To Cameron and back !

Went to Cameron Highland today ! It's been a while since I've been to Cameron Highland. The place has changed so much since I last visited. Not only has the environment isn't as chilling as it used to be, it is also much much more polluted. Cameron Highland now not only stinks of cow dung but also rubbish. We basically passed by a dump site, which is so dirty and stinky that all you could see in the field as far as the eye can see are just, rubbish.

It's really sad to see how development pollutes the environment...but not all are lost, as some part of Cameron Highland still remain unchanged and unaffected by pollution. Now do you guys know what is a Bengala Chilli ?

This small plate of fire and brimstone

I am not sure, but is this the chilli I ate ?

THIS chilli should never be understimated by any self proclaimed 'Spicy Food Veteran', due to the fact that despite it's miniature size, it's EXTREMELY SPICY AND POTENT. Just a nibble is enough to make you go "woooaahhh!!!". In fact, the soya sauce itself is so spicy that I finish my whole glass of ice tea. >_>

We also visited the strawberry farm. Took a picture of a gigantic sunflower and some beautiful and cute looking cactus. I have friends that actually tried taking care of a cactus but the cactus died anyway. I mean...a cactus is a plant that can survive the harshest environment in earth, the desert, but dies in the room of a college student. NOW that speaks a lot isn't ?

OMG look at the size of that ! It's bigger than my face !!

some weird but beautiful plant taken up close.

I kinda love cactus. I always thought a girlfriend/boyfriend is like cactus, it is spiky but at the same time they are cute, lovable and extremely durable. Your partner is not perfect but still you will always love them for what they are right !? Ok enough of my philosophies here are the photos !

A small flower bulb of a cactus.

I am a cute little cactus, I am thorny but please don't hate me ! Please buy me !

Jensen bought a new cowboy hat. He seems pretty proud of it but later got worried when he remembered a film called 'Broke Back Mountain'.

Someone is obviously loving his hat.

After that we went to Bharat Tea House Plantation for some tea and some nice sweeeties ! =D

Brownies + Scoop of Ice Cream + Strawberry = DELICIOUS !

Jensen's Blueberry Cheese Cake

Oh btw, do you guys watch the drama series called "Lost" ? I didn't watch it but I heard it's good...and this random photo kinda reminds me of the drama...so I tweaked it a bit...THERE ! Lost Malaysian edition starring Aaron, Jensen, Shawn Chin and Ashley Wong (the one playing with the handphone) ! Place setting is in Cameron Highlands.

Science Behind Lie To Me : Emotions

Now as everyone knows, I am a huge fan of the ongoing series named Lie To Me. Not because of the storyline or the interesting cases (some of them are interesting but not all), rather it's science behind the show that draws my attention. They say the eye is the window to the soul, which is actually quite true.

Do you know that the cast Dr.Lightman in Lie To Me is actually based on a real person called Paul Ekman ? He is a brilliant psychologist who researched on facial expressions and emotions. Recently I am reading one of his books "Emotions Revealed - Recognizing Faces and Feelings To Improve Communication and Emotional Life", and I must say this is a very good and informative book. I recommend it to anybody who is interested in improving their sensitivity to other people feeling while conversing.

While my main aim is not really to be a walking lie detector like Dr.Lightman in Lie To Me, I actually want to be able to discern what others are really feeling when they share their problems with you. Knowing how people is feeling during conversations opens up a new dimension that you will probably never notice unless you read the book.

Here is an easy one. Now can you tell me what emotion does the photo depicts ? Fear, Sadness, Anger, Contempt, Disgust, Surprise or Enjoyment ? The answer is at the end of the post.

Most the time, we take words for granted and fail to see how people is feeling. Ever wonder why God even give us the capability to show the the emotion 'Sadness' on our face ? The messages of sad and agony revolves around "I am suffering; comfort and help me...". The sad person might not have voiced out for comfort, but the brain knows that the person is feeling sad and quickly sends a message to the face to reach out to the others for help and comfort. That also explains why you feel sad when you see other grieved stricken. It is so that you reach out and help the person in need. The book continues to explain how to identify sadness on people faces which I will talk about in the future if I have time. :)

And here are some trivia and facts on Emotions. Emotions are classified into Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, Contempt, Surprise and Enjoyment.

Emotions are powerful feelings that overrides even the most fundamental motives that drives our life. Namely, sex, hunger and the will to life. A child that is sexually abuse will develop fear or maybe disgust over sex and that might hinder her from having sex with others. When you are disgusted with a food, your emotion overrides your hunger. Finally, sorrow can cause people to commit suicide, effectively robbing them the will to life.

Are emotions universal then ? Some psychologist argued that emotions are different in different cultures. For example, in many cultures, people smile when they are sad. So interpretation of emotions are based on the culture itself. While this is half true, the writer call these as "Display Rules". Display Rules are the faces and mask that people wear when they are out in the open with others. It is taught and learned. An experiment was carried out, by isolating both a Japanese and an American in a room. When shown photos and videos, both of them show the same facial expression, BUT, when interviewed by a scientist the Japanese smiled when asked about something sad. When left alone, EVERYBODY shows the same facial expression and emotion, thus emotions are universal.

The answer is slight sadness. Notice how the upper eyelids droop down. Tired or sleepy could also be correct. Many might think it is a relaxed face, but if you close the lower part of the face with your hand, you will notice the eye actually looks kinda tired and sad.