Happy Saint Patrick's Day, March 17

Eeeky! You might say about the water in the picture. This is Chicago's way of celebrating St. Patrick's Day actually. The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St. Patrick's Day celebration, shown here in 2005.

St. Patrick's Day is not widely known here so my thirst for knowledge brought me to good ole Wikipedia.

Saint Patrick's Day colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa 385–461 AD), one of the patron saints of Ireland. It is celebrated worldwide generally on March 17. by Irish people and increasingly by non-Irish people (usually in Australia, North America, and Ireland) as well. Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and, by association, the colour green. Although Saint Patrick's Day has the colour green as its theme, one little known fact is that blue was once the colour associated with this day.

Both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green or orange, eating Irish food and/or green foods, imbibing Irish drink (such as Guinness) and attending parades.


Picture of St. Patrick's Day 2004 in Cork, Ireland.

The St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, Ireland is part of a five-day festival; over 500,000 people attended the 2006 parade. The largest St. Patrick's Day parade is held in New York City and it is watched by over 2 million spectators. The St. Patrick's Day parade was first held in Boston in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society. New York's celebration began on 18 March 1762 when Irish soldiers in the British army marched through the city.

In many parts of North America, Britain, and Australia expatriate Irish and ever-growing crowds of people with no Irish connections but who may proclaim themselves "Irish for a day" also celebrate St. Patrick's Day, usually with the consumption of traditionally Irish alcoholic beverages (beer and stout, such as Murphys, Beamish, Smithwicks, Harp, or Guinness; Irish whiskey; Irish coffee; or Baileys Irish Cream) and by wearing green-coloured clothing.


Sign on a beam in the Guinness Storehouse.







Many Irish people still wear a bunch of shamrocks (three-leaved clover) on their lapels or caps on this day or green, white, and orange badges (after the colours of the Irish flag). Girls and boys wear green in their hair. Artists draw shamrock designs on people's cheeks as a cultural sign, including American tourists. Shamrocks are said to bring good luck.

To know more about Saint Patrick's Day, visit Wikipedia

Over here in Malaysia, the places who celebrate St. Patrick's Day or at least have some indication of its existence are the pubs in the bigger hotels. Where else?!

Nuffnangers who are attending Nuffnang Birthday Bash (themed Pajamas) this weekend will get to continue their merry-making at Plaza Mont Kiara for the Guinness St Patrick’s Day celebration. So, will I see you there?

Counting Our Blessings

Even though Malaysia is a third-world nation, there are many aspects of the country that are way above some countries which the people can be thankful for. We have the freedom to choose our government as evidenced by the recent general election. An important aspect that many people take for granted is the medical or health aspect.

Any Malaysian can get free medical treatment (including specialist treatment) in a government-run clinic or hospital. There is no need for medicare insurance like in other countries. There is just the registration fee of One Ringgit. It was at fifty sen for a long time. Are we counting our blessings?

Friday Frolics - What Season Are You?

Not too long ago, we were reading about snowstorms in China and in other parts of the northern hemisphere. Despite the winter cold, some people still do prefer it over hot climates.

What about you? What season would you prefer? Do this interesting quiz and find out if the result matches your true preference.

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world... You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring. Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season! I agree. Spring is definitely my season!

What Season Are You?

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More Quizzes Here

Investment Strategies

The Malaysian bourse went south the day after the election but has picked up since. The wiser experienced investors or retailers would have made a profit or maybe a tidy sum picking up the better stocks.

What about those who are not so well-versed in investment strategies? Experts have time and time again advised against dabbling in stocks without a good understanding of the fundamentals. The better alternative would be to invest in something more concrete and more tangible such as silver or other precious metals.

Did you know that Monex Deposit Company (MDC) can help you purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository? Their experts are trained to grow your wealth or at least ensure your financial resources are hedged against inflation and currency fluctuations to preserve your wealth.

Yummy Snacks No More!

The enlightening article below was recently published in a local daily. It has been revealed that some hawkers selling crispy snacks are using oil containing dissolved or rather molten plastic or PVC from straws and water bottles.

The authorities are now on the case. In the meantime, I am so not eating these fried and crispy snacks. Thank you very much.

Click on image to read.

Money Rules of Thumb from A Financial Expert

Recently, the Malaysian government made a change allowing members to withdraw money from the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) to pay housing loans monthly. Many house-buyers rejoice at the new amendment.

The EPF, something like a 401(k) in the US and some other courntries, makes it compulsory for employees to contribute 11% of his base rate into this fund while his employer contributes 12%. The entire contribution can only be withdrawn upon retirement at the age of 55 or 30% of it upon reaching 50 years of age. This too has changed slightly recently.

Allowing members to withdraw their contribution in the EPF to pay for their housing loan monthly may be welcome by some but not by others. The latter fear that there might not be enough for retirement later on if they choose to withdraw to pay off their home loan considering the rising inflation rate and the higher cost of living.

All of us have our ways of managing our finances, some with some degree of success, others not so. It's always good to maintain an open mind for new ideas when they do come along. Here are some money rules of thumb from a financial expert. Hope you'll find them useful.


1. Retirement, Part I: "Save 10% for basics, 15% for comfort, 20% to escape."

2. Retirement, Part II: "Retirement money is for retirement; until then, keep your mitts off it."

3. Student loans: "Your total borrowing shouldn't exceed what you expect to make your first year out of school."

4. College savings: "Saving for retirement is more important, but try to put at least $25 a month per kid in a college savings plan."

5. Cars, Part I: "Buy used and drive it for at least 10 years."

6. Cars, Part II: "If you must borrow to buy a car, follow the 20/4/10 rule."

7. Cars, Part III: "To compute and compare the real monthly cost to buy, insure and operate a car, double the price tag and divide by 60."

8. Credit cards: "If you carry a balance, look for the lowest rate. If you don't, get rewards at least equal to 1.5% of what you spend."

9. Debt repayment: "Pay off maxed-out cards first."

10. Financial flexibility: "You need to be able to get your hands on cash or credit equal to three months' worth of expenses."

11. Insurance: "Cover yourself for catastrophic expenses, not the stuff you can cover out of pocket."

12. Life insurance: "Those who need it typically need five to 10 times their income."

13. Mortgages, Part I. "If you can't afford to buy the house using a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, you can't afford the house."

14. Mortgages, Part II. "Fix the rate for at least as long as you plan to be in the home."

15. Mortgages, Part III: "You almost certainly have better things to do with your money than prepay a low-rate, deductible mortgage."

16. Priorities: "Retirement, then credit cards, then emergency fund."

For details, read 16 favorite money rules of thumb by Liz Pulliam Weston

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What does your Home Insurance Cover?

Everyone who owns a home will want to have a home insurance policy. This will help to protect your property against untoward incidents such as natural disasters, theft and other liabilities. However, there are certain things your policy does not cover. That is why it is important to read through the policy carefully. You always want to know exactly what your home insurance policy will pay for if something happens.

Do you know what your home insurance policy covers? If not, you may want to get it out and take a closer look. And if you have yet to buy, you'd want to make sure that you know what the policy covers.

Colon Cleansing

Cleanse your body and revitalise your health. We are talking about the internal cleansing here. With the amount and variety of food we consume, how many of us give a thought to how our body system is taking all this. Cleansing and detoxification is necessary to rid our body of toxin buildup over the months, even years. What we need is a colon cleanser. Luckily, there are now supplements available for cleansing our body of harmful toxins and wastes.

Need more push? Here's something startling from the Vegetarian Times:

"Let's face it. Constipation, gas, diverticulitis and colon cancer are simply not things we like to discuss. And yet, as the old expression goes, death begins in the colon. Don't believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80% with waste material."