May 2013 - Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog

Positively Teal: Ovarian Cancer Media Event

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I was invited to the Positively Teal media event recently at the Canele branch at Plaza Singapura.

The aim of the Positively Teal initiative is to generate awareness of ovarian cancer as well as to encourage women to be more aware of the symptoms.

Did you know that Ovarian Cancer is the 5th most common type of cancer in Singapore? It is also the deadliest gynecological cancer among Singaporean women.

In fact, 1 in 80 women faces ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

The panel discussion with Dr Timothy Lim, media personality Ms Diana Ser, cancer survivor Ms Pauline Ng, and former radio personality Ms Desiree Lai, provided more information on early detection, high risk groups, and the treatment of ovarian cancer.

To remember the symptoms of ovarian cancer, all you have to do is remember the word TEAL (also the international colour for ovarian cancer):

Toilet habits changing

Energy levels decreasing

Abdominal pain

Loss of appetite

Many of us are likely to be stricken with one or more of these symptoms at some point in our lives as these are very common ailments, but if you have experienced most or all of the symptoms, it is advisable that you go for a thorough check-up.

Remember, early detection is important to increase the chances of survival!

Cancer survivor Ms Pauline Ng was brimming with optimism and the positive vibes that she gave off made her an inspiration to everyone present.

All the participants were also treated to a feast, complete with teal macarons and delicious finger food like mini burgers, bite-sized sandwiches and lovely chocolate cakes, all courtesy of Canele!

It is always important to stay in the pink of health, especially in a fast paced environment like ours, which is why I think it is wonderful that health organisations are stepping up their efforts to increase awareness of diseases so that we can stay vigilant at all times!

Everyone ought to know more about ovarian cancer and early signs, so share the love with all your friends and family!

For more information on ovarian cancer, you can also participate in the following events:

Date	Event	Organiser	Details
28 May (Tue)	Mini Carnival	KKH	Time: 10 am - 3 pm Venue: KKH, Level 1, Women's Tower Podium
31 May (Fri)	Teal Day Mini Carnival	NUH, NCIS	Time: 11am - 2pm Venue: NUH Main Building Lobby B
2 Jun (Sun)	Public Forum	KKH	Time: 11.00am - 12.30pm (Registration starts at 10.30am) Venue: KKH Auditorium (Training Centre), Level 1, Women's Tower
8 Jun (Sat)	Combined Public Forum	SCS, KKH, NUH, NCIS, NCC, SGH	English Session : 10am – 1pm Mandarin Session: 2pm – 4pm Venue: Singapore Polytechnic Convention Hall (Near Dover MRT, East-West line)Click here for more information and to register.
8 & 9 Jun (Sat/Sun)	Macaron Workshop	NUH, NCIS	Morning Session: 10.30am – 1.30pm Afternoon Session: 3.00pm – 6.00pm Venue: ToTT Store, Studio 2, 896 Dunearn Road 01-01A, S(589472)

Hunter Valley Gardens

Monday, May 27, 2013

We woke up to a splendid morning with azure blue skies and a blanket of huge, fluffy clouds. The clouds looked deceivingly 3-dimensional, and for just a split second, I actually contemplated reaching out my arms to touch them.

The plan for the day was to visit Hunter Valley Gardens, home to 10 feature gardens spanning over 25 acres. We love taking long walks in the park and admiring the glorious blooms while taking in the alluring scents and captivating sights. Flowers are natural mood lifters and we felt instantly refreshed.

One garden that I particularly liked was the Formal Garden. Infused with French and English influences, this magnificent garden features beautifully manicured hedges and lawns. It brought back fond memories of our travels in Europe, where we used to spend at least a month out of the entire year in our favourite continent.

Wanderlust is an incurable addiction, and as I am penning this post, I am reminiscing about Versailles in Paris, Eagle's Nest in Austria, Sagrada Familia in Spain and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic. There are many parts of Europe left unexplored, and I hope to return soon to visit Switzerland and Greece.

Daydreams aside, I remember it was an absolute joy to be surrounded by abundant flowers, shrubs and trees. The picturesque gardens make spectacular photography backdrops, but nothing beats being there in real life.

This trail of poppies was a hot favourite among avid photographers, who stood there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to perfect each and every shot. As you can tell, I was more interested in using the lovely poppies as my backdrop haha.

The Rose Garden was probably where I belonged that day. My outfit was completely unplanned and coincidentally, the rose on my sleeve is just as huge as the real roses in the garden!

Cherry Blossoms are a familiar sight in Australia in Spring too. I remember the road leading up to my apartment was lined with glorious cherry blossoms from September all the way till about early November. Ah, the perks of living in a country with four seasons.

I am infatuated with dandelions too. I know they are pests, but I would marvel at these fuzzy, cottony plants with childlike wonder without fail, every time. I love blowing on them, seeing the little seeds take flight and parachute to the ground.

Before I entered Hunter Valley Gardens, I heard about its Storybook Garden, where you'll find characters from Alice in Wonderland and other fairytales as well as nursery rhymes. That piqued my curiosity and the long walk through the other feature gardens only served to build up my excitement as I waited eagerly in anticipation for the storybook characters to be unveiled.

A huge storybook stood with its pages open, marking the entrance of the garden.

On the other end of the entrance sat a pile of equally ginormous books stacked carelessly in a haphazard fashion, one on top of the other. Cuteness overload!

The childlike spirit in us manifested as we hopped from one nursery rhyme display to another, with silly smiles plastered on our faces, completely oblivious to our surroundings.

Humpty Dumpty was the most popular display and it was perpetually surrounded with children attempting to climb on top of its egg of a head. LOL.

I loved the Jack and Jill display as I thought it captured the essence of the nursery rhyme. The expressions on the statues' faces are priceless!

Hey diddle diddle,
The Cat and the fiddle,
The Cow jumped over the moon,
The little Dog laughed to see such sport,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.

JW really looks like he's running away with the dish and the spoon! Can you see the spoon looking at him with adoring eyes? Haha

Finally, here's the Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter's Tea Party that I was so looking forward to!

Can you spot me?

There we were, playing the fool and pretending to bite into the rock hard chocolate cake! It was quite a surreal experience to be a guest at this fairytale tea party. ;)

Words can't express how much I love the set, so if you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland (like me!), remember to visit this garden when you're Hunter Valley!

Top from MDS

Jeans from Mango

Shoes from Rubi

Bag from Louis Vuitton

Hunter Valley - An Unforgettable Stay

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Time flies. Within the blink of an eye, JW and I have been back in Singapore for quite a while now. We've been so caught up with work and family commitments that it took a while for us to realize that we've left Australia for 6 months. It's strange though, because it feels like we were just there yesterday.

Looking back at the photos taken in Australia inevitably brings back lovely memories and a sense of longing for the relaxed, idyllic lifestyle which we once enjoyed. If you would like to read more about what I did last year in Australia, click here.

We had several short getaways while we were in Australia, but our stay at Hunter Valley was by far the most unforgettable.

We stayed at the Leisure Inn Polkobin, which was enshrouded in lush greenery and serenity. I absolutely loved waking up to this beautiful view everyday.

The cozy decor of our one bedroom house made us feel right at home. I can't quite explain it, but there was something about the sense of tranquility here that made us feel unbridled and carefree.

In fact, JW loved this place so much, he kept telling me he wanted to buy it. LOL

We decided to take it slow on our first day at Hunter Valley, and having a leisurely lunch at highly acclaimed restaurant, Amanda's on the Edge, was the perfect way to start the day.

Amanda's on the Edge is a quaint fine dining restaurant perched atop a hill overlooking sprawling vineyards and a luscious green garden. Just look at the surroundings! I couldn't resist taking some outfit shots here.

We were the first to arrive that day and had the whole restaurant to ourselves!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don't know what the Romans do these days, but when in Hunter Valley, you have to order wine. ;) Moscato for me, and red wine for JW.

I had prawn linguine, which was cooked to perfection with fresh herbs and juicy, succulent prawns. A squeeze of lemon was all it took to complete the dish.

JW had the eye fillet steak topped with a generous cube of creamy herb-infused butter. Tender and oozing with juicy goodness, it was nothing short of wonderful.

Besides a smorgasbord of appetizers and main courses that will certainly tantalize your taste buds, Amanda's on the Edge also offers a delectable selection of the finest desserts, so be sure to leave some room for them!

We went with the Hot Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Tiramisu ice-cream, which was highly recommended by the server. We loved the rich, dark chocolate flavour of the brownie, coupled with its delightfully crunchy texture. The tiramisu ice-cream complemented the brownie very well and lent an interesting dimension to the dessert.

Both of us have a soft spot for creme brulee, so whenever we chance upon it on a dessert menu, we have to order it. We are hopelessly drawn to the gorgeous, caramelized sugar crust, just like bees are to honey.

It is hard to go wrong with creme brulee, and I love breaking the tortoiseshell sugar disc on top to reveal the rich, smooth cream that's waiting to ooze into my spoon. Yummy!

At the end of the meal, JW was almost drunk. He has a terribly low tolerance for alcohol and almost always ends up talking at the top of his voice after drinking a glass of wine. Yes, one glass is all it takes.

To save us from embarrassment, we politely asked for the bill and left. LOL