I’m finally free from assessments and only have two exams to sit for!! YaY! Since I’ve been lacking in updates recently, I decided to share something I found in my attempt to do some research for a completely NON SEXUAL related topic, I stumbled across this article which gave me a good minute of entertainment =P

Does attractiveness in men provide clues to semen quality?
M PETERS, G RHODES, L W SIMMONS. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Oxford: Mar 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 2; pg. 572
Abstract (Summary)

The psychological mechanisms underlying attractiveness judgements in humans are thought to be evolved adaptations for finding a high quality mate. The phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis proposes that females obtain reliable information on male fertility from male expression of sexual traits. A previous study of Spanish men reported that facial attractiveness was positively associated with semen quality. We aimed to determine whether this effect was widespread by examining a large sample of Australian men. We also extended our study to determine whether cues to semen quality are provided by components of attractiveness: masculinity, averageness and symmetry. Each male participant was photographed and provided a semen sample that was analyzed for sperm morphology, motility and concentration. Two independent sets of women rated the male photographs for attractiveness, and three further sets of 12 women rated the photographs for masculinity, symmetry or averageness. We found no significant correlations between semen quality parameters and attractiveness or attractive traits. Although male physical attractiveness may signal aspects of mate quality, our results suggest that phenotype-linked cues to male fertility may not be general across human populations. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

It’s so interesting to know that scientists are still in their never ending quest in their attempt to answer the big question: “WHY?”

• Why do we like attractive people?
• Why do we think certain features are more attractive than others?
• Why is there a market for plastic surgery?

So now we know that attractiveness does not link to higher fertility rate, what does this mean exactly? Could it possibly mean that there’s no need for attractive people in our world? I mean, what if all the attractive people turned out to have a lower fertility rate? And considering Australia needs to boost its’ population, we want to have the best chance of having more babies… So does that mean lots of ugly babies?

Okay okay, I know it’s a bit premature to jump to any assumptions like ugly babies. But the study could very possibly suggest that, now that we have all these different means of fertilisation and passing on dodgy aka inferior genes, maybe evolution has created more attractive people to combat this… If you think about it, if it had not been for plastic surgery, ugly people will breed with their ugly people gene pool and the attractive people have their own attractive gene pool. Eventually one of them will kick the other in the ass, maybe even enslave them for being different.

But we humans are smarter, we try to beat the system by creating this wonderful market for plastics. We figured since we’ve fixed up homes, we’ve fixed small pox, we’ve fixed peoples’ minds, so why don’t we just fix up everything else?
Or can’t that be done?

Do we recall the story of the husband who sued his wife for an “ugly baby”? You figure it out.

Some beauties are a cut above the rest.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Byline: Lori Borgman

A husband in China was so upset his wife gave birth to an “ugly” baby girl that he accused her of having an affair. She confessed to saying, “I do” to plastic surgeons multiple times before saying, “I do,” to her husband at the altar. He filed for divorce and sued for deceit.

Let’s take a sneak peek, behind the scenes of Fu (富) Restaurant in Perth, Northbridge. I finally got my paws on the pre-opening photos of the place which I wasn’t allowed to post until after the opening. Makes a lot more sense when you see the vast numbers of people jumping around the newspaper covered windows in an attempt to score a peek of the interior.

When I went away last year to Beijing, I was really disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go to the Grand Opening of Fu Restaurant in Northbridge. But as fate would have it, unluckily for Mr Foo, delays pushed the opening until yesterday night! Although the official Grand Opening won’t be until next month, I figured it is as good time as any to go and try out the ‘Fu (富) fusion experience‘ before it gets busier with more people discovering the place!

Fu (富) Restaurant
287 William Street
Northbridge, Perth
Ph: 9328 3899

I’ve been to Fu a few times before it actually opened the doors and was impressed by the spiffy looking décor. I just love the water feature and the bar/lounge feel of the place!

Since I was lucky enough to actually test taste a few goodies, and Mr Foo’s description of the meals provoked my curiosity, I was excited to find out more! I’m not exactly sure if I’ve ever been to an official Fusion restaurant before, a lot of the nicer restaurants around Malaysia have been attempting to mix a bit of West into their experience but the food has always been very much either Asian or Western. So now it was my chance to try out FFF (Fu’s Fusion Food - sorry, my lame-self just couldn’t resist)!

Our initial table for 4 ended up being a table for 8, this was pretty handy because it meant that we could taste test more of the items on the menu! Unfortunately we were a little too ambitious, we didn’t realise the Tapa’s and Mains had decent sized servings and ended up stuffing ourselves! What can I say, the food was just too YUM to resist! =P

I’ve taken down photos of the dishes because the presentation of the meals has since changed. It looks more aesthetic now =)
Refer to my other posts for photos: Fu Restaurant Degustation Dinner

Seriously though, I’ll be going to Fu 富 a lot more because I plan to try everything on the menu! hAHa funny thing is, that might be the only way I get to see more of Mr Foo since he’s a busy little bee with this new opening =D

Once again, a HUGE Congratulations to Mr Chung Foo! You’ve done an amazing job!!

- Fu Restaurant Degustation Dinner

Although OneRepublic was popularised by their song Apologise ft. Timberland, they have some pretty good tracks to listen to on their album, Dreaming Out Loud. It’s funny though, I don’t really like their title track, Dreaming Out Loud. I usually prefer the title track over the other songs but I just didn’t find it to my taste this time around.

Stop and Stare has already made it into the mainstream media and Say (All I Need) will most likely be all over the radio as their 3rd single to be released so I won’t go into how nice it is, you can judge for yourself. But I also really like their song Goodbye Apathy. It has a really nice beat, and when the music and vocals combine, it makes a great chillout song.

Mercy, Someone To Save You and Prodigal are another few tracks to have a listen to. Wow, that’s almost their whole album! Anyway, I’ll end it here with the lyrics to Goodbye Apathy and Mercy.

I can’t sleep. No, not like I used to
I can’t breathe in and out like I need to
It’s breaking ice now, to make any movement
What’s your vice? You know that mine’s the illusion
And all at once I can help you out
(As I’m trying just to keep things right)
I’ll be what you need, I’ll do anything
(I kill myself to make everything perfect for you)
Goodbye apathy. So long, apathy

So don’t sit still. And don’t you move away from here
So goodbye apathy. So long fancy free
(As I’m trying just to keep things right)
Goodbye apathy. I don’t wanna be … you
(I kill myself to make everything perfect for you)

I don’t walk right, not like I used to
There’s a jump in my step, as I rush to see you
I could be happy here
As long as you’re near to me
As long as you’re close to me
Now that I’m alright I can help you out
(As I’m trying just to keep things right)
I’ll be what you need. I’ll do anything
(I kill myself to make everything perfect for you)
Goodbye apathy. So goodbye apathy

So don’t you stop pushing me. I can take so much
So goodbye apathy. So long fancy free
(As I’m trying just to keep things right)
Goodbye apathy. I don’t wanna be…you…
(I kill myself to make everything perfect for you)

Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too
Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too
(I can’t sleep no, not like I used to)
Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too
(I can’t breathe in and out like I need to)
Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too
(It’s breaking ice now, to make any movement)
Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too
(What’s your vice? You know that mine’s the illusion)
Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too

Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?
Pulled from the papers
Desperate and hardened
Seeking a momentary fix

All I wanted to say
All I wanted to do
Is fall apart now
All I wanted to feel
I wanted to love
It’s all my fault now
A tragedy I fear

Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
How did you pick me up again?
Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?
And I see you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…
I feel you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…

Before just the daylight
Come and I stand by
Waiting to catch the quickest plane
Flying to nowhere
It’s better than somewhere
That’s where I’ve been and nothing’s changed

All I wanted to say
All I wanted to do
Is fall apart now
All I wanted to feel
I wanted to love
It’s all my fault now
A tragedy for sure

Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
How did you pick me up again?
Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again
And I see you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…
I feel you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…

I’m so lost in you
A tragedy
It seemed to be
Over now…(over now)
A tragedy
It seemed to be
Over now

Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
How did you pick me up again?
Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?
And I see you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…
I feel you
Whoa Whoa Whoa…
I feel you
Oh oh whoa…
I feel you
Whoa Oh Oh…

One of the biggest shocks when it comes to travelling in China is the feral state of their squat toilets. Not only do you have to get used to doing your business in the squatting position but you also need to remember not to flush your toilet paper away!

I first discovered the wonders of the dreaded Squat Toilet in my younger years living in Malaysia, and although it was not the best experience, it was still an experience for me to learn from.

* Always carry around toilet paper, hygiene wipes or tissue paper (some public toilets will sell packets of tissue at the door)
* Always have 20sen ready so you can pay to gain entry into the smelly public toilets
* Bring a friend, Malaysian toilets are notorious for having bad things happen to helpless women on their own
* If you are wearing pants or jeans, it is a necessity to roll them up prior to entering
* Expect to be greeted with wet, dirty floors
* If you get a seated toilet, be aware that many Malaysians will still squat on those seats
* Beware of your neighbours. The person next door may decide that the cubical needed a quick rinse… or at least, that’s what I hope that water was….
* High heels/stiletto shoes are not advisable unless you are experienced

Prior to China I had always believed that I had already experienced the worst that I could experience (in regards to squat toilets), there could be no way in this lifetime that people could live in a country with public toilets worse than Malaysia. I was, of course, completely naive and obviously not using my head.

The worst public toilet I’ve ever encountered was in China’s rural region. The good thing is that the toilets aren’t difficult to locate, you just need to follow your nose. There are however, a lot of bad things to note about rural public toilets.

1. The stench is enough to make you faint
2. There is no toilet paper
3. There is no toilet flush (their flush is actually someone throwing water down the trench at the end of the day)
4. There is no toilet seat (no western toilet!)
5. There is no toilet hole (no squat toilet!)
6. There is no toilet door
7. There is a waist-high toilet wall dividing each ‘cubical’
8. There is a foot deep little trench to do your business
9. There is a waste-basket for used toilet paper and sanitary products (if you’re unlucky, you might not even have this)
10. There might be someone’s #2 waiting to greet you
11. There will likely be many naked bottoms and other bits to greet you

China sure knows how to bring their people together.

Here are some things you may want to consider in preparation for the worst toilet experience in China (and some other countries)

* Never travel without toilet paper, hygiene wipes or tissue paper
* Some nice public toilets have a toilet roll near the entrance
* A face mask doused in perfume/cologne may help with your trip to the toilet
* Always look for a 4 or 5 star hotel, or a newly built hotel to use their lobby toilet
* An umbrella is a useful tool to hide your ass from fellow toilet users if there is no door
* Always use the toilet at hotels even if you don’t need to, you never know when your next toilet break is or how much worse the toilet may be.
* If you are lucky enough to get a squat toilet, face away from the hole (I was never sure why but a friend told me that #2 will go straight down that way. But I’ve still encountered evidence of people facing the wrong direction and #2 was obviously not flushed away)
* Never flush the toilet paper down as you will clog the pipe! (more on this later)

No matter how many times I use those squat toilets and how often I hear how hygienic it is compared to western toilets, I will always prefer western toilets! The fact is, not everyone knows how to use a squat toilet properly and I know there is a larger percentage of people who miss when it comes to squatting.

Now on to the importance of NOT flushing the toilet paper down the pipes!

I never really followed this advice until I stayed in the Beijing student dorms when I studied there. As a result of not obeying the rules, I had to go without a toilet for up to 24hrs on several occasions. The toilet actually clogged up a couple of times even though I didn’t flush toilet paper!

It’s not a proven fact but rumour has it that the waste from the top floor dorm rooms drain down to ground floor, so you will likely have more clogged-toilet problems at the lower level dorms. I know for a fact that some of my friends staying on the ground floor of the dorm building had the worst smelling toilets even after they had bleached the whole room…

Just Don’t Do It!

Don’t flush toilet paper down those pipes!! Think about the poor Chinese people whose job is to unclog the mess you make, and just be grateful that the toilet can even flush!

Click here for more on flushing problems.

I had always said that I prefer Winter rather than Summer hands down. It has always felt great to curl up on the sofa with a hot mug and a great book, to be able to just snuggle further into the cocoon of warmth and listen to the rain fall gently against the window.

But that all changed when I went to China for Winter. I actually experienced what a REAL Winter is supposed to feel like, with ice and snow and below zero temperatures. I experienced my fingers and toes freeze to numbness for the first time, my cheeks and ears burn from the slightest movement, the constant thought of “I hope my contacts don’t freeze on my eye”, and I even had the cautious steps of someone who had slipped on ice-coated foot paths one too many times.

Even the idea of snow, which was once an exciting thought, has been tarnished. Instead I worried that the snow meant more washing for me to do,  that I have to be more cautious on the wet roads, and I hoped snow wouldn’t land on my hair because I just washed it. Snow is just solid rain, it’s not something you want to have a taste of (especially in a city like Beijing).

And most importantly, the whole reason for this post is to rant about the aches and pains of being sick whenever Winter comes around.

• The irritated throat
• Dry coughs
• Running nose
• Body aches
• Peeling nose
• Sneezes
• Phlegm
• Congested nose
• Interrupted sleep
• Fever
• Mouth breathing

I suppose the overall feeling of just wanting to stay in bed and wish the world away is the best description. The lack of taste, loss of hearing, incapable to breathe through my nose and a significant drop in energy makes it a lot worse to be sick. But we can only troop through these symptoms as it just means I’m one step closer to recovery and full health!

PS. Next time I’m going to be prepared for this and OD on Vit C!!