Friday, December 14, 2012

Chase Your Dreams But Don't Neglect Your Health!

Chasing My Dream

In a flash, the 8-week long V-Singer 2012 music course is soon coming to an end with only 2 more lessons to go!

V Singer 2012
RECAP:

V Singer 2012 Contestants are auditioning to get into a SPECIAL MUSIC COURSE conducted by outstanding music instructors who will treat & groom all V-singer students as if they are the up and coming contracted-artistes of Ocean Butterflies!

Out of the 600+ contestants who participated, 57 contestants was selected to go through a 2-month V-singer music course. It'll be a 8-week intensive training course including dancing, vocal techniques, speech & communication, mic handling, improvement on stage presence & more! 


These 57 contestants are separated into a total of 4 classes. I am in Class D. Among them, top 10 students will be selected at the end of December 2012. This top 10 will be given opportunities to perform for various events between January to March 2013. 


Finally, a winner will emerge to win a car and a singing contract from Ocean Butterflies!


Read about the rest of the auditions & my 1st lesson here. 



Happenings at Class

Yes, I've completed 6 classes and a mid-term performance last Saturday!
(missed the 2nd class because I was sick and missed out ALOT. boohoo~)

My classmates and I made time during weekday evenings for additional sing & dance rehearsals. We were given only 4 weeks to think about the dance choreography with our dance instructor, learn & memorize the steps. Another task was to choose a partner & perform a duet of our choice. Of course, we had to practice the chosen song together aside our usual music classes.

The last few days of the rehearsals was crazy. Everyone wanted to book the studios for rehearsals & practices. Most of the classmates stayed in school until over midnight! Nevertheless we all did it despite having our own work, school, homework & projects as well!

For the classes, we also had to cater time to do up promotional Youtube Videos, write & submit reports in mandarin, photoshoots, garner public votes on facebook & do profile write-ups for ourselves.

It was nerve-wrecking & stressful all at the same time but we have come to learn how to cope with the stress. Here are 3 coping-with-stress tips which really work for me. Try them yourself:


  1. Have Sufficient Sleep (6 - 8 hrs). I sleep more than 10. OPS.
  2. Talk to one or two people whom you can really trust (That has to be my Zir zir & Babyboy. Unlike some bitch out there who pretended to be your friend but was actually bitching behind your back all this while, PUI. She is definitely not a healthy soul)
  3. Plan & write down a check list of the work you need to complete the next day (and complete them!). Of course, make sure they are achievable  Don't write 10000000 things, only to realise that you can't finish them.

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Dance practice with Jazz(orange), Chia Ling(sleeveless top), SPY (back shirt)

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"How to handle the mic" lesson with Teacher Hua Zhang(greyish-white shirt in the middle).
Photo credit: SPY & Nicholas' Dad

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Photoshoot with Class D.

My happy classmates play a big part in helping me reduce stress too!

They are SOOOOOoo cheerful, bubbly, funneh, down-to-earth, sweet, dedicated, encouraging & everything nice that you just have to LOVE them. Most importantly, they make me look forward to classes (except mornings when I still wanna laze in bed) and want to spend a whole Sunday with them!

2 more lessons until the course ends and I'm already starting to miss them so badly.
*sobs*

Our Class Photo:
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Mid Term Performance at Kbox(Cineleisure)
Our class did a group dance and everyone had a partner to perform a duet together.

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Jia Ling and I in our nerdy-goody look.
Photo credit: Deng XiJia

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Photo Credit: Soki

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Yes, I did a baby freeze. :)


Classmate Soki Goh Wei Liang & I performed a duet song together:
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Photo Credit: Soki

My 2 mega LOVES who came & show their support:

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Left: Colin, Silver & I

A group photo of ALL 57 contestants and the judges of the day:
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Photo taken from: V Singer 2012 Facebook


Vote For VS 411: Mint Leong

Please help me for the final push!

This Singing contest needs your help to LIKE my contest photo (MUST CLICK OPEN & LIKE) to secure a TOP 10 position & continue my singing journey with Ocean butterflies Music Forest (海蝶森林). Also, please share the photo with your friends and encourage them to Like the photo too.

1 Facebook account = 1 Vote

The contest deadline is approaching (29 Dec) and I'm way away (more than 300 votes away) from Top 10 so please help me back on track~

LIKE these 2 links to VOTE:

1.            www.facebook.com/feichanggeshou

Thank you very much for helping me garner more votes!

Health Is Essential

Amidst this dream-chasing activity, let's remember that our health is essential to keep it going!

As a performer, you have to be at your peak at all times so whenever you're being asked to perform, you can immediately do it instead of giving yourself excuses like "I have a sore throat and a bad cough" or "I'm running a fever..."

Chances come but they don't wait for you.
Seize them or miss them.

Our health is something which our teachers constantly remind us weekly:

"Drink more warm water, less sugar."
"Have enough sleep."
"Exercise more."
"Practice Practice Practice."

By the way, we have to measure our weight & waistline weekly at the studio. Students may be pointed out during our meetings in regards to our weight management. SCARY~ (please don't point me out because I think i just gained ONE KILO. Argh.)

How healthy do you think you are?


Healthy Lifestyle Index

Healthy Lifestyle Index

The healthy Lifestyle Index (HLI) is an online tool developed by the HPB (Health Promotion Board) that is customised for those aged 18 years and above. It comprises of 10 questions from 10 different health domains based on your gender mainly BMI, physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol, sleep, stress, depression, social/emotional support & health screenings.

The HLI is available FREE via HPB's website and Facebook page. Users can also access the index using their mobile devices.

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In case you're wondering who these people are surrounding the HLI logo, they are facebook friends who've recently done the HLI questionnaire.

I logged in via my facebook account and did mine today.
Guess what's my final HLI?
Don't cheat, make a guess first before you read on...

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From a pre-test among the sample size of 1,237 Singapore residents aged between 18 - 69 years old, Singaporeans were found to think that they are MORE healthy than their actual healthy lifestyle index.

Chew Ching Chew R lily THAT Heachi meh?!
*You think you are really that healthy meh?!

Given a scale of 10, how much do you think your HLI is?

I gave myself a 4 because I haven't been exercising much over the past few months. Also, I've been drinking quite a bit due to work at Eve bar. Eating irregularly is the biggest health issue I'm facing currently.





Turns out I'm a 7; better than perceived, phew!
Users may choose to publish your score on facebook IF YOU WANT TO.

A full fledged report will be sent to your email in about an hour's time. In the email, you'll receive a summary of your results as well as some general tips on how to improve on the respective domains.

Take a look at my summary:
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Ops, I need to sleep less. HEHE.

The report will only be to you once every 6 months so it's NOT going to spam you even if you re-do the questionnaire XXX times.

Check out the website for more FAQs!
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Since our last visit to HPB, myDreamGuy & I have been trying to switch to a healthier diet. I'll try to cook at home as much as possible using less oil, more vegetables & balance vitamins.

A Healthier Diet

We'll start our day & end the night with this nutrition drink, Fit Solution:

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We'll use a pinch of Olive oil to fry our egg omelette:

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#BubbleLeong wants to eat some oil-free fry egg:

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2 slices of multigrain bread from Breadtalk, Scramble eggs & Fit Solution to start the day for him
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2 slices of multigrain bread from Breadtalk, an egg omelette & Fit Solution to start the day for me!
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Both of us received an exclusive recipe book each from HPB which consists of healthier versions of local favourite entrees like Brown Rice chicken rice, appetizers like samosa & desserts like Yam Paste, all 118 dishes to try out!

Healthier recipes for your loved ones, who wants?


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Colin and I would like to share ONE of these babies with YOU today, brand new!

LIKE my facebook page now and leave a comment under the recipe book picture on how you think you would put this recipe book to good use. The best comment gets this Everyday Delicious Recipe Book, FREEeeeee!


HealthyMEtv

You want cooking lessons?
No Problem!

HealthyMEtv  is Asia's first digital health channel, an initiative of the HPB. It's a channel where the public can view programmes on well-being and learn about healthy living.



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Log in with your email address and password to access.

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HealthyMeTV features interesting videos from improving diet, weight management, exercise to cook lessons and even health related movies (Love Cuts starring Zoe Tay). Most of the videos are around 3 to 4 minutes long, while the movies last about 1 and a half hours.

Not only that, there are even some content in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil to educate and inform individuals how to adopt healthy lifestyle.

Subscription will be free and eLearning tools will also be made available. Most importantly, it is Singapore's first transmedia health platform that is available for viewing via any internet connected device. - Computer, tablet, smart phones and smartTV.

You can even watch those exercise videos in gyms or the cooking videos in the kitchen!

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HealthyMeTV will air over 1,500 TV programmes and videos in its first year. So, please visit http://www.healthymetv.com.sg

OH MY GOD!

I caught popular food blogger DanielFoodDiary doing the Great Singapore Workout in this video!!!

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The recipe book is waiting for you!! Remember to send in your comments to my facebook page!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

[Review] It's Life Of Pi with Dolby® Atmos™ at GVmax®

My shiokness index raised up when I was at GVmax® to catch Life Of Pi 3D.
Hip Hip Hurray!

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Golden Village’s GVmax® has a seat capacity of 602 and possesses the widest cinema screen in Asia at 22.4 metres accompanied by a crystal-clear 2K digital projection. A sea of people was already queuing up for the Life Of Pi preview when I reached.

*Walk behind behind behind behind... & join the Queue*

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The graphics in Life Of Pi are extremely breath-taking amplified by the 22.4m long cinema screen nevertheless, I think I should get the book and read it just to be sure I got the message right; too sucked-in by the neon-coloured scenes & Richard Parker (the tiger which scared the wits out of me when it growled). You have to forgive me. I was watching it in 3D!

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Life Of Pi is a movie about a boy who survived a shipwreck with a tiger on a life-saving boat.



With the installation of Dolby® Atmos™  GVmax® marks another milestone as the first South East Asian cinema to introduce the revolutionary audio system, designed to create a more realistic movie experience for viewers. The new technology of Dolby® Atmos™ takes a unique layered approach to sound design by giving content creators total control over the placement and movement of sound relative to the audience.

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With the new speakers installed, you should've heard the thunder strike in the middle of the theatre.
For a moment I needed my thunder buddy! *sing thunder song*

Benefits of Dolby Atmos


Delivers a powerful and dramatic new cinema sound listening experience
Allows sounds to move around the theatre to create dynamic effects
Reproduces a natural and lifelike audio experience that perfectly matches the story
Adds overhead speakers for the most realistic effects you’ve ever heard
Reflects the artist’s original intent, regardless of theatre setup
Employs up to 64 speakers to heighten the realism and impact of every scene

Source from: http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/movie/dolby-atmos-details.html



You MUST watch this video and find out how Dolby® Atmos™ works. I watched this video in the theatre with the new speakers and it's really as if there was a real chopper moving across the room!





Go experience this wonderful experience yourself at GVmax (Vivocity).
Happy movie watching, people!

Thank you SPRG & Golden Village!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Revealing Holly Jean's Sex Tape With The Secret Code: "P.S. I LOVE YOU"

Do you still remember our most whispered-about science topic in Secondary school? If I remembered correctly, it's Secondary 2 Science Chapter... 13 & 14... .... Wuuuu... I'm hearing whispers all over again.

Let me guess, you would have heard about the chapters already and the first thing that you did after getting that new textbook was to peep & start reading that chapter's content. Never have you been so diligent in your studies all your life.

Uh-hmmm... But they never write anything about having SAFE sex.
If I remembered, the chapters only mentioned about the human reproductive system, in a very scientific manner. BORING.

Just last year alone, not even adults would openly touch on this sensitive topic:
S. E. X.  education.

But times have changed.
Now, we are going to openly discuss this topic across social media platforms.

Let's begin with Holly Jean's leaked sex tape...

Holly Jean Sex Tape - Screencap

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Oh oh, before I forget, have you chance upon this image which is still viral on facebook?

image source: http://fvdb.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/231087_460519887327095_1449086585_n.jpg?w=600

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this piece of article.
Should I say the family is super opened, or overly protective of her son?

But it's definitely bizarre.
Of course, let's not go into such details.

With the recent trend of having sex-related content in blogs and youtube videos, like the infamous Alvin Tan and his girlfriend Vivian Lee who started posting erotic photographs and videos of their lovemaking, youths are truly getting bigger exposure to another type of sex education and one that they are definitely more curious to know: the process of lovemaking.

You can't stop them, can you?

Against the backdrop, Durex decided to engage Popular blogger Holly Jean to be part of a “leaked sex tape”, showing her engaging in sexual activities with her ex-lover!



In this video,Holly Jean is captured saying the phrase "P.S. I Love You".

This video was intentionally filmed,  leaked to popular sex-related forums such as Sammyboy and used as a tool to reach out to youths aged between 18 to 25, who spend a large proportion of their time online.

DISCLAIMER: Please only enter these forums only if you are 18 and above and bear the consequences yourself. 

So what is the underlying message of the "leaked sex tape"?

It is to unconventionally expose youths to the "P.S. I Love You" campaign and to deliver the message of practising safe sex with a punch.

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"P.S. I Love You" stands for "Play Safe, I Love You". 

Durex Singapore made a daring approach and has launched a campaign targeted at youths, to further raise awareness on and encourage safe sexual behaviour, especially at first sex.

The idea behind the campaign was to trend the code "P.S. I Love You" as an easy reminder for youths to practise safe sex, since many of them find it embarrassing or uncool to talk about safe sex.

In the annual Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey, it was noted that Singaporean youths who were still  studying, were 20 times less likely than global youths to use condoms during their first sexual experience. Among 506 Singaporeans surveyed, it was found that two in five Singaporeans (62.5%) did not use condoms the last time they had sex.

It is a worrying sight.

The usually Kiasi Singaporeans are no longer Kaisu and Kaisi. This shows that Singaporean youths need to be positively guided and influenced in sexual education and practices before we start attending more *shotgun marriages.

*Shotgun marriage: a term used on a marriage that is forced or necessitated especially due to pregnancy. 



USE A CONDOM.

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When you walk into convenience stalls and pharmacies, the condoms are sitting in the most obvious places, right  at the cashier. There are a variety of flavours to choose form. There's bound to be one which is comfortable enough for both you and your partner.

Do you know, it is found that people in Singapore who used a condom at first sex are 2.4 times more likely to be satisfied with their overall sex life - double the global average of 1.2 times? Now you do.

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Yes, I was shocked to know that too.

You guys are so fortunate.

Such information was not available and technology wasn't advanced enough for me to read up on these during my teens. Sex education weren't explained in such details like now: How to use a condom, the process of lovemaking etc.

The experience of getting yourself or your partner pregnant with a child when you're not married yet is DEFINITELY NOT a pleasant sight. You will be emotionally, mentally & physically challenged all at the same time. Overnight, you'll find yourself having to make major life decisions which will change your life entirely thereafter.

It's a heavy responsibility.

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Protect your partner, yourself & your future generation from the negative consequences of unprotected sex. 

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MintLeong.Sg HIDDEN Blog Giveaway

What's more interesting is... here is a hidden blog giveaway if you managed to read up to this point!
WOHOOOO~

I remember condoms as popular birthday presents during my teenage years.
Everyone gave everyone else condoms, so why stop now? :p

I've prepared one of each flavour for you.

No.1 This is NOT a prank.
No.2 The condoms are safe to use. The expiry date is written on the wrapper: Mar 2015.
No.3 You'll receive them in your letter box in an opaque envelope. LOL

They are AUTHENTIC CONDOMS.
Why would they be replica anyway, duh.

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There are 6 sets to give away so quickly drop me an email at MintMintLeong@gmail.com with your name & mailing address. Please Note: The content of your email will be confidential, promise.

Ladies & Gentlemen, boys & girls, seize this chance to find out the difference & textures of the range. There's no reason for you not to know your most comfortable range now.

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Coming Soon: More About "P.S. I Love You" video-making competition & viewing party!


Find out what I did in a hotel room with 1000+ condoms...
*evil grins*


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Till then, PS, I LOVE YOU.