At the Heart of Singapore City

Singapore, Marriott Hotel

I will be going on a short trip and will be back next week!

MarieC1

Christmas In The Tropics

These are some photos I took during Christmas at Orchard road. Please feel free to leave some comments.

Ion, the newest shopping center located at Orchard Turn, Singapore

Lights inside a Christmas tree house - before and after

Ray of Light

By Marie 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone

May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through.

Photo taken by my dearest friend

Midnight mass today was enlightening

~The true meaning of Christmas is not recognised unless we open our hearts. To give the light of love to those who need it most is to have the real spirit of Christmas~

Church of Sacred Heart

We are part of the earth and it is part of us

~The greatest of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated~

Mahatma Gandhi

Paul McCartney Narrates PETA's New 'Glass Walls' Video

Warning: The scenes are disturbing

While concerns are shown over how animals are treated in conventional factory farms,"free range" chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows may be treated less inhumanly though they are still not exactly cruelty free.

Do animals have emotions? If animals can talk like us and tell us how they feel, would we treat them differently?

Dogs, cats, horses and many other species experience many forms of emotions we think only primates have.

A dog's emotion is revealed in its face, eyes, ears, tail movement and body language. They have their way of communicating with us, for example, they wag their tail when they feel or see our presence, stretch their front legs out in front of them and lower their bodies when they want to play. Dogs can feel and express the same emotions as we do: love, hate, joy, sorrow, grief, anxiety, jealousy, remorse and even more subtle ones such as distrust and resignation. Worried frowns, angry glares, adoring gazes, suspicious squints and questioning looks are also possible. Watch this: Angel dog saves boy

A cat meow, purr and expose its belly when it is at ease in the company of a familiar person. It "smiles" with its eyes and with its tail. Slow blinking eyes, head butt and rub noses is a sign of affection.

My mom once had a cat Tommy Pete Pott2 who, whenever the phone rings, would run looking for her, meow continuously even scratching her bedroom door when it is shut. Tommy would then guide her downstairs to where the phone is located and then sit beside her as she chats.

Meanwhile Lulu, Mom's dog, would start to bark if she spends too long chatting over the phone. It is interesting to observe this display of love and intense jealousy or possessiveness if you will.

Expressions

Most animals use various unique means to communicate by body language, sound and smell. They also have an extraordinary sense that can feel the coming of natural disasters. I decided to do further research and learnt some very interesting expressions of emotions in animals.

The history of mankind is carried on the back of the horse

Horses display how they are feeling through the face, ears, neck, tail and even body position tells you a lot about the horses. They can be vocal for example, they generally greet you with a friendly 'hello' by a nicker, a softer neigh done through the nostrils. On the other hand, snorting which is blowing air through their nostrils producing a vibrating low, long sound shows that they are scared or wary of something and their ears would be pointing forward. When in distress, annoyance or angry, they tail-swish, squeals a high-pitched sound simultaneously their ears laid flat back, the lips will tighten in the corners and you will see the whites of their eyes. When relaxed, their ears droop to the side or lower lip hanging down. To get your attention, for example, a hungry horse would bang on its stall.

Little blue birds fly away in melody

Most birds communicate aurally using notes so that their presence is heard by their own species. Like us, they enjoy chattering with each other. They use various vocalization to scare off predators, to attract mate or to defend one's territory.

Among the many species, the parrots (African Grey parrots the most intelligent of all parrots) are known for its ability to communicate with humans. A pet bird would click her tongue against her beak to ask to be petted or picked up. It would also tail flip when it is happy to see you.

To Bee or Not to Bee

Bees perform a dance ritual to tell the other bees where the nectar is. Bees are famous for their pattern-recognition abilities, which scientists believe evolved in order to discriminate among flowers. As social insects, they can also tell apart their hivemates. But the new study shows that they can recognize human faces better than some humans can, with one-ten thousandth of the brain cells.

"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

Albert Einstein

Holy cows

Cows, the mothers of all creatures, benefit humans with milk, yougurt, cheese, cream and butter. Research has shown that cows enjoy soothing sounds. Slow music relaxes and improves milk yields.

Cow burbs - contributing to global warming?

Cows are responsible for nearly three-quarters of total methane emissions, with most of the gases coming from burps which are 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Experts has found that the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Scientists are now carrying out trials of new diets designed to improve cows' digestion and hopefully reduce global warming. Feeding cows with clover and alfalfa instead of grain has shown to reduce methane emissions by 25 percent.

Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant - the only harmless great thing

Elephants are the largest animals on the planet. Research shows that there are only 600,000 of elephants left in the wild. They show affection by entwining their trunks.

Do watch this video: Elephant Painting

Apes

Chimpanzees greet each other by touching hands. They clean dirt and parasites off each other's fur to provide comfort and display their affection. They are also capable of many human "actions". When taught by humans, they are able to display a lot of emotions.

Marine Animals

Marine animals use sounds to communicate with one another so that they can stay together as a group, defend territories, scare off predators and attract mates.

Whales leap out of the water repeatedly to send messages to other whales.

Dolphins click and whistle. Dolphins are known to have saved many humans from drowning and shark attacks.

Silence is golden in an animal world

Animals in the woods communicate with each other through silence when predators are near. They understand the code of silence and take heed.

Grief

There is some evidence that some animals form tears when in physical or emotional distress just like humans. Grief has also been observed in many wild species following the death of a mate, parent or offspring. For example a mother cat whose kittens are taken away from her will search for her kittens for many days, crying out continuously.

I found this picture on the Internet. It speaks a thousand words.

There is much argument as to whether animals experience emotions or are merely showing behavioural changes in response to their environment. In any case, it is interesting to observe how animals perceive the world.

By MarieC1

Easy Like a Sunday Morning

Sunday's Fig & Cheese salad

Arugula salad

Fresh figs

Baby Buffalo or goat 's cheese

Dressing:

Virgin Oil

Cayenne pepper

Salt

I ♡ all animals

By MarieC1

Saturday's Pommes d'amour

You like Tomayto, I like Tomahto.....

You say either and I say eether

You say neither and I say neether

Either, eether, Neither, neether

Let's call the whole thing off

But Oh, if we call the whole thing off then we must part,

And Oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart!

Lyrics by Louis Armstrong

Know your 'love apples' history

Buy locally and check the sticker number.

If it starts with 9 and is five digits long, it means organic.

If the number starts with 8 and is 5 digits long, it means it has been GM

If the number is 4 digits long, it is grown conventionally with chemicals and shipped before they are naturally ripe.

Oh tomatoes, combien tu m'aimes?

A number of studies suggest that tomatoes helps prevent several types of cancer, including prostate cancer.

Lycopene a carotenoid found predominantly in tomatoes is a phytochemical with potent antioxidant and substance that makes tomatoes red, giving the fruit its anti-cancer properties (second to watermelons). It is the most abundant carotenoid in the human blood tissues.

Antioxidants - There is scientific evidence that as diet high in antioxidants may protect against certain chronic diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease and cataracts.

Carotenoids - Plant pigments.

Phytochemicals - A pure chemical substance such as betacarotene produced naturally by plants to protect themselves against disease.

Vitamin benefits - A ,B C, E, potassium, iron and phosphorus iron.

Extremely low in sodium content, therefore is appreciated by people with high blood pressure and body fluid retention.

However, the minus side is, tomatoes contain glycoalkoids which some believe contribute to arthritis symptoms. Research has not yet proven this though.

Perhaps in this instant, let moderation be your guide.

Tips:

Refrigeration dehydrates flavor of tomatoes. Best to store them at room temperature stem down.

Ingredients:

Organic tomatoes

Basil

Buratta cheese

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Balsamic vinegar

By MarieC1

Friday I'm In Love

Monday, you can hold your head

Tuesday, Wednesday stay in bed

Or Thursday, watch the walls instead

It's Friday, I'm in Love

Saturday, wait

And Sunday always comes too late

But Friday, never hesitate

Lyrics by The Cure

Watercress & Orange Salad

Watercress

Orange

Water apple

Olive oil

White wine vinegar

Lime juice

Paprika

Curry Powder

Salt and pepper

By MarieC1

Thursday's Caesar

Veni, Vidi, Vici

I came, I saw, I conquered

Julius Caesar

Romaine lettuce

Garlic croutons

Egg (free range)

Anchovy

Capers

Parmesan cheese shaven

Place into a food processor:

1 Garlic clove crushed

2 tblsp Lemon Juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Virgin Olive Oil

2 fillets anchovies paste

1 tblsp parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

By MarieC1

A Berry nice Wednesday

Berry and banana salad

Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries

banana

Mint leaf

Dressing:

Half lemon juice

1 orange juice

Honey

By MarieC1

Tuesday's Salad full of grace

An Inspiration from 1909, Portugese born but raised in Brazil samba singer and actress, Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, aka Carmen Miranda.

Known for her iconic image of colorful outfits and fruit bedecked headgear, the lady in the tutti frutti hat performed in a 1945 film, "The Gang's All Here". She became a household name in the US and the highest paid female performer during World War II.

Mango & Guava Salad

Ingredients:

Unripe Mango - grated

Seedless Guava - grated

Mint leaves - chopped

Coriander (cilantro) - chopped

Salad greens

Dressing:

Pound or blend together:

Shallots

Tomato

chili (optional)

Dried prawns - pound finely and grill till golden brown

Add to the above:

Fresh Lime juice

Olive oil

Bragg Liquid Aminos

Honey or brown sugar for taste

By MarieC1

Eco Metals

Mining and extraction of precious metals is one of the most environementally destructive practices on earth. For every ton of gold produced, it generates three-million tons of chemical waste. According to "No Dirty Gold Campaign" (www.nodirtygold.org) a single gold mine in Papua New Guinea generates 2000,000 tons of toxic waste each day, more than all the cities in Japan, Canada and Australia combined.

Toby Pomeroy, jewelry designer with a beautiful conscience

As a child, Toby Pomeroy lived in the foothills of the Himalayas with his medical-missionary parents. He was inspired by the native artisans and his designs are influenced by nature. Pomeroy, became one of the first industry artisans to exclusively use reclaimed metals for his pure reused gold and silver jewelry.

By MarieC1

Meat Free Monday

Salad greens with pomelo, grapefruit and mango

A quick and easy salad dressing:

Lime juice

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

By MarieC1

Hole in One

The higher you climb.....the harder you fall

The harder you fall....the higher you bounce back

By MarieC1

Blowing bubbles in the wind

Jack Frost Nipping On Your Nose

Imagining a white Christmas in the tropics

By MarieC1

Organic Transition

A visit to a local market - Nov 2009

I am holding a bundle of sweet leaves (sauropus androgynous), a green perennial vegetable found mainly in S.E.A. It is rich in Vitamin D and is among a few flora containing vitamin K. There are occasional reports of headaches when too much is consumed. It has also been linked to obstructive lung disease when taken in massive amounts due to the high concentrations of alkaloid papaverine.

Food grown with aid of chemicals can affect our well being. By going organic, you can limit your exposure to toxic chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified foods. Moreover, organic farming uses 50 % less energy and water resources as compared to conventional farms, thereby reducing the environmental impact and disturbance to earth's ecological balance.

Going organic can be a challenge especially when organic foods cost 50% or more than non organic foods. I have found a few tips on how to make the transition and buy organic on a budget. If you can't afford a complete conversion to organic, you need to identify those categories of "must have" foods where you will receive the greatest benefit.

1. Some fruits and vegetable require very little pesticides if any. Therefore you don't need to buy organic ones. For example, bananas, pineapples, oranges, papayas, brocolli, sweet potatoes, avocados.

2. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season as prices are less competitive. Also keep a look out for the sale of the week.

3. Bulk purchase is cheaper. As such you could consider sharing these purchases with friends, families or neighbours.

4. Meat eaters may want to switch to antibiotic, hormone, pesticide-free meat and 100% grass fed.

5. Avoid conventional milk especially for your children. Dairy cows are injected with GE hormones rBGH/rBST and possibly fed with genetically modified grains and hay.

6. Cloned food sounds creepy to me! Genetically engineered food contains genes derived from bacteria and virus.

7. Eat out less if you want to eat more organic foods.

8. Start a garden. Grow your own herbs. For those small spaces, a container garden is a good alternative.

♧♧♧

DIRTY DOZEN: CONVENTIONAL CROPS WITH THE HIGHEST PESTICIDE LOADS

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet bell peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce

9. Grapes

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

For more information on foods that you should buy organic, please do take a look here at:

The daily Green

A Environmental working Group and Consumer Report:

Shopper's guide to pesticides

♧♧

By MarieC1

My utmost thanks goes to Prima, my wonderful assistant who helped me nurture my garden.

Through The Voice Of An Angel

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them"

Mother Teresa

Today, I witnessed a gift from God and I am humbled by an invaluable life lesson

learned. Susan Boyle made UK chart history with her depth of purity that transcends

through her voice but more than her singing, is her inner strength and perseverance

to stay committed to a dream despite her critics.

The truth is, sad to say, our society has such high standards that we often judge too

much by appearances. It is easier for us to put others down than it is to deal with

our own insecurities. I am ashamed to admit..... I sometimes need reminding.

God speaks to us in mysterious ways, sometimes through the voice

of an angel.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

♡

By MarieC1