Day 2 of the Norway in a Nutshell - Oslo
We tried to make good the sunny weather by getting up early. In any case, the jetlag got me waking up at 6am, and I could see daylight seeping through the gap between the drawn curtains. The breakfast at Thon Hotel was a really sumptuous one, with a large spread for Nordic standards. As the food prices are exorbitant in Norway, I decided to stuff myself for breakfast so that I will have a lighter lunch later in the day. First stop was to the central train station where we enquired about the whole day travel pass. We got a little confused on which tram to take to Vigeland and ended up taking the Metro instead. Then it was a nice short stroll through a cemetery to arrive at the further end of Vigeland. My Vigeland experience would have been better if not for the numerous travellers and kids surrounding the centerpiece statue. But then again, that's what tourists do so I'm pretty okay with that. I decided to play around with my Yi360 cam to capture more surround photos. Which I have started to upload to Google streetview and Kuula.
Viking Museum in Oslo
We then went by bus to the Viking Museum. The museum was a small building housing 3 ancient viking ships. (or boats). The entire exhibit could be easily covered within half an hour, or maybe a little more if you are interested in the fabric of the textiles and etc. Which I wasn't.
The Royal Palace and the Changing of the Guards
Next stop was to catch the changing of guards at the Royal palace. The Royal Palace was actually a small compound with a small park that's adjacent to it. As we were early, we went nearby to get some snacks and ice cream before returning for the change of guards ceremony. The ceremony proper was a little let down as the visitors didn't what to expect. Read more about my review of the Royal Palace here. Next was a sudden stop to the supposedly Bohemian district near Mathallen. Along the way we discovered a nice river and also the Mathallen Food Hall, which would turn out to be the destination of choice for the next day as well. We had a light bite, and I sucuumbed to a glass of Negroni as well!
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Day 1 of the Norway in a Nutshell - Arriving into Oslo
I was rather tired out (backache!) from the long flight from Doha to Oslo, and was appreciative that the flight was broken into two legs of about six to seven hours each, which gave me a chance to get out to move around a bit. It was my first time in Doha, and I was surprised by how packed it was. Upon reaching Oslo, we cleared out of the airport pretty quickly. The train ride from the airport to Oslo was a smooth and quiet one, and the train was pretty modern. Upon reaching the Central Station, we had to walk just a little bit to reach our hotel, Thom Hotel Opera House. The weather was great, and wasn't too cold.
Opera House, Oslo
As we did not have anything planned for today, we decided to visit the tourist information center. From the centre, we proceed to walk through the city centre, passing by the Oslo Cathedral. I was busy using my Yi360 camera to record many virtual 360 photos, for the purpose of posting into the Google Street View, but also to build up a virtual tour portfolio via Kuula (seemingly the best option so far as a repository for VR 360 photos). The weather was surprisingly sunny and while there is a constant gust of wind, I was able to get by with my dry-fit tee. The waterfront area, together with the Opera House was nice, and we also went over to the SALT area. I believe there are other interesting areas which I have yet to explore, and will allocate more time tomorrow to explore in more depth. The jetlag gradually got to me, and the night ended early.
Occasional gathering of friends that have known one another for more than thirty years. Schoolmates of De La Salle (Primary) School eons ago. I joined them while I was in Primary Four and although we went on our separate ways from Secondary One onwards, we managed to get back in touch about a decade ago, so whenever it was possible we try to meet up and catch up for a meal.
Alfred just returned to Singapore from Boston - I hope he will settle in well in Singapore! Recently I came across this article.
It must have been on Flipboard or Facebook Or something like that. The article explained why we should treasure The times that we share with our cats and dogs. They age much faster than us; we would See them as a puppy or kitten. A decade whizzes by, and then They are gone. I was reminded by L's dog of More than ten years. He has lost all but four of his teeth. He used to enjoy his walks These days he stops after a few steps. I decided to check on Tigger's age. I have never been good with remembering birthdays. His birthdate is (tentatively) 7th of November 2012. Tigger will turn seven years old This November. That makes him the human equivalent of 44 to 56 years. He's going to get Older than me; not just older, But older at a faster rate. Like sands through the hourglass So are the days of our lives Pause and enjoy the moment Relish it as it lingers For we may never pass this way again Rapitude
When you’re on a quest for self-improvement, there are countless books, apps, methods, etc., out there that promise to “fix” you, or help you become the best you you can be. Bullet journals, meditation apps, yoga studios, books promising to help you “get your shit together”—there’s no shortage of products, services and experiences to buy in our culture.
But what if, rather than acquire new hobbies or projects, you turned to your old interests and pursued them with fervor and commitment? What if you tried that for a whole year? That’s what David Cain proposed on his blog, Raptitude. He wrote that the idea, which he deemed a Depth Year, immediately “caught fire.” With a Depth Year, you’re going “deeper rather than wider”: The “Depth Year” was supposed to be hypothetical—a reflection on how our consumer reflexes tend to spread our aspirations too thin. Because it’s so easy to acquire new pursuits, we tend to begin what are actually enormous, lifelong projects (such as drawing, or language-learning) too often, and abandon them too easily.
Not purchasing new things is key, but perhaps more important, Cain writes, is the recognition that “depth” has a different meaning to everyone. For some, it could mean embracing what you have and holding off on buying new toys. “To others it’s a more general pruning of waste, a suspicion of the impulse to acquire, and a refocusing on what really matters,” he writes.
The goal is go deeper with your current goals and hobbies—reading the books you already have, practicing more yoga poses rather than trying meditation for the first time, etc.—to stay the course, and “cultivate” the value of the things we’re already engaged in.
Cain writes that for him, the Depth Year helped him create “a new lens for looking at the tools and opportunities that had always been there.” Possibility was everywhere, he writes, when you learn to look for it. This type of shift in perspective can help you overcome our culture’s constant need for more and better. Instead of thinking about what you don’t have or cannot do, you go deeper with what you already have, and can do. Amazingly, I have lost about 5kg from the keto diet. Definitely lost the fats that I've accumulated over the year-end bingeing in 2018. I lost some muscular mass in the process as well. I do not think that's necessarily a bad thing. It does get harder to have an intensive workout as the years pass and I grow older. Every set, every stroke requires more energy and effort. Soon I won't be lifting iron in the gym, but using the swinging trainer at the community fitness areas kindly sponsored by HDB haha!
Just ended a phone call with mom.
It started like this chain of messages. "Gd nite son." "Shall we do dinner soon?" "Call me now." And I called her. As she lives alone, I think she gets lonely sometimes, even though she does not mention it. I arranged to meet her some time next week for dinner. This is one of my initiatives; to spend more regular time with her, despite my busy-ness. "Why don't you call me more?" She asked. "You can always call me anytime you know?" I replied. "But I am afraid that you might be busy." "I will have time to talk to you. If I am busy I would let you know, so you don't have to be pressured to call." "Do you think of me," she asked. "I think of you all the time; just that I don't vocalise it," I bantered. She laughed. We always have this adorable chemistry with each other. But I think she's lonely. We talked about some other stuff. But she said something which reminded me of what I have been thinking for a while. She said this to me. "Don't worry about making too much money. There is never an end to making money. We can live a simpler life. We can eat simple. Just spend more time together." So apt right. Money. Time. Love. Rethinking happiness. Photo by Aleksandr Eremin on Unsplash INTRODUCTION TO RESVERATROLThere are many documented benefits to taking Resveratrol. This powerful antioxidant has been shown to help combat premature ageing. Resveratrol can also fight off free radicals and prevent cancer. But how much resveratrol should you take? (Wellaholic offers our W+ Resveratrol supplements in our online store. This powerful Resveratrol supplement is also included in our Elight Facial Collagen Boost PRESTIGE plan). MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH RESVERATROLInterestingly, I first read about Resveratrol in 2006 via an online research report. Fascinated by the research done by Dr Sinclair at the Harvard Medical School, I gathered many sources of information to understand the science behind how reseveratrol work. I then decided to give resveratrol a try, and have been taking it for the past thirteen years on a daily basis, based on 100mg to 200mg. Recently I have decided to up my dosage to 400mg as it seems to have really help me slow down my ageing process. Of course there could be other factors as well, but I would attribute resveratrol as one of the factors contributing to this. RESVERATROL DOSAGE ACCORDING TO SCIENCE AND RESEARCH At the moment, resveratrol is still the subject of extensive ongoing research. Much of this centers around the optimum healthy dosage required by humans to attainthe various health benefits associated with it. Studies on mice have shown that resveratrol in high doses can increase longevity and play and active role in the prevention of disease and cander. Mice on high fat diets, when supplemented with resveratrol, showed increased survival and insulin sensitivity, as compared to mice that were not. In other rodent studies, anti-ageing effects were observed in mice which received a human equivalent of as little as 20mg of resveratrol a day. HOW DOES RESVERATROL WORK? Resveratrol has a relationship with apoptosis cells (cell death as part of the natural growth and development of the cell). In many studies, it is shown that at a lower dose, resveratrol acts as an anti-apoptotic agent. This protects the heart by increasing cell survival proteins. Also evident at higher doses is the capacity for resveratrol to hinder the growth of existing tumours. Thus, at lower dose, resveratrol can be very useful in maintain not only human health but also slowing down the ageing process. HOW MUCH RESVERATROL TO TAKE? In health science circles, 20mg of resveratrol a day is generally agreed to be an appropriate dosage for an adult. This is the lowest effective dosage.
Alternative to taking supplements, you can also drink red wine. However, 30ml of standard red wine averages around 90 micrograms of resveratrol Hence you will need to take 41 glasses of red wine a day to achieve the same effect! Wellaholic's W+ Resveratrol contains 200mg of daily resveratrol (a month's supply) which can exert impressive changes in critically important genes involved in varous ageing processes and degenerative diseases. INTRODUCTIONHair removal used to be strictly a female thing. Unless you are a bodybuilding, a swimmer or a cyclist who requires a clean, shaving body look for competitive reasons, you might not consider hair removal. However, in this modern day, more and more men are opting for the same grooming rights as women. This includes having a smooth skin. DIFFERENT MALES HAVE DIFFERENT HAIR REMOVAL REQUIREMENTS There is an increase in men with various hair removal requirements. Some men do not necessarily want all body hair removed. For example, we have some customers who increasingly want their chest and back hair thinning (and not totally removed). Then there are customers who want a full body permanent hair removal, including boyzilian. (Boyzilian is a common term for permanent hair removal for the private area, including the groin and the butt area). There are also male customers who have specific requests, such as SHR on their eyebrows. This is because they want to take away the unibrow look. THERE ARE HYGIENE REASONS TOO! Another reason to why more males are getting their body hair removal is because of hygiene. Some guys find that manscaping helps them relieve irritating. Hair removal helps to reduce bushiness and any itchiness that can be accentuated by sweating, especially during the hot humit Singapore weather, or after exercise. GETTING RID OF IRRITATING INGROWN HAIRS The other common reason would be ingrown hairs. A lot of guys want to have less hair to make shaving easier. This is especially so when they have ingrown hairs at their chin or neck areas. Laser hair removal is the only effective way to treat a condition called PFD (pseudofolliculitis barbae). This is a condition where clusters of red, inflamed or dark bumps appear around hair follicles after shaving. LASER HAIR REMOVAL AND SUPER HAIR REMOVAL (SHR) While waxing is the traditional means of temporary hair removal, which requires monthly visits to the waxing salon, laser hair removal has become the defacto solution for permanent hair removal. Laser hair removal such as Wellaholic's SHR or Super Hair Removal uses laser light energy to penetrate the hair shaft. This travels down to the follicle and kills the hair root, where the hair growth starts. While another hair can grow in its place, it is very difficult. Hence, laser hair removal can last a fairly long time, and even permanently. Laser hair removal is a procedure where a specific beam of light bypasses the epidermis and targets the follicle. This disables the reproductive cycle of the hair without hurting the skin. As laser hair removal destroys the follicle, the hair shaft becomes weak and limp, and with repeated treatments - about 8 to 12 treatments - the follicle dies and no hair grows. USING LASER HAIR REMOVAL TO STOP HAIR GROWTH OR THIN OUT HAIR Laser hair removal has the flexibility to either permanently stop hair groth, or just thin out hair. In fact, other than electrolysis, laser hair removal is the only hair removal treatment that allows for thinning, rather than complete removal. UNDERSTANDING THE HAIR GROWTH CYCLE FOR BETTER HAIR REMOVALA point to note is that we usually say that customers will get permanent hair reduction. This is because what happens is that when one follicle dies, there might be another one next to it that may regenerate itself. Hair grows in different cycles so at any time, 30 to 60 percent of the hair is in the anagen growth cycle stage. The laser is targeting the hairs in the growth stage. The dead ones that are dead will shed after a few weeks. By the time you go for your next appointment (recommended 30 days later, to time with the hair growth cycle), the hairs that were in their growth stage will now by in their dormant or dying stage. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE YOUR FIRST SHR HAIR REMOVAL APPOINTMENT? Shaving. It is important to shave the area that you are getting treated before the appointment. At Wellaholic, we also provide a shaving service at a nominal fee, but we recommend customers to shaving before the treatment if possible. You want to have short hair so that when the light and energy goes through it, there is enough left to target the follicles. UPDATE ON YOUR SKIN COLOUR AND ETHNICITY TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT SHR SETTINGS Lasers work differently on light and dark skins. People with fair skin will fall under Type 1, 2 and 3 and responds best to shorter wavelength (755 nanometers), which is easy on the skin and also effective on light hair. On the other hand, people with dark skin will fall under Type 4, 5 and 6 (where Type 4 is Indian, and Type 5 and 6 being African American). In this case, we will use a wavelength that bypasses the epidermis and has a long pulse like the 1064 nanometers and safe on their type of skin. WELLAHOLIC'S SUPER HAIR REMOVAL We hope that this article on permanent hair removal for males has been a useful read for you. Wellaholic offers full body permanent hair removal with our Unlimited SHR Prestige and Deluxe plans. These plans are designed to be cost-efficient yet effective. A 12-month plan will also automatically qualify you for our Lifetime Maintain Mode Program!
DOES YOUR FACE SPARK JOY? People all over the world are now decluttering their lives, thanks to Netflix series "Tidying up with Marie Kondo." Marie, a bestselling author from Japan, helps to get different families to sort out and declutter. This includes clearing and sorting out their piles of clothing, books and even treasured items. "Sparking Joy" is an often repeated term on the series, as Marie proclaims her mission using her konmari method to help spark joy in the world. As we move from sorting out our homes, it is time to take a look at the mirror; have a close look at your face under bright light. Ask yourself, does your face spark joy? Are you trulysatisfied with your appearance? Or are there lines and blemishes that you can clear away instead? Let us help! In this article, we will share 7 methods to help you take great care of your skin, on a daily basis. It's time to spark joy with your face! 7 METHODS TO HELP YOUR FACE SPARK JOY |
AuthorI am MrWildy and I am trying to journal more about my life and also my travels. Find out more about me here. Categories
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