Stressed? Lethargic? Overweight? It's in the Sleep!

I'M LATE 'COS I COULDN'T WAKE UP.

In my profession, I get plenty of that almost everyday. Are you guilty as charged?

In many highly-energetic countries that never sleep such as Singapore, it is not surprising to find many insomniacs. In some serious cases, sleepiness creeps in only when the sun is peeping through the horizons and when the birds are busy chirping to welcome a brand new morning. Pertaining to this, I have a little confession to make.

I am not a morning person myself, for crying out loud. Given the choice, I would love for my alarm clock to scream only at noon. Alas, responsibilities beckon, I have to unwillingly push myself out of bed like a heavy log that is stuck to the muddy ground.

A friend who is a chronic party-goer ever wished that sleeping was optional (so there could be 8 extra hours of Zouk and St James Powerstation). I responded to her to the tune of Daughtry's infamous melody,"Be careful what you wish for, 'cos you just might get it all...".

Imagine life without sleep and/or lack of sleep. It is disastrous to the natural functioning of our body. Here are some reasons why (extracted from various credible sources):

1. When you get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night, you are at a higher risk of developing diseases (heart attack, stroke, and the likes).

2. When your body is sleep deficient, the body's functions are put on high alert which causes an increase in blood pressure and a production of stress hormones.

3. Lack of sleep reduces your alertness. You then wake up feeling cranky, lethargic and zombie-ish.

4. Researchers have also found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. YIKES!

5. Allow your body to shutdown. Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage.

Love yourself, sleep early. Good night!

Of Seeing and Being Happy

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

When I came across this phrase on the title of a Straits Times article around National Day, I pondered at its relevance. You see, I do not spend much time in front of the telly. When I do, it's predominantly for Discovery Travel & Living - to watch my favourite eloquent chef-presenters whipping up dishes as delicious as themselves or articulate travel personalities taking me on amazing virtual trips from the comfort of my armchair. Hence, I had no slightest suspicion that those 4 magical words stood for the title of this year's ND song.

So, What Do I See?

I see my beloved homeland prosper under the virtuosity of good governance. I see a highly-wired nation toying with the latest in technology almost on a daily basis. I see many conveniences within easy reach. I see many more foreign faces in public places, that I sometimes feel like an alien in my own backyard. Fearfully, I am also seeing increasing cases of moral decadence and self-inflicted albatross amongst Singaporeans who have embraced them as a way of life. I also see smaller spaces for me to manoeuvre around, as the country pursues its mission to increase the population size. And to my utter driving dismay, I see more and more traffic lights on the roads.

In general, I see many more riches and sophistication in this super efficient country. But the irony is Singaporeans are the least happy people in Asia. Paradoxes of modern life? Maybe. Ungrateful lot? Most likely.

Ultimately, where do I see myself in the future? In a place where I can greet "Happy Birthday, Singapore" and be truly HAPPY. Will that place be Singapore?

We shall SEE.

Sex Isn't Just an Activity, Kiddo!

APPALLED. DISGUSTED. HORRIFIED. METAGROBOLIZED.


If you've diffulty figuring out what the last word is, it clearly signals you're too young to even think about...SEX. Let alone get yourself involved in it.

I woke up on the morning of 5 Aug to a bizarre front page article of the Straits Times. The 4 words above flashed in my head like the emergency lights on a moving ambulance. How could this happen in our (once) conservative Asian society? Easy, blame the unruly effects of modern media. Or maybe, the lack of parental control. Worst still, sex education-gone-wrong! Whichever the case, the situation is getting out of hand. No thanks, kiddies, for your attempt at trying to boost our nation's population (with unwanted pregnancy). You have a whole future ahead of you to plan for. What's the hurry for sex anyway?

Everyone goes through the period of raging hormones and curiosity for experimentation. But to take that curiosity all the way is simply killing the cat. Picture yourself having to support a child before you even know what CPF stands for. If you irresponsibly say abortion is the easiest way out, bear the lifetime guilt of killing an innocent being conceived through your own selfish and brainless act. What about the awful effects of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and the loss of a coveted crown (virginity) to a random person that you would unlikely marry? If you're a believer in God, how does incurring His wrath sound to you?

"Well, everyone is doing it. What's the fuss?".

The fuss is, do you want to be EVERYONE? Can you not be that someone who is special, smart, discerning and precious. Reserve it 'til after marriage, easy does it.

When that coveted crown is gone prematurely and voluntarily, it is regretfully gone for good. And how would you feel afterwards? Stupid.

Who's Kebaya, Kueh Lapis and Ondeh-ondeh Is It Anyway?

I caught up with a long-time buddy, Y, last weekend. Over a plate of fried sotong balls with mayonnaise and Thai chilli sauce, our discussion effortlessly transcended from topic to topic; from Twitter to teenage angst to Gucci to culture. That's how it has always been for us, considering that we're pretty opinionated people who have respectfully agreed to disagree.

The stimulating conversation somewhat took a jammed brake, when Y dropped this bomb -why are we Malays losing our rights over Kebaya, Kueh Lapis and Ondeh-ondeh to the Peranakans? Because this thought has squatted on my mind before, I quickly replied "because we Malays are not championing our rights". He glared at me in a manner that if eyes could kill, I would have been dead then, face down on that plate of sotong balls.

"Eh, rilek lah, I was merely stating the obvious. How many times have you heard Malays proudly proclaiming "my Malay is not good". Not that their English is kilat either! So proud of their cultural deficiency", I shot the statements back at Y. This time, my glare could have nullified his existence too. No, we weren't locking horns, we were just bewildered to learn of our own cultural erosion via kebaya, kueh lapis and ondeh-ondeh.

What irked Y the most (and I must confess myself too) is when he mentioned his mum's plan to tailor a kebaya suit for special ocassions, certain uninitiated member of the Singapore community plainly queried "why, your mum got Peranakan blood meh?", as if that is pre-requisite for wearing kebayas.

I am no culture expert, but what I learnt from readings is that Kebaya originated from the Arab region. It came to the Malay Archipelago and was widely worn by the Indonesians. Over time, the Peranakans in Melaka re-adapted it and called it Kebaya Nyonya. But then, our young ones today might (mistakenly) think the Singapore Girl, Joanne Peh and Jeannette Aw were the true champions of the kebaya! But hey, long before SIA and The Little Nyonya, the Malays have been wearing kebayas during Hari Raya, aside from baju kurung.

As for ondeh-ondeh, kueh lapis and the likes, I really don't know who is the true custodian - the Malays or the Peranakans. But what I do know is, Begawan Solo was the pioneer in raising the status of these kuehs by housing them in air conditioned bakery shops and giving them chic packaging, albeit they're not Halal certified.

The thing is this, if we happily and voluntarily repudiate what is rightfully ours, let's not blame those who chose to inherit and embrace it lovingly. Same goes for not knowing how to speak Malay, the non-Malays are already learning and speaking it well (applies to other forms of Mother Tongue - be it Mandarin, Tamil or others).

In the midst of modernity, do not debunk who we truly are and the Asian root that has grown deep in us. Happy National Day!