Bear Grylls, My Hero

Have been wondering what to blog about for a while... Shld I write about the recent trip to KK? Write a review of my polar running computer? Or write a photography review of recent snapping opportunities? All seemed like too much effort... Bah...

Then, turned on the discovery channel and I just have to tell u about Man vs Wild... If u've never watched it, each episode is about how this dude, Mr. Bear Grylls, who is an ex navy or special forces officer or some super well trained fella who knows everything, survives and finds his way out of life threatening environments. His journey always starts with him parachuting into deserts, jungles, mountains and anywhere else where there are threats from wildlife, lack of food, water and shelter. His aim - to get out alive and return to civilisation.

Of all the episodes I've watched, I have seen him battling and skinning snakes, chopping a skunk in half to salvage part of the body that doesn't have the stench, getting stung by bees to harvest honey - all for the sake of food.

And he'll somehow construct instruments for use to cook, scale down mountains, lay traps to catch game a la McGyver style from whatever he has - his parachute, his pants, his parka, skin from carcasses he finds along his way, etc.

One thing that never fails to amaze me though, is when he's really desperate for water and is at the brink of dehydration, he would drink his own urine. YA! He says, only drink when it's fresh, leave it any longer and it's a breeding ground for bacteria. Urine is, after all, 95% water (and wat, 5% of YUCK?!) Picture this - him pouring the urine into his mouth, spilling over to his face, chin, his clothes... *grimace*

Oh ya, he has kept urine in the skin of the snake he's eaten. It would be knotted at both ends, slung over his shoulders, just like a long inflateable balloon.

And after being hydrated, he soldiers on...

My Grandma...

...has a favourite past time. She doesn't do much in a day. Most of the time, she sits in front of the tv watching any Astro chinese channel. When she does, she'll pick her nose. She starts picking with her last finger of one hand, and then will change to the other. It's like how some of us tend to get restless just idling in front of the teevee and we may file our nails, check our emails, etc. while the 3rd repeat episode of CSI plays on tv. She picks her nose. 

This started in one of her earlier stays at our place. I think she saw the maid cleaning her nose during one of those afternoons in front of the tv and decided to give it a try herself. She's been unstoppable ever since and it's now a bad habit. We've all tried different methods to get her to stop - threatening  her with a visit to the doctor's, buying her a nasal spray, telling her that she'll damage her nose have all been to no avail. 

And watching her do it, is strangely addictive. It's hard to avert my eyes from her when she's doing it.... somewhat akin to watching a freak show. 

The other day, someone caught her putting what she dug out of her nose into her mouth.