Thank You. Sorry. Goodbye.

Well waddaya noe!

It has been exactly a year since this blog was started!

And for those who have been reading it from Day 1 would probably remember that i started out on a sad note with the 'death' of my MP3 player (see 'A Close Friend Passed Away').

This blog is actually an experimental one. A place where I could try my hand at writing. To see whether writing was in my groove.

And to mark the 1st anniversary of this blog, i just would like to say that i'm taking a sabbatical from blogging.

There have been a few personal projects and targets that i have put off for quite some time now and i feel that it is time to catch up and pursue them.

Perhaps i would paint the house, collect debts from people who pretends not to owe me, feed stray cats, play birds in the evening, take up nude drawing, write a resignation letter, open a prostitution house...

Though it may just be sabbatical, it could turn out to be for good. There have been cases of people going sabbatical only to end up making it a permanent one. I can't predict the future so we'll see how it goes when the time comes.

I do hope you all have enjoyed reading this blog as well as gain some information from it. Perhaps some may think what i wrote makes no sense at all.

But remember! I may make no sense but that doesn't mean it's nonsense. You've just haven't thought about it deeply enough.

So, till next time (if there is), take care yer all!

The End

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Kor-kor dun write much about a person in particular in my blog.

Why?

Probably because kor-kor dun see the need to. I'd rather write about human stupidity! That's more entertaining. Aniwae, who wants to read kor-kor's boring life rite?

But today, kor-kor is going to do sumthing different. Kor-kor gonna write about someone. (background : What!? Really!? Yeah rite!! Am i reading this right!!?) Someone whom kor-kor had grown up and gone through many things together.

That person is none other than kor-kor's ONE AND ONLY younger sister. U can call her mei-mei if u like.

There are those who have seen us and said that we dun look alike. Brudder and sista must look alike meh? I just told them we didn't buy our face from the same shop or use the same mould.

The onli thing we had in common was the first 3 letters of our name.

Though kor-kor always try to be there when she needs someone, there are times which kor-kor feel that kor-kor had not done enough. As we grow older, we grew apart as well.

Yes. Kor-kor is protective of her. But not over-protective. Kor-kor remembered a time when she had a brushed with some hooligans from school asking for her number and got quite a nasty experience when she refused to give them. So i told her the next time any person she doesn't like asks for her number, give my number instead. I WILL 'entertain' that person.

At the same time, i told her that the hooligans had lived long enough on the earth who can't wait to meet their 'maker'. Kor-kor has this anti thing against hooligans and bullies lah. Just feel like beating them up. Any bullies readin this blog now? Show of hands please. (cracking fingers)

Now that she's all grown up and studying in a tertiary education, her circle of friends had increased and she has the support of her friends. I guess it's more comfortable for her to share her feelings and problems with her friends now. Kor-kor understand that. It's all part of growing up. But kor-kor's doors will always be open for her anytime.

No matter what, she will always be kor-kor's baby sister. (though i tink she may disagree with the 'baby' part).

So for those who wish to have an issue with her, here's a bit of advice. Dun just tink twice. Or thrice. Think as many times until u can't tink anymore. Capisca? Comprenez?

TKTech

Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical School or TKTech for short, is a school which i attended for almost 14 years ago. The school has since dropped the word 'Technical' right after my 'O' levels somewhere in 1993 and has shifted to a new place in Haig Road.

Tanjong Katong Road was where this school was originally located. Was passing through there one day and it has become some eating outlet! Aiyoh! Ohh... my dear school.

Here's the school crest.


Who's the guy? He's Leonardo da Vinci (not to be confused with Leonardo DiCaprio). A famous artist, inventor and philosopher. The school aspiration is based on his talents and achievements. To go boldly where no man has ever gone before!

And in case ur wondering what are those words, thats' the school motto. Which school dun have one?

Diligencia: Diligence
Ingenium: Ingenuity
Dexteritas: Dexterity

They are written in Spanish. Why? Dunno. That guy Leonardo was from Italy. Stylo i guess.

Yup. There's a lot of memories during my secondary school days. Good and bad, but mostly good ones lah. (The bad ones were in the Principal's or Discipline Master's office. Haha!)

The school uniform? The guys wore white shirts and pants with the option to wear long pants from Sec 3 onwards. The gals wore white shirt and green blouse were the bottom half of the blouse must not be above the knee. Hmmm... Why ah?

There were some great teachers at TKTech. Those who were able to motivate and bring out the best from the students. Sadly, some has faithfully departed. My prayers goes to them. These teachers need to be commended for being able to endure our antics. Were were atrocious man!

Besides TKTech is another school. An all girls school called Tanjong Katong Girls or TKG for short. Basically there are our neighbours lah. Little did they noe that they are our greatest rivals, our hatred enemies and our most adversaries. Haha. Just joking lah.

During my time, the school was famous for it's combined band between TKTech and TKGirls. The band was known to perform very well during band competitions winning this and that, which is why i joined it in Sec 1 (plus to see more girls lah).

But i wasn't long there lah. 'Resigned' somewhere in Sec 2 because it was just not my cup of tea. (anyway i had to fulfill the school requirement of having a major ECA). What i learnt to play? Not much, except for the clarinet, saxophone and cornet. But i can't play a tune i tell u. Only could make the sound come out! Haha!!

The school song? Heck! I even remember how to sing it! Amazing huh? That's probably because we have to keep singing it!


On the seashore of endless world
With the mind and with the body
We'll work together and we'll play
It's one for all and all for one


Chorus: (dunno why they call it chorus when everybody is singing it from the start)
We'll seek and find we'll make and mind
However hard We'll strive to reach the goal

O Rutherford, Da Vinci, Tagore and Albert Einstein
We hope we have rightly invoked
Your aspirations and your fame


Yah, i noe. Very short rite? Short and sweet i must say.

I dunno about schools now but back then there was a sick bay in case ur not feeling too well (or dun feel like studying hehe). Just a small room with a single bed for lying down and stare at the ceiling fan going round and round and round and round and round and...zzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ.

The school took after 4 famous persons namely Rutherford, Einstein, Davinci and Tagore for it's four houses. U noe, the group ur categorised in whenever there's a sports day or any other school events. I was in the Tagore house. The color is Yellow leh. Wah lau! Haha!

The school has also 'produced' some fine individuals. Professionals in their own field. They include diplomats, politicians, soccer players and even actors/actresses. I'm still waiting to be included.

Ghost? Nope, never seen one there. I think the ghosts were more afraid of us!

Technical lessons were fun. I think it was called Design and Technology back then. I learnt technical drawing (perspective lah, whatever lah) and practical was even more fun. Drill machine, Lathe Machine, Buffer Machine and the machine list goes on. Before that, I only knew how to use a screwdriver. Haha!

I guessed from there i realised i was technically inclined. Rather do work wif ma hands. And since TKTech has it's own workshops, other schools would 'tumpang' for their technical studies also. Dunman Secondary was one of them.

There were times when me and my friends would get into trouble. Hey, we're just boys. Waddaya expect? And it seems that the world's favorite sport always landed us in hot soup and onto the Principal's dining table. We would play soccer at TKGirls basketball court (using a plastic ball sold at Mamak shops for a dollar), sumthing which we were not allowed to do. A sin! A taboo!

But we never disturb the gals there what! The gals disturb us got lah. Especially me! Hehe..

Gals? Plenty leh. Fell for a few gals there but never got into any relationship. Guess i was not as cute, charming, suave and handsome back then as i was now. Haha!! And it was in Secondary school that i started to find Chinese gals attractive. And i still do until today. Hehe.

Sure, there were some 'havoc' gals back then. There was this gal which i heard came to school one day without wearing a bra. No lah. I never see. Wasted hor? Wished it was raining to witness it. Haha!

Hangouts? Not many. There's always Parkway Parade playing arcade at the top floor. At that time cash was converted to tokens to play on the machines. Nowadays it seems that they have some kind of stored value card. Playing PC games (Prince of Persia was HOT at that time) and pool at Katong Complex. I dun hang out much. Most of the time i go back home to cook rice. ( i good boy)

Wah! Wrote so much orledi leh. Aniwae, wadever it is, TKTech would always be a place i could never forget. Just too many fond memories there.

And for those who are still schooling, appreciate and cherish your school. U'll miss it one day.

What I've (and U've) Done!!?

Is it just kor-kor or is kor-kor hot? The surrounding i mean. (of course kor-kor is HOT lah. that one fact mah. haha!)

Seems like global warming is starting to affect the temperature these days. Try standing under the sun in the middle of the day and u'll know wat i mean. It's really hot!

And who to blame for all this?

US!

Yes. Us!

Why?!

Coz we pollute the earth by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil) in our effort to relish the pleasures of life and pursue a higher standard of living, thats why!

Look at our cars, the things we buy, our everyday necessities.... All these require the need to burn fossil fuel whether u realise it or not!

When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. CO2 (aka Carbon Dioxide) causes temperature to rise. And that's a scientific fact!

The increasing human race will also contribute to the increase of CO2 into the air.

WE ARE KILLING THE EARTH!

And in case there are those who still haven't noticed bout this climatic change, look at the picture below. Fashion seems to be affected by the weather i guess. It's so evident! Dun believe me?

Take a look at what people are wearing over the years....

..... less and less. Tsk tsk tsk.

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane Part II

Aviaphobia/Aerophobia : The fear of flying

As promised, the continuation...


Why reduce the power after take-off?

There are basically two basic reasons.

Firstly, there are noise laws for countries. Blasting an aeroplane engine full max is deafening you know! Even the people at the runway wear ear protectors. So you can imagine the noise levels where airports are situated in built-up areas. That is why most airports are located as far away as possible from densely populated places.

Secondly it is due to engine reliability. Reducing the engine power helps to conserve fuel as well as any wear and tear. And pilots usually cut back on the power once the plane reaches about one thousand feet (roughly about 20 seconds after lift-off.)

Another cause of concern for those who have a fear of flying is TURBULENCE. Yer noe those rattles, bumps and sideways movement of the aeroplanes. Perhaps ur wondering, why can't the pilot just avoid them?

In reality, air turbulence forecasts are not accurate enough to help much. Pilots get the best information from listening to remarks between Air Traffic Control and other aircraft. Turbulence are avoided by changing altitudes, but in some situations, the smooth altitudes are already taken by other aircraft, and in other situations, all practical altitudes have turbulence.

A different kind of turbulence can exist around thunderstorms. It can be seen on radar. If the thunderstorm is isolated, pilots would go around it. But if there is a line of thunderstorms, a gap is picked between two storms which may still be somewhat turbulent.

No pilot would want to give his passengers a thrill ride in a turbulence. Turbulence is often an unavoidable part of flying, but remember, as long as you are buckled into your seat belt, you will be safe!

Why Why Tell Me Why?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Why are there still apes if people evolved from apes?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Speed!

Humans are very weird and strange. They would pay to get frightened!

It can be watching a horror movie or go for a spin in those type of rides in amusement parks. As an added bonus, u might even throw out some of the food u've eaten. Bueeek!! Haha!!

I always loved rollercoasters. Whenever i have the chance i usually would go for it even though it may just be a small simple one.


Yes, i noe it's cheap thrill. But u noe lah hor. Those type at Pasar Malam where can fight with the ones in Ang Moh countries.

Rollercoasters oso got many types. Sitting ones, standing ones, hanging ones...

But i saw one type which is kinda cool to me and probably to those who ride motorcycles. Take a look at the pictures. U'll noe wad i mean... Sure never kena saman one!





No need to wear helmet some more!

Anger Management

They say when ur angry, u dun mean the things u say.

I dun really agree with that saying. Perhaps people say it so that the one being scolded will not feel so bad. It's a form of console. To prevent one from feeling hurt.

All of u sure have been angry with someone or have been scolded in ur life. Nasty things can come out of the mouth at that time.

To me, when a person is angry and says all those nasty things, it is what the person really feels or thinks. All those thoughts and feelings have been kept inside and boiling to get out and be heard. Of course they may not be all true. Some may be wrong. A misguided information but at least dats wat the angry person tinks.

Of course some of them really do not mean what they say. At least, not literally. Phrases such as 'Go and Die' are quite common but instead they really just want the person to go away. It's just another stronger or 'forceful' way of saying it.

So it's a good idea to hear out what the person has to say when he or she is angry. It helps to know what the other person feels or thinks. It may not be true. It may be a false accusation. But knowing what the person feel is a start in weeding out the problem.

The only problem with us is that we usually cannot accept when someone make bad comments, remarks or tell us of our weakness. We tend to identify other people's weakness more easily than identify and accept with our own.

To The Faithfully Departed

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Aviaphobia/Aerophobia : The fear of flying

Some of us have a fear of flying in an aeroplane. Most of the time, people dun show it. Paiseh i guess. Must act brave mah. The fact that you are likely to be involved in a car crash compared to an aeroplane doesn't really help actually. Statistics is nothing.

Actually, this fear is a kind of phobia associated with some kind of anxiety. The “fear” of flying is actually more concerned with what might happen than with what actually is happening.

Perhaps if we understand how things work or accept the nature of something could help in reducing the anxiety.

This kind of 'fear' could develop due to a personal experience, hearing other people's horrific accounts, actually witnessing one or even from the news coverage and movies!

Take a look at the various components which contribute to this fear of flying and i'm sure for those who fear flying could relate to at least one of them:

• Heights


• Enclosed spaces


• Crowded conditions


• Sitting in hot, stale air


• Being required to wait passively


• Not understanding the reasons for all the strange actions, sounds, and sensations occurring around you


• Worrying about the dangers of turbulence


• Being dependent on unknown mechanical things to maintain your safety


• Being dependent on an unknown pilot’s judgment


• Not feeling in “control”


• The possibility of terrorism
  

Familiar?

Have you ever wondered why that soon after a plane takes off and with the plane still pointing up with the engines straining trying to get to altitude when suddenly the engines seems to cut back and you feel like falling back to the ground? The situation is made worsen by hearing the engines get quieter, which can make you believe they have failed!

Rest assured there are answers for such a thing to happen.

Actually the plane is not falling. Yes. Speed and power is reduced but the plane is still climbing up only not as fast as compared to taking off from the runway.

This kind of falling feeling could also be felt for those who uses the elevator in high buildings. Take note of the feeling as the elevator starts to rise. You feel heavy. Then, as the elevator approaches the tenth floor, it has to slow down and stop. As it does, you feel "light-headed" with a falling feeling!

Fellin better already?

But why reduce the power? I'll write about that in the next post.

Nobody's Home

A couple of weeks ago kor-kor posted a poll to find out how often people read kor-kor's blog.



2 assumptions can be derived from the results.

It could be people are not interested in polls nowadays or people dun take kor-kor seriously. I wonder which one is correct?

It's difficult for people to take kor-kor seriously. Kor-kor knows that. Perhaps kor-kor likes to joke a lot and make a lot of nonsense. People tink kor-kor is crazy and never serious. Well, i guess there are more serious people in the world compared to the non-serious ones.

And from the polls it seems that only 2 persons participated in the poll. I guess readership has really decreased since this blog was opened.

And kor-kor has not been receiving much feedback from the posts. So kor-kor dun noe if people agree or disagree wif wat i wrote. I see other people's blog full of comments and opinions! How come i cannot have like dat ah?

Perhaps kor-kor is asking too much. Kor-kor not celebrity mah.

Anyway, kor-kor has some plans for the blog. Dun say kor-kor never warn u hor!

Say And Write

Smart kids or too smart?

More Than Meets The Eye

Kor-kor finally get to catch Transformers at the cinemas. The second movie watched at a cinema for this year. (movie tix are so damn expensive these days)

For those who intend to watch, stop reading this post as there are spoilers ahead.

I've heard many different feedback from those who have watched the movie. Some say funny lah. Some say draggy lah. Some say good lah.

U ask 10 persons u'll get 10 different opinions.

So here's kor-kor opinion and take of the movie.

As with any Micheal Bay's movie (the director), expect a lot of explosions, car chase scenes, comic relief and hot babes. These are the basic ingredients in his movies. The show is not bad. Plot wise. So-so lah. It reminds me of the Terminator movies where the good (aka Autobots) and bad (aka Decepticons) robots race to hunt down the lead actor.

And there's even a scene which reminded kor-kor of Batman movies as a logo of the Autobots was beamed into the sky using a very powerful light.

For those who are great fans of the cartoon might be a little disappointed with the characterization of the robots. Bumblebee for instance was a Chevy Camaro in the movie. He was a Volkswagen Beetle in the cartoon. As a consolation, the colour was still yellow.

The show shows a lot of detail for the robots. Too detailed i would say. It's like every joints, screws and moving parts are visible as compared to the cartoon ones which appear less detailed and blocky. Transformation from robots to vehicles and vice-versa seems to be so difficult and complex.

Before watching the show, Kor-kor was wondering how they would make the mouth move. In cartoons, they look like normal mouths. Employing that way into the movie would sure look corny. But it seems the movie had a different idea for the mouth. Basically it consists of different parts of machinery to portray the mouth.

The show also tells us that these transformers takes up the form of vehicles by scanning actual vehicles. I dun remember the cartoon version doing that. As far as i know, they are already in the form that they are in. Optimus Prime was already a trailer but in the movie, a trailer passed by him and he decided to shape himself as one.

Kor-kor was wondering if the transformers also took the form of animals as in the show there was a Decepticon which is shaped like a scorpion. I dun think there is a vehicle like that yet!

Another point which fans may be disappointed with the movie was that Megatron is some futuristic flying machine. Megatron was a powerful gun in the cartoons.

And i do noticed that the Autobots and Deceptions logos are not so emphasized in the movies. You can see lots in the cartoons prominently on their bodies!

It's probably due to the fact that Transformers movie was made from an existing show that makes people compare with the original. If the Tranformers movie was made from scrap or conceptualised from an original idea then this comparing thing would not have happened. There are some faithful followers from the cartoon series and are quite not happy with the changes.

In all, it's an enjoyable show to watch. Some wanted to catch it a second time. Plenty of action and fighting scenes between the good and the bad. And for two hours, it's worth your money spent.

32A, 34B, 36C

Today, kor-kor will talk about one of kor-kor favourite things.

Breasts.

Yes, breasts. (lumps, boobs, bossoms, neh-neh, tetek, or whatever u call it).

Now, there are people, especially women who wonder if the size of their breasts really matter to men.

So does size really matter? If you want to know, then continue reading. If dun want to know, that one ur own pasal! Go and fly kite.

Yes. MOST men are fascinated/attracted/adores/likes breasts. Though not all! I've got a friend who likes legs! Anyway, let's leave the legs out of this and get back to the breasts.

Breasts is a natural form of attraction (sexual) for men. It's amazing sumthing which consists of mostly fats can be so attractive to men. Well, nature has it's ways.

Big breasts has proven to be either a boon or a bane for women. There are women with big (natural) breasts who wished that their breasts could look or be smaller! Perhaps they dun want the undesirable attention from men. Big breasts are also known to give some women back problems due to having to lug around their weighty bosoms.

As such, bra makers have even responded by producing bras which would help to minimise the 'big' look of breasts by keeping the breasts closer to the body. Minimisers is what they called it. They help to keep the breasts from moving around too much and at the same time make them look less busty. Poor thing hor.

Of course, most women are happy with big breasts whether it is natural or saline or silicone injected ones. These pair of twins of theirs make them look good, feel confident as well as help to attract men of all ages and sizes. Heck! Some, even helped them with their careers and in life!

The same goes for women with small breasts. Though some women dun mind, but there are some who are unhappy with it and wished that it was bigger. The size of their breasts seems to affect their femininity, confidence and self-esteem. Having small breasts doesn't seem to make them complete as a women and at the same time it is a common stereotype for most women that all men likes big breasts leaving them to be undesirable.

The overall body of women also plays a part in whether their breasts looks big or not. Proportion is what is being discussed here. Imagine a thin girl with a breast size of 34B. Would look big of course. But take the same breast size on a big sized women. It would look small. In fact, they are the same size.

So, the big (no pun intended) question is, do men really like big breasts?

The answer is:

Not necessarily.

Although big breasts do capture the attention and imagination of most men, but being too big just looks damn awful! Can suffocate just by looking at it yer noe! Hahahahaha!

So the next question would be, so what is the size most men ideally prefer?

The answer is :

Depends.

Though some men do like big breasts, as mentioned earlier being too big is a turn-off! Most men likes breasts which are not too small or too big for them. This is usually measured by the grasps of one's hand. I've read somewhere from a survey that the ideal breast size for most men is one which fits nicely in the cup of their hands. And since the palm of every men is different, everybody have different preference and acceptance!

But the outer appearance also plays a part. What do i mean by this? Well, it's the shape of which these breasts give. Some men love perky looking ones. Some like evenly spaced ones, droopy ones, protruding ones.. and the lists goes on!

Size and shape is therefore subjective and up to individual preference when it comes to breasts. You can't make everybody happy so accept and be happy with what you have because what you have is the best for you.

All breasts, no matter what size and no matter what guys may say, are beautiful and amazing to the opposite sex.

Now Youth See It, Now Youth Don't

youth [ yooth ] Definition: time when somebody is young: the period of human life between childhood and maturity; time of being young: the state of being young; young man: a boy or young man in his teens or early twenties; early stage: an early stage of something; geology erosion stage: the first stage in landscape formation in which fast-flowing streams travel down steep mountain valley

If They Breed, You Will Bleed

The government is really stepping up on it's effort to stamp out Aedes mosquitoes. Though they have been doing it every year, this year seems to be more active with tougher enforcement.

We've seen advertisements on TV and newspapers on how to prevent Aedes mosquitoes from breeding at out homes. But many may not really understand on this whole dengue thinghy. I mean, if u do not understand the 'enemy', how ur gonna win the war?

So today, kor-kor will explain a little bit on this. Hopefully it will be more insightful and prove to be informative.

Now, u all probably heard of malaria and dengue. So what is the difference?!

Well, malaria is cause by the Anopheles mosquito. Dengue on the other hand is caused by the Aedes mosquitoes. Both of these kind of sickness invloves high fever. Since it's hard to tell which kind of mosquito is which, just dun get bitten by any mosquitoes at all lah. Play safe lor.

There are 2 types of Dengue fever: Dengue Fever & Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF).

As mentioned earlier, the sickness causes high fever as well as severe headache and pain behind the eyes, muscles and joints but the DHF is more severe and in some cases, bleeding and sometimes shock occurs, leading to death. Bleeding for the DHF occurs after 3-5 days of fever.

The high fever continues for five to six days (39 - 40C). It comes down on the third or the fourth day but rises again. The patient feels much discomfort and is very weak after the illness.

There is no specific medicine for the treatment of the disease. However proper and early treatment can relieve the symptoms and prevent complications and death. Aspirin should be avoided in dengue fever, as it is known to increase the bleeding tendency and also it increases the stomach pain. Paracetamol can be given on medical advice. If one or more signs of Dengue Haemorrhagic fever are seen, take the patient to the hospital immediately. Give fluids to drink while transferring the patient to the hospital.

How dengue spreads? Dengue is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. The mosquito gets the virus by biting the infected persons. The first symptoms of the disease occur about 5-7 days after an infected bite. There is no way to tell if a mosquito is carrying the dengue virus.

These Aedes Mosquitoes bite usually during the day. The mosquito rests indoors, in closets and other dark places. Outside, they rest where it is cool and shaded.

The female mosquito lays her eggs in water containers in and around homes, schools and other areas in towns or villages. These eggs become adult in about 10 days.

Where does the mosquito breed? Dengue mosquitoes breed in stored exposed water collections. That is why the public is encouraged to turn over any pails or empty any containers. Roof gutters, manhole covers and even the supports used for hanging laundry all of which were capable to trap rain water, provide temporary breeding sites for these mosquitoes.

Some of you all probably seen big thick white smoke around buildings. This is called fogging and is done to kill airborne mosquitoes. The killing of airborne mosquitoes will help prevent the male and female mosquitoes from future mating and producing more eggs. So that's a start.


To wrap up today's post, here's a few mosquitoes facts:

• Only female mosquitoes—and only a few of the thousands of mosquito species in the world—feed on humans. Most mosquitoes feed on nectar or other sources of sugar.
• Before the female mosquito actually draws your blood, she might probe your skin as many as 20 times, looking for a small blood vessel to nick.
• Mosquitoes don't whine just to be annoying. The high-pitched sound they make, created by their rapid wing beats (of up to 500 beats per second), helps the males hone in on a mate.
• The insects have adapted to almost every climate on earth. Some mosquito eggs can survive decades of drought in the Sahara until a brief rainfall permits a hatch.
• A single malarial mosquito—one of the most effective disease transmitters on earth—can infect more than 100 people.
• In recent years, mosquito-borne diseases have been responsible for about one in every 17 deaths on the planet (they cause three million or more of the 55 million annual deaths worldwide). Malaria alone kills one-to-three million people annually, the vast majority of them African children under the age of five.
• Mosquitoes are exquisitely tuned to human motion, heat, and odors. If you're fighting a swarm, waving your arms frantically can actually help more of them find you.