Happy Halloween 2013

Here in Malaysia, Halloween is not celebrated like in some countries in the West. However, there is still a demand for Halloween-related paraphernalia. People buy them for fun. This curio shop in a shopping complex was seen with this dressy Halloween shopfront as far back as a month ago. If you are looking for Halloween products, a wider choice could be found at Toys r Us.

"Happy Halloween" to you if you are celebrating this yearly festival which according to many scholars, is a Christianized feast initially influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic Samhain. Other academics maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots. (Wikipedia)

Like all celebrations, a greeting card is in order. Here's a pretty card for Halloween from 123Greetings..

I hope you'll have the best Halloween ever!

Check out Google's interactive doodle for Halloween this year. Here is last year's Google doodle.

Have fun!

How Credit Cards Can Be Used for Financial Independence

Credit cards can be used as a tool for financial independence if used properly. However, if used improperly, a credit card can lead to financial burden especially if the credit card debt is not settled on time, so it’s good to pick the best credit card based on your ability to pay your obligations.

Having financial independence means not having to worry about the ability to pay bills or having the means to pay for new experiences. One of the first steps to attaining financial independence is realizing that the luxury of a large income does not always mean that you will be financially independent. Indeed, you could take home a huge pay check every month but if your spending exceeds your pay check, you’re not financially independent. In fact, you’re already in debt if that’s the case. A credit card will not do you any good in this situation then, and you need to find a way to cut your expenses or earn more income. You just learned the lesson of the maxim “live within your means” the hard way.

But if you earn enough money from your job and your expenses are well below your income, then you might want to consider diversifying your source of income. Yes, your job is one source of income but that’s just one of them, and there’s always the risk of losing that job or being disabled and that doesn’t make you financially independent.

If you have extra funds then you could consider investing that in the stock market or in starting your own business. This is one situation where having a credit card could come in handy. Having a credit card is one of your options for funding your own business. Many suppliers accept credit cards so you could use your card to pay the supplies that your new business needs. It can also help you take care of some of the costs related to starting a business like getting the permits for the business and some of the equipment that you’ll need for operating your venture.

We’ve already mentioned that being wealthy means having more income than expenses. How could a credit card cut expenses? Well, if you plan to get a house in the future or another big ticket item like a car for example, you could save a lot if you have a good credit history. This shows your lender that you have a good record of paying your debts so that they could give you a lower interest rate on your loan. Having a credit card helps you build a credit history so your task is to diligently pay for your credit card bills every month in order to build a good credit history. You also get to save on penalties if you pay your credit card bills on time so that’s another expense that you don’t have to worry about.

There are other ways to achieve financial independence but the key is to having more income than expenses. A credit card can be used to increase income (by helping fund your startup) or for avoiding expenses (like higher loan interests by helping you build a credit history that will unlock lower interest rates for big ticket items like home loans and car loans).

About the author:
This is a guest blog contribution by Michael Vincent in behalf of Compare Hero, Malaysia’s leading credit card comparison website. Compare a broad range of financial products – from credit cards to broadband plans for free, right in your browser.

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on The Strip in Las Vegas

If you are planning a vacation to somewhere you have never been to, chances are if you are not joining a guided tour, you would have to check out for yourself hotels available there and for good measure read up on some reviews. Thanks to the Internet, all needed information is now just a mouse-click away.  

When it comes to selecting a holiday destination in the United States, Las Vegas still tops the list for the west coast though most guided tours would include Los Angeles in the itinerary and sometimes San Francisco.  If you are going it on your own, finding a hotel is certainly not a problem as there are lots available to meet any budget and preference.  You may agree that you would be spoilt for choice.  Needless to say, making a booking is easy and convenient online.

Planning that much-deserved trip to Las Vegas?  The MGM Grand in Las Vegas   is among the finest in all of Las Vegas.  The Internet says this hotel is the ultimate Las Vegas experience as it comes with upscale rooms and suites.

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is located on The Strip and offers star-studded events at the Grand Garden Arena. You can also expect world-class dining and nightlife at a variety of restaurants and lounges and do remember to check out their new nightclub, Hakkasan.

If you need your daily swim, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino features a 7-acre pool complex with 5 pools, 3 whirlpools, and a lazy river. There are 26 spacious cabanas with personalized bottle and food service. The Grand Spa offers soothing and indulgent treatments including the Dream Ritual.

MGM Grand has recently redesigned their rooms which now feature warm color palettes, high-end furnishings, open floor plans, and modern amenities. Guestrooms and suites at this Las Vegas hotel include pay movies, minibars, and wireless and wired Internet access.

If you are driving, the hotel provides Free parking, Free self parking, Free valet parking, Parking garage.

You may want to note however, that the minimum check-in age is 21.

Shopping at the CIMB Fiesta

I wanted to get a replacement unit for a cooler that quit on me last month, so I went to the CIMB Fiesta which was held last weekend at Midvalley Megamall. Was surprised to see a queue already forming that early in the morning.  Very carnival-like the atmosphere was as you can tell from the decor. 

We joined the queue and were each given a catalogue so we could have an idea of what were available.  Upon registration, we received a  red eco-bag each.  Early birds were also able to get tokens for certain items at a further discount. I only knew about that much later and therefore was too late by the time I knew about it.  Oh well..

Bet you'd want to know what I bought, or rather used my credit card points to redeem, huh? Went with a girlfriend, so she was able to help me handle the three items that I came home with.

I got myself a (Khind brand) table-fan because I felt a cooler is not as durable as a good old-fashioned fan.  The cooler that quit on me was just a year old which I bought at last year's fiesta.  Tsk!  I hope to get better mileage from this fan which is not the conventional design that we normally see. This one is rather cute and not as big so it doesn't take up too much space.  I like. Plus, it comes with a two-year warranty. Here's a picture from the box.

I also came away with a 20" light grey suitcase from House of Leather so I was practically walking the bag around the carnival. The third item was an impromptu decision. It's a cushioned square stool that was going for RM159 but sold for an earlybird price of RM39. I missed the earlybird offer but the lady was kind enough to let me have it for that discounted price. So, yay!

This is the new member, the recycle bag, that is living happily now with others in the heap of other eco-bags in my collection. You read right, collection, because inadvertently over time, the bags have become a collection of many different green bags and we are rather short of occasions to use them. However, they come in handy as giftbags so no complaints there.  Still, I would have preferred a better bag, something like those burlap gift bags or canvas bags that are both nicer and washable.

I bet you have your own grand collection of recycle bags. How do you make use of the bags or how do you store them? Come share, so that we can all learn of the creative ways you use your bags.

Friday Frolics - What Personality Disorder Are You?

You think you don't have a personality disorder? Well, surprise yourself. Take this quiz to find out.

Happy Friday, everyone!

You May Be a Bit Obsessive Compulsive...

Meticulous and detailed oriented, you have some irrational obsessions. Maybe it's your super neat closet or washing your hands a gazillion times. You probably know it's weird, but you just can't stop thinking about it. In fact, the more you think about your quirks, the more you have to do them.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Friday Frolics: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Last Week's Quiz: The Adventure Test

Flock of cranes in Kuala Lumpur

Stumbled upon this beautiful picture on Yahoo! of a flock of cranes flying past the rising moon in Nauen near Berlin, Germany - Friday, October 18, 2013. The caption says the cranes rest in the wetlands west of Berlin on their way from breeding places in the north to their wintering grounds in the south.

If you commute to work using the North-South Expressway in Kuala Lumpur, you may have noticed a flock of cranes flying overhead.  They do so twice a day, once in the morning, the other time in the evening. There used to be just a handful many years ago but currently, there are as many as 15 or 20 of them.

Catch them at around 7o'clock in the morning gliding above along the river in Ulu Kelang (best viewed near Bukit Antarabangsa) heading towards the direction of Ampang/Cheras from the National Zoo - that is where they rest at night. In the evening, the cranes can be seen flying back to the zoo at around 6 or 7pm. It's a sight to behold, so look out for them the next time you are in the Ulu Kelang area.

I have no idea where they go to or where they are in the day but sometimes they can be spotted perched on telephone wires along the North-South Expressway in the evenings. Happy looking out for these big birds as they glide by on their way to hunt or to roost.

Malaysia school holidays/calendar for 2014

The Malaysia school calendar for 2014 is out..

From The Star:

PETALING JAYA: Parents who want to book holidays with their children next year should bear in mind that there will be more school days.

There will be 209 school days – four days more than this year.

Students will also get a shorter break with 81 holidays next year compared with 84 this year.

The 2014 school calendar, as shown on the Education Ministry’s website, showed that school begins on Jan 2 in all states except Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where classes start a day earlier.

School heads can apply for four days of “cuti peristiwa” (occasional holiday), which need not be replaced.

They can also apply for “cuti ganti” (replacement holiday), which is subject to approval by the respective state education departments.

The first mid-term break will be from March 22 to 30, the mid-year break will be from May 28 to June 15. The second mid-term break will be from Sept 13 to 31.

The year-end break will start on Nov 22 next year, except in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu where the holidays start a day earlier.


Related article:
2014 Malaysia Public Holidays

Office Fire Drill

The office had a fire drill last week. We do that twice a year, maybe one too many some of us think.  Disruption to routine is what everyone dislikes about a fire drill.  Who doesn't.   Having to trudge down and then back up again the flights of stairs is certainly no fun. Okay, we are just glad that the office is not at the upper floors of the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers. Many people would be taking time-off, my guess.

To make it real, I once suggested we should also bring along our handbags and other stuff or files we are most likely to save in the event of a fire but so far no one has done that. That's the difference between a drill and reality, I guess.  However, there were some of us who brought along their safety equipment they had on at the time.

Petronas Twin Towers in Pink - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Image source: The Star

Catch the Petronas Twin Towers all illuminated in pink tonight.  For the first time, the country’s most iconic buildings are being illuminated in the signature pink of Estee Lauder Companies’ annual global Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.

The towers were lit up last night and will be lit in pink again tonight from 7pm until midnight.

However, the KLCC Lake Sym­phony Fountain will be illuminated in pink until the end of the month.

In previous years, it was the KL Tower that was illuminated. Other famous buildings and landmarks around the world that have participated in the campaign include the Sydney Opera House, the Tower of London and the Empire State Building in New York.

Why is a Clock not a good gift

A timepiece may be a good gift to give away except not a clock if your gift is going to a Chinese.

Why?  Because to give a clock figuratively means to send off someone, as in death. Choi! Choi! So you see, giving a Chinese person a clock is a definite no-no. But a watch is a-okay because the word for watch in Chinese sounds entirely different from the word for clock. I know, this sounds superstitious but, hey, we are Chinese!

Suzuki S-350 Mini Grand Digital Piano

Contrary to popular belief, owning a piano need not cost an arm and a leg neither will it occupy too much space in the home.

Take for instance the Suzuki S-350 Mini Grand. It is a perfectly proportioned digital piano with a load of professional features. It's a little over 3 feet deep so it will fit in any sized room, and provide plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

The traditional, elegant S-350 Mini Grand Piano comes in a hand-rubbed black-lacquer finish. This technically-advanced digital piano has hundreds of optional music files with genres ranging from jazz, pop, and classical, to rock, country and more. It also comes with a built-in 3-track recorder so you can compose and store your own songs, and record practices for later review. Yet another great feature of this S-350 Mini Grand Piano is that the advanced-graded hammer action keyboard has an authentic acoustic piano touch and feel, without ever needing to be tuned.

If you are in the market for a piano that is not only technically advanced but won't break the bank, check out this Suzuki digital Mini Grand piano may be it.

Friday Frolics - The Adventure Test

Yay! It's Friday again! Happy Friday, everyone! An easy-to-do personality quiz this week, The Adventure Test.

You Are Content

You seek moderation by compensating for extremes. If you're extreme one way, you're also extreme the other way. While you can be brutally honest, you're still quite a charmer. You say it all with a smile. You are magnetic, endearing, and people tend to love you. You are a positive force in this world. You're a bit of an introvert, but you're never lonely. You know how to entertain yourself.

The Adventure Test

100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Last Week's Quiz: What Email Sign Off Are You?

Cameron Highlands is still a cool hill station

The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations.  The other hill stations being the one on Penang Hill and Fraser's Hill which is in the state of Perak.

The size of Singapore, Cameron Highlands occupies an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi) in the Titiwangsa Mountains.

Many think that the "Camerons" is no longer cool or rather not as cool in temperature as it used to be before rampant development took place in the last few years.

Still, the temperatures there are still much cooler than in Kuala Lumpur, for instance.   The mean annual temperature of the resort is about 18 °C (64 °F). During the day, the temperature seldom rises above 25 °C (77 °F); at night, it can rarely drop to as low as 9 °C (48 °F), at the higher areas though it would be comfortable to have a heated blanket, I should think or at least a hot water bottle for the night...

Eleanor Catton is 2013 Man Booker Prize Winner - The Luminaries

Meet this year's winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, 28-year-old Eleanor Catton of New Zealand. Her win has made her the youngest winner in the award’s 45-year history. Her 848-page novel, 'The Luminaries' is set in the New Zealand goldfields of 1866.

Miss Catton accepted the award from Britain’s Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at a glittering dinner in London’s ancient Guildhall on Oct 15. The award comes with a £50,000 (RM254,000) prize. She will also enjoy the global recognition that usually precedes a catapult in book sales.

Image source:  The Star

Here's where you can buy her book..

The other shortlisted authors for the prize were:

Canadian Ruth Ozeki for A Tale for the Time Being
Indian-American Jhumpa Lahiri for The Lowland
Zimbabwean NoViolet Bulawayo for We Need New Names: A Novel
Briton Jim Crace for Harvest (Vintage)
Irish writer Colm Toibin for The Testament of Mary


This one is last year's winner - Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel..

Mantel also won in 2009 for Wolf Hall..

In September, it was announced that the Man Booker will be open to authors from all over the world to compete for a prize that had been previously exclusive to writers from the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth.

Fixed favorite loafers make a happy me

Have you ever got a repair done on your shoes?

The other day, I sent a pair of loafers to the local cobbler for some fixing.  I've only worn them for a couple of months and the soles were already giving way, coming off, sort of.  My fault, really.  I only 'discovered' the shoes, still in the box, the other day.  They've been in the closet from last year!  That's the problem when you buy too many pairs of shoes at one time and you sometimes lose track of them. Oops!

Driving with your shoes on also reduces the lifespan of your shoes, believe me.  That's why I drive wearing slippers but I digress.

Here in Malaysia, cobblers still operate in five-foot ways just outside shops as in the picture below.  These cobblers are usually immigrant Indonesians but of late, I've noticed local retired Malay men operating the business.  This professional in the image is parked outside a bank located in a row of shops.  You'll find cobblers at their station from as early as 10 in the morning and they close shop when office-workers finish for the day.  The repair job is normally done the same day.  You send your shoes in the morning and collect them later in the afternoon.  Easy-peasy.

Cobblers like him can be found everywhere in every housing estate as well as in the older parts of the city. However, we do have the more professional cobblers operating in shopping complexes, which I've had the chance to use just once - why pay more when you can get just-as-good or even better service at a better rate from mobile cobblers.

The loafers that I sent needed some gum-work to hold the soles in place.  I don't think epoxy is being used but plain old reliable shoe gum.  The shoes came back not only with soles in place, I noticed there was stitching all around and very well done too.  Good job!  I was one happy customer.   Now, my boots next.

Selamat Hari Raya Haji

Kuala Lumpur is quiet today.  It is a public holiday, a day where Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Haji as it is known here.  Muslims make up more than 60% of the nation's 28 million people.  Whenever major holidays are celebrated, the city is sort of deserted as people leave the city for their hometown to celebrate the occasion with their loved ones. 

Let me take this opportunity to wish all friends and readers here a Selamat Hari Raya Haji.

The weather here in Kuala Lumpur is wonderful today to be celebrating this happy occasion.

A reader here asked whether shops will be open in the city. Rest assured that Kuala Lumpur hardly sleeps. Shops, shopping malls and complexes are open every day of the year and during all public holidays be it Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Christmas.  Restaurants,  fastfood outlets included, are open, so are entertainment centres.

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur!

Friday Frolics - What Email Sign Off Are You?

Nice, it's Friday again and the day of the week for a fun activity here - a Friday Frolics personality quiz. This week's quiz is about email sign-off. What are you? Take the quiz to find out.

Have a lovely Friday, everyone!

You Are Love

You are a naturally affectionate person, and relationships are very important to you. You don't expect a lot of career fulfillment in your life. Instead, you're happy to put people first. Of course, you don't sign every single email 'Love' - that wouldn't always be appropriate or welcome. However, you have more people than any other type that you can sign 'Love' to. You have many close relationships. You are a kind and compassionate person. You are easy to know and easy to communicate with. You choose your words carefully and try to say the right thing. You want to connect with your communication.

What Email Sign Off Are You?

Quizzes Here Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

Last week's quiz: The Vintage Card Test

2014 Malaysia Public Holidays

The government through the Prime Minister's Department has just released the 2014 gazetted public holidays for the country as well as by state.

This would mean that it's that time of the year again to start planning for the year ahead whether you are a corporate citizen, a private employee or a parent planning your holiday with your family for next year:

This chart is for the National Public Holidays. Click on image to enlarge.

This is the schedule by state - two parts..

Referring to the charts above can be confusing I know, so I've crunched them down to a simpler version. Here it is, 2014 public holidays celebrated nationally, in Kuala Lumpur and in Selangor (the latter including Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang). I'm sorry if you are located in other states, you can still refer to the charts above.

2014 Malaysia Public Holidays as well as for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor..

I haven't received the schedule for school holidays for next year so you may want to check back.


Related article:
2013 Malaysia National Public Holidays & School Holidays

Apricot seeds are beneficial to health

Plums are not grown in Malaysia, yet we do get them here almost all year round in our supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Apricots, on the other hand, are rarely seen here except in their dried form. Did you know that apricot kernels or seeds are edible and they are consumed for their health benefits? It is true. You can read about it here: http://www.apricotpower.com/

It's common knowledge that prunes (dried plums) are good for the bowel system. According to Wikipedia, due to the high fiber to volume ratio of apricots, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three. Now you know..

Friday Frolics - The Vintage Card Test

There is always a certain charm to vintage things - vintage clothes, vintage furniture and so forth. How about doing a vintage card test this week to tell us our personality?

Happy Friday, everyone!

You Are Romantic

You have an idealized version of how things should be. You seek a life full of emotion and passion. From an early age, you've known exactly what you've wanted, and you don't let anything or anyone block your path. You are polite because rudeness never gets anyone anywhere. You know how to act in order to get your way. You aren't exactly manipulative, but you do believe in charming people whenever you can. You like them to think they've won. You are old-fashioned in that you still believe in love, meaning, and standing up for what you believe in. You have a strong personality, but you have a light touch. There's more fire to you than others realize.

The Vintage Card Test

Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Last Week's Quiz: What Banned Book Are You?

The Best and the Worst of times

Anyone who has the Live Traffic Feed widget on his/her site is bound to check out who's been visiting the site and like me would get excited on seeing a new destination and probably like me again be wondering what that country is like.

Today, two readers arrived from countries that I've never seen before on this site or they have been here and I missed them.  One is from Palestinian Territory, the other from Israel.  Well, Hello there!  What a coincidence that you both came by one after another. Take a look.

What do I know about Palestinian Territory and Israel? Nothing much except that they are in constant dispute, the former being sympathised with by many countries while the former has been portrayed as the inflictor of pain. I have read too that Palestinians who live on the Israel side are living a much better life, being treated fairly with equal opportunities and so forth. I also read about a boycott called by some prominent personnel urging the Muslim World to boycott anything and everything that originates with the Jewish people.

And in response to that, a pharmacist, out of the kindness of his heart, offered to assist them in their boycott and I quote:

"Any Muslim who has Syphilis must not be cured by Salvarsan discovered by a Jew, Dr. Ehrlich. He should not even try to find out whether he has Syphilis, because the Wasserman Test is the discovery of a Jew. If a Muslim suspects that he has Gonorrhea, he must not seek diagnosis, Because he will be using the method of a Jew named Neissner.

"A Muslim who has heart disease must not use Digitalis, a discovery by a Jew, Ludwig Traube.

Should he suffer with a toothache, he must not use Novocaine, a discovery of the Jews, Widal and Weil.

If a Muslim has Diabetes, he must not use Insulin, the result of research by Minkowsky, a Jew. If one has a headache, he must shun Pyramidon and Antypyrin, due to the Jews, Spiro and Ellege.

and more..

Some time ago, some dimwit here in his dim lightbulb moment called for a boycott of all things American. He must have conveniently forgotten that a lot of bread and butter served in homes here come from being employed in MNCs and a lot American-based too. He probably doesn't have a relative working in an American MNC, or none using an iPhone, no one using computers (Microsoft), etc., etc. Duh!

We are living in the best of times with the best standard of living, the best technological advances, the best medicines (growing a nose on the forehead for some purpose, for instance), etc., but can we also say we are living in the worst of times wrought with hatred, vengence, destruction, wars, you name it.  John Lennon comes to mind..

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

On a positive note,

and I'm going out into the sun today!

You, lovely readers, have a wonderful, wonderful day ahead too!

Self-defence - no longer an option

In this day and age, self-defence is no longer an option. Sadly, it is now mandatory for ladies especially to be constantly on the alert so as not to fall victim to crime.

Speaking of crime, frankly, it can happen to the best of us as I found out from a very careful male colleague. He was pickpocketed by a playful group of young men after he made a withdrawal at his bank.  Great group synergy at work there!

You'd be forgiven to think that the items on the left are just a ring in the top picture, three sticks of lipstick (heart-shaped too) and an ordinary-looking red pen in the last.

Gotcha!  These are self-defence products. They are all pepper sprays in disguise or rather concealed pepper sprays. Very James Bondish, wouldn't you say? Great gift items too, come to think of it and they can be bought online. If I may add, don't leave home without it - the pepper spray, that is..

Counting my blessings

Looking at the Petronas Twin Towers this morning, I thought we were set for another fabulous sunny day but clearly not so looking at the overcast sky right now.  Surprising air quality according to the DOE is still good here in Kuala Lumpur though the skyline does appear to be hazy.

I count it a blessing that this pair of towers can be seen both from the office as well as at home - without the slightest effort. They are just there right in front whenever I look up and need a focal point to ponder a thought or two. Blessing? You bet!

A visiting colleague once remarked that the Petronas Twin Towers are the most exquisite buildings he has ever laid eyes upon and he has travelled extensively for work. He now is based in Shanghai and he travels to Malaysia a few times a year and never tires of taking pictures of the twins each time he visits.

Back home, I wonder how many of us locals really stop to admire these beauties in our very own backyard.

Incidentally, the Petronas Twin Towers are currently still the tallest twin towers in the world. Soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, the 88-storey twin structure is Kuala Lumpur's crown jewel. The world's highest double-decked bridge is also found here where it provides a stunning vantage point of Kuala Lumpur. Linking the towers at levels 41 and 42, it facilitates movement, and functions as an escape route in case of emergencies. Entrance to this skybridge used to be free of charge but a year or two ago, an entrance fee has been introduced. The fee structure is as follows to give you an idea:

Ticket Price
Adult RM80 (approx USD25)
Adult (MyKad) RM25
Child RM30 (approx USD9.30)
Child (MyKid) RM12

There is an observation deck at level 86 but not sure if that's open to the public.  It offers a 360-degree view of Kuala Lumpur. However, some reviews say KL Tower offers a better view of the city. KL Tower stands at 421m and over the weekend hosted the KL Tower International BASE Jump annual event.