Cheeseburger Duvet Cover

T'was boxing day,
and not a shop was open.
And you realize you missed out someone
in your Christmas shopping list.

How now brown cow?

Why not consider a new year gift, and this one is especially tailored for those who are gluttons, or foodies at heart.



Bed covers in the design of a cheeseburger. This will either make you go to bed with hungry stomachs, or make you totally get sick of and detest the sight of a cheeseburger in the future. On second thought, it might make you think of bed every time you walk past a Macdonald's outlet.

Then again, who can resist sleeping on buns? ;)

More info here.

Open Ear Sport Headphones

Every now and then, a newspaper article will appear regarding the damaging effects of earphones and headphones. Usually emphasizing on 'listening in moderation', it will always link to blasting loud music in the ears causing permanent damage. Despite these articles, there will always be newer models of audio sensory tools being promoted and produced, each boasting better capabilities at blocking environment noise and so on and so forth.

Let's face it. We will never stop using earphones or headphones, because it actually helps us to create our own personal sphere. That said, I am up for alternatives that are less harmful to our bodies and still maintain the same functions. Such as the Open Ear Sport Headphones. The name might lead you to think that this is definitely not one to block out any unwanted noise, and you are right.

What makes this rather unique than the rest, is the technology behind it. No more stuffing regular sized earbuds into your irregular sized ears, and praying they won't fall out as you go for a run or jog. Most of what we hear are sound waves travelling through the air to the eardrum, which then converts the sound waves to vibrations and sends them to the inner ears, commonly known as bone conduction. What if we can bypass the air travel and deliver sound straight to the bones?

In comes the AfterShokz Headphones. Originally developed for use by military special ops and SWAT teams, the headphones sit in front of the ear and delivers sound through the cheekbones to the inner ears. This allows users to still be receptive to ambient noise.



That said, I am curious on the potential of this, such as soothing music through the cheekbones when one is having a toothache, or headache. Also, I know music can stimulate plant growth. What about dental growth?

You can find out more info on the technology, pricing and products available here.

iFixit Thirsty Bag

Once, the bottle of water in my bag leaked. I panicked and rushed to the nearest restroom, where I delicately dismantled the components of my PSP and blew it dry under the hand dryer. Unfortunately, it wasn't a success, and my three hundred odd dollars investment was gone.

Now, if I had an iFixit Thirsty Bag, there is a higher chance my PSP might still be functioning. A simple seal-proof bag containing extra-absorbent beads, it promises to pull moisture out of any electronic device. Some might say, why not just throw it in a packet of rice? This solution does come up quite regularly in search results on what to do if your device is wet. But, who carries a packet of rice everywhere? (I'm not talking about the cooked types.)

You can find more info here and the bag/s are selling for 9.95 pounds each. Definitely an ideal gift for those whose electronics keep getting dunked in water, (or you are preparing to dunk their devices in water.)

Million Dollars

I remember how in school last time, the topic of 'what will you do if you had a million dollars' would arise, whether for discussion topics (ussw) or for compositions. (Compositions are the predecessors to essays.)

How far and wide our dreams went. From giving to charity to travelling around the world to flying to space and much more.

Now a decade later, if I had to answer that same question, my answers would be entirely different and I'm pretty sure most people would agree with me on this.

A million dollars can be used to clear study loans, pay medical bills, invest in stock markets, start a company (or companies) and many more. If I had a million dollars, I'll clear my study loans, buy a second hand car, and kickstart my business, put some in a fixed deposit account, and donate monthly to charity.

The clean debt-free, health-ridden, flawless sphere we grew up in, has evolved over the years. Not necessarily for the worse, though. It has definitely gotten more technical. One has to deal with fare calculations, cpf contribution rates, technical faults, nutritional information, waist sizes.

Will this evolution cease one day? I don't think so. It's all casually classified under 'part of growing up'. But, it pays to hold true to the values we had when we were a child. At the end of the day (or year), the values instilled since young aid us in attaining our ever-changing dreams and goals be it short or long-term.

What will you do with a million dollars? 

Hansel & Gretel, a must-watch!

I managed to catch Hansel & Gretel the other day. Not the movie, but the musical currently showing at the Drama Centre till 15th December. It took my breath away.

From the multi-talented cast, to the very-Singaporean costumes, to the awesome kids cast supporting in singing and top-notch dancing, this is a definite must-watch to end the year right! If you haven't been able to do one thing at least right - like buying Brand's Essence for your kids only to realize the next day that top PSLE kids won't be featured in papers - then this will undoubtedly place you in Santa's Good Kids List (if you still believe in Santa, that is).

Director Pam Oei has done a splendid job in localizing the children's tale. The stepmother is a pop superstar *hint crossover* who moves in to Queenstown, and charms the father of Hansel and Gretel. She 'happily' brings them out and leaves them in one of our few forests, where they find a very un-ordinary house.  Made of cookies, kueh lapis, pineapple tarts, donuts, the evil witch keeps them captive. Kudos to Sebastian Tan and Siti Khalijah for their role as the evil witch and her helper respectively.

How the story goes, I shall not spoil the many local twists and references. What I particular enjoyed was the well-crafted blend of jokes which children will understand, and jokes which adults will get. I could tell Sebastian Tan probably had a very very hard time controlling his inner Broadway Beng, in order to satisfy the numerous young faces in the audience.

That said, I was very very very impressed with the youth supporting cast. Ranging from ages 4 to 12, I am confident that the next generation of theatre practitioners will continue to up the ante. And, a sample of what you will hear, (and enjoy) can be found here.

(Psst, highly recommend you listen to that before your lunch or dinner break)

Tickets can be found here.

Add Up

If you are a seasoned traveler, one thing that might nag you at the back of your mind is the numerous small change you tend to collect at the end of each trip. Now, if you visit that particular country very regularly, then it is okay, because there will always be opportunities to use up those loose change. What if you don't visit them frequently? You will just be left with a bunch of coins that are of no value to you.

Meet your solution.



The Add Up is a foreign currency exchange box. You simply drop in your foreign coins, and receive a credit to your phone account or Skype account. The box will automatically convert your coins for you, to your domestic currency.



Another important aspect to this idea would be the contribution to society. Every exchange will definitely result in a decimal amount being rounded off. This seemingly minuscule amount will be donated to a charity of your choice. I say seemingly, because it would be small if thought of as an individual contribution. However, it will increase exponentially, once you consider the global number of travelers easily hits over two billion.

More info here.

He ponders and wonders

His right hand inches for the edge of the rock jutting out. Like many other edges, they provide him a platform to hold on and reach skyward. There are times where he holds on comfortably, safe and assured. Other times, it's difficult. Even a small pebble dislodged from the top is a threat to his existence as it plummets earth-bound. Every time his eyes follow it, they end up focusing on the darkness below.

That which rumbles underneath.
That which just might blow anytime.
That which shrieks and bellows at night.
That which whispers his name as the moon shines bright above.

Arrows of smoke,
Daggers of lightning,
Thrashes of thunder.
A sandstorm.

Blankets of
Small
Sharp
Speeding
Harsh
Crude
Blunt
Minute
Piercing
Memories.

Who wants to hold on to a burning rope?
In all common sense, one would let it fall.
Yet, once it falls, how would one know
if it is still burning?

My heart aches.
But, no time to ponder.
One has to wander.
Night is coming, and before that,
There is much to be done.
Even till I am on my knees.
Others before me.