Merry Medley at Gardens By The Bay

Tis the season to be jolly at the Gardens By The Bay with a whole host of festivities both indoors and out with “Merry Medley” in the Flower Dome and “Christmas Wonderland” in the Meadow. In the crisp climate of the Flower Dome, Christmas cheer takes centrestage in the Flower Field with poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas roses gracing charming yuletide seasons.

Stroll amidst the woody evergreen fragrance of majestic conifer trees…

Cocooned in giant snow globes, a lovely ballerina delicately turns as her accompanying soldiers watch on...

At the centre of the Flower Field, a troupe of smartly-dressed toy soldiers and an angelic orchestra join in the merry medley…

Nutcracker dolls here are depicted in the form of a solider, knight or king, each with a huge mouth and big teeth. Originally, nuts can be shelled by putting in the mouth of these dolls…

At night, the Flower Dome takes on a magical glow
as the enchanting winter wonderland filled with the fresh aroma of flowers…

With a beautiful blue-green cone-shaped crown and exuding a sense of magnificence, the Noble Fir is ideal for a Christmas tree as it looms up over nine metres to create an ideal centrepiece for the Flower Field…

The snow globes are transformed into laminated crystal spheres
with the spell of the twirling ballerina enchantingly beckoning you forward…

  

The Noble Fir (Abies procera) is a western North American fir that is tall and beautifully-symmetrical, with blue-green needles turned upward, exposing the lower branches. Its ability to last for a long time and its stiff branches make it an excellent Christmas tree. Further afield, the huge tower lay amidst snow at the centre of the Flower Field depicting yuletide scenes with Nutcracker Dolls, ballerinas, angelic choirs...

Looking like their true lily cousins, the Amaryllis are bulbs with trumpet-shaped flowers. They come in a dazzling array of colours, sometimes combining shades of pink or red, with white. Some of these flowers have a single row of petals (single flower form), while others have a few layers (double flower form)…

According to German folklore, the Nutcracker at night comes alive to defeat the evil Mouse King in battle, brings good luck to each household…

Modelled after the Kobe Luminarie, a light festival held in Kobe Japan to commemorate the Great Hanshin Earthquake, these  elegant Italian-designed light structures illuminate their way forward, symbolizing an everlasting message of peace and hope...

Merry Medley Garden Trail

Join daily “Ask Me” tours as they share fascinating botanical facts and anecdotes about the floral display from 11 November 2016 to 05 January 2017 at 11am and 3pm daily (1-6pm on 03-04 December).

Tours last approximately 15 minutes and available free on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate, gather at the “Ask Me” poster near the Flower Field. Tours will begin when a group of at least five is assembled.

Floral Display Promotion

Local residents with Christmas Wonderland ticket will enjoy $4 off local admission rates for the Double Conservatories. Present your Christmas Wonderland ticket at the Gardens By The Bay ticketing counters to enjoy the offer from 11 November 2016 to 05 January 2017.

For more details, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg for the latest information.

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Official Launch of Ethereal by Watabe Wedding & Jessicacindy

Watabe Wedding, the world's leading bridal corporation extends their management of Chijmes Hall to include Caldwell, fresh from the 2015 revamp of the entire Chijmes Complex. Caldwell House will serves as a complement to the current Chijmes Hall - an exquisite venue for intimate weddings and cosy corporate events.

Leading the design team in the collaboration is Singapore designer, Jessicacindy Hartono, Creative Director of Jessicacindy, known for her intricate wedding and couture pieces. The collaboration label, titled Ethereal by Watabe Wedding and Jessicacindy will feature their first collection of 31 different looks of wedding and event creations inspired by nature and the architecture of Chijmes Hall.

 Minutes before the launch...

Official launch of the evening couture creations by Ethereal by Watabe Wedding & Jessicacindy with the exclusive presentation of dresses from flowy silhouettes of white and iridescent pastel shades to delicate lace textures with patterns of opalescent frost...

The Fenella gown, the flower child of opulence for Ethereal, one of beautiful creations at the Ethereal Chijmes Show 2016 at Chijmes Hall... 

The unique purpose-made replica tile given to all guests as a souvenir...

This design mirrors many other similar ones of neoclassical identity seen lining
Memory Aisle at Chijmes Hall...

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OMY-Panasonic Beauty Workshop With Bryan Gan

Singapore
June 2015

Merlion Wayfarer recently attended Bryan Gan's beauty workshop organized by OMY and Panasonic.

Bryan Gan, a former engineer, pursued a career in beauty and alternative healing after leaving his job in the government sector. He is a regular on popular TV programmes like Lady First (女人我最大), and shares home beauty DIY tips, food cures and acu-pressure for anti-ageing in his blogs.

Fresh Air

Bryan shared on the 4-7-8 breathing exercise for better sleep. Pioneered by Arizona-based Dr Andrew Weil, this simple method "takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere".

1. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
     
2. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.
     
3. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
     
4. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.

This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle two more times for a total of three breaths. This simple exercise should be performed at least once every morning after waking up and once more every evening before bedtime.

"Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders."

- Dr Andrew Weil -

For a more detailed explanation, visit Dr Weil's page on "Breathing: Three Exercises".

According to Bryan, our lung capacity decreases as we age. Lung  health governs hair and skin. Hence the importance of good breathing techniques to be practiced daily.

Porcelain Skin

White fungus is good for skin. As this comes in many types, he recommends spending a bit more for the expensive range, costing around S$11 per box. For skin allergies, he demonstrates a clapping and "hammering" exercise to activate the acupoint just above the knee cap (when in a sitting position).

He also uses the Facial Roller to demonstrate several techniques to better skin, stress relief and greater relaxation.

Roll from mouth up to eye about 10-15 times to tighten skin...

To help clear the lympathic system, he shows where the tension can build up along the jawline and along the neck and shoulders...

This is where to massage for relaxation -
Draw an imaginary line from between the 4th-5th finger down to the wrist...

Demonstrating the massage at one go...

He proves his techniques by showing the difference between one side of the face (with the massage) and the other side of the face...

Added with the Compact Facial Steamer, he recommends usage at least once weekly, about 20 cm above the steamer to prevent burns. Splashing with cold water will seal the facial pores and improve circulation and absorption.

Detox The Natural Way

The body accumulates water through a high salt diet and alcohol consumption. Bryan recommends the use of corn silk to remove water retention. Boil the corn silk in water for ten minutes and drink once to twice a week to detox and reduce inflammation.

Some of the other remedies he recommends include:

• When lying down, place your thumb just above the naval. Press down 6 seconds and release. This removes excess water in the digestive system.
    
• Boil yellow chrysanthemum flowers for headaches and white for eyes. Baby bud chrysanthemums (胎菊花) are for detoxification while wild chrysanthemums (野菊花) serve the same purpose, but may be too cooling for some.
      
• Yellow Thai longans are the dessert variety. For insomnia, skin radiance and stagnant blood around the eyes, he recommends taking 3-4 dried black longans and boiling them with red dates.

Panasonic Promotion

For those interested to purchase Panasonic beauty products, here's how you can own one:

Big crowd of ladies waiting to try out the Panasonic beauty products...

The following beauty products are on promotion:

1. Cool Putter EH-SQ10
   Readers' Price: S$109 (including delivery and GST)
   [Usual RRP: S$129]
     
2. Facial roller EH-SP32
   Readers' Price: $159 (including delivery and GST)
   [Usual RRP: S$189]
     
3. Compact Facial Steamer EH-SA31
   Readers' Price: $174 (including delivery and GST)
   [Usual RRP: S$199]

To order the above, 

1. Email to hanwei.chew01@sg.panasonic.com with subject: "Blog readers' promo - Panasonic Beauty (omy.sg)"
2. In the email, indicate the product name, model, and quantity of items you wish to purchase.
3. Indicate:
   -  Your name
   -  Contact number
   -  My blog's URL (MerlionWayfarer.blogspot.sg)

Panasonic Singapore will reply to the emails directly with the payment and delivery details. 

The above promo is valid till 05 July 2015 only, while stocks last.

Simple finger food to end the session...

Thank you, OMY and Panasonic...

Sources

• "A Life Hack For Sleep: The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise Will Supposedly Put You To Sleep In Just 60 Seconds" by Lizette Borreli (05 May 2015). Vitality, Medical Daily. Retrieved from http://www.medicaldaily.com/life-hack-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-exercise-will-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122.
       
• "Breathing: Three Exercises" by Dr Andrew Weil. Spirit & Inspiration, WEIL. Retreived from http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html (17 June 2015).
      
• "Can't sleep? Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique that claims to help you nod off in 60 SECONDS" by Ellie Zolfagharifard (04 May 2015). Science, Mail Online. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3067526/Can-t-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-technique-claims-help-nod-60-SECONDS.html.

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