life with GD (part 2)

September 14, 2015 by Elisia

I am slowly learning to accept my condition. While it is a quite a hassle to change my food intake schedule, I try to find and focus on the positive points in this whole exercise of monitoring my blood sugar. Although I’m told to only take and record down my blood sugar readings twice a week, I’m doing it for more days just so I can experiment with eating different foods. This helps me find out what foods and at what amounts are ok. It is still tough when people snack on potato chips and eat desserts in front of me, but I can resist the temptation quite well.

Just so you know how strict my food intake schedule is:

9am — Breakfast * (2 servings carbohydrates)
12pm — Lunch * (5 servings carbohydrates)
3-4pm — Tea (1 serving carbohydrates)
7.30pm — Dinner * (5 servings carbohydrates)
10pm — Supper ** (1 serving carbohydrates)

* signifies to take my blood sugar reading before and after the meal
** signifies to take my blood sugar reading after my meal or before I sleep

Of course I do take proteins, fruit and vegetables during lunch and dinner, but carbohydrates are what I have to watch most. Carbohydrates cause sugar spikes in a shorter period of time as compared to proteins. In the booklet I’m given, the carbohydrates food list includes bread, cereals, starchy vegetables, legumes, milk and fruit.

It’s necessary for me to stick to these timings for food intake as I don’t want to have huge sugar spikes at any moment. So, I have to space out my meals and make sure I don’t eat more than what I should during each meal.

My hubby and I were quite surprised to learn about the servings of different foods required per meal. For example, two matchbox sized pieces of meat is enough to meet the protein requirement per meal. Six servings of protein is the maximum requirement needed in a day. One serving of lean meat is about 30g. We looked at each other and imagined the amount of steak we eat each time. He can eat 200g of steak at one go. That’s already slightly more than the required amount needed in a day. In other words, we have been overeating for a meal or a day.

You may be wondering if I feel full after lunch or dinner since the amount of food eaten during each meal seems to be very little. The answer is yes. I do feel hungry faster, but that’s where tea and supper come in to fill the gaps.

[Cross posted entry on MUMMY TO BABY]

life with GD

September 12, 2015 by Elisia

My life just got a little more complicated.

I meant to blog earlier about the last baby seminar I attended, but things got a little busy for me. By the time I was ready to write, I got hit by some bad news. I had gone for the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) and the results weren’t good. I am diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

While I was half prepared for the bad news, I must say that it did shake me up a little. I couldn’t help but wonder why me. Things have been going really well for this pregnancy and now I’m being thrown into some crap situation. But the rational side of me knows that there is no use asking why because God has his plan and to be quite honest, I have already gotten the sweeter end of the deal so far (e.g. no morning sickness, no aches and pains, etc.).

I am grateful for the support I’ve received from family, friends and other mummies. Their encouraging words help me to get on with the slightly inconvenient change in life — planning my meals, watching my diet very closely, pricking my fingers seven times a day for twice a week. Yet, their encouragement can only get me so far.

It is not about bearing with this slight inconvenience for another three months. Three months? I am very sure I can do it. I’ve been resisting the temptation of eating sweet food since week 8 of my pregnancy (did pinch a little now and then, but otherwise, I’ve been quite disciplined), what’s another three months? Nothing much to me. It’s the afterwards that I fear, my friends. Two to six weeks after my pregnancy, I will need to go for another GTT to determine if I’m a regular diabetic to begin with. This is exceptionally scary for me. Due to my family history, I am at higher risk of developing diabetes.

Imagine not being able to enjoy sweet food and desserts all your life. Imagine giving up your favourite sweet dessert for good. Now, you tell me whether it’s scary or not? I don’t even know how my mum deals with her once in a blue moon can of Coke Zero or annual birthday cake only.

It is very frustrating…

Ok, back to planning my meals for today.

[Cross posted entry on MUMMY TO BABY]

takizawa kabuki

August 28, 2015 by Elisia

After all the years of hoping to go to a JE concert and/or seeing a JE boy, the first one I saw was Takki. (Luckily it was Takki and not some newbie small fry JE ~~kid~~ boy.) I believe this is the first time any JE-related event is held in Singapore.

I’m talking about this — Takizawa Kabuki, which was held from 18 to 23 August 2015. I attended the 18 August show. While I was partly thrilled to see Takki in person for the first time, I was also curious about the performance itself. I am actually interested in Japanese culture ok… I’ve attended a Noh play and Bunraku before, but not Kabuki. I’ve heard that this show is different from the traditional kabuki as it includes modern elements, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I was in for.

It was a little hard to take the arch as it was overhead. I like how it maintained the traditional feel of a theatre of a Japanese play.

My parents, sister, sister’s two friends and I were seated in the fifth row from the stage, so we pretty much got a very good view of all the actors. Everyone was just gasping and chirping with excitement when Takki emerged. Oh yes, Takki may have looked like he aged a little but he is still as flawless as ever. Apart from Takki, I only recognised three other JE boys — Kitayama Hiromitsu, Kawai Fumito and Ishigaki Daisuke. Haha, it’s been some time since I last fangirled and kept up with the Johnny’s empire, so my recognition of JE boys stops at around Ya-Ya-Yah’s time. There was this one dude that looked like Ayukawa Taiyo, but nah it wasn’t him. Taiyo left JE a long time ago. (Every time I think of Taiyo, I am reminded of his aho face in Oni Gokko Revolutions…this face…)

Throughout the whole show, all I could think of was “this feels like I’m watching Shonen Club”. All the singing and dancing. There were short excerpts of actual stories being played out, but it really didn’t feel like I was watching a traditional Japanese stage play. What was most intriguing was how Takki demonstrated the whole make up process for kabuki actors. He also demonstrated his skill in bringing out the essence of the character he was playing, no matter if it was male or female. Yup, you gotta give it up to Takki…he proves through his hard work that he is not just some pretty boy.

I was however, left a little puzzled. Was the show supposed to be a kabuki play with modern elements? Or was it more of an introduction of Japanese stage plays to foreigners?

Of course, Takki also made it known through the show that Japan is interested in forging stronger ties with Singapore. He included a scene in the show where a congratulatory message was played (for Singapore’s 50th year of independence), and song/dance to folk song “Rasa Sayang”. Oh wow. I was half expecting the SG50 logo to appear on screen (as you know, simi sai also SG50) and maybe they’ll all break out in song to the latest NDP theme song written by Dick Lee, but no, it didn’t happen. Haha.

There was a lot of swinging around overhead the audience as common with JE concerts. I was just worried that dirt from Takki’s shoes would fall on us as we were sitting so close to the stage and he was swinging directly overhead us. It was an awesome show nonetheless, with impressive backdrops and props. God knows how much they spent on bringing this show to Singapore. All I can say is, the ticket wasn’t awfully expensive.

The ticket and little “souvenirs” from the show…they were basically stuff that came down with the confetti.

Celebratory shot with my sister for finally catching a JE show.

nippon ga daisuki dayo

August 24, 2015 by Elisia

日本! *clap clap clap* 日本! *clap clap clap*

Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore Japan and Japanese culture. There is something mysterious and moving about Japan that sweeps you off your feet, and pretty soon you find yourself being caught up in this dynamic culture. From the timeless beauty of olden traditions to the upbeat modern life, there’s just so much to experience with Japan and its culture.

Music

Japanese pop has been a great part of my life. Till today, I prefer Japanese music over any other music.

My love for Japanese culture really began with music. About 15 years ago when I was in secondary school, the 哈日风 (Japanese craze) hit Singapore’s shores. Japanese TV and music were the first things that seeped in quickly. I will always remember watching Music Station, a famous Japanese music programme where artistes would sing their latest singles. It was a great music programme as I got introduced to Japanese music and got to know about new artistes. And of course, Singaporeans were very much into SPEED and “White Love”, while my sister and I fell in love with MAX. Yup, MAX became the first Japanese music group that I liked.

If you’re female, it would be quite accurate to say that you have fangirled a Johnny’s boy/group some time in your life. Oh yes, the mysterious marketing powers of (the) Johnny’s ~~Entertainment~~ empire that makes every teenage girl (and some Japanese ah mas…I really kid you not) weak in her knees. I started out as a great Arashi fan…so much that I carved the members’ names on my secondary 3 school desk. Then, NewS came along. 🙂

Over the years, I got introduced to more and more Japanese artistes. If you take a look at my music play list now, you’ll see that Japanese music dominates it. When I go to KTV, I look for Japanese songs to sing. Yes, that’s how much I love Japanese music.

If you ask me why the love for Japanese music, it’s not something that I can quite explain in words why. It’s just different…plus there’s lots of eye candy.

Dramas and Movies

Back then, local TV was showing Japanese dramas…just like how Korean dramas proliferate it now. Being closely linked to music, I of course, had to watch dramas starring my favourite artistes. If TV wasn’t enough, the video shops were selling (pirated) vcds so you could easily keep up with the J-dorama marathon. Sad to say, all that came to an end when Japan started to clamp down on piracy. Soon, the Japanese craze in Singapore died down. BUT, my love for Japanese stuff did not die along with the exit of the Japanese craze.

School work got heavier for me as the years went by and I found it hard to keep up with Japanese dramas, so I turned to Japanese movies. The storyline and theatrics for some movies are just so good. Simple, yet thought-provoking.

Manga and Anime

When we talk about Japanese stuff, who can forget about manga and anime? Japanese manga and anime has been a part of my life since primary school. Oh yes, Sailor Moon. That laid the foundation for my liking of the shoujo genre in manga and anime.

Thanks to a poly friend, I was introduced to Ai Yazawa and NANA. Two of her best works — NANA and Paradise Kiss — are now my favourites. I love how she portrays the difficulties and complexities of life in a way that is so brutally honest and real.

Language

How can you truly love Japanese music, film and animation, without loving the language. You can rely on translations all your life, but soon you will realise that it is hard to get the exact feel and description without understanding the work in its original language.

But of course, learning a new language isn’t easy. Yet, I took the plunge. After going through intensive Japanese classes in college, I completed the intermediate level. Sadly, it is still not enough to understand music lyrics and conversations in its entirety…not to even mention how tough it is for me to actually hold a conversation in Japanese. Haha, I can probably only manage anime that’s meant for elementary school kids if I were to watch something with subtitles. But at least, I get the gist of some sentences in lyrics and films.

日本語を勉強は難しいけど、私は絶対頑張ります。

Tradition

If you thought that my love for Japanese culture is only skin deep, you’re wrong. As I grew up and entered college, something made me want to learn more about Japanese culture. I took a minor in East Asian Languages and Culture, with a focus on Japan. I took classes on Japanese history and literature. As I dug deeper, I began to see things in a whole new light and started to appreciate Japanese culture in all its glory and simplistic beauty. Before college, my family had made Japan an annual holiday location. Back then, when I walked the grounds of castles, temples and old streets, they never left a strong impact on me. After college, armed with a better understanding of Japanese history, I revisited some of the places so I could soak in the atmosphere and feel the true meaning of how the past has changed and influenced the future. The dynamic nature of trends can transform Japan and make it attractive to the modern world, but the beauty of olden traditions will always get passed down and leave a lasting impression (like the finishing touches to an art piece).

Japanese culture is also experienced through the arts. Although I do not have a firm grasp of the language, I’ve been to traditional theatre performances such as Noh and Bunraku. There’s something intriguing about these performances as it mixes storytelling, folklore and religious practices.

Back in Singapore, I try to immerse myself in Japanese tradition by taking part in Japanese-related activities such as the annual Natsu Matsuri (Japanese summer festival). Wearing a yukata is a must for me and my sister!

Fashion

After talking about the tradition, one must talk about trends. If you love Japan and its culture, then you gotta love its fashion. The Japanese fashion trend is pretty fast paced. If you remember the loose Japanese school girl socks, those are now passe. How about the 109 辣妹 look (probably referring to the yamanba phase in gyaru fashion)? That is long gone too.

For me, I fell in love with lolita fashion when I was in college. Lolita fashion itself has gone through a lot of changes since the beginning of it (with Mana and the gothic look). I’m not going to delve to much into what is lolita fashion and which styles I love as you can know more through my other blog entries specifically on lolita fashion. Just know that I love the aesthetics of the fashion — the grace and elegance that it stands for. I love it so much that I had to wear a lolita dress and dress my helpers in lolita outfits for my wedding.

Food

ラーメンが大～大～大好き～～～<3

I have covered almost every conceivable topic on Japan and Japanese culture, but wait…there’s one more. Food! There’s just so many dishes in Japanese cuisine that you have to try, other than sushi and sashimi. There’s tempura, udon, soba, somen, okonomiyaki, curry rice, onigiri, tako yaki, etc. Just listing all of this is making my mouth water. You can find all the tastes in Japanese cuisine…sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy…and not forgetting, umami. There are different foods for the different seasons too — think sakura mochi and ice-cream in spring, yaki soba (fried soba) and mitarashi dango (soy sauce dango) in summer, kuri (chestnuts) in autumn and nabe (hot pot) in winter…mmmm…. So many different tastes and choices, what’s there not to love about Japanese food? You’ll never get bored with Japanese food!

If you’re still not convinced that you’ll never be bored with Japanese food, just look at Japanese Kit Kat as an example. Have you seen the variety of flavours for it? Even with ice-cream, there’s flavours like miso and squid ink. The Japanese are rather creative with their food. Haha. XD

But, my one true love in Japanese food is…RAMEN! Sorry, but as I told a friend before, my love for Japanese ramen is not just about how popular the stall is. It’s not just simply downing a bowl of ramen and rating is good or bad. It’s about how every ingredient tastes in the bowl of ramen and how it contributes to the overall enjoyment of eating. Generally speaking, I like the fresh noodles that’s not too thick or thin; stick ramen does not sit well with me. For the broth, I prefer tonkotsu or miso as they have a more full and robust flavour. For toppings, I especially love ajitama (soy sauce flavoured soft-boiled egg).

PS: I’m still looking for a good tsukemen in Singapore.

So after all this talk about my love for Japan and Japanese culture, what exactly am I getting at? Well, you see…KFC has some new wings on their menu and it’s a tough choice between the Umadare wings or Yang Yeum wings.

BATTLE OF THE KFC WINGS

Freshly breaded in-store with a special batter, these juicy wings are cooked to crispy perfection and coated in your choice of two bold flavours – choose between the Japanese-inspired tangy yet savoury Umadare and the Korean-inspired sweet and spicy Yang Yeum. Who will be crowned king of the wings? You decide.

Pick a side and be part of KFC’s greatest wing-off. Hashtag #kfcoishii to support Umadare or #kfcmashisoyo to support Yang Yeum on Instagram!

I vote for #kfcoishii. What about you?

One wing got eaten up before I could take the picture. Too oishii to resist…

KOKOkim kurage hime no yuutsu

August 20, 2015 by Elisia

I have a whole list of other (overdued) stuff to blog about but I just have to blog about this. XD

Model Kimura Yuu is hailed the queen of fairy kei and she has her own line of clothing called KOKOkim. Fairy kei has existed as a genre of Japanese fashion for some time now but I never quite felt a connection to it. I love pastel colours but I could never see myself wearing poofy petticoats, cutesy sneakers and casual tees with somewhat loud prints. A little ironic isn’t it since I am into lolita fashion which has poofy panniers.

Well, that was how I thought about fairy kei until now. Over some time, fairy kei has slowly seeped into lolita fashion and the line between the two genres have sort of blurred. There are now fairy kei pieces that can be accepted as sweet lolita pieces albeit a little more casual in style.

What caught my eye was this particular KOKOkim piece. I follow Yuu’s LINE account where she posts updates frequently. She posted this picture of herself wearing a gorgeous dress back in mid-July. I knew for sure that it was from her clothing line, but could not find the print on sale on the website.

(Yes, like I said before, I’ve recently come to love and been scouting for high-waist dresses since I got pregnant.)

Just this month, it was finally announced for sale on the website! The print is called ～人魚姫の憂鬱～ (~Kurage Hime no Yuutsu~) which means ‘the melancholic jellyfish princess’. The dress comes in three colourways: pink, blue and white. I decided that I preferred the OP over the JSK. Although the print is a lot more obvious on the blue colourway, I felt I preferred the pink colourway a little more.

Photo credit: KOKOkim

I also caught sight of a pair of tights on the website that would go very well with the OP.

Photo credit: KOKOkim

Oh, but the prices are way too high! I mean, what do you expect? This is buraando. T_T

After so many days of stalking the website, the M size pink OP is finally sold out. Just as well. I cannot see myself forking out ~$300 for the dress. I have tons of buraando lolita pieces in my wardrobe, some of which are rare pieces which I forked out an arm and a leg for, but this…my feel for this dress is just ok. Not really something I would die to have. And so, I have to let it go…

(I’m quite sure I can find similar tights on Taobao at a fraction of the cost. Just need to scout around more.)

life is not all about grades

August 17, 2015 by Elisia

A long overdued entry, but here it is…

A friend posted a sad piece of news on Facebook some time ago. It’s about a straight A student who committed suicide over two Bs in her O’levels. Shortly after her death, her mother followed suit and committed suicide as well.

I’m not going to retell the whole story as you can click on the link to read the full article, but I will share my thoughts on it. My first reaction was “Two Bs and she got so upset? Oh my, she really shouldn’t have.” Grades aren’t everything. Sure, good grades perhaps pave a better way towards a successful career that’s characterised with high pay and impressive titles, but who really knows what the future holds? At 16, do you even know what you want to do in the future?

Grades and Life

I use myself as an example. I scored three Bs and four Cs in my O’levels which meant I could not even smell the air of Junior College. That was alright since I already set my mind on studying in a polytechnic. Three years of polytechnic flew past and I scored mediocre grades. Not good enough for a local university, but I got a place in US college. Fair enough again since I never really wanted to attend a local university and I was lucky that my family could afford sending me overseas. Four years apart from my family in an unfamiliar country really opened my eyes. There was a pressure to do well as most of the other Singaporeans in the college were on scholarship and were expected to score a high GPA. I took that as motivation to study hard and finally earned a degree with honours. Of course, that degree got me a good and well-paying job. After two years, I quit and became a homemaker.

Moral of the story? I scored shit grades for O’levels and an average GPA in polytechnic, yet I managed to get to college and earn a degree with honours. So what? After that, I still ended up being a homemaker. Grades do matter a little, but they don’t write your life. Life is about the choices you make and the experiences you learn from. There are so many things that cannot be taught from books but must be learnt through experience. Do I regret my decisions in life? Maybe a little…definitely could have put in more effort in studying a lot earlier. But do I regret how my life has turned out? No. I have chosen this path to walk in life and along the way I’ve learnt so many things. These experiences become a part a me and shape who I am.

Many a time I’ve overheard students telling their friends that their parents expect them to end up with at least a Master’s degree. Are you even sure that’s what you want for yourself? Or is that just your parents’ wishes? Having a goal in life and working towards it is good, but you must be aware that there can be changes along the way. Again, no one knows what the future holds. Your thoughts may change due to whatever reason and you divert from your original path. And who’s to say this diversion is not good?

Kiasu Parenting

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. You hear of parents sending their two or three-year-olds for this and that enrichment class. Then, you hear of students going for two tuition sessions for the same subject. Parents, are you raising kids or zombies? Is all this really necessary? You didn’t go through this kind of childhood and you turned out fine, didn’t you?

If you think about it carefully, it again goes back to what characterises your life? Only grades? Or more than that?

As a mum-to-be, I can only say that I hope that my child does well in all aspects of life and not just be book smart. The last I want is a child that answers “studyyyyy~~~” like a robot when someone asks him/her what he/she does in his/her free time. (True story, by the way.)

While parents can hope that their child excels in everything, you should know by now that every kid is different. Each person has his strengths and weaknesses. It’s the same for education. Some have the aptitude for academics, others don’t. As parents, you can give your child a little push to make sure he doesn’t play too much and neglect his studies, but you shouldn’t go overboard. Everyone has a breaking point and you really don’t want your child (or even yourself) to reach that.

having faith

July 28, 2015 by Elisia

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you will call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my saviour.

— Hillsong United “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”

I just wrote an entry in my other blog about prayer and faith, and this song came to mind. I first heard this song at the Jayesslee concert and fell in love with this part of the song. The words are very powerful and seek to motivate.

Disclaimer: I’m neither of Christian nor Catholic faith. I’m just a free thinker who believes there is a God or higher power/s up there.

SG50 funpack

July 27, 2015 by Elisia

The funpack is usually only given to National Day Parade spectators, but because this year is special — Singapore’s 50th birthday — ~~and everything also SG50~~, every household gets a funpack.

First, it’s good to note that this year’s bag is a canvas tote bag. Feels thick and of good quality. Even has a zip.

Second, there are a couple of designs printed on the tote bag. Some are submitted by common folk. You can view all the designs here.

Third, items in the bag are largely similar though there may be a few variations. (Sometimes I think it’s because some item ran out so it is being replaced by something else.)

So, what did my family get?

I was hoping for one of those with a “uniquely Singapore” icon like the dragon playground or singlish phrase. I got Dick Lee’s design which features the lyrics to “Home”. Not too bad I guess. I like how it’s “handwritten” and not in a typed out font. Feels more authentic and genuine.

Items included:

Singapore flag with stand — Seems like they include this in the funpack since like two to three years back? Great for collecting and trolling your colleagues.
Bottle of NEWater
Sample packs of Super coffee and cereal beverage
Sample pack of UIC washing detergent
The “ingenious” balloon torchlight — Yup, it’s always sponsored by AKIRA.
Haw flakes and lollipop — Supposed to be tidbits/candy from your childhood to bring back that sense of familiarity and nostalgia. My in-laws got the Smarties-wannabe candy in the 8 blister pack.
Pack of SNAP cards and country erasers — Another one of those items from your childhood. Of course, the country featured on the eraser is Singapore. My in-laws got the blow up paper ball and chapteh.
Singa figurine — In case you don’t know, Singa is the lion mascot from the national courtesy campaign. Our Singa figurine is wearing the police uniform. My in-laws got a Singa figurine wearing the old Army uniform.
Some temporary tattoos
Card with the Proclamation of Singapore — A piece of history — back to when Singapore first gained independence.
Map of National Day activities

Would have been more thrilled to receive more tidbits like KAKA, Tora/Ding Dang chocolate balls, Mamee, Bee Bee or even the 10 cents bubble gum with a temporary tattoo wrapper. Oh well.

Enjoy your funpack and look forward to this 9 August. 🙂

angelic pretty special sets

July 23, 2015 by Elisia

Just joined another lolita Facebook group which provides updates on new releases. Couldn’t help noticing that AP seems to be releasing a few special sets at their Tokyo outlet as announced on their blog. Not sure what’s the occasion but oh well.