Never Too Late To Study

I’ve been hearing lots of advertisements on the radio encouraging people to take up a degree or to do further study. The idea behind the advertisement is that you’re never too old to do a degree and with so many online courses and universities now, it’s easy to do, even while working or even if you’ve already left school many years ago.

One great University that has gained lots of students is capella university. It’s a fully online university offering all kinds of bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees in a wide variety of courses. You can pursue anything that interests you, from business to psychology. Best of all, it’s an accredited university so you can be sure that your degree will be accepted anywhere. So if you’re considering further study, consider Capella University. You wouldn’t regret your choice.

Goji for Health

In this age of modern technology, people seem to be reverting back to traditional remedies for their illnesses or to maintain good health. One traditional remedy that has long been used by the Chinese and Indians is the Goji berry. I recall my grandmother always boiling it in soups and telling us to eat it as it was supposed to be good for our eyes and health. Today, research has proven that Goji Berries pack a power punch of anti-oxidants and vitamins needed to fight the free radicals to maintain good health and keep away degenerative diseases.

It’s widely available now in all kinds of forms, from berries to juices and tablets to make it easy for people to take them. The juice is said to be pleasant tasting and nice to drink, especially if drunk cold on a hot summer’s day plus unlike sweetened drinks, it provides a boost of vitamins while cooling you down. It’s a great way to maintain good health with a tried and true traditional health remedy.

Indian Food

I think I'm allergic to the spices in Indian food. I've noticed that I always end up with a lot of air in my stomach, indigestion and a really uncomfortable feeling everytime I've eaten Indian. I've been told that drinking "rasam", the sour soup that accompanies most Indian meals, or chewing on cardomom pods after the meal would help digest the food. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work on me. I think I'd better stay away Indian for a while as much as I love their papadum!

Sunny Shades

There’s a huge market for replica sunglasses. Every market in Asia seems to carry all kinds of designer brands for a fraction of the price. I’ve seen Guccis and Chanels in Petaling Street and Bangkok. I guess there will always be a demand for trendy and fashionable Sunglasses without the expensive designer price tag. It’s a great way to look fashionable without having to shell out lots of money for the designer name. Traders are equally happy as there’s a huge profit margin to be gained from selling these as they usually obtain it at very cheap prices.

Companies like CTS Wholesale Sunglasses which specialize in Wholesale Sunglasses at great discount prices provide all kinds of replica sunglasses to traders everywhere. They even provide the authentic looking designer packaging so you can take home your sunnies in a nice and trendy case! They’re even attentive enough not to put their name on the box so your competitors wouldn’t know where the source of your sunglasses is coming from. So if you’ve been looking into the sunglasses business, contact CTS to find out more!

Porridge in DU

I had dinner there last night. It's a Teochew porridge place where there are a variety of dishes to choose from to go with steaming hot bowls of porridge. Personally I find Teochew porridge a rather expensive dish to eat as they tend to slaughter you when they count the prices. However, it still seems to be really popular. I guess it's because you get to choose what you want to eat and porridge is always a nice comfort food at the end of a long day.

Wardrobe Makeover

I’ve been getting quite tired of my wardrobe. Every morning, I open it and see the same shirts, skirts and pants hanging there. I’ve run out of means to mix and match my clothes already! It’s getting quite stressful. Maybe it’s time I change my wardrobe. However, changing a wardrobe involves spending lots of money! It may be a good idea to just wait for the sale.

Books at Sale

I went to the Big Bookshop sale the other night just for a quick look-see as I was around the area. As usual they had stacks and stacks of books everywhere. However, this time around, their novels seemed to be less compared to the last time. Their children books variety also seemed to have dropped until I found that they had moved the display around. I managed to find a treasury book by Roald Dahl, one of my favourite authors! :) Yippee...I love getting good bargains!

Learn a New Language

When I was in the Middle East, I met a man who was amazing. He could speak so many different languages simply be spending some time listening to the language! I always admire people who have a flair for languages but apparently now, you can learn easily with the Rosetta Stone Language Learning Software which I saw on the Internet. It’s a fantastic concept that helps you master almost any language through 250 hours of mastery instruction. It has a whole range of foreign languages you can learn from common ones such as Mandarin to some forgotten ones such as Persian! The step by step program it uses ensures that all aspects of the language are covered and provides constant exercises with tutorials for you to practice your new language. It’s a great tool and one I’ll consider buying!

Big Bookshop Sale

Hurrah! My favourite bookshop warehouse sale is back! :) I love the bargains I can get there. However, recently, I think due to popular demand, the prices of the books have gone up and they aren't as cheap as they used to be anymore. It's still cheaper than most bookstores though so I guess I'm not complaining!

Paddling in Gentings

I recall going to Gentings when I was little, before they started developing the place into the massive theme park it is today. Back then, they used to have a little lake with all kinds of boating services available, from paddle boats to rowing boats in all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs. I do recall going on a paddle boat with my sis which was hard work as you have to actually have to paddle hard to get the boat going. I wonder where that lake has gone now!

Out of Raisins

I eat my oats every morning with raisins. However, this morning I'd forgotten that I had polished off the last of the raisins yesterday and didn't buy a new tub to replace them. So I had to eat it with cranberries instead and it tasted a little funny. Maybe because cranberries have a bit of oil in them to prevent them from sticking. I find the oat breakfasts my dad prepares for me very good. It keeps me going till lunch.

Keep the Romance Alive

I was listening to the radio on my way to work and the DJs were providing tips on how to keep the romance alive in your relationship and marriage with romantic gestures or words. It’s easy to lose the romance, especially after you’ve been married a few years and a whole lot of other more important things such as children and financial obligations start getting in the way. But what many should realise is that keeping the romance alive isn’t all that difficult. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes to write a love letter or a few seconds to tell someone you love them. That little effort and little surprises will definitely keep the sparkle in your marriage going for a long time.

Starving for Dinner

I don't know why but I've been getting really hungry nowadays. I got home around 7+ last night after battling traffic and was starving! Luckily mom had cooked dinner and I couldn't wait to tuck in! Weird thing was I ate lots but still felt a bit empty. Then later last night, I ended up with a stomachache :( Maybe I was having a bit of gastric due to my light lunch.

Holiday in Hawaii

I love travel and watching travel programmes. When I was recently in a hotel room, I was watching a fantastic program which featured the beautiful beaches and azure waters of Hawaii. It was really beautiful to see the lush green forests which sloped down onto white sandy beaches with the sparkling waters lapping at the beach. There are lots of accommodation options available as well for the traveler. Some sites such as Hawaiian Vacation Kailua and Kauai Vacation Rentals provide a fantastic range of accommodation options which range from the affordable hotel rooms to the highly luxurious private villas. The program featured some of the villas which were really beautiful! I could definitely imagine myself staying there!

I also learnt that lots more information could be found at the Kauai Travel Blog which has lots of great features on what to do on this beautiful island. So if you’ve always wanted to unwind and aren’t sure where to go, head for Hawaii.

70+ emails!

I got back to the office after being away part of last week for some travel and found my email inbox overflowing with more than 70 emails! Plus more kept coming throughout the day yesterday. I managed to clear about half of them but I still have tonnes to go through today. It's crazy...I wonder how people cope when they're away for more than a week!

Beach Bumming in Hawaii

I was on my way back from Middle East this weekend when our plane got delayed in Thailand. Due to the delay, I got to know some of the fellow passengers quite well and we started chatting to each other. It was interesting knowing where some of them were on transit from or where they were headed as each traveler had their own story to tell. There was a family onboard as well who were on their way back from their holiday in beautiful Hawaii. Apparently their family friend owned a Hawaii beach house and had generously offered them the place to stay.

Thanks to great sites such as the Hawaii Travel Blog and Kauai Travel Info sites, they had a fantastic time beach bumming and sunning themselves on the tropical and beautiful beaches while indulging in really fresh and delicious seafood. The wife had lots of opportunities to do shopping while the children had a truly fun day frolicking in the ocean surf. It sounded like they had a great holiday and the tan and smiles they had weren’t even dampened by the overnight stopover we had to do!

La Manila Cafe

I went to this cafe for lunch yesterday with a colleague. It was actually quite full but I didn't think that the menu there was really great. It was basically Penang style hawker food in a cafe setting. My colleague had a char kuey teow which took a rather long time to come. I think it was because the chef fries each individual plate as they're ordered. I also didn't like the fact that the pie I ordered came microwaved. That made the pastry soggy and rubbery instead of crispy. I don't think I'll be eating there again.

Kona Beach

I’ve been traveling a lot and in terrible need of a vacation. I was surfing online recently and got really attracted to the beautiful beaches of Kona, Hawaii. It’s one of the most popular beaches on this tropical paradise and hugely popular with tourists. The waters there are pristine and really blue while the sand is so fine and white it’ll make just lying on the beach such a pleasurable experience! I also read the Kona Travel Blog and found that there is so much to do on the beautiful beach that you’ll never end up getting bored!

You’ll be equally spoilt for accommodation as there’s so much to choose from with Kona vacation rentals and Kauai Vacation Rentals. I was terribly tempted by their beautiful range of villas, beach homes and equally luxurious hotel rooms. It’s a pity Hawaii is such a long flight away! Otherwise I’ll be there every weekend if I could! Hehe

Foreign Visitors

We have some foreign visitors in town today from Central Asia. My guess is that we'll be entertaining them for dinner. However, I'm hoping to get out of it. I don't really like entertaining and making small talk, what more when they're all men. It's pretty uncomfortable being the only female in a group of men together with my boss!

Hawaii Paradise

Have you ever heard of home rentals? One of my friends who lived in Hawaii used to do that. She had a lovely home right on the beach within walking distance from the waves and would wake up to glorious sunrises glowing over the sparkling ocean. Her house got a little empty once her children had started leaving home so she decided to put her home up with Hawaiian Beach Rentals under their Hawaii home rentals. That way, tourists could get a genuine Hawaiian experience by staying in a Hawaiian home and being treated to the real aloha spirit.

She has almost fully dedicated her days to her tourist visitors and it pleases her greatly to provide them with all kinds of vacation information which she usually gets from the Kauai Travel Blog or Oahu Vacation Info sites. I think it’s a wonderful idea as it allows the locals an opportunity to open their homes to tourists and tourists a chance to really experience the local Hawaiian culture and warmth.

Lost Opportunities

I logged into one of my favourite advertisers today and was shocked that I had no longer any more opportunities from it. I believe it's due to the Google PR meltdown that recently happened. Finding that out was just so sad. Even big bloggers such as LilianChan had a reduced PR on her blogs. I don't think it's fair for Google to penalise bloggers who do paid posts.

Hawaii Delights

A friend was planning to head to Hawaii for her honeymoon. She had the most spectacular wedding here and was hoping to continue the romance in sunny and beautiful Hawaii. An avid beach bum and scuba diver, she had already started to comb the Internet to see what she could do in Hawaii. She decided to stay in Kauai due to their beautiful sparkling blue beaches and found a great blog called the Kauai Travel Blog which had an exhaustive list of What to Do in Kauai. When she showed me the list, I told her she’ll probably be too busy doing her scuba diving, beach bumming and shopping to even enjoy her honeymoon!

She also planned to stay in a beautiful villa on the beach such as those offered by Kauai vacation rentals. It had a whole range of accommodation options from hotels to chalets and romantic beach villas which she chose to opt for. Hopefully she has a lovely honeymoon!

Google PR Meltdown

I came back from my trip last week to find that there had been a Google PR shakeup. That resulted in my blogspots being dropped really low all the way down to a 0 PR for one! :( That only means one thing...that my opportunities to do paid posts on it has probably disappeared! This is so sad :( There goes my alternative source of income, especially since i'm trying my best not to mess up my personal dotcom blog!

UK Mortgages

I think buying a house is the most expensive and stressful thing you would ever do in your life. It’s never easy to make the right decision about the best developer to buy from or what type of home to buy from the huge range of condos and landed properties out there. However, equally difficult to the home shopping process is the mortgage shopping process. There are so many offers out there from financial institutions and banks all over the country so how will you know what’s best for you? It’s always advisable to contact reliable and independent financial advisors to learn everything about Mortgages UK so you can make the best decision.

Lost a Weekend

I lost a weekend due to a delay by Gulf Air which saw me spending a night in Hat Yai in a terrible hotel! It was a really traumatic experience as we were all tired and longing to be home only to be told that we had to do a stopover in Hat Yai due to some airplane technical problems. I guess I should be thankful I'm back safely in one piece instead!

Big Blue Yonder

I used to hear a lot about Blackpool from my siblings who studied in the UK. A friend visited Blackpool recently and told me how much fun it was. It had all kinds of crazy amusement parks and rides, yummy fish and chips with the all famous English mushy peas and the very special item that’s synonymous to Blackpool – Blackpool rock. He stayed in one of the nice Blackpool Hotels in that area that caters to the hordes of tourists who drop by every summer. He told me he was surprised that the hotel was so luxurious with much bigger rooms for a cheaper price compared to expensive London. Perhaps I should add Blackpool to my UK itinerary next year!

Rich State

I just got back from the Middle East last weekend. It was a truly amazing place. Amazing because there was so much concentration of wealth in just one small region. The people there are all really wealthy to the point where they can just throw their money around. Everywhere screams branded and expensive goods and not one person there carries a non branded handbag! Truly an eye-opener!

Romantic french beds

I met a friend for dinner recently and she was telling us that she had just bought a new home with her boyfriend and was looking at furnishing it up nicely. It so happened that we were in the mall at that time and decided to take a little detour to check out bed shops. Some of them had really beautiful beds which came with a very expensive price tag. However, none of them had a similar design to this really gorgeous French Beds I saw on a site. I advised her to check that site up instead to see if she could find her dream bed. Hopefully she finds something she likes!

Happy Birthday

It's my sis birthday so Happy Birthday, girl! Am sure you had a great one though I couldn't be there to celebrate it with you! Never mind, we'll celebrate when I'm back ok?!

Amusement park rides in Blackpool

I’m not one for Amusement Parks although my sis loves them. I’m scared stiff of thrill rides like roller coasters. But a friend went to Blackpool recently and I’m told that in Blackpool is an awesome amusement park, which is not to be missed.



Among the attractions is a huge roller coaster called the Pepsi Max which sis says is really great fun but I don’t really believe her. I’d probably get on it and puke my guts out. Then again, I’m really not one for roller coaster rides. I also got a ton of Blackpool rock from my friend. Its fun to look at but too sweet for my tastes!

Off on a jet plane

I'm off on a jet plane again, winging my way on a business trip. Where it takes me no one knows. Business trips are over rated when you are a kuchi rat like I am. You end up waiting with the masses instead of in a business lounge. The plus point is that I have wifi so here I am! Whee!

Play Poker Online

Gambling isn’t a very good past time and shouldn’t really be encouraged. However, there are some people who are really hooked on gambling and would make weekly trips up to the local casino here in the highlands which are easily an hour’s drive away. Some take gambling even one step over and choose to do it in the comfort of their own home with online poker games!

I used to wonder how they could know which were the best online casinos to visit. Then I found out that there were lots of great programmes around like Pro360 which takes out the headache of searching for the best online casinos. It’s detailed reviews on all the best online casinos means that intrepid gamblers can just sign in, read the honest and excellent reviews and dive straight into their game! Online casinos provide a seamless betting as players can play with almost any currency across the world and in every time zone. So if you love poker, you have to check out Pro360 to learn if you’ve been playing on the best sites all along!

Help for Sub-prime Customers

Since the recent sub-prime issue in the US, consumers with bad credit have been suffering greatly. All the banks and financial institutions will not touch any of these consumers now with a bargepole and wouldn’t dare provide them with any more lending facilities. This works out quite badly for poor credit consumers as they would find credit cards and all loans closed off to them. Luckily, there is help in the form of BadCreditOffers.com which provides an avenue for these consumers to compare the various credit offers from major providers. That way, these bad credit can at least find their feet again and slowly rebuild their credit standing.

Teak for Your Patio

Do you love wood and gardening? How would you like to create a beautiful Balinese styled garden for less or redecorate your patio with gorgeous furniture at a great price? If you’ve been looking for the perfect patio or garden furniture, look no further as you can now get teak garden furniture at great prices! Simply surf over to teakwoodpatiofurniture.com to chose from a whole range of beautiful furniture for your garden or patio. You’ll be spoilt for choice at the variety they have to offer, from teak benches to even teak lounges, you can decorate your garden with this beautiful and hardy furniture pieces.

Take advantage of their great sale prices and rest assured that your teak tables come only from sustainable forests so your furniture isn’t hurting the environment. Teak is a strong hardy wood and will last you for many years on so do invest in a beautiful garden or patio set now. You wouldn’t regret it!

Farewell Lunch Cancelled

I had a meeting around lunch time yesterday and when I came down, I found that the proposed farewell lunch for my colleague didn't materialise. It was quite surprising as I thought the secretaries were planning something. Maybe they're planning to do it today instead.

Radios Truckers Use

Did you ever wonder what people used before handphones? Some of them used to use CBRadios or Citizen’s Band radio. These radios are a relatively short range radio that is often used in the construction or transportation industry. Truckers previously used them as a method of communication between their fellow truckers to warn them of speed traips or police road blocks ahead. They still use them today as they are free unlike a handphone which incurs a charge each time a call is made. So while the age of the handphones may have arrived, there is still a place for alternative forms of communication such as CB Radios.

Oats for Breakfast

Dad usually makes our oats for breakfast so this morning I tried making my own myself as he had gone back. I tried using his recipe and guess what? It was so thick that my spoon couldn't move! :P So I had to add more water to the thick concoction and managed to spoon it down. It's now sitting in my tummy like a little lump of rock!

Printer Catridges

We do lots of printing in our office especially lots of presentations and documents in colour. This often results in our printer cartridges running out very quickly and more often than not, the replacements are either always late or no one seems to know what sort of cartridges to buy. Luckily with Cartridge Finder, finding the correct cartridge is no longer a problem as their interface makes it easy to find cartridges for all kinds of printers. Find out more in their press release below!

CartridgeFinder.com has an easy to use interface that makes it simple to figure
out which cartridges are required for more than 10,000 different models of
printer, copier, and fax machines.

The site also checks
PriceGrabber.com's merchant listings to find you the best price on the product
you need.

Another Trip?

I just heard that we may be having to go to the Middle East tonight on a late night flight. Sigh...talk about a last minute notice! As of now, nothing's been confirmed yet and I'll know only when I get my ticket. The flight path is looking quite tiring and scary though :(

Working From Home

I was recently chatting to a friend who had given birth to a new baby. She was truly enjoying her new promotion to motherhood and told me she wished she had the option of staying home with her baby instead of going back to work. It seems like most women now would prefer that option simply because many of them don’t trust foreign help or babysitters anymore. I came across a jewelry site recently that offered work at home opportunities for women who have interest in making or designing jewelry. Maybe I should send her that site information.

Farewell Lunch

We'll be going for a farewell lunch for a colleague today. He was the last person I thought who will be throwing in his resignation letter but he has for much greener pastures. I wonder what that says for the rest of us. There's a whole huge world out there to be explored if we dare.

Non Sporty Me

Do you understand American football? I don’t! I once sat through an entire Tennessee football match wondering what was going on. All I could see was some very violent looking guys running across the field and whacking each other just to get a small oval ball! Then again, I’m not much of a sporty person and can’t even understand the simple game of football or tennis so to me, American football’s rocket science! :P

Exercise

I'm also trying to step up my exercise. I briefly entertained the thought of swimming yesterday evening but the thought of the freezing water was enough to make me reconsider it! I need to start going to the gym as well but don't have any sports shoes and am waiting for the next sale to get new ones. Haha...I'm really good at coming up with excuses :P

Land Available

When we were in Cherating, we kept seeing lots of signs for land for sale around the area. It seemed like land there was plentiful although I wasn’t sure what prices they were selling them at. It reminded me of a company here who deals in selling land in the UK. I always thought they were a bit of scam but someone told me that they’re actually quite genuine. I still have my reservations though especially since buying land involves large sums of money and in this age and time where everyone seems to be out to cheat others, it always pays to be careful rather than sorry.

Diet

I've been putting on weight and you know it's a terribly sign when your clothes aren't as comfortable as they were when you bought them. So after the pig out last weekend in Cherating, I'm back on a diet. I'm trying to watch what I eat and not snack too much or choose bad food. Perhaps it's time to go back to my Uni days where I used to be so paranoid about everything I ate!

Get Rid of Mites

A friend of mine did an allergy test and found that he was highly sensitive to bed mites and dust. That was what that constantly caused his eczema to flare and become worse day to day. His doctor advised him to get a powerful and good vacuum cleaner such as the Miele vacuum which is able to suck up the bed mites from the mattress and bedding and kill them. It is also supposed to do a fantastic job of cleaning dust and allergens from the house. It’s perfect if you have a baby or hyper sensitive skin.

Soba or Instant Noodles

I'll be on my own for dinner tonight and thought of whipping up a quick meal for myself. I can't decide between soba noodles or my MSG-free Koka instant noodles which I love. I found a tube of egg tofu in the fridge and some vegetables. So maybe I'll just make a quick and simple dinner to be eaten in front of the telly! :) So which should it be? Soba or instant noodles?!

Ace Hardware

The other day I dropped by Ace Hardware with the siblings to pick up something. It’s a very guys store with big power drills, grass cutter machines and sophisticated tools like the Ingersoll Rand air tools. However, they do seem to cater a little to the womenfolk by having a good section with storage containers from Japan. I managed to pick up some nice little containers that would be prefect for bringing lunch to work as I’ve been considering doing that as a healthier alternative to the outside food. I should put them to some good use soon.

Rainy Morning

It was a rainy morning this morning. I thought I heard the rain pattering on the windows but I wasn't sure. When I woke up, my mom told me that the balcony door wasn't closed last night so the rain had actually come in! Hopefully the curtains weren't too wet :p I drove to work in a drizzle too. Luckily I didn't wash my car yesterday otherwise I'll be kicking myself!

Christmas Ideas

Christmas is just a couple of months away and I still don’t have any ideas what to get for Christmas. It’s a rather stressful time of the year although I do try to do my gift buying throughout the year so I’m not caught unprepared and end up buying lousy gifts that people will not appreciate. While I was surfing online, I came across a really good christmas gift idea which involved putting a nice photograph on a canvas to be hung up on the wall. It’s a great gift for parents, grandparents or your loved one to see a memorable and lovely photograph immortalized on a piece of canvas to be displayed. I think it’s something worth looking into!

Still on Fillers

I'm still writing my fillers and I think I have 5 more to go! Woah...how am I going to find enough things to write about just to meet PPP's requirements?! Gotta squeeze out my brain juice to find enough to talk about for 5 more fillers!

Ban Errant Developers

On my way to work this morning, I heard an advertisement on the radio encouraging people to visit the coming Property Fair to purchase a piece of real estate. It gave lots of reasons why people should purchase real estate now especially since the Government had abolished stamp duty tax on resale of properties and with the competitive interest rates from banks and financial institutions. While it’s good to have fairs to allow people to view projects by developers under one roof, I think it’s equally important to ensure that errant and dishonest developers are not using those fairs as a platform to cheat homebuyers out of their hard earned money. Some developers are really unscrupulous and well known in the industry for delivering sub-standard properties or simply abandoning their projects. Lots of young people who aren’t savvy about the construction industry have been caught by this developer and I think it’s really unfair that the Government isn’t doing anything about it.

Nice Breakfast

I woke up this morning and saw that my parents had prepared some breakfast before they left for home. My dad had made us each a bowl of thick oats to bring down our cholesterol and some soft boiled eggs. I don't like soft boiled eggs so I opted not to have any. I also found that Mom had filled up our water bottles which was such a nice gesture! It's so nice waking up to find things have already been done for you! :) I could get used to this!

Maine Clam Chowder

I’ve always read about how Maine is famous for their lobsters, crayfish and yummy fish and chips. It’s also the playground for many rich and illustrious families in New England whose weekend of fun often involves staying in a posh and luxurious Maine bed and breakfast or their family stately country home while digging for clams in their private yacht and tucking into homemade clam chowder after that! I’m definitely not in the league but someday I do hope to visit Maine and taste the legendary clam chowder of that area.

Monday Morning

It's the start of the week again. I actually set my alarm clock earlier this morning, hoping to catch some opportunities but I couldn't wake up when it went off and opted to go back to bed. It's better I catch up on sleep first for the week ahead. I think it was also because I was up till late reading this really funny book. Anyway the week has started again and it's looking like a busy week ahead.

Earning Some Extras

I work near a market research company called Synovate. A few friends of mine have friends working inside there and they always send me emails whenever the company is looking for volunteers to help them test a new product or foodstuff. Best of all, they do pay a little token sum which isn’t too bad for half hour of your time! The last time I went there, I was given 3 little cups of isotonic drinks to try, filled out a form with my opinion, had a short interview session on which I thought was the best and voila, I was paid RM30 for my efforts! It’s not too bad at all! Plus you get to actually try stuff which aren’t available in the market yet!

Lots of Ops

I had a slew of opportunities from one of the best advertisers and while it was fantastic to see so many, it also meant that I'll need to do lots of fillers before and after each post! Sometimes doing fillers can end up really tiring which is why I end up with such inane posts! :P But oh well, since PPP requires it, might as well follow their instructions. I don't want to end up getting banned or benched.

Power of Advertising

The power of advertisting is something that shouldn’t be underestimated. It targets some of the most vulnerable target groups such as impressionable children or impulsive women. Some of the most powerful advertisements are those featuring fast food ads which often feature a little free toy which comes with the child’s meal. That usually results in children clamouring their parents for a toy as seen on tv regardless of the price or nutritional content of the fast food. So it’s always very important to have self control and to teach your children wisely to be not so easily fooled by advertisements.

Food in Cherating

We didn't get to eat much of the outside food while we were in Cherating as everything was catered for. Our first lunch was really horrible and we thought the food would be really bad. However, they did a BBQ for dinner that wasn't too bad except that there didn't seem to be enough food to go around and some people who wanted seconds for satay and grilled fish were turned away as there was no more to be had! The breakfast was the best spread to me, with nasi lemak, an egg station and a roti canai station. The cook manning the egg station was really bad and used so much oil that some of his eggs weren't edible until we told him to cut down on the oil! I don't understand why these cooks are always so oil happy!

Condo Mail Room

I once visited a friend’s condo and was really surprised to see that their mailboxes were out in the open despite it being a medium cost condo. The unsightly view of the mailboxes at the ground floor of the building where the entrance was made it look really cheap. Luckily our condo had a proper mailbox room built at the basement with cbu mailboxes for each unit. That way, at least people could check their mail in private and visitors to the condo aren’t greeted by the unsightly sight of mailboxes when they arrive.

Eastern Pavilion

The Holiday Villa hotel had a swanky area called the Eastern Pavilion which promised individual villas with their own pool and jacuzzi. We sneaked in to take a look and I was quite impressed by the reception area. Although it was small, it had a very soothing feeling with large pots of water filled with fresh flowers all around. However, when I went inside to take a look, I heard lots of screaming and shouting coming from one of the villas with lots of children hurling themselves into the private pool. Imagine if someone was here for their honeymoon and had the misfortune to have their entire holiday disrupted by screaming children?! They should take a leaf from the Sunway villas ans discourage young boisterous children for the privacy and peace of the other guests!

Silk Trees For The Office

My office has a contract with a tree rental service and every Monday, the workers of that company will bring in fresh and green trees to replace those that have been in the office for the week. In a way, it is rather hassle free as it means that no one will need to have the responsibility of watering the tree in the office or pruning the dead leaves. However, when I was recently in the client’s office, I noticed that they had some silk trees instead of live ones in their reception area. The silk trees were very realistic looking and probably cost less than the tree rental service that we use. Perhaps I should suggest that our HR change to silk trees instead too.

Holiday Villa Cherating

We stayed in Holiday Villa Cherating while we were there. It didn't look too bad from the outside with Balinese themed designs and wide sprawling grounds. However the rooms were a little old and musty. I was really impressed by their grounds. They had a large grassy area that headed off to the private beach and sea while the hotel grounds had the most number of swimming pools I had ever seen - easily 3 to 4 pools in total for different areas! Kids would really love it there!

Birthday Gift

I’ve been trying to think of a great birthday gift for a friend who loves music and concerts. Whilst surfing on the Net, I found a great site that offered Van Halen tickets to their latest concert. The site allowed online booking and payment by Paypal so it was really easy to purchase the tickets. I remember him mentioning once that he would simply love the chance to see them live in concert so hopefully he likes this gift!

Back from Cherating

We just got back from a weekend trip to Cherating. The drive there wasn't too bad but the road signs were really bad! So many times, we found ourselves headed off into the wrong direction and had to make several U-turns to reach our resort. Luckily dad had a map with him. I don't understand why our road signs can't be better. Even the signs to KL on the way back weren't clear and at one point we weren't sure if we were headed in the right direction at all until we finally saw another sign several km later. Imagine if I were a foreign tourist! I'll be hopelessly lost!

Mortgage Help

When I first signed up for my housing mortgage, the market out there was mind-boggling indeed with so many mortgage packages being offered. Some of my friends also had lots of advice on mortgage rates as some of them had gotten their mortgages at higher interest rates and had to seek for remortgages at a later stage when the overall interest rates came down. I was quite lucky as I went into the mortgage market at a time when interest rates were relatively lower due to the recent economic crisis. That way, I managed to lock in my personal loans at a more affordable rate for the tenure of my loan for 30 years. Sometimes, when getting mortgages, you always need a little bit of luck, some research and good timing.

Chicken Rice Day

I really had a chicken rice filled day today. I met sis for lunch and we decided to go for the famous chicken rice near Chinatown. So we hopped over and to our disappointment, they were out of their delicious leung fan (chin chau) drink which comes in a bowl! Nevertheless, we tucked into a good chicken rice lunch with my favourite sour vegetables.

When we went home, I found that mom had brought up chicken rice and since dad wasn't home yet, she decided to heat it up for dinner. So I had chicken rice yet again! Albeit it was a different style and the rice of both tasted rather different. I didn't quite mind though. I do get cravings for chicken rice every now and then.

Loan Comparison

You know you’re an adult when you have to take your very first loan. I did it several years ago when I signed up for a housing loan to purchase a new property. It was a really stressful process and mind-boggling too as there were so many banks on the market pushing their loans to customers at various interest rates and with all kinds of packages. There were unsecured loans and special homeowner loans at special rates for purchasers who purchased the house with that particular developer. If I learnt anything from that process, it was to Compare loans from various banks and to try to understand what the actual terms are behind their glossy marketing façade.

Indian Food Doesn't Agree

I skived yoga last night :p And met the sibs for dinner at Annalakshmi, an Indian vegetarian restaurant that had a "pay what you want" concept as it was actually run by a charitable organization. I had a craving for their papadum which is really good. However, when I came back last night, my tummy wasn't feeling too good and ditto this morning. I think Indian food doesn't agree too well with me due to the spices.

One Stop Wedding Planning Site

It’s been a really busy year of weddings! Recently when a good friend got married, she roped us in to help her with her wedding preparations. It was hard work but lots of fun in trying to find the perfect unique, personalized wedding gifts for her to give out to her guests as wedding favours. Luckily, we managed to find a site called WeddingShowerGifts that had the answer to whatever we were looking for! They had a whole range of unique wedding gifts and wedding accessories which the bride and groom could personalize for their guests as a lovely reminder of their special day which ranged from photo quilts to even signature platters which gave a lovely alternative to guestbooks. For the bride, we found lots of beautiful and unique bridal accessories to make her special day perfect. From elegant wedding tiaras to unique Swavroski crystal bouquets, our friend had a really hard time choosing from their fantastic range! As a little surprise, we decided to purchase some interesting custom wedding cake toppers for her which even allowed us to add their pampered pooch! Needless to say, the cake topper was the highlight of the wedding dinner and she truly loved it! I was really happy to find this site. Now I know where to start recommending my friends to when they’re planning for their wedding!

*This is a sponsored review*

Staying up

It's getting rather tiring staying up every night as I wake up early in the mornings as well to get ready for work. In the past few days, I've been really tired and feeling so sleepy at work. I almost fell asleep at a conference call today! This is really quite bad. Maybe I should just have an early night tonight and recharge some of those batteries.

Get A Good Truck Accident Lawyer

It’s scary sometimes to see the accident rates on the highways especially during festive seasons. Sometimes when I see the reckless way the bus drivers and truck drivers drive their vehicles I’m really not surprised why those accidents happen. In fact, some of them actually like to bully smaller cars especially when travelling fast on the highways. Just the other night, my journey home was held up by more than half an hour simply because a truck had overturned and its container had fallen off and was blocking the entire road! Everyone had to wait for the police to clear the road and to divert traffic to the clear lane.

As I drove home, I wondered who would represent those truck drivers who got involved in accidents where they may be an innocent party. It turns out that there are Truck Accident Lawyers California who have been specializing in truck accident cases for over 20 years already. They represent their clients who mainly are truck drivers who may have been involved in accidents, whether of their own doing or not and who could be facing serious legal consequences. There’s definitely a place for a Truck Accident Lawyer in our country, especially with the high accident rates!

Lost my Scrabble Touch

I used to play Scrabble for my school but I haven't played it for a very long time already. Recently, I installed the Scrabble function in my Facebook and was so upset to see myself losing miserably to my siblings and friends! I've lost my Scrabble touch! Suddenly I've become really bad at the game! I wonder why. I think it's time to start practising again.

Learn to Makeup

I only started learning how to make up several years after I started working. I never realised how much fun it was playing around with different colours and combinations to suit my skin best. Sometimes I think being a makeup artist would be so much fun as opposed to my boring desk job. However, I recently found a great online makeup artist school where I can actually learn professional makeup from! While I’ll love to be able to professionally makeup my own face for work and functions, the ability to do professional makeup could actually give me an opportunity to do something else on the side!

Lost PPP Ops

I logged on to PPP last night and was really happy to see some ops that started coming out quite early, around 10pm. I saw a big one and quickly clicked on it, entered the code and was really happy to find that it was accepted. However, when I had done my post and tried to submit it, I got an error message from PPP telling me that I hadn't reserved the ops! I was really upset and tried taking it again but it was all gone by then. I don't know why this happens! :(

Life Threatening Disease

I always thought that all babies tended to be born a little jaundiced. In fact, a friend who recently gave birth had to leave her baby in the hospital for several days so his jaundice could be treated before she could bring him home. While I thought it was just a normal thing babies had, I never knew that it could develop into Kernicterus, a rare brain damage disease that could develop if your baby isn’t promptly treated by the hospital for jaundice.

While jaundice is something most babies go through, Kernicterus is something arising from medical malpractice and has serious impacts on both you and your child as your child will likely require lifetime care and support after that. Presently, there are lawyers who specialise in these forms of legal suits if your baby develops Kernicterus under the inadequate care of a doctor. In fact, there was a huge 5 million dollar settlement won recently against a doctor that failed to do the necessary treatment for a jaundiced baby that would have prevented this serious disease. It’s scary especially in hospitals where doctors are overworked but at least there’s legal remedy for parents to take.

Sushi King

Bro and I went there for dinner last night as it was fast and easy. Just take food off the revolving belt. Anyway I think the servers there must have been all half asleep. They forgot to charge us for the green tea and one of the beige plates which was RM3! It's amazing too to see the number of people still coming in although it was almost 10pm already! I wonder what they're eating? Sushi for supper?

Settlements

I recently heard that a friend of mine was undergoing some financial problems. He had to take a paycut at his job and was struggling to meet his financial commitments on his house and car. When I met up with him, I asked if he was having trouble meeting his insurance premiums as I had heard that it is dangerous to allow your policy to lapse as you will end up getting nothing from it despite having made all those premium payments earlier on. Luckily for him, he said he managed to find an alternative in the form of Life Settlements where he was paid a lump sum payment when he terminated his policy before its due date. The lump sum they paid out was good enough to help him meet his financial commitments for the next few months and to help him get a new better paying job. He said he wasn’t too concerned about having to make Life Settlements on his policy as he was still young and could afford a new policy once his job is more settled.

Late Dinner

I had a terribly late dinner just now although I was starving. After work, I met up with a unit trust consultant to understand how to better invest my money. Her proposals seemed pretty interesting and I think we're thinking of putting some money in it. That way, I can probably earn more than the fixed deposit rates in a safer way than equities. I sometimes admire people who know so much about the market. I think I should start reading up a whole lot more too.

All Under One Roof

I used to work in a construction company and used to listen to the engineers woes in finding the best suppliers to supply them their building materials at the best costs and in the fastest turnaround time. It was always a huge task for the Purchasing Manager as she often had to run all over to find suitable suppliers for bricks, cement, finishing and all the other building materials. It’s a pity they didn’t know about BuilderElements.com then. It is one of the best building materials home improvement sites that offers contractors, developers, architects and even interior designers everything they want under one roof! It even has the capacity to cater for small time buyers such as home owners interested in doing their own DIY.

Its unique business model allows professional contractors or developers to purchase everything they need from the top to the bottom of the house and exterior to interior, all at the same time. They will then package all the products into one shipment to be shipped directly to the site. This saves so much time and hassle instead of running around and calling various companies. This allows the contractor to manage his stock items easily since all his material is arriving from one source which ends up saving the developer and contractor lots of money! I should recommend BuilderElements.com to them the next time there is a large project!

Stress

I had a session with the big boss as my colleague who normally deals with him is away on maternity leave. I dislike those sessions as they often leave me wrung out and highly stressed, mainly because I don't normally deal with him and so am not used to his style. Working life is never easy!

Sensitive Hard Drive

Sometimes technology is good but other times it can actually work against you. I had an external hard drive made by a reliable company that I was using to store my information on. However, when I went on a business trip, I was aghast to find that I couldn’t use it! It was a real inconvenience especially since I had lots of things to download. Luckily I had a little pen drive which managed to do the job. I got it checked out when I came back and found that it is very sensitive and that moving it around would sometimes dislodge the connection, hence rendering it useless. I think I’ll stick to pen drives for now!

Holiday Mood

It seems like most people are still on holiday. The mall was swarming with people and the traffic seemed pretty clear. Since Monday was a public holiday, I guess most people opted to extend their holidays to Tuesday or Wednesday since the school holidays are still on. In a way, that actually helps to avoid getting caught in the rush back to the city last Monday. A colleague took more than 7 hours just to return home from Singapore!

Safer on a Stand

I’ve always like those swanky plasma TVs that hang on the wall. It saves up so much space and gives a really nice elegant feel to the room. However, when we got ours, Dad was rather worried about the TV dropping and asked us to look for one with a plasma stand instead. It seems like lots of houses do have that concern too as there are quite a number of brands with stands instead of a hanging option. I guess for peace of mind, it’s better to get a stand. That way you’ll avoid a potentially expensive accident!

The Attic

I recently went to a little bar called The Attic which had lots of up and coming singers who would come in to croon a number or two. They had a nice little cosy set up with easy couches around for you to throw yourself on with your friends or if you’re feeling anti-social, a bar counter with bar stools where you can nurse your drinks in silence while listening to the music. It’s a great little bar and a nice place for a tête-à-tête after work with some good friends or just by yourself. Go give it a try!

Learn Poker!

I don’t really play card games and never quite understood the concept of card games such as Poker, Blackjack or Gin Rummy. However, one of my friends is a real card game fan and would often spend her Chinese New Year holidays and holidays playing card games with her friends and family. Once when I watched her, I couldn’t help but be greatly impressed by her skill in dealing her hand and her shrewdness in playing her poker game. Curious as to where she learnt how to play so well, she told me she actually picked up lots of poker skills from the Online Poker Rooms at http://www.onlinepokerexperts.com/. It’s a site that has all the information you’ll need to know about Poker and the Online Poker game! They offer lots of great tips and information on how to play in the top five Online Poker Rooms.

They even give little summaries on each poker room so you’ll be able to see which suits you best. Their guides are an excellent help for everyone, whether novice or expert players as it gives comprehensive and detailed instructions on how to play and win at this popular card game. It’s a great site and a perfect way for newbies such as me to learn how to play and win at poker! So look out for a new Poker Champ soon!

Dead Office

I'm the only one in my office this morning. It's amazing! I think everyone else must have taken extended leave to enjoy the festivities a little more. I've never been the only one in the office before! Hehe...the roads were really clear this morning too. I do like times like this!

Read Before Travelling

I often travel as an independent traveller and absolutely hate guided tours. As a result, I often have to spend quite a bit of time on research and reading up online reviews before I travel just to get the down and dirty on the place by actual travellers or read their recommendations on restaurants or places I should visit. One of my favourite sites is Trustedplaces.com, a great community website that brings together reviews of places, restaurants, tips and tricks by travellers all over the world. I can browse them for free or simply join as a member and start contributing my opinions too.

As I’m planning a trip to London next year, one of their sections featuring some of the best London restaurants really caught my eye. They had restaurants featured by the various cuisines available with star ratings and genuine reviews by travellers who had eaten there. Simply browsing through was enough to make me hungry and to help me select which london restaurant I should go to in my limited time there! Services like these help my maximise my time in a place and I wouldn’t travel without consulting Trustedplaces.com first!

Haven't Blogged

I haven't been blogging for a while and was surprised when I logged into my account and found that my last entries were a week ago! I guess I just fell off the blogging wagon for a while when I got busy at work and figured I didn't have much to say. Blogging's like that sometimes. When I have nothing to blog, I go for long periods of time without blogging but at times, I have a post almost everyday! I should space it out a bit.

Mint Credit Cards

Don’t you love the convenience of a credit card? It allows so many flexibilities without having to use actual cash all around the world. When I was in UK last month, I met up with my good friend and we went out shopping together. He was using this new credit card issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland under their business name MINT. He told me they were one of the best cards around as they gave lots of fantastic offers.

They offered 0% interest on balance transfers until 1 December 2008, 0% interest on purchases until 1 May 2008 and even 0% on balances transferred from other cards until 1 August 2009! He, being the really smart accountant, had gotten rid of all his old cards and was using MINT due to their great benefits. Unlike some other companies, they even offer subsidiary cards absolutely free so you can share the great MINT benefits with a friend or a partner. They have lots of great offers for travel, leisure and prize draws. When you add all that with their worldwide acceptance and 24 hour customer service, you’ll love MINT too!

Back to Work

Both figuratively and literally! I took a break from paid posts during my 4 day holiday and really bummed without the stress of my normal work and side income! It felt good to bum but I did miss grabbing my paid posts or whatever that happens to sail my way. Though it's small, it does add up and hopefully my work momentum comes back soon!

Cash Advances Provided

I’ve always been lucky to have enough money to see me through my monthly financial obligations. However, in my previous job, there were some who weren’t so lucky and sometimes had to rely on Payday Advance services to help them see each paycheck through. That way, at least they could meet their financial obligations without paying huge interest rates on their credit cards or monthly installments. I used to feel quite sorry for them whenever the salary was banked in late as a day or two could really make a difference for them.

Crap Connection

I don't understand why the connection seems to be so slow recently. It was really good some time back with fast speeds and I was able to get ops on PPP with it. However, this morning, I had the chance to take a $15 op but the stupid connection wouldn't allow me to! ARGH! Probably because bro's downloading something? Does downloading slow up the connection?!

Coupon Shopping

Don’t you love online shopping? For me, I love how I can get stuff online which I can’t get in the stores here and at great deals, thanks to online discount coupons. I recently came across some fantastic HP deals using HP coupons which would be perfect if I was intending to buy a computer. But I was a lot more interested in household stuff and found lots of deals at Overstock. Great Overstock coupons could get me 59% savings on a Cuisinart Coffee Maker or 78% discount on an iPod Car Charger! Woohoo! Perfect for Christmas!

End of Holidays

It's the end of a lovely 4 day break, thanks to the Raya holidays. I've been pigging out, sleeping and generally bumming and the days have sped past despite my complaining that I'm wasting 4 good days by not going anywhere! So it's back to waking up early again and hoping to catch some paid posts before I head off to work! :)

Christmas Lights

I spent last Christmas in Muar with J’s family. I’d never really celebrated Christmas much before save some parties my relatives had. So the Christmas tree, christmas lights and presents concept was something rather new to me but equally enjoyable as it was something I’ve always read about not never really had the opportunity to experience till recently. I asked their family where their led christmas lights came from as it was really pretty wound all around the tree, blinking away in colourful splendour throughout the night.

I was told that J’s siblings managed to find some really nice but cheap Christmas Lights at 1000bulbs.com, an online store specialising in all kinds of bulbs for your everyday or holiday use. They had a huge range of bulbs which ranged from all kinds of pretty designs such as the conventional bud like bulbs to beautiful icicle light strings which looked simply gorgeous on the Christmas tree. They even had lighted window hangers you could mount at your window as a cute little decoration and little Christmas inspired vintage lights you could use instead of your normal bulbs. The designs were all so cute and Christmassy that I can’t wait to have a Christmas tree of my own to decorate!

Overslept

We were supposed to wake up early this morning to go for a long walk in the park to work off that piggy meal last night. Unfortunately I went back to sleep again after waking up at 6am and slept all the way to 10am! So much for walking! I think I'd better make sure I go swimming this evening. I've been feeling so fat!

Choice Beds

Everyone knows that a good bed is essential for a good night’s rest so you can start the next day refreshed and energized. If you’ve been hunting around for beds and disappointed with the choice of beds out there, come surf at the site of this Furniture Dealer Phoenix who specializes in beds. They have a huge range of Queen Beds, King Beds and an interesting Sleigh Bed which is distinctive with its strong lines and quality wood. You wouldn’t be disappointed with the fantastic choice available here at all! So here’s to finding your perfect bed!

Piggy Meal

I pigged out last night with my siblings at Euro Deli. It's a lovely pork restaurant which specialises in German pork knuckle and other pork dishes! We ordered a pork knuckle, pork ribs, roast pork salad (which was really good) and a trio of mixed sausauges. We also tried a famous German dish called spatkle which are flour dumplings fried with bacon. All washed down with German beer :) It was a terribly sinful meal!

Beautiful Modern Barcelona Chair

I recently went to a friend’s house when she had a housewarming party. Her husband is a famous architect so it was no surprise that their house was filled with all kinds of interesting and modern designer furniture. One of my favourites was a Barcelona Chair proudly displayed in their living room. Her husband told me that it is a signature piece specially designed by the famous Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe for the Barcelona World Fair of 1929. It is a very popular chair amongst architects and according to him, many young architects would actually scrimp and save just to own a Barcelona chair! Apparently even TV shows and programmes have sometimes used it on their sets of modern furniture. It was a really comfortable chair that comes with a nice little ottoman to rest your feet on. Its simple chrome and leather finishings give a really lovely modern touch to any home. It’s amazing that its classical design has never gone out of style since 1929 and even people today are still buying the Barcelona chair to proudly display in their homes. That truly is a work of art!

Dentist Appointment

All of us have a dentist's appointment this afternoon. I'd better remember to take my toothbrush out! We haven't been to one in ages so I'm sure there'll be lots of cleaning to do :P Sometimes having leave on a weekday isn't too bad. At least I get to sort out my own personal stuff!

Spock Search

Have you ever tried searching for people on popular search engines such as Google only to be disappointed when you hit lots of sites but not what you want? Well, here’s a new people search engine to help you search for the important or famous people you’re looking for! It has some really cool searches based on tags and you can actually pull out a list of people tagged as annoying which was hilarious! Guess who was at the top of that list? None other than jailbird Paris Hilton! It comes with a short write up about the celebrity too, right out of Wikipedia.

It’s really useful too if your child needs to complete a school assignment and needs information on the Nobel Peace Prize winners. Simply do a search for that and you’ll find the information instantly at your fingertips! So, for work or for fun, Spock’s the new search engine you’ll want! Start people searching today with Spock! You’ll love it!

Long Break

My leave officially starts tomorrow for the long weekend festive break! I think most people have already gone on leave to start their exodus home to their hometowns. The traffic would probably be really bad tonight and tomorrow since tomorrow’s the eve of Raya. I’ll be staying put in KL though as we decided not to battle the traffic home. The city is always a quiet contrast during festive periods!

Announcing an Engagement

Engagements and engagement announcements seem to be a thing of the past now. Most people don’t even hold an engagement party anymore and would just proceed on to the wedding dinner. So it was quite amusing to read in the newspaper classified column of an engagement announcement. In the olden times, I believe the announcement was made to inform the public and to allow anyone who didn’t agree to dispute it. I guess people just don’t want to take chances nowadays!

Motherhood

I just met a friend online last night. She’s just had a baby and is still on her maternity leave. Things were quite manageable for her in her first month as she had a confinement lady to help her cook and take care of the newborn. But now, the confinement lady has left and she’s got to take care of her baby on her own which for a new mother, can sometimes be rather frustrating when your baby cries and you don’t know what else he wants. Motherhood can be so scary sometimes!

Raya is Coming!

I always go for a walk in the mall during lunch and sometimes I stumble upon some great deals. Recently, in conjunction with the festive season, there have been offers and discounts everywhere. Just the other day, I saw a huge pile of tablecloths on sale and almost everyone was buying a tablecloth! I guess they’re all intending to have a pretty lacey tablecloth so put on their table when guests come to visit during their Raya open house. Personally, I prefer normal plain wood tables.

Stupid Service

The service industry here is really mind boggling at times. Bro tried to upgrade our Streamyx line over the phone and internet. Instead, he was told that it couldn’t be done over either of this and we had to go in person to their office to do it. It doesn’t help that their office is open only during normal working hours which doesn’t help working people and are in far places, not even in a mall! It’s absolutely ridiculous when they are the main providers of the internet service! Simple things like this should be just done online without all the hassle of queuing and driving out to their office. After all, isn’t that what the internet is for?!

Real Estate Help

A friend recently moved to Maryland when her husband got a new job with a huge multinational there. She was really worried about purchasing a home and getting her children comfortable in a new environment. However, when I recently emailed her, she sounded really happy as most of her worries were all addressed. They managed to purchase a lovely piece of Real Estate with excellent help from Drodio, an expert in real estate in Virginia, Maryland and Washington.

Drodio is a really professional real estate brokerage firm who’s been helping people all over these cities find the perfect home to buy or sell their homes at the best price. Their site comes with lots of information including an excellent expert Q&A section which answers most worries a homebuyer or home seller would have. Through their site, you can search for a potential home in their database using their real estate search function. If you prefer to speak to an agent, fill out the contact form for a response within 15 minutes or simply call their toll-free number, 1800-705-2782. I was really impressed by their professionalism and expert advice when she told me all about Drodio. I guess that’s the biggest difference between the service industry in a developed versus a less-developed country!

Streamyx 1MB

Recently, we found that Streamyx was offering a special deal for their 1MB packages. For only RM11 more a month, we can actually upgrade our existing package to a 1MB one. A friend who’s using that told me that there’s quite a marked difference for the speed between a 512KB line and the 1MB line. Bro and I have decided to sign up for that one and hopefully Streamyx keeps to its promise and our internet speed is faster.

Monitoring Forex Rates

The family is going off on a big holiday to the UK next year! Yippee! The last time we went on such a trip, I was asked to monitor the forex rate as the British Pound is so high compared to our Ringgit Malaysia. It may not seem like much but for the amount of cash we were planning to change, any adverse movement in the exchange rate would actually cost us quite a few hundred more. I’ve always personally had an interest in forex so I did take my role in monitoring very seriously, even going to the extent of signing up with Online forex trading sites so I could understand better how forex worked and read analysts’ predictions on where the British Pound was headed.

We did manage to get a pretty good rate to change our money with and best of all, I learnt heaps from this experience and begun to understand a little about the complex world of forex trading. I’ve also learnt that there’s a huge potential to be made if I have a big risk appetite as the slightest swing could mean huge gains! Hmm…perhaps I should consider investing a little in the forex market! That way I may reach my retirement fund a lot faster!

PPP Special

Yesterday was a really good PPP day. PPP released a special opportunity for their Posties to write about what a great site PPP is and how the posties have spent their PPP money. Best of all, there were lots of those ops available so we didn’t have to fight with others who have faster internet services and are able to grab more ops! Hopefully my post gets approved quickly!

Hair Loss Help

Recently I met a friend from University and was shocked to see that his hair was thinning. He said it was actually much better than a few months back. He was almost bald a few months back due to his dropping hair. He told me he was so glad he found provillus at Trustsource.org, a great site that allows its members to review and vote on various products. Their goal is to help the consumer make the best choice out of the many choices out there based on the ranking each product is given.
He told me Provillus was ranked 5 stars by the users and came with 4 positive reviews. Everyone who had tried it found it created the optimum environment on their heads to produce health new hair and provided proper nutrition to resurrect damaged and dead hair follicles. He’s really happy with the results just after 2 months of using Provillus and hope his thinning pate will continue to improve. I, on the other hand, was pretty impressed with Trustsource.org and can’t wait to check out what reviews they have on products I usually get!

Bland Food

It's the third and last day of my bland food diet! For a chilli addict who eats chilli paid by the bucketfuls, this was the hardest part of the diet to endure. Today, I headed down to Jusco to pick up their fried rice set that comes with an egg and sausage and had to carefully pick out the cut chilli used as garnishing on top! It's been torture but I shall stick to it till the end of the day!

I Love PPP

Have you ever heard of PPP? If you’re new to the blog for money scene and haven’t heard of PPP then you’ve probably been hiding under a rock! They’re the best blog advertising company in the market and have a huge number of Posties who post with them. They have opportunities everyday for all sorts of blogs ranging from blogspots to dotcoms although I have to admit that the ones for the blogspot blogs have decreased quite a bit since they first started off. Nevertheless, they’re constantly improving their system and range of opportunities. They used to do a super Tuesday and Wednesday program which had them releasing $1,000 worth of opportunities in the form of $50 and $500 payouts!

I’ve been with them for less than a year and although I’m not making huge five figure payouts like some of their Posties, I’m happy with the amount I’m getting from them. My PPP money is coming in really handy for my big holiday to Europe next year. At least with the USD I’m earning, I’ll be able to convert my money into Euro at a much better rate. I can’t wait to hit the shopping outlets in London! Woohoo…here’s to a new wardrobe and shoes!

Missed Again

I just missed another Smorty! I was busy checking my email and on a whim decided to go back to my Smorty page only to find that an opp had sneaked up on me! I tried taking it but as usual, that error message telling me that the opp is no longer available popped up. Sigh...this week isn't starting off well for paid posts! :P

Phone Home for Less

When I was a student in Australia, I used to look for the cheapest phone cards to call home with. Back then, phone cards and phone calls didn’t come as cheap nor were they as clear as the phone calls today. If only great sites like Kartafon.com were available when I was a student. If I had known of them then, I would have been able to purchase cheap International Phone Cards from them online or even do a webCall where I could actually talk to my family via my web interface. They even have funky communication services like smsCall which allows you to make a phone call via sending an sms! They not only provide for individuals but companies as well with their international conference calling facility. It’s an excellent site for those who are abroad or have family abroad. With the world getting smaller everyday, it’s wonderful to be able to stay in touch with loved ones all over the world.

Coffee & Me

I used to be a coffee drinker when I was a kid. My relatives have lots of stories about how I used to slurp up their black coffee secretly. So I don't know what changed when I grew older. I used to still drink it in Uni but less and now I drink green tea only. I still like the aroma and taste but I don't get urges to drink it. However, I do kind of enjoy it in cakes like swiss roll or bread. We bought a coffee raisin bread last night and it was really yummy tucking into it today.

Avoid Sub-Prime

The recent sub-prime issue exposed the increasing number of Americans with bad credit. It was a shocking revelation, enough to send the markets worldwide into a downward spin. However, for those who are battling bad credit, there is still hope at BadCreditOffers.com if you need a credit card or home loan. This site continuously monitors the offers in the market for those which have the best terms for “bad credit” ratings. Its aim is to help those with “less than perfect” rating scores obtain credit cards, home loans or personal loans. While it’s great that these sites exist to help those with bad credit, it’s important to try to maintain as good a credit record as possible.

Up Early

I woke up early this morning and was hoping to get some opportunities from PPP. My opportunities have been far and few which means my income is starting to dry up. I turned on the computer and was really disappointed to see that there was no new ops for blogspots. I thought that meant that the ops probably came out around 3-4am when normal working people like us are sleeping. So imagine my surprise when some started appearing around 6.30! I was so pleased :) At least my waking up early wasn't in vain.

Adults Only!

Are you planning a little romantic getaway for a loved one? If you’re at a loss at where to go or are tired of the same old resorts, why not opt for something different this time with a luxury package at Hedonistic adult resorts? It’s the perfect honeymoon, pre-wedding or anniversary holiday, away from the rigours of daily life and responsibilities. Set in the gorgeous Jamaica islands, everything on this island is tailored for your pleasure, from spa packages, massages on the beach, romantic dinners and picnics, the choice is yours for the taking!

Hedonistic Resorts are now offering Hedonistic Credits you can collect for stays before the end of 2007. These credits can be exchanged for little pleasures such as a lazy afternoon in a hammock, a bed of roses or a special private bubble bath in your own Jacuzzi. It’s the perfect getaway and the best way to rejuvenate tired spirits or to rekindle some romance with a loved one. So book your stay today!

Steamed Chicken Rice

I went out for dinner tonight with Bro at a nearby cafe. I decided to order steamed chicken rice as I'm still on my diet of bland and non-greasy food. Darn, I really felt like hot thick fries! Anyway, I thought the chicken was the usual steamed white chicken instead it turned out to be a thigh in a broth with some fungus, dates and lily buds. It was actually pretty good and tasty and I really enjoyed it.

Special and Personalized Bedding

Have you always wondered what to get someone special for their birthday? Maybe it’s your anniversary and have been wondering what to get your spouse? Or perhaps you’re looking for a perfect gift for your friend who’s mad about their dog? Well, now you can give them a beautifully personalized gift in the form of Personalized Photo Blankets and Bedding!

Using the latest technology, favourite photographs can be specially reproduced onto blankets, pillow cases, throws, duvets and even dog beds for your little pampered pooch! Imagine, what better way to personalize your gift for someone special with unique shots and photographs that mean something to both of you. There’s no other similar gift in the world! They accept all major credit cards for payment and all orders will be shipped with either UPS or Postal Service. It’s so simple, just select your favourite photographs, scan them, load them up and you’re well on your way to creating a beautiful and special personalized gift that will definitely bring a smile to the recipient’s face.

Missed 2 Ops

I've missed two opportunities from PPP today already. Argh! I hate it when that happens! I open up my PPP and see everything in grey with 0 votes which means they probably just appeared! *sob*

As Sharp as Sharp

When we moved into our new house, we decided to upgrade our old television. The little old thing actually blew up on us once which was a really scary experience! Anyway, this round, we decided to be with it and get a flat panel TV instead. We did lots of research, wandering from electrical shop to electrical shop simply to compare and contrast prices and quality. In the end, we found a nice affordable yet high quality TV in the Sharp Aquos LC52D92U Television.

It was a nice flat panel that had the option of being up on a wall or on a stand. It was a technological marvel that had fantastic 1080p HD resolution, 4 ms response time and a 120Hz frame rate conversion. All this came together to bring us the sharpest and clearest picture ever. In fact, it actually took our eyes some time to adjust to watching pictures on a flat panel TV as the picture appears stretched and elongated due to the flatness of the screen. We’re very happy with our Sharp and would recommend it to anyone else!

No Smortys

Amazing! There hasn't been any Smorty opportunities today for me. I usually manage to get one every now and then but there hasn't been any appearing for me today at all! This is so sad as I do enjoy doing Smorty opportunities. They are somehow more interesting than others and the 150 word limit makes it quite easy to write.

I hope they have some soon! :( Did you get any?

Massage Business Opportunity

It used to be that massages were a luxury item only for those who were rich and could afford long pampering spa sessions. But in today’s busy world, massage is now almost a necessity as office workers almost always suffer from “computer shoulder” and tense muscles from sitting in an office chair all day. This provides an excellent business opportunity for massage therapy as weekends for some busy workers now usually includes a massage to unwind. So if you’ve been looking for a great business venture, why not consider the massage therapy business?

It’s important to start the business right and do that by enrolling yourself in massage therapy school to learn more about the proper massage techniques. It’ll educate you on the intricate parts of the human body and various therapy techniques. Plus it’ll help you get licensed and to earn your place in this competitive but highly lucrative business. The massage therapist school has an incredibly comprehensive syllabus ranging from sports massage therapy to geriatric massage therapy. All these options open up a world of limitless potential and business opportunity for you. So if you’ve always been wondering if massage is for you or you would simply like to learn more about massage, come enroll with MassageGeeks.com today and you might just find the answer you’ve always been looking for.

*This is a sponsored review*

No PPP today

I logged on early this morning and didn't manage to see any opportunities for me at PPP. I don't understand why I'm not seeing more ops even though my dotcoms have been approved. I suspect it's because I don't have a PR yet for them. I wonder when the next Google PR shakeup will be.

Get Rid of the Distractions

Your cubicle might be where you have to do all of your work, but if you're anything like me then you know that's it's not always the best place for focusing on what you're working on. Whether it's the guy in the next cubicle with a cold, the girl across from you that thinks the person on the phone is hilarious, or your boss behind you yelling at somebody else, there are tons of distractions at work. Fortunately you can avoid all those distractions with some noise reduction headphones from Quiet Headphones and your favorite music. With the earphones that you'll get from Quiet Headphones you'll be able to increase your productivity and enjoy your favorite tunes at the same time. Before you know it, you're boss will be talking to you, but he won't be yelling. See if I'm not right. And if you are thinking about traveling, then the travel headphones will be perfect for keeping out the noise, letting you enjoy the trip.

Shopping Madness

The leadup to the coming festive season saw the mall rather packed today during lunch time. People were buying all sorts of things including packaged cookies! I was quite surprised to see them buying that as I thought some of the Malays were still quite traditional and would either make their own cookies for Raya or get them from private bakers who usually sold their wares through word of mouth. I've tasted those prepacked cookies before and some of them are quite bad. However, some can be actually quite nice and I guess if you aren't fussy, they save lots of time, especially if you're working.

Don't Spend Time Worrying About Your Inventory� Get Help.

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Gardens at Midvalley

I took a walk around Gardens today at lunchtime looking for something to eat. I'm not allowed to eat certain foods for a couple of days so I was hoping to find a bakery or some snacks I could pack to eat. Unfortunately because the place is so new, I hardly found anything that caught my fancy. I saw some buns but suddenly they looked really unappetising so I ended up packing some empty fried noodles again. Sigh...2 more days to go.

Online and On Time

Why worry about whether those flowers you're looking to buy online will be delivered on time. When you go with Vogue flowers you can be sure that not only are you getting fresh flowers, but that you're getting the very best flower delivery out there. I’ve never had a moments hesitation when I buy flowers from them. Go to their site today, order some flowers, and I promise you that they'll be exactly where they're supposed to be when you want them to be there and looking great.

New Baby

I just got an sms from my colleague that she's in the hospital as her contractions have started. It's quite early as she was not supposed to be due till after the Hari Raya holidays. Hopefully everything goes well for her. It's her first baby and naturally, she's rather scared of the entire procedure. I would to! If all goes well, perhaps we'll go visit her tomorrow! But now it means the start of her maternity leave and I'm not sure if she had any time to do any handover of work last week!

Baby Gift

I just got news that my colleague is in the hospital now awaiting the birth of her first baby! Now it’s time for me to find another baby gift! Not having any of my own, I find buying baby gifts quite stressful as I never know what the mother may like. Maybe I should get her a baby sling. I’ve been told that it’s very useful to carry the baby in and when the baby is nursing too. Plus it's a very secure way of carrying the baby while the proximity of the baby to the mother's body provides the baby much comfort. I found some great slings online and would probably order one for her. I hope it arrives on time!

Chugging It Down

I went for a facial treatment yesterday that requires me to now drink 3 litres of water for the next 3 days! I don't know if I can actually chug down so much water! I couldn't find a 1.5 litre soft drink bottle in the house so I brought a 1 litre bottle instead. Am on my first bottle and it's half gone. Maybe I might hit my 3 litre mark after all, however, I'm sure lots of time would be spent going to the bathroom! :P

Watch for Christmas

Christmas is coming up in just 2 months time and I still haven’t found a good gift for the bf. Maybe I should just get a Lange Sohne watch since he once mentioned that his present watch was showing signs that it was reaching the end of its lifespan. The watches are elegant and I’m sure they’ll go well with any event, whether work or play. I think he would like that watch! Now to just wait till I can get it at a goodPost Options price!

Manic Monday

Bleh...it's the start of the work week again. I really should feel a little more enthusiastic about work, shouldn't I?! Anyway, luckily this week is a short week due to the Hari Raya celebrations at the end of the week. We were made to take one day compulsory leave on Friday. I don't like taking compulsory leave as it eats into my annual leave entitlement and most times, I spend it at home doing nothing. I would much rather have a leave which I plan for and do something or go somewhere with it. Oh well...at least there's a long weekend to look forward to!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner! While Halloween here isn’t celebrated on such a grand scale as it is in the US, some parents here do still take the opportunity to dress their little children up in fancy Halloween costumes for parties. If you’re a parent and wondering what to dress up your little girl or little boy in this Halloween, pop over to http://www.mooncostumes.com to check out a wonderful range of fancy dress costumes for children and adults of all sizes and ages! Moon Costumes has all kinds of costumes, ranging from superhero costumes for little boys and princess or fairy costumes for little girls. They even have the most adorable little costumes for babies or toddlers!

For adults, you have an equally wide range of costumes to choose from which can range from something interesting like a medieval outfit or even a sexy saucy French maid’s costume! Moon Costumes even stocks costumes for couples so you can go with your partner looking like a perfect pair! Your imagination is your only limitation! The costumes on the site are located in easy to find categories for children and adults. Simply click on the category of your choice to find lots of sub-categories of costumes for everyone. So start your Halloween shopping early and look your best this Halloween!

*sponsored by Moon Costumes*

Smorty

I just missed a Smorty opportunity because I was too busy finishing up a post for some other paid site. ARGH! I hate it when that happens! I always get a mini-heart attack waiting for the site to load to tell me if the opportunity I've grabbed is still available. Sometimes after I click on the Accept button, I get an error message telling me that it's no longer available. I hate it when that happens! Sigh...this isn't a good start to Monday morning! :P