Wanting to be Thin

I used to be a roly-poly when I was an awkward teenager and used to marvel at this wonderful technique called liposuction which all Hollywood celebrities were doing. It was amazing to see their Before and After pictures! From a fatso to a sexy slim siren, it was simply magical!

Now it seems that liposuction is something all so common. Everyone seems to be doing it, from young girls who are self-conscious to gorgeous actresses and singers. Liposuction clinics are coming up all over the place too. However, if you’re considering something like that, do bear in mind the risks and pain that’s involved. Always go to a reputable clinic or doctor which has been highly recommended such as Rodeo Drive. They are highly professional with well-trained doctors and their centre is bright and clean. They promise you celebrity treatment too which is good as you’ll know that you’re in good hands. They have clinics all over but their most popular one seems to be their Beverly Hills liposuction clinic which I’m sure they get lots of Hollywood clientele. If you’re looking for a shorter waiting time, then do consider their California liposuction clinic.

As popular as it is, I doubt I’ll have the guts to try it!

Need a massage

I've been getting stiff shoulders of late. I think it's the way I use the computer or my posture in my office chair. Usually by the end of the day I end up with little stiff lumps in the muscles of my shoulders which become numb after a while. Apparently it left untreated, it can cause quite a bit of problem in the future when we get older. I think I sorely need a massage. Any good ones to volunteer?

Can I Retire?

Yesterday I read in the paper about how our EPF savings today wouldn't be enough to sustain us when we've retired. It's a scary thought considering I'm in my peak earning point now. If I don't make enough now, I'll probably be doomed to eating bread crusts and water in my retirement when my present savings become half or a quarter of what they normally are. So can I retire? I can only wish.

Tues Nights

Tuesdays Nights are my Desperate Housewives night. I've been following them since Season 1. I found Season 3 a bit trying when it first kicked off but I've still been following the series steadily if simply for no other reason but to see what'll happen next! Talk about the power of serials! They can sometimes be quite sad but I guess women can relate to them because in each of us is a combination of all the Desperate Housewives!

Nose Job, Anyone?

Michael Jackson seems to have gone into hiding again. He was the first person I read about who went for a Beverly Hills nose job. I remember how the world watched in wonder as he turned from black to white and his nose grew sharper and sharper till it looked like it was the risk of falling off!

Today, rhinoplasty is a lot more common. Girls are young as 14 are doing it, some even with savings their parents have put aside just so their daughters can have that little physical edge over everyone else in life. However, like any surgery, you should go to reputable clinics such as the California rhinoplasty clinic managed by Rodeo Drive. There you’ll be assured of careful and professional treatment. They also operate another Beverly Hills rhinoplasty clinic which sees lots of celebrities walking in and out of those doors. As for me, I’m quite happy with my flat nose!

Feeling ill

There seems to be a flu bug going around. All around me I hear people sneezing, hacking and coughing. It must be either the bad weather or the pollution around us. Sometimes it's even scary because you don't know what kind of germs are being spread around. I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat and halfway through work my nose started leaking. I hope I'm not falling sick too soon!

Print CDs and DVDs Easily

Does your business use a lot of multimedia presentations or audio and video clips? If you do, I’m sure you know the hassle of having to waste precious time and resources burning your CDs and DVDs for distribution to your clients. Instead of doing all that hard work, let this great CD/DVD Printer do all the work for you! It prints up to 50 discs in any session without any need for attendance so your staff can concentrate on other tasks. It has a fully integrated one-click software and up to 100 disc capacity. It uses a 4 colour 4,800 dpi inkjet technology which promises sharp and clear pictures plus the cartridges are easily available at any office store. So, don’t look any further if you’re looking for a reasonably priced and fantastic CD/DVD printer!

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Monday Nights

Monday nights are crime nights. I'm now watching NCIS, one of my favourite shows. I love the chemistry between Ziva and Tony, the way Tony bullies McGee and Abby's weirdness that is strangely endearing. And how Gibbs, their head keeps them all together. Not forgetting either Ducky, the loveable doctor. Monday nights is definitely one of my favourite nights!

Cover My Boat

I once holidayed in a friend’s house by the side of a huge lake. That lucky girl had a boat which they often used on the lake. One thing that impressed me was how well-kept and maintained their boat was. The secret her dad revealed was a good boat cover. He told me he a good boat cover needed certain recommended features such a perfect fit, waterproofing, UV resistance and others. All these, he learnt from BoatCoversAdvice.com, a fantastic site specialising in boat covers for all kinds of boats.

He also advised me to visit BoatCoversAdvice.com to read up their informative articles on maintenance as that was crucial to help to maintain a good boat cover. The boat cover needs constant maintenance and should be regularly checked for wear and tear or minor damages. His advice was not to be penny wise, pound foolish and to never ignore any problems on the cover, even minor ones are they could lead to bigger problems or end up damaging our boat!

Part of my trip included some time in the local boat cover shop when I followed him to get some repairs done and there I learnt another tip which was also emphasized in BoatCoversAdvice.com – it is always best to have your covers custom made. That way you can be sure of it being a perfect fit plus you get to choose the kind of material you wish to use to ensure its durability and function. If you're looking for that perfect boat cover, do check out BoatCoversAdvice.com for lots of great information and advice!

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My Pet

There are pet people and there are non pet people. I think I fall in the latter category! Any attempt to keep pets are usually a disaster for the pet. I've gone through 4 fighting fish and 20 odd guppies which doesn't count the babies, or buppies as I called them, they had! Now my 2 goldfish which I won in a scoop contest are still bravely battling it out in their mouldy algae tank. Yes I'm a bad pet owner. Some people are just not meant to have pets!

Come Learn Poker

My cousin is a huge poker fan. Every family gathering would involve him dragging out the table, gathering the cousins all around and dealing the cards for yet another poker game. I’ve watched them play with everything from peanuts to coins. Luckily they don’t use such high stakes and the winner usually buys the rest dinner so everyone’s a winner in the end!

Being a huge poker fan, he was thrilled when I gave him this link to a great poker forum. It has over 20,000 members ranging from new to veteran players who are happy to share talk about their number one favourite – poker! I surfed through it too and was impressed to see how generous the members were in sharing their strategies to help you win that poker game. They also have great articles written by poker experts and reviews on different strategies and moves. They have lots of in-depth ongoing discussions all over the forum so just click on the area you’re interested in and away you go!

Once you sign up, you can participate in their Poker Forums to give your two cents worth or communicate privately with other poker players from all over the world. Best of all, you’ll have access to exclusive poker tournaments and special events organized for members of the forum. So if you’re a huge poker fan, come on over and don’t forget to keep your poker face!

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Maximise your Mortgages

They say you’re an adult when you finally own your own home. Those same people, however, don’t tell you what a scary experience owning a home can be. For the first time in your life, you have to sign on the dotted line when you take out a mortgage loan.

I bought a house a few years ago and I must say that not only was hunting for a suitable house bad enough, hunting for a suitable mortgage that provided the best interest rates were equally tough. All kinds of banks were offering all sorts of interest rates which they claimed to be the lowest in the market. It was mind-boggling trying to figure out which bank to go with and what sort of mortgages to go for. Luckily I had read some Finance Articles from Rebuild.org which provided some very good advise. One of my favourite articles talked about how a cash out mortgage worked which allows the flexibility of cashing out some of the value in your home equity.

Another great article talked about when the best time to refinance mortgage loan are. This was particularly informative as I’m sure it’ll be something I will be considering soon when more attractive offers come out in the market place. Lots of people I’ve spoken to have refinanced their mortgages with very satisfactory results and end up paying less on their monthly repayments.

So if you’re looking to learn more about mortgages or other sorts of personal loans and financing options, do read up the articles on Rebuild.org.

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Wet Morning

I woke up this morning and found the sky all cloudy and gloomy. What a perfect day to crawl under the blankets and sleep more! Unfortunately, it was a black Monday so I had to throw off the covers, crawl out of bed and hit the roads on a wet rainy Monday morning. At least it was the school holidays so thankfully the roads were relatively clear. That only meant that the mall was swarming with little midgets and trolleys! *pulls hair* I don't know whether to be glad or mad for school hols!

Smart Money

Recent articles about whether you’re living in debt or whether investments that you have made during your youth are sufficient during your golden years. These are times when I sometimes wish I was a government servant and being able to rely on a reliable pension after my career has ended. Currently I try to leave within my means which includes paying all my credit card bills on time and trying not to roll over any payments. Another thing I do is to try to save on credit card charges as banks nowadays offer free for life cards, as recommended in this great article by Nations Finance on credit card charges.

I know experts also advise that we put some money in our bank accounts. But try not to leave too much in there as you would find that the interest you earn there barely covers the inflation rate increase! Another article I read on Nations Finance also gave a comprehensive article on the advantages and disadvantages of internet banking which I found to be a great read. I do practise this as it allows me to do my banking at night which saves me time and petrol heading out to the bank.

So can you retire with enough money to spare? Take a look at your current financial health, consolidate your debts and always pay your credit card bills on time. Do also take time to read and learn more from great sites such as Nations Finance!

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Draining Day

What a day. Wonder why some people are so anal about what they do. Blame it on perfectionism I guess. I thought I was once like that. I wonder what's happened. Sometimes resources are just wasted on reprinting piles and piles of stuff IN COLOUR. Only to be corrected and discarded again over the smallest thing like a fullstop or a slight alignment which would probably go unnoticed. Worse is when a slide is changed or deleted which affects the paging of all the other slides and hence, a reprint! Oh well...luckily it isn't my own office!

Wise Investments

An article in the papers yesterday talking about retirement and whether you had enough savings for your retirement got me a bit worried. I guess there’s no better time like the present to start saving and investing for your old age. Of course, this excluding any negative thoughts of getting run over by a truck in the new future! That article piqued my interest in what are considered good investments and I resolved to start reading up more to understand investing.

So, I was very happy to find a UK investment forum which teaches just that from investing in equities, bonds, foreign exchange to fund management. It’s an interactive site which allows you to learn from the experiences other investors have and their tried and true methods. They even highlight which investment opportunities are fake ones or scams and possible potential scams which I thought was excellent. At least it’ll protect gullible people who could be swayed by the talk of get rich quick schemes. They even do a step-to-step guide of investing in equities and other financial instruments which was very informative for new investors like me. Best of all, it not only focuses on investments in the UK but also global markets, making it very applicable to anyone who’s looking for guidelines and information on investing.

Hopefully I’ll learn something and manage to retire comfortably…the sooner the better!

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Stop Drugs

Do you know of anyone who’s a drug addict and needs help urgently? If you do, there’s a great drug rehab available in Michigan which has a brand new 28 day drug treatment program designed to help you kick the drug habit for good. It has patients from all over America which testifies to how effective it is. Don’t wait to send your loved ones to drug treatment, it could save their lives!

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Sunday Morning

It's Sunday and what am I doing? Sitting drinking a cup of coffee and turning on my blog. What a blog addict I've become! Sunday used to mean sleeping the day away but now it means coming in early to see what opps have come in over the night! :p Usually not many la but enough to buy me my morning cup of coffee! Well, do enjoy our Sunday!

Fresh Florida Produce

I love having fresh produce to choose from. It somehow makes the meal feel so much more nutritious and delicious! It's a joy, therefore, to find fresh fruits from Florida here in our local markets and night markets. Florida Agriculture is a huge industry which provides fresh food all over the world which brings great benefit to the farmers and consumers. Take a look at this video to learn more! Happy watching!

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Paypal's WORKING!!

Great news finally! Paypal's working!! So quickly login there now to accept all your payments! :)

Hurrah! What great news! I'm glad I waited this out instead of applying for the VMI card or using a fake bank account! Go go go, people!

PayPerPost Direct

Don’t you just love PayPerPost.com? They keep coming up with fantastic offers for their users in their recent updated version. So far they’ve rolled out one of their biggest features – PayPerPost Direct! This is a new feature that beats all other competition out there!

Essentially, PayPerPost Direct allows bloggers to have advertisers directly approach you instead of having to rely on the opportunities displayed on PayPerPost! That’s always left up to luck and I’ve been disappointed many a time before when I couldn’t grab a great-looking offer! Plus, since the advertisers directly approach you, you can actually specify the minimum amount you wish to be paid for these Direct Opportunities! All it takes to kick this off is sticking a widget on your blog. Once an advertiser finds your blog, likes what you write in there and decides to approach you with a Direct Opportunity, they simply click on the badge attached to the widget to make you an offer! You can then negotiate with them the price and details until both reach a compromise!

Unlike other competitors out there, PayPerPost takes only a 10% service fee for this feature, out of which 5% is already Paypal and Credit Card fees. This way you earn a whole lot more for your hard work which is what all bloggers want! So do get started with PayPerPost Direct!

A Very Short Hiatus

H I A T U S...I don't really like that word but it's something I need to take for the moment while I sort out some things, both in the blogging and real world! But I'll be back very soon with a new surprise...faster than you can say hiatus :) So do stay tuned!

Ethical Banks

My friend’s living in the UK and I never cease to amaze at how wide their loan and financial product market is compared to what our local banks offer. They have lots of banks offering all kinds of loan and financial products, all priced at very competitive rates. Some banks such as the Co-operative banks even promise they strictly adhere to their ethical policies in providing loans. I was very impressed when I heard that the money they lend out does not come from any unethical form including pollution or human rights abuses! I say we need ethical policies like these here too!

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Invest in Silver

The present times have been good ones for investors seeking to diversify their investments. As natural resources such as silver and gold are slowly depleting over time, their price has been steadily rising through the years. In fact, world demand is outstripping annual production since 1990 and the stockpiles are rapidly shrinking. You can invest in silver or gold in any form, from bullion form to coins through companies such as Monex Deposit Company. Purchasing your precious metals investments with them allows you the flexibility of immediate personal delivery or safe storage with an independent bank or depository. They have been America’s investment leader for the past 30 years so if you’re looking to diversify your investments, start now!

The Secret to Anti-Aging

There’s no surer way to know that I’m getting older when I start noticing anti-aging skincare products, start getting paranoid about the sun and start noticing small laugh lines on my face! I’ve been on the lookout for good anti-aging products for a while already as the ones I was currently using made my skin dry out which wasn’t too good. I was at a loss at what to try till a friend recommended Dremu Skin Care Products.

Dremu has a whole range of anti-aging products made out of emu oil. I had previously heard of the marvelous properties of emu oil in curing skin ailments such as psoriasis and eczema but now Dremu has found that it assists collagen regrowth, smoothening out wrinkles and is great for sensitive skin, which I have! In fact, they’re so popular in the US that Airbrush, their eye cream has been rated tops by Oprah while their Cashmere hand and body lotion is Beyonce’s favourite! Best of all, they ship overseas and have a fantastic anti-aging package retailing now for $99 which includes the wonderful 5 star eye cream!

I’ve always admired the porcelain complexion of the stars, even without air-brushing and if their secret is Dremu, I can’t wait to try it myself!

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Phuket Food - Fruits are Good

Especially in boiling hot Phuket weather!

You'll see little carts like these all over Phuket. They're a sight for sore eyes on a hot day! Filled with ice-cold sweet fruit, it's always what I head to every afternoon. It's interesting how healthily I eat when on holiday in Phuket. It's fruits galore all the time!

This picture is for Anne Ho! :) Another Thai pineapple lover!

This is my absolute favourite which I MUST EAT upon my arrival into Phuket or Thailand. It's a huge slice (sometimes half a fruit!) of cold and heavenly sweet pineapple. I don't understand why their pineapples are so much cheaper and sweeter than ours! I like mine with a sprinkling of spicy sugar which is just simply divine! I eat this at least twice or thrice a day everytime I'm in Thailand. Talk about O/D-ing on pineapple! The price ranges from THB10 to THB20, depending on the size of the pineapple pieces, weather and your bargaining skills! ;p Yes, ironically, we don't even try to bargain with our fruit sellers here!

This was a stall owner hard at work at cutting our guava. They keep whole fruit in their cart, except for the pineapple, and cut it only when ordered which retains all the vitamins. A whole huge guava like that costs only THB30 and ditto for the Thai sweet mangoes (though I managed to get it at THB20 one wet and stormy night!).

So whenever in Thailand or Phuket, look out for these mobile fruit vendors and pick and mix your own fruit salad. You'll love its sweetness and juiciness in the hot weather!

Renewed your Motor Insurance?

I recently was almost caught driving with an expired motor insurance while in the UK! Luckily the cops let me off after much pleading and many promises that I would get it renewed as soon as possible. Luckily there are a lot of motor insurance companies online today, such as CIS Motor Insurance, which allow easy and hassle-free purchase plus a 10% discount when you do it online. Best of all, they offer a No Claim Discount and an Introductory Discount when you sign up with them. No Claim Discounts are really good as it can save you quite a bit on your renewal. So the lesson of the day was never leave home with an expired motor insurance!

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Thumbs Down to Teppanyaki

Last week I met a friend at Teppanyaki, MidValley for dinner as we were both having a hankering for some teppanyaki. The trick about this place is that you must always try to secure a seat on the table right in front despite their efforts to push you into the back. Otherwise you'll come out smelling like a stale cooker hood.

First things first, it's quite rarely when I rant about food. Normally I'm quite a happy camper when it comes to eating things I'm craving for. However, this place really gets the thumbs down from me.

1. The servers are mighty rude. They glare at you without a smile when you ask for a seat and always very rudely try to shove you at the back.
2. That day we were there, they roughly plonked our plates of rice down in front of us as if we were some prisoners. Hello...we're paying customers! And when my friend asked for her favourite pickles, they just said we ran out, no apologies what so ever.
3. We ordered the beef set. The man brought over the beef really messily, spilling it all around my plate and when we took a closer look, found that it was undercooked in most of the pieces. When we asked for them to cook it a little longer, he messily scooped it up again to the griddle, dropping some pieces on the way.
4. Ditto for the vege. My plate was starting to resemble a dog's dinner and I hadn't even started eating!
5. The beef ended up being terribly tough and we couldn't really finish our dinner.
6. We had hot green tea which amazingly ended up into brown tea halfway through the refills, then turned back into green tea.

We paid approximately RM13 each for this terrible dinner. Will we be back? Definitely not! So I would definitely appreciate any recommendations for good teppanyaki! Thanks!

French Celebs

I’ve always been a big fan of celebrity news. When I was a student, my free time would see me in the magazine aisles of the bookshop with my nose stuck between the glossy pages of an entertainment magazine, catching up on the latest celeb gossip! Now, as a working woman, my long lunch on Fridays again sees me back at the bookshop browsing through magazines! I’ve been asked before why I enjoy reading about a life I’ll never know but I guess that’s precisely why we read those magazines – to get an insight into the glamorous, crazy and incredibly wealthy life we’ll never experience on our own!

Recently, I found a friend of similar interests in my expatriate French colleague! She was thrilled when I recommended her this celeb site all in French, ActuPeople.fr! She was so pleased to find a site actually catering to celebrity stalkers in French since most of the online sites are in English. I too was pleased because they sometimes have different types of gossip and pictures from the English magazines which she’ll interpret for me! Plus it gives me a fantastic opportunity to get to know European celebrities and learn some French along the way. So yes, we’re two very happy celebrity stalkers now!

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Lasik for your Eyes

I did Lasik on my short sighted eyes 2 years ago. Honestly, I was very apprehensive about going through the procedure as it involved surgery on my eyes. However, the doctor I went to took his time to explain Lasik Complications to me and even recommended some good websites for me to refer to. The risks of complications are actually quite small and despite the risks, I was definitely glad I did the procedure.

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High-Tech Wedding

Weddings today have gone high-tech! There’s the video montage, powerpoint slide show, funky laser lights at the entrance and for some techie couples, their very own wedding website! Several of my friends who have gotten married did up their own little site to capture the happy moments in planning their big day, from their songlist to their checklist! Some of their tips and tricks are very good and useful, indeed, for couples who are having their own wedding soon.

However for non-techie couples, you can have your own Personal Wedding Website too! And instead of hosting it on a free site such as blogspot or wordpress, you can have your own little dotcom site! Perfect for sharing with family and friends the lead-up to your wonderful day! Wedding Websites, a great free personal website, is your one stop centre for your website options. Choose through 30 over companies offering all kinds of designs and hosting options to suit your budget and taste. Read reviews by happy couples who are hugely satisfied with the results and ask any questions you might have in their interactive forum.

So if you’re looking for an everlasting memory of the most important day in your life, do consider a personal wedding website! Imagine how much your kids and grandkids would enjoy viewing snippets of your special day too!

Drug Rehab Works

Designer drugs seem to be the in thing at the moment. Everyone’s doing it from celebrities to young partying yuppies. What these people don’t realise is that this is the start of a long dark journey of which some never return.

Luckily there are lots of reliable and excellent drug rehab programmes out there today to help these people gain back their old life before drugs. Some like Stone Hawk are managed by past addicts themselves whom are probably the best people to work with the addicts as they perfectly understand what they’re going through. This will give a higher chance of success for these addicts and allow them to start on the healing path.

So if your loved ones are in that dark trap, set them on the right track again with drug rehab.

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Grey Suede Shoes

Okay, they weren't suede but it goes so well together, just like Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes!

I first caught side of these grey shoes when I was at the bank a couple of weeks ago. It's not everyday that you catch sight of light grey shoes on a guy, which goes with nothing he's wearing! And guess what, I saw them again today on the same guy in the same bank. Ugh...from what I can guess, he probably wears them everyday regardless of whatever colour shirt or pants he's wearing!

They were light grey and looked like faux leather. Actually, to me, it kind of resembled the material you can see on the seats of old Volkswagon or old cars. And just like that material it looked a little scuffed and peeled.

Can someone please tell him light grey's not the new black, despite what fashionistas might say?!

Out of Gift Ideas

I like to be creative and unique when it comes to gift giving. However, that also means having to crack my head each time to think of something more unique and different from my last gift! I’ve got a friend’s birthday coming up in July and have been at my wit’s end as to what gift to get her. She’s quirky, interesting and doesn’t like run of the mill stuff which are easily found in the department stores. So I was pleased as punch when my surfing turned up a funky T-shirt site!

Founded in Italy, they create really interesting T-shirts that make wonderfully gifts! From funky and loud to sensuous and quirky designs, they have something for everyone’s taste, whether it’s your sweet girlfriend, your beachbum boyfriend, devilish boss or your rocker teenage son! One of my favourites is a Devil and Japanese girl design which looks rather winsome. It’s perfect for my friend who loves quirky T-shirt designs with interesting statements! Plus their T-shirts are 100% cotton which is perfect for our warm, tropical weather. Best of all, I know she’ll never bump into a similar tee in any department store as their designs are original and exclusive!

They have more new exciting designs coming out very soon so do watch their site as they roll out a new revamped version!

This is a sponsored post

Shopping for Baby

My cousin recently called to tell us she was going to have a baby soon! We’re all terribly excited as this is the first baby in the family after a long time! I’ve always loved looking at baby clothes and accessories and now there’s finally a reason to do so! Trying to find a perfect gift for her, I found a gorgeous site specializing in bedding and diaper bags! I love their site! They have lots of beautiful and high quality bedding to help your baby fall asleep, ranging from popular characters such as Dora, Thomas & Friends and sweet, lovely pink sheets with pretty flowers for the princess in your life. What a wonderful way to brighten up the nursery room!

For stylish moms on the go, they have a wide range of beautiful diaper bags ranging from nice roomy ones for the Mommy and even backpack kinds for the Daddy. Their bags are from familiar and reliable brands such as Carter's and Eddie Bauer which ensures high quality and style! One particular bag that caught my eye was the Carter’s Easy Access Bag in rich brown water-resistant suede like fabric. I’m sure this is a bag she’ll absolutely love and I’ll be sure to personalize it with her baby’s initials for only $6 more when she has the name confirmed! Best of all, WithCharacter is offering a free Carter's Bag to be reviewed in my blog! What a wonderful gift it'll make for my cousin and I'm sure we'll definitely have an excellent review for it!

I’ll definitely recommend this site to my cousin and friends who are having babies soon. I’m sure they’ll love the pretty and high quality things up for offer! It makes me want to have my own baby soon!

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Savvy Travelling

The travel world is changing. Travellers are becoming more travel-savvy and seeking different sorts of vacations from the guided, led by the nose type of tour groups. A friend who was recently planning a Dominican Republic all inclusive vacation choose asked for my help as most companies here don’t even know where it is! In fact, for me, Dominican Republic was always where some of the most beautiful Ms Universe came from! I recommended her Vacations.net that features all kinds of resorts in beautiful beach destinations at a great rate. She checked them out and was very happy indeed with the rates they offer, the resorts and the wonderful recommendations from previous travellers and is winging her way there soon! I hope she brings me back something nice!

Lemon Garden 2 Go

I haven't done a food post in a bit so here you go!

We were in Shangri-la Hotel recently for a function of which no refreshments were provided for from morning till about 4pm! Starving and crabby, we had no choice but to eat in the over-priced cafes in the hotel. Lemon Garden, as tempting as it was, was just too steep and for small eaters like us not quite worth it. The cafe next to it, Cinammon, was equally over-priced with RM22 for a cup of cappucino! That left us with no other option but Lemon Garden2Go, a funky bright cafe providing snacks, light meals and drinks.

They have trays of beautiful looking pastries and cakes and a whole chiller on another side of the room with pre-packed sandwiches and meals that can be heated up upon request. I think they have a hot sandwich counter as well where they will prepare sandwiches of your choice on delicious gourmet bread. We were served by this funny noisy guy. When he saw us contemplating the few sad-looking pre-packed meals in the chiller, he went into the kitchen and brought out the remaining last few boxes so we could have a wider choice and heated it up nicely for us.

We had beef rendang with white rice and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes cooked in a non-spicy red sauce) for RM13++. Everyone thought the beef rendang was really good. Aromatic with no rancid oil smell, they were generous with their beef chunks and veges.

He also recommended their chicken charsiew which came with fried rice and stir-fried vegetables for RM13++ too. I was pleasantly surprised to find gingko nuts in the veges! I actually liked this dish though the rest didn't really. The fried rice was nice and there were lots of chicken slices that accompanied it.

We washed it down with their cappucino which was about half the price of the one at Cinammon.

And for a surprise, the friendly guy brought over a blueberry ginger muffin halfway through our food with a beaming, "Ini saya belanja!" (This is on me!) What a nice gesture! He must have seen us contemplating their display of interesting muffins! It's a big muffin generously filled with blueberries and topped with nicely caramelised ginger. Yummy!

The prices were actually quite reasonable for the portion sizes they offered and they do a fantastic array of pastries and gourmet bread. I saw quite a few people walking in to buy their morning baguette or danish pastry. I guess it does quite a brisk business catering to the morning and lunch crowd around that area and I think their pastries do go on 50% discount towards the end of the day! Discounts are good when on an austerity drive!

Paypal Still Under Fixing

I emailed Paypal again yesterday regarding their problem and asking when they expect it to be fixed and this was the response I got:

So, yes people the problem is still under FIXING and we'll need to PAY our patience on this issue. Gambateh!

You're My SugarDaddy

You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie

My colleague's handphone sings to this tune and I can't get it out of my head! However, it seemed like the perfect theme song for this new radical dating site. Why radical? Because it's goal is to bring together affluent and successful Single men (why does that sound like an oxymoron?!) and girls who are seeking to be spoilt and pampered (read: the rest of the female population!). It sounds just like one of those reality Bachelor and Bachelorette shows!

Anyway out of interest, I surfed over to it and found that they actually have quite an extensive database of young ladies on the lookout for their Sugar Daddies. However, if you're not a nubile young girl, don't feel left out as they have Sugar Mommas, male Sugar Babies and for those in mood for the alternative, gay Sugar Daddies!

It's interesting where our world is coming to with globalisation! I never thought one would be able to find their Sugar Daddy online!

Why Did the Ducks Cross the Road?

The place where I live keeps some ducks as part of the landscape. They're big, fat and white little buggers which must have done good in their past life. All they do all day is frolic in the pond, snooze under the tree and get fed by all the thrilled little kids and guards! My dad counts them every now and then and it's funny how their numbers increase and decrease sporadically. We suspect the guards for fattening them up for a good ducky meal! :p

Anyway, yesterday morning, I left as usual and had to stop my car cos half of these white fat buggers were crowding around on the road! The other half were watching with their beady eyes over the hedge to see how far their relatives would get before they attempted it themselves! Sitting comfortably on the road, they cleaned themselves and pranced around, making no attempt to move even when I hooted softly.

Then suddenly, the idea that they were holding up traffic must have occurred to them 'cos they suddenly decided to take off back to the other side of the hedge where they came from, amidst much quacking and waddling (they're really too fat!)! So, why did those fat ducks cross the road?! Hehe...a question for you on a Wet Wet Wednesday!

Disney Magic

I was just saying last night that the person who thought of the Mickey Mouse symbol was a genius. All it involves is just 3 round circles in the correct places and voila, it's become a world-wide symbol every child and adult can relate to! Except for some kids my mom met recently. The poor little sods didn't have any idea who Mickey Mouse was! We were so horrified! Was this where education was taking them?!

Anyway, when I came across Discount Disney Tickets, I thought I'd better send that information on to those kids and their parents. How can anyone not know Mickey Mouse?! At least with the discounted tickets, hopefully the kids'll badger their parents to take them to Disneyland to see the legendary Mickey and they'll finally know what those 3 black circles mean!

Hitting Blanks

Blogging is ironical...there are times when my creative juices flow like anything and I churn out post after post without a doubt and there are other times when I just keep hitting blank walls when I try to write something.

Maybe it has something to do with how I'm feeling outside my fluffy dandelion life here. Things seem to be hitting a bit of a blank wall. Maybe because I still don't know what I want or maybe because I'm in one of those "blah" moments. I think back of the young, enthusiastic me while I was in University. At that age power suits, laptops, business trips and busy long days seemed to exciting! It was as if they were symbols of me arriving in the great big world out there. Now, all I feel is a little empty. Ironically, I haven't even reached that super-salary yet, meaning I can't retire! Outside work, I seem to be running into blank walls too. And you know something? Blank walls hurt when you run into them!

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be a whinging post so I'll stop and count my blessings. I just wonder though, sometimes which is more important - the destination or the journey?

Pan Mee, Jalan Maharajalela

Sis had been telling me about this little stall in Jalan Maharajalela which serves it's speciality, pan mee, only on Friday lunch. It's a little zinc roof stall built around an old tree (you can see it's massive trunk through the stall!) which normally sells mixed rice during the week. But on Friday, it's pan mee day which sells out pretty fast!

I finally got the chance to try it last Friday. The pan mee came in a pretty plate which almost made me feel like I was eating in a restaurant! I think it was because they ran out of their usual plastic bowls! This was the thin version and it came with a healthy serving of meat, sliced mushrooms and my favourite fried anchovies. Taste-wise, it was very deliciously home cooked and a hefty portion for RM4! It comes with a little bowl of soup with 4 generous little meat balls! Thumbs up :)

They have the soup and dry versions and you have the option for spicy or non-spicy. Mine was a mix between the two. I think their spicy version uses meat cooked in a spicy sauce as opposed to the usual black sauce. Would love to have it again...up for lunch this Friday, ParisB?!

Up For Sale

Our home of the past 7 years was finally put up for sale 4 months ago when we decided to move to the city. The market has been a little slow and despite some interested calls, we haven't really gotten any definite buyer yet. Maybe the Real Estate Signs the agents have put up aren't eye-catching enough to make our property stand out from all the other vacant ones. So perhaps it's time we got ourselves a funky customized, magnetic sign to catch the eye of all the passerbys! Hopefully someone'll be drawn in by that colourful unique sign!

*This is a sponsored post*

Monday Morning Moanies

• Paypal's been out all weekend with that strange message requesting for a US bank account to be added on before any transaction can be made. It's been a terrible pain as it has thrown a spanner into my plans for greater things to come!
• I couldn't wake up this morning when my mobile phone alarm went off. It somehow had worked itself into my dreams and I couldn't understand what that buzzing sound in my dreams was!
• Traffic was, as usual, "excellent"! The government should really do something about the crazy motorbikes who have a death wish by weaving themselves in and out of traffic.
• I have indigestion from a weekend pig-out and am now nursing a sore tum *whimpers*
• Got a huge pile of work thrown at me first thing when I came in *ducks and runs*
• Having said all that, I've been browsing The Secret and if nothing else, it's teaching me to be positive and breathe to see myself through this week! Ommmm.....

Happy Monday everyone! And something just to keep you smiling till the end of the day:

These are real answers given by children.

1. Name the four seasons - Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
2. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink - Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.
3. How is dew formed? - The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
4. How can you delay milk turning sour? - Keep it in the cow.
5. What causes the tides in the oceans? - The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
6. What are steroids? - Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
7. What happens to your body as you age? - When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
8. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes - Premature death.
9. How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen) - The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A,E,I,O and U.
10. What is the fibula? - A small lie.
11. What does "varicose" mean? - Nearby.
12. Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section" - The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.
13. What does the word "benign" mean? - Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

Don't we love them?!

Football Fever

I know the English League is coming to a close but this football is not to be confused with the English soccer! A friend of mine from the US is just as mad about American football as the soccer-mad English! Not only does he follow each and every game but he even participates in Fantasy Football, an elite site which allows its members to live out their football fantasies by forming teams. It even gives them the opportunity to win huge prizes like Waterford Crystal trophies! A site for all true American football fans!

*This is a sponsored post*

Happy Mother's Day

To that special woman who gave us life, tried to fulfil our needs and wants, who taught us how to eat properly and good manners, who shared our success, joy, laughter and tears:

Happy Mother's Day!

My Beach Paradise

I’m just back from my Phuket holiday and I’m already longing for another holiday because that holiday felt too long ago! I’m terrified of the sun but I do enjoy beach holidays, slathered in super-high SPF sunblock and under the shade of a giant umbrella. So when an email came in from another travel-crazy friend on a Hawaiian holiday, I was thrilled! He had previously booked accommodation at Wailea beachfront condo and due to last minute work commitments, was offering it to me at a great discount!

It’s interesting to see that travelers today seem to prefer renting villas for their stay instead of the big chain hotels. I guess it gives them a sense of home away from home with great privacy plus the excellent services of a hotel. And in Hawaii where the beaches are beautiful and the sea is superbly blue, demand for Maui condos and villas have skyrocketed in recent years from travelers looking for private, romantic getaways to reasonably priced accommodation.

Great sites such as Hawaiian Beach Rentals have a whole host of villas and condos up for rent at reasonable prices so I’ll definitely recommend them, as a starting point, for my friend who’s been looking for a romantic villa for her honeymoon.

Life in Plastic

"I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world...Life in plastic, it's fantastic!" Anyone remember this song by Aqua? It seems like the world is getting to be a strange place. Hollywood big names are owning up to having done plastic surgery, even men and in Korea, parents save for years to give their daughters a nose or an eye job for their 16th birthday! All that done just to give themselves or their children a better start in life!

Perhaps I’m biased but I always get the impression that California plastic surgery is the best in the world! Watch Baywatch and all you see are gorgeously, tanned, beautiful women and men running around in the skimpiest bikinis and swimming trunks! Everything they wear shows off their bodies sans stretch marks, fat or cellulite!

I bet they must all go to Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery where everything from tummy tucks to boob jobs and Botox are offered! It’s the only plastic surgery centre on the famed Rodeo Drive so it you’re there, you’ll probably see lots of famous faces hidden behind those huge and fashionable aviator sunglasses with their little Chihuahua in their bags to match.

I think that’s some place I’d really like to check out if I ever get the chance to see Beverly Hills. Not only will I be able to look a million dollars but I may even get a chance to see some famous faces!

*This is a sponsored post*

Our English Breakfast

Despite my efforts to eat healthier, I do miss slap-up English breakfasts I used to have when a student in Australia and at bed-and-breakfasts overseas. Nothing starts the day better than a hearty service of eggs and sossies and it keeps me going on and on and on and on like the Duracell bunny! Hehe...

It's been quite a while since I've had one so it was great fun to replicate a slap-up breakfast again at home! We had nice back bacon, BBQ sossies that split beautifully as they fried, eggs and mushrooms. And for the requisite carbo intake, we found some nice Oat and Honey bread, delicious topped with cheese! It was really good but somehow couldn't take me as far as it used to! I wonder what's changed!

Who Gets It?!

Are you lucky in contests? If you are, you would really love whogets.com. It’s an online contest site that offers prizes up to $600! It’s free to join and there’ll be hundreds of contests to choose from. It’s a little like the reality programmes all over telly now where members will get to vote for their favourite contestant. Plus they promise no spam and there are no catches to it!

So, if you’re really lucky in contests or even trying your luck, do check it out while it’s new! I’m sure your chance of winning at this time will be good, especially if your lucky star is shining!

*This is a sponsored post*

Freaky Friday

I came out of the lift during lunch and bumped into someone who looked freakily like:

Yes, he was a very creepy version of Xerxes from 300...if you can imagine a Xerxes in a shirt and a tie!

F-R-E-A-K-Y!

Shu, I love you!

This is NOT a sponsored post *hears sighs of relief* but it's a girlie one cos I can't help waxing lyrical about the wonderful Shu Uemera eyelash curler!

I used to be really lazy about making up in the mornings and would sometimes come into work looking like a little ghost. Sans makeup, everyone looks a little washed out and on pale, tanless me, the ghost effect was a bit too much! I guess my extra few minutes of sleep was more valuable to me than slapping on colours on my face!

However, when I cleared out my room last weekend, I found tonnes and tonnes of makeup and I only have one face to use it on! Consumed by overwhelming guilt, I resolved to start making up everyday. Plus I got influenced by an article I read about how the Head of Chanel Malaysia was never seen out without immaculate makeup on! So, it was time for Operation Makeup and to put my best foot...er, face...forward!

And guess what? I'm loving it! :) I love playing around with the colours in the mornings and seeing that ghost come to live with a brighter face. My only grouse was the el-cheapo eyelash curler I bought ages ago. It did a terrible job of curling my lashes. It couldn't really grab my lashes at a time so it'll curl half of them and when I tried to contour it to my eye, it'll clip my eyelid instead! *Ouch* I'd been lusting after Shu Uemera lash curler for some time after I tried it at their makeover and after a few days of "kinky" (?!) lashes, I got one.

It's a simply amazing curler! It's contoured very well so it curls my lashes smoothly without any pain, fuss or kinks! I was so impressed with it and my curly lashes *flutters eyes* It's easy to use and pretty affordable at RM55! Shu, how I love you! :)

Now I just need to find the perfect mascara. My Maybelline XXL keeps clumping on my lashes! Maybe I'm not applying it right? Any suggestions anyone?

Coupon Cheer

Ever since I started getting money through Paypal, I've started to try my hand now at online shopping. One great way I've tried shopping is through Coupon Chief which has online coupons for all major stores in the US, ranging from Amazon to Target and even Travelocity. Their online coupon codes not only make shopping easier but offer great discounts at my favourite store, Amazon. They offer such great Amazon deals that I've never had to buy my books and magazines at full price anymore. I get all the latest releases and even things that are banned here for some reason or another! I do love my coupon codes and new way of shopping. Getting things delivered sometimes when you have forgotten about buying it feels like Christmas all over again!

*sponsored by CouponChief*

Stone BBQ King

Borrowed from KampungBoyCityGal

One night I was feeling naughty and adventurous. So I skived my yoga session and invited bro and J along for a pig-out instead in Sri Kembangan, a totally alien place for us! We drove around a bit looking for somewhere to eat and got misled by Starlight Restaurant. Apparently it used to serve cheap and good Western and Asian meals previously but now it specialises in seafood. We were starving and the place was terribly crowded so decided to give it a try some other time.

Borrowed from KampungBoyCityGal

The bright lights and attap-type roof of Stone BBQ King by the main road caught our eye and since we were looking for something fast, decided to give it a try. It's actually a steamboat and hot plate all-you-can-eat restaurant for RM19.80 with a RM1 addition for what they term fruit juice.

Honestly, their spread was quite impressive for the price and I thought it was better than the one in Yuen Steamboat in Sunway. They even had sushi together with the usual fried noodles under their pre-cooked food. They had 2 raw food sections and a table of vegetables and noodles. Their meat selection was pretty good and ranged from all kinds of marinated meats including pork belly, chicken, beef and whole host of innards. They had flower crabs, prawns, several kinds of fish and the usual assortment of fish and meat balls (which are my favourite!). Downside is that their seafood freshness tends to be a bit suspect so avoid stuff like cockles, mussels or shellfish if you're not sure of their freshness.

You can have the option of clear soup, tomyam, herbal or chilli.

And it comes with a hot plate for you to cook your food on. It's quite nice having your own little BBQ and because it's open-air you don't come away smelling of the cooking food. They're very DIY and have baskets of bowls, plates, utensils and even ladles and tongs for you to help yourself to.

And once you're done with all that food, there's a whole dessert counter for you to choose from fruits, cakes, jellies and my favourite - preserved fruits (I like bad bad things!)

And of course your own DIY ice-kacang! The scary looking drinks are what they call fruit juices and they didn't taste of much at all but colouring! Luckily they have sugarcane and soya bean which tasted much better. They even have little teapots for you to fill up with hot water and chinese tea if you need something to wash away the oils from the food.

I think this place is pretty popular with students especially during weekends. We were next to a table of young boys who had at least 5-6 rounds each and were still going strong when we left! Ah, the metabolism of the young!

Payperpost Rocks

After a long nail-biting, agonizing wait, I finally got my blog approved at Payperpost, the best viral marketing site around! I’m still a relative newbie to PPP, having signed up for only less than a month but I can already see why some bloggers are earning thousands from PPP! Their huge range of opportunities and prices helps spread the wealth around a little so there’s something for everyone, from the small-time blogger like me to the huge professional bloggers. Since I’m new, I haven’t had much earnings from PPP. However, if I was earning as much as some of them out there, I’ll probably be on a wild spending spree! Maybe someday! So if you haven’t signed up, what are you waiting for?

*Sponsored by Payperpost*

Beware Of The Suited People

I've been recently aware of some girls clad in office suits hanging around the mall. I didn't notice them initially until I thought that the square backpacks they had on their back looked a little out of place with their suits.

I got accosted once by one of them and she started launching into some sales pitch. Thankfully I don't understand Cantonese and so I shook my head and hurried away. Now, whenever I go into the mall, I notice one or two of them strolling up and down, blending into the crowd as they try to catch someone's eye. I often keep a wide berth when I see them coming though they've tried talking to me again.

Honestly, I'm not sure what they're trying to sell or push. It could possibly well be a legit business but my intuition tells me it can't something good. Otherwise why must the sale be conducted in such a surreptitious manner and why do they only approach certain people? *suspicious mind*

Anyway, having said that, this is a community message from PinkElle - Beware the Suited People! Heh...this reminds me of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere!

Say No To Drugs

I was listening to the pop gossip on the radio with great amusement this morning. Of course, top of the pops was Paris Hilton’s jail stint but Lindsay Lohan came a close second with her serious drug problem. It was quite sad to hear of how she too has succumbed to the Hollywood drug scene.

Her loved ones should insist on checking her into a good drug rehab programme. A strong programme will be able to help her find herself again and kick this dangerous and expensive habit. So, do call if you know of anyone who is battling a serious drug problem. It is probably the best gift anyone could give their loved ones.

*This is a sponsored post*

Updates

A twitter idea I stole from Paris. Heehee:

• Work is a pain, work is a pain, work is a pain...


• I'm fat *cry* Confirmed when my pants felt tight. No more tempting tiramisu or luscious lormaikai


• My massages in Phuket have all gone to waste. The lump on the shoulder is back


• Work is a pain, pain, pain...


• My car's filthy and almost out of petrol. Any takers to wash it?! You'll get lots of ♥


• Am suddenly Miss Popular and had to turn down a few friends who wanted to meet up cos work is a PAIN!


• And finally...

Something's brewing!

Politically Correct

In my previous job, we used to deal with a lot of foreign Government contacts, most of which came from the African continent where the ruling government is still quite unstable and can change any time. This posed a bit extra research for us to ensure that we addressed the correct leader and party in our correspondence! I was glad that I found Encyclocentral which had an extensive and updated Politics & Government section. I used to rely on it a lot and it saved my skin many, many times!

*This is a sponsored post*

What's Cute?

Watching a tiny little adorable Japanese girl sitting on her papa's lap in the departure lounge singing "Row, row, row your boat" in Japanese! She was such a great entertainment in the boarding lounge at the Phuket Airport and charmed everyone around her with her tiny piping voice and cute bowl haircut. Travellers of all nationalities and languages couldn't help but smile at her antics, especially when she finished with a loud burp at the end of one rendition!

What a nice way to pass time at a boring airport lounge! And this brings the end of my Phuket tips installment...unless my memory has failed me! I'll be doing sporadic Phuket food posts next so if you're headed there soon, tune up that antennna!

p/s What's not so cute is me cursing and trying to get through tonnes of work!

Inexpensive Payroll Software

I’m an accountant and a bean-counter. Recently when a friend started her own business she consulted me for some help on her payroll which sent me into a frenzy because while I’m an accounting graduate, I’ve left all my book-keeping and payroll knowledge back in university!

Luckily for her there are lots of great payroll for small business sites I managed to find online to help her. They’re easy to install, easy to use, inexpensive and very affordable for small businesses and will keep your payroll in tip-top shape from doing all the necessary deductions and posting them to the individual staff accounts. It’s a real help for the small business owner!

*This is a sponsored post*

Press and Squeeze, Baby

Why else do people go to Thailand? To be pressed and squeezed in good and naughty places, that's why! Go to Phuket and you'll be besieged by massage parlours at every corner and girls brandishing massage menus at you.

Meeter, you want massaaage? Cheep cheep!

Meeter, we hap oil massage and Thai massaaaaage...

I know Phuket has a bit of a reputation but despite what you read on the Net, there are some pretty good and decent massage places to be found. They're everywhere so I usually try to do some research before I go on which is good or sometimes just give it a random shot. Massage there is pretty cheap compared to KL but a tad more expensive than Bangkok:

• Thai Massage averages THB250-THB300 per hour
• Oil Massage averages THB300 - THB350 per hour
• Foot Reflexology is somewhere in between

One thing you can't help noticing when in Patong is the huge, lurid pink building that screams "Christin Massage". This is the "only" brothel in town although they proudly proclaim massage! Turn right and bad boys are in heaven! We made the mistake once and I was astounded to see a darkened room with a "fishbowl" of women at the end of the wall! They're all beautifully made-up with numbers attached to their clothes. Sit back, have a drink, pick your lady and you're off for a "massage"! Good boys, however, turn left to a nondescript door which has proper massages. They actually have quite good proper massages which come with a foot wash before your massage. The only thing I didn't like about them was that they were quite vocal about asking for tips.

When you can afford 2-3 massages a day, or as much as your body can take, you sometimes have to take your chance with the many massage places around. But sometimes you discover little gems like Pinnacle Massage! They're tucked away in a little soi (street) off Bangla road, nearer towards the Beach Road. They're very decent and have fantastic masseurs who did a really good job in working out those kinks in my muscles! And they didn't harrass you for tip either. My favourite massage place, I kept coming back to it!

If you prefer a spa, do check out Let's Relax on Rat-U-Thit road (the 2nd road parallel to the Beach Road). It's a beautiful little spa with a list of different treatments you can choose from. I went in to take a peep and it's very relaxing with the typical spa fragrance that hits you once you enter the dimly-lit reception. Their treatments looked really nice but with diving, cashflow and their popularity, I didn't manage to try any. Do make a booking if you'll like to check them out as they can be pretty popular especially during high season.

So let's relax, enjoy the massage and remember....bad boys = right door at Christin! ;)

Who's a Pretty Pooch?

I recently saw Biby, my “adopted” dog and was very happy to see that he’s looking a bit healthier with the food we’ve been saving and the bag of dog food I got him. While surfing last night, I chanced upon Greytinspirations, specializing in embroided and personalized stuff for pets and their owners and thought of Biby. But Biby’s a tough little mongrel, nothing like pretty Pea and Pumpkin!

Biby aside, this is a great site to recommend to all my pet-loving friends! A friend loves to dress her dogs up for any occasion. When I last saw her, her dachshunds were decked out in tight little tees and dresses! They really did look quite cute and she’ll be able to get matching hats for them, together with a pretty collar and blanket from here! Another friend is cat-mad and I’m sure she’ll find great delight in the delightful collars and warm fleecy blankets for her pretty Persians. My pet-mad friends can even get cute pet-inspired stuff like embroided clothing or interesting jewellery for themselves too!

What an excellent site for gift ideas! I’m so glad I stumbled upon it!

Going Back to School

I’ve been seriously considering pursuing post-graduate studies. However, the high costs of education scare me quite a bit. I used to on a scholarship for my graduate studies so I didn’t know much about student loans. While researching, I started to learn about the benefits of student loan consolidation which will help me save thousands on my interest rates!

That sounded very tempting indeed! It basically bundles your federal loans into one package at a great low rate especially for students and is applicable for college and graduate students. Parents can even start planning for this from as early as high school to enable their children to attend the best colleges and universities with savings on interest payments. Imagine how much parents in my time could have saved on their children’s education if student loan consolidation had been available at that time!

Hmm…maybe I should seriously consider beginning my application process and going back to being a student again, even if it’s on student loans!

Chips Ahoy!

Happiness is seeing someone again after 2 weeks...and receiving a huge box of crisps! :)

As Paris mentioned, we're all crisps lunatics! We don't like sweet stuff but give us a bag of smelly fish keropok (Fish only! No prawn!), pretzels, crisps or savoury cripsy stuff and we're happy little campers! Sis and bro studied in the UK so they're all huge fans of crisps while I studied in Oz so I'm a bigger fan of *cough* healthier things like Japanese rice crackers!

Needless to say, it was terribly exciting opening the box! It was like Christmas had come early! And the booty?

• Walkers 14 pack
• Walkers 26 pack (Woot! Have you ever seen a pack so big before?!)
• Hula Hoops 7 pack
• Seabrooks 6 pack
• Monster Munch 6 pack (This came recommended)

Woohoo! Even mom who doesn't normally eat unhealthy stuff like crisps took home some to snack on! We've converted her into a crisp fan!

All I can say is that luckily whatever imported crisps we get here are too expensive and no one travels to UK often enough. Otherwise, we'll just be sitting tubs of lard :p

Powerful CAD Tools

Sometimes it’s interesting how working life can change you. I started off work as a greenhorn graduate, fresh out of university and armed with straight accounting knowledge. Several years later, I find myself struggling to understand what the engineers and quantity surveyors are talking about as I start to learn bits of their skills too.

I was first introduced to CAD files when talking to a project man and was impressed at how powerful a tool it was. It could produce layout drawings for our projects in the blink of an eye, complete with positioning of the properties to obtain maximum usage of the land. The only drawback was that we couldn’t view it on our normal PCs without the requisite program. Things changed when a colleague got ABViewer, a nifty programme that allowed them to convert their CAD files in all kinds of formats such as PDF or JPG which allowed us to view them with ease. I heard from them that ABViewer provided lots of additional features which made their drafting and drawing much easier.

Hurrah for great programmes such as this! Now, let me put on my engineer’s hat to understand their drawings!

Customers Are Always Right

I never thought too much about customer relationship management until I moved jobs and started working in the sales and marketing division of a big company. It was there where I learnt the hard way that the customer is always right and how difficult it was to manage customer relationship when you have a database of thousands of customers!

We suffered for a while until my boss introduced AIMpromote. It was a fantastic solution to our customer woes. It did an excellent job in streamlining our customer profiles and doing the necessary follow-up for each customer so we had our hands freed up to actually meet new customers or surf and “research” on the internet! It’s a powerful tool indeed and a life-saver for sales-oriented businesses.

*This is a sponsored post*

Being Adult

This has nothing to do with Phuket but my present blip on the big landscape of life got me thinking a little about being all grown up and adult. When we want to pout and put on a silly face, people say, "Start being an adult!" When we have to smile at someone we dislike when we really want to ignore them, we're "being adult". When we have our own cash and shopping sprees, we're "being adult". Can't win 'em all, can we? In true Libran fashion, let me share my yays and nays of "being adult".

Yays of Being Adult :)

1. Tiramisu for breakfast, keropok lekor for lunch and cornflakes for dinner and no one can say nothing!
2. Shopping sprees with my own money!
3. No more studying (unless you really want to)
4. Unlimitle$$ fund$...till the bank account runs dry
5. Not having to deal with crabby PMS-y teachers and bad grades
6. Driving a nice car!
7. Going for fun holidays
8. Blogging :)
9. People believing your bullsh*t
10. Make-up, pretty clothes and shoes *preen*

Nays of Being Adult :(

1. Having to "be nice" even to people you'd rather not meet
2. Dealing with a breaking heart
3. Having so many decisions and paths laid out in front of you and having to decide when you don't really know what to do
4. Not being allowed to have a crying fit when sometimes that's what you really need
5. Learning how to make "wise investments"
6. Working like a slave for those fund$ and $hopping money
7. Financial commitments, mortgages, bills...need I say more?
8. Hypocrites and small-hearted imps. "I don't want to friend you anymore" used to be so much more effective.
9. Learning how to trust and having it broken
10. Finding real friends
11. Pretending that you do know all that bullsh*t
12. Learning that the world and its people weren't what you thought it was
13. Having to be happy outside when you're sad on the inside and vice versa

To quote the Toys 'R Us Kid - I don't want to grow up!

I missed out one more yay though. Being able to go out for drinks on a Friday night! :) Happy weekend, dearies!

It's Getting Hot In Here

I never used to think much about sunglasses when I was younger as I was a 4-eyed nerd who wore thick glasses. All I knew was that it looked quite cool and all the stars seemed to use it. All that changed when I became adult! Yep...earning my own money and being a whole lot more vain, I took on Lasik on my eyes just for the sheer vanity of being able to wear sunglasses! And wear them, I do! Unlike my fashionista sis, I don't have Guccis or those gorgeous aviators. Instead, I rely on my trusty Polarized Sunglasses.

I was first recommended polarized sunglasses by a friend who swore by them and I absolutely love them! They're wonderful as they cut out lots of glare which I find absolutely essential especially when I'm driving or on the beach. The thing about Lasik is that your eyes become a lot more sensitive to light and I find my polarized sunnies do a fantastic job in shielding the glare and light from them. I've tried wearing unpolarized sunglasses but I find that they don't do as good a job in cutting out the glare and my eyes ended up hurting.

Now I can't leave home without them!

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Phuket Playground

When the sun (or lack of sun) has set on Patong Beach and when the sun-burnt, red angmohs have hauled themselves up from the deckchairs on the beach, a certain road on Patong Beach starts to come alive!

Bangla Road (no, it has nothing to do with Banglas!) magically transforms from a busy and nondescript street into a hedonistic playground for naughty boys and girls, whichever your preference!

The lights slowly start to come on as the open bars start filling up quickly. Neon lights, bring them on! See that bell in the picture? A man feeling rich or some poor unfortunate drunk man can ring it to buy drinks for all the bar girls on the floor! And those poles? They're the perfect thing for the pole-dancers to snake their lithe bodies around!

The street truly comes alive with booming music and crowds of people around 10pm all the way to 3am. Single guys beware or rejoice! ;) Any guy walking past any bar will be set upon by girls trying to invite them in with their winsome smiles and seductive voices. Tempted, well beer's cheap at only THB100 a bottle and some do tequila shots for THB40 so stumble into every bar if you can and make the girls a very happy bunch!

There's lots to cater for everyone, whatever your preference!

Pretty girl or prettier lady-boy? You decide!

"You want photo? THB100 only!" Sweet or gruff voice?

Peacock Girl: Just at min, let me adjust that $%#? headgear they make us wear!

Turqoise Girl: Meeter, what you want? THB2,000 only, cheap cheap...

Smile and say cheese with some gorgeous ladies...or boys!

And finally, I'll leave you with some pictures of my favourite bar. This is one of the earlier bars you'll see if you come in from Rat-U-Thit Road. You won't miss it, they've got one of the sweetest girls right up front on the table. Yep, that girl in black. What I noticed was that while most of the girls danced with a glazed expression on their faces, she sang along to the songs animatedly as she bopped and gyrated. Truly a crowd-puller!

And just one more cos she was really quite sweet. By the way, I'm sure this was a SHE!


Ah, Phuket Playground Paradise! Enjoy a beer, the show, the entertainment and the experience of something different!

As they say, good boys go to Heaven....bad boys go to Phuket! ;)