Dark Family Secret

Today, I discovered a dark family secret, something that my Uncle has kept secret for the past 25 years! And with this discover, my Uncle, who has upheld a good reputation so far, suddenly looks different in our eyes.

Of course, in 2009, soon to be 2010, this isn't something to be ashamed of or surprised about but back in the 1980s, for someone who has a "name" in society this is not something that could be allowed to be mentioned, let alone happen.

Now that my family knows about it, no thanks to my busybodiness with the help of internet technology, we are going to pretend that we know nothing about it. We aren't going to mention this to other family members outside of our nuclear family because they can't keep secrets.

SIGH....

Right House, Right Area, Right Price

If you have been following my blog, you would know that I am looking for the right property to buy in the capital city. I prefer landed property, of course, since I grew up in a sprawling house, but I think that at this point in time, I could only afford a low to middle class apartment. Actually, I don't really mind living in an apartment since it means less household chores!

I haven't been to the capital city for at least 20 years and am totally unfamiliar with the new neighborhoods so a friend suggested that I rent a room first and take my time looking for the right property to buy. While I have thought of that as well, since it is not easy to find the right house in the right area at the right price to buy, I am afraid that the longer I wait, the higher property prices will rise. By then, buying my own house may be just a dream!

I really would like to have a place to call my own but I read in the news that property prices would increase by at least 20% beginning next year. I am already saving as much and as fast as I could but what to do when expenses are increasing faster than income? I have already trimmed down my expenses by so much I don’t know what else I could do without!

A Watchdog's Tale 老友狗狗 [2009 TVB Drama]

This is probably the last TVB drama released and as a dog lover, I am so looking forward to it. Yeah, I know, two episodes have already been aired but i don't like to wait for my episodes so I'd probably collect more episodes first before starting on this drama.

There are only twenty episodes for this drama and although I am not that keen on the cast, well, can Steven Ma compare to Kevin Cheng, because they are way too familiar, remember A Journey Called Life?, I guess the storyline would be interesting enough. If the human cast fails to deliver, I am sure the doggie cast would make up for whatever shortcomings. Teehee!

Like I said, in A Watchdog's Tale, we have almost the same cast as A Journey Called Life. If not mistaken, both are produced by the same guy. Although A Journey Called Life was not that good a drama, it still made an extremely deep impression on me, particularly the scene where Linda Chung gave birth to her stillborn baby. Goodness, her acting was superb there. I hope there will not be such a gory scene in A Watchdog’s Tale!

Get Paid To Blog

Although getting paid to blog is not like it used to be just a couple of short years ago, one could still make decent pocket money from blogging. An old school friend just asked me if it really is possible to make money blogging. Yes, it is possible and writing paid reviews is just one of them.

My blogger friends used to make a lot of money using the pay per post style of blog marketing. It was very lucrative back then so much so that they started more and more blogs! Can you imagine, at the peak, one friend had more than a hundred blogs! That's just peanuts when you compare it with people who manage more than five hundred blogs and websites!

As for me, I believe in enjoying what I do and I certainly wouldn't enjoy it if I had to manage more than a hundred blogs, let alone five hundred! Blogging for me is a passion first and foremost and it is a bonus that I get paid to write. Did you know that I used to write articles to newspapers? Now that I have my own blogs, I no longer do because I can publish my own articles as and when I like!

Beauty Of The Game [2009 TVB Drama]

We are already into the third week of Beauty of the Game, a fairly new drama that replaced Born Rich, if I am not mistaken. My, how time flies, eh? After airing 11 episodes, I am still not in the mood to start the drama yet. There are only 20 episodes this series and if I want to catch up with it before it concludes, I should start today.

But I am not so keen since this is a female drama where three ladies fight and try to top each other. Well, that's the storyline from the synopsis that I read on the web. But this drama stars Kate Tsui, very beautiful lady, and Sharon Chan, who was in Born Rich. I wonder if anyone noticed that from certain angles, she looks quite like Tavia Yeung, when she was not made up like a Chinese opera star like she was in Beyond the Realm of Conscience. As for the other leading lady, Christine Ng, well, I am not familiar with her name. At least I can’t place her right now.

I guess I am going to keep this drama for the future when I really have nothing better to watch.

PageRank is Still Relevant

I almost forgot the good ol' days when all my blogs enjoyed healthy PageRanks but when Google bombed them and brought my PageRank values down to zero overnight, there was nothing I could do but to learn to live with the zeros.

However, these past couple of months, PageRank is back to a few of my blogs and although I see only a slight increase in revenue, at least I feel better psychologically when I see a little bit of green on my Google toolbar. Jokes aside, advertisers are still looking for PageRank when it comes to blog marketing and I can certainly understand why.

My blogger friends asked me if I did anything special to bring back PageRank. I didn't because I have been lazy. But if you are just starting out with a new blog, one of the best things that you could do for your blog is to build backlinks, as many as you could. Of course, while some people say that content is king, it wouldn't mean anything no matter how articulate you are if no one reads your blog, right?

Backlink building is done by commenting on blogs, forums, feeding social networks and submitting to web directories, just to give a few examples. If you are submitting to web directories, you have to take care to submit to directories that are relevant to your niche. If you have a business blog, submit it to a business web directory.

Also, while some people think that it is only beneficial to submit links or comment on only blogs with high PageRank, it isn't true. We do need to have backlinks from websites and blogs with different PageRanks. One more thing, building backlinks should be done slowly but regularly so as not to alarm the search engine robots.

Having said this, at the end of the day, you must enjoy blogging!

A Chip Off The Old Block [2009 TVB Drama] Conclusion

A Chip Off The Old Block, a super humorous TVB drama concluded on Sunday evening. What do I think of it? Generally, it was very funny and made me laugh almost every episode. However, I felt that the first and last episodes were not funny but the first episode managed to introduce the characters and plot while the last episode managed to wrap up the drama, though with a huge question mark hanging.

Actually, the drama concluded with an open end. The notice outside the lift of the "Empire State Building" says that if we want to know what happens, we would have to continue watching the next part. Well, I can't read Chinese but that's a loose translation of the Chinese words on the notice.

I don't really like open ended shows but if this means that we would be getting a sequel, then I am all for it. What era would Chor Fan and Chor Chi land in this time? I would have preferred Chor Fan and So Fung Nei to get together in the end, after forty long years but I guess this question will forever be unanswered.

Once again, I have to say that if you are looking for a TVB drama to watch, this should be it. I haven’t watched any TVB drama that’s as funny, I even recommended it to my parents. They were not keen at first but then they too agreed that the drama was funny!

Christmas Gatherings

Christmas is finally over, phew. There was one social gathering after another, some which I had to decline, unfortunately. It has been a long time since my friends and I got together and you know, after a lapse of so many years, it was still like old times.

There were good news to share by my friends, from engagements, weddings to baby announcements. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed already since we left school. I feel kind of bad that even with the advancement of technology, I didn't take the initiative to keep in touch with so many of my old school friends, until we reconnected through Facebook recently.

Now that the social rounds are over, I wonder when will be the next time we will meet again!

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!

I can't believe that it's Christmas tomorrow. The year has gone by so quickly, it's been like a grey cloud for me. My days just rolled by and I don't even know what I am doing most days. Due to the life changing event of Snoopy's illness back in May, 2009, I had no plans, no specific goals. I couldn't do anything much caring for him everyday. Just so you know, I hate it SO much!

I put in some work when I could, sleep when I could. I played a lot of online games, especially on Facebook, because basically, I couldn't do much. And I started watching TV dramas and movies again these past couple of months. I couldn't do that earlier because Snoopy was crying away and I couldn't concentrate.

Well, the last week of the year always flies by and this will be no different. Before I know it, 2010 will dawn on us and I will feel, once again, like I have not achieved anything at all the past year. But in spite of all the pain that I went through, mentally, physically and emotionally, I still feel blessed that I could at least support Snoopy physically and financially through his final days.

This Christmas, I haven’t taken the trouble to send out Christmas cards to anyone so an eCard like this that I found on the web, will have to do. I hope no one minds.

Pottery Workshop At Home

My friend, Warren, told me that he has just converted a room at home into a workshop for his wife. His wife, Amy, used to hand make pottery for sale but seemed to have lost interest lately because she said she did not have a proper place to work after moving into a new home. I fully understand how not having a proper place to work in can be totally distracting!

Actually, I have always wanted to learn how to make pottery, I guess I was influenced by the scene in Ghost, but I never gotten around to learning it. I have been procrastinating in searching for a pottery course in my area. Also, I was afraid that my hands would be even rougher!

Now that Amy is going to start making pottery and ceramic projects for sale since she now has a workshop at home, I am going to take the chance to learn from her. Amy has already told me that I must use lead-free glazes, which are non-toxic. OK, I have to admit that I have no idea there are so many different types of glazes; low fire, high fire, dry glazes, underglazes, overglazes and what not. Amy said that no matter which type I plan to work with, it has to be lead-free.

Well, I may give pottery a pass and work with pottery tile on a ceramic project instead. I can't seem to make up my mind but I believe it will make a great hobby!

Must Watch - A Chip Off The Old Block [2009 TVB Drama]

Although A Chip Off The Old Block is already into its 16th episode, I have only just started watching it two days ago and am at episode 7 currently. I watch so fast that I could watch about four or five episodes every night, if I want to.

Well, if you haven't started on this TVB drama yet, let me tell you, you MUST watch it! It is so, so hilarious that I have to admit that even though I have enjoyed a lot of other TVB dramas previously, it certainly has been a long time since I laughed this much!

Of course, it would not be as funny if you do not understand Cantonese since half the wit is in the action and half is in the dialogue. Reading the sub-titles wouldn't even be the same because of the puns used.

Anyway, I am going to put in a few more episodes tonight and laugh myself silly. I’ve recommended it to my parents as well and they enjoyed the first episode so far. They are really slow. Hehehe!

Setting Up A Home Based Business

A couple of my friends who have been laid off from work no thanks to the weak economy have decided not to seek employment anymore. They have tried for the past ten months to no avail so they need to move on. These friends are now partners of a home-based business selling handmade crystal jewelry.

I suggested that they set up an eCommerce website so that they could reach a wider group of potential buyers because their products are very appealing and I have faith in them. They actually make great gifts!

My friends have no idea how to set up an eCommerce website so I recommended them a web design Edinburgh company. You know, even though I can set up their online store for them, my work isn't professional at all. Besides, web development is not merely setting up a basic online store!

Although I have no experience with this web development Edinburgh company, I believe they would be able to help my friends in their quest to be successful netpreneurs. It all starts with just a small step, which my friends have already taken. It's extremely fulfilling working for oneself. Besides, there is no longer the stress of going for an interview and wondering if it will be successful!

Born Rich [2009 TVB Drama] Theme Songs

Besides the background song insert O Come, O Come, Emmanual by Tiu De Haan in Born Rich, I love the opening theme song of Born Rich (富貴門) by Gallen Lo called On the Verge of Eternity. I don't know Chinese so well so I cannot translate the song word for word but the gist of it is that he (Yatming) is very confused of what is real, what is fake and what is destined to be and how he had to forgo love for wealth and how, after all his efforts, everything came to naught.

On the Verge of Eternity (差一剎的地老天荒) by Gallen Lo (羅嘉良)

The closing theme, Two Rounds of Life (兩生關) by Kay Tse (謝安琪) is an even sadder song. It was sung in the perspective of Rene (Anita Yuen), which questions why God has tied her fate together with Yatming and even though she doesn't know him that well, she has to witness the painful downfall of Yatming. She knows the poor route he has chosen to take yet she could not do anything to stop him. Her love for him is not enough to bring him back to righteousness and she regrets to the end of her life.

Two Rounds Of Life (兩生關) by Kay Tse (謝安琪)

Building A Dream Home

My neighbor recently sold his house and I understand that the new owner will be demolishing the existing building and build a new house from scratch. While I understand why he is doing that, I am really not happy that I will have to live with months of pollution, including noise pollution!

However, I will not be subjected to that so soon because the new owner is just having his new dream home drawn up and it would take some time since construction work could only start once approval from the authorities has been obtained.

I think that this new homeowner could easily save time and money (time IS also money) by buying a home plan from a website like www.HousePlansandMore.com of HDA, Inc. If you check out the website, you could see that one could find all sorts of house or cottage plans from contemporary to rustic home designs for sale at reasonable prices.

A potential homeowner could easily search for his dream home among the many house plans available for sale. Of course, one could easily make changes to the design to suit his needs and it still is cheaper than drawing a new home plan from scratch. And as mentioned earlier, it saves so much time too!

SEVEN Months

This 19th December (tomorrow), will be seven months since Snoopy has been incapacitated. Over these seven months, there has not been a day that I am happy about the situation. Even so, I know that when the time comes when Snoopy is no longer with us, I would feel lost. And really, after living seven months like this, I wouldn’t even know how to lead a “normal” life anymore.

Also, there is not a day that passes that I wonder if this is the correct thing to do. It pains me so much to see Snoopy like this having kept him since he was only three weeks old, yet I cannot kill him. I have no right to. My friends continue to say that I am selfish to hold on to him even in this condition but do they think that I WANT to hold on to him? Wouldn't it be better for me if I could reclaim my freedom and life?

Frankly, I don't know. I don't know if what I am doing is what I should be doing. I don't even know myself WHY this is happening. All I know is that I want this to be over as soon as possible. It sounds like I WANT Snoopy dead. Time can help me to recover from the mental anguish but I would not be able to regain the time that I have lost taking care of Snoopy or the years that have been shaved off my lifespan.

Creating Transparent GIF Images

I handle a lot of images in my line of work but so far, I never bothered to learn how to edit my images to make them more appealing. All I have done so far is just brighten or darken them. That's all!

Recently, I was browsing some online stores and came across photos that are so much better than mine. I believe that better photos would attract more people to make a purchase and wanted to try my hand at editing my photos too. I asked a friend what type of file I should save my photo as and he told me that those were called transparent GIF.

My friend told me to get myself a copy of Photoshop which could handle all editing methods in computer graphics and images but I am cheap, I thought I would look for freeware which has the same features. I found it in IrfanView but have not been successful in editing my existing photos into transparent GIF images. I asked my friend to teach me and because we live in different cities, he could only guide me via email and text messages. Still, I am quite dumb and cannot yet get it right. I guess I will have to wait for him to visit me or vice versa so that he could teach me.

I feel bad that I couldn't pick up the trick in image editing even though my friend has been very patient. In contrast, I have not been patient with my parents with teaching them how to surf the web. They are of an older generation, of course, and are quite afraid of technology, especially my mother. I know that I have to be more patient with her so that she could learn to look up information on the web by herself. Lately, she suffers from one medical condition after another and so tries to read up on them online for better knowledge. The other day, I taught her to make use of the search engine. I told her she could try to look for whatever she wants, even something like "effects of continuous hormonal infusions" and possible results that match her search query will be displayed. I hope once she gets the hang of it, she would not be afraid of the computer.

Born Rich [2009 TVB Drama] Conclusion

I finally finished watching Born Rich, a recently aired TVB drama, early this morning. I watched from episode 35 to 41! Well, technically, there were only 39 episodes but because there was a two hour conclusion, those of us in Malaysia get to watch a total of 41 episodes instead.

A friend, a fellow TVB drama enthusiast, warned me that I would not want to watch Born Rich because I would feel like slapping someone because of the plot. Frankly, I really enjoyed the drama. That's why I had no problems watching six episodes consecutively.

Granted, there are some parts that are a little too outrageous, like how Rene willingly goes back to Yatming's side just to take revenge and everyone lets her do it. I think that no rape victim would be able to do that even though they once loved each other.

Anyway, I think that the cast put in a superb performance. I cried when they did. I like the fact that Angie got her just deserts for being a home wrecker and that Marcus has a second chance to be with Connie again.

Perhaps the reason I enjoyed this show more is because of all the familiar faces. I used to watch Ray Lui, Gallen Lo and Kenix Kwok, way before people like Moses Chan, Raymond Lam and Kevin Cheng rule our TV screen.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this drama, don’t understand why the concluding episode received 13 complaints from Hong Kong viewers. LOL

Reducing Snoopy's Maintenance Cost

I told a friend that I have not been able to concentrate on work these past seven months as I have to provide full time care for Snoopy, my incapacitated dog. In addition to the loss of income, I have to dig my savings to support Snoopy. What irks me the most is that I do not have control of the situation at all. I hate the feeling of being trapped.

My friend suggested that I change my vet; perhaps a new vet could reduce the cost of maintaining Snoopy. He asked if I wanted to be introduced to his cousin who is a vet too. I turned him down because I don't see how I could further reduce this maintenance cost. I have to buy his medication, supplements, food and home medical supplies like incontinence pads and antiseptic powder for his pressure sores. These are fixed costs.

And even though I may be able to reduce the vet's bill by changing to another vet, I don't think I should because I know that I am paying for his experience.

KTM KL-Ipoh Electric Train Service Beginning April 2010

I read with delight that KTM will commence KL-Ipoh electric train service beginning April 2010 and the train ride would only take 1 hour 50 minutes. That's a lot of time saved from travelling on the road. Besides, we would not have to pay toll.

It has been 20 years or so since I visited Kuala Lumpur and I think that with this service, I surely would be able to travel to KL more often even though I may not have business there. By then, perhaps I would be free from Snoopy and my nursing duties to him which means that I would have more freedom to do my own thing.

I am really curious to know how much it would cost to travel to KL. This is a premium service so it would cost a little more. However, I think that initially, KTM will run a promotion by either offering free or discounted rides. I hope to be able to take advantage of that, cheapo me!

In any case, even if tickets are slightly more expensive, I think it would still be value for money. Travelling time is shortened by almost an hour compared to current train rides to KL and time is money.

New Car Indecision

My sister, Kelly, told me that she is planning to purchase a new car. She told me that her car is not worth repairing because it would need a considerable amount of money too. As far as I know, my sister has been searching for a new car for a few months already but yesterday, she told me that luckily she has yet to book a new car because 2010 car models are out and they all look so good my sister told me that she doesn't know which one to choose!

Kelly showed me a few 2010 car models and asked me to help her choose. I don't know which one would be suitable for her needs but I personally think that the 2010 audi s4 would make a great car for her. Not only could she drive to work, it would be large enough for her family of four. Kelly, though, told me that she is more inclined towards getting a sleek MPV like Honda Insight as she is planning to start a family next year and would need more room in the vehicle.

Well, I’ll leave her to make her own decision but if I could afford it, I would definitely buy a 2010 pontiac, perhaps the Pontiac GTO! It sure has class!

Hypnotizing Spell

I started to watch Born Rich, 2009 TVB drama, just a few days ago and I am down to 19 episodes already. Even though I watch a few episodes in one sitting and had wanted to complete what I have in time for the conclusion that will be aired on Sunday, I don't think I could make it. At this point, I am just half way through and Born Rich is going to conclude tomorrow evening already, with 41 episodes.

Anyway, these few days, I am looping this song called O Come, O Come, Emmanual by Tiu De Haan, a remix of Enya's song by the same title. This song insert is played whenever Angie (Kenix Kwok Ho Ying) is in deep thought about her secret love for Marcus (Ray Lui Leung Wai). I have to agree that the track is simply hypnotizing.

You know, watching Born Rich, with Ray Lui, Kenix Kwok and Gallen Lo, I can see that they have aged. All three are in their 40s already, even though Kenix Kwok sometimes doesn't look so, but I remember watching them back in the 80s and early 90s. It really is difficult to imagine how fast time has passed. Where has time gone?

If you are watching Born Rich too and like the hypnotizing spell song, I found it on YouTube plus the lyrics and download link of the song. Enjoy!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Remix)

O come, O come, Emmanuel
I’m missing you
I’m waiting for your spell
Without you, my heart will fade
I’ll wither if your love is delayed

Chorus:
Come now, come now, Emmanuel
I’m waiting for your hypnotizing spell
Come now, come on, Emmanuel
I’m waiting for your hypnotizing spell

O come, O come, Adonai*
I’m dreaming of your supernatural high
The thought of you is making me shine
Come fill in me with love divine

*Adonai is Hebrew for god/master

Listen to and/or download O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Remix) HERE.

Projects With Clay

A friend told me that he has renovated a room in his house to be his art studio. Besides paining, he also likes to create little household items with clay and he told me that his work has already been pre-booked by his friends even before he has an idea of what to do. I guess his friends like his work because every piece is handmade and unique.

This friend told me that there are a few types of clay and he has no particular preference. The most important thing is that they have to be non-toxic. Clays and pottery glazes from AMACO are non-toxic and are safe to use even by children. Have you seen the clay bodies from AMACO? Those are lead-free and comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

My friend also has a couple of electric wheels in his workshop but he told me that he would like to upgrade to Brent® wheels because they are the best. He said that if he has the best, he would be able to make better pottery but I think that in the first place, one needs a creative mind. He surely has it!

To be frank, I have tried my hand playing with clay before but I could even make something nice enough that I wouldn’t mind using!

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis.

Is There Justification For TNB To Increase Tariff AGAIN?

I read in the papers and also heard in the news that TNB is seeking to increase electricity tariff beginning next year. I wonder if this is the right time to do so. With the weak economy, the upcoming imposition of credit card and charge card annual service fee, new fuel prices next year, subsidy withdrawal of sugar and GST, we, the ordinary Rakyat, are already feeling the financial strain.

I feel for my friends in Kuala Lumpur where they have to pay toll just to go around the city but even though Ipoh is a relatively cheap place to live in compared to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, we are not much better simply for the fact that we earn a lot less. This means that we have lower disposable income.

If you read my blog, you would think that I always have stuff to complain about from credit card annual service fee purportedly to help us in spending more prudently to fuel price hike to end of vehicle life policy but once again, with this proposal by TNB to hike their tariff, I feel that I should make some noise simply for the fact that they are a very profitable company. Why should they seek a hike in tariff? Do the people in TNB know what a financial burden it already is for us to run a household with our meager income that doesn't seem to increase in tandem with the cost of living? Sure, you can say that TNB is a private company but why exactly was it privatized?

Christmas Gifts For The Whole Family

Christmas is just around the corner and I still have yet to get ready gifts for the family. I have already prepared smaller gifts for friends and cards for associates but I dread getting gifts for the family because they cost so much more and holiday seasons like these always break my budget. But even with the weaker economy when we shouldn't spend on unnecessary purchases, the season will be here and we have to celebrate it even if on a smaller scale.

Although when it comes to gift giving, it is said that it's the thought that counts, I try my best to buy gifts that my family really wants. I know that my dad would like to have a laptop or GPS device while my brother is looking for a digital camera. As you can see, these surely aren't cheap gifts!

I haven't really decided on what to get yet for them but I've spent the past two weeks browsing the web looking for the best deals on laptops and GPS devices for my dad and top of the range digital cameras for my brother.

Some friends have told me that I am just wasting time looking at price comparison websites for gifts because the price difference is slight, I believe that a penny saved is a penny earned and I don't mind spending a little time on my gift searching to get more value for money.

Laptops, GPS devices and digital cameras are expensive. Luckily, my mother is less demanding and isn’t technologically inclined. I could get her shopping vouchers and she would be extremely happy. As for my young cousins, toys are the order of the day. Zhu Zhu Pets are top toys of the season and I definitely would have to depend on a price comparison website to help me with searching for the cheapest Zhu Zhu Pets available! Wish me luck!

A Chip Off The Old Block [2009 TVB Drama]

We are into the fourth episode of A Chip Off The Old Block only, a new TVB drama replacing Beyond The Realm of Conscience, with episode 5 being aired tonight. I haven't started this drama yet and at first, right after Beyond The Realm of Conscience, had every intention to start Born Rich.

However, it has been almost a week already, or perhaps longer, since the conclusion of Beyond The Realm of Conscience but I still have yet to start watching the first episode. It looks like I'm a diesel engine that is hard to start up in the morning. I don't know why, this past week, I am just too sleepy at night to even want some entertainment. Perhaps I have played too many games on Facebook throughout the day.

Anyway, my friend told me to just give Born Rich a skip and start A Chip Off The Old Block, a comedy drama that stars Ron Ng, alongside Myolie Wu, Shirley Yeung and Sunny Chan. Well, Ron is a little cute but not good looking like Kevin Cheng. I don't think I'm going to skip Born Rich. Gallen Lo is waiting for me. Perhaps I’ll do like old times and watch both dramas concurrently. It has been a long time. Hehehe.

Second Spring

Being at home for more than six months now, without keeping in touch with friends, I was confronted with a surprise this morning. A friend sent me an email to inform that she has just returned from a holiday where she got married too!

I remember that this lady was already married and I was introduced to her husband once, even. I guess within these 6+ months, many things could happen. It looks like she has a new husband now.

My friend told me that since this was a second marriage for both of them and they no longer are obligated to go through customary wedding rites, they opted for a destination wedding. I don’t know if you know, but destination weddings are all the rage now and this friend says that it’s a good opportunity to get away from everything and everyone back home. I can’t wait to see her photos!

Sexting

LOL I came across this word while browsing through Daily Chili this morning. There was an article on sexting among teenagers in the United States and it means to send text, video or picture messages on the mobile phone of pornographic nature.

I have to admit that even as "advanced" as I am, this was the first time I heard of this new vocabulary. I have a friend who likes to create his own words, but he also never thought of this word before.

Anyway, I think that these people who sext, whether they are teenager or adults, are stupid. Once the message is out of your hands, it is out of your control. Already, there are two teenagers in the United States who have committed suicide when the person they sent a nude photo of themselves via MMS forwarded the messages to their friends.

Even if you trust the other party absolutely, there is still a chance of the phone getting into the hands of someone else. Remember Edison Chen? I am sure those photos were for private pleasure only but look how a click of the mouse destroyed the lives of so many innocent people. It's no different with mobile content. And certainly, sending out nude photos of oneself is not the way to show "love". How naive!

Source: Daily Chili

Cake Business

A friend told me that her husband, who was an engineer with a construction giant, lost his job and it has been ten months already and he still has yet to find another job. Well, being a civil engineer, it is a bit tough. When there are not new projects, these companies would let go some employees and rehire them on contract basis when they managed to secure another project.

My friend tried to look for a job to help the family out too but she is lowly educated and it really is not easy when almost everyone looking for a job has at least one college degree! I told my friend that it is not necessary for her to work for someone else. She could be her own boss.

I know that she is good with cakes and she could create her own cake recipes. I suggested that she starts a small home-based business selling cakes. Her husband could help her with taking orders and delivering them, until he has found his own job. That would keep him occupied.

First, she would have to give her company a name. When she has the money later, she could always get a Naming Company to help her with naming and branding but that would be later in the future. She has to see how her business goes first in the meantime.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Starting Born Rich

Now that I have finished watching Beyond the Realm of Conscience, including the Special programme, I will be starting Born Rich. Actually, these two dramas were aired around the same time but Born Rich has forty episodes while Beyond the Realm of Conscience had 33 episodes only so it concluded early.

Actually, I prefer to collect my episodes first before starting the show. I consume them so fast, a few episodes a night, that I hate to have to wait for a new episode every night of the week. It's especially difficult if the drama is engaging and interesting so much so that it makes me want to continue watching it episode after episode. Strangely, Beyond the Realm of Conscience did not have that effect on me.

Born Rich stars Gallen Lo, one of my favourite TVB actors way back in the late 1980s. he sure looked good back then but now he looks tired. I guess it’s something called AGE. Anyway, I was so looking forward to start it last night but was too sleepy. I thought I would get to watch it tonight but I have too much to do. I think I would leave it till tomorrow. Can’t wait! Hehe!

Time To Leave The Nest

Once I am done with taking care of Snoopy, how long more I really am not able to tell, I am leaving the nest. It’s something that I wanted to do for a long time, I owe myself that much, but have not been able to do so because of Snoopy and Dino. They took up a high part of my youth, my life. But all bad things will surely end one day and then it's time to turn my lifestyle around.

Depending on when I am able to find myself a suitable property to buy in the capital city, I would leave most of my possessions at home with my parents. However, when I have my own place and have furnished it, I would get a Moving Company to call for my stuff. I wouldn't be taking much as I don't own many heavy items but I have plenty of clothes, books and CDs. And I have my stocks for my home-based business.

At this point, thinking of all these may seem like too far-fetched and truly, trapped in such a situation, I can’t help but feel like it wouldn’t end though I know that it can’t go on forever. Anyway, the day will come and I hope that when it comes, I am financially prepared for it. Taking care of Snoopy has drained me financially but there’s nothing I can do about it but provide him with the best medical care I can afford. He’s been with us for more than 15 years now and that’s the least we could do.

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Rowa Rolan For Pressure Sores

Taking care of Snoopy for more than six months now, where he developed pressure sores from the third months onwards, I have been dressing his sores a few times a day trying to keep them clean and dry. I found this Calcium carbonate powder called Rowa Rolan really good. The name's funny because the name of the company is actually Rowa of Ireland.

Anyway, it is too bad that Snoopy could only lie on one side and that makes it so difficult for the pressure sores to dry. For spots that Snoopy doesn't sleep on, they dry out really quickly.

I keep buying this powder from a neighbourhood pharmacy. Its mark price is RM9 but I get it at RM8 per bottle. Throughout the past three months, I have used more than ten bottles already. What to do when Snoopy's pressure sores cannot cure? Frankly, I am ready to surrender already!

When's The Economy Turning Around?

My friend, Paul, who is in construction, told me that business has been extremely slow. Of course he should know that his business would be one of the firsts to get hit when an economic turmoil like this is upon us. I told him that business is like a roller coaster ride. We just have to hold on tight and follow the "wave". When there is a downturn, there surely will be an upswing. Of course, we have to survive the downturn in order to enjoy the goodness that comes with an upswing.

Paul said that he doesn't know how much longer he could hold on to his current operations. He may need to downsize if slow trend continues. Well, that's pretty common. He could always set up his offices again when there are new businesses, right?

Despite all these trouble, Paul jokes that he has already found a Boston Moving Company just in case he has to close shop overnight. I think he's just exaggerating. His isn't a fly-by-night company and he doesn't need to leave overnight. Moreover, he has been really prudent all these while.

Anyway, people come, people go. Businesses come, businesses go. I like economic turmoil because it closes the gap between the rich and the poor.

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Samsung Mobile Devices

Although I have used mobile devices for many years now already, I have never used Samsung phones before. There was once I nearly owned one but it turned out that I did not. A friend later told me that a mutual friend who bought the same model regretted her choice of phone and he said that I was lucky that I didn't get it too. Well, just because the mutual friend did not like it doesn't mean that I wouldn't too, right?

A couple of days ago, I received an offer on Samsung mobile devices along with my credit card statement. This offer is only open to Maybank credit card holders. Not only do we get to purchase these Samsung phone models at a cheaper price, we get to install them for up to twelve months too at 0% interest rate. Moreover, we would also receive triple reward points!

I have to say that I am extremely tempted to buy a Samsung mobile device. One good think I like about Samsung that beats all competition is its ability to handle two SIM cards at the same time. The other phone that could do this is CSL, the Malaysian brand, but I don't care for it.

If you have owned or used a Samsung mobile phone before, could you kindly share your experience with me?

Moving To A Smaller House

Stevie called me up a couple of nights ago to wish me happy belated birthday. He said that he didn't forget but was too busy moving house. He also felt sad that he had to let go of his old house. It was a rented house but still, having spent the past five years there, it was difficult for him to let go.

Stevie said he had to move to a smaller house because business has not been good. A smaller house means lower rent but he likes the location. It's a consolation, I guess. I told him that a smaller house wouldn't require as much time and attention to upkeep it so it would leave him more time to do other things. He no longer has to spend the weekend cleaning his house and taking care of the garden like he did for the past five years.

A Boston Moving company helped Stevie with most of the work involved in moving from a larger to a smaller house but Stevie also had to decide which items to discard, which items he wanted to take along. Being a sentimental person, it must have been difficult for him. if I were him, I would want to take everything to the new place!

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Iron, Perm Or Dye

Recently, I am very self-conscious of my hair. I guess it is because I hacked my hair off not too long ago. Has it been one or two months already? Like I mentioned numerous times, I look like a witch now and I am not happy about it. When I can get away, I am certainly going to do something drastic with my hair. If I remember correctly come this Chinese New Year, it would be two years since I stepped into a hair saloon. I think that with all the money I saved from now getting my hair styled, I could at last justify splurging a couple of hundred bucks on my new hairstyle.

the problem is, I cannot even decide if I should get my hair ironed out, perm or dye it. If I were to perm my hair, would that put a few more years on my looks? I already look haggard enough from all the non-sleeping nights so much so that I look so much older than friends who are the same age as I am.

If I were to dye my hair, what colour should I choose? What kind of hairstyle should I opt for? Should I continue keeping my hair this long down to my waist or should I get a short bob like Victoria Beckham? Argh, there are so many options, I really find it difficult. I think that I always have difficulty making decisions when it involves money. Hehehe!

Home Foreclosures

It is sad to read the many cases of home foreclosures in the newspapers. It looks like the effects of the economic turmoil are still not over yet. My sister said that Jane, one of her former colleagues who bought a home in the Boston area, had to move back to her parents' place in Tennessee because she lost her home after losing her job. Her husband also lost his job earlier and until today, they have not found a suitable job yet and decided to move back to the in-law's place.

My sister told me that Jane doesn't have much time to waste. She will be moving as soon as she has compared the rates of Boston Movers. The problem is that if Jane couldn't secure a job where she was, it may be just as tough going back to Tennessee. The job markets are almost the same everywhere unless one is highly skilled and Jane and her husband aren't.

But Jane said that moving back to her parents' place, at least she would be able to save some money. Her mother could help her with the kids while she looks for a job. She wouldn't have to pay a babysitter or child minder. Although Jane and her family will lose their home, with family rallying around her, I believe they will be back on their feet soon.

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Beyond The Realm Of Conscience Special

Beyond the Realm of Conscience concluded a couple of days ago with a "special" program where the conclusion was shown to a live audience as well as home audience at the same time, like other TVB mega productions.

I watched the Special programme and loved the shots behind the scenes. It's not always that we get to see these actors and actresses when the cameras are not rolling. I am also impressed with the people who used computer programmes to touch up the film. I didn't know that TVB productions are this advanced already. What was the budget of Beyond the Realm of Conscience again?

Earlier, a friend told me that Kevin Cheng's character, Ko Hin Yeung, would die in the drama. Damn him for spoiling the show for me. Luckily, there was a twist to it. Did he or did he not die? I'm not disclosing in case you have not watch it yet. In any case, I thought that Kevin Cheng had an awfully short screen time. I wished I could see more of him. Hehe!

Taking Up Pilates

Paul, my friend, told me that he has just started pilates lessons from a Pilates Boston school. I was surprised because I thought that he's into more vigorous sport as he was a martial arts exponent but he said that his doctor told him to tone down his activities due to injuries. He said that pilates may help him regain better joint flexibility since they are a bit stiff after suffering from injuries from his martial arts days.

I have also thought of taking up pilates or yoga too. Actually, I cannot differentiate between the two and do not know which one is more beneficial to me but I have friends who say that yoga is great and I have another group of friends who are advocates of pilates. They only confuse me more.

However, even if I do want to attend pilates or yoga now, I am not able to because of commitments at home. I guess, like everything else, my new hobby will have to be put on hold. In any case, I will be waiting for Paul to update me on his progress and I am sure he would let me know if there are physical improvements since taking up pilates. It's still too early to tell now.

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Winter in Restaurant City [Facebook Game]

What a surprise it was to log into Restaurant City on Facebook this morning to see so much visual changes to the game. Winter has arrived in the virtual game as you can see from the screenshot that I have enclosed.

Besides snow capped trees, there are also new holiday dishes added to the menu. Although I love the inclusion of new dishes, I do not like that these dishes usually have new ingredients that I have to wait to be sold at the marketplace before I could unlock them. Yes, I also hate the timer placed on these dishes. One has to unlock them within days or they would be gone from the menu. These four holiday dishes only have five days to be unlocked.

If you have not logged into your restaurant in Restaurant City lately, you should. There has been so much changes to the game. In fact, I have seen it grow so much by leaps and bounds from its beta days until it is now the second most popular game application on Facebook.

Imposition of Credit/Charge Card Annual Service Fee

At this time of writing, we still do not have any news yet if the proposal to impose an annual service fee on all credit cards and charge cards will be approved. We were told that if it was approved, this would take effect on 1st January, 2010.

The purpose of this service fee, we were told, was to help create prudent spending among credit and charge card holders. While I think this is a noble effort, if you work in the Debt Collection industry, you would know what a high percentage of people default on credit card repayments, I don't think this will work when so many credit card issuers are currently trying to entice us with unbeatable deals that are screaming out to us to spend, spend and spend!

A credit card is no longer a luxury but a basic necessity these days. Besides providing us with a line of credit, we need it for online shopping too. However, if the government thinks that this service fee is revenue that they cannot pass up, then it’s only fair to us that this service fee be imposed on the second or third credit or charge card onwards.

Well, whether the government will listen to the voices of the people, we will only know next year.

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Year End Social Gatherings

December is a month where most of my friends will be home for the holidays. Even though they may travel all around the world throughout the year, even though they may be based overseas, they usually make it a point to visit their family back home in Ipoh around this time. If they couldn't make it, they would make sure to be here for Chinese New Year.

Since I am still taking care of Snoopy, I feel pretty bad that I would not be able to meet up with my friends like we usually do. The funny thing is that we are usually so busy with our lives that we hardly even keep in touch over the internet. Perhaps that's why these once a year social gatherings are so important to us. When we sit down, it's like all the months that separated us had been wiped away and we were back in the old days. Of course that's not true. That's just how we felt like.

I already had to turn down two yumcha sessions with friends during Christmas week. I said that at this point, I can say that I will not be able to do but if by then something bad has happened to Snoopy, if death could be considered worse than being bedridden, then I would be able to make it. Sigh, when could I reclaim my life?

Sporty Kids

I was surprised when my friend, Aileen, told me that her nephew is already ten years old. The last time I met her, he was just a newborn! My, how time flies. Aileen told me that her nephew and his friends love sports. Perhaps it's the school they attend or their parents who try to cultivate the love of sports in them at a young age. Most children would be glued to their game consoles at home but these boys prefer to be out and about, participating in junior sports when they could.

I told Aileen, that since Christmas is just around the corner, she could get him a Christmas gift of NFL Jerseys for kids. These are not suitable for real game play as they are just replicas and do not offer the a great level of protection for contact sports but for kids who love sports, especially for NFL, I believe they would love to receive a unique gift like a set of NFL uniform.

It’s too bad that I do not need to get Christmas gifts for children. There are no children in my household yet, or I would buy these as gifts as well. It would save me a lot of hassle of coming up with appropriate gifts to buy for children!

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