Chinese New Year Is Over

For many people, Chinese New Year is to be enjoyed for the full fifteen days. As for me, I did not feel festive before Chinese New Year and I definitely do not feel festive on the first or second day of Chinese New Year.

I did what I was expected to do. I greeted every Chinese I meet Gong Hei Fatt Choy, visited people whom I am obligated to visit, ate the groundnuts, cookies and mandarin oranges, etc, and pocketed the red packets that some people still give me despite my age. But I'm still eligible!!

Well, it's funny that whilst for me, everything was back to normal by the third day of Chinese New Year, I just realized that the Hokkien community is still waiting to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which falls on the ninth day of the lunar calendar.

Pity them. Luckily I am not Hokkien or I would end up finishing my Chinese New Year goodies before I could even start to celebrate it. LOL Guess I just have to remember to send Chinese New Year greetings to my Hokkien friends on the 8th day of Chinese New Year.

Put On The Dancing Shoes

My cousin sister, like all filial children, returned to her hometown to celebrate the Lunar New Year with her family. I had the occasion to catch up with her over reunion dinner and one funny thing struck me.

You see, Jasmine studied ballet when she was a child but she felt that she did not have the flair for it and gave her parents a hard time back then, even though they told her to just go and enjoy herself during dance classes; it was not as if they expected her to be a ballerina or something. As long as she continued with her dance lessons and passed her dance exams, they were happy for her already.

Now that Jasmine is an adult, she told me that she would like to send her daughters to ballet school because she misses ballet! After all these years, Jasmine no longer knows the moves and have nothing left of those days except a pair of soft ballet shoes and of course, the memories.

Although Jasmine does not have children yet, she thought about this whilst accompanying a friend who went looking for the perfect dance shoes and tutus for her young daughter who will be starting dance classes after the holidays.

幸福的抉擇 (I Do?) - Taiwanese Drama

I spent the wee hours of this morning watching episodes 16 to 20 (conclusion) of this Taiwanese drama. Although it's listed as Taiwanese, there's Maggie Siu in it, the Hong Kong actress who is currently in The Gem of Life. My eyes are so painful now because I couldn't stop myself from crying. It is such a sad drama, without the screams, shouts and odd sounds of Korean dramas, which could get pretty irritating if overboard.

The serial that I watched was dubbed in Cantonese so it was easier on my ears and more enjoyable for me than if I were to watch it in Mandarin. The story explores many angles of LOVE; love between man and woman, love between mother and son, husband and wife, love between friends, love between stepmother and stepson, etc.

Watching this movie could be pretty frustrating because even though Hao Ze and Summer love each other, they could not be together due to many obstacles along the way and even though they got married, they divorced after three months. The issues leading to their divorced seemed pretty insignificant to third parties that towards the end of the drama, I actually forgot why they divorced in the first place.

After the divorce, they found that they could not live without the other person. It would be great if they could just get back together now but Summer lost her memory in an accident and they would have to overcome that as well. What didn't help matters was that people on the side kept interfering and trying their best to keep them apart.

Watching I Do? was like watching Korean drama Coffee Prince where the two male leads were supposedly from rich families so they dressed sharply even though they did not have any money and worked like everyone else. The female leads, on the other hand, were from working class families and they dressed in everyday comfortable clothes.

I Do?, despite all the tears in the second half of the drama, has its funny moments too. The funny stuff are in the dialog and although they brought chuckles from me, I actually forgot what I laughed about soon after. I think I would have retained the joke better if I had watched it instead of listened to it.

Many scenes of this drama were pretty unbelievable like Summer's accident and the disabled guy who was pushed down after undergoing spinal surgery, without suffering from some sort of further injury.

Whatever, it’s just drama and I enjoyed it while watching and that’s the important thing, isn’t it?

This is the theme song of I Do? by Fish Leong (梁靜茹) titled Belong To (屬於). Fish Leong is actually a Malaysian girl who has found much success in Taiwan and best known for her signature love ballads. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Global Eclipse of the Sun (26th Jan 2009)

Last evening, coming home from shopping, my mother asked me to check on the web the time of the eclipse of the Sun. It's a global event that happens once every eleven years or so, at least, the last time it happened was eleven years ago; though I understand that the NEXT eclipse of the Sun will be happening this July and it will be in China only.

Anyway, my mother wanted to know the time because we are a superstitious lot and would be staying indoors during the eclipse. You see, it's the first day of Chinese New Year and it definitely does not augur well to have the sun eclipsed on such an auspicious day!

Luckily, Malaysia is only experiencing 60 - 70% of the eclipse and not a total eclipse like some other countries. Bane to those countries, you know?

Whatever it is, the eclipse of the Sun is said to happen between 4.30pm to 7pm today in Malaysia. If you are planning to watch or photograph it, better find out the proper way to do so. I remember a lady who got her retina burnt when she went out to collect mail and looked up at the sun at that moment. Scary, isn't it?

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Fa Tai Cai!

It has been years since I received a red, red real Chinese New Year greeting card or sent one out. For the past few years, all I do is send out mass messages via blogs, message boards, email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. And that's what my friends are doing as well. Sad, huh? My mother received a Chinese New Year greeting card today, in pink envelope. I think it's a dying trend already seeing how expensive it is to send out cards by regular mail. Air mail is of course worse!

Even though my mother still receives hardcopy greeting cards, what she does is collect them all, from herself, her friends and relatives and send them all to a children's home (I think) in Penang so that the children there could make craftwork with these good quality cards and sell them for revenue for the home. I think it's a good idea but I told my mother that it's more practical to send cash.

Anyway, I'd like to wish everyone who will be celebrating Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai. May the Year of the Ox bring you much blessings!

Need New Computer System

I am usually not someone who would replace items until and unless they are totally broken. However, I am so dying for a new computer system right now because I cannot work with mine. It is so slow!

I really cannot tell what is wrong with my computer system because according to my friend who is well-versed with computers and IT technology, my specifications are good enough. I even doubled the computer memory not too long ago but the system still drags.

So I was telling this friend that this is a good excuse for me to get a new system. However, it would set me back by at least three grand and you know what people are saying about the economy. SIGH, I guess I would have to live with this for the time being!

CNY Is Just Round The Corner And I Am So NOT Ready

I haven't got new clothes yet, I haven't got new shoes yet. I haven't got new handbag or hand phone yet. I haven't got my hair done yet.

I haven't got the house cleaned up yet. I swear I wouldn't but my relatives will be dropping by and I have to at least get those "public" places clean and tidy to give my parents face.

I haven't done any gardening, I haven't bathe Snoopy. It looks like he wouldn't have new clothes for Chinese New Year either.

The only thing I have done for Chinese New Year is to stock up on doggie food. Snoopy takes prescription diet and the only place that sells them are at veterinarians and they will all be closed for almost a WEEK!

I guess Chinese New Year will be just another day for me this year, yet again, unless someone gives me a super duper mega angpow in the spirit of Spring Festival!

Taking Up Golf

Regular readers would know that I have a long time German pen-pal whom I have corresponded with for 17 long years. Even though we hardly write to each other now, we still keep in touch on various celebrations, festivities and other personal occasions like birthday, New Year, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.

With each passing year, I am surprised to see how our lives have changed. We have seen each other through our studies, graduation, job interviews, family births and deaths and many more.

My pen-pal, Mark, told me recently that he has taken up Golf sport. Well, he's an architect now and a professional like him has to socialize with clients. Mark told me that golf is a very popular game and he felt that he has picked up the game too late because his colleagues have really low handicap and he finds it difficult to keep up with their pace, even though some of them just passed their Golf Platzreife test.

I was told that there is a very famous golf club in Chiemsee in Bavaria, near where Mark works and it offers everything that a golfer needs. Mark feels that he shouldn't be playing there yet until he has improved on his game. I am sure that he could take up golf lessons if he really wanted to improve on his game quickly and then he could go for a swing at Golfclub Gut Ising. Check out images of the course on the site. The view is so breathtaking.

If you are in Germany and shopping for golf equipment and accessories, they also have the largest golf retail store, carrying all major brand names so that you will have a large selection of quality golf equipment and accessories to choose from. Because of their volume, you can be sure that prices here are most competitive. And the good thing is that delivery is fast because they have ready stock.

I used to think that golf is a pretty boring sport to play but seeing how Mark could be so enthusiastic over it, I too would like to try it out myself someday.

Norman <3 Jessica (Gem of Life ep. 66)

I haven't watched Gem of Life ep. 66 yet because as I am typing this, it is not even out yet but even when it is available later in the wee hours of tomorrow morning, I am not sure I would have the time to watch it yet.

However, I did watch the slight preview of ep. 66 at the end of episode 65 and I find it very amusing that Norman declares his love for Jessica. I am sure we all have noticed how much screen time he has been given in the past few episodes, and doing things without being told, like checking up on various people.

Hah... now we know why. He loves Jessica, so he's protective of her. Now that Martin is suspicious of Jessica and accuses her of giving him the "green hat" to wear with Ah Woh, Norman sees this as a chance to win her heart. Norman is really stupid. He has no money, he thinks that Jessica would like that? Haha!

And then I like the twist with Mrs. Hong's absent-mindedness. Well, who would have thought, an iron lady like her who only wants the best for her three daughters, who would do EVERYTHING for them?

I’m waiting for episode 82 already. Hahaha!!!

Buying Home Medical Supplies From Home

Most of my friends are already mothers with babies and toddlers. They tell me that it's a very difficult stage of motherhood because if there's not one thing the children needs, it's another. They tell me that taking care of children takes up so much time they always try to minimize running around.

My friends now shop for most household items online for convenience sake and even if they do go for fresh food, they do it once a week only. You can imagine, it's so difficult to get them out for a cuppa!

I do admit that shopping online is the way to go for busy mothers like them. A friend told me that she even buys home medical supplies from the internet. A mega online store like Allegro Medical carries so many different products that there is no need for her to leave her home to pick up a few items from the local store.

They offer small items like catheters to hot/cold therapy wraps to large items like lift chairs and power scooters.

Inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th President of the United States of America

My father is watching the inauguration ceremony where Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America on CNN. Me, I would rather watch the inauguration ceremony online where I could just open one window to watch it live and another browser to WORK. Multi tasking is what I prefer, actually, and would not feel like I have wasted a few hours being stuck to the TV. After all, the ceremony is super long.

Tomorrow, Barack Obama will resume his duties as the President of the United States. I wonder how many of the slew of promises he could fulfill to the taxpayers in the United States. They voted him into office hoping for a change. Change, he can?

People are saying that Barack Obama is creating history. The only history I see is that he is the first black man to be the President of the United States, and he's not even 100% black, but bi-racial. Hah... don't people like to believe what they will?

In any case, let’s see what happens to American policies after Barack Obama’s 100 days in office.

Advertising On Blogs

Over the weekend, I had dinner with a friend, who wanted to know about options to advertise on blogs after I told him that this is the way to go for many businesses now.

My friend's family runs a natural honey business and although he told me that he still cannot come up with a good shipping method to ensure that customers will receive their bottles of honey in excellent condition, he is receptive towards introducing his honey products in blogs.

We had a long chat because he surely had plenty of questions to ask, which I fielded, not because I have vested interest but because I believe that blog advertising are suitable for all kinds of advertisers, no matter the size or nature of the business.

First of all, advertising on blogs is a whole lot cheaper than advertising via traditional media like on radio, TV and the papers. Also, there are many ways to advertise on blogs; either via a blog post, sidebar link or banner ad. The more interesting a blog post is, the more prominent a sidebar link is and the more attractive and eye-catching a banner is, the higher the chance of blog readers clicking through to the advertiser's website.

My friend is not a blogger and hardly reads blogs but he admits to using major search engines each time he is seeking information on a certain matter and usually lands on a blog with relevant information.

Of course, running a successful blog advertising campaign is another expertise all together but first of all, he has to identify his goals that he hope to achieve through advertising on blogs.

Gem of Life ep. 64 Had Me Fooled

If you haven't watched Gem of Life episode 64, read no further! I tell you, I was totally fooled and I am sure I was not alone.

Although I thought that the 360-degree turn by Elise Sung Chi Ling was pretty drastic after declaring that she would help her grandfather to wrest his company from the grip of Martin Ho Fung, I thought that people could change with time and circumstances.

Whoa, in episode 64, Elise has made use of Ah Woh and Will to try to get back at Martin, so much so that she is not even going to care about hurting Terrence in the process, since Terrence is Martin's son.

Martin is so warped in his mind that he couldn't trust anyone at all after the kidnapping that he now thinks that it was Terrence who wanted him kidnapped after being implanted with the seed of doubt by Ringo. Well, he thought that Terrence wanted Jessica kidnapped but since her flight was delayed, the bandits kidnapped Martin instead.

Gem of Life ep. 65 seems more interesting. Jessica found out that the baby that Sylvia miscarried belonged to Calvin. Hah.. this Jessica will surely make use of this information to her benefit. Isn't she quite a hateful character?

7 Cream with Manuka Honey

Last month, I wrote about trying MIOR soap and many people have been wondering if it works. Well, sad to say, it hasn't been exactly how I had hoped it will be for my skin. I guess, my skin condition is quite bad than I would admit!

I have been trying only natural skin treatment for the past year. Even though they may be a little expensive, I thought it would be better for my skin in the long run. My next product to try, I hope, will be 7 Cream with Manuka Honey.

The lazy me likes the fact that it's one cream that has many benefits instead of buying and using one product after another making skin care a tedious process. I don't even have the time!

7 Cream is a moisturizer, fights skin infections as well as helps the healing process of skin. I wonder if this is sold in Malaysia or if I have to purchase it online.

Spring Cleaning... HUH?

It's just another week to Chinese New Year. I don't know, the beginning and end of a year always seem to move swiftly for me. The mid-year months, on the other hand, seem to pass at a drag but sure enough, a day will pass another and a New Year will be upon us AGAIN.

Like I said, Chinese New Year is just around the corner but frankly, I don't feel festive at all. Do you? I haven't bought anything new specifically for Chinese New Year. I haven't got anything red to wear, but I could bring out some new red lingerie since I have plenty in stock. LOL

One thing that I hate about Chinese New Year, is not the dwindling ang pows, but the cleaning. I haven't started! And come to think of it, I will not be doing any Spring cleaning. You know, I have diligently cleaned up my house for Chinese New Year alone for the past six years or so, and for what? Chinese New Year was the same, nothing was different except for the cleaner house and a tired me.

No more Spring cleaning for me. I'd rather sleep when I have the time. Don't come to my house, OK?

Furnishing A Home

My neighbor, Liew, who has just finished renovating his house, which is opposite of mine, is now installing lighting and furnishing it to detail. At this pace, I am unsure if he could even move in before Chinese New Year. It's funny that initially, he told us that it would only take three months to renovate his house but as of today, it has already taken over seven months and still counting. LOL

Liew is going to furnish his home with contemporary furniture which is something I like as well. I told him I'd like to go along when he goes shopping but he may just end up shopping online, particularly when he needs a larger selection of flueless fires to pick the perfect one!

Right now, Liew only has a Barcelona chair in the house and nothing else. I hope he'd be extremely picky and wouldn't move in so soon or I would have to crack my head and think of an appropriate gift for his housewarming party. I really have no idea what to get him!

I Have An Idea

Once too often, I will tell a friend that I need to get away. Seriously, I feel suffocated where I am. I feel like I will die early because of the situation I am in and die from cancer too. It's horrible, I know. But the gist is that I am very unhappy under such circumstances and I could not do anything about it. Not yet.

My friend would say that even if I want to get away, I need a plan. I think I could get married with just any guy but I am not such a person. Besides, I don't want to get out of a frying pan and land into deeper shit.

Then it dawned on me today. I want to go and travel around the country. It would be great. I could go up north from Ipoh to Penang, Kedah, Langkawi, Perlis, Thailand, Kelantan, down south to Johor, Singapore, come back to Kuala Lumpur then fly to Sarawak. Then go up to Brunei and Labuan, then Sabah and fly back to Kuala Lumpur.

I could probably take two months off and ask my sister to support the family. I wonder how much this would cost me, travelling on a shoe string budget. I wonder if anyone has done this before. I know it’s not a big deal but it is to me. I hope to be able to do this with a significant guy but nobody loves me and I don’t love anybody as well. LOLOLOL Maybe a fun-loving girlfriend would do but offhand, I cannot think of anyone who would be willing to take two months off to travel.

In any case, I am still bidding time.

Saying It With Personalized Poems

While thinking of a special gift for my young cousin to encourage him in his new chapter in life since he just started college, my friend told me that I could just write him a poem. Hehe... I used to write but they are certainly not fit for public consumption!

Just now, I got to know about personalized poems from Dragonfly Poems. Each poem is only US$15 and payment could be made via PayPal and major credit cards. We could also opt to have the poem framed which would then cost us more.

Whatever it is, paying US$15 is definitely easier for me than cracking my head coming with a meaningful personalized poem!

Red, Red Lingerie

I haven't bought any new clothes or shoes or bags yet for Chinese New Year. Do we really need to wear red new clothes for Chinese New Year? I am superstitious but not to that extent. I guess I don't feel a need for new clothes because we always celebrate Chinese New Year in a low key manner. Our family is small and my sister isn’t around this Chinese New Year, yet again.

But then I am always looking out for good deals in clothes, shoes and bags and buying them as and when I come across them so I don't really need to shop at the last minute. Besides, I have quite a handful of clothing articles that are never worn before and are stuffed in my wardrobe.

I have a friend who not only bought new clothes but also custom made two sets of cheongsam. Gosh, does anyone still wear cheongsam besides during Chinese New Year and to stuffy traditional wedding or anniversary dinners? No, right? This means that her newly tailor-made cheongsam will not see the light of day after these fifteen days of Chinese New Year.

And that's not all! She even buys matching red lingerie to be worn during Chinese New Year. *shake head* There is someone like me and there are people like her. SIGHHHH

Fatty Concern

I went to lunch with a friend the other day and I was surprised to see that he was double his size from the last time I saw him. Granted, we have not met each other for at least 1.5 years, so much so that he nearly forgot how I look like, but still, what surprised me was that he told me that he is on a strict diet and following an exercise routine. It looks like these did not work!

It's not that I like him or anything but as a friend, I am concerned that should he continue to grow like this, it will be detrimental to his health. Of course, at that time, I did not broach the subject because it could be pretty sensitive and you know, I didn't want to be a wet blanket.

Now that we are not face-to-face, I feel a little braver and think that as a friend, I would be doing him a favor if I send him a bottle of Ephadrasil hardcore anonymously so that he could try it out. And if it works, that's good. If it doesn't, there's no harm done, and at the very least, it will bring his weight problem to his attention and hopefully, he will be more proactive in reducing weight.

What do you think?

Can You Believe That It's Super Cold In Ipoh?

I was telling a few friends that it's very cold here in Ipoh but they don't believe me. I thought that perhaps my tolerance level is too low but another Ipoh friend confirmed that the wind is rather chilly but he's a skinny guy. Hahaha! Whatever it is, with heavy downpour almost daily for hours on end, of course temperature drops. For the past two weeks, I had to layer up from around 4am until about 11am when a little sun comes up.

I checked the temperature on Yahoo! Weather just now and it is showing 31 degrees Celsius. The next time I feel the chill in the air, I must remember to check again to see how low the temperature has dropped. Right now, while we have 31 degrees Celsius, my sister in Tennessee is experiencing -9 degrees Celsius.

My friend told me last night that winter in New York is very harsh and that it is freezing cold. He is lucky though. He stays in when the weather is too treacherous on the road. He's his own boss so no one could reprimand him! My Bangkok friend says that’s the coldest winter he has experienced so far, even his two month old puppy caught a cold!

They are different, though. No matter how cold it is, they have winter clothing to keep them warm and they have heater at home. I am so ill equipped here in Ipoh!

Confusing Career Choices

I was talking to an older cousin about various college courses, partly for myself and for my younger cousin who is attending college this year and still is unclear where he wants his career path to take.

My older cousin holds a law degree but he said that in Malaysia, there are already too many lawyers and he is not interested to go to court. However, with an MBA, he is able to join the corporate world and then set up his own business.

Basically, he's telling us that it's not much use with a basic law degree but I think that if he was a Mesothelioma lawyer, which is very rare here in Malaysia, he would have a different story for us!

After talking to him, my younger cousin and I are still just as confused on what direction we should go. LOL

Fireman Saves Woman From Suicide Bid

I read in NST this morning that operations commander C. Kesaven has become a hero for saving a woman who threatened to commit suicide by jumping off a building from the third floor and who slipped and fell instead.

Do you notice that people who threaten to commit suicide actually die not because they want to die but by accident, like a slip? This woman is lucky that Kesavan dashed forward to break her fall but I think that everyone should know that committing suicide is NEVER a way out of life's troubles. That's why religion is so important.

Anyway, I find it very odd that firemen are always called for all the wrong reasons, like preventing suicides or saving cats that got stuck in trees or roofs. Are these really part of their jobs or is it because they have tall ladders?

Also, I wonder why even after FIFTY minutes, the firemen did not manage to put up safety nets and foam on the ground in case she really jumps.

Source: NST

Kisses

I received a brochure in my mailbox yesterday promoting a new housing development in my city. These homes are called "Kisses". What surprised me is that these are elevated homes with 2.5 stories and the driveway is so long that they could park six cars. I tell you, with that kind of driveway, residents here need not worry about vehicle storage facilities!

Since the ground level is elevated, the driveway is actually not LONG but the cars are parked below part of the ground floor. I find this design very interesting and will be going over to view their showhouse.

The only problem is that this area is quite a distance from my home and I am definitely not used to that area! Besides, these houses will not be cheap. But then I understand that they are giving away a 2009 model car for buyers who buy these houses on the 15 days of Chinese New Year. Wow!

Gem of Life Ep. 63 Will Be Very Exciting

I just finished watching Gem of Life ep. 62. It's getting more intriguing now that Melissa has died, leaving her business to Will, who is still "wet behind the ears" in Calvin's eyes. Calvin will be challenging him in the coming episodes.

And then Philip Sung is back to challenge Martin, who is very much in control of his business, using Jessica as a front, since his kidnapping episode. Martin now doesn't trust anyone, including Terrence, who keeps thinking that his father is under the influence of Jessica but it is not true. Martin will later not even trust Jessica and think that Jessica has a boyfriend. Who this "boyfriend" is, we will know later.

Elise seems to have turned over a new leaf but now that her grandfather, Philip Sung, has returned, will Elise continue to be a good-two-shoe or will she help her family revive the business and wrest power from Martin? That remains to be seen. Isn’t it kind of surprisingly out of place for her to befriend Sek Thai Woh? LOL

I guess we all have to be patient and wait for the following episodes but did you notice that they don’t insert nice music anymore? I wonder when the Gem of Life soundtrack album will be released.

Building A Budget Website

My friend was looking for a web design company to help her build a tribute site for her late father. Even though she is a problogger and runs many niche blogs, she has no idea how to build a website. I built a website not too long ago and I can tell you that even though building a website and a blog is pretty similar, there are many things that are different as well! As a problogger, my friend obviously does not have the time to learn something new from scratch.

She asked me if I could help her with it since I have two websites. It was unfortunate that I had to turn her down because I simply have too many things on my plate already. However, I did let her know that there is a company that helps clients build simple websites that come with a blog, RSS Feed, CMS and most important, Search Engine Optimized.

This company, Web Presence Two, uses free Blogger tools to create a web presence for their clients because they believe that they could cater to a group of people who simply need to be online, without the frills. This is basically what my friend needs, anyway.

What I like is that even though their rates start from only $850, they do not compromise on quality. If you have been searching for a low cost website building company, you should check them out.

You Are My Destiny (Korean Drama)

You probably know, since TVB serial, Pages of Treasures, concluded, I am only watching The Gem of Life. This means that I am following two dramas at any one time. One TVB and one Korean drama.

I just finished watching Coffee Prince Special by the way. I finished Coffee Prince last night, or maybe it was this morning. LOL Anyway, Coffee Prince Special is really different from Goong Special. Goong Special was shot in a studio with two emcees while Coffee Prince Special is like a collection of footage that has been shot throughout the filming of the drama.

I am impressed by the hard work that the crew put in. You know, even though we only see about ten actors at any one time, in fact, total crew count stood at over 60 people! And in the four Summer months of filming in 2007, they lost about 5 - 8 kg each!

So like I said, I am only watching Gem of Life now, which by the way, GOL ep. 61 will be damn exciting. I think it's gonna be the beginning of the downfall of Jessica soon, after Martin dies, I guess.

Anyway, what I am actually wondering is that if I should start to watch You Are My Destiny. There are more than 150 episodes in this Korean drama, man, but since I am not watching current TVB dramas, Sweetness in the Salt and Royal Tramp, because I don't like costume dramas, I'm thinking You Are My Destiny would be great to fill the void. LOL

For Manga Lovers

My cousin brother just started college this week and I thought that I would get him a gift to encourage him to excel in his studies. He is going to an art school because he simply loves to draw cartoons. I thought I would buy him manga DVD but luckily I did not.

My cousin said that he is already up-to-date with some of the most popular manga because of the free manga online. I don't know how many of you know about this already; if you love manga, go to zenmanga - read free manga. They have popular titles like Naruto, Detective Conan, Gantz, Bleach and many more. You will have to check it out for yourself.

Although I do read manga off and on, I am not addicted to them. I do, however, understand why my cousin brother and ALL his mates love manga. They have very interesting storylines that you just need to get caught up with the latest in the story.

Funnily, now that I know that we could read free manga online, I don’t even know what to buy for my cousin. He already could read his manga on Zenmanga. He just needs to sign up with the site. That’s all! Why would I want to buy them anymore? LOL

I <3 Kim Jae Wook!!! [Coffee Prince - 2007 Korean Drama]

I just finished watching Coffee Prince, the 2007 Korean drama which is also known as The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Oddly, it has a total of 17 episodes. Actually, there were 16 only but the producers decided to extend it by one more episode due to the popularity of the drama. No wonder the last episode was a little misplaced.

It's funny that watching Coffee Prince for the first few episodes, I thought that Go Eun Chan looked pretty familiar but I couldn't place her. I can't stand people who eat with "slurp" sounds so her character was difficult to watch AT FIRST.

Yoon Eun Hye played Go Eun Chan. She is actually the princess in Goong. My, a different hairstyle and dressing make such a huge difference to someone's looks. Did you know that she was paid 20 million Won per episode? That's US$15,000 per episode! That's the highest paycheck Korean actors draw to date. I think she is so far the only female to hit the "20 million Won club".

The sad thing is that Yoon Eun Hye suffers from a sickness which could lead her to a premature death. Poor thing.

The drama got better subsequently. The male lead, Gong Yoo, is not exactly good looking but as Choi Han Kyul, he was certainly very cute and endearing. And gosh, HIS BODY. LOL!! Gong Yoo actually had a minor part in My Tutor Friend, a Korean movie that I watched sometime back. I don't remember him but I guess it's time to dig out my VCD to see how he was four years ago before Coffee Prince.

The most outstanding actor in the drama, in looks, is Kim Jae Wook who carried the character, Noh Sun Ki. He's the perfect male specimen! There isn't much information of him on the web except that he started his career as a model, unsurprisingly, and that he was born on April 2, 1983.

For these princes, who in the drama were actually waiters at a cafe named Coffee Prince, this drama gave them a major breakthrough. I haven't watched Coffee Prince Special, though, and am looking forward to it tonight.

When Is The Next Ipoh PC Fair?

It seems like a long wait. My friend wants to buy a receipt printer but I told him to wait until PC Fair. It's a long shot but if you noticed, PC Fairs don't promote PC products anymore. They even promote credit cards, CCTVs and maybe even receipt printers.

The problem is that PC Fair in Ipoh is so limited. My friend says he may have to look for one, perhaps a used one, in KL. HHmm should I follow him? I would be a good shopping trip for me which he looks for his item!

Even if I do hitch a ride from him, it would not be sometime soon. He’d probably wait for some events in KL then only travel down so that he could kill a few birds with one stone. SIGH!!!

I Have Lost Touch With Time

I feel kind of sad, you know? It's like I am living in my own world and not keeping in touch with people like I should. Over the past few years, it has been exceptionally bad, so much so that I don't have time to reply to social emails and before I know it, a YEAR has passed! I am never good at keeping in touch and in fact, I have not even kept in touch with any of my old school mates until recently.

A couple of days ago, I found a long lost friend through Facebook. I used the Friend Finder tool and scanned my email address book for registered users. The problem with me is that I KNOW that it has been a long time since we kept in touch. I KNOW that I have his email address and that I could easily shoot him an email but I didn't do so. I just vanished.

Anyway, I found this guy, my old friend, on Facebook. He told me that he is now married and has a nine month old son. Wow... it really has been such a long time. Before we lost contact, he and his girlfriend were just graduating from USM. I don't know... how long has it been? Easily three years. Geeee!

Toyota Performance Parts

While I am still contemplating if I should buy a new used car in view of the current weak economy, my friend has gotten himself a Toyota Celica. To say that I am envious is certainly an understatement! I asked him to let me take it for a spin but he said not yet. He is not happy with its performance yet until he has tweaked it to perfection. Well, it's the same story with him all the time with each of his cars. SIGH!

Luckily for him, I know exactly where he could get his hands on performance parts for his Celica. I told him to check out Corollasport.com. This is a very easy to navigate website and it is very easy to search for the part that you are looking for. Just go by car make on the sidebar and then car model. You will then be able to look for the car part.

I may not be too well-versed with cars and car parts but if you compare the prices of car performance parts between Corollasports.com and other stores selling similar products, you will notice that prices here are very competitive.

This website is updated with new products daily, which is what I like. The best thing, however, is that if they do not carry the product that you have been looking for, just write in and maybe they would be able to help. Isn't that great?

Top 9 Myths About Rape, Rapists and Rape Victims

I read in NST earlier today, on the nine myths about rape, rapists and rape victims and I think that no matter if we are male or female, we should know that these popular believes are simply NOT TRUE. The problem with rape lies entirely on the perpetrator and it is not about whether the rape victim was sexually provocative or not.

Whether man or woman, we must always be alert of our surroundings and never loiter around. This would only cause us to be exposed and vulnerable. And actually, it's no longer safe even if you may have company.

This is not being paranoid but being in control of what we could control, since we could not possible control the minds and actions of sexual perverts.

Myth 1: Only young, pretty women are sexually assaulted.
Myth 2: Girls who wear sexy clothes or flirt with men provoke rape.
Myth 3: Rape is an uncontrollable act of lust. Most rapes are spontaneous acts of passion where the assailant cannot control himself.
Myth 4: Women often lie about getting raped.
Myth 5 : Most women are raped by strangers.
Myth 6: Most rapes happen in dark alleys, deserted areas and other dangerous places.
Myth 7: It is impossible for a husband to sexually assault his wife.
Myth 8: No woman can be raped against her will. A person can prevent rape if she really wanted to.
Myth 9: A rape victim will be hysterical.

Source: Women's Centre for Change Penang, WCC via NST

Finally Managed To Stream Gem of Life Ep. 57

Gahh... and it took me the whole day because, once again, my broadband internet connect went down and my Celcom 3G signal was weak. Hopefully, now that my broadband connection is restored that it will hold so that I could watch episode 58 as soon as it comes out. Yes, it's going to be one excitement after another from now onwards.

In Gem of Life ep.58, Jessica will be taking over Martin's company. Boy, is she going to be one powerful lady, living her mother's dream. Eventually, don't know in which episode, though, Martin will die and she would not even let Terrence pay his last respects. This one sure reminds me of Moonlight Resonance. Or was that heart of Greed? LOL

I read on the web earlier that Constance would divorce Terrence but looking at the ending of Gem of Life episode 57, it doesn't seem like they would divorce. In fact, after reading the guestbook at the cafe in Tibet and then Terrence suddenly appeared, it looks like they will reconcile.

With only another 25 more episodes to conclusion (time flies, huh?), the couple I am not sure about is Sylvia and Calvin. How could Calvin "get rid" of Catherine? What about Sunny? It sure is painful for HIM. At least, Sylvia has a chance whereas Sunny has none at all because Calvin isn't gay. Haha!

SHIT... I just realised that it's Friday night tonight, which means one more episode and we would have to wait two more days over the weekend without Gem of Life. Arghh!!!

Exquisite Jewelry and Watches

If you know me well, you will know that I am someone who does not accessorize herself. If you see me once in a blue moon and especially on social gatherings and other official obligations, of course I will have lots of bling bling on me. Normally, though, I only have a necklace with a small gemstone pendant. The necklace was a gift from my mother while the pendant was a gift from my father. Hah!

My sister, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of me. You should see her collection of jewelry. By the way, she has graduated from collection pearl jewelry to diamond jewelry. Somehow her taste has been upgraded working in that up market beauty retail shop. Last week, when she got married, she also exchanged diamond rings with her husband. While some younger couple do not put too much emphasis on their wedding bands, my sister has put a lot of thought on getting the perfect wedding rings and only diamonds would do.

I found this awesome diamond jewelry and watch website of TraxNYC Corp which has a very exquisite selection of diamond jewelry and watches and they also have a range of wedding jewelry. Too bad my sister already bought hers last month.

Besides wedding bands, gold chains and diamond rings, TraxNYC also carries various other jewelry styles for ladies and gents, including pinky rings, stainless steel rings, semi-mount jewelry and even loose gem stones.

If you think that TraxNYC only caters to the older affluent crowd, I noticed that they also have an exquisite selection of Hip Hop Jewelry for the young and young at heart.

I may not know a lot about jewelry, especially high end pieces like those offered by TraxNYC but I know quality when I see it. Besides, for jewelry, I believe that we should be prepared to pay a little more as these jewelry pieces that have sentimental value would be passed from one generation to another.

If you have been looking for classy jewelry pieces or even diamond watches, check the website of TraxNYC. They ship worldwide. This should be good news for people outside the United States.

This Is So F-ing Funny You'd Piss In Your Pants

I normally do not go around searching for videos on YouTube because I am not patient enough to wait for videos to load before watching them. Yes, that's MY Streamyx. SIGH.

However, a couple of days ago, a friend sent me this awesome video that is so f-ing funny that I just have to share it. Believe me, watching it once will not be enough. I couldn’t stop laughing as I was watching it. This is seriously NSFW [Not Safe For Work]!

You know, when people say that if you enjoy something, you can retain it in your head better, it really is true. After watching this video once, the tune has stuck on my head already even though I have never listened to it before.

By the way, the name of the song is Dilbar Dilbar by Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe 1994.

Romantic Honeymoon

My sister, who signed her marriage papers at the end of 2008, told me that there is no honeymoon for her because she hasn't been feeling well lately and is occupied with meeting doctors’ appointments one after another. With health concern and worries on her mind and n fact, my mind as well, I understand that she would have no mood to enjoy herself.

However, her husband has promised her a romantic vacation after all her doctors' appointments have been met and they would go somewhere as romantic as Riviera Maya, which is like the places that we usually read in Mills & Boons romance books.

Honeymoon vacation packages are so different now from our parents’ time and one thing I noted is that it’s not as expensive to travel for a romantic honeymoon vacation like it was before. Hope my sister will get to go on her honeymoon soon!

RM500 Watch Without Certificate

A friend bought a "Tag Heuer" watch from Hong Kong recently as a birthday present for her ex-boyfriend. She told me that it's a Tag Heuer without certificate. So I was like, "Is it or is it not Tag Heuer, then?" She says yes it is, but it doesn't have a certificate and also does not have a logo. I was puzzled.

I asked her if it's replica, she said no. Underwater watch? She also said no. So what kind of watch is that? So expensive and yet you can't say that it's a REAL Tag Heuer because it does not have a certificate or logo worrrr....

She gave the ex-boyfriend this watch, who declined it. LOL If I were this lady friend, I would not have bought this RM500 watch in the first place. I would rather buy a watch WITH certificate, or brand, if I were to give it as a gift. So what if it's not Tag Heuer, right?

In the end, the ex-boyfriend did not accept it, saying that it's too expensive and told her to give it to her father instead. Privately, the ex-boyfriend, who is also my friend, told me that he didn't like the design, that's why he did not accept it. EEewwww!!!!

Nokia E71 or E63, Eh?

If you have been following my blog, you would probably remember that I am using Nokia E61i right now and contemplating upgrading to Nokia E71. A few of my friends who are fellow E61 and E61i users have already upgraded their phone LAST YEAR. LOL Eh, at least I GOT think about changing my mobile device wor.

I tried out my friend's Nokia E71 and I really like it. It's more compact and lighter than my bulky E61i which is more suitable for the palm of a guy. Poor me. SIGH. Having lived with QWERTY keypad, I don't think I will want to change loh.

Anyway, before I could change to Nokia E71, I stumbled upon the brochure of Nokia E63. Eh, to the naked eye, physically, they both look the same. I wonder if it has already been released yet in Malaysia but it comes in red, very striking. Nokia E71 comes in black and white only. White very easy to look "dirty". Also, E63 is a lot cheaper than E71 but I haven't compared specifications to see what is lacking in E63.

Errr I WANT PRESENT!

Weddings

I know it is January already but in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, it is still the twelve month, a good month for getting married. I don't have any wedding parties to attend, thankfully, but I know of friends of friends who are getting married.

In fact, my sister also got married a week ago, but for her, she did not throw any wedding reception because she is alone in the United States and her husband only has his parents there. She did hold a small party with her colleagues, though. She told me it was a quiet affair and she is not unhappy about it. At least, she did not have to crack her head coming up with Wedding Ideas to make her wedding a one-of-a-kind.

She may, however, throw a reception, when she is back to Malaysia where her family and friends are, but by then, she would have us to help her with it.

20% Less Mandarin Oranges This CNY

I am not surprised that Kuala Lumpur Fruit Wholesalers Association has decided o import 20% less mandarin oranges into the country for Chinese New Year. Did you notice that we already have mandarin oranges before Christmas? Boy, are they early.

Frankly, how many mandarin oranges could one eat? Even before this economic downturn, my family does not buy too much. The most was two boxes and most were given away to friends and relatives as buah tangan.

I see that many Malays and Indians also buy mandarin oranges. They are, after all, just fruits. This should help boost sales of the fruits. What make me geli is all the rotten oranges that are still sold after Chinese New Year. Eeewwww throw them away already, yo!

Anyway, there is still some weeks to Chinese New Year and of course we haven’t bought our oranges yet. Buy so early, finish eating also not yet CNY. Hahaha!

Buy Malaysian Campaign

I read in the papers that the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry will be launching a Buy Malaysian Campaign beginning 16th January, 2009. The news report did not mention how long this campaign will run or what Malaysian made products would be sold at a lower price to entice shoppers to shop for Malaysian products.

Apparently, promoting locally made products and hopefully increasing sales of these products would help improve domestic growth. I say, we need a bigger pay cheque to be able to afford all these locally made products. It's not as if they are being given away free, right? Local or foreign, money is still required and frankly, at this point, cash is king. My friend says that it's people like me who make Malaysian "ekonomi merosot" LOL! Why blame me?

I wonder if local cars would be sold at a discount to promote Buy Malaysian Campaign. THAT would make me participate in the campaign.

Picking Up Cheap Stocks

While some of us are worrying how we could put food on the table after being laid off or handed a pay cut, I have a friend who is picking up cheap stocks, commodities and investments. He is looking for long term investment and this minor downturn does not worry him at all.

My friend told me of the options express account that he has which he actually opened a couple of year ago but did not yet utilize because he said the timing wasn't right yet. He is so glad that he has it now that it looks like a golden opportunity to invest in options.

Well, I too wish that I could start picking up cheap stocks but I dare not break up my savings in case of an emergency which requires a lump sum of cash. Aih… if only I have more savings!

3-Corner Fight In Kuala Terengganu

Almost everyone I meet is talking about the KT Parliamentary seat by-election. Frankly, I am not surprised that it's a 3-corner fight. Heck, if I qualified, I too would give it a go and hope that some big shot would be chicken enough to pay me off. Hahaha!! It is that easy to get rich in Malaysia. LOLOLOL

I am not sure if I should care which party wins. No matter who comes out the victor, elections are always self-served. I don't see anyone who is in office right now, or fighting to be in office, who is not thinking about him/herself FIRST. Once again, I refer to the Perak State Government.

Anyway, while I do not see any major impact whoever wins, to the MAN ON THE STREET, it would be interesting to see which party wins and how national politics will shape out entering 2009.

Knee Pain

It has been almost nine months since my mother suffered from osteo-arthritist but I am happy to say that she has improved so much. I got her a scalar energy pendant to wear and also bought her a supplement called Jointflex and of course, she is taking other supplements subscribed by her doctor.

I told her that if supplement works, she should stop going to see the doctor. You know, it's not as if he's prescribing medication and since this is a long term maintenance, she should try to cut down on the unnecessary stuff.

But she's very clever, though, telling me that her friends who also suffer from the same pain are consulting specialists while she is only seeing a GP but then I know that one of her friends is just taking Super Cissus and nothing else. Why does she have to make me feel guilty?

I'm Relieved (Just A Little)

You know, for the past week, I have been so worried. My sister, who hasn’t been feeling too well since 2006, told me that her doctor was concerned with her "low white blood cell count".

I asked her how low is her low but she said that her doctor did not disclose but referred her to another doctor. We were afraid that it would be something terminal. It's really odd that since 2006, her doctors have not been able to pinpoint the problem and provide her with a solution.

Today, my sister went to see this new doctor, who told her that he is not concerned with her low white blood cell count, which is 300 lower than the lowest normal count. This eased my mind. However, the problem is that my sister still doesn't feel too well despite a good blood report, besides her low white blood cell count.

The doctor scheduled a cat scan for her internal organs and again, another blood test. I pray that all will be fine with her.

Thoughts About My Future

I have been giving my future much thought lately. As you know, times are tough and I may need to look for a job but without tertiary education, it will be a long struggle for me.

I know that I must somehow upgrade myself and get at least a basic degree. It may not mean much to others but it would, I am sure, open new doors for me.

A good option for me is to get a degree online. I have faith that with a flexible study schedule, I could see myself through this new challenge even though it has been years since I studied.

Studying online has become more common now and access to the internet, we can receive our lessons at our own convenience. If you are planning to study online as well, remember that you should only go with accredited institutes of higher learning.

This post was based on information provided by Blogitive.
For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

Love Letter [2003 Korean Drama] Has An Awful Ending

I completed 2003 Korean drama, Love Letter, a couple of days ago. It was a difficult watch because of Soo Ae. LOL Prior to that, though, I already read on the web that Cho Eun-ha (Soo Ae) would lapse into coma and that finally, Jung Woo-jin (Ji Jin Hee) would be free from his gripping love for Eun-ha.

In the final episode, Eun-ha underwent heart transplant after finally getting a matching donor and her surgery was headed by Jung Woo-jin, assisted by the priest, Andrea Lee Woo-jin.

Yes, Eun-ha sort of forced Andrea to become a priest because she believed that she would die. She did not but while she was in coma, Andrea took the final step to be one, since he promised her. Meanwhile, he continued to care for the sleeping Eun-ha while Jung Woo-jin went overseas to be a volunteer doctor. And he seemed pretty happy (free from the grip mentioned earlier) despite the fact that Eun-ha was comatose. Does that mean that he doesn't love Eun-ha anymore or that he finally realize that there will be no future for him and Eun-ha?

Andrea said that should Eun-ha wake up, they should "love again" but he's a priest now, so how could he love a woman again? Strange, really strange.

And now that Eun-ha is awake, and Jung Woo-jin comes back into her life because he loves her so much it's painful to watch how his love is not reciprocated but it's always been Andrea, Andrea, Andrea in Eun-ha's mind, and if Andrea gives up his priesthood because he wants them to "love again", this triangle love will never end.

Poor Jung Woo-jin. I could easily fall for a man like that. Ji Jin Hee is married to a Korean actress, by the way.

Ending theme
A Farewell In Heaven [천국의 이별 chun goo.k eh ee byul] - Tri-be

I searched YouTube and found this music video of the ending theme of Love Letter. It's called A Farewell In Heaven. It's not my favourite song in the whole OST album. My favourite is Andrea's theme [sarang eul mid na yo], Jung Woo-jin's theme [huh rak] and "noon boo shin nae ga dwel ddae gga ji" all by Tri-be. Too bad I could not find any of these on YouTube. SIGH!

Education

If you remember, a couple of months ago, I was in two minds if I should pursue a degree course which my uncle proposed to put me through. I have decided to turn him down, not because I wouldn't like to upgrade myself but I told him that my cousin needs his financial assistance more than I do.

Just when I thought that I would be quite contended as I am, relying on myself, about three weeks ago, I had a psychic reading and no matter what layout the tarot cards was, it pointed to "Education". It was a very weird experience.

My psychic told me that I must somehow enroll myself in a course, not necessarily for a degree but just any course. She told me that I should expose myself to everything that has to do with education, yet doesn't mean that I MUST study, if you know what I mean.

So I was searching for education related news and discovered to my delight that Post Graduate Education Fair 2009 (PGEF 2009) will be held this month from 16th to 18th at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur, from 10am – 7pm. Woot! It’d be a good excuse for me to make a trip to KL. Hehehe!

I was a little surprised that this is the eleventh year that PGEF has been held. Boy, I must have been living in a cave or something all these while. LOL

As I mentioned in previous posts, my main concern is not so much if I could cope hitting the books again but going back to school would cause financial strain on my family. Well, I was told that there would be over RM500,000 worth of study grants and scholarships available for qualified students. I wonder if I qualify. It would be worth a try.

Wastage

I was a little pissed off last evening.

You probably know that Telekom gave us TM homeline subscribers free 24 hour use for calls to their network on 1st January, 2009, right? So I told my mother about that and told her to call her sister-in-law that day so that we could save some money. You see, she "boils phone porridge" with her sister-in-law occasionally, and even though you may think that a phone call would not cost so much, when these calls are added to our Streamyx bill, it just bloats up the bill. As the one who takes care of all the bills in the household, I try to teach them to save when possible and not make unnecessary calls or let the tap run, etc.

Anyway, my mom said that she doesn't have anything to chat with my aunt that day (1st Jan 2009) even when I reminded her of the free call at night.

Boy, what do I know? Last evening, which was only two days after the TM homeline promotion, she boiled phone porridge with my aunt for one hour. I didn't say anything, of course not, but it's not as if what they chatted could not be said on 1st January, 2009.

I am actually sadder than I am pissed.

Catching Up On Dramas

After the New Year break, I have so many drama episodes to catch up on. First, there's Gem of Life ep. 52 (yes, not yet watch!!! GGrrrrr), then Pages of Treasure episode 19 (not yet watch also and it's concluding tonight!!!!) and then there's the last three episodes of Korean drama, Love Letter.

Gem of Live has gone interesting again. I think Philip gave an excellent performance when he pee-ed on the hospital bed. Gosh, what a transformation from this powerful corporate guy to a stroke patient. Episode 52 will be more on Calvin and the complex relationship with Catherine, Sylvia and Sunny. Awesomeness!

For Pages of Treasure, many fans cannot understand how Alex could start a new relationship with Hillary so soon after breaking up with Abbie. There's a saying that goes, "a man's heart is like an ocean of needles." OK.. I am no good in translating but I guess Cantonese speaking people would understand what I am referring to. LOL

Back to Korean drama, Love Letter, although I cannot stand the husky voice of Soo Ae, I think the most outstanding actor in Love Letter is Ji Jin Hee whose character, Jung Woo-jin, is deeply in love with Soo Ae's Cho Eun-ha. Poor guy, I could seriously feel his pain. SIGH. Why is love so hard for some people? Hey, did anyone notice that Ji Jin Hee has one eye smaller than the other. I swear...!!

Next Korean drama I will be watching is Coffee Prince. Read that this is a funny "must watch" Korean drama. I like funny and it spares me some tears. It's tiring to "cry" along in dramas, you know?

So there, plenty of dramas to occupy me. Wonder what drama will be starting next Monday replacing Pages of Treasure which concludes tonight.

Remote Control Toys

I went to visit my friend at his house a couple of days ago, after our year end BBQ party. I was surprised that he still kept his collection of remote control cars, helicopters and boats. I remember that we used to play with these remote control gadgets every weekend when we were in high school. It was such a long time ago that I have misplaced all of my toys. My friend, on the other hand, has kept his in tip top condition.

You know, remote control gadgets are so advanced now, there are even RC tanks now! This photo doesn't really do it justice because a real RC tank has sound effects and what I like, SHOOT back at you. LOL

Playing with RC tanks would really be fun. I hope that I could find some time and get all my RC gang together again and play with tanks only. RC cars and bikes, even boats and helicopters just can't compare with RC tanks at all!

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy New Year everyone! Happy New Year Eibla! Happy New Year _butt and Angel O'liu liu!

Yes, my post is a little late (by a day). You know why? I just wanted to stay away from the computer for a day. That's why.... but not very successful. LOL

I went to town on the evenings of 31st December, 2008 and 1st January, 2009 equipped with a REAL camera (as opposed to camera phone) and failed to take a single shot. SIGH!! Thought I could get some shots of the events in shopping malls or celebrations in town but it was so, so quiet. There was fireworks display at Dataran Ipoh at the stroke of midnight, though, but by then, I was already back home as I had some stuff to take care of. Too bad.

All right... I guess this is it for now. I actually have some emo stuff I want to write about but this is just not the right post to do it. I may not even write about it if the feeling passes........ hah!

Free Manly Man Online Magazine

I was wondering what to buy for a friend's birthday last week. It was difficult because I couldn't get him anything that he could wear because of his size. I wanted to get him something to read, instead, and thought that a man's magazine would be good but I checked a few publications and found that these aren't exactly magazines for men. No wonder when I consulted a few male friends on the magazines they read so that I could get it as a birthday gift, they were blank. They told me that they do not read any. Now I know why. They just could not relate to issues that are touched upon in "men's magazines" in the market!

This morning, I was informed of this new online magazine published with real men in mind. Having said that, it is a hit with women as well, because honestly, which woman wouldn't want to know what men think, right? I took the chance to check out the articles on Real Man Magazine and I have to say that articles are written with a humorous tone and make for light reading. Don't misunderstand though. The topics covered are what real men would like to read about, like gadgets, cars and big boy's toys, beautiful women, sports, entertainment, men's health, fatherhood, career, smoking, gambling and drinking, and other manly man's activities.

Subscription to Real Man Magazine is free and for a limited time, your subscription will come with a free copy of "A Real Man's Guide to Preventing a Hangover".

If you have been looking for a REAL magazine for men, this is it. The best thing is that it is FREE and it’s online so you can read it wherever you are!