Game Time!

Ben just bought a house, with several acres of land surrounding it. He had a great job as a financial analyst in a huge company. He was a bachelor, and was not really seeing anyone at the moment. He enjoyed his freedom. Most of his buddies were either dating, or married. However, sometimes, his buddies liked to hang out with him, and just do guy things.

Ben came up with a great idea when he got his own house. He remembered how he and his buddies enjoyed Kenny's bachelor "party" at a paintball arcade! He thought it would be great to turn his backyard into a mini-paintball "arcade"! Ben did not like shopping much, but he liked looking for things on line. He found this site where he could buy everything he would need to turn his backyard into a paintball combat field. His buddies could come hang out every now and then.

He thought he would need some essential paintball supplies like paintball markers, paintball guns, paintball masks, and paintballs. This was an ultimate paintball on line store which carried all the coolest paintball gear and supplies you could imagine. There were all kinds, and different grades of everything one would need to get a paintball combat going. Ben was excited as he started ordering the items he would need. Ben had to stop himself from ordering beyond his budget because the store had too much attractive paintball stuff that Ben believed he would have to have. From paintbll barrels, gloves, masks, to all kinds of safety gear - the store had it all! The store did make it a little easier for Ben with their paintball gun packages though. Ben could get more for his money that way. The shop also had upgrades, and parts Ben could purchase later too. That way, Ben could improve, and make his combat game and ground more challenging as time went by. However, he also decided he would have to get his buddies to chip in, so that they could have the coolest paintball combat ground ever, right then!

Ben invited his friends over for a house-warming party during one weekend. He told his friends if they wanted to bring him a gift, to order items from the on line store indicated on the gift list he e-mailed them. His friends were a little puzzled at first, but when they saw Ben's backyard, they understood, and were blown away! Of course, they did not waste much time before they were in fierce combat with one another. They had the time of their life! Since Ben did not have any neighbors at close range, they did not disturb anyone, and yet could make as much noise as they wanted!

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The Berenstain Bears

It's strange how I know the children's programs on TV like (or rather, better than) the back of my hand! Have been watching 'Thomas The Tank Engine', 'Sesame Street', 'Caillou', 'Bob The Builder', and 'The Berenstain Bears' for a couple of years now. I like 'The Berenstain Bears' because it teaches kids good behavior. It's also pretty entertaining, and funny. My toddler likes watching it. Recently, we've been making trips to the library. To our delight, we found some Berenstain Bears books there! My son has been picking a couple out each trip, and we have fun reading them at home!

Choose The Best Customer Relationship Management Software

Larry is the Sales Manager of a semi-big company. He has a fairly big sales team working under him. Larry has a very stressful job. He's responsible for sales figures of the whole department, which means he's responsible for the performance of every one of his team members. He tries to motivate them to be more aggressive when it comes to making sales, and wishes every one on his team shares his vision of offering the best service to their customers.

Larry likes his job because it's challenging. His adrenaline is always pumping. There's never a dull moment. However, there's not much time to train the members on his team, especially when it comes to customer relationship management. Most of his staff have to learn it on the job, and that means, learning from their mistakes. Sometimes, mistakes can be a little too costly. Larry wants to look for something that will save his department time, and yet teaches his staff adequately about customer relationship management.

Recently, at one of the regional meetings for managers, Larry was introduced to this new customer relationship management software. It promises to reduce the time taken by the sales staff to master the "technique" of establishing good customer relationship. The software is also easy to use, and less complex than most traditional software. Larry is pretty excited about the new software, and has decided to sign up for a free trial. He has already shared the good news with his team, and they're looking forward to be less burdened with confusing customer relationship management training, and have more time to focus on making sales!

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Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

A children story book written by Lenore Look, and illustrated by Yumi Heo. The story is written from a little girl's perspective. She loved her uncle Peter, her father's baby brother. She was in agony throughout his uncle's wedding. She tried to create some mischief during the wedding, but without much success. Everything went well. The bride was radiant, the groom happy, and the relatives too eager to welcome the bride into the family. The little girl finally felt at peace with his uncle's marriage, when the bride took her aside, and expressed her love for her new niece. The new bride let her know she understood the little girl's feelings, and thanked her for sharing Uncle Peter with her!

I had a similar experience growing up. Our family was poor, and shunned by most of our relatives, who were doing much better than us. We did not get many visits from them, except from one of my mother's brothers. He was our beloved uncle. He came to visit often, and bought cool toys for us. My siblings and I (five of us altogether) looked forward to his visits. He was a professional photographer too, so he often made us his objects. We were able to have some childhood pictures all because of our dear uncle!

However, one day, everything changed! He sent us some pictures he had taken of us, and inside was a note. He told us he was going to bring a "sister" out, and would not be able to come visit for a while. We were puzzled! We thought perhaps, "sister" meant us girls, but it did not sound right. Then, our mother had to break it to us. Uncle had a girl friend!

Of course, Uncle's visits became less frequent. Sometimes, he even brought 'sister" to visit. We also tried to do some mischief, but he married her anyway. She did not tell us she loved us, and thanked us for sharing Uncle with her. However, we realised she might have meant it anyway.

A Good Deed

Flora had worked at the Rodeo in Houston for a few years now. Her good friend, Hannah introduced her to the "gig". Every year during Rodeo time, Hannah would come stay at Flora's place, and they would go to work together. They helped to sell leather goods at the Rodeo.

This year, Hannah asked Flora over the phone if she could bring some one with her. Flora thought Hannah's husband might want to tag along this time, so she said, "Sure! Bill coming along too?"

Hannah paused for a minute before replying, with slight embarrassment, "No, not Bill. My nephew."

"Your nephew? How old is he?" asked Flora, a little uncomfortable this time.

"He's 25," answered Hannah.

"25?" Flora was really curious now, "And why would a 25 year-old guy want to come visit with 2 elderly ladies?"

Hannah swallowed hard before answering, "He has drug problems...and I'm trying to set him right."

"Oh..." Flora answered slowly. She was trying to make herself see the good her friend was trying to do, and talk herself into being part of it.

"He can't drive cos' he got a D.U.I too!" added Hannah quickly.

"Oh..." answered Flora again.

Hannah told Flora she did not have to give her an answer immediately. Flora thought about the matter for a few days. She did not like the idea of having a problematic youth at her house, but yet, she felt a need to help her friend. How could she help Hannah's nephew? She talked to a close friend at Church about this, and her friend referred her to this drug and alcohol rehabilitation referral service website, which had lots of information about drug addiction, and drug treatment programs.

Flora's mind was made up. She would agree to put Hannah's nephew up, provided he check himself into one of these drug treatment programs while he was staying with her. Flora would also offer to help Hannah drive her nephew to these
programs, during the day. Flora felt good after making the decision. She picked up the phone to call Hannah.

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Kamishibai Man

Another book written by Allen Say. It's about an old man living on a hillside, away from the city. He used to be a Kamishibai Man - someone who told stories with pictures in Japan. He felt a sudden urge to be a Kamishibai Man again, and his old wife supported his idea.

He packed up his small wooden stage, and candy made by his wife, and strapped everything onto his bicycle, and pedalled to the city, where he used to perform. He was shocked at how the city had changed. There were huge vehicles on the road, and he could barely recognise familiar places because of all the new buildings that had loomed up, while he was living his quiet life on the hillside. He finally found the place he used to set up his "shop", and started to tell his story about his life as a Kamishibai Man years ago. He recalled among his audience a poor boy who did not like candy. This boy remained his only loyal audience, when TVs came into the people's lives.

When he told this part of the story, a grown man in the audience shouted, "I was that boy!" The old man then realised he had a huge crowd gathered to hear his story. They were kids who listened to his stories when he was a Kamishibai Man years ago! They bought candy from him, just like they used to, when they were little kids. The old man was very encouraged.

He even made the evening news. His old wife saw him on the news at home. She asked him if he was going back to work the next day. He said he would, and probably the day after next too. His old wife immediately saw about making more candy for the old man to sell.

This is a heart-warming story. I like the ending. It was nice for the kids who were grown, to remember and appreciate the old man, even though they seemed to have forgotten, and abandoned him for a while.

Vonage - Connecting People Everywhere!

Tim walked into the elevator with his morning cup of coffee from Star Bucks. The elevator doors were closing when he saw his colleague, Eddy, rushing to get into the elevator. Tim pressed for the elevator to wait for Eddy.

"Thanks! How're you doing today man?" asked Eddy.

Tim took a sip of his coffee, and replied, "Just fine. What about you?"

"Couldn't be happier. Just signed up with a new phone company!" grinned Eddy.

"Really? Which company?" asked Tim, who was curious, because he always thought he was paying too much for his phone services.

Eddy was eager to share, "Vonage? Have you heard about them?"

Tim took another sip of his coffee, and exclaimed, "Yes! I saw their TV commercials - pretty funny!"

The guys reached their floor, but continued their conversation outside the elevator.

"Are you not happy with your present phone service provider?" asked Eddy, sensing Tim's interest.

"Not really...but I want to make a wise switch, you know?" Tim said slowly.

Eddy patted Tim on the shoulder, "Tell you what? Go to their forum website, and you can find out all you want to know about Vonage!"

Tim looked at his watch, and asked, "E-mail me the site, will you?", before he parted from Eddy.

"Sure will! Take your time and read the Vonage Forum page - lots of information about the company and its services!"

"Thanks!" Tim waved, and walked towards his office.

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The Delight of Birthdays!

My son's going to be three years old soon! He did not know how to look forward to his 2nd birthday, and had no clue what was going on during his 1st birthday!

However, a big change seems to have come over him, as he approaches his 3rd birthday. He's looking forward to it every day. He'll ask me, "Is it my birthday?" almost every day. When we go to the store, he'll point out the birthday cakes on display excitedly. Of course, when we attend his little friends' birthday parties, he's just excited beyond control! He likes the presents that come with one's birthday, and has already told us what he wishes to get for his birthday.

Isn't it strange how we refuse to think about our birthdays as we get old? Some of us even quit celebrating it at a certain age! We become less excited about birthday presents too! We're even shy about mentioning our birthdays for fear of being asked our age. However, it seems the opposite happens when we reach a ripe old age, and still breathing (on our own)! Old people are happy, and almost as proud as a toddler, to reveal their ages. Guess when we reach our 80s, we should be thankful for our longevity!

Anyway, it's always delightful to see an innocent child look forward to getting bigger, and enjoying birthdays, and all the attention they get on this special occasion! Their behavior symbolises hope, I guess!

A More Pleasant On-line Shopping Experience

Jia Bao goes to Shanghai, China on a regular basis. She has many friends, and family there. The last trip she was there, one of her friends took her to a wholesale market, and Jia Bao fell in love with it. The market sold all kinds of embroidered table runners, table cloths, purses, book covers, toys, and jewelry at very cheap prices.

The cheap merchandise gave Jia Bao an idea to start an on line business at home. Her friend was willing to shop for her, if she needed some merchandise urgently, and she could not make the buying trip herself. Excited, Jia Bao went on line to do some research on how to set up her business, and also some market research. After browsing the net, she decided she needed some shopping cart software, to make the shopping experience at her on line store, easier, and more pleasant for shoppers! She shopped around for some good ecommerce software, and finally decided on an award winning shopping cart software, which she thought would help make her on line store a success.

Jia Bao did not mind investing in a good shopping cart software, since she would save some money by doing her business on line. She did not have to pay rent for a physical shop space. She did not even have to face her customers face-to-face. She and her customers could carry out their transactions in the comfort of their own homes! Yes, on line business is the way to go!

New Fun Site!

Ursula retired from teaching a few years ago. She spends her time knitting, sewing, reading, and travelling to see her grandchildren. She loves to sew pretty dresses for her granddaughters.

She has a computer at home, on which she used to do her school work. Now, she uses it to e-mail her friends and family, and occasionally, also to do some on line shopping, and play games. She and her circle of retired friends, sometimes even play some games on line together. Ursula finds the on line games a real source of entertainment. She does not have to get out of the house, and can enjoy playing with her friends, in the comfort of her home. She received an e-mail from one of them a few days ago, to check out this site whogets.com - an on line sweepstake game, with a twist to the way it's being played. The players actually decide who the winner is! Below is a press release about this game site.

Press Release:

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) April 24, 2007 -- Arcavate Corporation, a leader in web 2.0 innovation and fun, announces the beta launch of its newest site, whogets.com. WhoGets combines all the excitement of winning great prizes with the viral interactive power of a voting community.

In a game show format, WhoGets.com offers members the chance to win a huge array of prizes in its online contests. They simply enter the contests for the products that interest them. The contestant has the opportunity to tell the community members why they should vote for him. whogets members decide who wins each contest. The contestant with the most votes wins the prize. There are no offers to complete, and whogets will not solicite its members for any other offers. There's no fee for membership or for joining the contests. If a member would rather skip the contest and buy one of the prizes outright, he can take advantage of the Buy It Now feature.

"There isn't any other site like whogets.com. We are excited to see where the community takes it. It should be fun," Russ Snapper said.

WhoGets is just one more way Arcavate delivers on its simple philosophy -- offer friendly, fun, innovative sites that create value for their visitors.

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Dancing with The Stars

Started watching "Dancing with The Stars" when it was first aired. Even though I'm not much of a dancer myself, I like watching the different celebrities struggle to get their dance moves right!

Missed the first part of last night's elimination show, but caught the second part of it. Heather Mills and his partner were the next couple to go. I was a little disappointed because I thought Heather was pretty good, not even considering her handicap. I did not know much about her, except for her marriage to the Beatles guy! However, I was won over by her "can do" attitude throughout the competition. However, guess the mass audience was not as impressed with her as I was!

The Right Card for Shane

The mail man just came. Shane could hear the mail truck driving away. He walked out to the mail box, and collected his mail. Most of the mail was junk mail! There were a few from credit card companies informing him he was pre-approved for their cards. He did want to apply for a credit card, but was undecided which card suited his needs the most. He had some cards before, but he felt he was paying too much interest for those cards. He finally decided to cancel all his cards, and start afresh.

Shane came into house with the mail. His wife asked him what kind of mail they got. He tossed the mail on the couch and said, "A bunch of junk mail!"

Shane's wife looked through the mail, and said, "You are pre-approved for these credit cards!"

"I know, but I can't decide which is the best for me!" Shane replied without much enthusiasm.

"It'll be nice to be able to use a credit card once in a while, instead of having to write checks, and draw cash all the time! remarked Shane's wife.

"I just need to look over all my options. Wish I can do that all at once!" said Shane.

"Why don't you do that on line? I'm sure there's a site that offers you that option!" Shane's wife suggested.

That rang a bell in Shane's mind. Why didn't he think of that? He put the newspapers down, and walked over to the computer. He did a web search and found this amazing site which allowed one to find and compare different credit cards "side-by-side". It also included on line Credit Card Applications. Shane was able to "study" all the different cards, their features, and their interest rates. The site even gave advice on how to choose the right credit card for oneself.

Shane was so excited that he asked his wife to look at the site together with him. As they browsed the site, they talked, and discussed their needs and options. They finally decided on one particular card together.

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Smart Move to Blog for Money!

Bao-er walked into MacDonalds, and quickly picked out Shooby among the customers eating at the restaurant. Shooby was sitting in front of a laptop, her fingers flying furiously across the keyboard! Bao-er smiled and sat down opposite Shooby.

"Well, well, the popular blogger busy at work?" Bao-er laughed, as she teased Shooby.

Shooby looked up from her typing, and smiled at Bao-er, "Hey! Nothing wrong with blogging for money!"

"Of course! It's a smart hobby!" Bao-er agreed.

"Hey! Tell you about this new site, which lets companies advertise on blogs!" exclaimed Shooby excitedly!

She turned the screen of her laptop so that Bao-er could see the new site. Bao-er looked at the site, and said, "Hmm...looks like a cool site!" She added, "Has a cool name too!"

Shooby took a sip of her iced-green tea, and said, "You should get in on this blog-for-money business too! After all, you love writing !"

Bao-er stood up to join the line to order her food, and thought to herself, "Get paid for blogging...not a bad idea at all!"

Sarah's Crown of Glory

Sarah has beautiful, long, blond hair! When she was little, her mom had a lot of fun doing her hair up in different styles. One day, she would be in pony tails with pretty bows to match. The next day, she would have curls in her hair, and a fancy headband to hold her bangs back! Her friends at school all loved to admire her hair and accessories!

Now, Sarah is a young woman. She's single, and has a job at the marketing department of a big firm. She has to meet with clients all the time. She also has to make many advertising presentations. Sarah always makes sure her hair is done nicely, and professionally when she's at work. She has several headbands, and pony holders to hold her hair back, so that she looks alert, fresh, and professional. Dressing appropriately is important in her line of work.

During the weekend, Sarah has fun with her friends and family. She loses her professional look, and opts for a fun look. She has a fine collection of Fancy clips, Headbends, Cotton Hats of all kinds of designs, other hats to match different seasons, Clamps, and Pony Holders! Sarah gets all her hair accessories from a neat site on the net. She just loves shopping there. Her hair accessories have captured quite a few admirers. Sarah has also introduced many of her friends to the site!

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A Precious Gift

Barbara was sitting in her rocking chair knitting. She was knitting a cute pink sweater for her granddaughter. Her face lighted up into a smile as she thought about her sweet Libby. She looked so much like her daughter Karen, when she was a baby. She was very excited when Karen told her she was pregnant. However, she could not have imagined the joy she would feel when Karen handed her the little bundle to hold at the hospital! She simply sobbed with joy when she beheld Libby's face!

Barbara wished Karen's family did not live so far away. She wanted to see Libby more often! However, she decided she could knit something for Libby, and recall her chubby face, cute smiles, and gurgling laughter while she knitted.

The door bell rang! Barbara was about to get up when her husband, Rob, waved her to sit back down, and went to the door. It was the mail man! Barbara went back to her knitting. Rob was exchanging pleasantries with the mail man. Then, Barbara heard Rob close the door. He came in and stood before Barbara, a smile on his face. He was holding a package in his hand. Karen could see the silent excitement on Rob's face.

She asked, "Who is it from?"

Rob handed her the package, "Karen!"

Barbara felt excited too. She said, "Why don't you open it?"

"I thought you would like to do it!" Rob smiled and answered.

Barbara put her knitting down, and reached out for the package. She loved Rob for being so sweet.

She tore open the brown paper, and ripped the box open. It was a picture frame, with no picture in it! She passed the picture frame to Rob, and read the note from Karen that accompanied the frame.

"It's a digital photo frame!" Barbara exclaimed excitedly.

Rob immediately knew what to do. He was a technical guy. He loved messing with electronic gadgets! Soon, Barbara and Rob were staring at the digital frame, looking at pictures and video clips of Libby! They laughed, cried (Barbara), and oohed, and aahed, as they saw Libby doing different things, like chewing on her own toes, being bathed, asleep in Karen's arms...

When Barbara could finally tear her eyes away from the amazing digital picture frame, she took up the phone and called Karen. She told Karen what a precious gift she had given her and Rob.

Watchaholic Paradise

Sharon loves shopping - just like most girls! She loves purses, shoes, and watches especially. She has such a collection of watches she can wear a different watch every day of the month! Her friends call her a watchaholic. She does not mind being called that because she simply adores watches.

Recently, Sharon has turned to online shopping too! She has acquired some unique items, at very reasonable prices! She's at her computer again, and has just found this online shopping paradise for watches. This site sells all kinds of brand name watches, like Casio Watches, G-Shock, Baby-G, Seiko, and Timex watches! Sharon does not only like collecting watches herself, she also likes to give them away as presents to her friends on their birthdays. In this way, she can feed her love for shopping, and at the same time, making her friends happy with her wonderful gifts!

New Challenge in A New Country!

Jack just arrived in Singapore the night before. He felt pretty good, after a day of rest. Flying for 24 hours was no joke! He arrived at the hotel dead tired. He had been to Singapore a number of times on business trips. This time, he would get to stay for at least 2 years. He knew his wife and kids would like Singapore. They would get to enjoy summer weather all year long!

Jack was sent by the parent company in the States, to set up and head the advertising department of a new company here. His company was expanding globally. At the same time the company was being set up in Singapore, there was another being built in Shanghai, China. He was kind of glad he got the job in Singapore. His family would find it easier to live here just because of the main language spoken here - English!

Jack arrived at his new company housed in a new building. He breathed in the new smell of a new building, and felt his adrenaline pumping. He was ready to tackle anything. He stepped into the new office, and was welcomed by his new colleagues and new boss. Some would feel lost being in a new country with the task of having to build up new contacts. Not Jack! He turned on his laptop, and started working. He went to this site, masterseek - a global search engine that provided free and quick access to company profiles, contact information, and descriptions of products and services from companies all over the world, and started his search for new contacts! Jack was confident he would be able to build a fantastic advertising team!

Taking Mortgage by The Horns

John and Mary just got married. Both were working. They felt they were ready to settle down, and get a house! However, John felt a little nervous about the whole thing. Mary really wanted to move out of the apartment. She wanted to have a house before they took their next step - have a baby. She felt it was time to start looking. John did too, but felt a little helpless when he came face to face with the word - MORTGAGE - which he knew came with buying a house!

John knew he had to be an adult, and face the mortgage head on. His lack of knowledge was probably what contributed to his fear. So, he sprang into action, and decided to find out more about buying a house, and of course, mortgage! He went to the closest and richest source of information - the Internet, and discovered this informative mortgage site. John read through an article about must-know tips for first time home buyers. He also read through a list of articles about mortgage. The articles had very clear headings. John chose stuff he was interested in to read, and skip over stuff in which he had no interest. He began to understand mortgage a little better, and not to fear the word so much. On this site, he also found some light-hearted articles about moving, house-building gone wrong, and a secret lawn tonic recipe! He also shared with Mary an article about how to stay relaxed during a big move! John felt ready to buy a house.

John felt he knew a lot more about buying a house, and mortgages now. He was still nervous, but not fearful any more!



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Rock Star Reality Shows

I am no rock singer, and do not actually enjoy loud music. Whenever rock is mentioned, the image of long-haired, tight-jeans-clad singers appear in my mind, smashing their guitars, and shaking their heads uncontrollably! Therefore, It surprised me when I was glued to the TV week after week when Rock Star Inxs made its debut! I even had my favorite singers, and would sweat in suspense, when their turn to face the judges came. My favorite was not JD. In fact, he was my least favorite! That shows how much I know about rock music! Anyway, the high level of competition was what actually impressed me.

When Rock Star Supernova came on, I was a loyal fan of the show. I did not necessarily enjoy Tommy Lee's talk about the female singers' body shapes, or dressing, but I did have my favorite performer, once again. However, I did not like the nude dares the singers made to one another. There was also a lot of ugly drama which unfolded among the singers, one involving my favorite singer! It was almost enough to turn me away from the show! I stayed on, to again, see my least favorite singer being crowned winner of the competition! Guess I'm still not much of a judge of rock music!

More about Blogging

Shooby was writing some articles on the computer when she came upon this site, blogging for money. It gave advice, and a lot of information about blogging to bloggers. It had various posts from "seasoned" bloggers who shared their experience and tips on blogging. Shooby read a post which included a link to an article about how to maintain one's blog audience. Shooby was interested to find out how some of her bloggers were doing, the problems they encountered, and the "highs" they experienced in their blogging career. She sent the link to the site to various of her friends, hoping they would benefit from this site too!

New Wave Crashing on the Scene!

Bao-er waved to Shooby. They had arranged to have lunch at their favorite place - Macdonalds! Shooby put her laptop down, and went to order her food. Bao-er sipped her iced green tea while waiting for Shooby to get her food.

Shooby got her food, and sat down hurriedly. She had been earning quite a bit of extra cash from her writings! She was excited as she bit into her cheeseburger, and trying to turn her laptop on at the same time.

"Slow down, Shooby!" Bao-er laughed as she helped herself to some fries.

"Can't! I'm just too excited about finding this new site called Bloggerwave!"

"A new site? That's a cool name!" Bao-er answered.

"A blogger riding on a wave on a surfboard made of writings!" Shooby's imagination was always alive.

"Or the site that will create waves in the blogging world!" Bao-er gave herself up to the art of imagining too.

The site appeared on Shooby's laptop, and both girls perused the website with great interest.

"You know what that means, Bao-er?" asked Shooby.

Bao-er laughed, "More writing, more cash, and more new books for you?"

"Bingo!" Shooby joined in the laughter.

A Gleam of Hope

Tami sat in the laundry room. She stared at the packet of white stuff she held in her hand. She had just found it in one of Harry's jeans pockets. She was shocked into a daze. She could guess what the packet of substance was, but she struggled to deny it. Tears welled up in her eyes. She began to see pieces of the puzzle coming together. Her son's slipping grades, his constant fatigue, and his loss of interest in everything. He had been shutting himself in his room very often these days, and Tami had always convinced herself he was buried in his studies, trying to pull up those grades!

Tami's husband had passed away a year ago. Harry, being the eldest in the family of 4 kids, had stepped up financially, and took up part-time jobs, while still trying to graduate from high school. Tami was very grateful to Harry, and comforted by his "maturity". At first, Tami attributed Harry's dropping grades to his hectic school, and working schedule. Now, Tami knew there was more than met the eye. She blamed herself for Harry's folly! She did not know what to do, or how to confront Harry. She wished her husband were still alive!

'Entertainment Tonight' was on TV. Tami was ironing some clothes. She was not really paying attention to the TV. Her mind was some place else. Britney Spears appeared on the screen. Her head was shaved, and she was checking herself into a drug/ alcohol rehabilitation center. Tami paid closer attention! Her mind was made up! She was going to talk to Harry!

Harry came home from work. It was past midnight. He delivered pizzas. He pulled his tired body across the living room. The light suddenly came on! Harry saw Tami sitting on the couch, her face pale, and sad. Harry walked over, and sat on the couch beside his mother. Tami held her hand out, revealing the packet of white powder she had been clutching in a fist. Harry gasped! A number of different emotions took hold of him! He was scared! He wanted to cook up some story to pacify his mom. He was angry! So what if he took a little drugs, he was under so much stress, helping the family get through life without Daddy! He was devastated that he had broken his mother's heart, and let his late father down! All these emotions overwhelmed him all at once. He finally collapsed into such heavy sobbing that his whole body shook. He could not stop himself. He missed his father. He felt very, very tired, physically! He felt exhausted emotionally for putting up a strong front, when he was aching so much inside. Tami felt her own mixed emotions rising to meet Harry's. She stretched her arms out, and hugged her baby, as both gave way to tears of sorrow, pain, and fatigue!

Tami and Harry sobbed for a long, long time. Strangely enough, they felt better, after they could finally stop crying. Tami told Harry, "You need to get some help!"

Harry nodded his head. Then he looked up with a worried expression, "I can't let you shoulder the burden alone, Mom!"

Tami shook her head, "You are no use to the family in this condition," she continued, "We will work something out!"

That night, Harry went to bed, but Tami did not. She stayed at the computer, checking on aDrug Rehabilitation Referral Service site. The site not only could help Tami find a rehab facility for Harry, it also gave Tami a lot of information about drug addiction, the recovery, and aftercare support available. Armed with all the information, Tami felt more confident about being the parent she needed to be, and let Harry be the child he needed to be - for the time being.


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Emma's Rug

A book written, and illustrated by Allen Say. When Emma was a baby, she had a rug by her crib. She loved the rug when she was bigger. She would carry it around with her wherever she went. When she got even bigger, she just stared at it for long periods of time.

As Emma grew even bigger, she began to draw and paint. She painted things that surprised her parents. They did not know where she had seen the objects she painted. Then her pictures were sent to competitions, and she was winning all kinds of trophies, and medals.

However, one day, her mom took her rug and washed it. When Emma knew what her mom did, she was furious. She began to lose interest in drawing. She threw all her paintings, and stuff related to painting away! Then, she found her imagination was still alive even though the rug had been washed. Her inspiration lived on, without her rug! She resumed painting.

Like a lot of things - memories, faith...Emma thought her inspiration was washed away because the rug was washed. Her inspiration might have started with the rug, but she did not realise her inspiration lived in her, and not in a tangible thing like the rug. Very often, we think we need pictures to preserve our memory of our loved ones, but soon we realise we are able to relive our memories in our minds, without the help of pictures.

Multivitamin Equals Multi-protection?

Shelby feels tired all the time. She thinks she leads a pretty healthy lifestyle, but she does not understand why she still lacks energy most of the time. She does not think she has a demanding job. She works at a day care center. She has started to take vitamins when she finds that she gets sick whenever one of the kids in the group she is taking care of, comes to the day care sick. She seems to pick up whatever the sick child has. Shelby is sick of getting sick so often!

She wonders why Catherine, her colleague, does not seem to be affected by the sick kids with whom she comes into contact. She seems to be so vibrant, and full of energy all the time too! Shelby decides to ask her friend her secret. Catherine laughs, and says she has healthy genes! Or, Catherine says it may be due to this new multi-vitamin she has been trying. In fact, she shows Shelby this website, which explains about that kind of vitamin, called the 12-in-One MultiVitamin! Catherine tells Shelby she has signed up for a free-trial, and has been taking this vitamin regularly. She tells Shelby to sign up for a free-trial too, and see if the vitamin will work for her. Shelby decides to check out the website herself, and read more about this special multi-vitamin!

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Pathetic Parents

Went to this basketball game at the neighborhood high school one time. My husband worked for this high school, so naturally, we supported the home team. However, my husband was helping his friend, who happened to be one of the basketball coaches, working the clock, so I went to the game with my son. We were late, and I did not realise I was sitting on the visitor side of the spectator stand.

It was not a big deal, I thought. However, I regretted my "mistake" when I had to sit through the yelling from a "too" involved fan, or parent of the opposing team! He had a loud voice, and seemed to be in a rage throughout the whole game. I was afraid my two-year-old would never want to come to a basketball game any more, or worse, pick up bad yelling habits! This man was sitting right behind me. He yelled at our players a few times, and also at the referees when they called foul on the guys of the opposing team! His favorite yell was, "You are pathetic - all of you!" I could not help thinking to myself, "You are more pathetic, acting in such an immature way!" I was afraid his yelling would evoke some immature rage from our less mature high school fans! How pathetic that would be then!

Let's Go RV-ing!

Tim will be retiring from his work by the end spring. It is a long awaited retirement. Ruby had already retired from teaching for a couple of years now. She cannot wait for Tim to retire too, so that they can do some travelling together! They have worked hard a good part of their lives, putting three kids through college. It is time for them, now in their 60s, to have a little fun themselves!

Tim and Ruby love travelling. They have been talking, and dreaming about their retirement. They want to get an RV, and travel all over the States, visiting friends, and family, if they choose to, or just go wherever they feel like going. While they are counting down to Tim's retirement, they have been busy every weekend, RV-shopping. They have seen quite a few they like, but Tim is hesitant to get one so soon. He is expecting the prices to go down in the summer! Rudy thinks otherwise. She thinks prices would go up in the summer with the demand being higher. She has found this incredible website on the net which supports her view that for Recreational Vehicles, Spring is a good time to buy. Tim is finally convinced about beating the summer rush to secure him and his wife an RV.

They both get on this website regularly, and checks on the world's finest motorhomes available. If they see something they like, they go down to one of the Travelworld RV showrooms, and check it out for themselves. The staff at the showroom have been very helpful. Tim and Ruby get very good information from them. They are very committed to help the couple to get an RV which suits their needs. Tim and Ruby are pretty sure they will be able to drag an RV home very soon! They are looking forward to driving up the drive ways of their kids' houses, and surprising them in the summer. They are planning to pack their bags and get on the road once the summer begins. It makes the couple smile to think that they will be well on the road, while others are still scrambling to get an RV then!

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Allison

Think I'm enjoying reading books from the library to my toddler, more than he is, listening to them! Anyway, this book is also written, and illustrated by Allen Say.

One day, Allison received a package from her grandmother. It was a kimono, just like the one her doll was wearing. Allison's mother helped her put on the kimono. She stood in front of the mirror with her doll. She noticed that her doll's hair looked like hers, dark, and straight. Then she looked at her father and mother looking over her shoulders. She wondered why she did not look like them!

She became very moody. Her parents were worried and asked her if she was sick. Allison began to question them where her doll came from. She then learned that she, like the doll, came from a far, far away country. Allison asked her father and mother, if her daddy and mother had abandoned her. Allison was moody, and sad for the next few days. When she was in day care, she asked her friends if they looked like their fathers, and mothers. What she heard made her even madder, and sadder. She went home and destroyed things treasured by her father and mother! She also yelled at them.

Later, she found a stray cat outside her house, and took pity on it, because it did not have a mommy. The kitty made Allison forget a little about her misery. She asked her father and mother if she could keep it, because it did not have parents. Her father and mother agreed, and Allison was grateful. She also apologised for her behavior. She was happy the cat could be part of the family, just as she was.

A very touching story that paints a very real picture of the challenges faced by families which adopt. Couples who, out of the goodness of their hearts, try to make an unwanted child's life better, may end up suffering a lot of hurt when the child discovers his/ her history, and directs the anger at the adoptive parents. It takes a lot of love, and courage to adopt.

Vikram's Search

Vickram had been working in Houston, Texas, for a couple of years now. He liked it pretty well here. He worked as an engineer in NASA. He was very busy with work the first year he was here. However, he had got used to the pace now, and found himself spending some lonely hours by himself. He felt something lacking in his life. He did make some American friends, but he missed someone who could connect him with his homeland - India.

If he were at home, his parents would be busy arranging match-making sessions for him. It was time for him to have a family. However, the opportunity to work in the States was something he felt he could not pass up. He was not against match-making. His parents got married through match-making. Their parents knew one another. They were from decent families. His parents did it a little different from the older generation of match-made couples though. After they were introduced, they went on dates, before they got married. Vikram's grandparents though, met each other on the day they got married! Vikram was a little amazed at that. He did not think he could do that, not getting to know his wife before marrying her. However, he belonged to a different generation!

He was at home one day when he found this Marriage and Matrimonials site on the net. He was a little nervous about signing up at first, but as he saw more of the site, his interest was aroused. He could meet girls from his beloved India, and some of them living right here in Houston! It was match-making in a modern world! In this case, however, he could chat with a few girls at the same time - for free! He could get to know them some what, and then decide if he wanted to meet them to know them better. Vikram's lonely days were over! His search had just begun!

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The Bracelet

This yet another book I borrowed from the library to read to my toddler. It is written by Yoshiko Uchida, and illustrated by Joanna Yardley. Again, my toddler probably does not understand all the content of the book, but when he gets older, he will.

Emi, her mother, and sister, were getting ready to leave their house, and be sent to a prison camp. The only wrong thing they had done was something they could not help - being Japanese-American. Her dad was already separated from them, and was sent to another prisoner-of-war camp.

While they were packing, Emi's best friend, Laurie Madison, called on her. They went to second grade together. Laurie looked as sad as Emi. She passsed Emi a bracelet. Emi put it on, and promised not to take it off.

The apartment at the prison camp assigned to Emi's family was actually a dirty horse stall. When they had set up their army cots, Emi discovered to her horror, that she had lost her bracelet. Emi's mom went with her to look for it. They could not find it. Emi was devastated to lose the only thing by which she could remember her friend!

The next day, Emi found her favorite red sweater, and suddenly recalled her first day of school. That day, both she and Laurie had worn matching sweaters. She also remembered what they did together after school. Emi realised the memory of her friend, her house, and her dad, lived inside her head. She did not need the bracelet to help her remember her best friend!

This story demonstrates the power and value of our memories. We do not need tangible things to remember friends, dear ones, events, or places. Nobody can rob us of our memories. We should treasure time spent with friends, or loved ones, because what we do together, will become our memories of the future, which will be especially precious, when parting occurs.

Ebony Is Beautiful

"Tasha! Tasha!" Tunisha burst into the room, shouting excitedly! Tasha looked up from her book, and laughed as she watched her friend trying to catch her breath. Tunisha was always so excitable. She was a lot of fun though. Tunisha took a sip of water from Tasha's glass, and lay sprawled on the couch.

Tasha stared at her friend, and asked, "What?" Tunisha threw a stack of printed papers at her. Tasha picked them up and took a glance. She saw several pictures of black guys, and an introduction beside each picture. She gave her friend a quizzical look. Hey eyes went back to the papers, and she found her interest aroused. After she went through the stack, Tunisha asked, "What do you think?"

"Where did you find all these people?" asked Tasha.

"From this website," answered Tunisha. She continued, "It's a dating site for Black Personals, like you and me!"

"How much do you have to pay to be part of this scene?" Tasha asked warily.

"You can join it for free!" Tunisha said with a grin.

Both girls then scrambled to the computer, and went on to find out more about the dating site on the net. Tasha smiled as she remembered her grandmother's words, "Ebony is beautiful.".


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Grandfather's Journey

This is another book written, and illustrated by Allen Say. In 'Tea with Milk', Allen Say wrote mostly about his mom, May. In this book, he wrote lovingly about his grandfather. His grandfather, May's dad, left Japan to explore North America when he was a young man. He had a lot of fun, saw a lot of places, and buildings which amazed him.

He took a break from his travels, and returned to Japan. There, he and his childhood sweetheart got married. Grandfather took his bride to live in San Francisco. In 'Tea with Milk', we read that he took his whole family back to Japan, when his daughter, May, was ready for college. He was happy to be among the things he grew up with, and his old friends.

Allen Say came along when Grandfather's daughter, May, got married. He had a good relationship with his grandfather. Grandfather told Allen Say many stories about the California he had left behind. He began to miss his other "home". He missed it so much he planned to visit it again. However, the war forced Grandfather to put his plans on hold. He died without fulfilling his wish.

When Allen Say was "nearly grown", he left Japan to see California for himself. He stayed on, and built his family there. Like his grandfather, he began to miss Japan. However, he was more fortunate than his grandfather because he returned to Japan now and then, to see his old friends, and places with which he grew up. He wrote, "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." Allen Say then understood his grandfather's mixed feelings.

Allen Say's mom had managed to bridge the two cultures she had "adopted", by marrying a husband with a similar background as her. She was able to practice mixed "traditions" at home. 'Tea with Milk" did not talk about May missing California. However, she might have. As the saying goes, the pasture is always greener on the other side. Allen Say had perhaps, found a way to have the best of both worlds. He lived in California, but was able to make frequent trips back to Japan. This may explain why so many immigrants like to form, or join a community of their race in a foreign country. They are trying to create a home away from home!

Stone Hawk Offers a New Lease of Life

Beng felt his head throbbing. He had too much to drink. He should not have taken the last drink! His car screeched to a stop at the traffic lights! He should not be driving, but he had driven a couple of times in this state, and had never been stopped by a police. Beng did not think he was drunk. However, he was not sure there was not something else in his drink, which was causing him to feel a little "too high"! The light turned green. Beng pressed hard on his accelerator! He shot forward! He felt charged, like a race-car driver. The loud music playing in his car pumped his adrenaline up!

Another stop light! It was ember! Beng was sure he could beat it! It turned red, but Beng's car was going too fast! He could not stop! What was that in front of him? A person? A box? Beng's vision was blurred! He thought he was stepping on the brake, but instead of stopping, his car was zooming forward! He swerved hard, to avoid hitting whatever was on the road! He crashed into a ditch! He passed out!

Beng woke up. He opened his eyes. His mom's face came into view. The lines on her face seemed deepened, due to worry, and lack of sleep. A tear fell from her eyes, as she saw her son reviving. At that moment, Beng not only felt his body aching from his injuries, his heart felt a sharp, seering pain! "Sorry," escaped from his dry, and cracked lips. Beng's mom stretched out her hands, and held his in a tight grip, her face breaking into a smile of relief.

Beng sat near the water, his head bent, writing in a journal. He had been at the Stone Hawk Rehabilitation Center for two months now. He checked himself into the center for alcoholism treatment. The tranquil environment at the center helped Beng feel relaxed, and full of hope for his future. The counselors at the center did not treat Beng like a criminal, but a student, and friend who had messed up, and worthy of being helped. Away from his drinking friends, and the noise and excitement of pubs, and parties, Beng realised his folly! He could not believe he nearly ended his life, and perhaps some one else's too, because of his foolishness!

Initially, Beng was a little nervous about his ability to live a clean life away from the center, even though he had been taught the skills to do so. However, he was told that there were aftercare services available, to make sure he had support even after he "graduated" from the center. Beng smiled, as he closed his journal. He felt he was given a second chance to live. He was going to live it very differently. That was the silent promise he made!


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Country Music

Bao-er laughed as Shooby shared her views about country music with her. Shooby was singing parts of one country song to her, "There's a tear in my beer, I'm crying for you dear...". Bao-er cracked up, and was afraid the rest of the crowd at MacDonalds might think she was crazy! Shooby sang the few lines in a nasal voice, making it even funnier.

When Bao-er was little, she loved singing. She sang mostly Chinese songs, because her brother only listened to those. He bought a lot of records. Bao-er and her sisters would sing along while the records were playing. She did not know then, that one popular singer her brother used to like, sang a lot of songs translated from American country music. She told Shooby she knew some country songs, and sang them to Shooby in Chinese. It was Shooby's turn to crack up!

The lyrics of most country songs might be a little strange, and full of self-pity, beer, or even jail! However, Bao-er thought country music was unique in its own way. When she was in a certain mood, she would only listen to country music.

I Love Shrimp!

S auteed shrimp, broiled shrimp, fried shrimp, any kind of shrimp,
H ot and spicy shrimp, garlicky shrimp, coconut shrimp, creamy shrimp,
R ub my hands in glee when I see shrimp,
I mpossible not to like shrimp,
M om's shrimp is the best home-cooked shrimp,
P lease let me have more, and more shrimp!


Don't know when I started to like shrimp. When I was little, we could not afford to have shrimp. I probably did not taste shrimp till I was older, and able to eat it without gagging! We were not as poor as we used to be then, and we had shrimp on special occasions, like Chinese New Year.

My mom cooks the spiciest, and most delicious shrimp! Since I have moved away from home, I only get to go home during the summer - after about 24 hours of plane ride. My mom cooks shrimp almost every other meal I am home. Her shrimp are always jumbo-sized too! I have to make sure I get her Shrimp Recipes, the next time I am home.

Grilled shrimp is my favorite when I eat out. I like popcorn shrimp too! I don't know why I like shrimp. Perhaps, it is the Shrimp's texture, when it is fresh, and cooked right. It is sweet on its own, but when it has absorbed whatever spices it has been cooked in - ooh!!! Indescribably delicious! I cannot imagine anyone who does not like shrimp. I know some people who choose not to eat shrimp because they are too lazy to peel the shell. When I invite guests over for a shrimp dish, I usually peel the shell, but leave the tails. When I am home, and when we have steam-boat, the shrimp shell sweetens the soup. We usually boil the shrimp whole, peel the shell when it is cooked, and dip it in hot sauce!

Are We There Yet, Daddy?

This is another book I borrowed from the library to read to my toddler son. It is written by Virginia Walters, and illustrated by S.D.Schindler. I found myself laughing as I read to him. My toddler is too young to be asking this question, "Are we there yet, Daddy?", when we go on long car-trips, but his body language, and his whining "speaks" the question!

One of the long car-trips we took was to Kyle, San Marcos. We were fleeing Hurricane Rita! I remembered my son whining almost the whole trip there, and also threw up, when we were halfway to our destination. Even I was asking the question, "Are we there, yet, Daddy?" myself then. He threw up all over himself, and his car-seat. We had to stop at a convenience store, and clean him up, and let him stretch a little. Fortunately, we started evacuating early enough, so we were not stuck in the long, and tedious jam. We did reach Kyle late, but nothing compared to the time some other evacuees took, to reach their "shelters".

I'm sure when my son gets older, he'll be able to ask the question, "Are we there yet, Daddy?". I hope my husband will be as patient as the Daddy in the book, and put up with it. I think I have become more tolerant of long car-trips, since my son's birth. His comfort becomes my main concern now, and hey! My husband can only take one whiner at a time!

Blinds to the Rescue

The sun woke Mary up. She could feel it warming her skin through her blanket. She stared into the sun streaming in through her window. She just moved into her apartment yesterday. Her very first apartment away from home! She also paid for it herself!

Mary had not done any furnishing yet. Most of her things were still in boxes. However, she did not want the sun waking her up every morning. She would have to see about hanging something on the windows to block out the sun really soon. It was Saturday, so she did not have to report for work. She slowly crawled out of bed, and looked out the window. She loved her new apartment! She loved her new life!

The door bell rang! Who could it be, so early in the morning? Mary wondered. She checked herself in the mirror as she passed by the bathroom. She did not look too good, but she did not care. If this person felt it was all right to make such an early call, she or he did not deserve a gorgeous looking her! "Mary! It's me, your big sister!" Her sister's voice penetrated the door.

She opened the door excitedly! It was her sister, Florence! She had heard about Mary's new apartment, and had come to help her little sister unpack, and do up her new home. The sisters were glad to see each other. Florence had an eye for colors. She could help Mary furnish the place.

Mary told Florence about the windows in her bedroom. Florence took one look at her windows, and shouted excitedly, "Blinds! You should get some blinds!" She continued, "I found some lovely, and not very expensive ones from this website for my house, and I love them!" Florence then turned on Mary's computer, and showed her the website she was talking about. Mary and Florence viewed all the different kinds of blinds offered by Terry's Fabrics, and were having fun picking out the ones that suited Mary's taste, and complemented her bedroom colors. Mary was surprised how affordable the blinds were, and what a great variety was available. She was happy she would not have to be awakened by the blinding glare of the sun soon! Life was good!


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Tea with Milk

Borrowed this book from the library to read to my 2-year-old. It was in the children's section. The book has pages full of words on one side, and illustration on pages across (like most books for toddlers). I don't think my toddler understood all of the content, but he seemed to like it all right. An older kid closer to the teen years may understand the content better.

The book is written by Allen Say, and illustrated by him too. It is a story about his parents. His mother was a Japanese girl born in San Francisco. She grew up in America, and did mostly American things. However, she ate Japanese food at home, and American food at her friends' places. When she graduated from high school, her parents were home-sick, and wanted to go back to Japan.

May, or Masako, did not like life in Japan at all. She felt like a foreigner. Her parents arranged a marriage for her, which she resented. She fled to Osaka, another city. Osaka reminded her of San Francisco. She found a job in a department store there, and decided to tell her parents she was going to live on her own. At first, she did not like her job as an elevator girl. Later, her ability to speak English got her a job as the store's guide for foreign businessmen. She felt more useful then. Her new job also gave her a chance to meet her future husband. Her husband's foster parents were English, so he shared a little common ground with May.

Her husband, Joseph, told her this, "May, home isn't a place or a building that's ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else." They decided to make a home together in Japan. The couple passed on their "tradition" of drinking tea with milk to their son.

The story highlights the dilemma felt by someone who grows up in one culture, being transported to another culture, and expected to embrace that culture. However, the story also shows embracing a culture foreign to oneself, does not mean giving up the culture we grow up with. We just have to learn to embrace the new, while practising the old - like May.

Leon's Talent Revealed

Leon loved music. He taught himself to play the guitar when he was in high school. It was not easy, but his enthusiasm helped him to persevere. He watched "Rock Stars Supernova" on TV when he was in college, and was inspired by the singers/ musicians who were in the competition. They were so talented! Leon had dabbled in a little song-writing, and his friends had been impressed with his creation.

One day, he received an e-mail from his friend. He told Leon about a website for New-Wave Artists. Leon was excited, and could not wait to check it out. He found on this site a host of talented musicians, who got to show-case their music talent to a wide spectrum of audience. Some of these artists even had a steady following of fans!

Leon could not wait to share this piece of good news with his friends with whom he used to jam with, on a regular basis. He started to record some of his own original songs, and put them on this website. He was surprised by the overwhelming response he got. He was beginning to attract a faithful group of fans, who enjoyed his music. Leon's friends were encouraged by his success, and were planning to get in on this site.



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Bao-er Attempts to Snow-board

It was freezing! Bao-er thought she loved snow, and would exchange the scorching summer heat she was so used to all her life, for snow! However, as she stood in the snow on her unsteady snow-board, she was not so sure she liked snow that much! She had been taking snow-boarding lessons for the last couple of hours. She did not do too good. The young kids in her "class" seemed to soak in the instructions like sponges! Bao-er felt awkward on her snow-board, and wished she could take it off soon!

However, she did not want to give up so easily. She paid for those lessons! Her friends, who were seasoned skiers, and snow-boarders, would not want to waste a day of good skiing. In fact, they were flying down the more difficult slopes, while Bao-er was struggling to get up the bunny-slope. This was her fifth try to hang on to the lift (kind of a pulley, rather), and get up to the top of the bunny-slope without falling. It was so embarrassing to go a little up the slope, and then crumbled in a heap as her snow-board slipped "out of place"! Bao-er had to let go of the handle, and start all over again, at the foot of the slope, at the back of the line.

Tired of the sympathetic looks from the other people waiting in line, Bao-er decided to walk up the slope, then put the snow-board on. She did that a number of times, and cautiously snow-boarded down the slope. She was beginning to enjoy herself. She thought if she went really slow, she could actually save herself a few falls. She felt ready to go on the green slope. The ski lift that took her up the green slope was the "normal" lift - one she could sit on. She did not fall off that lift - thankfully. However, when she got off the ski-lift, she fell again. She quickly scrambled out of the way, to avoid being hit by the next lift carrying other skiers! She stood up unsteadily on her snow-board, and looked around. The scenery took her breath away! She was happy she persevered long enough to be able to get up there!

A Solution to Sean's Problem

Sean was sitting on the couch, his feet on the coffee table, his face sullen. His room-mate, Danny, walked in. He took a look at Sean's face, and felt irritated. Sean was always feeling sorry for himself because he felt like a miserable outcast. Danny understood Sean's fear of "growing up", and being in the "real" world of "real" women. He stuttered in the presence of the opposite sex. He would start to sweat, and say something inappropriate. Danny had tried to include him in his social outings, but Sean always made a fool of himself.

The only place Sean was comfortable meeting the ladies, was at home. The ladies were his mom, and sisters. He was kind of a computer geek, and spent hours in front of the computer. Suddenly, Danny remembered something! He slapped Sean on the back, and cried, "Old Chap! I've got the perfect place for you to meet girls!" He pushed and shoved Sean in front of the computer, and clicked on a website offering dating services. Sean protested, "I don't have money to pay for this!" Then the word "free" flashed across the screen. Sean's interest was aroused! He was not shy about talking to girls on the net! In fact, he could be pretty sleek!

Sean talked to many girls on this free website over the following weeks. He finally was comfortable to meet one of the girls outside the net, and he did not make a fool of himself! Having chatted with her over the net the last few weeks made him feel like he already knew her. He was surprised how comfortable he felt with her - even in person!



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Dare to Dream (2)

She entered the dance studio. Her instructor walked towards her, and pushed a tall guy in front of him. Except for his height, she would not notice him in a crowd. The instructor introduced him as her potential dance partner, for the competition in which he wanted her to try get her feet wet. She felt a little disappointed, but was careful not to let it show. She was expecting a suave, James Bond lookalike, who would sweep her off her feet across the dance floor!

The dance instructor had choreographed a dance specially for her and her dance partner. She had been practising on her own for several months now. At the mean time, the instructor was busy searching among his students, for a suitable dance partner for her. It was not easy to look for a dance partner to match her in height, for she was pretty tall for a girl. The instructor partnered her, and showed her dance-partner the whole dance. He was quiet, and paid attention to every pointer the instructor gave.

She was a little excited! Today, she was going to practice with her dance-partner for the first time! Her instructor turned on the music, and she and her partner took their positions. She shivered as he took her in his arms! She did not expect such strong arms! When he started moving, she thought she would faint! What power! What passion! What nifty foot work! He was a fantastic dancer! His plain looks disappeared! To her, he was James Bond! She felt her own passion rising! She lived for that dance! She flew across the dance floor, light as a swan! Their eyes locked, as the music ended. She rested in his arms, her heart beating like crazy! Applause woke her up! "Perfect!" her instructor's voice rang out. She thought so too.

Review on Hifidel's Travelling Blog

I visit this website regularly because Hifidel seems to have visited a lot of places I have visited, and also a lot I have never visited. Reading her posts brings back memories of trips I have taken myself. Her posts about China are the most interesting to me. She seems to be a seasoned travellor there. I have picked up valuable tips from her posts!

Apart from being a seasoned travellor to China, Hifidel also seems to have globe-trotted a lot! Her descriptions of sceneries are vivid, and lively! Having lived outside her place of birth, and in faraway places, with cultures totally different from what she's used to, makes her point of view refreshing, and the opposite of narrow. There are also interesting stories in her blog http://showintale-thejourneys.blogspot.com/, accumulated over her years of travelling, and living overseas. Of course, there are also book reviews on her blog, because Hifidel is an avid reader!

A good writer, an interesting story-teller, a well-travelled blogger - don't give this blog a miss!



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Dare to Dream

She looked into the mirror. She wished her legs, and shoulders, and neck - every part of her body could be more flexible! She had been taking ball-room dancing lessons, ever since she saw the first series of "Dancing with the stars" on TV. She thought if football players, and wrestling pros, could turn into dancing champions, it should not be too difficult to learn ball-room dancing!

However, she was discouraged when she attended the first lesson. Her body felt stiff. Her legs were awkward. She was not the elegant swan she thought she would be. The only comforting thought was that most of her dance-mates seemed to be struggling as much as she was. After the first lesson, her body was aching so much, she felt like she had run a marathon. She really did not feel like going back to the second lesson, but she had already paid for it.

She could not believe her instructor had praised her! She sat on the dance floor, perspiration sticking on to her face, and body. He actually said she was good enough to think about competing! In her heart, she thanked "Dancing with the stars" for putting this dream in her head, and for making her believe she could be an elegant swan some day! She persevered, and she had succeeded! A year of hard work had paid off finally!

Singlish Stories

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Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (5)

They passed the high school, and flew further on. Sometimes, Shea recognised where they were, sometimes he did not. He saw a few restaurants at which he thought he had eaten. He was very excited when he saw the ice-cream place he liked. He pointed it out to Ming Ming, and described to him all the flavors offered there.

"Do you like ice-cream?" Shea asked Ming Ming.

"I don't know. Never tasted it!" answered Ming Ming.

Shea could not believe anyone not having tried ice-cream, "What? You never ate ice-cream?"

"Well, I'm not like you, you know! I don't really have to eat!" explained Ming MIng.

"Don't have to eat? But you ARE alive, aren't you?" asked Ming Ming, his eyes opened wide.

"Yeah...I'm kind of alive, but different from you. I'm a fairy, you know!" Ming Ming answered, scratching his head, hoping Shea would not ask him any more questions.

"O.K.! Shea said, "When I'm bigger, I'll know!"

That was Shea's answer to everything these days. Whatever he could not do, or did not want to do, or could not figure out, he thought he would be able to do so when he was bigger! In his little heart though, he decided he would sneak some Bluebell ice-cream into the yard, and let Ming Ming "have a try" (in Shea's language) one day. Mommy always had some ice-cream in the freezer, and Daddy always said Bluebell ice-cream was the tastiest. So, Ming Ming would have some Bluebell ice-cream, and realise what he had been missing!

Suddenly, the wind became stronger. They flew faster! Shea could taste salt in the air! They were at the beach! He could see tiny surfers riding the waves. There were people on the beach too. The beach umbrellas looked like tiny mushrooms dotting the beach. Shea was afraid of the waves whenever Mommy and Daddy took him to the beach. He liked to build sand-castles on the beach, but did not like to go in the water. Daddy wished Shea would like the water better. He would like to teach him how to surf when he got a little bigger.

"Enough flying for the day?" asked Ming Ming.

Shea was beginning to miss Mommy a little, and said, "Ah-huh...I'm kind of hungry!"

"All right! Hang on tight!" Ming Ming yelled above the sound of the waves and wind.

The leaf carpet suddenly gained speed, and flew back towards the direction of Shea's house. It went so fast the scenery below was just a blur to Shea's little eyes! He felt a little dizzy, and shut his eyes. Then, he felt everything becoming still, and heard Ming Ming saying, "You can step off now!"

It took Shea a while to recognise where he was. He was not used to seeing his backyard from a bug's point of view. Ming Ming took out his feather, and puffed at Shea's face. Shea felt his body stretching, and suddenly, he was his usual size again!

"Run along now!" said Ming Ming.

"Will I see you tomorrow!" asked Shea anxiously.

"Sure! I'll be here!" Ming Ming answered.

Shea remembered his manners and muttered, "Thanks for the fun today!"

Ming Ming smiled, and waved him along.

Shea waved back, and turned towards the door.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (4)

"Sheng!!!!!!!!!!" a little voice came from behind, and Shea felt something hit him on the back! After the thing slammed against his back, it slid onto the ground. It was Ming Ming, who was flung from the squirrel, and landed against Shea's back.

Shea laughed as he saw Ming Ming sprawled on the ground at his feet!
"Are you hurt?" Shea asked.

Ming Ming rubbed one hand over his head, and groaned, "That squirrel! Could have given me a warning! It was going too fast!"

Shea stooped down, and picked Ming Ming up. He dusted the leaves and grass off the little fairy, and held him in the palm of his hand, and brought him close to his face.

"What are you looking at? Is my face dirty?" Ming Ming asked.

"No," said Shea.

"Well, are you ready for some fun?" Ming Ming asked.

"Yes! Yes!" Shea answered eagerly!

"First! We need to make you smaller!" Ming Ming muttered, and took out a feather from his pocket, and continued, "Ready?"

Shea nodded his head eagerly, wondering what Ming Ming was going to do.

Ming Ming put the feather close to Shea's face, and blew a puff of air.

Shea felt a strange sensation flow through his body, and then, felt himself shrinking! Suddenly, he was not holding Ming Ming any more, but was standing face to face with the little fairy on the ground. He had become as tiny as Ming Ming! Shea felt excited, but a little nervous about Mommy missing him. Ming Ming guessed Shea's thoughts, and said, "Don't worry! We would only be gone a few seconds - to your mom anyway!"

Shea did not understand exactly what Ming Ming meant, but trusted the little fairy to take care of everything. Ming Ming grabbed a leaf from the ground, which was as big as the rug in the living room, to the down-sized Shea, and stepped onto it. He motioned to Shea to do the same thing. Shea hopped onto the leaf, and heard Ming Ming saying, "Hold on tight!"

The leaf jerked, and floated upwards, and up, and up, like an airplane! Shea sat down and held onto the sides of the leaf, and looked down at his yard in amazement! His house was getting smaller, and smaller, as the leaf soared higher, and higher, and further from his house! Shea saw Ming Ming's pigtail blowing in the wind, and felt his own hair flying backwards.

"Where are we going?" shouted Shea.

"Around," shouted back Ming Ming, "you'll see!"

Shea looked down, and felt a little queasy. His neighbors' houses were so tiny. The cars on the roads looked like ants! He saw some familiar buildings. He could recognise the grocery store to which his mom and dad always took him. It looked different from way up there. They drifted further, and Shea got really excited as they flew near the high school in the neighborhood. Shea's daddy worked there. As they flew over the tennis courts at the high school, Shea asked Ming Ming, "May we go closer to the ground, please?"

"Just a little closer," agreed Ming Ming, "but remember, we can't let the grown-ups see us!"

Shea's dad was a tennis coach at the high school, and Shea wanted to see if Daddy was out on the courts.
The leaf floated lower, and Shea saw some kids playing tennis on the courts. There! There was his dad on the courts with his players! Shea could hardly contain himself, and wanted to yell out loud so much! However, he knew better, and just waved to his daddy, even though he knew Daddy would not see him.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (3)

"Shhh...don't let your mom see me!" Ming Ming put his finger to his lips, and hissed.

Shea stepped in front of Ming Ming, and called back to his mom, "Mommy! I'll come in soon!"

Ming Ming was so tiny Shea's mom would not have noticed him anyway. She closed the door, and left Shea in the backyard.

"You don't want Mommy to see you?" asked Shea curiously.

"Grown-ups are funny. They don't believe in fairies!" Ming Ming explained.

"All right! You want to come in with me?" Shea invited Ming Ming. He did not want to leave Ming Ming alone in the yard. He might be hungry.

"No, I'll be all right. You go ahead! I'll be here when you come out to play tomorrow!" promised Ming Ming.

Shea was still a little worried about Ming Ming, "Are you sure? What are you going to eat? Where are you going to sleep?"

Ming Ming laughed, "Remember! I'm a backyard fairy. I live in the backyard! I also don't get hungry like you!"

Shea still looked a little worried. Ming Ming gave Shea's foot a push, and said, "Go on! See you tomorrow!"

Finally, Shea turned to go into the house. Suddenly, he remembered something, and turned back to Ming Ming, "Beware of the big black cat! He comes into our yard sometimes, and chase the squirrels!"

Ming Ming nodded his head, and waved Shea on.

It was time for Shea to go to bed. Shea's dad helped him brush his teeth. Then Shea sat on his daddy's lap in the rocking chair, while dad read him his bedtime stories. Dad read him a story about Tom Thumb.
"Is Tom Thumb a fairy, Daddy? He's tiny!" Shea asked.

"I don't think he was a fairy! Why? What do you know about fairies?" Daddy was curious to know how Shea knew about fairies.

"Nothing!" Shea remembered how Ming Ming did not want Mommy to know about him.

Daddy said a prayer with Shea, and lay him down on his bed. That night, Shea dreamt about sailing a ship on the sea with Ming Ming, going to faraway places where strange people lived. When he woke up, he could not wait to go out in the backyard to see if Ming Ming was still there, or if it was all just a dream.

While he was eating breakfast, he kept craning his neck to look out the window, to see if he could spot Ming Ming. The window by the dining table looked into the backyard. He could see his playground set, the swing, and his sand box, but he did not see Ming Ming. Of course, Ming Ming was so tiny! It would be hard to see him from the window!

Suddenly, he saw a squirrel running on the fence. On the back of the squirrel sat something! Shea was sure it was Ming Ming! He got all excited, and half rose from his chair. Mommy saw it, and asked Shea if anything was the matter. Shea sat back down, and tried to contain his excitement. His eyes followed the squirrel, as it ran across one of the cable lines. Ming Ming was holding on to the neck of the squirrel, and seemed to be having fun.

Shea gobbled down the rest of his breakfast! Mommy was surprised he finished his food so fast. He used to take a long time to finish his meals! Shea got down from his chair, and could hardly wait while his mom helped him wash his hands and face. He was halfway to the door, when he remembered to turn around and asked, "Mom! May I go play in the backyard?"
Mom was surprised Shea would want to go outside so soon after his breakfast. He usually played with his cars in the living room, while watching his favorite cartoon on TV. However, Mom was happy he wanted to go outdoors. The weather was fine, and the yard was drying up from the rain too.

"Go ahead!" Mom said.

Shea raced to let himself out, and looked around for Ming Ming eagerly.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (2)

Little Shea's nose almost touched the puddle, as he put his face near the little creature, to take a better look at him. He was wearing a funny, pointy hat on his head. He had tiny, almond-shaped eyes, which kind of looked like Shea's Mommy's eyes! His nose was flat and broad! As Shea was examining the creature, it began to speak again.

"Hey! I said thank you! Are you deaf?" it shouted.

"Oh! You're welcome!" said Shea hurriedly, remembering his manners.

"I'm a backyard fairy from the East!" the little creature continued.

"From the East? What's the East?" Shea asked innocently, having no concept of countries, or directions yet.

"From China - where the people speak Chinese!" the creature explained.

"Oh! Is it far, far away?" asked Shea.

"Well, kind of near Singapore, where your mother's from," the creature tried to speak in ways Shea could understand.

"Oh! I've been to Shanghai. Is that in China?" Shea asked hopefully.

"Bingo! You did inherit some Chinese intelligence! Ha! Ha!" laughed the creature.

"Is that funny?" Shea did not catch the joke, but was happy when others were happy.

"Well...never mind!" the creature said, "By the way, my name's Ming Ming!"

"Ming Ming? My name's Shea!" Shea was glad the creature had a simple name.

"Shea...don't you have a Chinese name? Your mom's Chinese you know!" Ming Ming said with a frown on his face.

"I do have one! It's Sheng!" Shea's Mom made sure he knew his Chinese name, and repetition finally made the name stick in Shea's little brain.

"That'll work! I'll call you Sheng!" Ming Ming seemed satisfied.

"What are you doing in my backyard, Ming Ming?" Shea was curious to know.

Ming Ming took off his hat, revealing black hair done in a pigtail underneath, "I'm sent here to be your backyard pal!"

Shea's face lighted up, "You mean you're going to be my play-mate?"

"Pretty much! Or to keep you out of trouble!" Ming Ming smiled.

Shea could not contain his joy. He stood up, and jumped up and down with glee, causing water to splash all over Ming Ming!

"Watch it! Big guy!" Ming Ming scolded, drenched in puddle water Shea splashed on him.

"Shea! Time to wash up, and come in for supper!" Shea's mom popped her head out the backyard, and called.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (1)

Shea felt bored. It had been raining all morning. He wanted to go outdoors! He was not tall enough to look out the windows, so mom put a stool by one of the windows, and Shea had been standing on it, watching the rain pouring down in his backyard.

He was two years old, going on three in a couple of months. Thunder still scared him a little. He would scramble down the stool quickly, when he saw a flash of lightning, and buried his face in the pillows on the couch, till the thunder had subsided.

The rain finally stopped! Shea looked at the puddles in the backyard longingly.
"Mom! May I go out in the backyard and step on the puddles?" he asked.
"Only if you put on your galoshes!" Mom answered.
Shea ran to fetch his galoshes happily, and brought them to mom, who helped him put them on. It was still too hard for Shea to put his shoes on himself. Sometimes he would try, but sometimes when he was in a hurry, he preferred Mom to help him.

There were lots of puddles in the backyard. Shea loved the splashy sounds he made when he stomped on the puddles with his galoshes. Suddenly, his foot stopped in mid-stomp! He thought he heard a sound! However, he decided he might have imagined it. He was about to complete his stomp, when he heard the sound again! It sounded like a small voice. There it was again! Shea was not good at standing on one foot for too long. He moved his foot, and stood both feet in the grass, away from the puddle.
"Hey you! Thanks for moving that big foot!" the voice seemed to be saying.
Shea squatted down on the grass, and peered at the place in the puddle from where the voice seemed to be coming. There was a creature standing in the puddle, where Shea's foot would have been, if he had not moved it!

Shea's eyes nearly popped out of his little head! He saw a tiny person looking back at him! The little man was no bigger than Shea's thumb. Shea was afraid of bugs. He did not like mosquitoes because they bit, and left itchy welts on him. He did not like other bugs because they moved fast, and had many legs! When Shea saw the little man, his first instinct was to run. However, his curiosity overcame his fear, and he remained staring at the little creature.
"You! I say, thank you for sparing my life!" it spoke again.