Lead in lipstick - - True or false?

I received an email claiming that lipstick contains high level of lead and could cause cancer. Several renowned brands were named in the email. I surfed several websites in order to check the email genuity however I couldn't come up with a good conclusion.

This is the email

There are several websites which claim that it is an email hoax. This is quoted from one of the forum:

As convincing as it may sound, it it completely false. Cosmetics are regulated by the FDA and in turn, would not allow dangerous amounts of lead into a product. Most lipsticks do not contain any lead, however, if it contains lead, the content would be so small that it would not have any effect.

Other websites also provide detailed comments on this email. Click 1, 2, and 3.

On the other hand, there are also a few websites that emphasize on the exceeding limit of lead content in the lipstick, as quoted below:

Lipsticks manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of women contain high levels of lead, according to new product tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a nonprofit coalition.

Click here.

Haha, I really do not know which source to believe in. Anyway, ladies, be careful when choosing cosmetic products. Take good care of your own health.

Salary Summary

This is a salary summary of a fresh graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering, taken from jobstreet.com.

SLB Final Interview

I just received an email from Schlumberger notified me of the last stage interview. It will be on this coming Friday. Huh, kind of nervous and excited. Now I'm visiting SLB website in order to learn more about this company and the department.

Wish me all the best~

***************************************************************************************

I just attended the SLB interview. I met a friend from UTP who was also attending the same interview session as me. She was very excited and enthusiastic entering SLB. I wish I am like her.

The interview lasted for about 30minutes, generally touched on non-technical issues, such as giving examples on some personal qualities, hand-on experience and outdoor activities.

Again, the same issue I face everytime during my interview arose, the interviewer asked, "Why do you want to join this company while you're taking civil engineering?"

This is a difficult question. Previously I would say I like structures. If I'm not a petronas scholar, I would aim to become a structural engineer. Reality tells me that joining oil and gas industry has a more attractive return. So in the final year I specialised in Petroleum Engineering. Since then I have become interested in oil and gas industry. Does that mean that what I have learned in the first four years is a waste? No, I don't think so.

I need to wait for two weeks for the result to be released. Whether I will be employed or I have failed the interview, I will know by then. Also, the interviewer said there might be a 5th stage interview.

Haha, I'm unsure if i'm suffering some depression syndromes now. I'm sad.

Haha, I tied my hair so that I look tough, did it work?

Shoes from Penang

Today I was blessed with two pair of shoes. I'm truly thankful for them. Credit goes to my dear boyfriend. What are so special about them? They are actually custom made by shoemakers from Penang. Here are the shoes.

Simple and comfy black sandals

Elegant looking gold colored sandals

三個忠告

有个故事，我觉得很好笑，因为许多情节不符合逻辑，可是里面所提到的忠告是可以听取的，在这里和大家分享。

一對新婚夫婦生活貧困，一天，丈夫對妻子說：'親愛的，我要去很遠的地方工作，直到我有條件給你一種舒適體面的生活才會回來。我只求你一件事，我不在的時候要對我忠誠，我也會對你忠誠的。'

很多天之後，他被一個莊園錄用了。他要老闆答應他一個請求：

'請允許我在這裡想幹多久就幹多久，當我覺得應該離開時，您要放我走。我離開那天，

您再把我賺的錢給我。'雙方達成了協議。

年輕人在那裏整整工作了 20年，中間沒有休假。

一天，他對老闆說：'我要回家了。'

老闆說：'我會照協議辦事的。不過我有個建議，要麼我給你錢，要麼我給你3條忠告，你好好想想再給我答覆。'

他想了兩天，然後找到老闆，說：'我想要那3條忠告。

'老闆提醒他說：'如果給了你忠告，我就不會給你錢了。

'他還是說：'我想要忠告。'

老闆對他說：
'第一:永遠不要走捷徑。便捷而陌生的道路可能會要了你的命。
第二:永遠不要對可能是壞事的事情好奇，否則也可能要了你的命。
第三:永遠不要在仇恨和痛苦的時候做決定，否則你以後一定會後悔。'

老闆接著說：'這裡有3個麵包，兩個給你路上吃，另一個等你回家後和妻子一起吃吧。'

在遠離自己深愛的妻子和家鄉 20年之後，男人踏上了回家的路。一天后，他遇到了一個人，

那人說：'這條路太遠了，我認識一條捷徑，幾天就能到。'

他高興極了，正準備走捷徑的時候，想起了老闆的第一條忠告，於是他回到了原來的路上。

後來，他得知那人讓他走的所謂的捷徑完全是一個圈套。

幾天之後，他走累了，發現路邊有家旅館，他打算住一夜，付過房錢之後，他躺下睡了。

睡夢中，他被一聲慘叫驚醒，他跳了起來，走到門口，想看看發生了什麼事，

剛剛打開門，他想起了第二條忠告，於是回到床上繼續睡覺。

起床後，喝完咖啡，店主問他是否聽到了叫聲，他說聽到了店主說：'您不好奇嗎？'

他回答說不好奇。

店主說：'您是第一個活著從這裡出去的客人。我的獨子有瘋病，他昨晚大叫著引客人出來，然後將他們殺死埋了。'

年輕人接著趕路，終於在一天的黃昏時分，他遠遠地望見了自己的小屋，屋子的煙囪正冒著炊煙，還依稀可見妻子的身影，雖然天色昏暗，但他仍然看清了妻子不是一個人，還有一個男子伏在她的膝頭，她撫摸著他的頭髮。看到這—幕，他的內心充滿了仇恨和痛苦，他想跑過去殺了他們，他深吸一口氣，快步走了過去，

這時他想起了第三條忠告，於是停了下來。

天亮後，已恢復冷靜的他對自己說：'我不能殺死我的妻子，我要回到老闆那裏，求他收留我，在這之前，我想告訴我的妻子我始終忠於她。'

他走到家門口敲了敲門，妻子打開門，認出了他，撲到他懷裏，緊緊地抱住了他。

他想把妻子推開，但沒有做到。

他眼含淚水，對妻子說：'我對你是忠誠的，可你背叛了我……'

妻子吃驚地說：'什麼？我從未背叛過你，我等了你20年。'

他說：'那麼昨天下午你愛撫的那個男人是誰？'

妻子說：'那是我們的兒子。你走時我剛懷孕，今年他已經20歲了。'

丈夫走進家門，擁抱了自己的兒子。

在妻子忙做著晚飯的時候，他給兒子講述了自己的經歷。

接著，一家人坐下來一起吃麵包，

他把老闆送的麵包掰開，發現裏面有一筆錢———那是他20年辛苦勞動賺來的工錢。

人們...


總習慣用自己的角度去看事情,


直到...


瞭解了真相...

Hakka Lui Cha 客家擂茶

不是每个客家人都有幸在自个儿家里吃到香喷喷又美味的擂茶，而我真的好幸福哦，因为我外婆和妈妈都会做擂茶!

做擂茶需要准备工夫，要买很多种青菜。首先要准备擂茶的精华--擂茶的香料。用果机把薄荷叶、芝麻和炒熟的花生一起搅碎，然后放入煮沸的水，加入少许盐和胡椒粉就可以了。

接着还要分别炒豆角，葱和豆腐，包菜，树枝菜，菜心，菜甫等。

米要放入炒过的虾米和蒜头，煮熟后的饭很香哦！

最后，把每一样菜和饭放进大碗里，在加上热腾腾的擂茶，就足以让人垂涎欲滴了！

擂茶是很健康的养生食物，可惜有些人不懂欣赏，其实只要细细咀嚼，就能品味到薄荷和各类蔬菜的香味咯！









Not every Hakka people are fortunate enough to eat delicious hakka lui cha, and I am really glad because both my grandmother and mother can cook lui cha.

Hakka Lui Cha needs a lot of preparatory work because it is consists of a variety of vegetables. First of all, the essence of Lui Cha should be prepared. Use blender to mince the mint leaves, sesame and peanut together, and then add boiling water, a little salt and pepper.

Then also, fry the beans, green onions and tofu, cabbage, "branch vegetables", "dried carrots", vegetables, etc. (Haha, i don't know the name of those vegetables in english)

Also, add fried shrimp and garlic to rice, yummy~

Finally, put all the dishes and everything into a big bowl of rice, and add the Lui Cha!!!

Lui Cha is a very healthy food (only vegetables and rice) can help improve digestion hehe. Sadly some people do not appreciate, they think it's weird to add the Lui Cha into the rice. All in all, it's my favourite food, so try it.

p/s: pls click here for the picture of BIG BOWL LUI CHA.

Tutor

Yesterday I accepted a part time job as a tutor for a standard six student. Now I'm preparing the teaching materials and thinking of proper approaches that attract the student. Feel so strange. I hope I can become a good tutor. My sister is a good one, she is passionate and teaches in a simple way that people could understand.

By the way, this job was introduced to me by a tution agency thus they charge 50% commission from my first month salary. Huh... I haven't got my payment but now I have to pay them (funny)

Really hope I can be a good tutor~~~

比较，不好

今天看完了吴淡如的书《人生以快乐为目的》。这本书提供了一些快乐原则，告诉大家如何认识自己，与自己灵魂和谐共处，是一种淡淡的,理性的，自我的快乐。其中有篇小故事我很喜欢。

有个记者访问世界最大的连锁旅馆总裁：“你十四岁就辍学出来工作，在酒店里当侍应生，你一步一步爬到这个地位，而过去和你在酒店里一起工作的人，可能还在小店里洗碟子，当时你知道你会和他们差距这么远吗？”

“我不知道”总裁说：“在我往上爬的路上，我真的没看到其他的人”

他没把跟他一起洗碟子的同事当作比较目标，他只看见自己该走的路。

如果他只想成为那堆侍应生最好的，他现在可能还在当领班。

不要因为想赢而忽略自己的特性与道路。这是每一个真正成功的人都明白的事。

不要因为在一个小山坡上滑到，就忘了自己原想征服Everest Mount.

一直以来都认为真正的成功不是比较性的。可是今天的社会，样样都要比较。比才华，比名利，比成绩。在大学时，不难发现，同学虽然口上说不比，其实私底下还是做比较。别人常问我目标是不是要做第一，比人强，但我想，我只是想做的更好，比昨日的自己更进步。

也是因为比较，使到一些人会时常质疑自己不够好比人差，所以要放弃自己，还令自己不快乐。

其实，就像书中提到，唯有发现自己，展现自己才能开发自己的潜能。

希望每个人能真正发现自己的好，但愿我也能做到。

Pasta Salad

My dear younger sister made us the favourite pasta salad today. The ingredients are pastas, apples, potatoes, raisins and salad sauce. Yummy~



Tomorrow she will be leaving home to her university at Sarawak. Wish her all the best in the new term.

冬至快乐

今年冬至落在21日，大家都觉得好奇，报纸上学者说是天文现象导致。因为冬至是北半球全年中白天最短、黑夜最长的一天 （因为太阳位于最南位置），而今年是闰年，因此未来会有更多冬至在21日。我在查阅关于冬至的资料才发现竟然有个公式可以计算冬至是落在何日。
　　
冬至日期的计算= [Y*D+C]-L 　　
公式解读：Y=年数后2位，D=0.2422，L=闰年数，21世纪C=21.94，20世纪=22.60。 　　
举例说明：2088年冬至日期=[88×0.2422+21.94]-[88/4]=43-22=21，12月21日冬至。 　　
例外：1918年和2021年的计算结果减1日。

我尝试用2008年算了，可是得到的结果是12月22日冬至，真奇怪！

今年作了芋头汤圆，汤底是红豆沙，味道还不错！不过拜神是还是用了传统汤圆加龙眼红糖汤，怕神祈不喜欢太摩登的口味。

红色，绿色和芋头汤圆

汤圆红豆沙

祝冬至快乐！