Cosmetology Placement Program

My sister, who currently works at a beauty house in charge of web sales, told me that if she loses her job, she doesn't know what to do anymore. She, like me, also does not hold a degree but she did attend college so she is better than I. A year ago, her company underwent a downsizing exercise, so I think that the threat of losing her job is very real. She is a hard worker and her boss loves her but if the company is in trouble, the boss can't keep her even if she wanted to, right?

I suggested that she take up a course that is related to what she is currently doing, if that eventuality happens. I have read about a cosmetology school in Phoenix which I think she should check out at that juncture. I like the fact that by taking up a course with Regency Beauty, one is almost assured of a job thanks to their special placement program.

Anyway, I hope that my sister will not be faced with unemployment since she is very happy with her current job.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

Angpow & Sugar

Someone I know is giving away puppies. He told me that whoever wants to adopt his puppies will have to give him an angpow and a packet of sugar. The amount in the angpow is immaterial because it's just a significant act. The same goes for the sugar. There is no fixed amount of sugar that one should give him in return for the puppy.

According to this person, this was taught by his mother and he is only following tradition. Well, it's not that I want to adopt his puppies, cute as they are, because of the nightmares that were left behind by my two dogs, but it made me realise that when we adopted these two dogs, we did not give anything back to the owner to "chop off" ties. Well, at that time, the mother dog was still a stray dog and she was subsequently adopted by a family. In retrospect, we should have given something to the family, maybe an angpow. As for the sugar, it was the first time I heard about it!

Maybe it is because of this that our dogs suffered so much. Both didn't have a healthy life and I thought that it was because they did not benefit much from their mother's milk. Whatever the cause, I am still so sad thinking about the pain they went through that I swear I am not keeping anymore pets!

Trying Not To Spend

2010 has been a rather bad year for me in the sense that I have been spending money non-stop. In January, when Snoopy was still alive, I had to take care of his "maintenance". But he died on the 9th and I started going on trips around the country. I just needed to see something else besides the four walls of my room. I travelled a lot and the only months that I did not go something this year were January, April and October.

And as you know, I bought a car. Although it's a used car, and relatively cheaper than a new one, I still spent much repairing it. And then the car battery konked out and needed a replacement. Also, this year, my printer and computer died and I had to buy new ones. Ah... also my laptop adapted died probably because of electricity spark.

I still have to make a trip to KL soon as my doctor's appointment is overdue but I hope that after this trip, I no longer have to go to KL. It's tiring and it's not inexpensive, even though I only made day trips these past few months. Oh well, this month, because of the computer, printer, car battery and having my budget disrupted by someone in the family, I am running on deficit and it pisses me off!

Gold & Silver Bullion

My mother has asked me if I have spare cash as she would like to buy silver bullion. Previously, she has asked me for money to buy gold bullion but frankly, I cannot afford that at the moment. But silver, I can still consider because it's a lot cheaper.

My mother has been following the price of silver on the world market and she told me that the price of silver has gone down a little and if there is a good time to buy silver for investment, it should be now. We can never catch it at its lowest point, anyway.

I seriously do not have time to check on the prices of all these precious metals but since my mother is free to monitor them, I will give her a free hand in investing, but only on silver. Gold... we'll have to wait till I am more solid financially.

No More Cursing and Swearing

I've been using my new computer for about ten days now and I am so happy that I no longer have to deal with the frustration of working with a half dead computer that stops midway just as my creative juice was flowing. And seriously, I feel so much "lighter" now and can work a lot faster. I am generally more productive now, including playing games. Yes, that's very important too!

Anyway, of course, to take off the frustration needs money. I spent RM1150 on it the almost new system. Well, I use my old casing, monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. Layman speak, I have new computer innards only. LOL I am happy enough, though. Knowing me, I am so stingy and any amount more than 4 figures is a lot to me already.

Besides, it's time to renew road tax next year and that would cost me almost RM1000! Yikes, so soon after buying the computer! Feels as if I’m suffocating!

Keeping My Old Cell Phone Safe

If you have been following my blog, you will know that I am planning to get a new cell phone. I wanted to trade it in but my friend told me about this cell phone spy device that could read old text messages that have been deleted. Imagine my surprised. I have heard of such possibility though it never crossed my mind that it is so easily available!

Now, I am thinking of keeping my old cell phone since I have just deleted almost a thousand old text messages from my phone. With this mobile phone spy that could read old text messages even if they have been deleted, it means I am not safe. HAHAHA Yes, I did have lots of secret text messages. I thought that I'm safe as long as I have deleted everything before releasing it to the public!

Halloween Party In KL

Halloween is not a big thing in Ipoh, neither was it KL but my friend told me that it's picking up in KL. he went to one the other day and there were so many little girls at the party, all sportingly dressed in cute Halloween costumes. See these photos that he sent to me...unfortunately, I didn't get to go. Would have loved to, but I'll probably NOT in costume. Yeah, I'm that not sporting.

The Halloween parties that are in Ipoh are usually held in clubs. Well, they are the organisers, that's why! And that's also why I will never go because clubs are just not my cup of tea, even though I may go with someone I trust. Anyway, I really like these photos not really because of their costumes only. As you can see, some of the girls are not in Halloween costumes too but they all seem so happy and that feeling shines through. Love it.

No Need For A Diamond Ring

A friend keeps telling me that when she got married, she didn't even have a diamond wedding ring. She says that off and on, when she is irked, she will bring this up just to try to get into an argument with her husband. She likes reminding him what was missing on their wedding day. Unfortunately, even until now, though they are financially more stable, her husband has failed to make it up to her.

I told my friend that since she wants it, she really should stop hinting but say it out that she wants a diamond ring. However, she said that it has been so long that she doesn't feel that having a ring now would change things. Besides, she said that she is very practical and would rather have gold bullion than diamond rings. Jewelry will depreciate in price even if it's gold but gold bullion is time tested and will only appreciate in price as time goes by. I hope she gets what she wants!

Dreamt Of My Grandmother & Aunt

It's extremely strange that every year, when it is near All Souls Day, I would dream of my grandmother. She passed away in 2003, if I remember correctly. This year, not only did I dream of my grandmother, I also dreamt of my aunt, who passed away this July. Yikes... they come to me in dreams in case I forget them on All Souls Day. Surely I won't!

Earlier this month, I dreamt that my aunt told me that if she could have chicken, she would be happier than when she had struck lottery. I will remember to take offer her chicken this All Souls Day. It will be the first time since she passed away. It's all still so sad. Time may heal but it's not magic.

My aunt and grandmother, who are mother and daughter, were Roman Catholics, by the way, but we also try to offer them stuff the traditional Taoist way. Not sure if they will get out offerings, though.

Time Lapse

It's so funny that the other day, when I met up with a friend, and he asked me when was the last time we met, I told him that it was not that long; just 10 months ago. It was that "fresh" in my memory for me BUT when we were talking, it suddenly dawned on me that it was not 10 months ago but A YEAR and 10 months!

Yikes... I lost a YEAR, where did it go? I asked my friend if he changed his handphone already, and he said he did but it was more than a year ago. Also, ten months ago, Snoopy was already bedridden so I definitely didn't go anywhere or meet anyone so it definitely couldn't be 10 months ago.

Geee... times flies by so quickly when one is busy, right? But to think that so much time has gone by and yet I didn't realise it, THAT is definitely extremely SCARY!

Birthday Wishlist 2010

It's my birthday next month and a friend asked me what I would like to have for my birthday. He is thinking of getting me a smart phone, which I already have, not one, but TWO so I am not keen.

He says that the smart phone that he has in mind is different and that it would help me a lot, especially when I travel. At least I wouldn't need to carry my laptop, which even though is only 12in, is relatively heavy. He doesn't know that the kind of work that I do, even when I travel, requires a high speed system. It's certainly not something that can be done on a phone, particularly not on a fancy phone, smart though it may be.

Frankly, for the money that one is spending on that kind of phone, I would rather it is used more usefully, like buy gold for me. I think that it would be a whole lot more practical and over time, gold will appreciate in value, while the value of a smart phone will only depreciate. Well, unless it's an antique smart phone.

History A Compulsory Subject From 2013

It's quite shocking to read in the news that History will be a compulsory subject from 2013 and it is a must-pass paper to obtain the SPM certificate. HHmm I remember that during my time, we had groupings, Geography and History were in a group. We had to pass either one only.

I wonder what happens to Geography if History is "must-pass"? Will it be neglected by students? Which subject is more important, actually? How will History help us in our daily work live when we leave school? I know that it did nothing to me. The same goes for Geography.

In contrast, as working adults, current affairs are the most important. We have to keep abreast with the latest news. Granted, it is said that History shapes our future and we have to "learn from History" so as not to commit the same mistakes but how true is this? Pity the students who have to not only sit for History but to pass it and pass it with a good grade. Pity my children, if I have them.

Entrecard Review

When I came across this Entrecard contest, I just have to participate.

I registered with Entrecard when it was just launched and I added a few of my blogs to the system. Although it is a great service, I admit that I am not actively using it to promote my blogs anymore because of time constraints. I do, however, appreciate the fact that Entrecard allows me to promote my blog on highly popular blogs, bringing traffic to my own blog, without paying a cent.

I remember, in the early days, I was lucky enough to advertise on John Chow's blog. Advertising on the Dot Com Mogul's blog would have cost thousands normally, and I believe he wouldn't have accepted my advertisement if not for Entrecard. To cut the story short, I received a few thousand visitors that day, all for free. Although John Chow is no longer using Entrecard, there are still plenty of high quality, high traffic site in the system that could provide the same level of exposure to other less prominent blogs.

Although I am no longer actively participating in Entrecard, I still log in to my account daily to have a look at the droppers and return the favor. If I have more time, I would check out other blogs that are in the same category as mine to visit and also to drop my Entrecard. It's, as I mentioned, a great way to give and receive traffic. The only problem is that it's time consuming visiting blogs one by one.

Freak Accident In Rawang

The news in The Star this morning about the freak accident in Rawang is really scary. As a new driver, my father keeps reminding me to drive safely. I'm slow and yet, he still doesn't allow me to drive to places that are crowded, that we know will be crowded, for example, pasar malam spots.

But reading about this freak accident, and other similar unfortunate incidents, tell us that no matter how careful one is, if one's time is up, it's up. in this case, the two accident victims on the opposite lane only suffered slight injuries but this person who died who wasn't even involved in the first accident, died, after the trailer that was involved in the accident hit the gantry that caused the huge sign board to topple onto the vehicle driven by the victim.

It's scary just thinking about how this victim was making a regular trip and suddenly died without knowing what hit him, without being the cause of it. God certainly moves in mysterious ways.

Making Purchases With Gold

I have been watching this recent TVB drama called Can't Buy Me Love, a costume drama, (yes, I still haven't finished yet but soon!) and I am quite fascinated to see that in the old days, people use small chunks of gold to make purchases. I cannot imagine what it would be like if we still use a mini gold bar to buy something on the street and not paper currency and coins. I wouldn't know how to count.

But watching this drama has shown me that gold has always been revered and reminds me of the love that my grandmother had for gold. It was a form of security to her. Even till now, it is still the precious metal that we all want to buy and keep. It's actually the best way to preserve one's wealth.

Some of my friends too have started to buy gold, a little at a time. They tell me that they hope they never have to sell the gold and hope that one day they would be able to pass down the precious metal to the next generation. How nice. I should follow suit!

New Hotel In Ipoh: De Hotel Ipoh Garden

A new hotel in Ipoh has opened for business since about ten days ago. It's called "De Hotel" and it is located in Ipoh Garden. I passed by the hotel one evening and quickly snapped a photo of it with my mobile phone, hence the "noise" and I apologise for that!

"De Hotel" shares the same building as Courts and a Chinese restaurant by the name of "Hoi Seng". This building is adjacent to the Ipoh Garden Post Office. I wouldn't say that this building is too new. I remember seeing it built but unoccupied for many, many months.

This hotel looks like a three star hotel to me. The cheapest room is its single room at RM80++ per night. Suites are also available for about RM160++ to RM180++ per night. In contrast, one could stay in an apartment in a good location for about RM250 +/- a night though unlike staying in a hotel, one will not be served.

Cars In Malaysia Are Too Expensive

Recently I went to have a look at two new cars. It's not that I am looking to purchase any since I know my own budget and I am pretty happy with my car even though second hand but I bought it with my own sweat and blood but I went to have a look because I wanted to get their photos.

The two cars are new models in Malaysia: Volkswagen Polo sub-compact car and Honda Freed, an MPV. I really cannot understand how an ordinary wage earner could afford to purchase a car above RM100,000. That's almost 1/3 to 1/2 a house already. Of course, for most people, they are paying by installment but still, a car loan wouldn't be the only loan that one services.

A friend, who was also from my hometown but has moved to the United States for years, told me that cars in Bolehland are too expensive in relation to our income level. It's true. That's why there are so many Protons and Peroduas on the road!

Cutting Down On Traveling

I am giving up my trip to the capital city this month, which means that I have only traveled seven times this year. With so many big items purchased this year which included a car and a desktop computer, I really should be extra prudent. Also, I realize that I should start thinking of my future more and start planning my retirement.

Of course, I would love to buy gold bullion and such but I would be happy enough if I am able to set aside enough money to buy a gold coin every couple of months. I know it's small investment but one has to start somewhere, right?

I have just watched the video on gold investment by United States Gold Bureau and I am even more convinced that we should start and start early too. Yes, gold price may be high but gold is one of the more stable precious metals and has been for generations so there really is nothing to worry about.

Teresa Teng 邓丽君

My dad has been asking me to look for Teresa Teng music for him. Although I have heard about Teresa Teng before, growing up, I have never followed her music, probably because I don't read Chinese so whatever Chinese songs that I know are songs that I listen to on radio occasionally and recommended by friends sometimes.

Researching Teresa Teng discography, I was quite surprised that she sang quite a number of Japanese songs. I knew that she sang in Mandarin. She was Taiwanese, after all, and the only song I know of hers was "The Moon Represents My Heart" and I also know that she sang some Cantonese and English songs, though I have yet to listen to any of these.

These couple of days, I have listened to quite a number of her Japanese songs and they do sound so nice even though I may not understand Japanese at all! I could "feel" the music even if I am unable to read the title of the tracks! I think I'll be making a trip to older record stores in the city and see if there are any old Teresa Teng albums for sale.

Age Spots?

I am getting a tad worried to have spotted something that look like dirt or freckles on my face. I think they could be age spots or maybe I spend too long under the sun when I travel and did not use sunscreen.

I asked my sister what I should do. She works in a beauty salon so she should know a thing or two, right? She asked me to use a good face cream so as to prevent the dirty patches from spreading.

Yes, I would like to that and at the same time, lighten or even remove the dark patches on my face, especially my cheekbones. I feel that these impurities make me look older than my age! Helpppp!!!

Making Time For Friends

A friend has asked me to meet up with him for tea as he has something to show me. He is in a new business, you see, and he hopes to get some free publicity. I actually offered to check out his products but have yet to find time for him. This month, I have been very busy covering the 9 Emperor Gods festival and although I didn't manage to catch every ritual or ceremony, I managed to catch the fire walking ceremony at Tow Boo Kong Taoist temple in Ipoh.

Now that the festival is over and done with for the year, he is busy! LOL Oh well, working adults are like that but I think it is also because both of us live in Ipoh that we re taking each other for granted too. Well, at least I think I am taking for granted that we can meet "anytime" since both of us live in the same city.

My friend will be going to KL for a few days so I guess we have no choice but wait till he returns. I really must make time for him. I feel pretty bad to have kept pushing him for months already! He'd think that I wasn't sincere in my offer!

Catching Up With A Cousin

It is strange how things are sometimes. I have a cousin who left for England almost ten years ago and every time she comes home, we never had the time for each other because of conflicting schedules. We were never that close, anyway. We recently added each other on Facebook and talked a whole lot more than when we were both in Ipoh! I think that most people are able to open up easier when they are not face to face.

Anyway, my cousin was telling me of her search for weight loss pills that work as she would like to be slim for good. The way she puts it, it's as if her weight keeps yo-yoing. Well, I have no experience when it comes to losing weight. Mine was lost pretty quickly when I was caring for Dino and then Snoopy. LOL

If you have an effective weight loss solution, do let us know!

New Printer, New Computer

I hate it....hate that my stuff are broken and I have to fork out good money to replace them. Well, they can never break at the right time because no time is right! LOL I am just extremely stingy, right? Perhaps I know that money doesn't grow on trees.

Oh well, what to do? I now have a new computer and a new printer to work with, which is good. I have been frustrated with them since the beginning of the year. This year has been pretty bad. I have been forced to spend and spend and not able to earn much too!

And because of my "big purchases" I think I am giving my KL trip a miss. Had wanted to go on the 22nd, which is tomorrow, and I have an appointment too but I have to be a whole lot more prudent now to recoup my expenses. So October makes it the third month this year that I did not travel, along with January and April.

New York Trip

My sister will be making a trip to New York next week to get her passport renewed at the Embassy. She told me that she has already spent US$800 BEFORE stepping foot on New York soil because she bought air tickets and paid for hotel accommodation.

I told her that perhaps she took a room at an expensive hotel. She said that it's not a matter of price but of cleanliness and reputation. She has read about a Canadian woman who visited New York, staying at a budget hotel, and when she went home, carried along with her fleas, which quickly infested her home!

Imagine how horrible it is! If she had access to a Houston pest control company, I am sure her flea problem would be arrested quickly. In any case, my sister told me that she doesn't want to risk carrying flea home just to save some money on the trip! She could take it as a honeymoon!

Happy 20.10.2010

Yes, it's a special date on the calendar once again, after the very special 10.10.10. 20.10.2010 is pretty special too, and it will be all the more special when it is 20:10 tonight. Unlike the mass wedding of 10.10.10 that I attended, I am not sure if there is anyone who is getting married today. I didn't read about any mass wedding to be held today in the newspapers. LOL

Actually, a lot of people don't really see this significance until it is pointed out. I guess it is because many of us do not write our dates like that but 20th Oct, 2010. I have to admit that I too wouldn't know about it if not because of postings on social networks. Yes, that's where I get most of my "news" from these days!

Well, I don't have anything special planned for today to mark this special date. What about you?

No Longer Able To Help

My cousin brother, the one who ran away to Thailand, called up my mother, who is his aunt, asking for a small loan. Actually, we have helped him a lot financially since the beginning of the year. The problem is that I have been the one forking out the money to him all these while since my family is unable to.

This time, I am no longer able to help him since I just bought a new computer, which I totally need for work. I could say that my computer died at the wrong time. Well, I told my mother to say that she is not able to help this time around and that if he is really in need of money, he should look elsewhere. Perhaps taking out a payday cash advance would be the short term solution for him at this point.

Anyway, I really don't know how much more we can help. Times are bad for everyone and we also have our own financial commitments. Much as I would like to still support him, he is family after all, there is a limit to everything. I hope that he will "grow up" and learn to live within his means!

Secret Recipe Photos

My friend and I met up at Secret Recipe near my house and because of lack of things to do, we played with my camera. LOL Actually, it's not even my camera but the camera of another friend that I am using on loan. Have been using on loan for almost two years already!

I think it's because the camera is not mine that I didn't take the trouble to really learn how to use it so I took the opportunity to ask my friend some questions. This friend loves photography too so he does know a thing or two about cameras.

The photo of the coffee was shot by my friend while the photo of the cup of tea was shot by me. Of course, I have already resized these photos but I can see the difference in technique. Somehow, my friend managed to blur out the background! Gah... I still haven't asked him how he did that!

Taking Advantage of the Weaker USD

My friend told me that she has been using her funds in PayPal to shop online from US stores because of the weaker USD. The Dollar has dropped by so much in recent months that we are not happy about it but don't really know what to do. This friend to me that it's finally time to indulge in herself!

As for me, I think that it's more viable to invest in something "solid" like gold coins, for instance. I have always a very practical person and do not believe in "frills". Even though the price of gold is very high right now, I believe that there is still upside potential.

I have been reading up on gold coin collection and investment on United States Gold Bureau but haven't taken the plunge yet because I just spent money on a new computer. Gah! What poor timing!

I Need To Be More Independent

Many years ago, a friend asked me a question. He said that if I were to go to a public toilet, and assuming that all the cubicles were empty and clean, which one would I choose. Would I enter the first available cubicle or would I walk to the end cubicle?

I don't remember what my answer was and if I answer this question again, my answer may be different from years ago, but according to my friend, I am someone who is not independent. According to him, there are two types of women; big women and small women. And he wasn't talking about size.

Big women are women who are independent, forceful and always know how to have their own way. Small women, on the other hand, are people who are dependent, who need people to make decisions for them and always get bullied. According to him, based on my reply to his earlier quiz, I am a "small woman".

I have to say that even though I was skeptical about his quiz at first, there is no denying that I am "small" and I need to change that! I am bullied way too often, even at home! Perhaps it is the way that I am brought up that I am not independent. I have to start looking out for myself, starting NOW.

My Mother Wants A Blog Too

My mother has been following my blog recently, after getting to know about it from a friend, and then forcing me to write down my blog URL to her. I don't like my family or even friends reading my blog because I would feel as if my freedom is curbed as I would not be able to write what I truly feel or think. And when this happens, I feel like moving to another domain, which I have done before.

Now, my mother is saying that she wants to start a blog too. She said that she has plenty of weight loss stories to share, stories from her young days. My mother was on the plump side, you see, and suffered from pressure from peers to look slimmer.

I haven't decided if I should let her have a blog because building a blog needs perseverance and I am not sure if she has it. Perhaps, by managing her own blog, she wouldn't have time to follow mine anymore!

Giving Penang A Miss

It is with regret that after giving my Penang trip much thought, I am giving it a miss. My computer is half-dead and I have to keep money for it on standby. In addition, if making a trip to Penang, I would be going with my family.

If you have been reading my blog, you would know that I am not on good terms with my family members. We may share the same roof but I keep to myself most of the time. Besides, if we were to go, I would be the one paying for the entire trip and at this point, I don't see why I should when they are so unappreciative.

Just when I think that perhaps we CAN mend our relationship, something comes up to show me their true colours. I tell myself that I should just forget them, that it's foolish for me to think that we can be happy together and I am just as well being alone, separated from them. Physically, we may be together but we are not "united", I would say.

So yeah, I'm calling off the Penang trip with my family. It would be better to go elsewhere by myself.

High Definition Public Domain Movies

My sister told me that she has shopping a lot on Amazon lately, buying DVDs. She doesn't have much to occupy her time after work, so it's either computer games or movies. The problem, according to my sister, is that she is looking for high definition classic movies and there are not many titles around that she doesn't already own.

I just came across this website, Desert Island Films, which has a pretty long list of Public Domain Movies and TV shows in HD format. There are a few classic titles like Gulliver's Travels and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In all, there are over 4000 titles, including cartoons, documentaries and shorts.

Although these videos could be purchased in various formats from HD, DVD to VHS, one could also watch some titles for free on the website of Desert Island Films.

If you are planning to buy, you could check out the video samples on the website first before placing an order, so that you know what you are getting and satisfied with the quality prior to purchasing. And of course, synopsis is available for every title.

My brother-in-law would be very happy to know that there are some old Chinese martial arts movies from back in the 1970s, especially those starring Jackie Chan!

*** This post has been sponsored.

2010 Nine Emperor Gods Festival In Ipoh

I went to the Tow Boh Keong, the large Nine Emperor Gods temple in Ipoh, a couple of days ago to pray. I don't usually have the chance because some thing or other would happen which caused me not to be able to go.

This year, not only did I manage to pray, I also managed to get some photos of the temple, which I have never done before, even though I have been to the temple numerous times since I live in Ipoh, though not during the Nine Emperor Gods festival.

Anyway, this Festival, even though it lasts for nine days, I am only able to go once, unfortunately but luckily, I have already got all the photos I need. If I have a video camera, I would like to shoot the Chinese opera!

Quality Closeout Deals

A friend told me that she would like to set up a small business seeing how she has failed to secure employment since losing her job months ago. She asked if I have an idea how to go about it. Of course, besides legalizing the business, she would need to procure stocks.

Since my friend does not know what products she would like to deal in and she would be handling the same product over and over again if she decides sell that particular item, I think that it's best for her to look for a Wholesale Distributor so that she would be able to procure a wider variety of products for sale.

I came across this company, Kwality Closeouts, this morning and have spent time going through their Wholesale closeouts. I feel that my friend, or anyone who is planning to start a retail business, would do good buying these Wholesale products for resale.

A lot of people have the misconception that wholesale products are low in quality but that's not the case with Kwality Closeout. In fact, I even spotted Victoria's Secret selling cheap. In retail, we should always keep our cost as low as possible and a good way to do that is to buy Closeout products and resell them at slightly cheaper than retail price. This is what Kwality Closeout is able to offer to the budding entrepreneur. For example, one unit of Unisex Exercise Sleeveless Top is only US$0.60. There are 48 units in a case so you would be paying US$28.80. Obviously, you CAN sell more than US$0.60 per unit, right??

If you spend time to browsing through Kwality Closeouts, you will be able to pick out products that you would like to sell. Good luck!

Air Asia RM1 Low Fare Celebration

OMG, I woke up this morning to see that Air Asia's celebrating their 100 million guests flown milestone with RM1 low fare celebration! The problem is that booking starts today until 17th October, 2010 so the good dates are probably all taken since I don't have time to check my schedule yet.

Also, the RM1 fares are only available to a limited number of nearby cities, plus fares exclude airport taxes and fees. In addition, if paying by credit card, debit card or charge card, a convenience fee will be imposed. This means that at the end of the booking, it would be a lot more expensive than just RM1. Maybe it would be a few hundred bucks, maybe even more expensive than full-fledged airlines like MAS.

Travel is from 1st April to 11th August, 2011, which I do not like because it's too far away for me to plan. I'm someone who doesn't even know what happens tomorrow, let alone NEXT YEAR. LOL

Are you going to book your flights? Where will you be gong? If you are an experienced Air Asia traveller, please share your experience with me. Many friends have told me that it's worth the money but there are also a handful who tell me not to fall into the "trap". Who to listen to??

PC Sick & Hospitalized

I could no longer stand using my computer because it kept freezing on me or restarts as and when it felt like it. My PC may be 4.5 years old already but it is not that old, right? I sent it in to the computer shop on Saturday, but till today, I still haven't been told what is wrong with it and what could be done to repair it.

My friend told me about a PC repair Portland company which is a computer repair specialist. I believe that if I have such Portland pc repair services, I would not be left hanging for so many days! As you know, I need a PC to work and play and in fact, I keep it on the whole day and even through the night. Without a PC, I certainly feel empty and totally non-productive.

PCMD, Inc. Portland computer support is managed by a team of professionals who are experts in the field of computer repairs, for both Mac and Windows computers. If you are in need of Portland computer repair specialists, you should keep their phone number 503-336-2400 handy, especially if you are like me, who only know how to USE the computer but don't really know what goes on system-wise.

PCMD, Inc. provides scheduled remote support session with an expert so no matter what is wrong with your computer, you can probably get it solved, or at least able to pinpoint the fault or problem spot with the help of an expert.

Perfect 10 Weddings

The other day, on the 10th of October, I said that I would be attending a mass wedding. LOL Yes, I went to Ipoh Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association to be a busybody. No, I didn't know any couples at all, and neither was I an invited guest. I just felt that a memorable day like 10.10.10 is worth commemorating, even though I am not a bride on that day!

It was very crowded in Chin Woo hall and because I am not a "reporter", I didn't make my way to the front row but as a "citizen journalist", I had to take photos of both sides, that of the "subjects" and also the other side of reporters doing their work.

I felt that I managed to get some pretty good shots despite the crowd, however, I also feel that I need a better camera. The one I'm using, Olympus SP-550UZ, which is not even mine but on loan from a friend for all almost two years already (!), is too old, I feel! Hehehe... maybe I just need to find an excuse to get a better camera!

Network Attached Storage Solutions

A friend, who runs an IT company, told me that he is having a rough week. I think it has something to do with the unreliability of the provider of network attached storage.

Although I am not able to render any assistance since I am not a technical-minded person, at least I could let him know about Digiliant, currently one of the top providers of network attached storage solutions. I like the fact that Digiliant will take care of their clients' needs from the point of selecting storage servers, installation, integration and support; basically, the entire process of acquiring network attached storage for any company.

Digiliant is a provider of various storage solutions from network attached storage or Nas in short to iscsi san. Digiliant ensure that their services are efficient and secure, two main issues that companies are concerned with, I believe.

Storage solutions provided by Digiliant are cost effective and affordable, yet Digiliant do not compromise on their quality of their data servers, technical support or customer service. With Digiliant, we can be sure that our needs are well taken care of.

Also, from what I understand, Digiliant's network attached storage solutions are user-friendly, which means that clients are not faced with a steep learning curve. Moreover, network attached storage solutions by Digiliant are designed to require the least maintenance. This should be good news to prospective clients!

Happy Binary Day!

Yes! It's 10th October, 2010 today, making a special date of 10.10.10, which comes every 100 years. Although it is not a significant day to me personally, I will still try to make it a memorable day.

No, I'm not getting married, but I will be attending a mass wedding later, where 100 couples will be getting married. I wonder why the organisers did not make it a wedding for 110 couples or maybe 101 couples. Maybe it should be held in a stadium for 1010 couples?? That would be grand! LOL Still, it would be a memorable event for me, even as a by-stander.

As for the rest of the day, I don't have anything planned yet so we shall see. So how are you planning to mark this special day that comes but once every 100 years?

My First Job Application

It seems weird that although I have left school quite a number of years ago, I have never applied for a proper job before, so much so that when I decided to apply for a job the other day, I had to get friends to help with my application and resume.

The reason that I would like to secure an employment is because I would like to eventually get a home loan to buy my own house. In addition, I don't have health insurance yet, so being employed full time, I get to enjoy group health insurance too.

I have been looking at various health insurance quotes actually, but because health care in the country is getting more and more expensive, I have been quoted pretty high insurance premium rates. Being employed, I would enjoy free health insurance coverage; employers probably pay lower group health insurance rates since they are purchasing in bulk.

Well, whether I do get the job or not, closing date for applications is actually 31st December, 20101, which is still a long way to go, I will still continue doing what I do. Maybe I will set up a small business. I would have to register my business with the relevant governing bodies and also buy business insurance. I have checked out Netquote business insurance to understand business insurance better, to know what should be covered.

Wish me luck, will you?

Dry Cell Car Battery

It's true that when it rains, it pours. Right after seeing my printer died and having to get a new one, my car battery died. The embarrassing thing is that it died right after shopping and I couldn't start the car to drive home. I had to get two chaps to help to push the car and I was lucky that it managed to start and I was able to drive home.

People say that old cars give problems but this is not really a problem that came about because the car is old. It could happen to any car whose battery has outlived its life span, right? My car, though old, hasn't really given me problems after the initial stripping which cost me a few thousand bucks.

Now, I have replaced the battery with a dry cell car battery, paying RM150 for it. It's covered with one year warranty. See, before this, it was still using the old car battery that needs to refill with battery water every now and then. According to the battery man, the dead battery was already 2.5 years old.

Oh well, I hope I have a chance to consolidate some funds before my desktop computer gives up. I'm still holding on to it for as long as possible!

Modern Bathroom Suites

Although I cannot afford my own home yet, that's not stopping me from looking at pictures of beautiful homes and interior designs. I visualize the kind of home that I would like to have. Do you know that visualization can help us to achieve our goals? When I have my own home, I would like to have a really spacious bathroom, a room where I could truly have some "me" time, where I could relax and keep myself away from the computer, telephone or even reading material.

I have been checking out the website of betterbathrooms.com and I love the idea of having a corner jet whirlpool bath where I could soak myself in a tub of fresh milk like what some celebrities are doing to keep their skin smooth and fair. I always thought that whirlpools are expensive but whirlpools from Better Bathrooms start from slightly more than £300 inclusive of VAT. Now, that's what I call value for money.

Also, I have been meaning to replace the shower head of my bathroom now. I want a power shower head, which I can find from Better Bathrooms for around £20+, after staying in various hotels these past few months. Taking a shower with a power shower head feels way more refreshing and it's not a psychological effect!

*** This post has been sponsored.

My EPSON Stylus CX3900 Printer Died

I'm sad. My printer, EPSON Stylus CX3900, has died and I only bought it slightly more than 3 years ago and hardly used it. It's a 3-in-1 combo colour printer and I could still use the scanner but because the print head died, somehow, I can't print and also can't copy.

Changing a new original print head would cost me RM183, inclusive of RM60 service charge. A new entry level colour inkjet printer with similar specification is about RM100 more expensive but if I trade in this unit, I could get it for RM245.

I actually want colour laser printer but these darn electronic products are so expensive I could afford it so it's either colour inkjet or mono laser. Sad lah. As you can see, I don't have too many options at this point. I don't want to spend too much because I still need to save money for my desktop computer.

We'll see how...

Saving Money For A House

Although my parents have a house and it will be passed down to the three of us children, I still yearn for my own house bought with my own money. Of course, getting 1/3 of the money from the sale of my parents' house, when the time comes, would help but I wouldn't get the satisfaction that I would if I had worked hard for my own house.

I recently came across baja real estate in Mexico and wonder what it would be like to live in an exotic place like that. i think that I would be in a holiday mood all the time and then I wouldn't be able to get any serious work done. LOL

Certainly, I hope that one day, I would be able to achieve that kind of wealth to own foreign properties and it would be icing on the cake if I have passive income which means that I could just while away time in my holiday home in exotic Baja without worrying about work!

Can't Buy Me Love [2010 TVB Drama]

Yes, I am done with Forensic Heroes II, which was a breeze to watch. I didn't watch it nightly but every time I sat down to watch it, I could watch a few episodes consecutively. Last night, I started on Can't Buy Me Love. If not mistaken, it is still currently airing on Astro, though I don't watch Astro. Only my father does!!! What a waste of subscription fee, isn't it?

This is one fairly long drama. I think there are 32 episodes in total. I am only down to the second episode. Even though I don't really like costume dramas, this one, I don't mind because it is a comedy! After two episodes, though, it is not really the HAHAHAHA type of comedy yet.

The thing about this drama that I don't really like is that it's a spin off of Beyond The Realm Of Conscience. We are getting almost the same cast members and even some of the dialogues are the same! In any case, I am giving it a chance and will continue watching it. Hopefully it gets better.

Fried Porridge

When I was in KL last week, before going to San Francisco Coffee, my friend took me to this "food court" that's also in The Sphere in Bangsar South called Campur-Campur. I actually can't say that it's a "food court" because although there are many tables there, there aren't many food stalls.

We didn't have much of a choice for food but since it was late and we were hungry, we ordered whatever we could. We ordered a pineapple fried rice with egg and fried porridge. Do you know, he pineapple fried rice was totally tasteless? I wouldn't say that I have eaten out at many places before but this has got to be the worst.

The fried porridge, which was from the same food stall, though, was different. Different in the sense that we never had fried porridge before, or even heard of such a dish before. Well, it looked like normal porridge, just of a different colour. This one was passable though certainly doesn't taste commercial.

The pineapple fried rice with egg was about RM6.50 and the fried porridge, which you can see in this photo that I have enclosed, was slightly cheaper; around RM5.50. I couldn't really remember the price! Anyway, I won't be coming back here for more. LOL

Side Effects of Accutane

Although I have been suffering from acne since puberty, I am glad that it has never been so bad as to require a doctor's prescription. I read with horror that some people who have been prescribed with Accutane who suffer from serious side effects.

If you know of any person who is suffering from, for example, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or even inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as a result of Accutane, do let him or her know that there is an on-going Accutane Lawsuit by the expert attorneys at O’Hanlon, McCollum & Demerath.

Victims of Accutane should seek a consultation with the team of lawyers at O’Hanlon, McCollum & Demerath regarding a possible Accutane lawsuit. These lawyers are very experienced in such lawsuits. By the way, they were also successful in a Trasylol lawsuit previously.