Saturday, July 12, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: CONTEST + 5 weird superstitions of soccer players

The Contest

UPDATE: Hey everyone, apologies for the delay!
For Image No. 1, congrats Hock Guan for winning it! :D

Over the next 7 days, three images will be posted here on this blog. For each image, be the first to spot all of the bottles of BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken hidden and stand to win

  • A pack of BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken
  • $50 Takashimaya Voucher

To participate:

  1. Drop me an email at lovecharlenejudith@hotmail.com and tell me the image no. and the specific columns and rows where you think the bottles are! For example:

    Image No.: 2
    Bottles are at: A2 (Where A is the column and 2 is the row.), B3 etc.

  2. There will only be one winner per image.
  3. The first to spot all the bottles of BRAND'S Essence of Chicken wins for that particular image.
  4. If none of the participants spot all the bottles of BRAND'S Essence of Chicken, the participant who spotted the most number of bottles wins.

Good luck! :D


Image 2 (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
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The FIFA World Cup is known to be one of the, if not the, biggest sporting events the world currently knows, bringing together some of the best soccer players from all over. But besides their prowess on the field, these iconic players have some pretty interesting or plain weird quirks behind them too. Here are some of them:

  1. Luis Suarez
    Not all hat-tricks are celebrated in the soccer world, as Luis Suarez has come to prove. Seemingly living by the motto "If you can't beat 'em, bite 'em.", Suarez recently completed his hat-trick of bites with Ajax, Liverpool and just a few days ago, Uruguay. Nobody knows for sure the reason behind his weird fetish but what we do know is that the Uruguay star player has been banned for 9 matches, all football activity for four months and fined US$112,000. Way to go Suarez.

  2. Cristiano Ronaldo
    The Portuguese team captain and Real Madrid forward is widely known as the world's best player, the world's most expensive player and the player with the ever-changing hairstyles. Well, there could be a good reason for that too. Ronaldo fans are probably familiar with his famously weird pre-game 'rituals', but for those who aren't too familiar, here are a few superstitions the world class player reportedly practices.
    • Ronaldo insists on sitting alone in the back row and he must be the last one to leave the bus.
    • The Portuguese player has to change his hairstyle in the locker room at halftime during every game.
    • In fact, he needs a new hairstyle before every game he plays.
    • He must touch the ball before leaving the dressing room.
    • In the Portugal national team, he is the only Portuguese who is allowed to start off with a long-sleeve jersey.
    • He always steps onto the pitch with his right foot first.

    Well, we don't know how true all of the above are, but we know you are going to be looking out for these signs from now on.

  3. Cesc Fabregas
    In case you have never watched the "Beats by Dre" commercial, here's how Fabregas, star midfielder of the Spanish national team wishes himself good luck – by kissing a ring given to him by his girlfriend four times.

  4. Kolo Toure
    Kolo Toure, a highly valued member of the Ivory Coast national team, always insists on being the last player from his team to walk onto the playing field. This pre-game ritual is so important to Toure that he reportedly once missed the start of the second half of a Champions League Game while waiting for a teammate to precede him.

  5. Iker Casillas
    Goalkeeper of the Spanish national team, Iker Casillas is interestingly known to be one of soccer's most superstitious players. He has countless rituals that he modifies depending on the progress of the match, such as changing his jersey every time he concedes a goal or cutting the sleeves off his shirts, etc. His most consistent one would be touching the crossbar every time his team scores. And his most disgusting one? Wearing his socks inside-out during matches. But he has reportedly kicked that habit since 2009. Thank goodness.

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's. Images are taken from Google.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: CONTEST + 5 Things to Bring to a Football Match As a Fan

The Contest
Over the next 7 days, three images will be posted here on this blog. For each image, be the first to spot all of the bottles of BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken hidden and stand to win

  • A pack of BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken
  • $50 Takashimaya Voucher

To participate:

  1. Drop me an email at lovecharlenejudith@hotmail.com and tell me the image no. and the specific columns and rows where you think the bottles are! For example:

    Image No.: 1
    Bottles are at: A2 (Where A is the column and 2 is the row.), B3 etc.

  2. There will only be one winner per image.
  3. The first to spot all the bottles of BRAND'S Essence of Chicken wins for that particular image.
  4. If none of the participants spot all the bottles of BRAND'S Essence of Chicken, the participant who spotted the most number of bottles wins.

Good luck! :D


Image 1 (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
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One thing the World Cup always brings to the screens around the world is the adoring, and sometimes crazy, fans. I'm sure you have seen photos of fans decked out entirely in their country's colours, faces painted with the flag, arms raising the team scarf up high.

If you are a football fan, you'll want to make pilgrimage to a major football game – be it during the World Cup or even the league matches. But what should you bring with you to the stadium to make sure that you are 100% ready to cheer your team on? Here are the top 5 things every fan should have with them.

  1. Lozenges
    Extremely practical and it may just save your life. Lozenges are a must have when you are screaming yourself hoarse for your team. At the stadium, the cheering never stops, so make sure you are ready for all that action!

  2. Cheer Gear
    As the 12th Man, the least a football fan can do at a match is to dress in the team's colours. At the World Cup, fans take things up a notch and things get very, very creative (check this out: http://bzfd.it/1lihtLn). Wear your team colours and bring your cheer gear along. This includes: face paint, team scarves, hats, noise makers, and if you would like, a cute plushie of the team's mascot.

  3. The Right Bag
    When you're heading to the games, you'll want a bag that is roomy, but won't get in the way. Plus, the stadium would be littered with spilled drinks and wrappers, so you'll want a bag that you don't mind getting at least a little dirty. There are also restrictions on bags at the World Cup so you may want to consider a sling bag over a backpack.

  4. A Good Camera
    At the World Cup, the stadium is huge so your iPhone camera probably won't cut it if you want to get some nice photos of the players and the game. This is where your 15 megapixel camera with a 20x zoom would come in handy!

  5. BRAND'S Sesamin with Schisandra Extract
    The party only starts after the match is over when everyone takes it to the nearest pub for some pub grub and drinks. If you're a fan, you definitely can't skip out of the after party. So make sure your body is ready by bringing along a few of this to keep your liver at its best!

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's. Images are taken from Google.
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Sunday, June 22, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: 5 Ways to Stay Awake after the Game

Being on the other side of the world means unearthly match hours in Singapore time. While we would all love to have 25 days of leave (Maybe more...), chances are you're better off finding ways to cope in office post-match. Here are 5 quick ways you can fight the World Cup snooze:

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's.
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Monday, June 16, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: Your Guide to Surviving the Football Season

5 weeks, 64 matches.

There's simply no escaping the month-long football madness that is currently taking the world by storm. Both fans and non-fans need to be prepared for the biggest event of the season. If you're a huge soccer fanatic, be sure to check out this comprehensive guide to surviving the summer's soccer fever. I'll be sure to use some of these handy tips!

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's. Images are taken from Google.
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Saturday, June 14, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: Soccer Season Match Schedule!

And... The biggest football tournament has begun and is into its 2nd day!

There are already a number of great posts on the Internet on where to watch the games, but it'll be extra convenient for everyone to have the Singapore timings of all the matches at a glance, won't it? BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken has come up with a convenient infographic for everyone to easily note the day and time of all the matches!

Download and print the above schedule via this link: http://bit.ly/1pFIv4h

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's.
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Thursday, June 12, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: 5 Things to Stock Your Fridge Up with during the Football Season

And... World Cup 2014 begins tonight! The first match is between Brazil and Croatia and it kicks off at 4am, which is a pretty unearthly hour for us Singaporeans. Actually, most of the games will be held when we are supposed to be in bed... Resting, dreaming, recuperating our bodies and the ilk. But I mean, it's THE World Cup. What's sleep? Can we eat it?

Starting from tonight onwards, we can look forward to greasy and unhealthy but oh-SO-good suppers, awesome drink deals at the bars (Check out Harry's, Bar Bar Black Sheep and Muddy Murphy's!), hot footballers (Fernando Torres used to be my cutie.), the games themselves (OF COURSE.) and maybe, having a girls' night out!

For those who will be at homes watching the games, here are 5 things you need to have in your fridge to enhance your World Cup experience.

  1. Beer
    Studies have shown that consuming everyone's favourite fermented beverage in moderation can lower your risk of stroke – but it's okay to go slightly above moderation on occasion when you're celebrating the win of the country you’re supporting! Be sure to stock up your fridge with ample supply for you and your friends, and check out #15 of this awesome article on how to maximize the space in your fridge for this football season!

  2. Hummus
    Simply because everything goes with it. Hummus makes for a perfect dip, and is delicious with pretzels, pita bread red peppers, carrots, you name it! An easy crowd pleaser with crackers for the gatherings of 15 hungry people in your house watching the next big game. Need we say more? More reasons to have more hummus here.

  3. Baked Sweet Potato Fries
    One of my favorite alternatives to fries are baked sweet potato! This superfood tastes great on its own and takes less than 30 minutes to leave the kitchen. Simply chop up the sweet potato into your desired length, bake, scatter salt and pepper for taste, and voilà!

  4. Salsa and Tortilla Chips
    A quick hack to making a wholesome salsa dip is to buy a batch of chunky salsa, and then making it even heartier by adding in more fresh ingredients like chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and chilies. Don't forget the corn chips too – salsa is only complete with you dip some tortilla chips in and savour the chunky sauce with crunchy chips.

  5. Brand's Essence of Chicken
    As an all-natural health food supplement, BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken can help reduce stress levels and contribute to a relaxed mood. It also increases mental concentration, improves short-term memory and immunity, alleviates task-induced stress, increases metabolic rate, and boost energy. Perfect as a pick-me-up and vitality booster in this season of late nights!

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's. Images are taken from Google.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

WORLD CUP 2014: 5 Soccer Players to Watch Out for This Season

Wohoo, it's just 2 days more till the first match between Brazil and Croatia! This year, I'm pretty excited about it because my bestie, Audrey, and I will be joining Eli's club come July (We used to be in our junior college's soccer team.). But just the recreation team. Haha. Anyway, to commemorate this quadrennial event, Brand's and I will be teaming up to help 'prep' you for the games.

Today, let's get to know 5 soccer players to watch out for this season! (:

  1. Lionel Messi for Argentina
    At just 26, four-time World Player of the Year Messi is arguably one of the most outstanding players over the past five years. If Argentina wins the World Cup, and Messi has the influence that he so often has at club level, then he would surely be elevated to the status of Maradona and Pele, among the greatest we've ever seen.

  2. Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal
    Everybody knows who he is; Ronaldo is now perhaps, alongside Lionel Messi and David Beckham, the best-known player on the planet. The Portugal captain is also the 2013 winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or, and has also won the Champions League with Real Madrid. Scoring 55 goals in just 45 appearances for club and country in 2013-14, a large part of his country's hopes for winning rest upon his shoulders.

  3. Neymar for Brazil
    Born on February 5, 1992, in São Paulo, Brazil, Neymar drew attention for his impressive soccer abilities at an early age. His small frame masks incredible skill and speed, silencing doubters with his top-class ability to finish off both feet

  4. Mesut Ozil for Germany
    Arsenal attacking midfielder Ozil is only 25, but has already been compared to football legends his finesse and skills. Former manager José Mourinho likened him to Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, massive shoes which he has no trouble filling.

  5. Andres Iniesta for Spain
    With recent rumors of links to Manchester United, 29-year-old Iniesta is a beast on midfield, and is even hailed by fellow superstar Xavi as 'Spain's most complete player.' Known for his passing, dribbling, vision and movement, he is definitely a player to watch on the Spanish team, and in fact even the whole tournament.

Will you be watching the matches? And who are you watching out for? :D

The World Cup 2014 series is a collaboration between Charlene J. Lee and Brand's. Images are taken from Google.
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Friday, April 5, 2013

RAMBLINGS: Gym Songs

Every Thursday, I go for my gym classes. My instructor's called Julian and he makes all these motivational whooping sounds like he really means it but I don't think he does and I find it amusing, whether I'm right or wrong. I like it when he sings to the tracks because he does so in a funny way. So his classes are always enjoyable for me.

But the one thing that I really, really like about his classes is his pretty amazing playlist. Just yesterday, he played techno versions (Okay, I don't speak music. Those remix stuff. That's techno, right?) of N'Sync's 'Bye Bye Bye' and Aqua's 'Happy Boys and Girls'. And there are many other songs which I like and don't know but I can never, for the life of me, remember the lyrics when I step out of the gym.

A-ha's 'Take On Me' was pretty easy to find because it's a popular song. But oh boy... For Sy's 'U R My Phantasy', I had to really listen hard while I was spinning and then, repeat the few lyrics that I caught over and over, while other songs were playing, until I got to my phone. And with a spelling like that... Of course, Of course I googled 'fantasy' and came up with naught. So yay! I'm really happy to have finally found it! :D Now to conquer the rest...

Gym's hard work; both physical and mental. But 'tis very, very fun!

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