Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Arty Ubud


A collage of Balinese dancers in Lilac

Hindu Mandala 





Gadis Islam 

 Art Nouveau in Ubud 

Marilyn with a difference

Barong

After the dance

Art and religion

Beaded basket work

Graffiti in Penestanan

Street art

Wall art

Balinese beauty

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Jet lag & Viagra - myth or truth?

I know for a fact that you can actually feel and probably look like this double-headed monster when you are suffering from jet lag!


Yes the myths are true - it's worse if you are travelling in an eastward direction, if you are above the age of 50, if you are on your period, if you are hung over and if you are already stressed before your flight.

For those who love definitions, jet lag or desynchronosis or secondary circadian dysrhythmia is a physiological disruption of the circadian rhythm resulting in sleep disorder when travelling across a number of time zones. There are 24 time zones, so for example, flying from KL to London is equivalent to 7 time zones.

The above negatives, notwithstanding, the traveller can expect recovery time to take at least a day or more per time zone to recover. Do the math! 7 - 14 days at least.

Morning people are affected worse than night owls. Apart from insomnia, fatigue, diarrhoea, constipation, dehydration, anxiety, irritability, nausea and headache are common associated problems.

Argentinian scientists (BBC News 22 May 2007) proved that hamsters exposed to light therapy (apparently equivalent to flying eastwards - go figure?) recovered 50% faster with Viagra.

Hooray . . . if you are a hamster with spare Viagra!

In the general population, 25% are minimally affected. The 25% who can be badly affected are willing to get their hands on anything for a full nights' sleep.

How about over the counter (OTC) melatonin?? In 2005, MIT meta analysis of 17 peer reviewed studies using melatonin showed it was effective in helping people fall asleep at 0.3 mg dose. A profitable market for various alternative remedies is out there.
To help get in control of the situation, here are a few suggestions for before and after time zone travel:-

keep well hydrated, avoid alcohol and caffeine, exercise, a diet higher in protein than carbohydrates, take naps to catch up on sleep and wise use of sleep medication. Nothing new. You basically have to tough it out.

NB: Viagra is taken at your own risk . . . unless you are a hamster . . . sweet dreams!

Saturday, 22 November 2008

How much golf can you play, man?

In support of my partners' growing passion . . .for golf, that is, . . . this blog is dedicated to him.

Who says practice makes perfect?
A bad workman blames his tools . . .

The agony and ectasy of putting.

Slow play!

How the mind works.

Office antics.

The night before the big game.

You know your hooked when . . .

Size is everything . . .

Drop shot anyone?

It's a whole new ball game,when the wife decides she wants to take up golf!

REPLACE YOUR DIVOTS PLEASE!

Get out the rule book.

Oops! There goes the new driver.

Some insist on the silent treatment . . .shhh!

It's so challenging playing overseas.
When is the next trip Sheikh Rosli?

His buddy asked him "How much golf can you play, man?"


Never enough brader . . .

Sunday, 16 November 2008

HomeDec08

KLCC was teeming with people on Saturday, rushing to and from the LRT station, as well as to and from the KL Convention Center.From the brightly lit tunnel, visitors were shunted through the relatively dark and busy car park, instead of gaining direct entrance to the exhibition halls. This, I suspect, was executed by management as a means of crowd control, which was uncalled for and particularly unsafe for the large numbers of children visiting the Aquarium. This type of unintelligent problem solving is a recurring malady of our organisations.


Home Decor 08 is a regular exhibition for Malaysian and foreign manufacturers to market the latest home improvement ideas, home appliances and building materials.

This locally manufactured surface is made of perspex embedded with ovum Jasper stones. As it is translucent it allows light transmission giving a unique effect. The claim is that this surface is non porous, non toxic and is scratch resistant.



Wallpaper is back in vogue, from floral to retro to Victorian designs, and can cost an arm and a leg.


Don't think of drapes only as yards and yards of fabric. These are panels of closely set cord giving a fluid-like effect. Be warned. Children love running their fingers (and bodies) through them and can be tempted to swing from them too!

This year I notice that doors have been given a fresh new look. The decorative glass panelled doors sport retro or Art deco designs, and the wooden doors have simple tasteful lines.




From the ornate to the garish. . .


. . . to sheer opulence.

Security must be problem as business is certainly brisk here. Hello has anyone heard of the global recession?You may also want to add a home safe to your shopping list.

The hard sell.

"How much per foot run?" Are they buying or just resting ? The tub of your dreams? Together with the bubbles, blue LED lights add to the experience.

We can't live without our telly's can we? You can get a 32" flat screen LCD for about RM 1500 now.

Malaysia is fast becoming a coffee drinking nation. Espresso gizmo must-haves.

If a device promises to purify the air in your bedroom (even though you spend 4 hours daily inhaling traffic fumes), or a humidifier that will cool your patio (despite spending 18 hours a day in dry air conditioning) there will be enough suckers who will want it and even influence their friends to buy one.

A new slant this year is the ID (interior design) clinic. A row of ID companies offering consultancy services are a popular attraction. I came across an unpretentious display of au natural teak wood furniture from Indonesia. The vendor is from Surabaya, and his two part time assistants, Hussein and Habiel, are Indonesian students studying in a private college in KL.

Zaini, an architect by training and an artist by passion, runs a studio in Bukit Bintang. Offering 'original works at reasonable prices' (his tag line) he aims to bring art to a broader audience. A brochure with prints of his work, biodata and inspiration are elegantly set in glossy white art card. There's fusion cuisine, this is fusion glass, so the artist tells me about his work. In 3 D, the picture is fused onto glass and embellished with colour. It's good to get out into the open after all that.