Friday, May 29, 2009

Friday Frolics - The Sunglasses Test

No wonder I feel sunniest. Because you, my readers, are fabulous, exciting people. Sweet! I know I am blessed. And it's all because of You!

Now, what does your choice of Sunglasses say about you?




Your Sunglasses Say You're an Enigma



You are chic, bold, and mysterious.

You are larger than life and very sexy.



You need to be shaded from people who are dull and ordinary.

You feel sunniest when you're around fabulous, exciting people


Other Friday Frolics

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Happy Dumpling Day!

Today, fifth day of the fifth lunar month (known as double-fifth) is Dumpling Day. This festival is one of the major Chinese festivals that the Chinese community celebrates in a year. It is not a relgious holiday but celebrated as a matter of tradition or custom.

Legend has it that the Dumpling festival commemorates the death of famous Chinese poet, Qu Yuan (c. 340 - 278 BC) who threw himself into the Milou River out of depression and worry for the future of his homeland.



Villagers carried their dumplings and boats to the middle of the river and desperately tried to save him, but were unsuccessful. In order to keep fish and evil spirits away from his body, they beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles. They threw rice into the water as a food offering to Qu Yuan and to distract the fish away from his body. However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that he died because of a river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off the dragon. These packages became a traditional food known as zòngzi, although the lumps of rice are now wrapped in reed leaves instead of silk. The act of racing to search for his body in boats gradually became the cultural tradition of which is held on the anniversary of his death every year.

Today, people still eat zòngzi (dumplings) and participate in dragon boat races to commemorate Qu Yuan's sacrifice on the Duan Wu festival, the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The Koreans later adopted the festival from the Chinese and called it the Dano festival.

Here in Malaysia, dumplings are a popular food item. Y ou can find them all year-round at food stalls and eateries. Over here, leaves from the bamboo plant are used to wrap the rice. The cooking process is by way of boiling the dumplings in a big pot of water. Cooking takes a few hours to ensure the glutinous rice is sufficiently cooked.

Because of the long hours of cooking, dumplings can be left in room temperature for two or three days and still remain good, after which they need to be refrigerated. Steaming them will bring back the soft, moist texture.

Happy Dumpling Day!


Source: Wikipedia

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Laughing at Others



Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then. It is therapeutic and makes us learn to appreciate that there are others out there who are in worse predicaments.

Stumbled upon this site, that has a collection of Top Websites For Laughing At Others and other funny stuff.

You will enjoy this site. Well, what can I say! It is always fun to laugh at others. Of course, we get our turn.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday Frolics - Which of the X-Men Are You?

Humans being mere mortals devoid of super-powers, we sometimes give in to fantasies about having the powers of our superheroes. Come on, didn't you want to be Batman or Superman, Spiderman or the current rage, one of the X-Men with the ability to fly or become invisible or be able to command the elements? (Let's leave Heroes aside for now.)

Wanna find out which of the X-Men are you?




You Are Storm



Exotic and powerful, Storm descended from a line of African priestesses.

Emotions can effect your powers, but you are generally serene.



Powers: controlling weather, creating winds that lift you into flight, generating lightning


Other Fun Quizzes

Google Logos - Mary Stevenson Cassatt, May 22

I don't google often but when I do, I always pay attention to the Google logo and often look forward to seeing new ones. I spotted this logo a while back.


This is put up today, May 22, for Mary Cassatt, in celebration of the 155th anniversary of her birthday.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) (pronounced [kəˈsæt]) was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists.

Cassatt often created images of the social and private lives of women, with particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children.

The above Google doodle is adapted from this painting, The Bath.



















This is a self-portrait, c. 1898.





















You can view more paintings and read more about Mary Cassatt on wikipedia.

Clarks Warehouse Clearance - Corus Hotel, Jalan Ampang

If you are looking to buy shoes and if Clarks is your brand, this Clarks Warehouse Clearance sale may be for you. It is only for two days, today and tomorrow. So hurry! Happy shopping!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Kris Allen is the Winner of The American Idol Season 8



And the "Idol" winner is (interminable Ryan Seacrest pause here) ... Kris Allen.

The charmingly humble and cute 23-year-old from Conway, Ark., walked off with the Season 8 crown Wed night at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The surprising results were announced at 10:04pm Eastern time.

Are you disappointed?

Clearly, Adam Lambert is a better singer though Kris gave a few good performances and improved each week. Do you think Adam Lambert lost because of his sexual orientation?

Below are a few of my favourite numbers/performances..

Kris Allen singing Apologize and Heartless






Adam Lambert - Mad World. I prefer the live version but no longer available on YouTube



Allen's win must have been a disappointment to Simon Cowell as he (Simon) was clearly rooting for Lambert and have even urged viewers to vote for rocker Lambert, a blatant and unprecedented display of favoritism.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Manchester United - Champions of the World / Asia Tour

This season so far, Manchester United is

1. Barclays Premier League Champions 09
2. FIFA Club World Champions 08
3. Carling Cup Winners 09

I guess there is no disputing that Manchester United is the Best Football Team in the world. LOL! Do I sense some sneering and cussing?! No matter.

Hail the Devils... says the Malaysian TheStar paper today.

Manchester United captured their 18th English League title on Saturday after a 0-0 draw game with Arsenal at home in Old Trafford. This hat-trick of titles moved them alongisde Liverpool as England's most crowned club. Yay!!

This is cliched but the truth is the truth...

*Singing*
We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting
Till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the World












































































































Ryan Giggs
voted PFA Player of the Year 2009

While Vidic does the double..
Nemanja Vidic was named Player of the Year by United fans and his team-mates at the Reds' end-of-season awards night at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Just 24 hours after Sir Alex and his men were crowned Premier League champions for a third successive year and 18th time in total, the Reds were clearly still in partying mood. The whole squad turned out in style for the gala dinner, a star-studded event in Old Trafford's Manchester Suite.

Vidic collected the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year accolade, voted for by fans on ManUtd.com, and the Players' Player trophy to a well-deserved standing ovation.












What's next? See you at the UEFA Champions League finals in Roma between Barcelona and United.




The Asia tour in July after that. Will you be watching them play in your city? The Asia tour 2009 schedule is as below:

United in Asia
18 July: Malaysia XI v United - There will be a special pre-sale period of match tickets in selected Nike Concept and Al-Ikhsan sports stores in Malaysia from May 22-31. Fans who buy tickets during this pre-sale period will also be given free passes to watch United training.

Public sales begin on 1 June. Match tickets are priced at RM 58 (GBP 11), RM 68 (GBP 13) and RM 98 (GBP 18), with limited VIP tickets at RM 308 (GBP 57) and student concessions at RM 28 (GBP 5).

Fans can buy tickets from Ticketpro’s 13 sales outlets across Malaysia, online at www.ticketpro.com.my or by calling 03-7880 7999.

20 July: Indonesia All Star v United
United will visit Indonesia for the first time in more than 30 years during this summer's pre-season tour of Asia.

The Reds will play a game against Indonesia All Star at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on July 20, kick-off time to be confirmed.

Check your local media for news on tickets.

24 July: FC Seoul v United - all 40,000 tickets snapped up in one day

26 July: China Greentown FC v United
Dragon Stadium, kick-off 13:00 BST

Match tickets are priced from RMB 100 – RMB 1600 (GBP 10 – GBP 160) and are available online via www.sjfc.net. Mandarin-speaking fans can also call +86-400-887-6887.


Malaysia XI v United
Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
18 July 2009
Kick-off 10:30 BST


Reds confirm Malaysia date
Kuala Lumpur will be United's first stop on this summer's four-match pre-season tour of Asia.

At a press conference, it was confirmed the world champions will play a Malaysia XI at the picturesque Bukit Jalil Stadium on 18 July, kick-off 10:30 BST.

It's been eight years since the Reds last visited Malaysia, when 100,000 fans watched a Malaysian All-Stars team lose 6-0 to a strong United line-up. And official tour promoters ProEvents are expecting similarly fervent support this year. Will you be there?


Source: manuted.com, the official Manchester United FC website.

Malaysia is Safe to Travel to

Hi y'all. Good morning.. Missed me? Kidding. Suffice to say that I had to attend to something personal.

So, what have I missed at the local front that I'm catching up on?

Let's see..

After Thailand reporting its first case of the A(H1Ni) case, Malaysia had its first case reported on Sat, May 16.

A 21-year-old student returning from New York was infected and quarantined and subsequently another student travelling on the same flight on MH091. The male student is quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Kuala Lumpur while the lady student is in a Penang hospital. Both are recovering.

Lots of others who have either been on the same planes (MH091 - from Newark to KL - and AK5358 - from LCCT in Sepang to Penang) and those in contact with the two infected students are on home-quarantine for seven days. This is the time required for symptoms to surface should one be infected with the A(H1N1) virus. An entire AirAsia crew of 15 on Flight AK5358 is also grounded and quarantined. This is the crew that flew from the LCCT in Sepang (KL) to Penang. There is no mention of the plane though. It goes without saying that it has to be adequately disinfected before it is allowed in the air again.

Yesterday, my blog stats showed a hit from this query on Google: Is it safe to travel to KL in view of the swine flu outbreak? It is only natural for people to wonder if KL is still safe as a travel destination or even as a transit point considering that AirAsia now flies to Stansted, London. This could be the most direct flight for anyone from the Southern Hemisphere flying to London.

For those of you who are wondering, have no fear. The two students infected are the only two confirmed cases and they are recovering well. There is no other case and so far all tests on those quarantined showed negative results. People here on the street are not wearing masks. According to our Health Ministry, there is no need to don face-mask.

Malaysia is on high alert and has stepped up efforts to control the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1). Security is tighter at entry points into the country.

Rest-assured that Malaysia is still safe to travel to. Welcome to Malaysia!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Effects of the South-West Monsoon - Hot, Hot Weather

It's nice to wake up in the morning to the prospect of sunshine and blue skies but it is another thing to have the heat bearing down with such intensity that you feel like jumping into a pool of soothing cool water or doing what the kids at Sunway Lagoon are doing in the picture below.


Here in the Klang Valley, we are experiencing temperatures of between 30 to 34degC but 35degC is not unusual currently. It can get quite unbearable if you are not in an air-conditioned place.

April and May are usually the hottest months and the weather has become drier with the change in wind direction during the inter-monsoon season last month. We are beginning to experience the South-West monsoon which starts from mid-May and stretches right up to September. This period usually brings with it a dry spell with high humidity, occasional rain and thunderstorms. Hopefully, we will not have to contend with bad air quality too from the open-burning of land-clearing.

How is the weather at your side of the world?


Picture source: The Star

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Cute Cat Moments

Cats do the darnedest things. Watch..


10 Cutest Cat Moments - The most amazing bloopers are here


What's the funniest thing or aww-moment act your pet has ever done?

Me? I don't have a pet but I remember a neighbour used to have a duck, a drake, actually, and we used to play tag with him when we were kids. No kidding! Whenever we saw him passing by we would call out "Itik gila, itik!" (translated as "crazy duck!"). He would swiftly waddle towards us and we would all split in different directions. And after he caught up and pecked one of us, we would all chase him in return and this would go on for a few more rounds until he or we gave up. Fun times. No idea what happened to Mr Drake in the end. He probably ended up in my neighbour's cooking pot. hmm..

Happy Mother's Day

To All Mothers:

Wishing that this special day
Unfolds many joys
And happy moments for you
To cherish always!


Friday, May 8, 2009

Friday Frolics - Are you Dusk or Dawn?

Everyone of us has a favourite time of the day though we can all adjust nicely even to times we are not too agreeable with. I am a nortunal person so I am not much of an early riser though when the occasion calls for it, I'd be up bright and early. I am Dusk is just about right. What about you?




You Are Dusk



You are a naturally idealistic and creative person. You look forward to nights where everything is possible.

You spend most of your energy on play. Work is okay, but the true you emerges after the work day is done.



You're an offbeat type that doesn't like rules or schedules. Life's too short to waste at a desk in a cube.

Whether you spend your night socializing or working on side projects, you like that your time is yours.


Find Out More About Your Personality

Pulau Ketam - 400 Dogs left on an island to fend for themselves



The sad look on the puppy's face tells it all. 400 stray dogs were banished to an uninhabited island by residents of Pulau Ketam or Crab Island in English. This is a fishing village off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.













News of this act first appeared in the papers late last month. MSNBC has a story on it. There has been financial aid from overseas.

Local animal activists and animal shelters such as Furry Friends Farm (FFF) and SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and others are in the process of rescuing the dogs which have resorted to cannibalism due to the lack of food and water. Many have died of starvation or drowned trying to swim back to Pulau Ketam.

If you would like to know more about it, Google has more news. For updates on the rescue missions, TV Smith's blog is a good source. TV Smith is a blogger and together with Sabrina of Furry Friends Farm are actively involved in the rescue efforts. Two other islands are also being used for this dog-dumping exercise. Below are pictures from TV Smith's site.






Aid is still needed. Below is from TV Smith's site requesting for aid:


Kind folks are asking how they can donate. Funds can be banked in or transferred to:

Furry Friends Farm account at CIMB 1457-000-1182-05-6

You can also transfer via PayPal to tvsmith@gmail.com

Please retain transaction record / slip for verification and audit purposes.

Thank you all for your generosity. Keep em coming as it is still insufficient.

Updates by TV Smith




While we are at this animal rescue topic, this Cat Shelter in Singapore also needs help.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Leona Lewis - Loving You

I'm not a moody person but I do get restless sometimes and I've been feeling restless the past few days, (no, not that time of the month. LOL!) which accounts for my not having any new post up. I still am somewhat (restless) though I'll live, don't worry.

Here's a video I'd like to share with you. It's one of my all-time favourite songs, Loving You. For a change, let's listen to someone else's version besides Minnie Ripperton's.

She is just as good, if not better. She is none other than the amazing Leona Lewis. This audio version was recorded when she was just 15. Here, she teams up with Marley J Wills who made a few recordings with Leona then. Of course, Leona went on to win the X-Factor singing contest in 2006 at the age of 21 and the rest is.. history. Here's the video, and lyrics for you to sing along. Enjoy it..



Loving you
Is easy because you're beautiful....
Making love with you
Is all I want to do....
Loving you
Is more than just a dream come true....
And everything that I do
Is out of loving you....


No one else can make me feel
The colors that you bring....
Stay with me while we grow old....
And we will live each day in spring time....

Because loving you....
Has made my life so beautiful....
And every day of my life
Is filled with loving you....
Loving you....
I see your soul come shining through....
And everytime that we....
Oh I'm more in love with you....

Monday, May 4, 2009

Thank You For Your Time

Good morning!

Here's a beautiful story about something we often take for granted. It's from a forwarded email so you might have read it. No matter, it deserves a second or even a third read. Source unknown.

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls,
career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across
the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack
had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his
wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday."

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It' s been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was the thing I value most," Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack disc overed a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and
its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life."


A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes,! Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most ...was ... my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared this appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"

Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much that they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

5. You mean the world to someone.

6 . If not for you, someone may not be living.

7. You are special and unique.

8. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look; you most likely turned your back on the world.

11. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.

12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

13. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy.

14. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

If you send this letter to all the people you care about, you will certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective on life... for the better.

To everyone I sent this: "Thank you for your time."


Yes, my dear blog-friends, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME..

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Fun with Pandas for A Sunday Evening...

The cutest and cuddliest animal in the world has got to be the Panda bear. 30% of the world's pandas can be found in the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary in southwestern China and the place has been named a World Heritage site.

Visitor number to the Wolong Valley has skyrocketed from 200,000 people a year to 1.8 million.

Only about 1,600 giant pandas are left in the wild.

Recently, someone sent me some images of these cute darlings, shots of which were taken at the Panda Sanctuary in China. The captions add spice to the already-lovely shots. Take a look.






















.

Local Woman on Plane with 'Sick' Mexican

Local woman on plane with ‘sick’ Mexican quarantined - yes, this is in Malaysia and is the latest news today.

The woman was on board the same flight as the Mexican man diagnosed with influenza A(H1N1) in Hong Kong and has been placed under home quarantine for seven days. The Mexican arrived Hong Kong via Shanghai.

She, her husband and children have not shown any symptoms. She is being monitored daily and yesterday (Saturday) was her second day without symptoms.

Needless to say, all entry points into the country are on full alert and all necessary screening adhered to.


Swine flu FAQ

Targeting Las Vegas and the West Coast


With this flu going on, looks like any plan for overseas travel would have to be put on hold.

A group of my co-workers are planning to make a trip to the US this fall. Hope this flu scare would be over by then.

Las Vegas is one of the places on their agenda and they have been busy checking out sites with various packages on Vegas vacations. Of course, Los Angeles is also on the itinerary besides the Grand Canyon and possibly San Francisco. Keeping my fingers crossed for them.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) - No risk from eating cooked pork

It is good to know that there is no risk from eating cooked pork. According to foreign experts, the virus cannot be transmitted by eating pork despite its original name of "swine flu", believed to be a new strain which combines bird, swine and the common human influenza. So, Mr Porky is not to be blamed.

The earlier name of "swine flu" was given because it was believed to have originated from pig farms in Mexico though the exact origin of the virus is still unknown.

Malaysia will now refer to the swine flu as influenza A(H1N1) in line with a move by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO’s phase five alert status signalled widespread person-to-person transmission and that a pandemic was imminent.

Malaysia is still clear from the infection todate. We have been urged to continue to be on high alert and to take the necessary precautions.

International travellers arriving at our airports will have to go through mass thermal scanners. Two have been installed at KL International Airport and one at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

Videos with more than 100 Million Views

100 Million Views Club. What is this you ask. This refers to the videos across dozens of video-sharing sites that have had 100 million views and above as tracked by Visible Measures, the independent third-party measurement firm for Internet video publishers, advertisers, and viral marketers.

You won't see 100 million on the view counter on YouTube or any other video-sharing site, of course, as these are accumulated totals as consolidated by Visible Measures but it would be appropriate to say that most of these views occur on YouTube.

And guess what?! Susan Boyle made it to this club with a whopping 186 million views making her bigger online than Bush, Obama and Fey.

Here are The Top Five Most-viewed Videos:

1. Crank Dat Soldier Boy by Soldier Boy - 356,300,000 views


2. Twilight, the movie trailer - 266,500,000 views


3. Touch My Body - Mariah Carey - 230,200,000 views


4. Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Terrorist - 196,500,000 views


5. Susan Boyle of Britain's Got Talent - 186,000,000 views


Other notable 100 Million Views Club members include the movie trailer of Dark Knight viewed 172,500,000 times in 9th place; Evolution of Dance at 11th place with 147,000,000 views; and Charlie Bit My Finger Again at 13th with 136,000,000 views.


Source: Mashable

Friday, May 1, 2009

Friday Frolics - What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Ah... it is Friday again. It's a holiday here being May 1st. It's Labour Day.

I know several people whose birthday is today. So, Happy Birthday and may you have the best birthday ever. And many happy returns.

Friday is where we kick off our shoes and sort of throw caution to the wind (maybe) and get silly and do a little quiz. Yeah?

So, what does my pizza say about me.

Guilty! I am picky about food. Hey, that's why I'm so trim! *grin*
Your turn..



Your Pizza Says You Are a Food Snob



You eat like a European. A little bit of everything, but too much. You stay svelt through portion control.



You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US.



Your taste in food tends to favor what's rich and comforting. You prefer food that will definitely satisfy you.



You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices.



You are carefree and friendly. You should consider traveling to Hawaii.



The stereotype that best fits you is redneck. Your friends secretly agree.


Other Fun Quizzes

Swine Flu renamed Influenza A (H1N1) - on Phase 5 Alert

Check out August update for the latest..

=========================================

In Geneva, the World Health Organisation has raised the alert for swine flu to Phase Five, which means that a pandemic is imminent. It advised countries to take steps to be prepared for outbreaks and brace their populations for the disease.

WHO has changed the swine flu name to ‘influenza A (H1N1)’

Here in Malaysia, the govern­ment is on “high alert”. Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, urged the public to stay calm. He also said that to date, no cases had been reported in Malaysia.

All this would mean that leisure travel out of the country would not be advisable. A girlfriend just cancelled her reservation at a San Diego hotel. She and her family had been planning this US trip since last year.

70% Discounts at Jaya Jusco

Is your home like a museum filled with pictures and paintings on the wall or are you like some people, wary about not 'spoiling' the wall with nails and stuff?

I believe a house is not a home until you have cozied it up with homely paraphernalia or items close to your heart, including a tv stand that supports the item that gives you hours and hours of enjoyment which could also turn you into a couch-potato of major proportions.

Going shopping for your home? I imagine now is a good time. I saw 70% discounts in the home-furnishing department of Jaya Jusco. Was so tempted to part company with my money for something I don't really need (yet).

Low Yat Plaza, the place for electronics stuff

I gave the recent PC Fair a miss this year. Firstly, I am not a fan of jostling in crowds and secondly, there wasn't anything I needed from the fair. No doubt, a PC Fair could be a good place for variety and bargains, that is, if you know what you are looking for. Otherwise, there could be better places to look.

The other day, I was at Low Yat Plaza and noticed a number of people looking for a KVM switch. At Low Yat Plaza, you could practically find anything electronics and at great prices too. A colleague recently bought an Acer netbook there and she is happy with the purchase.