Pardon the messy hair. Took photos to remember this day: my first day back in the recording and audio production studio @mediacorp. I haven’t been keeping count exactly, but it’s been more than a year since I stepped into the office building; I started working from home around the same time circuit breaker started last year. I was very grateful to my bosses for allowing me to work from home, because I was pregnant with Jude at the time. Fast forward to today, as I drove into the basement carpark, I felt a sense of immense gratitude for everything and everyone that is in my life right now. I’m so lucky to be in this moment. Every moment. It’s a wonderful feeling. I hope you have it too, now and then! Big shoutout to my dearest senior Junxin for helping me acclimatise to my work environment again, thank you ❤️

I’ll talk to you on-air soon! #grateful #backatwork #workingmom #radio #radiodeejay #chineseradio

拍照留念：今天是我时隔一年多，再次踏入新传媒录音室制作新电台节目内容。除了Safe Entry，工作的实体环境没有太大的改变，看得到的一切都还很熟悉。心中倒是百感交集，有一些兴奋，有一些担忧，也有一些迷茫，像是第一天上班。很庆幸，能继续在广播的道路上努力，也期待和你在音频中重逢。特别感谢师兄俊欣指点迷津！#感恩 #广播 #yes933 #我还在YES933😂

【有子初長成🌱】As the Little One grows

我在八月尾為這位在新加坡的中國客人批她的八字，之後在九月尾為她的三歲兒子批八字。

事後，這位分析能力極強的女客人寫了一封感謝函給我。

我很喜歡為小孩批八字。有些父母認為孩子太小不宜批八字。對我而言，孩子一滿歲就該批了。

如此，父母能提早規劃他們的未來，引導他們往對的方向發展。小孩的潛能、喜好和習性也能從八字裡窺探個究竟，而無需靠誤打誤撞或東敲西打，省心又省力。

某次，在批一位少年的八字時，我說少年的頭髮對他很重要，切勿剪得太短。那位爸爸才驚呼，難怪之前硬硬把孩子的頭髮剪得很短時，孩子至今依然氣爸爸，不再讓爸爸碰他的頭髮。

如果早點知道這些點滴的竅門，父母便能深入了解孩子的心態，給他一個更快樂的童年，而不會執意用強硬的手段，讓孩子蒙上陰影，間接破壞了親子關係。

據寫這感謝函的客人表示，孩子一個月前剛轉校。媽媽以為需要幾個月的時間，孩子才能適應。但在這兩個星期裡，他們夫妻倆照著我的指示，換了孩子的小床、部份的日用品和穿著後，本來慢熱的孩子在學校的話越來越多，和其他小朋友交流時，也更顯熱情了。

這只是個開端而已。當這對父母能持續做下去時，他們必會看到一個更陽光，更健康成長的愛心大男孩！

———————————

I met this client from China towards the end of August for a Bazi Analysis, followed by another one with the same client. This time it was for her child. After that session, this client of mine, who has a strong analytical mind, wrote me a thank you email.

I take special liking in doing Bazi Analysis for children. Some parents feel it is inappropriate to analyse the Bazi if the child is too young. In my opinion, you ought to get it done as soon as the child turns one.

Doing so allows you to do early planning for the child’s future and guiding them on the right developmental path. A child’s potential, likings and tendencies can be decoded from his Bazi, saving you time and effort going in circles in the blind.

There was one occasion when I was analysing a teenager’s Bazi. I told the father not to cut his son’s hair too short as his hair was important to him. The father was shocked and recounted the time he forcefully cut his child’s hair to a very short length. His child is still angry with him till today and refuses to let him touch his hair.

If you had known earlier these little intricacies, you as a parent would be able to better understand the mentality of your child, giving him or her happier growing up years rather than resorting to high-handed ways and indirectly straining the parent-child relationship.

The client who wrote this thank you email told me that her child got transferred to a new school in end August. She thought the child would need a few months to acclimatise. In the past 2 weeks, both parents took my advice and changed the child’s little bed, clothing and other daily necessities. The shy boy began to open up and became more chatty and friendly in his interactions with other children.

This is only the beginning. If the parents persevere, they will see their son transform into a bright, healthy and loving boy!

*************************

Testimonial translated:

Amitabha, hello, Teacher Ji Qian. Having seen you twice, on 31 Aug for my Bazi analysis, and 24 Sep together with my husband for my child’s Bazi analysis, I am extremely grateful for the extra time you have given us on both occasions. My heart ached that you had to go with little food the entire session. My gratitude to you for the patience and detailed advice. I am delighted to hear you speak the Dharma including the Law of Karma and other principles, wishing that I could hear them more often from you. I am always ready with my little stool, eagerly anticipating your new videos. I hope I can still book you again to hear your teachings and advice, for they are especially motivating for me! Haha~

Your analysis were very accurate, about many things in my life and my child’s. For example, my child is especially clingy to me, his acute sense of colours, his inability to express his feelings, his slow reactions with his limbs and speech, even something as minute as his penchant for looking in the mirror! This is truly amazing! You said that this child will have benefactors of maternal nature, so you must be his first one helping him to guide his first-time and often unaware parents with detailed advice. We will work hard to follow your instructions to the tee, to help him shine during his peak cycles and motivate him to persevere during his down time.

Meeting you is my great fortune. Your divination of my luck cycles, including the year I came to Singapore, was very accurate. I also understood the reason for my dwindling motivation towards my R&D work which I am proficient in and my tendency to give up on things I initially started with keen interest. Of course you pointed out my positive traits, and now I understand why my friends like to hear me speak and why my analytical nature. You have such ability to decipher such great amount of information from seemingly simple Bazi characters. My greatest struggle comes when my desire to go for Lasik surgery was met with my husband’s objection. He was worried about the after-effects of such surgery. But I told him Teacher Ji Qian said I can do it, thus he relented. So now I must strike when the iron is hot and quickly book an appointment! Haha! I have great faith in your divinations on my future years and I look forward to changing the negatives in my life. I hope to get more advice from you if we meet the next time (Of course your Youtube channel is fantastic but I enjoy more to see you live in person. I am your super fan, although a low-profile one)

One more thing to add, your husband is commendable, always accompanying you. It’s heart warming. I wish the both of you everlasting bliss!

Love you much, hand hearts from many angles.

Wishing you and your family auspiciousness at all times.

Regards,
Wenya

I wrote a piece on Tokyo in today's Age!

http://www.traveller.com.au/an-expats-guide-to-tokyo-h1aa8x

#theage #ヴォーン　#hakujitu #poubelle #radiotaiso #yakumosaryo #seirinkan #chateihatou #eatrip #jbs #bartoilet #genyamamoto #zahatorte

Learn how to recognise symptoms of mild altitude sickness, as well as the potentially deadly HAPE and HACE (fluid in the lungs/brain). Plenty of advice on how to prepare for the trek, plan a safe itinerary, and what to pack.
Follow our family, including our 11-year old son Lionel, on the Annapurna Circuit in winter. See how the altitude affected us as we climbed Thorong La (5,416 meters/ 17769 feet) – Kirk struggled with his breathing, Lionel felt nauseous, and I had mild hypothermia But we all made it safely in the end.

SUMMARY
*Watch out: some people may feel unwell as low as 2,000 meter (6,500 feet).
*Plan a slower ascent above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet)
*Climb high, sleep low. To be safe, only gain 300 meters (1,000 feet) in sleeping elevation at high altitude.
*If you climb faster than the recommended rate, you can build a rest days every three or four days to acclimatise.
*If you suffer from mild altitude sickness, drink a lot, and rest
*Avoid alcohol, which slows down breathing and makes you dehydrated. Avoid sleeping pills. And smoking will certainly not help!
*If you see no improvement, spend an extra night at the same altitude
*If you feel worse, descend to the last place where you felt well
*If you develop HAPE or HACE, this is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate descent of and specialist medical care. You may have to descend in the middle of the night, don't wait till morning. Once fluid builds up in the brain or lungs, you can die in a matter of hours.

DISCLAIMER
This video is based on first-hand experience of struggling with the altitude on the Annapurna Circuit. We also spent decades of travelling in the Himalayas and Alps. With three decades in TV journalism, I've also done extensive research on the impact of high altitude.

I am NOT a doctor, and I do not have direct experience of taking drugs for altitude sickness like Diamox / Acetazolamide or Nifedipine for HAPE or the use of Gamow bags for hyperbaric treatment. So I have not included any information on this topic. Only sticking to what I have first-hand experience of.

I hope this video helps you plan a safe and enjoyable trek.

Director/video/editor: Corinne Vigniel
Shot between Bulbhule and Jomsom including
Bahundanda Sanjye Chame Timang Pisang Gyaru Ngawal Manang Yak Kharka Thorong Phedi Thorong High Camp Thorong La Mukhtinath Pokhara
December 14-30, 2016
Shot on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Edited on Adobe Premiere CC
++All VIDEO AND PHOTOS COPYRIGHT CORINNE VIGNIEL++

MUSIC FOR TOP TEN TIPS FOR ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Downloaded From YouTube creator

Tip 1 training
Opening_Night_Jason Farnham_dance electronic inspirational 1.50

Tip 2 Planning
Cameras_ALBIS_rock inspirational 1.52

3 Gradual Ascent
Keep_Dreaming_Topher Mohr and Alex Elena_Pop calm 2.52

Tip 4. Acclimatisation
Don’t Look _ Silent Partner 4.25

Tip 5 Broken sleep
Keep_Dreaming_Topher Mohr and Alex Elena_Pop calm 2.52.mp3

Tip 6 – Mild Altitude Sickness
AMS
Hot_Heat_Topher Mohr and Alex Elana_rock inspirational 3.09.mp3

7 Danger HAPE HACE
So_Bueno_The 126ers_Rock inspirational 2.56

8 Food and drinks
Hero_Theme_Twin Musicom_cinematic dramatic 1.42 CC credit

9. Equipment
Voyeur Jingle Punks

10 Accidents / insurance + final world.
Accidents_Will_Happen_SIlent Partner
END

Crank up the volume for music and see the Annapurna Circuit through the eyes of a mischievous 11-year old boy. Watch us deteriorate as we drag ourselves over Thorong La 5,416 meters (17,769 feet). We trekked around Annapurna in Nepal with Lionel over Christmas (yes, boy with long hair!). Lionel was really determined to make it and was actually faster and stronger than his parents ... We were all pushed to our limits and left gasping for breath the day we crossed the high pass – but felt a real sense of achievement.

The Annapurna Circuit is widely regarded as one of the top 10 treks in the world. It has an incredible variety of landscapes. You start below 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) in rice paddies and banana plantations, go through pine forests, past Tibetan Buddhist villages, before tackling the high altitude pass of Thorong La. On the other side, you discover the high altitude desert of Mustang and the deepest valley in the world, the Kali Gandaki.

Lots of research and training went into this two-week trek. We love the great outdoors, and Lionel has been a keen hiker from a very young age. We’ve taken several family trips to the Tibetan plateau in winter, and Kirk and I trekked to the Gokyo Lakes in the Everest region 13 years ago. But this was the first time we tackled such a challenge as a family.

Most travel agencies recommend you should not take children above 3,000 meters (9,840 feet). We looked into easier options, including the Annapurna Sanctuary and Kopra Danda – but Lionel was very keen to scale Thorong La. And we felt he was ready to do it, and we had the experience to guarantee his safety. We played it safe, hiring a guide and two porters to help us -- and we would not have been able to make it carrying all the gear ourselves.

Winter offers clear blue skies and stunning views of the Himalayas. You only meet a handful of people every day, and it's easy to get a room in lodges. A total of 60 people crossed Thorong La on Dec 27, and only 30 the next day.

On the down side, it's bitterly cold at night in unheated lodges. And snow storms can cross the pass at any time. This would mean waiting for a few days for the pass to reopen, or turn back and hike for a week.

This is a high altitude trek. Best to resist the temptation to take the jeep road high up, as you increase your risk of suffering from acute mountain sickness. Give yourself time to acclimatise, and watch out for signs of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), or worse - HAPE or HACE. It is also essential to have proper equipment to trek in snow, not just for yourself, but for your porters and guide, if you have them.
Remember that over 40 people died around Thorong La on October 14, 2014 when a massive snowstorm hit the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Mustang areas. Hiking at that altitude always carries a risk.

We organised this trek through Friends in High Places Himalayan Trekking, who provided a guide (Pasang Dawa Sherpa) and two porters (Sonny and Pinju). We would not have been able to complete this trek without them.

++ALL VIDEOS/EDIT COPYRIGHT CORINNE VIGNIEL++
Location: Upper Pisang, Manang, Yak Kharka, Thorong Phedi, Thorong High Camp, Thorong La pass, Ranipauway, Muktinath, Lupra, Nepal
December 24-28, 2016
Camera: Panasonic GH3
Edited on Adobe Premiere CC2015

Music:
Little Drummer Boy Lyris lyrixpixie
Amazing Grace Pipes And Drums Of The 1st Bn. Scots Guards
Camille Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre (YouTube Audio Library)
Om Mani Padme Hum Buddhist music
Beethoven - Egmont Overture (YouTube Audio Library)

++ALL VIDEO FOOTAGE COPYRIGHT CORINNE VIGNIEL ++
++MUSIC DOWNLOADED FROM YOUTUBE, SEE CREDITS ABOVE++
END