Kimchi!

Those who know me will know that I am not a big fan of kimchi. Its like Cristiano Ronaldo - you either love or hate him. Fortunately during our Korea trip, we were sent for some brain washing sessions.

The KimChi School

Different varieties of kimchi

We were told that kimchi had just been named as one of the Top 5 World's Healthiest Foods. Well we never take anything our guide says at face value so we made a note to check it out when we came back. She was right!

My wife, always the good student

Making the kimchi

The result - after 3 weeks of fermentation in our fridge. Kimchi on right, seaweed left.

The kimchi sat in our fridge in an airtight box for 3 weeks and when we had it for dinner last week, it really tastes like we were back in a restaurant in Seoul. There is no doubt that kimchi is very healthy. However there are reports that the overconsumption of certain types of kimchi was a possible link to cancer, possibly due to the high sodium content and nitrates produced during fermentation in certain types of kimchi. South Korea has the highest rates of gastric cancer in the world after all.

Well that should not stop you from appreciating this dish once in a while. A little of everything in moderation always benefits you. Oh, and I like kimchi now. Heheh.

Would You Sell Below Cost?

There is huge price war out there over Dan Brown's latest book 'The Lost Symbol.' Retail prices start at £18.99 but here is a list of how much it is actually going for.

Amazon £9.49

Waterstone £9.49

Morrisons £9.00

Sainsbury's £8.00

Tesco £7.00

WH Smith £5.99 (with conditions or else £9.49)

Asda £5.00

Apparently Asda will make a loss of £4 for every one of this book that they sell. I don't know about you but I think that that is a lot of money. Their competitors may be calling them crazy for making a loss on such a transaction but if you actually look carefully, their parent company is none other than Wal-mart. So what do you expect?

This gambit also seems to be paying off for Asda as recent reports boasts strong overall sales growth for them. How can you argue with results like this? What do you make of a situation like this?

1) Buy!

Normally I will never buy a book which is very recently released. If you wait, prices will surely drop as stores try to clear off copies of the book that are no longer in demand. Or wait for the paperback edition which is sure to be a lot cheaper. However in times like this where the hardcover edition is as cheap (or even cheaper maybe) as the paperback version, why not? I'll definitely buy it.

2) Buy!

If I own a bookstore or am doing a biz related to books, I'll buy bulks of it and resell. You can definitely not get this kind of price from any supplier at the moment I believe and even if you sell at half price (which is around £9), you will still have a good margin. Heheh...

Your Food May Be Causing You Problems?

Diet Rich in Processed Food Linked to Increased Risk for Depression

November 10, 2009 — Patients who consume a diet rich in high-fat dairy products and fried, refined, and sugary foods are at increased risk of developing depression, whereas those whose diet is rich in fish, fruit, and vegetables are at lower risk of developing depression, a new study shows.

The results suggest that diet should be considered a potential target for the prevention of depressive disorders, said the study's lead author, Tasnime N. Akbaraly, PhD, who completed the study while at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College, London, United Kingdom.

Potential Mechanisms

There are several possible mechanisms that might explain the association between a processed food diet and depression, said Dr. Akbaraly. There is some evidence of a correlation between sugar consumption and the rate of depression.

In addition, the Western diet has been associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease and inflammation, both of which have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression.

"Many processes such as oxidative stress processes, or insulin resistance processes, could be involved," said Dr. Akbaraly, adding that further research is needed to determine exactly how refined foods might affect risk for depression.

As for how a "whole" food diet might protect against depression, such a diet includes fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants — nutrients that have been shown to reduce risk for depression.

In addition, the diet includes many foods including cruciferous vegetables, leafy vegetables, and other vegetables and dried legumes that are a rich source of folate. Previous research has shown that low levels of folate may affect levels of neurotransmitters that may be involved in depression. This diet also includes lots of fish, a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids that might also reduce the incidence of depression.

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It seems every other day some new study pops up and tells us something we more or less already know - watch what you eat! Or eat more vege and fruits and cut down on fast food and all that processed food like chips or keropok and soft drinks.

Being a fan of fast food myself, I can assure you that there is a way to get around this situation amicably. I believe that if you watch what you eat 80% of the time (as in eat plenty of greens, fruits and healthy lean meat and yes, avoid taking too much refined carbs), then you can let loose 20% of the time.

I once had a dinner with a professional rugby player, and he mentions that 6 days a week he maintains a strict nutritional regiment and 1 day a week he eats to his heart's desire. So assuming you eat 3 meals a day, that's 3/21 x 100 = roughly 15%. So for him its more like 85/15. Obviously we are not athletes and we have no need to follow their strict discipline, so I think we can cut some slack and allow ourselves 75/25. So based on this simple mathematical equation, if I eat KFC 5 times per week, that will mean 5/21 x 100 = 24% only and I still can have some extra wedges on top of that!

Colonel : Come dine with me 5 times a week! Heheheh!

This is something like the Pareto Principle, more popularly known as the 80-20 rule, which states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. An example is 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. Or 80% of your illnesses is caused by....errr....hmmm....errrr....never mind. I don't think we need to dwell too much on that.

Crisis?

One year ago, I wrote a post about how Liverpool will not win the league and I was right, just barely. They went on to finish second and almost had the title in their grasp. This season leh...(sighs)

5 league defeats in 11 games, everyone is asking, how can Rafa still be the manager?

Rafa: Torres has baby faced skin? You OBVIOUSLY haven't seen my thighs

First of all, Rafa has attained some what of a legendary status at Anfield. He delivered the Champions League trophy in his very first season and the FA cup the following year. So Liverpool fans will always have a soft spot in their hearts for this man. However the past is past and I think we will get no where if we always cling on to it.

The second point in Rafa's defence is stability. Think about it, the most successful football clubs are those who have long serving managers - Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger comes to mind. Changing managers frequently will bring about instability as each manager will choose to run things in a very different way.

Things could turn dirty for Rafa in coming weeks as an article appeared in Soccernet accusing Rafa of neglecting the league and prioritising European performances to secure another job. Well, tomorrow's clash with Lyon could be Rafa's Waterloo. Champions League football has always been his specialty but if he loses that golden touch in the CL, he may just lose his job.

Beautiful Korea

For our (belated) honeymoon, the missus wanted to go to South Korea. When I asked a few of my friends who had been there, the general consensus was 'Its ok, so so, at least go once in your lifetime.' I wasn't expecting much when I left for Korea last week, but the tour guide said during the beginning of the trip 'Korea has more to offer than you think.' After having spent 1 week there, I agree.

Autumn leaves on Nami Island

First of all, autumn in Korea is really very beautiful. There is a 2 week window in which the leaves turn color to prepare for the coming winter and this is Korea at its best (in my opinion). I've always preferred fall/winter to spring/summer...but hey, to each his own.

Small clay figures found on Nami Island

Perhaps the one thing that has made Korea very unique is its neighbor, North Korea. The North and South are still theoretically at war with each other, held apart by a ceasefire agreement signed in 1953.

A South Korean military outpost at Imjingak

Prayers and wishes for the unification of Korea

Binoculars granting you a view into North Korea

Very enterprising Koreans.. DMZ chocolates!

A destroyer at the Gangneung Unification Park where the North Korean spies infiltrated the South

A typical street in Korea lined with ginkgo trees

You can see many of these structures in Korea, be it temples or palaces

A closeup of the roof

Our time in Korea not only taught us about the history and culture behind Korea's past, but also brought us to experience the modern and urban city life of Seoul.

At the Drawing Show, a combo of painting and performance

T-Express, the hair changing experience which is the worlds steepest 'wooden' rollercoaster

Walker-Hill Casino

Skyscrapers in Seoul

A view from my hotel room in Seoul *heheheh*

BMW police bikes

Will I return to Korea again? Definitely, but maybe after 15 years or so. If anything, this tour has made me want to go to Japan instead, because in almost all of Korea's undertakings in Asia, they are second only to Japan. To anyone who is considering going to Korea for a holiday, I highly recommend it! Or at least go to Korea before you go to Japan... those who have gone to Japan before going to Korea expressed that it was like taking a step backwards...a very small step though. With the way Korea is advancing now, it may catch up to Japan sometime later...maybe, just maybe.

I'm Turning Green

Don't make me angry... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry! I'll feed you with cili padi till your skin melts. Yes I'm really turning green. Or red... Last weekend I decided that I've had enough of looking at weeds/grass only every time I look out of my window.

Honestly I don't know why I got this chili plant. My wife and I aren't chili masochists and we don't eat chilis on a regular basis. I do know that my mom loves them though and she will probably get lots from us in the near future.

We also got ourselves a mini christmas tree... heheh. Small in size but has the potential to be a giant one day. This little fella will provide our garage with shade from the morning sun...oh well, in a few years time.

For those of you who are familiar with where I live, please be informed that there is enough space under that christmas tree for a PS3 or a Wii gaming console should you decide to be generous this coming..oh I don't know, say the night of 24th December? *winks*

And some good news, my two-faced plant is doing very well and even sprouting new flowers! There was a drastic change when we replanted the pot in a more nutrient rich soil and a bigger pot (since it was outgrowing the old one).

Next on the list will be to get a fruit bearing tree... I'm thinking maybe a papaya tree and a durian tree. I was told to look for a hybrid durian tree that doesn't need 10 years to bear fruit and will come with easy plucking abilities... anybody can shed some light on this?

Forsaken Ones

Customer : Do you have any creams that can make me grow a beard or a moustache at least?

I looked upon the customer with the boyish looks devoid of any ruggedness in his face and I instantly empathised with him... Some people are just blessed with such good facial hair and some of us seem to have pissed off the God of Facial Hair at some point in our lives. After my encounter with this particular customer, I told my wife that I'm trying to grow a goatee. She didn't even bat an eyelid and went back to whatever she was doing. Fast forward 2 weeks and the grass in the garden is outgrowing the hair on my chin. There are a few stubbles, but nothing remotely close to what Johnny Depp has on his chin.

Its honestly depressing. There is something about having a well groomed goatee or moustache that kind of adds to your character. You can shave it clean and then you have your boyish looks back. Its an option thats nice to have. Then again there are some people who are pushing the definition of 'well groomed'...like this fella here.

There are some who recommend taking testosterone and many internet searches will tell you to use testosterone cream (which is not available here) but having a higher level of testosterone doesn't guarantee that the hair will grow on your face specifically. It could be an Amazon in some places and still a Sahara in others...if you know what I mean.

Some also mention that facial hair may come later in life, something that I am really hoping for. I may just be a late bloomer after all you know...heheh. Hopefully...