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A good wake up routine sets the mood for the day :)
Wake up, pray, stretch, little guy, ANR #飽睡精華 ! Skincare isn’t just for nighttime repairing, it also sets your skin up for day protection and even preps your skin for makeup.
My personal tip, make sure to massage your face for a few mins while you apply for extra refreshed skin and features!
#擁抱年輕修護節奏
#AdvancedNightRepair
#EsteeHK
@esteelauder_hk
longtailbutterfly, an NSF serving in SCDF, shares a day in his life on Reddit. Thank you for your service.
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"Let's tell a story.
I'm working my 24 hr (work 24 hours, off 48 hours) duty. It's 1100 and I just finished morning lecture (equipment drill and familiarisation) in the engine bay of my fire station. It's a Saturday so our rota (platoon-ish) orders nasi lemak. Coding comes in over the loudspeaker and we turn out to a case of locked door, suspected DOA (decomposing body). Traffic doesn't give way to our LF (red rhino), as per usual (smh). We arrive at the HDB unit and instantly we smell the dead body. The knowledge of smell will come with experience. The niece, who called 995, asks me if her uncle will be ok. I already know the body is decomposing but I reply "We're unsure, but we'll try our best". I lie to her face. My pump operator (PO, and the only regular in the crew) looks at me and grimaces. We've been in this situation together many times before. We easily break the door and the smell intensifies. I go in first, followed by the ambulance (alpha) paramedic. We find the body on the bed in the master bedroom. The paramedic tells me, "About two weeks". The body is severely bloated, skin green and black. The face is unrecognizable as it has bloated too much. Bile attempts to escape from between the discolored lips creating bubbles. The smell is sweet but rotten and my fireman gags. I get the relevant information I need and step out for a breather. The niece looks at me and asks what is going on. I look at her and I know she knows he's dead. "You uncle... has passed away". I turn away to avoid the emotions. Emotions are killers in this line of work.
We get back in time for nasi lemak lunch. The chicken is a bit soggy this week. The smell of rotten flesh lingers in my nostrils. I watch the Malay romantic drama that my enciks chose on the TV. It's ok, the girl is cute.
Before dinner we get another call - unit fire confirm case. We race there and reach before the fire engine (pumper). They're caught in traffic and will take another few minutes. Two firefighters and I proceed to the unit. Instantly the thick black smoke chokes my throat and waters my eyes. I struggle with my breathing cylinder because the air hose delivery tool is stuck between my backplate and my back. I say fuck it, neighbours are already screaming for us to hurry. The pressure escalates but I close myself off from the members of public, just like normal. We all focus. The only things I listen to are my matra (radio) and my fireman. I just wear my facemask for minimal protection and crawl in. The fire is well alight on the stove and I shoot at it. The smoke limits my visibility to 0, I now can't see my fingers as I stretch out my arm. I crawl back out and get stuck on a fallen wire. I panic as I think of my family. Emotions are dangerous. A fire biker crawls in and frees me. We step out and I tell the crew the fire is almost finished but our CAF backpacks are finished (water foam sprayers). I send the firefighters down to set up water supply from hydrant and crawl back in with the firebiker. The smoke makes it feel like someone just threw hot ash down my throat. We extinguish the fire using an ass-washing hose from the kitchen toilet. I am coughing badly but he sprays my face with the hose. The kitchen is badly burnt. I can feel the smoke damage in my lungs. The owner and neighbours pat me on the back and thank me for saving their home as I walk out. I smile but I know I took another step closer to death.
We get back at 2200 and order McDonalds. It is the best Double McSpicy I’ve eaten in a while.
At lunch the next day my friend (SAF LTA) tells me how stressful being an instructor at SAFTI has been recently. I remember as my cylinder got trapped on the fallen wire, and how I thought of my family in those few struggling seconds. I nod my head and grunt. " SAF has it tough with JCC and everything huh?" I joke. He agrees enthusiastically.
All in a day’s work for the NSFs in SPF/SCDF. If we fail, someone dies from our direct actions. Welcome to NS. No second chances or semula. Just death. I wish the public knew the risks that some NSFs take each day. We might not be as fit as NDU or as garang as commandos, but we put our lives on the line literally every day.
As an NSF I can say I have saved many lives, fought many fires and contributed to Singapore. No play acting or training for a war that will never happen (though I understand the incredible need for an armed military). I love my job, I love NS and wouldn't trade it for anything else (maybe an EMT vocation).
I am still amazed that many members of public still associate NS with army. I wish people would know. There's no greater feeling in this world than knowing some uncle I helped rescue on my first duty at 0200 will live to eat his favourite mee pok or talk cock with his kakis because of my direct actions. Pride and care right?
At least I get paid $1400 a month (;
UPDATE: Thanks for overwhelming suppourt. If I knew how big this would get I would have proofread my writing more 😒 (some might say it spread like fire in dry grass during lalang season). I would tell more stories but I know that it would compromise my anonymity so I'll just shut my mouth, and unfortunately since this is a throw away you guys probably won't be hearing from me again.
What were my goals for this post?
To bring awareness to the nature and extent of NSF work in SCDF.
To just get some words off my chest.
This post was NOT meant to:
Bash SAF. I know the importance of a trained military (I believe I addressed this point in my initial post). If we didn't have the National Service Scheme, invading Singapore as Indonesia or Malaysia would be easy af.
Over-dramatise our work. I tried my hardest to write from a neutral stand point and deliver facts about incidents as cold, hard, and true as the Ben&Jerrys ice cream in my freezer however what we do on a daily sometimes makes me ask "Am I in a Michael Bay film?". It happens to the best of us.
If you were offended, I apologise. My intentions were merely to raise awareness for the often overlooked and under-praised "little brother" NSFs in SCDF/SPF. So many of our kind deserve recognition for what they deal with.
One last short bit before signing off.
EMTs (medical assistants in ambulances) have some of the roughest calls out there, no contest. I was having dinner with my buddy from BRT who later became an EMT at a high volume station when he dropped Fat Man 2.0 on me. Traditionally he and I have always been tuned to similar wavelengths as the chaos-utopia nature of our jobs is only shared between a select few.
He's an NSF like me -- 18-22, male, horny. As per the norm we were sharing gossip about events or big incidents in the Force, latest happenings and where that one cute paramedic at 33 is now. We were just digging in to our chow when he told me "I had a casualty die in my hands for the first time".
According to him it's not common for that to happen. I nod my head as I spool my pasta. It's has a thick green sauce and I can't help but think of my last DOA. I throw the idea out of my mind. Work is work, recreation is recreation. Usually when EMS arrives the casualty has a high chance of surviving, albeit sometimes with long lasting or even permanent injuries, or the casualty is dead. "Case of fall from height. The skull was completely smashed," he told me between mouthfuls of food, "I had the guy in a head grip but the harder I held his skull, the more my fingers just... pressed into his brain. There was no structural integrity left in the skull." We continued eating, he had told me of a similar case before. It wasn't new news to either of us. The pasta burns my tongue and I sip on my lemon tea. Too sweet. "Then he just stopped breathing. CPR AED didn't work." It was the first time witnessing the transition from alive to dead. They couldn't resuscitate. We paid the bill and started chitchatting about soccer on the way to the MRT. It was one of eight calls on his 8 hour duty. The food place was way too expensive and I made a mental note to never go back (unless I'm with my parents). Who charges $5 for ice lemon tea? Christ.
There are many duties where I don't get a call the whole 24 hours. If it's a busy day we'll get 3-4. 3-4 for him is a light day. Alpha (ambulance) guys really get it the hardest.
If you know someone who has a similar job, just listen to what they have to say. It's not easy for everyone to transition from seeing a broken family outside a unit containing a dead body to eating breakfast with their fam at their favourite prata house while being all happy smiley. We all get desensitised to death and risking everything but desensitisation doesn't mean it doesn't take a mental toll on our minds and well-being. We don't admit it because it's not garang, but everyone needs to get their thoughts off their chest every once in a while. You can help them by lending a ear (or a hug)."
via: https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/4iexp5/a_rant_on_national_service_from_an_nsf/
#好書分享
#成為這樣的我
我對同時把家庭、婚姻和事業照顧好好的女人特別感興趣，
因為家庭一直以來都是我的first priority，
但我對於如何在這三方中取得絕佳的平衡，一直感到很困惑。
所以當Michelle Obama的自傳推出後，
我毫不猶豫買下。
基於聽八卦的心態我當然是對於他和Obama如何相遇的過程感到很好奇。
而他們相識相愛的過程也真的很有趣！
一部分也是歸功於Michelle她本身的寫作也非常引人入勝吧！
耐人尋味用字卻不艱澀。
有幾句描述的好精闢的句子好想分享給大家！
（我才看到剛認識決定在一起的章節而已，至於如何認識的我就先不破梗了唷）
1. （What she heard from others before they met）Exceptional, the most gifted law student one had ever encountered. On top of his apparent brilliance, he was also cute.
2. （from a peak of his profile picture in the staff directory）a less-than-flattering, poorly lit head shot of a guy with a big smile and a whiff of geekiness.
3. （the first time they talked over the phone）A rich, even sexy, baritone that didn’t seem to match his photo one bit.
4. （After they met）What struck me was how assured he seemed of his own direction in life. He was oddly free from doubt.
5. He was breezy in his manner but powerful in his mind. It was a strange stirring combination. He was refreshing unconventional, and weirdly elegant.
6. There was no arguing with the fact that even with his challenged sense of style, Barack was a catch. He was good-looking, poised, and successful. He was athletic, interesting, and kind.
7. He could be lighthearted and jokey, but he never strayed far from a larger sense of obligation.
8. Barack had a smile that seemed to stretch the whole width of his face. He was a deadly combination of smooth and reasonable.
9. I was struck for the first time by the spectacle of him – this strange mix-of-everything man.
10. As soon as I allowed myself to feel anything for Barack, the feelings came rushing – a toppling blast of lust, gratitude, fulfillment, wonder.
The Los Angeles Lakers drove a stake into the heart of the Philadelphia 76ers and staked their claim as the NBA's next dynasty.
Led by Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers won their second straight title with a 108-96 victory in Game Five of the NBA Finals, completing the greatest postseason run in league history.
"A dream come true," O'Neal said. "I always knew we could do it, especially after the first one last year. I just knew that if we did what we were supposed to do that we could get it done."
"Team Shaq" has gone back-to-back, claiming its 13th championship. The Lakers did it by going 15-1, with the lone loss coming in overtime against the 76ers in the opener of this series.
That ended a 19-game winning streak, but O'Neal quickly restored order, powering the Lakers to four straight wins as he claimed his second straight NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
"The first championship was just to get the monkey off my back," O'Neal said. "The ones that I get from now on will just be to stamp my name in history -- as far as for myself, as far as for whatever team I'm on."
"It was an unbelievable run for us in the playoffs," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who won his eighth championship, one shy of the legendary Red Auerbach. "Their concentration was incredible during this period."
O'Neal collected 29 points and 13 rebounds in the clincher. He manhandled Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, averaging 33 points, 15.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks in the series.
"His defense is really, I think, one of the keys for us winning," Jackson said. "He was a presence inside, both offensively and defensively."
O'Neal's impact was undeniable. Not only was he an unstoppable post presence, his teammates made a record 36-of-75 3-pointers playing off him.
"I've never seen a player better in my life," 76ers coach Larry Brown said. "I mean that."
"I'm drunk," O'Neal said as he entered the interview room. "A lotta champagne."
It was a lot of O'Neal, but it wasn't all him. It only seemed that way. Philadelphia native Kobe Bryant, -- heavily booed in his hometown throughout the series -- silenced this city with something less than brotherly love.
Bryant had 26 points and 12 rebounds, shaking off a poor first half. He averaged 24.6 points and was outstanding in each of LA's four wins, perfectly complementing O'Neal -- which was not always the case during the season.
"It's a thing in the past," Bryant said. "We'll do our best to try to keep a team effort, keep a community. Hopefully, we won't have to go through what we went through this year, and I don't think we will."
The Lakers did not exactly bury the 76ers. Following the script of the entire series, they allowed a huge lead to dwindle in the fourth quarter before two 3-pointers by Derek Fisher served as dual daggers to the heart the Sixers displayed to the very end.
NBA MVP Allen Iverson scored 37 points despite suffering another injury, this one to his ribs. He averaged 35.6 points in his first Finals and allowed a basketball-crazed city to believe it could topple Tinseltown.
"Allen told me he thought he cracked some ribs," Brown said. "They X-rayed it, I don't know, they didn't find that. It's what that kid's about. He had a phenomenal year.
"And I think being in this environment on this stage, people really recognize what an unbelievable competitor he is and what a great player."
Iverson's competitive spirit got the best of him. He walked off the court as the buzzer sounded, refusing to shake hands. He also blew off the postgame media session when he saw he had to wait for Bryant.
But the "Little Guy" and a big heart were nowhere near enough for the Sixers, who struggled on offense and saw their dogged defense decimated by a dynasty.
"They got our attention during the course of this series," said Jackson.
Injury-infiltrated Philadelphia fought hard in every game, but playing uphill took its toll and the Sixers were pushed back by the 7-2, 330-pound O'Neal, a mountain of a man and the NBA's king of the hill.
"It may not seem like I'm happy on my face," O'Neal said in the interview room. "I'm also greedy and I'm not done."
"Shaq has got more in him," Jackson said. "I expect him to have more than two championships before he's finished with this game."
Rick Fox scored 20 points for the Lakers and Fisher added 18, all on 3-pointers. LA made 12-of-17 from the arc, devastating the double-teams the Sixers ran at O'Neal.
Philadelphia's Tyrone Hill had his best postseason game with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mutombo added 13 and 11 before fouling out and Eric Snow had 13 and 12 assists.
"They came out and proved to the world that they were a defending champion," Mutombo said.
Bryant scored seven quick points early in the final period to give the Lakers a 92-74 lead. But the Sixers would not allow any early celebration, putting together another of their patented pushes.
Hill's jumper made it 93-84 with 5:24 to play but Fisher drilled a 3-pointer. Mutombo fouled out with 3:41 left, but Philadelphia kept coming as Hill's three-point play cut the deficit to 100-92 with 1:51 to go.
Snow's free throw got it a point closer, but Fisher made another from the arc to seal it with 51 seconds left. Brown pulled his weary warriors off the floor to a standing ovation that lasted until the final horn as tears welled in Iverson's eyes.
Right before tip-off, the video scoreboard showed a hilarious cartoon that depicted O'Neal as a building-crushing monster before Iverson emerged as "Underdog" to save the day.
That got the crowd going and Snow's return to the starting lineup sparked the Sixers to their first opening-quarter lead of the series, 27-24. Mutombo held O'Neal relatively in check, Snow ran the offense and Iverson scored 11 points.
Iverson also collected three fouls, going hard to the floor after a collision with Bryant with 42 seconds to go. He began the second quarter on the bench with an ice pack on his right side and spent the early part of the period trying to stretch it out while missing three straight shots.
Meanwhile, O'Neal and the Lakers found some rhythm. Robert Horry made his seventh straight 3-pointer to pull LA into a 29-29 tie and O'Neal scored eight points in less than three minutes, including a short jumper that gave the Lakers the lead for good at 36-34 with 7:57 remaining.
O'Neal dropped in an alley-oop pass from Fox and Bryant sank a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 49-40 with 3:43 left before Iverson found his stroke again. He scored six quick points to get the Sixers back in it.
The Lakers led 52-48 at halftime behind 17 points by O'Neal and six 3-pointers. Iverson scored 19 points.
Bryant, who shot 2-of-10 in the first half, got untracked as the Lakers widened the gap in a foul-filled third quarter. He scored eight points and set a tone by going to the basket and attacking the offensive boards.
O'Neal and Matt Geiger had a staredown and received technical fouls. Bryant heard the "Kobe (stinks)" chants once again, but a 3-pointer by Fisher silenced the crowd and gave LA a 78-66 advantage with 2:24 to play. The Lakers led 83-68 entering the final period.
