Exercising Your Pets

Whether it's a dog, cat, turtle or bird, this guide to exercising your favourite companion has got you covered

YOU know it's good for you. You know that exercise can give you energy, help you maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscles and joints flexible, help you live longer, and above all, make you feel better. For all the same reasons, your pets need to get up and get moving. Not only can exercise extend your furry friends' lives; it may also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the living room drapes.

The thing is, nobody's filled pets in on all of these benefits of pet exercise. Without someone to lead the way, they're not going to run laps or do leg lifts in their spare time. So as a wonderful pet parent, part of your job is ensuring your animal family members get safe, enjoyable exercise on a regular basis―whether they're cats, dogs, turtles, or ferrets! All pets need some physical activity to live a happy, healthy life.

Read more on how to exercise your pets.

10 Tips for Preventing Pet Behaviour Problems

Source: www.healthypets.com

Make your pet so well-behaved, people will think it went to a Swiss finishing school!

1. Set rules immediately and be consistent.

2. Avoid situations that promote inappropriate behavior.

3. Observe the pet and provide what it needs (food, care, attention and entertainment).

4. Supervise the new pet diligently through undivided individual attention and training, and restrict the pet's access to a limited area of the house until training is completed.

5. Set them up to succeed! Encourage good behavior with praise and attention.

6. Correct bad behaviors by providing positive alternatives (a toy for a slipper, scratching post for the sofa).

7. Never physically punish or force compliance to commands. This may lead to fear biting or aggression.

8. Don't play rough or encourage aggression or play biting.

9. Expose pets to lots of people, animals, and environments where you want them to live.

10. See your veterinarian if serious or unresolved behavior problems exist.

Read more pet stories and pet tips on 88DB Lifestyle.

Bashful First Fire of Dawn

An unexpectedly shy and sensible demeanour – could this really be Dawn Kwan, the 11-year-old art prodigy whose paintings have been selling for thousands since she was five?

By Huang Nickmatul / Home Concepts
Photography courtesy of Jonathan Sim Location
Thanks to Praser Place

IN THIS WORLD OF HYPERBOLE, a writer hesitates to use superlatives. Nowadays, saying something is the best, ingenious, fabulous, fantastic and so on seems to automatically heighten people’s scepticism. Yet “prodigy” is the first word that comes to mind when one wants to speak of Dawn Kwan.

Looking at Dawn’s paintings, you get a sense of passion and a huge joy for life in the large brushstrokes and bright colours, but there is also a sense of control in the sophisticated choices and the obvious restraint evident in the strokes that form the shapes and, most importantly, the textures that are fast becoming one of her trademarks.

Yet upon meeting her, there is nary a hint of the fine painter that Dawn is becoming. Instead of the laughing, animated girl one might expect, Dawn is surprisingly reserved. Dressed in black leggings and a loose white tunic, she hovers in the background behind her mother, Swee Lin.

Under Swee Lin’s encouragement, Dawn begins the interview shyly, speaking in monosyllables before gradually opening up, though never quite making it to the pages and pages of chatter that an obviously mistaken writer expected while glancing through the prolific number of paintings by the young artist.

Yet there is something restful and charming in her hesitant smile and quicksilver laugh, gone in a flash; something touching about the way the unassuming and polite young girl shoots occasional fleeting glances at her mother who has retreated a short distance away to give her a measure of space and independence.

Read more about Dawn Kwan Ning Yu, art prodigy.

Dolled Up & Nowhere To Go?

Check out Christmas-themed Victorian doll houses at IMM and help build Habitat for Humanity build houses

By James P. Ong

WHILE the rest of us are thinking of going home for the holidays, there are, in reality, millions of people who do not even have any place to call home – like families in Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia and China.

And that’s why Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organisation which has built more than 100,000 homes worldwide, hopes to build an additional 100 houses in these countries next year.

To raise funds for this project, Habitat for Humanity has seeked the help of IMM ― whose Christmas campaign is entitled “I’MM Home this X’mas” ― in a series of innovative fun-filled charitable initiatives.

One of these is the IMM Doll House Mini Winter Wonderland at the mall’s atrium area, where four Victorian doll houses imported from the US and dolled up by local celebrities and volunteers are on display.

Read more about this Christmas event with dollhouse displays.

Gifts Tip: Mineral Fusion

New cosmetic line is a perfect WRAP

LET'S face it: December is one of the year’s most stressful times of the year, which accounts for beauty blahs like skin breakouts and dry and blotchy skin in a season when you ought to look picture-perfect for all those holiday parties and reunions.

How to avoid that blah skin?

Introducing Mineral Fusion™ – an all-natural mineral makeup that features a colourful collection of cosmetics that prettifies as it treats and cares for your skin.

The secret? An exclusive W.R.A.P. Complex — a perfect blend of natural minerals that combines skin care benefits, antioxidants, makeup, and UV protection in one product line.

Read more about mineral makeup.

Nomadic aspirations of the urban kind

Road Test - Nissan Qashqai 2.0 (A)

Text and photos by Amery Reuben

SAY hello to the Qashqai, Nissan's latest in-breeding effort to develop the once elusive "mini sport utility" vehicle. Nissan hopes that this car's demographic will be itinerants, sparking a sense of adventure in everyone.

This smaller, European being exists to complement the Murano, and yes, it is European. Despite being conceived in Japan back in 2003, the Nissan Qashqai is really about as European as a Japanese-made entity can exist today. It was penned down by Nissan Design Europe, which is based in Paddington, London. Then, it was engineered and developed at Nissan’s Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, UK, and for the British market, is built alongside the Note and Micra in Sunderland.

While we’re most likely to receive stocks from Nissan’s assembly line in Japan, differences are negligible. That aside, Nissan realises that not everyone needs such a big car, especially here in Singapore. And for many here, being who they are, would rather live with just the image of owning an SUV, without the associated gadgetry, complications or costs for that matter. It’s a car all right.

Read more about this car review on Nissan Qashqai.

Road Test: Geely CK

This car targets younger families who wish to 'upgrade' their lifestyle with a private vehicle to bring the spouse and kids around town

Text by Andy Hum / Photos by Adrian Wong

CARS in Singapore don't come cheap these days. Not that they were ever cheap anyway, but the costs of ownership have become so prohibitive. With constant rises at the fuel pumps and the population of ERP gantries threatening to outnumber traffic lights, is it still possible to own a car without having a seven-digit bank balance?

When the Chinese first introduced their home-made cars to the world, it wasn’t met with open arms. Reports on the web and even on YouTube showed clearly how poorly their cars performed in crash tests.

And that was on top of the endless criticisms they faced for copying designs.

Read more about this car review on the Geely CK.

Three Classic Fairy Tales, Live From Disney

Theatre show in November boasts transforming set, captivating choreography, innovative lighting and breathtaking costumes

A LAVISH transforming set, captivating choreography, innovative lighting, breathtaking costumes; these are just some of the ingredients that make up Disney LIVE!’s latest theatre show, Three Classic Fairy Tales.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, its the first Disney Live! production to make its debut in Asia before its US and Europe opening. It has played successfully throughout eight cities in China, Seoul, Korea and is now making its way throughout South East Asia with an aim to enthrall audiences here.

Previous Feld Entertainment productions include Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® and Doodlebops Live!

Three Classic Fairy Tales will play at the Singapore Indoor Stadium six days starting on 18 th November 2009. Tickets are available at www.sistic.com.sg. You can win any of the three family passes (good for four persons each) by participating in 88DB.com’s Refer-a-friend contest.

Read more about this 88DB contest to win tickets to Three Classic Fairy Tales.

Authentic Fengshui for Modern Living

Learn about authentic fengshui from premier fengshui consultant, Adelina Pang.



Adelina Pang is one of Singapore’s foremost Feng Shui consultants and has had an active and respected presence in the field since 1995. Over this period, her expert application of authentic Feng Shui has been invaluable to organizations ranging from multinational companies to hotels and banks right down to football clubs, retail outlets and private homes. Her clientele includes prominent entrepreneurs and professionals as well as celebrities and members of royalty. Her no-nonsense professionalism in her job has established her as a respected professional worldwide.

Adelina studied under several renowned Feng Shui masters in Asia before venturing out on her own. Her brand of authentic Feng Shui, which goes back to original concepts of positive and negative Qi, has been greatly impactful to those who seek her feng shui consultations.

Listen to her at the 88DB City Events workshop. Click here for more details about the feng shui workshop.

Holidays in Germany: Great Year-Round Ideas

Reasons to travel to Germany beyond Oktoberfest
By Jimi St Pierre

THE rest of the world may celebrate Oktoberfest October, but in Germany where the beer festival originated, it actually starts as early as September. In Munich, the provenance of this beer festival, a huge park in the centre called the Theresenwiese (locally known as the Wies'n) is transformed annually into a party central.

Half of the park is filled with amazing rides, side shows, food stalls and Schnapps tents. The other half boasts 14 beerhalls. Like everything about the Oktoberfest the beerhalls are huge, seating over 4000 people inside each one and more in the beer gardens.

Seated at tables you are served steins (1 litre jugs) of the local brew by the frauliens, entertained by Oompah bands...the atmosphere is fantastic.

But if you can’t be in Munich this year, you can always go to the microbreweries in Singapore to enjoy different kinds of beer brews.

That said, Oktoberfest is not the only time to be in Germany.

Read more about holidays in Germany.