Good Day Cafe - Affordable and Healthy Fare in NUS

 

The front of Good Day Cafe - it is Inside Medicine Library at NUS ; Beside Block 27 Medicine Faculty.  

I have the privilege of driving a car. After dropping my wife somewhere in the Western Part of Singapore, one of the stops I make is at the NUS Faculty of Medicine Library, for 2 reasons

a) out key client is located there

b) the Good Day Cafe service healthy and affordable health conscious people like me. 

For parking, there is a public carpark just opposite the Medicine Library - just note, that this carpark get 100% full by 9.30 am so it is advisable to get into this open air carpark before then. The rest of the adjoining carparks are all meant for University staff and season car park holders - whatever that means.

A little slice of Heaven for $ 7.20 

(US$ 6) 

I will normally buy the tuna Gilgeoli toast for $ 4.50 which serves nice brown toast

with the filling of large onion, some coleslaw sauce and generous toppings of tuna. Be prepared to pay in either cash, PayNow, Paylah or debit card. They do not accept any form of credit cards.

For a nice lunch, i will buy a bento set for $ 5.50 - $ 8.20 which is nutritiously made and stored in hot plates at the counter. There are basically 3 sets, 

a) Grilled Chicken Kebab

b) Pan seared Salmon 

c) Vegetarian 

You can have a couple of sides ranging from $0 and $ 1 each side. So I normally choose between any 2 of these 5 :

a) Broccoli

b) Cherry Tomatos

c) Omelette

d) Cole Slaw

e) Baked Corn

So after a nutritious breakfast, I will occasionally pack a kebab lunch which is light and healthy to eat in the office.

Good Day Cafe - located inside NUS Medicine Library Building

Nearest MRT : Kent Ridge (exit A).

Walk By : NUH Dentistry Block, past mortuary and towards NUS Medicine Library Building.

It will be a serendipitious experience to the first time diner. 

Carpe Diem 

 

My Last Visit to Beijing Sept 2010

 

The date was Sept 2010, I had visited a trade show in Beijing and decided to treat myself to visiting the Tian An Men Square. There. is an underground station which leads all the way from the hotel to the square so it is very easy to get to.

The weather was clear and visibility was easily 1000 meters, a rarity for Beijing. 

I looked pretty young then - 14 years ago. The sunglasses I had on were also not the brand I have become very accustomed to. 

Visit to Beijing June 2009

 

Precocious at 12 years of age. 

The tween years for my second son, Andrew is shown here,in a short holiday to Beijing China in 2008. My wife and Andrew did a mother son bonding trip for 5 ot 6 days to the Chinese capital.They followed a group tour which covered, Tian An Men Square, the Bird's Nest Stadium, the Great Wall and lots of visits to the old city, 

In the Tour Bus

My wife's views at that time were that, China's history is so rich and plentiful (over 2000 years) and we living in Singapore have been brought up with a Western style education and a Western outlook. We always thought that the East, particularly China was a backwater and we had limited knowhow and understanding of this great country. 

The Bronze Lion at Tian An Men 

Therefor, this is an anomaly which we, who are living in S.E.Asia in this period of Chinese renaissance and economic rise will hope to correct. That said, our attitudes, focus and and perspectives should be looking East rather than all the time to the West in the decades to come.

May and Andrew at the Hou Hai Lake 

The fact of the matter is that China is destined to be the world's  economic superpower within 30 years, I hope it is within my lifespan. 

Western powers may try to slow down its progress, but the day will come when China's purchasing power will drive most of the world's consumer spending patterns - if it hasn't already. From cars, fashion brands, watches and property Chinese buyers are dictating preferences and setting consumer behaviors.

Many top boutique houses and brands from Milan, Paris , London and New York are pandering for over 2 decades to the well heeled Chinese buyers. And there are plenty of them.

There are increasing numbers of Chinese food establishments in Singapore like Hai Di Lao, Din Tai Fung (OK Taiwanese) and all the Mala Hot Pot Restaurants sprouting all over the island catering to the Chinese palette.

Mum and Son at the Great Wall 

I have visited Beijing once in 2008 and the pictures are shown below. It was a clear blue sky in Tian An Men Square and the weather was beautiful. Everytime I visit China, my perspectives change about this country, which is destined to be the next big superpower.

The doors of the Tian An Men open to a grand courtyard 

Frog Porridge at Chinatown

 

One of my food indulgences must be  Frog Porridge. The coffeshop is called Tong Shian at Chinatown off Keong Saik street. The address is 265 New Bridge Road off New Bridge Road and adjacent to the My CK Department store.

I am normally there the odd Saturday when I am not running at East Coast Park.

You can park your car just beside the coffeeshop if you are lucky, else, go to the nearby Shaw Building where there is a basement car park. 

The coffeeshop has curbside seating, so its "Singapore style Al Fresco dining. "

The frog is cooked very deeply in sweet oyster sauce, with ginger and spring onion and presented piping hot in front of you atop a rattan type basket.

The porridge is served together with it and I normally have a 'you tiao' or dough fritters to dip into the sweet sauce.

Heavenly taste on a hot Saturday morning

Total Price : S$ 12.80 for claypot frog (small), dough fritters and porridge. 

Tong Shian (open from 8 am till 4 am most days).

Tong Shian Porridge

265 New Bridge Road

Singapore 088745 

Savour precious time with your family

 In Hokkaido for skiing 21st Dec 2012

Hokkaido Radio Tower

From left, my 2 sons, Noel , Andrew and me. 

Life and time passes very swiftly ; in the blink of an eye, I am transformed from a child, a teenager, young adult, parent, middle age and now, I  am a young old person who has 

a) eyesight problems (cataract starting)

b) weight gain (managing)

c) hearing issues

d) energy issues (can only last till about 11 pm each night or 16 hour awake days).

Do take the time to be there for your immediate loved ones, like you spouse, your chilldren, your relatives, your friends and your business or work colleagues for soon you will be back to dust and no one will remember you.

Do as much good and impact society with your abilities and leave your legacy to the people you have loved along the way to remember you by.

Life is indeed fleeting and short.

Live it Well 

Seize the Day 

A Few Words On Courage

 

Mentally Strong People do these 18 Things - Last 6

1. Set Aside Alone Time 

This is so true. I prefer my own alone company at least 30% of the day, that is 8 hours.Take away 6 - 7 hours of sleep, I still have 1 - 2 hours during the workday thinking. Family and friends time do not interfere here. This is my way for many years, so I am used to this lifestyle.

Once, I do retire (within the next 3 - 5 years), I hope to keep the alone time sacred and spend time just focussing on my plans for whatever time I have left, and use that time meaningfully.  

2 Make Peace with the Past

I have failed on the following as I can recall. 

a) Not passing Chinese at 'A' levels 

b) Taking too easy a time earlier on in my career and rather choose to cruise and not push myself till I am about 50 years of age.

c)  Not building a larger company through a network of like minded business associates

d) Leaving project management to my staff when I should have been hands on involved in at least 2 of the major projects since 2014. That had led to almost disastrous results and I had to step in and basically bail out the projects from the top down. 

I have corrected my position, and nowadays lead from the front. This is the one true way to determine if my way is truly the most effective way to securing the deals.

3. Create your Own Definition of Success

I feel I have a good 5 - 10 years left in me for business.  What have my company achieved ?

a) Provided valuable testing for accelerated aging for biomedical and pharmaceutical manufacturers since 2017 and continue to be the sole Lab focussing on providing these important tests.  With 2 Laboratories grossing 4,000 ft2 in Singapore, we have clients from USA, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand who count on us. 

b) Sold, installed and commissioned the largest soldier performance chamber in Singapore by size and dollar value (US$ 890,000) in a single chamber thereby enabling our research scientists to develop better clothes, helmets, fullpacks for literally hundred of thousands of our NS men over these last 10 years.

We are still soldiering on and providing good service to the Military even today, 10 years since selling the equipment.

We MUST be successful then ?

c) Sold installed and commissioned the first and best Athletic Chamber in Asia in 2016 for elite Singapore sportsmen and sportswomen. 

Through the use of sports science, we are proud to say, we played a part in our athletes achieveing gold in both the 2016 Olympics and the 2023 Asian games.

d) Installed and commissioned a 2 athlete chamber for Qatar Hospital for rehabilitation of elite athletes in 2017. 

e) Installed and commissioned a 4 athlete chamber for an Australian University to provide research studies and papers for heat effects on elite athletes.

4. Spend Mental Energy Wisely 

This is so true. I know my mental energies and sharpness are best in the morning from 8 - 12 pm. So I make the key decisions during those times.

5. Stay True to Ones Values

This is the key to success.

a) Honesty to all in business and relationships

b) Put in 110% to all my endeavors

c) Be a fair person\

d) Meet with the winners

e) A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

f) Save enough so that my descendants can enjoy something when I am not around.

6. Retain Personal Power.

Personal Power I believe is charisma, the way you carry yourself and face all the obstacles in the world. Somedays you only want to curl up and stay in  bed. Well don't.

Life is short already as it is ; when you have personal power, you want to get things done and see that what your existence here on this earth amounts to.

True personal power I guess is changing people for the better. To achieve that, you first need to change yourself.

 

Taming the Falcon - - > Qatar Desert 2023

This experience is NOT for the faint hearted. The falcon is a top predator and can eat small mammals. One can rear falcons as a hobby but they are birds of prey so there is a lot of handling and training required before one can adequately own a falcon - or so I am told. 

So the trick is to feed them with scraps of goat or beef meat, then you can take the obligatory visitor photo, like I did.

ASTM F 1980 Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Systems for Medical Devices - 10 of Your Questions Answered

QRA INTERNATIONAL 

INCORPORATED 2003 (SINGAPORE)

PROVIDING BIOMEDICAL AGING TEST SERVICES FOR OVER 15 YEARS

1. What is a Medical Device ? 

Medical devices are an article, instrument, apparatus or machine that is used in the      prevention,diagnosis or treatment of illnesses or diseases. They can be used for detecting, measuring, restoring, correcting or modifying the structure of the body for some health benefit.

Examples of Medical Devices

a) Contact Lenses

b) Blood Pressure Monitors

c) Hearing Aids

d) Heart Pacemakers

e) Tooth implants

    2. What is ASTM F1980  ? 

   Standard for Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Systems for Medical Devices

ASTM F1980 is a test standard titled, "Standard Guide for Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Systems for Medical Devices" is a testing procedure that is used to help with the assessment of the sterile integrity of a package and product designed for medical use.

In order to validate a product and package's Sterile Barrier System (SBS) over the intended storage shelf life, accelerated aging is conducted to evaluate a package and product's long term usability and efficacy. ASTM F1980 is a specific accelerated aging test protocol set forth by ASTM International (American Standards for Test and Measurement International)

It is also advisable to benchmark the product with Shelf Life Test which is to keep the product at the ambient temperature and humidity conditions for the entire duration of the product's useful life. 

If the manufacturer wishes to sell his products into the world's largest market for medical devices, the USA, it needs to have its final products tested and passed according to ASTM F1980 - 21. 

In Europe it is known as the ISO 11607 

3.ASTM F1980-21 replaced F1980-16 in December 2021. What changed?

The revisions' primary change recommends that the use of controlled humidity during accelerated aging be considered, findings documented and used during testing if warranted.

The need for controlled humidity should be based on the characterization data of the materials used in the medical device, it's packaging, and the long term storage condition.

4. What is the Purpose of ASTM F1980 ? 

To function safely and effectively, medical devices must maintain their sterile integrity throughout their shelf-life. However, over time, the physical properties of the materials may degrade in certain environments and, as a result, may negatively impact the safety and efficacy of the product. Because they endure so many unique environments while being transported, used and stored.

Medical devices must undergo shelf life testing in addition to sterile integrity testing. ASTM F1980 specifically evaluates the aging process along with its package and how it impacts sterility and shelf-life. 

Accelerated aging therefore simulates these conditions by exposing the materials to elevated temperatures for shorter periods of time to represent an equivalent real time shelf life duration,

F1980 testing offers valuable safety and performance insights to manufacturers. 

With a greater understanding of the aging process on a product and its package system as the result of testing, manufacturers can make more informed decisions regarding the handling, storing, and use of the product. Additionally, precise aging tests achieved by tight temperature tolerances offer enhanced assurance among regulatory agencies and consumers.

 

QRA Lab 1 at 21 Toh Guan Road East,

04 - 02 Toh Guan Centre

Singapore 608586

5. What is the procedure for an accelerated aging test for medical devices?

In accelerated aging tests for medical devices, a material or Sterile Barrier System (SBS) is exposed to elevated temperatures for a condensed amount of time. By exposing the testing materials to more extreme conditions during a shorter time frame, researchers can evaluate how a product will age under normal conditions without waiting for the entire desired duration. Armed with this knowledge, manufacturers can determine shelf life, storage, in-use, and transportation parameters more accurately for their product.

Accelerated aging is a standard practice in the medical device industry for determining shelf life parameters by accelerating the effects of time on a Sterile Barrier System (SBS).

The accelerated aging process is based on the relationship between temperature and reaction rate, in which the reaction rate increases as the temperature rises. The Arrhenius Equation is the basic formula used for an accelerated aging test for medical devices is:

Accelerated Aging Time (AAT)= Desired Real Time (RT) divided by the Accelerated Aging

Factor (AAF)

ln summary

Every 10 C increase in ageing temperature shortens the AAT by half.

Therefore if you have a product whose expected shelf life is 3 years or 36 months, the device is expected to 'age' or experience :

>  for ambient storage 25 C ; keeping the product in a chamber at 35 C, the product is expected to 'age' in 18 months.

>   for ambient storage 25 C ; keeping the product in a chamber at 45 C, the product is expected to 'age' in 9 months.

>   for ambient storage 25 C ; keeping the product in a chamber at 55 C, the product is expected to 'age' in 4.5 months.

Therefore for a product with a shelf life of 3 years ; storage at 25 C 

a) Storage at 35 C  ; RH at 50 % RH  =Aging Test Duration : 18 months

b) Storage at 45 C ; RH at 50% RH   Aging Test Duration : 9 months

c) Storage at 55 C ; RH at 50 % RH  Aging Test =Duration : 4.5  months

QRA INTERNATIONAL offers Accelerated Aging Tests and Shelf Life Tests at most competitive prices internationally. 

We have a fleet of 20 Test Chambers running 24 / 7 to serve our many clients internationally.

We provide the following for a flat inexpensive fee. 

a) Monthly aging tests using top quality chambers from Germany, Italy and Singapore

b) Regular Test Reports Monthly, at start of test and at end of test.

c) Calibration Reports according to ISO 17025 (SINGLAS) for each test chamber prior to test.

d) DHL collection and delivery anywhere in the world 24 / 7.

QRA Lab 2 at 7 Perahu Road

Singapore 718 836

6.What are some of the parameters for ASTM F1980 testing?

ASTM International sets forth specific test parameters to ensure consistent testing across different lab facilities. The basic parameters for ASTM F1980 include the following:

1.    Accelerated Aging Temperature (ASTM F 1980 -16)

2.    Humidity (F1980 - 21)

3.   Quantity of product testing samples (for 90% confidence and 90% reliability)

7.What do I do after the Accelerated Aging and Shelf Life Tests ? 

After the Accelerated Aging Tests, it is advisable to send your medical products to

a)    Peel Test

b)    Bubble (full immersion) Test

to determine the Confidence and Reliability Levels. QRA can advise you on these matters.

Arrhenius Equation ; What is it ? Why is it Useful ?

Using the Arrhenius Equation, the TRT should accurately reflect the actual product storage and in-use conditions, generally between 20°C and 30°C.

Accelerated aging temperature should be identified prior to testing. This is done by having in-depth knowledge of your materials, product, and packaging. It is not recommended to exceed +65 °C.

The need for controlled humidity during accelerated aging should be identified prior to testing; if materials are subject to moisture degradation, 45% - 55% RH is suggested. This input should be determined with your material providers' assistance.

A Q10 factor needs to be determined, which involves testing materials at various temperatures and defining the differences in reaction rate for a 10° change in temperature. A typical Q10 factor used during testing is 2.

Accelerated aging factor should be specified using the following equation:

AAF = Q10 (TAA-TRT)/10

QRA's sales professionals can walk you through your product ageing test needs. 

What is the best temperature to use for an ASTM F1980 test?

The ASTM F1980 standard suggests using an accelerated aging temperature below 60°C. Aging your product at a greater temperature provides the advantage of a faster simulation of the aging interval, but this comes with risks for particular products and packaging materials. Medical devices are often engineered with delicate materials that may drastically change when exposed to temperatures exceeding +60°C. Finding out if your medical product or device may be adversely affected by long periods of high heat or low humidity is a good place to start when choosing the best accelerated aging temperature. Westpak's experts can help you define the ideal temperature parameters for your products and packaging.

Common Accelerated Aging Temperatures: 50 C, 55 C, 57 C or 60 C

8. What is the best humidity level to use for accelerated aging?

Humidity usage is dependent on the materials used in your product and packaging, how moisture impacts them, and other environmental factors. If humidity during accelerated aging is to be controlled, we recommend either 50% rH to 60% rH to be used.

The humidity aspect of the aging should also be documented.

QRA INTERNATIONAL can assist you in this with all our reports clearly stating the parameters controlled and any deviation of these set parameters.

9. How do you evaluate the ASTM F1980 test, post-aging?

After a testing sample has undergone the accelerated aging process, its physical properties and package integrity will be compared against various aging time points.

This includes as per ASTM F1886, 

1. Peel Testing

2. Bubble Test 

3. Dye Test

10. Can you recommend the Test Protocols for my products to comply with the new F1980-21 ?

Yes We Can. Our recommendations will be based on your company's unique product, expected shelf life and how much you value your brand.We have decades of experience at our Labs to guide you along your way to brand excellence and reliability.  

Contact us by email at :

                      qrasales@qra.com.sg

                           mark@qra.com.sg

        Website :    www.qra.com.sg