The Cinderella Pact - Sarah Strohmeyer

I'm reading this interesting and funny novel which i highly recommends to fellow book lovers. I had borrowed the book from the library as i was attracted to its simple and pretty book cover. and its interesting plot I have been reading the book the whole afternoon and it was enjoyable following the ups and downs of main character, Nola Devlin, a plus sized magazine editor who is leading a double life.....


NOLA DEVLIN HAS A SECRET IDENTITY. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column— she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even her two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.

When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact" — a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.

But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the rediscovery of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince — or the rat in coachman's clothing.

(Source: http://www.sarahstrohmeyer.com/cinderella.html)

Japanese Drama - BOSS

This detective drama premiered April 16 in Japan on Fuji TV, Thursday 10:00pm time slot and i'm interested in watching it because of my favourite actor Yutaka Takenouchi. It has also proven to be one of the most popular drama series this season. The final episode, which aired on 25 June 2009, gave the show an additional boost with 20.7% average ratings, breaking the 20% mark for the first time. Previous episode ratings ranged from 15% to 18%. The finale also had guest star Takashi Sorimachi playing a terrorist.




This series revolves around a group of peculiar detectives in a new division created to fight against an increase in atrocious crimes. This will be the first time actress Yuki Amami is playing a police detective in a TV series. She stars as Osawa Eriko, who is a beautiful career woman who has just returned from training in the U.S. and is appointed as the "boss" of this division. The nickname "boss" is strongly associated with Yujiro Ishihara's character in the drama series "Taiyou ni Hoero!" from the '70s and '80s, where he played a similar role as the leader of a detective team.

But despite Eriko's intelligence and capabilities, she can never understand a man's heart, so she remains unable to find a husband. In fact, her assignment in the U.S. was really a demotion after she ruined her career track over a man. So why was she chosen as the boss of the new division? Even though the detectives are talented, they all have some kind of issue or flaw, and they are considered to be the "problem children" of the police force. In the end, the division's true purpose is just to isolate these problematic detectives. Amami's supporting cast in "Boss" includes Yutaka Takenouchi, Erika Toda, Junpei Mizobata, Michiko Kichise, and Yoichi Nukumizu.

Those interested in the drama can watch it online at (http://www.mysoju.com/boss/).



Updated 13 July 2009:

Opening Theme: Alright!!! By Superfly


Ending Theme: Best Of My Life By Superfly (I love this nice song :>)

(Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/articles/Spring_2009_Drama_Preview)
(Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4458)
(Source: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/BOSS)
(Source: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/BOSS/caststaff/index.html)
(Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4973)
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKAs8wmlrPQ&feature=related)
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldmTBCBSi_8&feature=related)

Celebrating My Brother's Birthday

Treated my brother to his favourite cake, Carolines from Le Grenier a Pain

Lunch at Pizza Hut:

Hong Kong Drama - The Threshold of a Persona/ID精英 Updates

I wrote about this interesting modern drama about the work of the immigration department which is currently showing in Hong Kong in my previous post (http://ladyjansneverland.blogspot.com/2009/05/threshold-of-persona-id.html). I have been following this drama almost every night after work as it is so relaxing to just watch an exciting and interesting drama while eating dinner. I have watched 16 episodes so far and enjoys Roger Kwok's acting in the drama. I also like the theme song of the drama which is sung by Roger Kwok and Patrick Tang and those interested in the song can get it from (http://tvb-connection.blogspot.com/).

I saw some news of the drama online and there were some crticism over actor Patrick Tang's role and acting in the drama. I'm not a huge fan of him but i have enjoyed watching his acting in the drama so far and likes his character (Aung Shun Fung) in the drama. I have enjoyed watching all the episodes so far and can't wait to catch the rest of the other episodes. Below is the article i found online about the drama and more pictures to share with those who are fans of the drama like me :>

<< TVB's new series "The Threshold of A Persona" replaces popular drama "Rosy Business" time slot and its starting ratings is stronger than "Rosy Business", the first episode received a rating of 30 points (approximately 1.9 million viewers). This is the first series who started out with high ratings and is even higher than "Rosy Business", which only received 27 points (approximately 1.7 million viewers) on its first episode broadcast. Two time TV King winner Roger Kwok appears to be dominant! But his co-stars in the series Patrick Tang, Yoyo Mung and Toby Leung are also part of the topic focus among Netizens. The three of them are nicknamed "The 3 Customer Shoo-ers", because Netizens feel that the three of them drags the ratings down. [ NOTE: "Gwon Hak Sam Bo" (趕客三寶) translates "The 3 Customer Shoo-ers" ]

Complaints of abusing the audience In the series, Patrick Tang's performance has always been controversial. Following his performance in "The King of Snooker", his guest role in "Just Love II" and now his second lead role in "The Threshold of A Persona", TVB gave him a "trilogy". There are complaints that its abuse to the audience, someone even sang a song about it: "Again see Patrick Tang, Once seen we all faint" and "If he doesn't faint, I'll faint".

Toby's crying look is annoying Just by Toby's "crying look" and voice causes audience to criticize her. Although she hasn't appeared in the episodes yet, but during the promotional clip, there was one scene where she was crying painfully and Netizens criticized her by saying that if they did not read the captions, they would not know what she's saying.

Yoyo Mung wooden and "lazy sounds" Yoyo Mung was the most innocent one. Online, there are many Yoyo supporters, but there are some Netizens who said that she is wooden and when she says her lines, theres "lazy sounds". "Threshold" Producer Lo Wing Yin expressed that they respect audiences' opinions. He will look into the things audience suggested, but he hopes that audiences could just focus on watching the series first before judging. Regarding to the nickname of "The 3 Customer Shoo-ers", Lo Wing Yin said: "I only have a perspective of a Producer. From when we started filming up until when we finished, I am very satisfied with Patrick Tang, Yoyo Mung and Toby Leung's performance. If we didn't feel that the three of them could take on the roles, then we wouldn't have casted them. I hope that everyone could focus on watching the series and watch how hard the three of them worked."

Towards the criticisms on Patrick Tang, Lo Wing Yin said: "I arranged him to participate in this role is because he is very positive and is does not exaggerate. Before he usually plays those cheerful and jumpy characters. I don't dare to say that this is his bottom line, but I believe that after we see his performance in the series, points should be added for him." He also said that Toby did not appear yet, audiences only saw her short appearance in the promotion clip of her crying, she is not a cry baby in the series. As for Yoyo Mung, she has many Fans. He has never had doubts on Yoyo's acting. >>

(Source: http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=506373&st=40)
(Source: http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=653506)

Easy To Cook Pasta Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package whole-wheat linguine
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and diced
• 1/2 small eggplant, sliced into small chunks, about 2 cups
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Directions

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat canola oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add onion, red pepper, ginger, eggplant and cook for about 1 minute. Add garlic, broccoli, tomatoes, and soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain pasta. Add it and the chicken to the vegetable mixture, toss and cook for another minute.

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with scallions.(Serves 4)

(Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pasta-stir-fry-recipe/index.html)

Sit Up Straight

Slouching at your desk doesn't just give you backache-it's also bad for your heart. Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have found that the strain on the neck muscles is believed to trigger signals to the nucleus tractus solitarius , the part of your brain that helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure. This leads to a reflex increase in blood pressure that taxes your heart. So improve your posture to save yourself from heartache as well.

(Source: SHAPE Magazines Singapore, June 2009 edition)

Fight Wrinkles with This Breathing Exercise

Take a deep breath. Now let it out. Breathe in again. Breathe out. In. Out. Slowly. Evenly. Feel better? More relaxed?

Good. You might look better when you are done, too, because studies show that stress does more than rumple your mood. It may actually help rumple your face, too.

Time on Your Side
According to RealAge skin expert Amy Wechsler, MD, author of The Mind-Beauty Connection, stress can cause wrinkles. How? By increasing the production of cortisol -- a stress hormone that also stymies collagen production, one of the natural substances skin needs in order to plump itself, repair itself, and keep wrinkles at bay. In addition to deep breathing exercises, chill out with this fun activity from grade-school music classes.

Another antiwrinkle strategy? Increase your beta-endorphins. Dr. Wechsler shows you how with this 9-Day Renewal Plan from her book.

3 More Feel-Better, Look-Better Tips

• Don’t skimp on sleep. Sleep deprivation exacerbates stress and a haggard appearance. Try these sleep-inducing tips and tools.
• Have more sex. Besides boosting beta-endorphins, making love and cuddling with your significant other increases levels of the tension-squashing, feel-good hormones prolactin and oxytocin. Find out how sex reduced people’s blood pressure in a study.
• End the love affair with your couch. Exercise jacks up your beta-endorphins, too. And it also releases pent up energy and increases blood flow -- all of which your skin will love. Try this 10-minute workout.

Find more skin-saving strategies at the RealAge Simply Beautiful Skin Center.

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/8834)

Youtube Videos of Raymond Lam's Let's Get Wet Concert 2009

i found some video of Raymond Lam's recently concluded concert in Hong Kong posted on Youtube and decided to share it here with fellow fans of Raymond Lam. I will definitely buy the concert DVD if it is available for sales!!! Hopefully it will be available in Singapore soon!!

Raymond Lam Lets get wet concert news 20090618 with interview


Raymond Lam Let's Get Wet Concert closing 090619


(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKDpzxLGVDA)
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9gtsjPIfjs)
(Source: http://blog.tvb.com/raymondlam)

Japanese Drama - "Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji/ 24 Hour Emergency Ward" returns with 4th season

I found out online that Fuji TV's popular medical drama "Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji / 24 Hour Emergency Ward" is coming back for a fourth season. Starring Yosuke Eguchi (41) and Nanako Matsushima (35), the show premiered in 1999 and had additional seasons in 2001 and 2005. I have watched all the past seasons and love this exciting medical drama and will be looking forward to season 4!!! It has been a really long time since i watch a drama starring Matsushima and she is one of my favourite Japanese actress since Secondary School days.

Eguchi and Matsushima will reprise their roles as emergency room doctors. Matsushima has not had a regular TV role since the drama's third season in 2005 (though she had a guest role in both seasons of "Hana Yori Dango"). This also marks her first series since having her second child in November 2007, just as the third season was her comeback work after giving birth to her first child in 2004.

Yusuke Santamaria (38) will join the cast for this season, playing a rival doctor. Other cast members include Tae Kimura (38), returning in her role as a nurse from the second season, and Kie Kitano (18) as a rookie nurse. Fuji TV has scheduled the drama for Tuesday nights at 9:00pm, starting on July 7.

However i read in the newspaper yesterday that actor Yosuke Eguchi has recently been hospitalized due to an unfortunate accident on his motorcycle and is said to have fractured his collarbone and a rib. The severity of his fractures has not yet been reported, and it is not yet known how much the injuries will impact production on the drama. Hopefully his injuries are not very serious and he can still appear in season 4 as i really like his character in the drama. I will post more updates of the drama to share with fellow fans of the drama once there is more news.

Latest update 9 July 2009:

"Kyumei Byoto" special fills in broadcast delay

I just found this latest news dated 7 July 2009 posted on http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5003:

Fuji TV has announced a new broadcast date for the fourth season of "Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji." Originally scheduled to start on July 7, filming was delayed due to an injury suffered by lead actor Yosuke Eguchi. Now, the series is set to premiere on August 11 instead.

To fill in the weeks before the delayed start, Fuji TV will air a series of special episodes titled "Kinkyu Special: Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji ~Kyumeii Kojima Kaede~," which will focus on Nanako Matsushima's character on the show.

The four episodes, airing from July 14 to August 4, will each feature a guest appearance by a cast member from the show's previous three seasons: Norito Yashima, Risa Sudo, Hiroyuki Miyasako, and Mao Inoue.

(Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4880)
(Source: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Kyumei_Byoto_24_Ji)
(Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5003)

Can Condiments Make You Fat?

Put down the ketchup. Set aside that pickled relish. And leave the sauces and salsas in the fridge.

New research suggests that by leaving your condiments in the cupboard, you could end up eating drastically less, overall.

Can the Condiments
In a small study of college students, dressing up fries with ketchup and brownies with a topping caused the nibblers to eat from 25 to 40 percent more of these waist-padding foods. But the theory behind the additional bites isn’t just that a few extras make food taste better. The extras actually increase the amount of time it takes for your palate to get tired of the taste of a particular food. So you end up eating more, regardless of whether you’re hungry or full. Eat this type of fat to stop hunger in its tracks.

Keep It Simple
In fact, a good strategy for curbing overeating is to minimize variety in meals. Focus on a few fresh flavors, not every side dish under the sun. YOU Docs Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen even recommend eating the same thing for lunch every day. And try these additional appetite-busting strategies:

• Keep your mind on your food. Here’s how paying attention to your food -- and only your food -- will help you eat less of it.
• Diversify your workout. Here’s an exercise combo that can curb appetite in a big way.
• Overindulge in fiber. Try this root vegetable that’s especially high in appetite-controlling fiber.

Check out these 10 additional ways to outsmart your appetite.

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/8829)

Want Bigger Brains? Walk

True, there’s no home-gym equipment designed to build up your brain muscle. But a simple walk will do.

A new study shows that regular cardiovascular exercise can enlarge the hippocampus -- a brain structure vital to memory function.

Fit Body, Better Memory
As we age, our brains tend to shrink, and our memory can wither in the process. But a new study shows that an aerobically fit person has a larger hippocampus and performs better on spatial memory tests than a less fit subject. In the study, being more fit did not slow the rate of hippocampal shrinkage once it began, but it meant that people generally had more to work with once shrinking started. And that means less total deterioration overall. Find out what types of exercise provide brain-boosting benefits.

Banish Brain Downsizers
Related research suggests that exercise may even help restore lost brain volume and cognitive function in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, possibly because exercise increases cerebral blood flow and boosts the birth of new brain cells. Here are some other cognitive-health tips to consider:

• Stamp out stress. Chronic stress can be a real brain drain, and troubled finances may be one major cause. Watch this video to learn what the YOU Docs say about managing the stress that comes from money woes.
• Ditch depressing thoughts. Find out why kicking out blue thoughts may help your memory as well.
• Minimize the mai tais. Some studies suggest that alcohol abuse may shrink the hippocampus. But can moderate drinking actually help cognition? Find out here.

Are you in a rut? Take this quick mental test and get some simple ideas for boosting your brainpower with new challenges. RealAge Benefit: Exercising regularly can make your RealAge as much as 9 years younger.

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/8839)

Korean Drama - Queen Seon Deok

I'm interested in this latest MBC period drama which is currently showing in Korea (since 25 May 2009) as actress Lee Yo Won (Surgeon Bong Dal Hee) will be in the leading character. Lee Yo Won will play as Princess Duk Man, the eldest daughter of Silla’s King Jin Pyung. Possessing an extraordinary charm and wit, she eventually became the first Queen (ruler) in the Korean history despite her being in the war-torn Korean Three Kingdoms Era (Goguryeo, BaekJae and Silla).

Uhm Tae Woong plays Kim Yu Shin, a general in 7th-century Silla. He led the unification of the Korean peninsula by Silla under the reign of King Muyeol of Silla and King Munmu of Silla. He is said to have been the great-grandchild of King Guhae of Geumgwan Gaya, the last ruler of the Geumgwan Gaya state. This would have given him a very high position in the Silla bone rank system, which governed the political and military status that a person could attain.

"Queen Seon-deok" starring Lee Yo-won and Ko Hyeon-jeong, achieved a rating higher than 20% only over the course of 3 episodes, looking victorious. "Queen Seon-deok's steep increase in rating is thanks to the main cast's excellent performances as well as the drama's fast-paced plot. Ko Hyeon-jeong's acting has wildly heated up major web portals. Viewers comment that Ko has perfectly acted out Misil's character, who seduces the main power controllers of Silla with her grace and beauty. Viewers especially praise Ko's performance with her expressive eyes that has vitalized the entire show of "Queen Seon-deok", enabling the record of a 23.3% rating on its third episode.

The other secret to "Queen Seon-deok"'s popularity is its fast paced plot. Historical dramas usually tend to fill up their earlier episodes with long historical explanations; however, "Queen Seon-deok" goes full throttle with its speedy unravelling of the story. It boldly skips over boring details and only pictures important events, keeping its audience riveted to their seats. Those interested in the drama can watch it online at (http://www.mysoju.com/queen-seon-duk/).

(Source: http://co2r.wordpress.com/)

(Source: http://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_Queen_Seon-deok.php)

(Source: http://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_Queen_Seon-deok.php#news19759)

(Source: http://www.koreanmovie.com/Queen_Seon_Deok_kdphotogallery_312/)