Confessions of a Returned Nomad

I've travelled a lot for 7 years as a management consultant plus having been on many international committees, then lived overseas as an expat for another 4. Finally decided while it's been a great adventure, it's time to come home. This new blog documents my journey to readjust to an unfamiliar hometown, job-hunt while trying to get healthy (diagnosed with eczema and fatty liver after I moved to Singapore, now I'm trying to undo the damage).

[vexatious-perfectionist]

Wisdom found at museum today: "As a child, learn good manners; as a young man learn to control your passions; in middle age, be just; in old age give good advice; then die, without regret"

A maxim (a guide to moral behavior) inscribed onto a funerary monument found at Ai Khanoum (archaeological site in northern Afghanistan) a gift from Clearchos - a student of Aristotle (via vexatious-perfectionist)

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Feeling great after emcee-ing a wedding reception in Mandarin in China itself for the first time, and when I asked questions to engage the audience they responded back; they laughed when I wanted them to laugh; and had been complimented on a few times that they were surprised my Mandarin was pretty good given I am from Australia.:)

[heleneoftroy-blog]

A first for me - fresh red date and red date flavoured yoghurt!

[heleneoftroy-blog]

This made my day - when sight-seeing at Yuyuan Gardens I come across a music ensemble with traditional Chinese musical instruments all made out of china - yes that's the ceramics not the country. They feel a lot heavier than their wooden/bamboo counterparts.

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Apple Store in Shanghai still pushing iPhone 5c?! Oh that's right, iphone 6 is not out here yet...

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Getting asked for directions

I swear, I must have one of those generic "I belong here" faces. As a tourist I got asked for directions in the local language in Paris, Seoul, and now Hangzhou. Twice within half an hour today. Unbelievable!

[heleneoftroy-blog]

So much for planning to sleep early! When in #Shanghai during #hairycrab season, the friend you are staying with reheats said crabs from the famous #yangqinglake for supper and invites you to share, the only appropriate response is "oh yeah!"

[heleneoftroy-blog]

[heleneoftroy-blog]

First impression of Shanghai - hazy...

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Behind the great firewall of China. Experimenting with whether I can post to Tumblr then it gets picked up and posted to my fb. But it'll be like talking to a wall cos I can't see the responses (if any) on Facebook itself...

[balladrina-deactivated20150326]

Yesterday in pictures! Starting in the late avo, recording Helene’s vocals for her collaboration with hip hop artist Jim..and ending with my first attempt at a bread n butter pudding (dads next fav dessert after the sticky date pudding!). It was about midnight when I was done.

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Fighting Eczema - Allergy Specialist

The allergy specialist appointment got postponed because she had some family emergencies. By now my face had more or less returned to normal; but I took photos when I had the flare up a few weeks ago to show her. Anyway, finally went to see her, also when I went to the pharmacist I got some print outs about the condition from a government health agency, and learnt a lot more about eczema and common myths.

Myth #1 What causes ezcema? Heat? Stress? Eczema is caused by a person's inability to repair damage to the skin barrier due to a genetic mutation in a gene called filaggrin. Normally every skin cell has 2 copies for the filaggrin gene; but me and other people who are susceptible to ezcema only have one copy of this gene. Although you normally only need one copy of the gene to form a normal skin barrier, two are important for skin barrier repair. Once the skin barrier is disrupted, moisture leaves the skin and it becomes dry and scaly. Environmental allergens can also enter the skin and activate the immune system, producing inflammation that makes the skin red and itchy. (excerpt from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)

So... this means I'm kinda genetically stuck with it. So much for the thought that leaving the tropical hot and humid weather will fix ezcema for good :P Although at least being away from heat which aggravates itchiness helps a little bit. 

Ezcema may cause stress, which in turn may increase the energy with which you scratch, stress does not in itself cause eczema.

But now that I know what the underlying cause is, I know what to do. The allergy specialist recommended constantly moisturising using very thick cream, - because it forms an artificial barrier for the skin and stops moisture from escaping/irritants getting in. Even a greasy cream at night! So far I've slathered the paw paw ointment I've previously recommended all over my face b4 going to bed for a few nights every night; and not only am I not getting acne (you'd think because it's sooooo oily...), but when I wake up my face feels really soft. No more alligator scales! 

Myth #2 Certain foods trigger eczema reaction? The specialist said it is VERY RARE for food to trigger or aggravate ezcema. Food allergy appears as redness and swelling around the lips within minutes of eating the offending food, not skin rashes. 

I did some patch testing where they put drops of essence of various common allergens in a grid on the back of my arm, then puncture the skin using a small needle to see if there's any reaction. The specialist also puts on a "positive control" which is a histamine solution that'll definitely trigger a reaction, and that raised a little lump like a mosquito bite.

The results: I am allergic to cockroach (!!!); also showing a slight reaction (small lump not a full lump) to oyster and soy apparently. No other food. But just a couple of days before that I drank a whole glass of soy milk and nothing happened. I also have no known shell fish allergy. The specialist said it is just causing the immune system on alert; but whether the body ultimately can tolerate could be something else apparently (i.e. my immune system may give a "false alarm" to soy and oyster).

Anyway, in my case I'm not particularly reacting to any particular food, and will not be willy-nilly cutting down/out wheat, dairy, beef, duck or whatever from my diet because of the eczema. (Seafood and soy may be... but for a totally different reason - my immune system is reacting to them, plus they are high in uric acid which is another of my health issue).

What next?

I did get prescription for a steroid ointment and the same non-steroid cream the dermatologist in Singapore prescribed for me before which I'm running out of. That's for if I do get a flare up. For now, I'll just have to remember to MOISTURISE the heck out of my face and elbow and wrist joints!

[georgetakei]

No liking or sharing unless you get the reference immediately.

Source: http://po.st/toM8l1

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Nice!

[teded]

View the TED-Ed Lesson Why we love repetition in music

How many times does the chorus repeat in your favorite song? How many times have you listened to that chorus? Repetition in music isn’t just a feature of Western pop songs, either; it’s a global phenomenon. Why? Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis walks us through the basic principles of the ‘exposure effect,’ detailing how repetition invites us into music as active participants, rather than passive listeners. 

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Top 12 Natural Home Remedies For Eczema

Eczema is a medical condition that causes the skin to become inflamed or irritated. The skin of the affected person becomes dry, itchy, reddened and cracked.

A friend just shared this with me. Might be worth experimenting...

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Me in winter hibernation mode... LOL

[heleneoftroy-blog]

Fighting eczema - product reviews #2 international products

I have a lot of friends in Hong Kong and Singapore who also have eczema as well, and not all the Australian products I listed in review #1 they can get their hands on. I have also tried other stuff from there and other places. So here is another sweep on a few more from misc. countries.

What works with my skin

1. Avene extremely gentle cleanser

This does not irritate my skin at all. But that on its own isn't enough to remove make up (even though it said it's "tissue off formula" i.e. you're supposed to just wipe this on your face with tissue), so I usually use sorbolene cream to take make up off first before washing my face with a little bit of this.

2. A-Derma XOMEGA Cleansing oil

Even though it's called "oil", the texture is more like a shower gel and this not only didn't irritate my skin, but I think when I was using it I had less flare ups on the body. Too bad I can't get it in Australia any more. SG friends can find this at your local Watsons or Guardian pharmacies. The emollient cream that comes with the pack works only so-so on me. But economically it's worth while getting the pack rather than the cleansing oil on its own.

3. Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Body Lotion

A friend in Singapore was off to Israel frequently for work trips, and got me this to try. They had 2 main product lines apparently, and the dead sea water based one is supposed to be good for sensitive skin. Smells great and doesn't irritate the skin. There's also a facial cream/lotion in the same series and also a shower cream. Facial cream works just as well as the body lotion, but the shower cream was only so-so in terms of effectiveness. When I was using it I was still getting eczema flare ups happening on the body.

OK, but probably not worth the money/the trouble

1. Avene thermal water mist

I got this with the gentle cleanser as part of a packaged set, and while the spray doesn't irritate my skin, it also doesn't do anything much to make it better either. Didn't feel particularly soothed or anything.

2. 小曼家族沐浴露

This is a shower gel for sensitive skin I bought from Hong Kong which is originally a Japanese brand I think. A cool soothing feeling from probably menthol, and the 金銀花 smelled great. But when I was using it I continued to get eczema break outs which is why I didn't bother getting more after I finished the original bottle because 1) It had to be sourced from HK and I was living in Singapore and 2) I think it was only stocked in selected shops that you had to be member of, so it wasn't conveniently available.

3. Physiogel AI Lotion

This is apparently widely available at Watsons/Mannings in HK, but not in its equivalent in Singapore. I had to buy it through a friend who works in a children's hospital pharmacy. In the midst of a red and angry flare up it still irritated my skin somewhat. I persisted trying to use it for a few days but gave up and went back to good ol' sorbolene cream. Probably should try it again when the irritation's gone down.

What doesn't really work with my skin

1. Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion

It's just not thick enough to keep my skin hydrated despite the claim that it's "clinically proven to hydrate and protect dry skin for 24 hours", plus it actually started to irritate my skin.

2. Avene Trixera Emollient Crème

Supposedly formulated for atopic skin irritation/eczema. Tried a little bit from a tester in a pharmacy on my face and there was a bit of a stinging sensation. No-go with this one then.

*****

As you can see from both this and the other review I have written for primarily Australian products, I have tried heck of a lot of different products over the years; and not too many has worked. Even more frustrating is the fact that out of all products from the same producer, some would work for my skin while others would not. -_-"