Great Tea...?

Randomly grabbed this from my mailbox...
Let the pictures do the talking. ;p

I rather named it special tea. It's kind of unique! ;)

Frozen Cherry Trees.......

Isn't nature wonderful?

Great Adventure: The North Island Volcanic Plateau

I had received an email from my net friend couple weeks ago, regarding his latest adventure to the middle of the North Island with some nice photos of volcanic plateau attached in the email... Just do some sharing with you all. Emm.. I think he wouldn't mind.. :p

Here is the short description about the journey (taken from the email) :

" ...In March, couple of my work mates travel to the middle of the North Island to go on a 20km hike through our volcanic plateau. This walk is described as the best one day walk in New Zealand as it passes through couple of volcanoes reaching the height of 1900 metres above sea level. We started with the shuttle dropping off at the start of the track at 7am and didn’t finish until 4pm. So it is a very long walk. Many many people do this walk every year especially during the warmer months as it is not covered in snow. I hope the photos will show you how beautiful some of the scenery is.... "

Honestly, I feel grateful to know him as my net friend... Indeed, he is a great friend and always share with me his traveling adventure and we get to know each other through the same hobby- traveling... And we share the same dream too - that is to travel all around the world... Seem that he started the journey first before me... Thanks for the great photos Ivan... :)

Why the Wedding Ring should be worn on the fourth finger?

Thumb represents parents. Second fingers represent brothers and sisters. Center fingers represent you. Fourth fingers represent your partner. Last fingers represent your children. Interesting huh?

Why the wedding ring should be worn on the fourth finger? Please read the following, you may not believe this, but still interesting!

Firstly, join your palms as shown in picture below, center fingers bent and placed together back to back. Secondly, let the rest of the four fingers touch tips to tips. Follow the instructions below:

Try to open up your thumbs, the thumbs represent parents, they can be opened because all human beings do go through sickness and death. Our parents will leave us one day.

Please close up your thumbs, then open your second fingers, these fingers represent brothers and sisters, they will have their own family too and they will leave us one day. Now close up your second fingers, open up your little fingers, these represent your children. Sooner or later when they have their own families, they too will leave us. Close up your little fingers.

Try to open your fourth fingers in which we put our wedding ring; you will be surprised to find that it cannot be opened at all. Because this represents Husband and Wife, as they will be attached to each other forever till eternity.

p/s: But mine can open... it means? Ok, no comment.. :p

The A-Z of UNUSUAL JOBS...

More than 8700 workers have listed the most unconventional jobs they've ever held in a survey on careerbuilder.com.
Hey, somebody's got to do them.
Come! Let's check out if you interested to change your career pathway... LOL~

Autopsy assistant
Bartender at the Liberace mansion
Cat nanny
Donkey trainer
Elf at Santa's workshop
FBI fingerprint examiner
Grave digger
Hurricane hunter
Ice sculpture carver
Junk mail machine operator
Kitty litter box decorator
Laser tag referee
Magician's assistant
Nuclear electrician on a submarine
Opera singer
Parachute tester
Quality control taster for a chocolate factory
Romance specialist
Scratcher (scratching backs of patients)
Turkey wrangler
Undercover vice decoy
Video game tester
Wallpaper peeler
X-ray technician for zoo animals
Yawn counter at a sleep clinic
Zamboni (ice resurfacer) driver

- Adapted from RD/Jan/09' -

Riddle of The Day...

Of the following words, which does not belong and what do the others have in common?
EVIL, FAT, ROMAN, DOUBLE, HANDLEBAR, SWEET, CACTUS, CAULIFLOWER

The answer:
CACTUS is the odd one out! Why?

The other words combine with facial features in common phrases: EVIL eye, FAT lip, ROMAN nose, DOUBLE chin, HANDLEBAR moustache, SWEET tooth, CAULIFLOWER ear...

Why is the letter "W" called "double U"?

This is interesting! Have you ever wonder why is the letter "W" called "double U" when it looks more like two "V"s put together? Why isn't there a unique name for this letter like other letters?
Here's the answer...

According to the experts at AskOxford.com, English uses the Latin alphabet of the Romans but the latter had no letter suitable for representing the phoneme "w" used in Old English. The earliest from for "w" was probably the "uu" that was used by scribes in the seventh century. Some of the scribes later replaced the "uu" with the runic symbol known as "wynn".

European scribes continued to use the "uu" term and this usafe was brought back to England along with the Norman Conquest in 1066. Early printers sometimes used "vv" for the lack of a "w" in their type but the pronunciation "double u" stuck around till now.

From the Heart...

The expression FROM THE HEART evokes love and sincerity. As it happens, the 12 letters in that phrase can be rearranged into two six-letter opposites that have a lot to do with love and marriage. Can you unscramble this anagram?

'Do you know? ... rearrange FROM THE HEART and you can spell MOTHER and FATHER. Incredible right? '

More Than Words...

WITH ONLY 26 letters in the English alphabet, the combination to form words can get interesting. Let's check it out...

• "Aegilops" is the longest word with letters in alphabetical order. It means goat grass.

• The word "queuing" has the longest run of vowels.

• "Swims" is the longest word with 180-degrees symmetry.

• "Stressed & Desserts" are the longest words that can be reversed.

• "Esophagographers" is the longest word in which all letters appear twice. It refers to people experienced in radio-graphic visualisation of oesophagus using a swallowed radiopaque contrast medium.

• "Strengths" is the longest word that has only one vowel.

• The longest word that can be typed with the left hand is "stewardesses".

• The longest word without a repeating letter is "dermatoglyphics". This word refers to the study of skin markings and patterns on fingers, hands and feet.

• The word "latchstring" has the longest run of consonants. It means a cord attached to a latch and often passed through a hole in the door to allow lifting of the latch from the outside.

• The longest one-syllable word is "screeched".

• "Honorificabilitudinitatibus" - the longest word to alternate consonants and vowels. It is the ablative plural of the medieval Latin word honorificabilitudinitas, which can be translated as "the state of being able to achieve honours". It is also the longest word coined by Shakespeare.

- Adapted from RD/feb/09' -

Paintings in the sky...

Far north in the night sky, a faint glow appears on the horizon. Green and red flames of light stretch across the sky. A glowing curtain of light forms, waving and swirling above you. As the lights fade away the dark night closes over you once again.

Aurora Borealis... Does anyone of you familiar with this name?
The 'aurora borealis' is also called the Northern Lights, the dancing fluorescent ribbons that light up the night sky...

The aurora was named after the Roman goddess of dawn, and was long thought to be produced by sunlight reflected from polar snow and ice, or refracted light much like rainbows.

Best Time to Watch...
The "Northern Lights", at their most dazzling from December to March when nights are longest and the sky darkest, can usually be seen even as far south as Juneau.

Best Aurora Viewing...
The aurora is most active late at night or early in the morning, when the sky is clear and the air chilly. The best time to watch is in spring and fall, especially February, March, September, and October. One of the best times to look for the Northern Lights will be when it is dark because of a new moon. So, you might start to plan now if you wish to see it too... ;)

'It's become one of my dream to witness this unique phenomenon with my loved one... Well, there are lots of things I wish to do with my partner and I hope I can make all of them come true.. one day... i wish! As I mentioned before, I wish to do something special which can create special memories of both of us...'

Parrot flower?

'A flower disguised as a parrot. Amazing huh? '

Parrot flower? Have anyone of you heard about it? This is a flower from Thailand. It is also a protected species and is not allowed to be exported. This will be the only way we will be able to view this flower.

'Also known to Thailand people as "Dork Nok Khaew". '

"Impatiens psittacina" also known as 'The Rare Thailand Parrot Flower'. It is from the Shaw States of Burma and northern Thailand. It is extremely rare in nature and not grown by collectors as it is illegal to export from either native country. The botanist who named it, described it in 1901 as a "cockatoo suspended by a string from its shoulders". The name Impatiens psittacina means "parrot like".

'Another wonderful creation of God... Don't you think so?'

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For more information on this Parrot flower,
Check it out "Rare Thailand Parrot Flower Impatiens psittacina".
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Expressing yourself with roses...

'It's not only a beautiful blossoms... it's a message from your heart... rose is a perfect choice for expressing the nuances of your deepest feelings.'

Before you try to impress that someone with that bouquet of roses, make sure you know the meaning behind it, the meaning of roses; what the number of roses represent...

Roses: Color Meaning and Symbolism...

Red - Sincere Love & Respect, Courage & Passion.
Send red roses to convey the message of your passionate love for that someone; saying "I love you".



Pink - Grace and Gentility, the rose of sweet thoughts.
Send deep pink roses to show your appreciation & gratitude; saying "Thank you" Send light pink roses to convey admiration and sympathy.


Yellow - In the Victorian times, yellow roses meant jealousy. But today, they signify friendship, joy, gladness and freedom, the promise of a new beginning.
Send yellow roses to brighten up someone's day; to congratulate your friends and loved ones during Joyous occasions.


White - Spiritual love & purity, the rose of confession, the bridal rose; "You are heavenly","I am worthy of you".
Commonly used as traditional bridal bouquet during weddings to symbolize a happy love. You can nevertheless use them to convey the message of "You are heavenly, I miss you".


Lavender - Love at first sight and enchantment.
Send lavender roses of course, to convey the message of your "love at first sight" with that special someone. You can nevertheless also send them if you would like to make a special impression.



Orange - Passionate desire, pure enthusiasm and fascination.
An excellent choice for a new relationship that you wish to pursue further. It can nevertheless also be referring to a new business partnership.


Meaning of Number of Roses...
- 1 Rose Love at the first sight; you are the one
- 2 Roses Mutual love between both, deeply in love with one another
- 3 Roses I love you
- 6 Roses I wanna be yours
- 7 Roses I'm infatuated with you
- 9 Roses An Eternal love, together as long as we live
- 10 Roses You are perfect
- 11 Roses You are my treasured one; the one I love most in my life
- 12 Roses Be my steady ( Anne, u got the meaning?^^)
- 13 Roses Secret Admirer
- 15 Roses I am truly sorry, please forgive me
- 20 Roses Believe me, I am sincere towards you
- 21 Roses I am devoted to you
- 24 Roses Can't stop thinking about you, 24 hours everyday
- 33 Roses Saying "I love you" with great affection
- 36 Roses I will remember our romantic moments
- 40 Roses My love for you is genuine
- 50 Roses Regretless love, this is
- 99 Roses I will love you for as long as I live
- 100 Roses Harmoniously together in a century; remaining devoted as couple till ripe-old age
- 101 Roses You are my one and only love
- 108 Roses Please marry me!
- 365 Roses Can't stop thinking about you, each and everyday
- 999 Roses Everlasting and Eternal love ( I want to have 999 stalks of roses!!! )

p/s: J... I really don't wish to drop any tears for you.. I just want back my happiness...

Spending eternity as sparkling diamonds?

'Each diamond is unique - the colour varies from dark blue to almost white and it's a reflection of the personality.' -- PHOTO: AFP --

At the end of their days, most people end up six feet under or up in flames, others get frozen or mummified. But some lucky ones are spending eternity as sparkling diamonds, thanks to a peculiar chemical transformation. There is a company called Algordanza in the eastern Swiss canton of Graubuenden offers a service to turn ashes into precious stones. And yeah, certainly it won't be done for free...

The whole process costs between 2,800 to 10,600 euros (S$6,000 to S$22,657), depending on the weight of the resulting stone (from 0.25 to one carat), and does not include the setting of the stone. -- PHOTO: AFP --

According to one of the co-founders of Algordanza, Mr. Rinaldo Willy said, "Five hundred grammes of ashes is enough to make a diamond while a human body leaves behind on average 2.5 to three kilogrammes of ashes."

Here goes the process on the transformation of ashes to diamond,

• Potassium and calcium, which makes up some 85 per cent of the ashes, are first separated from the carbon.

• The carbon is then subject to extremely high pressure and heat -1,700 degrees C, a process which compresses it into graphite, a carbon allotrope or a structurally different form of carbon.

• More pressure and heat are applied to the graphite to turn it into diamonds - the hardest allotrope of carbon.

• The entire process takes six to eight weeks, hardly a fraction of the time it takes for the formation of natural diamonds which take thousands of years.

• When the process is complete, the crude diamond still requires polishing and cutting. Many are cut into heart-shaped stones which can be worn as a pendant or mounted on a ring.

The industry of 'human diamonds' is booming - Mr Willy acknowledges that it is impossible to prove that each diamond is indeed made from a particular person's ashes. 'DNA burns,' he explained. But not to worry as the 'chemical imprint' of the ashes, determined at its arrival to the laboratory, allows for documentation to be made and for the finished product to be traced.

Though most life gem requests come from families after a loved one's death, Mr Willy said people are starting to ask for his firm's services themselves in living wills before they die. Individuals can even pay beforehand, with an insurance policy that covers their wish to become a diamond... forever... -.-"

'To wear your loved one as a ring and carry it with you everywhere prevents you from distancing yourself and thereby recovering from the loss.' Yet some may not agree with the process and thinks that it's against the ethics of burial and remembrance...

Em.. So what do you think?

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Want to make your Memorial Diamond?
For more information, check it out "Algordanza".
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