Xiao Huang's New Friends - The Chinchilla

Xiao Huang recently just made 2 new Chinchilla friends. We name them Xiao Hei & Xiao Hui for the time being as we are not the owner. They will be under our care till end of the year when Jully's Sister, Tina, new place is ready. They have been here for a week or so & its really fun taking care of them. Think they will make great picture with my 50mm f1.8 Prime.

Observed their behavior for afew days & the sound they make caught my attention. Wonder if they are not used to or don't like what's going on in their new environment. Hope they will like their new home for the months ahead.

Chinchillas are crepuscular rodents, slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mountains in South America. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they comprise the family Chinchillidae.

The animal whose name literally means "little Chincha" is named after the Chincha people of the Andes, who once wore its dense, velvet-like fur. By the end of the 19th century, chinchillas had become quite rare due to hunting for their fur. Most chinchillas currently used by the fur industry for clothing and other accessories are farm-raised.

The chinchilla is often used as an animal model in researching the auditory system, because the chinchilla's range of hearing (20 Hz to 30 kHz) and cochlear size is close to that of a human, and the chinchilla cochlea is fairly easy to access.

Home Improvement Projects 3 - The Pink Walk-in-Wardrobe

Home Improvement Projects 1 & 2 - Knobs & Celling Fan

Philips Carnival 2010

Philips Carnival Sale is here again & its organised for 3 days for the first time! So mark your calendar & get ready to snap up your electronic goods. Although most of the items are reconditioned set, but its still a great buy with warrenty.

Date : 28 - 30 May 2010
Time : 9am - 6pm
Venue : 620A Toa Payoh Lor 1

Short of cash? No worries.. 0% insterest free installment plan are available. Parking is available at designated areas in & around the vicinity on a first-come-first-served basis.

CNY Day 2 - 15 Feb 2010

15 Feb 2010 - CNY Day 2

CNY Day 1 - 14 Feb 2010

14 Feb 2010 - CNY Day 1

Reunion Dinner @ Long Beach - 13 Feb 2010

13 Feb 2010 - Reunion Dinner @ Long Beach

When restaurant operation is in a mass, the customers is in advantage!

Piggy from Korea

Thanks Lester & Aileen for enlarging my Piggy collection. They are so cute & Mic is going to love it. Just fed them with lots of Gold Coins tho!

In Mood for CNY

Lets go New Zealand and be FT

The land of the Maoris has set its sights on Singapore and the hunt is on for talent. The bait, better working hours and cheaper housing and cars.

That is what Immigration New Zealand (INZ), which has begun a pilot scheme to lure Singaporeans, is offering. The New Zealand government's move is another reminder that the hunt for talent worldwide is intense and Singapore is not immune. The website, which can be found at www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/singapore, extols the benefits of living and working in New Zealand.

Singaporeans interested in going to New Zealand are invited to register their interest and they will receive an e-mail telling them how to apply for relevant visas. The website, which went live on 15 Jan, is now hotly discussed in online forums. It tells Singaporeans that New Zealand is a country which offers "brilliant work and study experiences plus a relaxed lifestyle".

Calling New Zealand a country that prides itself on maintaining a health work-life balance, the website claims that jobs there are nine-to-five and offers four weeks of annual leave. Those aged 30 and below can opt for a work exchange program that allows them to travel and work in a temporary job in New Zealand for six months. The main reason for this is that Singaporeans can speak more than one language and can reach out to many Asians, especially China I guess.

The website also says that while New Zealand and Singapore have a comparable exchange rate, the former offers a lower cost of living. One New Zealand dollar is 99 Singapore cents. Compared to prices in Singapore, you'll probably find that your money will go a very long way in the New Zealand housing market. The website claims that average housing prices in New Zealand are under NZ$350,000 ($348,495) and could go up to NZ$500,000 in bigger cities. It said that Singaporeans can easily buy landed property there.

Unlike in Singapore, where there is such a high population density, you'll be able to find yourself affordable housing with a great location to match. With room for expansion, many people enjoy a garden or backyard, even if they live just outside the Central Business District.

Hassle-free car ownership is also one of the carrots the New Zealand government is dangling at Singaporeans. Here, Singaporeans have to bid to own a car and pay thousands of dollars for a Certificate of Entitlement. Will it work?

The census in 2006 showed there were 4,857 Singaporean residents in New Zealand, up from 3,912 in 2001. While the statistics show an increase, migration agents are however, unsure if more Singaporeans will bite. Last year, only 114 Singaporeans became permanent residents in New Zealand, 92 of them through the skilled and business stream.

It's spacious, cooling & beautiful. So what are we waiting for? Its time to convert this country into another Singapore.

Amazing Cucumber

This information was taken from The NewYork Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems. Don't be suprise by how amazing cucumber can be.

• Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

• Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

• Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa- like fragrance.

• Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

• Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles, too!

• Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

• Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

• Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

• Runs out of WD40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

• Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

• Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

• Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

• Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!

Ikea recalls defective LEOPARD Children's High Chair

Furniture giant Ikea has issued a global recall of the LEOPARD Children's High Chair because of a defect.

The chair has been in the market since October this year. Ikea said snap locks that secure the seat to the frame can break, making it possible for the seat to drop. Children can suffer injury to the head and other parts of the body through falls. The detached locks also pose a choking hazard.

The company said that so far, it has received 11 reports of broken locks worldwide. There have been two incidents in Europe - one, of a child falling from the chair, and another where the detached lock was found in a child's mouth.

A spokesperson from Ikea Singapore said that so far, there have been no incidents in Singapore. Some 80 units of the product have been sold here. Customers can return the product to Ikea's Alexandra or Tampines branches. They will get a full refund.

Xiao Huang Vs Ants

Ohayo! Its Xiao Huang on the morning post again.

For the past week, poor little Xiao Huang was battling against the invading ants that's eyeing on his food. Without much option, he sallow whatever is available in the food tray. So that the ants can't carry it away. Now, he's back to normal after eliminating all the ants.

Happy Baby Jotham

In Mood for Christmas