Ho Gai Siao

Attempted to fry something a while ago on a metallic ordinary looking but apparently very expensive German brand frying pan (Vxx brand) and ended up staining the pan big time cos the food will just stick to it the moment it hits the pan's surface.. Had to put real lots of oil to prevent the stick and needless to say, everytime you try to flip the foodstuff, you'll risk 'dismembering' it cos some parts will stick to the pan..
That's not all though, the washing was a real pain, cos the stains are so hard... i mean unremovable.

So having had enough of this sticky issue, Dear and me went in search of the infamous non stick pans..
Surprised to see NTUC hypermart selling Tefal in their store. (Thought Tefal very atas and expensive) and it cost about $30 per pan.
Really glad we bought it.. this brand really 'bo hao siao', really really non stick. With almost a non existent amount of oil, i can literally slide an omellete off the pan without using my spatula.
So if you're facing the same problems as us, feel free to try Tefal :)

Controversial

Was at a teaching today and the topic of abortion was brought up.. The question goes: maid came for routine work permit renewal and was noted to be urine pregnancy test positive. Will you refer her for abortion if she request for it?
Well, most of us agree that she has the right to be referred.
However, 1 colleague said "For me, I'll definitely not refer.. Because of my religion.."
So it sparked a refute:"The maid is a human and should have the freedom to choose, so i feel the decision shouldn't be affected by the doctor's religion." I always thought conscious objectors to abortion will just not perform it, they could refer to somebody else if patient requests..

But anyway, my focus was his answer.. He said he didn't want it because his religion doesn't support/allow it. I guess if his answer was:"I don't support abortion because it's killing a life to me", I might see him in another light.

Religions are a good guide for the way we live, it makes us better persons, it gives us support whenever we need it as we'll always believe there's someone up there looking out for us when we're down. Most religions offer a desired end point when we follow the teachings: Nirvana in Buddhism, being a sage in Taoism etc. We however haven't seen someone reach the endpoint in recent years...

I wonder if it could be that we're now working backwards instead of understanding the essence in the religions/teachings We'll follow rules/commandments like not killing, not eating a particular food, not doing certain acts.. Most of the time, we do it because 'the religion says so'. Even if we manage to understand the rationale, are we able to internalise it?
That's why when he said:"My religion doesn't allow it" It seems he's following the teaching, probably not understanding it and more likely not internalising it. But who am i to judge?

I feel that the founder of the particular religion/teaching worked it out the reverse direction. i.e. there's a principle he has already understood in the beginning and has internalised it (The Tao/The way to enlightenment) and henceforth, he acts in ways in accordance to the basic principle. Over years, in a bid to get people to understand (Lao Zi said so: he can't describe this thing called Tao), these ways become like rules/methods that may lead to the ultimate destination. Maybe that's why so little people are successful in attaining the target? Cos now everyone will be working backwards

Well, i'm not a religious person, somehow just interested in them.. Will most probably be someone who can't see the light :)

Seeing the light?

Noob Kia

Started playing DOTA some time ago.. I was wondering how people were so attracted to the game (that was quite some years ago) and now am beginning to understand why..
It's just like a team sport.. gather 10 people and it's 5v5. Team work is needed to score goals (pawn heads in this instance) The sensation of owning the game is undescribable and gives you great stress relieve when you are able to take it out on creeps and enemy heroes.
Inevitably, the beginning is difficult.. You dunno where the dangers are, you dunno which heroes are more dangerous and you often get ambush and pawned.. Then you'll be feeding the opposition with hoardes of gold and your team mate will curse you and shout "you noob la!!" or "stop feeding la you noob!!"
Alas, some time spent on playing will yield some experience and you know which hero you are more comfortable with and which one is more 'gay' i.e. able to stun the enemy and hit them while they are stuck in the position..

I sort of thought of the time when i started playing soccer in university with my classmates. I love soccer since primary school but was never good at it... But i still loved it... So because some one asked if i wanted to play, i agreed, thinking that it was like my secondary school days when everyone played for fun..
Little did i know that they used to be schoolteam players and you guessed it.. I was the noob kia again.
Kicking grounders when i should clear the ball far.. Missing tackles.. Rounded by strikers.. Ballooning the ball right in front of the goal line..

Fortunately, despite the screamings i got from the team mates, everyone was a friend after the games, they will tell me how to play better, that they dun mind me playing with them still..
Must say that without their patience and teachings.. I honestly wouldn't improve in the game.. will still be a kampong street soccer kid :)

Somehow, this leads me to think of job satisfaction.. I guess there are many things that makes a job satisfying.. My first thought is pay, but even if one is paid 10k and gets scolded at everyday, doesn't get any recognition etc.. is the job still satisfying?
Recently was in a ward with a consultant who gets agitated easily.. even a nurse knocking on the door to the MO room will get him into a fit (if he's doing some teaching). So naturally when there's one or two points about a patient you're not sure about, he'll show some agitation. So even though the ward has like less than 10 patients, and there's little to do, there wasn't satisfaction at the end of the day. You're just living in constant fear...

I'm now in a busier ward, but the consultants are nicer.. They appreciate what you know and what you do, instead of irking at what you don't know and what you didn't do.. So even if you're busy the whole day, ending the day later and having short lunches.. you'll still feel that the day has gone well and feel real satisfied at the end of it..
Can understand why dear's so lack of motivation to work with her BIG BOSS :P