Eriylia Wordpress

I created another blog last month in Wordpress, but it is still not ready to be viewed yet. it's kind of hard to use it, I had a hard time trying to add widgets and adsense. I planned to put all the recipes that I've tried in that blog, but I'm not sure I can maintain the site.

Sunset Photos

These pictures were taken today before and during sunset from the family picnic area near our house. While waiting for the sunset, my daughter, Ellie wanted me to take her pictures playing the swing. I love watching the sunset at this beach, but today I didn't go down the beach, just took it from the picnic area. I wish I had better camera than I have now. Some of the pictures were not very clear that I had to delete them. Probably, I should take photography classes to enhance the skills. I only posted a few pictures here, if you would like to see more, just go to my photo gallery.

Sundays' Activity

It's been quite awhile I didnt post anything on my personal activities. This is because there wasn't anything interesting to write on apart from school work, house chores and weddings. Last Sunday I wanted to write on the 'Sunday Culture' in Brunei as that I attended a wedding reception half-heartedly. In my opinion, I hope no one will be upset with this, this is how most Bruneians spend their Sundays, attending wedding reception. We hardly have time for the family, there's always weddings to attend to, and sometimes other 'unexpected functions' too. There are times, three or four weddings to attend to on the same Sunday. It's hard sometimes to do anything, especially us teachers, as we have to prepare a week lesson plan for the following week.

Can there be any other ways to overcome this? School holidays are usually filled up with wedding invitations. I'm sure, this month and next month will be full of weddings to attend to, as the fasting month is near, i.e. in September. Yesterday, we received another invitation, I didnt even bother to look at the date of the wedding. Not that I don't want to attend ( I have to), I'm just tired of going to the wedding every Sunday. I want to spend time at home with my children and clean the house.

Health Benefits of Oats

Eating oats in your diet provides a wide range of important health benefits. New scientific research is also revealing exciting new information about the benefits of oats, some of it surprising. Everyone in my family, including my six year old daughter, Ellie is now eating oats. I've been eating oats since I was very young, but I don't eat them everyday. However, two years ago when I found that I had high cholestrol, I started eating them everyday, one in the morning and another cup at night. But, once the cholestrol level became normal, I stopped eating them. Here are some benefits of eating oats regularly which I found from www.eatmoreoats.com

Cholesterol and Heart
Oats contains a mixture of about half soluble and half insoluble fibers. One component of the soluble fibre found in oats is beta-glucans, a soluble fiber which has proven effective in lowering blood cholesterol.

Blood Sugars
Eating oats can spread the rise in blood sugars over a longer time period. Control of blood glucose and insulin levels is essential in preventing many of the complications associated with diabetes. Oat beta-glucan slows the rise in blood glucose levels following a meal and delays its decline to pre-meal levels.

Anti Cancer
Oats, like other grains and vegetables, contain hundreds of phytochemicals (plant chemicals). Many phytochemicals are thought to reduce a person's risk of getting cancer. Phytoestrogen compounds, called lignans, in oats have been linked to decreased risk of hormone-related diseases such as breast cancer. Most of the research has been focused on breast cancer, but similar effects are expected on other hormone-related cancers such as prostate, endometrium and ovarian cancer. International research has shown that women with a higher intake of dietary fibre have lower circulating oestrogen levels, a factor associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. The insoluble fibers in oats are also thought to reduce carcinogens in the gastrointestinal tract.

Blood Pressure
A daily serving of whole oats rich in soluble fibre can reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure, and so reduce the need for anti-hypertensive medication.

Bowel Function
Oats have a high fiber content. Fiber is necessary in keeping bowel movements regular. Oats are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It is spongy and absorbs many times its own weight of liquid. It makes stools heavier and speeds their passage through the gut, relieving constipation.

Weight Control
As the soluble fiber of oats is digested, it forms a gel, which causes the viscosity of the contents of the stomach and small intestine to be increased. The gel delays stomach emptying making you feel full longer which helps with weight loss. New research suggests that children between ages 2-18 years old who have a constant intake of oatmeal lowered their risk of obesity. The research found that the children who ate oatmeal were 50% less likely to become overweight, when compared to those children that did not eat it.

Athletic Performance
Oats, like other cereal grains, are valued primarily as a source of carbohydrates which provide calories for energy needs. Oats have been shown in scientific studies to favorably alter metabolism and enhance performance when ingested 45 minutes to 1 hour before exercise of moderate intensity.

General Health and Longevity
Oats have a higher concentration of well-balanced protein than other cereals. They contain a good balance of essential fatty acids, which have been linked with longevity and general good health, and also have one of the best amino acid profiles of any grain. Amino acids are essential proteins that help facilitate optimum functioning of the body. Oats are a good source of essential vitamins such as thiamin, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid and vitamin E. They also contain zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oat beta glucan also appears to help speed up response to infection, which may result in faster healing. According to a new study, it was discovered that beta glucan can enhance the ability of certain human immune cells to navigate to the site of a bacterial infection, resulting in faster healing.

What Your Birth Month Says About You?

The month which you were born can also determine your personality traits. However, they are not necessarily true. So those who were born in July, find out if some of these apply to you. I've a few friends who were born in this month and I think some or even most of the traits here apply to them.

JULY

Fun to be with

Secretive

Difficult to fathom and to be understood

Quiet unless excited or tensed

Takes pride in oneself

Has reputation

Easily consoled

Honest

Concern about people's feelings

Tactful

Friendly

Approachable

Very emotional

Tempramental and unpredictable

Moody and easily hurt

Witty and sarky

Sentimental

Not revengeful

Forgiving but never forgets

Dislike nonsensical and unnecessary things

Guides others physically and mentally

Sensitive and forms impressions carefully

Caring and loving

Treats others equally

Strong sense of sympathy

Wary and sharp

Judge people through observations

Hardworking

No difficulties in studying

Loves to be alone

Always broods about the past and the old friends

Likes to be quiet

Homely person

Waits for friends

Never looks for friends

Not aggressive unless provoked

Prone to having stomach and dieting problems

Loves to be loved

Easily hurt but takes long to recover

Overly concerned

Puts in effort in work

What is your favourite ice cream flavour?

Want to get a taste of personality? Do you know that ice cream flavours can reveal your personality? To learn about your compatibility through flavor, imagine that you and your date are at the ice-cream parlor. Which of these flavors would you pick? For me, it's always coffee flavour and chocolate chips with vanilla.

· Vanilla
· Double chocolate chunk
· Strawberries and cream
· Banana cream pie
· Chocolate chip
· Butter pecan
· Strawberry
· Coffee
· Mint chocolate chip
· Rocky road

Ready? Read on to find out your results, including what your choice says about you and whether you're more compatible with coffee or chocolate chip.

· Vanilla: You're colorful, dependent and needy, an idealist and a risk-taker. You're a private person who enjoys close relationships with others. Best match: rocky road or another vanilla
· Double chocolate chunk: You're self-absorbed, enjoy being the center of attention and tend to be somewhat dramatic. You're also lively, charming and flirtatious. You like novelty and are bored by routine. You're a clotheshorse and into looking good. Best match: butter pecan or chocolate chip
· Strawberries and cream: You're an introvert who handles stress poorly and can become overwhelmed, irritable and cranky. Best match: chocolate chip
· Banana cream pie: You're well-adjusted, easygoing and empathetic. You make the perfect spouse and parent. Best match: vanilla, double chocolate chunk, strawberries and cream, chocolate chip, butter pecan or another banana cream pie
· Chocolate chip: You're ambitious, competitive, a go-getter and a visionary. You're charming and enjoy being catered to. Best match: butter pecan or double chocolate chunk
· Butter pecan: You're principled, a rule-follower, intelligent, conscientious, moral and a perfectionist. You can be competitive but also quick to criticize yourself. Best match: mint chocolate chip
· Strawberry: You're content to be a follower working behind the scenes. You like being part of a team. Best match: rocky road, vanilla, mint chocolate chip or other strawberries
· Coffee: You're lively, dramatic, seductive and flirtatious and live life with gusto. You throw yourself headfirst into everything and prefer to live in the moment rather than think about the future. Best match: strawberry
· Mint chocolate chip: You're a cynic -- ambitious, argumentative and contrary. You're frugal and cautious about planning the future. Best match: other mint chocolate chips
· Rocky road: You're charming and engaging in social situations, but driven at work. You can lose your temper over life's inconveniences, particularly waiting in line. Best match: other rocky roads

[Quiz from Dr Alan Hirsch's book]

Fried Mee Indian Style (Mee Mamak)

This is what we had tonite for our dinner. It was just a simple dinner. We don't usually have dinner, but this evening I wanted to cook something simple and light for my family. While I was cooking this noodle, Ellie kept on asking me when it would be ready to be served. She was the one who ate it first because according to her she was really hungry. After she had finished the noodle, she praised how delicious the noodle was and told me that I'm a good cook. I told her that all mummies need to be a good cook so that children can eat well, if not they shouldnt become a mother. She just laughed at what I said.

I thought I couldn't use my laptop today. All of a sudden, the display became dark and after awhile a pattern, just like colourful wallpapar emerged, then it shut down by itself. Last night, I thought it was because of my window explorer. I've been using this explorer to surf and visit sites. I downloaded Morzilla Firefox and it went well till tonite. I was doing some work using Word and many times my laptop went dark and shut down by itself. I nearly gave up typing, when suddenly Windows advised me to restore this computer, that was how I lost Morzilla Firefox. Anyway, I can still download it, but that has to wait.