Intelligence is Value

Cooking is a skill that everyone should learn when they’re looking to live on their own. Knowing how to prepare a simple meal for yourself should at least keep you from going hungry when your favorite take-out restaurant is closed. Start with these five simple skills:

1. Cooking rice
With the rice cooker, rice has become something incredibly easy to cook, and it’s really hard to get it wrong. Use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water when cooking.

Be sure to rinse in a strainer before adding the water. Cover the lid and set to “cook”. Wait until it sets to “warm” before lifting the lid. Let it stand covered for a few minutes before fluffing with a fork and serve.

2. Cooking an egg
Eggs are incredibly versatile and are really easy to cook. For boiled eggs, place them in a pot and cover them with cold water about an inch higher than the egg. Boil them over medium-high heat and cover them.

Remove from heat once the water has boiled. Take the eggs out and run them through cold water. This makes the shell easier to peel.

3. Chopping an onion
Peel the onion and slice it lengthwise. Face the root away from you and slice the onion half with the knife pointing towards the root and slice as close to the root as possible. Hold the onion in place with three fingers – one in front, two behind.

Push the onion back together. Push the knife halfway into the onion with a slight tilt. Do this again at the top. Hold the onion with five fingers together in place and chop the onion until you get to the base of the root.

4. Cooking pasta
Fill a big pot with four to five quarts of water and add salt. Put it on high heat and wait for it to boil before adding the pasta. Keep a close eye on the pasta and toss it once it softens.

Cook for about three to four minutes. Take a strand and eat it to check if it’s “al dente” – cooked, but still firm.

5. Sharpening a knife
Use a sharpening stone or a whetstone and pick an angle to sharpen your knife. Start on the stone’s rough grit. Drag the edge across the stone in the opposite direction that you would to slice a thin layer off the stone.

For a symmetrical edge, flip the knife over and sharpen the other side of the blade. Do this again with the finer grit. Be sure to alternate the swipes. After sharpening, rinse the knife in cold water and wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Cooking doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it seems. When you get the hang of it, it can even be fun.

Camping can be intimate and calm, and it can also be fun and adventurous. Nonetheless, camping is a great experience for you and your loved ones to create new memories while being close to nature. While preparing for your camping trip, make sure to keep these four camping tips in mind to become a happy camper.

1. Learn how to pitch a tent.
While it may look easy if you’re not the one doing it, pitching a tent is actually harder than it looks. Even seasoned campers may need a hand in pitching a tent.

For those who don’t know how to pitch a tent, there are a lot of guides available on the internet; try practicing when you’re at home and ask a hand from your kids. Try to teach the people who are coming with you on how to pitch a tent beforehand; tent-pitching is always a nice skill to have, especially for future camping adventures.

2. Check your venue beforehand.
Aside from making sure that you packed everything you need, remember to also prepare for your trip by checking your camping site. Try to gather as much data as you can on the venue. One of the things that are important to note is if there are restaurants or shops available nearby. Chances are, you’re going to forget to pack something, so it’s good to know if there’s a place that can provide it.

Of course, remember to check if you need to obtain a camping permit. There are venues that require you a camping permit, and others don’t; if you do, remember to obtain one at least seven days in advance.

3. Stay safe and be cautious.
While camping can be a calm and serene experience, it can also have its own dangers. Remember to note if there are any wild animals near your camping site, like wild boars. However, you don’t need panic, just make sure that you keep your food in containers. Use insect repellents to take care of ticks and mosquitoes. And remember to stay safe from the effects of the sun, and regularly lather on sunscreen.

Unless you’re an experienced camper, try not to camp alone. It’s better to have someone else watch your back just in case something happens. Remember to pack a first-aid kit and all necessary medication.

4. Leave the campsite as you found it.
And last, but definitely not the least, make sure to leave your campsite just as you found it. Make sure to clean up your campsite before you leave. If there are trash bins nearby, use them. If not, bring them with you. Before leaving, make sure to put your campfire out, so as not to start any forest fires by accident.

You may have gotten into a debate with a friend once of chess is a sport or not, but the dictionary clearly says that sports is not just about competitive physical activity, but is also a competition of skills. With that in mind, it’s no stretch of the imagination to consider competitive gaming as sports.

How eSports Began
eSports is not new, because even in 2012, various gaming tournaments from all over the world were already common. It was only in recent years that it has gained the attention of media because people can now stream competitions live on the Internet. In fact, some video game enthusiasts claim that eSports is the only other global sports besides football because of the number of people interested in video games in general.

So, if it’s a competition, do players also get prizes? You’ll be surprised to find out how much eSports teams earn when competing. Some players even consider it a full-time job especially if they can compete internationally.

What is the format of eSports? The type of competition and the number of players depend on the game. Some games can be player-versus-player or one-on-one, while others allow one player to compete against a system, such as in a card game. Technically, any video game can be considered eSports, but the most popular ones in the huge tournaments are team-based games called tournaments or leagues. Like most sports, eSports also have regional, national, and international tournaments in major arenas, complete with commentators called casters and prizes.

Popular eSports Today
There are two types of eSports today, such as the first-person shooters and the multiplayer online battle arena or MOBA.

As of this today, the most popular first-person shooters in eSports are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch. For the MOBAs, the two most popular titles are Dota 2 and League of Legends. However, there are also other competitive video games such as sport games, card games, fighting games, and strategy games. Examples of these are FIFA, Rocket League, StarCraft 2, and Street Fighter V. With the growing popularity of competitive gaming, however, the list will keep on growing with the addition of new titles in the future. Others also believe that eSports will one day become an official sport in the Olympics, however, there are also a lot of people who are opposed to the idea of calling competitive gaming sports.

Expiring from playing video games for hours is not uncommon. Some also believe that promoting video games as eSports will not help addiction at all. Add to that the lack of understanding of how to treat gaming addiction without having to wean the gamer from games completely, as evidenced by the tragic cases of addiction in some countries like South Korea. Finally, there is also a need to set up stricter regulations for eSports in general to prevent exploitation of the players, spot-fixing or match-fixing, and corruption due to gambling.

The first few steps toward healthy living are not only littered with the temptation to eat your favorite foods that are high in calories, but also with the constant worry of not being able to keep up because of the high budget needed.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Here are a few tips you can follow to stick to your newly-formed healthy eating habits without having to spend too much on them:

1. Plan your meals ahead of time.
Before deciding on which dishes to prepare for the next few days or throughout the week, it’s usually a good idea to take a trip or two to the grocery store to see what’s on sale.

You should also keep your menu flexible. That way, if some ingredients aren’t available or aren’t on sale, you still have a few dishes to choose from.

2. Learn to cook your own meals.
The sure-fire way for staying on the road to eating healthy is by simply cooking your own meals. However, when you do so, be sure to cook your meals in ways that use up less oil, salt, and sugar. You can even pack your own lunch to work or to school.

This is now the perfect time to widen your culinary skills. The key here is doing research – knowing which ingredients go together is a skill that you can only develop with time, but looking through different recipes in books and online can help greatly speed up the process.

3. Keep an eye out for the fruits and vegetables that are in season.
The trick to getting the freshest fruits and vegetables available is to shop when they are in season, which not only gives you the best ingredients for your meals in the best condition, but also saves you a lot of money.

4. Look to other alternatives to meat.
Eating less meat, especially red meat, isn’t just good for your health, but is also good for your budget.

However, you don’t have to resort to being full vegan. If you love meat, you can opt for the less expensive cuts or switching to white meats, such as chicken and fish. You can also choose to add ingredients such as eggs and tofu into the mix, as well as legumes and grains.

These alternative protein sources are not only relatively cheap, but they also provide you with the same amount of protein as red meats, as well as the advantage of having a longer shelf life than meat.

5. Freeze fresh produce.
This may be a no-brainer at first, but once you start buying fruits and vegetables, you will quickly learn to appreciate the convenience of having a refrigerator in order to increase their shelf life.

(Disclaimer: This list is compiled in no particular order.)

Singapore may have a tropical climate all year round, but a cool, overcast morning will still have you reaching for the nearest thing to a jacket that isn’t made mostly for rain. Enter the cardigan: made of cotton or wool, can either be thick or thin, and can be worn open or closed.

There are some reservations about sporting a cardigan. To be more specific, they are seen as clothing worn by two types of people: grandfathers and college professors, which is a reason why many people avoid them.

However, once you get past these stereotypes, you will find that a cardigan is not only functional, but highly fashionable as well. Here are three reasons why you should have at least one in your wardrobe:

1. Cardigans are extremely versatile and can be worn for different occasions.
One of the best things about the cardigan is that they are quite hard to mess up. Almost anything goes with a cardigan, from polos to tees, to even button-downs. They can be used to complement both casual wear and semi-formal attire.

Keep in mind that there are different types of cardigans suited for different occasions. Thick and patterned cardigans are best suited for purely casual occasions, while smart/business casual cardigans are thinner and more plain-looking.

The general rule of thumb when telling a man’s cardigan from a woman’s cardigan is by judging the fit and the buttons. If it’s too tight against the skin or has large buttons, it’s most likely a woman’s cardigan.

2. They maximize your silhouette.
Criteria for men’s and women’s cardigans may be different, but men’s cardigans should ideally be flattering to their body types – narrowest under the rib cage, and then slowly widening down the hips to give the chest that seemingly tapered shape.

When buying a cardigan, the key is to get one that’s comfortably loose without being saggy. Shoulder seams should be on your shoulder and not fall on your biceps. For buttoned or zippered cardigans, it should be tight enough that it doesn’t sag in front when you lean forward.

3. A cardigan allows for more combinations with your wardrobe.
A cardigan’s versatility not only allows you to mix and match with any shirt or outfit that you feel like wearing for the day, but it also lets you mix and match with a wide variety of accessories, be it hats, your favorite pair of aviator shades, or even a good leather bag.

Cardigans are also easy to take care of. As much as possible, skip the hanger and just fold to avoid those awkward shoulder dimples.

(Disclaimer: This list is compiled in no particular order.)

Keeping up with the painting maintenance of multi-unit housing buildings can be daunting. Other than the occasional plumbing issues, seasonal preparations and maintenance of bigger fixtures like the roof and the lawn, a property owner or manager has quite so much in their plate. However, if you hire a professional painting contractor in Singapore, you can tick off one major job from your list.

Your painting services provider will take care of everything regarding the interior and exterior painting of your building, including the following:

Getting Rid of Mold
Mold thrives in warm and humid areas. For constantly moist areas of the house, like the basement and the bathroom, HDB painting service use special paints that are specifically designed to prevent formation of mold. If you start to notice a wall with mildew or mold in it, closely check the area to find out its severity.

For minor problems, clean it with water and bleach solution. If it’s a larger area, you may need the help of professional painting services to repaint the affected area.

Cleaning Stains
Once you have located the area of your property that needs to be cleaned and repainted, your painting contractor will initially wash the surface with water and damp sponge. For deeper cleaning, hire painters for home and office work because commercial services use a more potent cleaning substance before proceeding with the repainting process.

Handling Fading Paint
The best way to avoid premature fading of paint is to invest in superior quality paints. It’s not that these pricier paints won’t fade, because they do overtime. They just fade gracefully compared to cheaper types of paints.

To ensure that only quality paints are used on your condo painting, work only with a reliable painting contractor. They know which paints are worth investing on, plus the best painter can help you find great deals with their exclusive connections to painting manufacturers here in Singapore.

Pressure Washing
After so many years of not repainting, you may notice a build up of dirt and grime on some surfaces of your property. This can easily be cleaned by pressure washing. The best painter usually has this as part of their painting services. It is among the preparation procedure before your property gets repainted.

Avoiding Rot
Paint is more than just providing color to your building. If applied properly, it greatly helps in slowing down the natural rotting and weathering process of any surface. When working with an HDB painting service to paint your property, check for yourself the undersides of corner boards just to make sure. Although condo painting professionals knows this very well, it doesn’t hurt to check their works yourelf.

A quality commercial paint job will add value to your property and bring life to the exterior and interiors of the building. By understanding the job of your painting contractor and working only with the most reliable and reputable company here in Singapore, you can keep your property looking brand new for the years to come.