Tribute to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

Today, 29 March 2015,  marks a significant and grave day for all Singaporeans.

A day that left a huge impact on the nation.

A day that would be written in the history books of future generations.

I am sure almost every single Singaporean - be it young or old- are overwhelmed with emotions on this very day.

Mixed feelings of reluctance, sadness, grief, thankfulness and so much more..

It's indescribable.

We are all here because of one man. 

A man that planted the tree long ago just so we can now live comfortably under the shade.

A man that successfully -and carefully- crafted a country under his care within a generation.

And this one man is Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

He passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91.

I couldn't find any word to describe him.

 Even the greatest adjective you have in mind now is an understatement.

Since my schooling days, I remembered studying about him during Social Studies. Truth to be told, I was not really interested in studying the history of Singapore then. 

I just knew that Mr.Lee existed and he was a political figure - and that was it.

It was not until recently that I got to know how much more this man has given Singapore, and the bits and pieces of his life that were not read about in history books.

Man, he is amazing.

I began watching his old recorded rally speeches and interviews, with a few of them creating deep impressions on me.

I particularly love this line most, which I am sure most of you would have heard of it too:

(It was from a rally speech in 1988)

"Even from my sick bed, if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong, I will get up."

You can never deny the fact that those words were so powerful. 

The tone he used in almost all his rally speeches were injected with such strength and determination - so much that he will make you feel CONFIDENT and believe in him.

Although I may not know much about him, but through all the eulogies, stories and interviews I have seen, I came to realize that he is such an extraordinary man leading an ordinary life.

Despite his status, he chose to live humbly.

It's strange, but I find comfort in hearing all about how he used to lead his personal life (the life that wasn't often known by the public). It just shows how... human he was.

We, the public, know him as a political figure. A founding father of Singapore.

To his family, he was a great father, husband, grandfather, uncle and so much more.

When I listened to the Lee Hsien Yang's (his youngest son) eulogy today, I found myself smiling as I visualized how great of a father he had been to his children. 

I love how Lee Hsien Yang ended his speech -It just sums up our emotions:

"We know our loss is your loss too, and that the loss is deep and keenly felt. We are humbled that so many have come forward to demonstrate your affection for, respect of and gratitude to - my extraordinary father, a father we share - with Singapore."

To read more about the eulogy, you can click here: 

There's so much difference 50 years can make.

50 years ago, he mourned for the nation. 

 50 years after, the nation is mourning for him.

"I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got?

A successful Singapore.

What have I given up?

My life."

Thank you, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, for all your contributions towards Singapore.

(Not even a million Thank-Yous is enough to describe our thankfulness!)

Singapore will not be Singapore without you.

As much as the nation is reluctant to see you part from us, but we are sure you are in a happier place now.

It's time to lay your mind to rest.

Rest in Peace, Mr Lee.

P/S: I have drawn two tribute cartoon drawings during the 7 days of mourning. Here they are: -

(I am no professional, but I just hope to have a tribute drawing to remember him..)

If you are interested to stay updated to my latest artwork and such, do feel free to "LIKE" my page at: www.facebook.com/CJcartoons/ 

My 3rd Mosaic Rejuvenation Treatment

Here's another update of my Mosaic Rejuvenation Treatment (Yes, it's my 3rd session already!) at Dr Tyng Tan Aesthetics and Hair Clinic!

I'm sure you guys are more or less familiar with the process after reading my first entry. [If you haven't, you can read it HERE]:

In this entry, there will be a SPECIAL video featuring the process of my 3rd Mosaic Rejuvenation Treatment.

(Yes, you can watch it in HD too!)

Some photos taken at the day of my treatment: (The reason why my face looks kinda' reflective in the below photos is due to the numbing cream!)

I kinda' have pimple outbreak due to continuous late night sleep (Blame it on myself as I did not really maintain my condition) But the Mosaic Rejuvenation Treatment helped me in lightening the scars once again -I'll be posting more before/after photos in my next and final entry! :) All of my photographs will be totally unedited (I am lazy to photoshop anything anyway), so the effects of the treatments will be shown as they are. Once again, if you are interested to find out more about the treatments - here's the website: http://aestheticsandhairclinic.com/service/laser-treatment-singapore

The SG50 Jubilee Hello Kitties!!

OMG. Simply OMG.

A while ago, I saw this appear on my Facebook Newsfeed - as reported by Channel NewsAsia.

Yes, Hello Kitty fans. SCREAM!

(I am not a hard core Kitty fan but I find this set really exquisite and adorable! Not to mention that they are produced EXCLUSIVELY for SG50.)

I was so tempted to get the set, but they are so freakin' expensive. It was so difficult to choose between the kitties to decide on a favorite as well (I had hoped to purchase 1 of them as part of a momento since one is better than nothing)

BUT HECK - These were only available online - and they come together in a set with ONLY 1,000 sets available island-wide!

Urgh.

I actually kinda' gave up on the kitties since the cost of the kitties are way over my budget. (The full set, inclusive of the certificate cost a whooping $100 +!!)

Imagine my surprise one day when...

(Sorry ah, no make-up. I don't see the need to make-up at home.)

I was speechless when I saw them lying neatly on the bed - with a smiling Dokiboy standing beside me. 

OMG. Are they real?!

*gasp*

(My Dokiboy actually went to order one set while I was unaware and surprised me with them.. I had no idea he knew I wanted the kitties!)

I was really touched beyond words.. Not because of the sole fact that I got the kitties, but he actually went the extra mile to get them for me by being the first 1,000 to snag them online once the set was officially launched.)  

I was really touched by his gesture...

*sniff*

Thank you, my dear. 

Personally, this Hello Kitty set is much more valuable than it originally was as it was a gift from him. He doesn't have to, but yet he got the set because he knew I would definitely love them.

I couldn't put a price to it now - They are simply priceless.

When my mum saw the kitties, she was amazed by them, too. Each kitty is so delicately made and of high quality (I LOVE the fact that each of them has a SG50 logo embroidered on their "palms", and there's our National flower, Orchid, as part of its ribbon accessory!)

SO SINGAPORE, CAN?!?! I LOVE IT!!

Yes, and I can't help feeling patriotic.

AND I CAN'T HELP FEELING PROUD THAT I AM NOW ONE OF THE 1,000 PROUD SG50 KITTIES OWNERS IN SINGAPORE! Muwahaha.

The set comes with a certificate, stamp book and lanyard as well. 

THEY LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL IN REAL LIFE THAT I GONNA CRY.

They are now laid neatly above my cupboard. :) Prized possessions!

For those who are tempted to get the set as well, there are still opportunities on Carousell (but people have already marked up the prices).

Blue/Black/White/Gold Dress - Does it really matter?

I believe everyone is familiar with this picture which went viral earlier this week.

I mean, REALLY viral.

If you haven't heard or seen about it before, I suppose you have been living in a well.

Within minutes, EVERYONE was talking and sharing the same picture on their Facebook - Internationally. It was an instant talk of the town.

It got so exaggerated that even the WORLDWIDE news were reporting it.

I don't know what to make of it, but I find it amusing how a seemingly poor resolution image of a dress can become an instant Internet sensation. (Throughout the whole day and everywhere I went, I would hear phrases such as "So is it blue and black, or white and gold?!"

Ah, I admit I was one of those people. In fact, I forwarded the image to different groups of friends and felt doubtful that we would see different colors.

(I am a total Team Blue and Black. Lol)

I was somehow shocked (and horrified) when  a few of my colleagues and friends told me that the image is of a White and Gold dress.

I was insistent and COULDN'T see a single shade of white/gold at all.

Admittedly, it was quite entertaining while it lasted. It was an interesting experiment of how different people perceive things differently - and the keyword is "Subjective".

Granted that there are many websites out there telling you "Blue and Black"/"White and Gold" is the CORRECT answer, I would say that there isn't really a right or wrong one.

Now, here's another experiment that you can keep yourself entertained after the dress saga - I have forwarded it to a few friends and they had fun with it as well.

The Cones Test

The color nuances we see depend on the number and distribution of cones (=color receptors) in our eye. You can check this rainbow: how many color nuances do you count?

The Verdict:

You see less than 20 color nuances: you are a dichromats, like dogs, which means you have 2 types of cones only. You are likely to wear black, beige, and blue. 25% of the population is dichromat.

You see between 20 and 32 color nuances: you are a trichromat, you have 3 types of cones (in the purple/blue, green and red area). You enjoy different colors as you can appreciate them. 50% of the population is trichromat.

You see between 33 and 39 colors: you are a tetrachromat, like bees, and have 4 types of cones (in the purple/blue, green, red plus yellow area). You are irritated by yellow, so this color will be nowhere to be found in your wardrobe. 25% of the population is tetrachromat.

You see more than 39 color nuances: come on, you are making up things! there are only 39 different colors in the test and probably only 35 are properly translated by your computer screen anyway :)

It is highly probable that people who have an additional 4th cone do not get tricked by blue/black or white/gold dresses, no matter the background light ;)

Credits to: HERE