What The Hail?

via

Today, Singapore welcomed a much sought-after rain that provided some respite for Singaporeans who had been suffocating for the last couple of days ever since the haze from Indonesia invaded our skies.

There were reports of hailstones falling in several areas of western Singapore like Chua Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and Jurong East.

The NEA announced that the rain is not toxic and Balakrishnan said that we did not do cloud seeding. It is not from the cloud seeding done in Indonesia either as the wind directions were not right.

Although relatively rare in the tropics, it was not the first time that hail has descended upon Singapore. The previous hailstone sightings was in March 27, 2008 over the central part of the country.

The Worst Haze Since 1997?

Low visibility of the Singapore Flyer

As you would have probably known by now, Singapore has been hit by one of the worst haze since 1997. In Sumatra, farmers slash-and-burn land as it is a fast and cheap process to clear space for palm oil plantations.

This inadvertently causes forest fires that pollute the air. The wind current then carried most of the smog towards our direction, leaving our island republic in a hazy situation.

The plummeting air-quality causes many to fall ill including myself who had had a asthma relapse since a week ago but with no signs of recovering.

Video: The Lorax OST - Thneedville

This is another song I like from The Lorax.

It is the opening song and if you listen to the lyrics carefully, it pretty much explains the situation in Thneedville which gives you a better understanding of the later developments in the movie.

Enjoy!

Video: The Lorax OST - Let It Grow

I especially like this quote and soundtrack from the movie, The Lorax because it is a gentle reminder to the environmental issue that we have on hand.

Everyone plays a vital role in protecting this planet we call home and it is up to us to fight for it's well-being because we do not have an alternative planet to move on to should this one fails.

Please do not have that "but I'm just one person; it does not make any difference" mindset. If you think you are too small to make a difference, be reminded tha tthe ocean is made up of many drops of water!

No effort is too insignificant because everything adds up.

Many a little makes a mickle.

It is never too late to start caring for your environment today.

Movie: The Lorax

This movie is adapted from a children's book of the same title written by Dr. Seuss which was first published in 1972.

Perhaps it might be a little late to write a review for this animation now but I only got to watch it on cable last weekend and I must say I could totally relate to the storyline which brings forth a very strong message about the crisis that we are facing right at the moment.

The story revolves around twelve-year old Ted (Zach Efron), an ordinary boy living in the walled-up town of Thneedville where everything is artificial.

In this climate-controlled town, the air is not clean and the townsfolk had to buy bottled oxygen from Mr. O'Hare, the greedy proprietor of a bottled oxygen company and who's also the mayor of Thneedville. 

Trees had long been extinct and the only trees and flowers they had were all made of plastics.

When Audrey (Taylor Swift), the girl whom Ted is carrying a torch for wished nothing more than just to see a real, living tree, he spared no effort to sneak out of town in search of the legendary Once-ler (Ed Helms) who knows what exactly happened to the trees and most importantly, where to find one.

Video: Man-Powered Ferris Wheel

In a country where electricity is inconsistent, carnival operators in India has found an alternative way of operating their ferris wheel.

This method requires no electricity nor generator but the physical power of the carnival workers who peddle along the inner bars of the Ferris Wheel (think of the hamster wheel) or propels it forward with their sheer body weight.

There is no safety harness nor protection gear of any form to safeguard them. 

It certainly would not comply with any safety guidelines by today's standards and you cannot help but worry about the workers and joyriders' safety.

Despite that, I still think it is an ingenious way of cutting carbon footprint - just imagine how much power would be saved if the Singapore Flyer does not run on electricity?

Video: Taming The Alaskan Hummingbird

"The Shot"

I was captivated by this stunning video of a Hummingbird feeding off someone's hand. It was a beautiful moment detailing the trust the bird had in that person.

You can read about the story behind the shot here if you are interested.

Watch the video below.

Fridgeezoo 冰箱动物园

顾名思义，Fridgeezoo 指的正是「冰箱里的动物园」。

这是由日本所出产的四款以北极动物为主题的“牛奶罐”。

牛奶罐形状的北极熊，企鹅，海象及海狮很逗趣吧？

因为是要放进冰箱里的，因此，以北极动物来做造型是非常贴切的。

D.I.Y: Cradle And Docking Station

I own a Samsung Omnia 7 phone.

If you are a non iPhone user like me, you must be frustrated with finding suitable accessories for your mobile phone.

From phone covers to apps and even docking stations, everything seems to be made for Apple products only.

Today, I am going to DIY a cradle and docking station for my mobile phone with the box that it came in with.

All you need is just some time and some ingenuity but most importantly, it costs next to nothing and you did your bit to save the environment by recycling!

Enjoy!

视频：用音符作畫

用音符作畫！