2009 TVB Calendar

I found pictures of TVB 2009 calendar online and have posted them belong to share with fellow TVB fans :> My favourite is of course November pictures which has my favourite stars (Gigi Lai, Moses Chan, Bowie Lam and Ada Choi) from the drama "The Gems Of Life" which has been my favourite Hong Kong drama after "Moonlight Resonance". I have enjoyed watching each episodes which is so interesting and exciting and i'm looking forward to more scenes of Gigi Lai and Moses Chan together in the drama. They make a real sweet couple in the drama . I also like the other months pictures which has other TVB artistes that i like alot like Myolie Wu, Linda Chung, Raymond Lam, Sunny Chan, Tavia Yeung, Bobby Au Yeung, Bernice Liu, Steven Ma and Kenneth Ma and Selena Li.


Jan 09 Starring: Raymond Lam, Linda Chung, Bosco Wong, Kate Tsui

Feb 09 Starring: Susanna Kwan, Kiki Sheung, Lee Si Kei, Nancy Sit, Michelle Yim

Mar 09 Starring: Roger Kwok, Sonjia Kwok, Charmaine Sheh, Michael Miu

Apr 09 Starring: Sunny Chan, Myolie Wu, Joe Ma

May 09 Starring: Yoyo Mung, Shirley Yeung, Kenneth Ma, Selena Li, Chris Lai

Jun 09 Starring: Steven Ma, Sharon Chan, Patrick Tang, Anna Yau, Kenny Wong

Jul 09 Starring: Ron Ng, Tavia Yeung, Kevin Cheng, Niki Chung, Natalie Tong

Aug 09 Starring: Nancy Wu, Koni Lui, Leanne Li, Fala Chen, Tracey Yip, Vivian Yeo, Suki Tsui, Yoyo Chen

Sep 09 Starring: Michael Tse, Adam Cheng, Mandy Cho, Christine Ng, Sheren Tang

Oct 09 Starring: Gallen Lo, Bernice Liu, Bobby Au Yeung, Maggie Siu

Nov 09 Starring: Bowie Lam, Gigi Lai, Ada Choi, Moses Chan

Dec 09 Starring: Liza Wang, Amigo Choi, Mathew Ko, Jason Chan, Benjamin Yuen, Edwin Siu, Stephen Wong

(Source: TVB.com)

The Snack That Keeps You Regular

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7384)

If you hate waiting in the bathroom for a movement that’s oh-so-reluctant to happen, try changing your snacking habits.

Next time you get the munchies, smear a few celery sticks with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter. Eating lots of water-rich foods (aka celery) and getting adequate magnesium (a la peanut butter) may help keep you regular.

Keep It Moving
A lack of fiber in the diet is a common culprit in constipation. But not getting enough magnesium or not eating enough water-packed foods may have an impact, too. In fact, women in a recent study were most likely to suffer from constipation if they had low magnesium intake and didn’t eat many juicy foods (think watermelon, oranges, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes).

Just Add Water
Although ample research has found that fiber improves or prevents constipation, this recent study didn’t. But the researchers think the women’s generally low intake of fiber to start with probably affected the results. So don’t ditch your high-fiber breads and cereals. Just remember that the key to making them work is to get plenty of water with them.

Max Out Your Mashed Potatoes

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7541)

You can safeguard the nutrients in your mashed potatoes by cooking them a little differently this year.

The trick? Boil them whole. The reason? Cubing your potatoes first will slash their potassium content by as much as 50 percent.

Potassium and More

Okay, boiling them whole does take a bit longer. But the payoff is that you get not only more potassium but more of other important minerals, too: magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. (Roasting, baking, or microwaving whole potatoes also preserves more potassium, by the way.) Here are some other cooking tricks that can help you max out your food’s nutrition.

Why You Need It

Potassium helps your body regulate blood pressure and heart rate, as well as nerve and muscle function. And food is your best source. Use this tool to learn how much potassium you need and what other foods you can get it from.

Twilight - The Movie and Novel Series

I read about Twilight the movie which opens in Singapore on 18 December 2008 and also the novels on "The Sunday Times", 23 November 2008 edition and has been quite curious and tempted to read the novels and watch the movie when it starts showing in Singapore. I usually skip horror movies or novels but the reviews on the newspaper seems to suggest that "Twilight" is not scary at all and tells a Romeo and Juliet-like tale of pretty but awkward 17 year old Bella who moves to a small town and falls in love with Edward, an astonishingly beautiful vampire. Both enter into a passionate yet dangerous relationship, where Edward agonises constantly over his urge to suck the life out of Bella. Watching the movie or reading the novels would make you rethink all the vampire myths as Stephenie Meyer's bloodsuckers can appear in sunlight, and garlic and crosses have no effect on them and they don't have fangs either.





The plot seems interesting and i tried looking for the book in the library but it is so popular among readers that i can't find a single book in the series. I found out online that the book has sold over 50 million copies worldwide since 2005. I guess i would have to either reserve the books or buy from the bookstore after i finish reading my existing library books. Twilight has been adapted into a film and it was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson (acted as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005) as protagonists Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen, respectively.





Twilight is a young adult vampire romance novel written by author Stephenie Meyer and seems to be quite popular in Singapore but strangely i have never heard about the novel before reading the article. It was originally published in hardcover in 2005 and is the first book of the Twilight series. The novel is followed by New Moon, Eclipse,and the final book in the series, Breaking Dawn which follows the adventures and love story of Bella and Edward.

When Bella sits next to Edward Cullen in class on her first day of school, Edward seems utterly repulsed by her. He even attempts to change his schedule to avoid her, leaving Bella completely puzzled about his attitude towards her. After tricking a family friend, Jacob Black, into telling her the local tribal legends, Bella concludes that Edward and his family are vampires. Although she was inexplicably attracted to him even when she thought Edward drank human blood, she is much relieved to learn that the Cullens choose to abstain from drinking human blood, and drink animal blood instead. Edward reveals that he initially avoided Bella because the scent of her blood was so desirable. Over time, Edward and Bella fall in love.

The seemingly perfect state of their relationship is thrown into chaos when another vampire coven sweeps into Forks, and James, a tracker vampire, decides that he wants to hunt Bella for sport. The Cullens plan to distract the tracker by splitting up Bella and Edward, and Bella is sent to hide in a hotel in Phoenix. Bella then gets a phone call from James in which he says that he has her mother, and Bella must give herself up to James at her old dance studio, to save her. She does so, and while at the dance studio, James attacks her. Edward, along with the rest of the Cullen family, rescue Bella before James can kill her. Once they realize that James has bitten Bella's hand, Edward sucks the venom out of her system before it can spread and change her into a vampire. Upon returning to Forks, Bella and Edward attend their prom and Bella expresses her desire to become a vampire, which Edward refuses to let happen.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_(novel)
(Source: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html)
(Source: FiRST Magazine Singapore, November 2008 edition)

Sweet Home Remedy for Coughs

(Source:http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7513)

If a nagging cough is keeping you awake, and cough syrup doesn’t help, there’s something in your kitchen cupboard that might: honey.

It’s been a favored home remedy for sore throats for decades, and now new research shows it’s more than wishful thinking. It really can silence nighttime hacking.

A Little Does a Lot

It may not take much honey to do the trick. In a study of kids, a small dose of buckwheat honey -- 1/2 to 2 teaspoons, depending on age -- was enough. (Caution: Never give honey to a child who’s not yet a year old, because there’s a risk of botulism.) And many doctors recommend a bit of honey for adult patients, too. Try it with tea and lemon for extra throat lubrication. Bonus: Honey is a great source of antioxidants. Find out which kinds of honey have the most.

It Might Help Sinuses, Too

Scientists have only just begun to tap into honey’s medical uses. Early research shows it may have a strong antibacterial edge and might fight sinus infections, too. Research is ongoing. In the meantime, if you’re suffering from sinus issues, try these self-care tips:

Flush ’em. Nasal irrigation will both reduce nasal symptoms and boost bacterial resistance. Try a neti pot. Or buy this little number at your local drug store.

Drink up. Staying hydrated helps keep your sinuses moist and less susceptible to infection. What’s the right amount of water for you? Find out here.

Protect ’em. From smoke, dust, allergens, and any other nasal irritants -- until your sinuses feel better. Check the pollen counts in your area.

Korean Drama - In Soon Is Pretty

Here is another interesting Korean drama that i'm planning to watch and can be found online at http://www.mysoju.com/in-soon-is-pretty/. The plot is quite refreshing and the main character is not some pretty innocent girl like normal Korea drama but a female ex-convict who is trying to start life afresh in this 2007 romance drama. In her school days, thanks to her outstanding looks, she received a lot of love from people. However she accidentally killed her friend in a hand-to-hand fight and served a long sentence, turning her from a cheerful and brave girl into a timid one. Her grandmother was the only family she had, but she died right before In Soon was released from prison. She believes that her life has been cursed because her mother abandoned her as soon as she was born, and then her friend and grandmother died. However, she’s a tough woman who hasn’t lost hope, and is searching for happiness.”

"In Soon is pretty", this is what In Soon (Kim Hyun Joo) tells herself everyday since she was out from the prison. After she was out from the prison, people would look at her in a different way. No matter how hard she tries to live an honest and good life, people would still hold prejudice against her. She was encouraged by her high school teacher but feeling down and out, In Soon decided that her life wasn't worth living and attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the train track.

Just then she was stopped by Yoo Sang Woo (Kim Min Joo), her childhood friend who had moved to Canada before the incident and lost contact with her. This guy looks perfect on the outside: tall, good-looking, eloquent and a graduate of a prestigious overseas university. He comes from an affluent family and has a prestigious job. People think of him as a typical son of rich parents for his self-confidence, sense of humor, modesty and charisma. But he as well has a past that he wants to hide. His family was destitute when he was young. He had to skip meals often, while his peers bullied him for wearing dirty clothes. He wasn’t good at studying, either. But now all that is the thing of the past. He acts as if he was born into a rich family. He wears only luxury brand clothes and works out at an expensive club.

He is curious about In Soon, but he ends up being entangled with her against his will, which irritates him a lot but he soon develops feeling for In Soon. However, he soon finds out that In Soon has a criminal record. Will he stop his love to In Soon because of it? Through a series of events, In Soon was also reunited with her mother, the famous actress Lee Sun Young who abandoned her soon after her father passed away. Can In Soon finally begin a new life and find happiness?

(Source: http://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_In-soon_is_Pretty.php)

(Source: http://www.koreanmovie.com/In_soon_is_Pretty_kd239/)

(Source: http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/insoon/report/paper/index.html)

(Source: http://www.koreandrama.org/?p=517)

Hong Kong Drama - The Building Blocks of Life / 建築有情天

I noticed this 20 episodes modern romance drama when i was at Poh Kim Video Store earlier as Alex Fong and Tavia Yeung whom i like alot plays the main characters in the drama. The drama was shown in Hong Kong in December 2007 and is a love triangle between Alex Fong, Tavia Yeung and Christine Ng. The plot revolves around an architecture theme and the office politics facing the workers. I usually dislikes watching love triangle dramas as i find it draggy but will give this drama a try since i'm curious to watch Alex and Tavia acting together. It has also been awhile since i watched Alex's previous drama "Dreams Link".

Reality bites!

Does a man prefer less freedom or less burdens?

Interior design company owner Isaac Chung Kwok Keung (Alex Fong) used to be a favorite student of renowned architect Kwong Shing Yue (Chung King Fai). He gave up his dream of becoming an architect when his father passed away and he had to take up the family business. As time goes by, the ambitious Keung has become an ambitionless man who has no opinions of his own.

He has a prosaic relationship with Winnie Ching Wai Yee (Christine Ng), an estate agent who he has been going out for six years. No love sparks fly between them. They make wedding plans because (1) they have been together for a long time and, (2) everyone who knows them expect them to. He has to rewrite his blueprint in life with the appearance of Freeda Cheung Man Ching (Tavia Yeung). Ching meets Keung through work. She has mixed feelings for him, but she forces herself to suppress them when she knows that he has a girlfriend. Yet the unexpected always happen.

Firstly, she and Yee become close friends because of a traffic accident. Since then she has to try hard to avoid seeing Keung. Secondly, as if it was not worse enough, a new building project brings her and Keung together again. Love starts to blossom secretly between the two. As much as possible they try to suppress their newfound interest in each other.

Meanwhile, with the help of Yue, Keung pulls himself together. He is confident of handling interpersonal relationship, too. But Yue's help has upset another student of his, who pledges to frame Keung up. As for relationships, Keung finds it hard to leave Yee, who has stuck with him through thick and thin, for Ching, who he loves truly…

(Source: http://tvcity.tvb.com/drama/the_building_blocks_of_life/frontpage/index.html )
(Source: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/The_Building_Blocks_of_Life)

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Building_Blocks_of_Life)
(Source: http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_55191_0.htm)