in your eye.

I think it's nuts that people have to queue up hours to get a cronut (did you like the pun?? sorry, I couldn't resist). But here's a recipe so give it a whirl and save yourself a fortune.

Fashion Week is upon us again. I don't know about you but I'm getting feeling more and more disinterested by the whole drama. Here's what Business of Fashion has to say about street style.

Interesting reads for the weekend

Weekend's all about lounging around which means that the outfit du jour consists of sweats. Just in case you're still wondering, yup..........I'm still unabashedly in sweat pants most of the time. I was inspired by these ladies who rocked the look so well. 

I'm not a big of IT bags but they're not going to go away anytime soon. Check out this article about why status bag just won't die.

Once upon a time, blogs were simple, unsophisticated and merely a vehicle for some to share their outfits and thoughts. These days, those who gain stardom are model-esque gazelles and represent a very small portion of the society. There's more pressure on many to look thin. This is where Photoshop skills come in handy.  Here's what Jen of Style Crusader has to say.

Each time I hop over yet another decade in age, my tolerance for heels decreases. Here are a few tips from Marie Helvin on how to survive high heels. 

I know it's awful and we shouldn't do it but most of us who have children do moan about our husbands and their severe lack of know how when it comes to child minding. I love these post it notes from a stay at home dad.

What makes a woman stylish? Here are 7 habits of highly stylish people.

What I've been reading and watching

 


I'm in the midst of packing for our upcoming trip. I'm a little unprepared having done practically no reading about the city we're going to other than the fact that it has been on my top places to visit list for the last 2 decades. How ironic. Ah well.... I've packed the guide books so I guess I'll be busy cramming on the plane. Before I sign for the week, I'd like to share a few links as well as photos I took of Little Venice in London recently.

The art of packing by Louis Vuitton

Bits of it is in Mandarin but this is one of the best advice I've heard on how to deal with rejection from a very famous pop singer and musician.

What luxury can learn from Starbucks in China

If I wasn't enamored with eclairs before, I am now, thanks to Carin. This is taking eclairs to another level.

This has got to be the most comprehensive and stunning 7 episode series of the origin of the Chinese cuisine.