Sien Stories

Little League Basketball

2012-01-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

We signed our 7-year-old up for Little League basketball. I thought it would be a good chance for him to learn a new sport, and have some fun. We bought him a basketball goal, and a basketball. My husband had some experience coaching high school basketball, so he gave my son a few tips before his try-out.

My son was nervous at the try-out, and kind of forgot everything his dad taught him. He didn't do well at the try-out, but we thought it wasn't a big deal. The coaches were supposed to pick the players for their teams at the try-outs. My son ended up in a team with no coaches! Someone finally volunteered to coach his team - a dad with two boys on the team. He had no experience in coaching basketball. My husband offered to help, but couldn't be there for every practice and game because of his own coaching schedule.

There were a few 8-year-olds on the team who had some basketball experience. However, most of the other kids, like my son, didn't know much about basketball. We were nervous about playing the first game! On game day, the two teams who played before us were fantastic! They were so good! I was shocked! However, a little insider news we heard explained everything. Some of the coaches told the good players they knew not to go for the try-outs. In that way, they could absorb them into their teams "naturally", ensuring they had a strong team with no "weak", inexperienced players. Of course, my son's first basketball game was disastrous! He was already intimidated watching the other teams play. On top of that, my husband couldn't make it for the first game, and so there was nobody who could coach their team. My son was like a lost sheep on the court!

Anyway, it's a pity that it's so competitive even at the Little League level! Can't a little guy learn to play a sport without the pressure of winning, or feeing like a loser in the first game?

Caillou

2012-01-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

If you have kids (especially boys) who are below 5 years old, you're probably very familiar with Caillou - the TV show on Sprout. There's just something about this show that holds the kids' attention. I don't know what it is, but my 7-year-old son loved it when he was little, and was at home to watch it. He still watches it with my 4-year-old when he doesn't have to go to school.

It's funny how some kid shows can hold the kids' attention more than others. Maybe the kids identify with Caillou - the bald-headed kid with a little sister called Rosie. He loves dinosaurs, cars, books, and has a great imagination. Guess he's just like any 3, or 4 year-olds! My 4-year-old liked Sesame Street when he was very little, but doesn't seem to care much for it now. My 7-year-old just turns his nose up when Sesame Street comes on now. Little could he remember he probably learned his ABCs and 123s from watching Elmo, Big Bird, Ernie, and the rest of the gang!

My 4-year-old does still like to play 'Ernie says_' though. Anyway, guess Caillou is one of the success stories in Kids TV shows of the current age.

Deleted the DVR

2011-11-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my husband deleted everything on our DVR. He said he did it by accident, but I cannot imagine how he did that when it is so user-friendly. We have had Direct tv for six months, and although most of the shows on the DVR were mine, he should know how to use it by now. I had so many shows saved on the DVR that I had not watched yet because I am usually too tired at night to watch them. I usually catch up on my shows during the weekend. I was really looking forward to doing that this weekend. I guess I will just have to watch my shows online. The thing that bothers me most is that I will have to set up the DVR all over again to record all of my favorite shows. My husband was very apologetic and said that he just got confused when he was trying to record a football game. That makes me hate football so much more. Since there is nothing I can do about it now, I guess I will just set the DVR up again and move on.

Guest post of the week by Deangelo Spencer

Dubbing

2011-09-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

My husband should have been a songwriter. Whenever we hear a song and the mood strikes him right, he dubs his own words over the song. The lyrics are actually quite clever and entertaining. For example, we were grilling out with some friends on Friday and he dubbed over one of Nelly’s famous tunes. Instead of singing the original lyrics, “you can find me in St. Louie…” he was singing (to the beat of course), “ you can find me watching DIRECTV”. His favorite genre to dub lyrics to is country music. It is a great skill to have on road trips. His friends and my family think that his dubs are hilarious and attempt to come up with their own. A couple of his friends have caught on a gotten pretty good dubbing. Others are terrible at it. He has one friend who we have banned from dubbing. All of his dubbed over lyrics were inappropriate ( 7th grade boy humor). I still have not mastered the skill, but love hearing people try.

This guest post from Edgardo Rosa

Classic 4th of July Picnic with The Family

2011-07-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

There are some things that I try to make it to every year and one of those priorities is definitely making it out to our classic big family 4th of July picnic. Well this year I really have to go because I'm the one that's running the whole thing. I've actually spent the last few weeks coming up with recipes that I'm going to serve for it. I don't' really want to rely on other people to bring stuff because a lot of times that falls through and the worst thing that could happen is not having enough food for everyone.

I was looking online to find some recipes to fix and while I was doing that I ran across hearingaids.miracle-ear.com. After that I decided to sign up for a free hearing test because I think I've needed hearing aids for a while.

But for now I think that the 4th of July picnic is going to be really great. I have some great recipes lined up that I think my loved ones are just going to gobble right up.

Guest post written by Carol Clarkson

Lockhart

2011-04-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

One lazy afternoon, we turned on the TV and saw a show introducing different parts of Texas. It was called the Daytripper, and we found it very interesting. My 6-year-old son who watched the show with us, loved it, and was always begging to go the the places introduced by the host. Ever since I saw the show on Lockhart, I had been craving for some good, greasy barbecue!

This Easter weekend, I had the chance of visiting Lockhart with my family. We drove to all the "famous" barbecue places introduced on the show, and finally chose one to satisfy our hunger. We didn't really know what we were doing, and ordered our food "ignorantly". The food tasted good, but we wished we knew what we were doing while we got in line. We passed by the jail museum, but didn't go in, much to the disappointment of our 6-year-old. He was hoping to meet the ghost who craved barbecue introduced on the show.

Anyway, it was interesting! We may visit Lockhart again, and try one of the other 3 famous barbecue places.

Home for The Holidays (1)

2010-03-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

The plane finally landed on home soil - a place she had called home for over 30 years! For 9 years she had spent the Lunar New Year in a foreign land she called her other home. She had pined for this day, and this day had arrived! A song floated in her mind as she went through the immigration counter with her 5, and 2-year-old boys. The song sounded better in Mandarin, "Holding my little baby, I'm coming back to my mom's home..." She was going to surprise her mom and dad, who had no clue she was coming home for Chinese New Year!

She knocked on the door. She could hear her little Pomeranian barking. Her mom came to the door! "We've come home for Chinese New Year!" she yelled a little hoarsely (airplane air is not kind on the throat). Mom was surprised, and pleased at the same time. Her grand kids had come to celebrate Chinese New Year with her for the first time!

The little Pomeranian seemed to sense the joyous atmosphere in the air! When dad came home, he was very surprised, but like mom, he was delighted! She looked around the house. It was decorated with festive red lanterns, and banners featuring the tiger, because it was the year of the tiger. She felt her childhood memories of Lunar New Years passed returning. It was a warm feeling. She observed her boys in her parents' house, and smiled thankfully as she thought about how much fun they were about to have, celebrating her favorite time of the year - Chinese New Year.

Ah! Kids! (6)

2009-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

I find myself worrying about my kids - about everything! When they were less than a year old, I worried about every little cough, or sniffle they had. I also worried about them not hitting the milestones, like other "normal" kids.

My older boy just started Kindergarten. Of course, that opened up a whole new part of worry-land for me! Does the teacher like him? Does he have any friends? Is he doing well academically? Why does he still write D's when he is supposed to write B's? Why are his 5's the wrong way round? The list goes on.

I've also been wondering about my 5-year-old's athletic abilities. He does not seem too crazy about playing sports, or display any special abilities at any one sport. He was still riding his bike with training wheels a few days ago! This morning, my husband decided to take the training wheels off my son's bike. He held on to the bike for just a few minutes and then let go! The little guy began riding the bike without the training wheels! Just like that!

Sometimes, I really have to strip off my worry-wart outer skin, and appreciate things that seem to fall from the sky! My son is a typical 5-year-old! He's loud, and irritating at times. However, he's also growing, in so many ways, and without much aid from me! I need to count my blessings, and strive to enjoy my 5-year-old more, before he turns into a stinking teenager! Ha!

A Tribute to Rigley

2009-09-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

I did not know you as well as the other two dogs in the family, because I was not around when you came into the family. However, I visited home enough to get to know you more. You were the most playful of the three. You were the youngest! You were fierce sometimes, towards Polo, and drew blood on a couple of occasions. You had funny teeth, and my now 5-year-old always loved doing the "Rigley teeth" to draw some laughs from others. We used a Chinese idiom to describe your relationship with Polo as "lao fu shao qi" (old husband, young wife)! We were teasing!

Did you know why I got Kiri? Before you, there was Chairo! He was the cutest puppy ever! He was so tiny, and lovable! He did have a mean streak, but most of the time, he was lovable! I could not get enough of him! Your owners were very nice, and kind to share him with me. However, I wanted one in my own house. So, I got Kiri, despite disapproval from the boss of the house - Mommy! Guess who is reigning the household now?

Anyway, I remember an incident (think it might have happened before you came) when we took Polo and Kiri to the vet for something. A man who looked kind of rough, and burly, walked out from behind the counter (where they kept sick dogs overnight), with a leash in his hand, while we were waiting outside. Leash, but no dog! He sat on the bench glumly, and started to wipe tears off his face. I wanted to cry too, and held Kiri more tightly. When your owners lost Chairo, it was very sad for us! We knew what that man was going through!

Now you are gone too - so suddenly! We are all in different places, not able to say our goodbyes to you in one place, and to weep shamelessly over you together! I thought about the man we saw outside the vet many years ago again. I did not expect it to be you Rigley, to make me revisit those sad feelings again. You might have joined the family the latest, and had not been in the family for as a long a period of time as the others, but you were loved as much as the others! You will be missed very much!

Ah! Kids! (5)

2009-02-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

Older brother is just 4, but he thinks he knows a lot more than Mom, Dad, or other adults. The other day, Mom took him and Little brother to a tennis tournament Dad was running. It was a very important tournament, for up, and coming young tennis players with the hope of turning professional one day! Mom warned Older brother that Dad was working, and he was not supposed to bounce tennis balls against the fence surrounding the courts, or make too much noise. Older brother did not bounce tennis balls against the fence, but he did play with a tennis ball, and bounced it on the ground.

An "overly-concerned" dad was accompanying his son to the tennis tournament. He saw Older brother bouncing the ball on the ground, and told him to be quiet. Older brother was very offended. He came to Mom, and complained about the dad who told him to be quiet. The dad who "shushed" Older brother was sitting opposite Mom, and heard Older brother's complaint. Mom could not help smiling, as she explained to Older brother again about the importance of the tournament to the players, and that we should respect the players' (or their attached parties') wishes. Older brother was still upset, and asked Mom again, "But why did that man ask me to be quiet when I was not making noise?" The "man" of course, was also amused as he heard Older brother's question. Perhaps he thought he went overboard, or for whatever reasons, he tried to make Older brother feel better. He asked, "Young man! Which grade are you in?" Older brother did not understand his question, because he was not in any grade yet. He went to pre-school! The man was a little surprised when he heard Older brother was not even in kindergarten yet. He said, "You speak very well. You don't speak like a 4-year-old!"

Anyway, Older brother was still not happy with the man for asking him to be quiet, when he WAS quiet. Mom finally took Older brother away from the courts, to a place nearby where he could bounce his tennis ball as high as he wished, without upsetting any parents.

Dog Lover?

2009-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

I do love dogs - some! Really, especially little cute ones! I know, I'm a selective dog-lover! Well, I did not grow up with dogs. I did finally get my own puppy, when I was a very "mature" adult. Even then, my mom would not speak to me for a few days, because I did not respect her wish not to get a dog. I was, after all, still living with her. For the first few weeks (or months), I had to bring her over to my sister's apartment when I went to work, so that my mom would not have to take care of her in my absence.

I got a really cute Pomeranian! My mom finally broke down and started paying my puppy some attention. Who could resist a puppy - especially a Pomeranian that was cute as could be? She stole my mom's heart! After I moved away, she became my mom's dog. It broke my heart not to be able to bring her with me. She was not in the most perfect health, so I was afraid she might not survive the long plane ride. My mom had also grown so attached to her, I did not have the heart to take her away from her. The night before I left, my puppy could not sleep. She kept barking at my packed suit cases!

I was very sad to say good bye to her. However, I get to see her now, every summer when I go home for a visit. She still answers to my call, but my mom is the apple of her eye. She loves my mom, and gets jealous when my mom holds her grand kids!

Anyway, we have some new neighbors. They own a dog, which does not seem very "friendly", in my opinion. One day, I was going to my car, in my own drive way, when this dog came dashing towards me, and barked at me! His, or her owner, was standing across the street. She just stood there, and let her dog bark at me, in my own drive way! I might not know too much about dogs, especially big ones, but I definitely did not sense any friendliness in it! I just stood still - with fear, wondering what I should do. The owner saw what was happening. I was wondering when she would call the dog away. It took her a few lazy minutes, to drag her body over, and say in a nonchalant tone, "She's (or he) friendly!" In my heart, I was saying to myself, "Yah right! Just get her off my drive way!" The dog apparently did not mind her owner very much. It took her a while to "obey" the girl's command. Well, I did not want to make a big deal of the matter, and put it away from my mind.

Another day came when I was driving my kids home. I vaguely heard some barking when I drove into my drive way. I was not paying much attention to the barking because I was focused on getting my car into the garage, without breaking any side-view mirrors (er mirror - one was already broken). Anyway, I got out of the car, and my neighbor's dog came barking and dashing onto my drive way again! I did not want it to bite my kids, so I closed the garage door, just in time to keep it out! It stood outside my garage door, and barked at us for a good 5 minutes!

Call me a selective dog-lover, but I definitely do not like my neighbor's dog! I do not like to be intimidated by a neighbor's dog in my own drive way! I am sorry for the dog because her owner does not care enough to train her, and keep her from causing annoyance to others - on their property .

Ah! Kids! (4)

2009-02-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Older brother just started attending Chinese lessons about 3 weeks ago. He loves going to class for different reasons. He likes skipping his nap, and he loves being with people (even though they speak a language he does not quite understand yet). A week before Chinese New Year, I started playing Chinese New Year songs in my car. Older brother can sing some of the songs now, not getting most of the lyrics right, but it amuses me to no end!

I'm doing a better job of speaking Chinese to Little brother, maybe because he has almond, single-lid-eyes like me! He has acquired the talent of clapping his hands lately. However, he will only respond to the "command" in Chinese. It's really funny when Dad asks him to clap in English, and he just stares at him blankly. Dad asks Mom to say the "command" in Chinese, and his little hands will come together in a clap! Mom hopes Little brother will soon be able to obey the command in both English and Mandarin though!

Ah! Kids! (3)

2009-02-04T09:38:00.001-08:00

Older brother likes to play with his cars on a rug with road designs on it. He sets up his cars in lines, and in make-believe parking lots. Little brother just turned one, and has not mastered the great art of walking yet. He crawls about, mostly on his belly, and cars on rugs do not mean "detour" to him. He crawls over the nicely lined-up cars, and sends them flying in different directions!

Older brother does not understand Little brother's inability to play "nice". Older brother gets very upset, and yells at his Little brother, and Little brother, of course picks up on his brother's angry tone, feels hurt, and screams in his baby language, something rude in return. Mom steps in and tries to calm both down, and tries to persuade Older brother to tolerate Little brother's interference in his playing. The alternative, Mom says, is for Older brother to move all his toys to his room upstairs, and play without interference from Little Brother. Older brother, the social being that he is, of course, does not want to play "alone". Mom then tells him he has to put up with the "Giant Baby" destroying his city of cars then (for at least 1 more year). Older brother stops his complaining, and seems to like the idea of treating Little brother as the "Giant Baby" out to destroy his city!

Ah! Kids! (2)

2009-02-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

Mom took Little brother to the Pediatrician's office when his 10-month check-up was due. The Pediatrician was a little worried because Little brother was not crawling "right". He slid on his belly, and rolled around to get places. He could not sit up from a crawling position either. The Pediatrician pronounced his actions "delayed". A frown began to appear on Mom's face! She knew Little Brother was not as eager to hit the different milestones than Older brother, but Mom was not worried, until then! The Pediatrician recommended some therapy sessions! Oh dear! Mom left the Pediatrician's office with a somewhat heavy heart.

Little brother turned 1! Mom and Dad still did not take him to any therapy sessions. It was not intentional though, they just could not "find" the time to do so! Of course, Little brother did not start walking when he turned 1! He started sitting up from a crawling position though! He still did not crawl "right", even though his speed had increased tremendously! One time, Little brother dived from his godmother's lap when he saw Mom take out the lap-top! He practically swam towards the lap-top! He loved the keyboard and the screen, especially if he could see himself on the screen!

One new thing Little brother learned to do recently, despite his other "delayed" movements, was doing flips! He loved to be upside down! One day, Dad held him upside down, and pushed Little brother's little legs over, till he reached a standing position. He broke into the sweetest laughter! He turned himself backwards again, wanting Dad to turn him upside down again. Dad did, and he flipped his own legs over! He did a flip! He just broke into laughter after every flip! It was precious watching those short legs at work, and the delight on Little brother's face, when he completed a flip!

Mom wondered if she could talk about the flips at their next visit to the Pediatrician's office, and avoid talking about Little brother's crawling or walking (or rather , his inability to crawl or walk)!

Ah! Kids! (1)

2009-02-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Older brother was very excited! Today might just be planting day! Mom and Dad had a few more errands to run, and then it would be a trip to the Garden Center - to pick out some orange trees! "Maybe!" reminded Mom. To this 4-year-old, planting was a very exciting activity! Mom and Dad had to remind him constantly that the seeds, or trees would not start bearing fruits overnight. "How come?" the ever-expected question, and one parents have to answer constantly since their toddlers learn to say the word 'why'!

Anyway, the Garden Center had many fruit trees. Mom too, got very excited! The lovely thought of harvesting their very own berries and oranges nearly pushed Mom towards making some impulsive choices. Dad was more cautious, and read the instructions and information attached to the plants. Mom finally narrowed down the choices to just orange trees. Older brother was delighted anyway. Oranges! His favorite fruits! However, Mom changed her mind suddenly when she considered the price of the orange trees! With the economy being as bad as it was, she did not think they could spend that kind of money just at the moment. Dad was going to respect Mom's decision. Older brother was about to cry when Dad put the orange trees back! Mom and Dad told him the orange trees were too expensive. They would go home and plant some peas instead. Older brother had to get over his disappointment quickly, because whining would cause him the privilege of any planting activity!

Mom said if the pea planting was a success, they might consider planting oranges in the future! It was hard to watch Older brother's face, when Dad put the orange trees back!

Missing Chinese New Year

2009-01-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

Fire crackers, red packets, new clothes... These are often part of the lyrics found in Chinese New Year songs. Regretfully, I was tired of hearing these songs for a time in my life, thinking they were too backward, too "Chinese". It was not "cool" to be too Chinese back then (when I was growing up). I was even too shy to mention I spoke a Chinese dialect - Hakka - at home! What? Not even Mandarin, but a dialect? I was afraid people would know my parents did not have much of a formal education.

Anyway, back to Chinese New Year! Now that I have not been able to travel home for Chinese New Year for years, because I have chosen to live in the so-un-Chinese United States, the uncool Chinese New Year songs are all I listen to, in the car, when this festive season approaches. They bring back such warm (not always good) memories of Chinese New Year I celebrated in Singapore. Now, I tell my 4-year-old how cool Chinese New Year is. He is a chatter-box, and feels it his duty to pass on any information learned from me. I heard him telling his father the other day, "Daddy, I want to go to Singapore for Chinese New Year! Then we can eat tidbits with friends all day, and talk nonsense all day!"

Yes, I do miss eating tidbits and talking nonsense all day, which I remember I thought boring one point during my foolish youth! I remember with some sadness certain years when we did not have enough money to buy new clothes. I remember feeling ashamed to put on the only new dress my mom bought me, from the market in the neighborhood (nobody bought clothes there - they were cheap, and mass-produced). I was hiding at home, looking out the window occasionally to see if any kid got on the same dress as me! I was big on being "original" then! I did not want to be caught wearing something someone else had on!

When we got older, and life got better, the dishes on the reunion dinner table got more, and "meatier". We would have fish, chicken, duck, and shrimp dishes all at the same time! My mom's jumbo shrimp dish was my favorite! We used to only be able to afford sodas during Chinese New Year! The orange soda was the popular drink during this festive season. Now, when I drink an orange soda, it reminds me of Chinese New Year. Sometimes, I even seem to be able to savour the taste of peanuts, or melon seeds (瓜子） mingled with orange soda in my mouth!

My mom and dad are getting old. I dare not ask for much, but I long to spend just one more Chinese New Year with them! I want to absorb as much of the Chinese tradition I left behind, and pass it on to my kids! I want them to learn how cool it is, to be Chinese (and American^.^)!

Extra Dime for The Holidays?

2008-10-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Want to shop at a place where you can get almost anything at discount prices, in the convenience of your home? You don't even have to change out of your pajamas, or get into your car, and use up precious gas! Yes, there is a website you can go to, and shop to your heart's content this holiday season! Save! Save! Save! The content of the website screams! Why ignore it? Be a smart shopper, and fight hard times with intelligent ways to shop! A complete mall at your finger tips! Let your fingers do the shopping! Visit Extra Dime!

Good Service Is Out!

2008-04-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Larry had never been to America. In fact, he had been to many Asian countries. It would be his first time traveling on an American-based flight. He was going on a Buddhist retreat in San Francisco.

He did not expect the flight to take forever! On top of that, service was poor. The flight attendants seemed to think the passengers owed them something. They did whatever they were supposed to do in a detached manner. Larry observed that if someone asked for anything extra, the person would be received with a cold reception with a raised eye-brow! Most of the time, the request would not be granted. If, by a slim chance, the request was granted, the person would be discouraged to repeat the action again. Larry missed the warm, caring, (even if faked) and eager-to-please attitude the flight attendants had on some other flights he had taken.

Larry sighed as he thought about the flying industry. The price of flying was always going uphill, but the service was going downhill! It was almost like having to pay a penalty for flying! Gone were they days when you were treated like kings because you could afford to fly!

Flying Little

2008-03-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

The plane was full! Her baby was very tired, but she struggled to stay awake! How could a little baby know how to resist the natural instinct to sleep? All right. She was not that little. She was already 7 months old. Still, why would she not go to sleep when she was tired? She should not have a clue about what she would miss out on, if she fell asleep. She watched her baby's mouth open, and the dreaded screaming began! That was the scream of fatigue! She looked around at the other passengers warily! They hated her, or they would, after the flight, she thought.

She held the baby close, spoke to her sternly in Vietnamese, and started to rock her vigorously! That was the only way she would go to sleep. She sang to her a Vietnamese lullaby, over and over again, till the crying ceased, and the tiny body relaxed. Her body relaxed too, and she started to feel her arms aching. Gently, her heart thumping, she put her baby down on her seat. The baby did not stir. She heaved a sigh of relief, and sat on the floor beside the baby. She could rest for a little, till the tiny being woke from her sweet slumber.

Birth

2008-02-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

When I had my first baby, I was induced, and was in extreme pain with the contractions triggered by the induction fluid. At some point, I went insane with pain, and asked my husband to ask the nurse to give me some pain medication. After what seemed like hours, the anesthesiologist finally came, and I was peaceful and calm after he injected me with the wonderful pain medicine, called epidural.

Just had my second baby a few weeks ago. I told my husband I was going to insist on pain medication before the extreme pain came upon me. Unfortunately, I had to be induced again, because the baby was overdue. The doctor prescribed another method of induction because circumstances were a little different from my first delivery. When the contractions became intense, I asked for pain medication. Of course, the nursing staff told me it was too early for me to have any. When I was finally declared "able" to get some pain medication, both anesthesiologists in the hospital were tied up in surgery! With every onset of contractions, I yelled my lungs out! I could not believe I was not going to get any pain relief! I For what seemed like hours, the nurses, and my husband, had to endure my piercing screams, till the baby was put in my arms.

Till now, I have no words to describe the pain brought on by contractions.

Copy-cat

2007-11-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

My 3-year-old toddler is an extreme copy-cat! Spent Thanksgiving at some relatives' place, and my son got to play with two of his cousins. They were about 3 years, and 5 years older than him. He followed them around the whole time! The older cousin was a girl, and loved to dress my son up in dress-up clothes. My son was agreeable to whatever his older cousins wanted to do. The younger cousin was a boy, and wanted to be out in the backyard all the time. My son was happy to do that too! However, at some point, the cousins got tired of him constantly following them around, and would hide from him. I felt sorry for my son, but at the same time, was worried about him being such a huge "follower", and copy-cat! I wondered to myself if he would not develop his own identity. I was told by some friends though, that it was a typical 3-year-old thing! Oh well! Guess we shall see!

High Fever Woes

2007-11-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

My little 3-year-old has been running high fevers on and off, since he turned 3. I'm worried about him whenever he runs high fevers. His little body will burn so hot it hurts to touch him. I've tried sponging him, but it doesn't seem to help much. He doesn't like to be sponged too, which makes the task even more difficult. The last time he ran a fever, he ended up with a runny nose, cough, and ear infection. He had never had an ear infection before he turned 3 too! Oh well! Hopefully, the fever woes will leave him alone after a while!

A Birthday Surprise

2007-11-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Mary wanted to do something special for her husband, Henry's birthday this year. Since they had kids, the garage had been dominated by their kids' toys, just like almost every part of their house. Mary knew it would be nice if Henry had a den of his own - a place he could relax in, and perhaps, catch up on his 'guyish' hobbies.

Henry would be going out of town on a business trip in a few days. He would be gone for a longer period of time. Mary was thinking about transforming the garage to a 'haven' for Henry, as his birthday present this year. Mary did not really know what to do, so she got on the computer and found this wonderful website, where she could get attractive garage cabinets to hide all the children's toys, and all the unsightly things in the garage.

On top of that, she could also get interesting accessories to decorate the garage, to make it a more "guyish" place, where Henry would feel like hanging out. Mary planned to make it a place that Henry could even invite his friends over and watch football games with, and have snacks together. The selection of cabinets was wide, and Mary could not believe how much the garage would be transformed once the cabinets were installed. Mary thought she might even feel like hanging out in it, when the renovations were all done!

This is a sponsored post.

Slow Eater

2007-11-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

My toddler is a SLOW eater. There are times when he eats fast, but those times are far and few between! It is so frustrating when we eat out with other people, besides my husband and myself. We don't let him leave the table until all the food in his plate is eaten. We want to stick to that rule to cultivate good eating habits. We don't want him to waste food, or be choosy. Sometimes, he takes more than an hour to finish his food. Sometimes, he sits there and eat, and whine about not having anyone eating with him. Sometimes, he just sits there and takes his time finishing his food. I do wish there's a way to make him finish his food the same time as everyone else, but we haven't come out with a workable plan yet!

My Kid and TV

2007-10-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

My little toddler loves to watch TV. Sometimes I fear that I allow him to watch too much. Even though he only watches the kids' channels, and I usually watch the shows with him, I still don't feel comfortable when he focuses on the TV, instead of playing with his toys. I do turn the TV off, when I think he has watched quite enough for a stretch of time. There are some shows that I just cannot stand - not for any particular reason, but just personal taste. My toddler is so worried that I'll turn off the TV, instead of switching channels, that he'll tell me, "Mommy, it'll (the show I don't like) be over soon!"

Time Waits for No Man

2007-10-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Whether we're bored, active, moody, happy...time moves on - mercilessly! Sometimes, we feel like the day drags on, and on, and we wish the day is done, especially if we are "stuck" in a job we do not like, or the day is not going the way we like it to go. However, time moves on, regardless, kids grow bigger, and grown-ups age.

Isn't it a little scary, to think how much precious time we waste each day, each month, and each year? Some of us wait, and wait to be happy. We give excuses. We cannot be happy right now, because of the circumstances we are in, or the condition we are in. What we are not aware is, time is moving, regardless of our circumstances, and condition. Time passed cannot be retrieved. It is lost forever. We have to live on the "new" time, the time in which we have grown a little older, and acquired a few more wrinkles, but not necessarily more wisdom.

We have to remind ourselves this everyday - time waits for no man! We have to LIVE everyday! Do what we want to do today! Say what we want to say today! Easier said than done? Yes, human weakness gets in the way, doesn't it? We need help from a higher plane to at least try to have the right attitude, even if not the desired achievement - every single day!

The Origin of Halloween?

2007-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

In Singapore, some Chinese, mainly Taoists, celebrate the Ghost Festival, or they may call it the 7th Month Festival. Such a festival is very different from Halloween. On the first day of the 7th Month (according to the Lunar calendar), it is believed the door of Hades is opened, and stay open till the last day of the 7th Month. Throughout the 7th Month, the believers burn incense, paper money, or whatever luxurious items (made of paper) they can afford to appease the ghosts (or their deceased loved ones). They believe their loved ones' "lives" in Hades will be improved with the material items they burn them.

Some businesses will set up tents and put up entertainment programs like opera shows, and variety shows for the "ghosts". These usually attract a wide audience, who may stand around the stage, or sit on plastic chairs provided by the sponsors. Sometimes, there may be "banquets" served under these tents, followed by auctions carried out at the same time. Items "bought" from the auctions are supposed to bring one luck.

Halloween is about ghosts too, but so very different! It has become almost a cute event, when little kids dress up in cute little outfits and go "trick-or-treating". Getting as much candy as possible seems to be the goal of Halloween - for the kids at least. For the parents - getting cutesy pictures of their little ones in pumpkin patches? I don't know the origin of Halloween, but I'm sure it's very different from the Ghost Festival celebrated by the Chinese in Singapore.

A Dream Garage

2007-10-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Steven and Sarah were newlyweds. They just made another big move recently. They bought a house, and had just moved into it. Steven agreed to leave the interior decoration to Sarah, which pleased her very much. The garage was left to Steven, of course. Steven was excited about the garage. He planned to spend a lot of time in there. He wanted it not only to be a place for his weekend building projects, but also a place in which Sarah would be comfortable hanging out with him.

First of all, he wanted his garage to be neat. He wanted a garage that was organised. He looked on line, and found this place where he could get some neat storage bins to put all his tools, and stuff away, but yet could get to them easily. Sarah was amused to see how thrilled Steven was, just looking at all the storage possibilities the store offered. He felt as thrilled as Sarah looking through a fashion magazine! Steven was having as much fun, shopping for storage bins, and other stuff to make his garage a haven!

This is a sponsored post.

Halloween Thoughts...

2007-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Halloween is here soon. My son likes the candy he'll get when he goes trick-or-treating. However, he doesn't like to put on a costume, or saying "treat or treat".

The stores at this time are decorated with all kinds of Halloween stuff. There are ghosts who remove their own heads, and ask you if you want t see them do it again. There are inflated mummies, haunted houses, goblins, and other scary characters. My son trembles and closes his eyes, and makes sure he's in someone's arms, when he walks by such displays!

I don't know what my toddler will be this Halloween. I don't know if he's still little enough to be in cute Halloween costumes, or should I make something on my own?

Yucky Tantrums!!!

2007-09-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Why do children throw fits? Do they think they'll get what they want if they do so? Hasn't experience taught them throwing fits don't get them what they want? Just the opposite! Don't they know they get punishment, or something they do not want when they throw fits? Don't they know how irritating they make their parents with their tantrums?

Anyway, my toddler has started throwing uncontrollable, prolonged fits these days! Oh! I never guessed I would be one of those parents struggling with such a problem! I thought countless time-outs had cured him of this terrible (not so terrible when he was 2 then) behavior. Little did I know it would come back to haunt me, in double the ferocity when he turned 3!!! What did we do wrong? What is wrong with him? What shall we do? Do we have to make him go see a psychiatrist? These are questions we ask ourselves everyday...

Never Too Old to Date

2007-09-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Rita was in her early 60s. Her husband passed away about 10 years ago. He was the love of her life. She could not bring herself to be interested in dating, after her husband's death! She felt lonely at times, but she missed her husband. She was not lonely because she was alone. She spent her time visiting her children, and grandchildren. Her children did not like her to be alone, and encouraged her to try dating. She laughed it off, and told them she was happy as she was.

Rita had a group of friends she met up to have tea regularly. Some of her friends were widowed like herself. One day, her best friend, Rose, came over to her house all excited. She told Rita her daughter had introduced her to a senior dating website, and Rose found it quite interesting. Rita could not believe her ears! She thought it was a ridiculous website. However, Rose persuaded her to take a look at it, and after browsing the website for a few minutes, both women were giggling like teenage school girls! Rose even persuaded Rita to join the senior match for free!

Rose and Rita logged on to the website regularly. They shared stories about men they were corresponding with over the website. Rose went out with a few of the men she met on the website. She had dinners with them, went to movies, and concerts - things she had not done in a while. Rita was more cautious. She liked e-mailing with the friends she made on the website. However, she thought it would take her a while to actually go out with one of them. Perhaps, she would go to a musical with one of them one day, and supper after the musical...

Play with Meeeeee!!!

2007-09-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure anyone with a toddler at home hears this phrase all the time, "Play with meeeeee!" I do, all the time. The more the request is granted, the more often you hear it! I know it's bad to complain. We created these tiny creatures not to entertain ourselves, it's the opposite! We created them, and now we have to entertain, teach, and discipline them!

Of course, toddlers are social beings, just like we grown-ups are! We are more mature, and capable of doing things alone at times. However, toddlers have nothing much to do except to play. It's no fun to play alone - at least not all the time! I guess that's when setting up a play date comes in handy!

Pat's On line Store

2007-09-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Pat recently added a conservatory to her house. She loved it! She did all her craft projects in there. With the garden view offering her inspiration, she had completed some really neat craft projects. She thought she was about ready to start a home business.

Her husband was very supportive of her new endeavor. He enjoyed the conservatory as much as Pat did. He would sit in there, read the newspapers, or a good book, and drink his coffee, enjoy the garden view, and chat with Pat as she worked on her projects. He wanted to help Pat set up her home business. He went on line and did some research on her behalf. He found a shopping cart software that would help Pat sell successfully on line! He learnt that it was easy to use - that would certainly please Pat! He was sure the ecommerce software would help Pat's business take off. Anyway, Pat could sign up for a 10-day free trial to test drive the shopping cart, and see if she liked it, or not.

Pat's husband told her the good news! Pat was delighted! She was looking forward to her business taking off!

Harry Potter Craze

2007-09-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was in Singapore when the last Harry Potter book went on sale. My friend was a Harry Potter "fanatic". Well, perhaps I should say, she was a Harry Potter scholar instead, because she did do her Masters dissertation paper on Harry potter.

Anyway, my friend had already ordered the book. However, when the post-man delivered the book to her house, she was in Shanghai. In order not to lose any time, she bought another copy of the book at the airport in Shanghai, even though she already had one waiting for her at home!

She lent me one of her copies to read. I was thrilled, and spent many late nights reading about Harry Potter's struggle with the dark lord Voldermort. Every chapter was full of surprises, and excitement! After finishing the book, we had a great time discussing about the book. My friend also lent out her two copies to other friends who were waiting in line to read the book! It was fun!

Into The World of Children Books

2007-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Reading children books can be great fun, especially with my 3-year-old. He loves to go to the library with me, and help pick out books for me to read to him. I like picking out books for him too! It's definitely more economical than buying books! My son and I also do not get bored with reading the same books all the time. There are tons and tons of books in the library. It'll take us a long time to have finish reading all the books there!

I find myself looking forward to reading a new batch of books we get from the library. This way, I'm enjoying reading the books to him, as much as he loves listening to the stories. My son loves books about trucks, trains, and cars. I try to have some about them every time we borrow books from the library. However, there are so many other books about other things too! We have fun discovering new things in the books together!

Margaret's Dream Built on Anglian Home Improvements

2007-09-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Margaret's children were all married, and had moved away. She was a retired school teacher. Her husband was close to retirement too, but might hang on for a few more years, just because he enjoyed what he did.

Margaret found she had a lot of time on her hands. She was a very creative elementary school teacher. She wanted to do something about her creative talent. She thought about starting a hobby, which might even turn into a small home business. She loved to sew. However, she thought none of the rooms in her house provided enough light, or inspiration for her to do much sewing. She went on line, and found this website of this renowned company, which did home improvements, from driveways, to the addition of conservatories! The website gave her a wonderful idea!

She talked to her husband, who visited the website with her. He thought it a great idea! Adding a conservatory to their house would be a project both he and Margaret would enjoy very much! A conservatory would be perfect for Margaret's sewing endeavor! There would definitely be enough light, with all the glass walls letting in natural light during the day! What was more? Margaret could look out at her garden in the backyard, and that would provide her with a lot of inspiration for her creative sewing projects! Both Margaret and her husband were eager to be involved in this home improvements project, as soon as possible! Of course, Margaret's husband was looking forward to the conservatory for another reason! He thought it would be a cozy, nice place for him to enjoy a good book, and cup of coffee, while Margaret went about her sewing projects!

Free Time?

2007-09-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

It was strange to leave my son at the Mother's Day Out, and for the first time, walked away from the building without him. I did not leave the building at once, in case, he needed me, I thought. Of course, he was busy playing with the toys in his room, not realising I was not even there any more.

Anyway, I drove away from the building reluctantly. Went to the grocery store, and leisurely picked up a few things. Went home, took a shower, and spent some time blogging. Thought about my son a lot, and started missing him. I decided to go pick him up earlier! When I entered the room, he was lying on his mat, watching the T.V., together with his new-found friends.

Interview with Curt Finch

2007-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

It is a refreshing blogging experience, to listen, instead of read. The host has a very nice, and professional radio voice. The guest, Curt Finch, on the other hand, talks fast, and comes across a little muffled sometimes. As a listener, I pay attention more when the host, Wayne speaks up, and find my attention drifting in and out, when the guest is speaking. However, the good thing is, one can listen to the whole interview all over again, if one misses some important points.

The guest, Curt Finch, really knows his stuff. In this time tracking book author interview, Curt very patiently answers questions asked by Wayne, and throws in "stories" from his business experiences, making the interview more interesting, and more personal.

This is a sponsored post.

Bedtime Woes

2007-09-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

My 3-year-old's bedtime is fast becoming a nightmare for my husband and me! He was sleeping in his own bed, in his own room, and was perfectly happy with the arrangement, till we spent our vacation in Singapore for about 3 months. He was suddenly terrified of the dark, and refused to sleep by himself. Since countless threats, and hard spankings did not do any good, we decided our son was truly afraid of the dark, and so we caved in and took turns sleeping with him in his room, naively thinking everything would revert itself to normal when we got back home after our vacation.

When we got home, the fear of the dark followed our son home. He refused to sleep in his bed, in his own room, like he used to do for almost 3 years. He would scream, and cry hysterically, when we left his room! No amount of threats or harsh spankings would "calm" him down.

We're not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel right now!

Network Problems

2007-09-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

We're supposed to be paying for high-speed internet, but it certainly does not seem like it these days! We may be paying for it, but we're not getting it! I can get on line only when the network allows me to do so. I spend the whole day, turning on the computer to find out if I have a line, and then turning it off disappointed, only to turn on the computer another time, to be disappointed again! Sometimes, I do get on line, only to be cut off, in the midst of e-mailing, or writing a post for my blogs! Such lousy network really takes the fun out of blogging!

Travelling Woes

2007-08-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Was flying home from Singapore to the US. We were on Cathy Pacific from Singapore to Hongkong, and then from Hongkong to Los Angeles. The flight was peaceful enough, the food was good, and the service was fantastic. However, when we reached Los Angeles, we had to re-check our luggage all the way to Houston. I was travelling with another family, and between the two families, we had 10 pieces of check-in baggage, and a few more hand-luggage. We had 4 adults, and 3 kids below 8 years-old with us. It was a hassle having to re-check the baggage, and get new boarding passes for everyone. On top of that, we had to travel some from the baggage carousel (after getting all 10 pieces of luggage) to the flight reservations area. Our 3 toddlers had to help push one trolley of luggage too. Oh! One of my luggage was torn on one side, revealing the contents inside. It still had to make it from LA to Dallas, and then on to Houston - it was really a nightmare! Finally, we borrowed some tape from the reservations clerk, and got the luggage temporarily "secured"! Talk about travelling woes! We certainly had our fair share on this trip!

Travel light, Hannah!

2007-08-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hannah was troubled. Ever since giving birth to the twins, she had gained a great amount of weight. She tried hard to shed the extra weight, but nothing seemed to work. She tried eating steamed foods only, and working out whenever she could find time to do so. The twins were toddlers, and kept her busy the whole day through. She thought she probably did not spend enough time working out, but she did not know how else she could find more time! She felt frustrated, tired all the time, and had very low self esteem because of her physical image.

Her husband, Tom, was an understanding man. He felt Hannah's frustration, and wished he could help. He could not "give" her more time, because he had a demanding job. He could not afford losing his job as he was the sole bread winner of the family. One day, he came across this website on the Internet that talked about lap-band surgery. He read through it very carefully, and decided to talk to his wife about it.

Hannah visited the website, and found it very informative. Tom told Hannah if she thought that was something she wanted to do, he was willing to pay for the cost. Hannah decided to sign up to attend a free seminar before making a decision. Tom told her he would attend the seminar with her. Finally, Hannah could dream about losing the extra baggage she had been carrying around her, and live a healthier life, with more confidence, and a good self esteem.

Travelling light always enables one to travel farther!

This is a sponsored post.

Home

2007-08-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Left home for 2 and a half months, to be "home" with my family in Singapore. The 24-hour plane ride was not fun, but seeing my friends and family at the airport was worth more than gold or silver. Got to hang out with my friends and family every single day. Staying close to my mom meant home-cooked dinner every night! I was really living the good life!

The only setback was not having internet connection as and when I liked it. Had to make a special trip to the neighborhood library every time I needed to get on line.

Unscrambled

2007-06-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

The new Police CD is coming out, and it is a two CD set. There are some good songs on the discs, including these that I've unscrambled from a list provided by my sponsor:

1. Fallout
2. Next to You
3. So Lonely
4. Bring on the Night
5. Every Breath You Take
6. Synchronicity
7. Wrapped Around Your Finger
8. Spirits in the Material World
9. Regatta de Blanc
10. Invisible Sun

It is hard for me to decide, from that great list, which is my favorite. I love "Invisible Sun," and I have lots of fun memories of "Every Breath You Take." One of the funniest Police-related memories I have is when the "class clown" of my youth group used to sing his own tailor-made lyrics, "Every Bath You Take" (ending with "I'll be washing you"). It was pretty funny, back in the day.

But I suppose "Wrapped Around Your Finger" is one of my all-time favorites, whether of The Police of anyone else. I love that song. I remember when the Synchronicity album came out, I was at my friends place, and we listened to the whole album (yes, an LP). It was so great -- we just ate it all up. I remember watching the MTV video the first time it came out. I loved it. I thought the all-white outfits they donned, and the lamps, were just outstanding. That video has always remained one of myall-time favorites too. It's top-notch, with a real artsy feel. That's just my taste.

I am excited about the release of the new CD, and am looking forward to the concert in Houston. I know we'll have a copy in my house, and I think I have to buy one for my best friend in Singapore too. She is a real fan of The Police, and I know she would love it. And of course, I am always in her debt, so buying her a CD wouldn't really be too much to ask. Right?

Anyway, I know we'll all enjoy it!

This is a sponsored post. Would you like to write sponsored posts on your blog too? Then click the tab below to get started.

Scaredy Cats

2007-06-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling bad about my 3 year old being a real scaredy cat recently. He has been crying at night, refusing to sleep alone, even though he's been doing that for some months now. He's scared of thunder, scared of loud noises, and even just ran to Daddy when there was a loud noise while he was watching Cars with his friends.

I don't feel so bad about it today, though. That's because 2 friends told me about their kids being scared of different silly little things. So scared they screamed and cried, one of them in public. And those kids were bigger -- one 7 and one 8.

I guess we all go through our stages being scaredy cats sometimes.

Police Together Again

2007-06-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

A long time ago I was sitting in my dorm room at school and listening to a unique sounding band that had some catchy melodies. My cousin had just bought the LP album and we were playing it on my turntable. He started singing one of the songs and I said," What did he jsut say?" I will repeat the lyric he sang...Once that youve decided on a killing First you make a stone of your heart.... I was hooked then and there. We played the song over and over and began to listen to all the other songs from the other albums as well. Luckily I have since gotten the police cd instead of the album.

The Police have been one of the best loved and most copied bands of all time. That song, "Murder by Numbers" was just one of many songs that helped bring Rock music into a lighter side of lyric writing that still had a poignant message. From the early days of the bands writing other bands have tried to delve into the style of light hearted (light-hearted is probably the wrong term) writing that packs a punch. Meaning not just songs about girls. I believe that Rush in the later days was influenced by the Police even though they were contemporaries. Anyone that has a political message in their lyrics was probably influenced by the Police.

I have just heard that there is a new police cd coming out. It will contain all of my favorites. Besides Murder by Numbers it will include Synchronicity I and II and Dont Stand so Close to Me and of course Roxanne, several of my other all time favorite Police songs. When are they coming to Houston?

This is a sponsored post.

Having The Blues

2007-05-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

She lay on the couch, feeling sick. She was sick, in fact. She did not like being sick. Her head was spinning, and she felt uncomfortable! She told herself, "Think of happy thoughts...happy thoughts...happy thoughts...".

She began to think about all the food she missed at home - home which was thousands of miles away. She thought about chicken curry, dumplings, fishball noodles, fried noodles, laksa... She could almost taste them! Then her thoughts slipped back to her misery! She shook her head, "Come on, come on! Happy thoughts only!"

Lying on the couch, she awaited for her blues to depart.

What's Not to Love about Payperpost?

2007-05-12T15:13:00.002-07:00

When my best friend residing on the other side of the world introduced me to Payperpost, I did not imagine how much fun I would gain from this blog marketing site. I started off blogging for fun, just because I liked to think up silly stories, and to write them down, and share them with my friends. Some of my stories were semi-real, some just pure imagination. Sometimes, I did run out of ideas about what to write. However, when Payperpost "came along", I was suddenly provided with countless topics on which to write! On top of that, I could be paid for my writing, if my post was approved!

I've been writing for Payperpost since March, I think. Guess I'm still a new kid on the block! However, I have not missed checking in on the site for one single day, since I became a "member". I like the way this site is being managed. It encourages us to continue to be writers, and enjoy what we are doing, and not to blog just for money! The site also communicates very well. Whenever my post is rejected, I get an e-mail telling me exactly what's wrong, and I'm able to make amendments accordingly. I also like the layout of the site. It's easy to understand, and maneuver around. I like the cute icons being used, to let us know the status of our posts.

My friends and I have been chatting regularly about Payperpost on Skype. Sometimes we talk and blog at the same time! We would get excited about certain opportunities, and share our experiences about blogging on certain topics! We have also ganined a lot of information, and general knowledge through blogging on new topics, or about new products!

The extra cash from Payperpost will certainly come in handy. I'm hoping it'll cover my toddler's Mother's Day Out tuition fees, so that while he's playing at school, I can use the time to blog - more!

Connection Blues

2007-05-12T15:00:00.001-07:00

We got broadband internet connection recently, and I was really enjoying the faster speed I could get on the internet. I was able to talk to my friends on the other side of the world on Skype for free. I was able to surf the net for much needed information whenever I wanted to.

However, a few weeks have gone by. Now, I'm experiencing a frustrating situation. While I'm surfing the net, I'd suddenly be cut off, while I'm in the middle of my internet use! It's pretty frustrating. I'd be cut off for a few minutes, and then have to wait to be connected to the internet again! I don't know what's going on, but it's sure irritating me!

Yumiko Bound for London

2007-05-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Yumiko just graduated from a college in Tokyo. She wanted to enter the tourism industry. However, she wanted to be involved in international travel. She spoke a little English, but she did not think she was proficient enough. She knew she had to be more confident in speaking English if she wanted to be involved in international travel. She talked to her parents, and they all agreed she should invest some time and money in obtaining a higher proficiency in English before she looked for a job.

Yumiko talked to her college professor who taught her English, and he referred her to this website, where Yumiko could find an institution in London to take english lesson, english lessons. Yumiko was excited at the prospect of taking an English course in London. First of all, she had never been to London. Secondly, she would be immersed in an English culture, and not only get to practice her English in school, but also in her every day life! She was confident she would attain her proficiency in English faster that way! Thirdly, she was just excited about living overseas, and being independent for a little while!

Yumiko's parents browsed the site with her. There was a lot of information available on the site, about the different institutions offering English languages (for all purposes - for fun, and for business), the class size, school facilities, and tuition fees. There were also comments made by former students of the school. Yumiko's parents agreed to sponsor part of Yumiko's tuition fees, and together, they decided on an institution that would meet Yumiko's needs the most. Yumiko could not wait to take off. Yumiko shouted in her heart, "London, here I come!"

This is a sponsored post.

Sleepover

2007-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Got this book from the library that talked about sleepover. Read it to my toddler, and he was excited about the idea of sleepover. When my husband's parents came to visit (they live about 5 minutes from us), he invited them to sleep over. They graciously declined, and invited him to a sleepover at their place instead.

My toddler could not wait! So, one fine day, I packed his suitcase, and my husband and I drove him over to his grandparents'. He was very excited. He could not wait for my husband and me to leave! Sob! Anyway, we left some "instructions" with his grandparents, and went on our way.

At about 10:15, we received a call from my husband's dad. The little guy was feeling sad. He did not want to get into his pyjamas. He wanted his mommy and daddy. My father-in-law told my husband he told the little guy he could sleep on his papa's bed, if he would get into his pyjamas. My husband told his dad he did not think that was a good idea.

Well, we did not receive another call that night. We heard the next day the little guy ended up sleeping with his grandparents, and started kicking, and rolling around at about 5 in the morning!

Real Freedom = Free From Drugs!

2007-05-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

The recent shooting at Virginia Tech has shaken the nation. People begin to question if the U.S. gun laws are too lax. Doesn't that question come a little too late? Almost everyone in the States has a gun, whether for self defense, or for criminal purposes. Freedom - comes with a price!

Most Americans have the mentality that we should be allowed to do whatever we want. We don't want to be stifled, or controlled. What about the other side of the coin? No two people want to do the same thing. There is no guarantee what one does won't offend another party? Where is the balance? Who will be the middle man? What's the first word out of an American's mouth when he/ she is offended by another? "I'll sue you!" Of course!

A lot of young people turn to drugs, even though they have been told drugs are bad. They try it once, and like the feeling, and their parents' warning is ignored. They want to be in control! They don't want to be deprived of enjoyment. How foolish! Don't they realise drugs will control them once they let them. The consequences are devastating! For a few minutes of "high", which sadly actually translate into "without control" in their behavior, they may give up several years of real enjoyment in life! However, there is hope! If you know someone who needs help, refer them to this drug rehab site. It may save him/ her from a life of destruction!

This is a sponsored post.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (7)

2007-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Shea's mom was surprised how eager he was to get out of bed. She helped him wash up, and put on his play clothes. Shea wanted to skip breakfast, but Mom would not hear of it. She made him sit at the table, and finish up his milk and waffle. She was amazed that Shea could actually eat fast. He usually ate so slowly she had nicknamed him "Pokey"!

Anyway, he was out the kitchen door, and into the backyard, as soon as Mom had helped him wash his sticky hands. He looked round the backyard eagerly for Ming Ming.

"Sheng! Over here!" Shea followed the sound of Ming Ming's voice, and found himself looking up the Oak tree in the middle of the yard. He squinted his eyes to search of Ming Ming among the leaves. There he was, perched on a branch, and sucking on the stem of a flower!

"What are you doing up there?" asked Ming Ming.

"Thinking," answered Ming Ming.

"About what?" Shea was curious.

"About what we're going to do today!" said Ming Ming.

Suddenly, Ming Ming sailed down from the tree on a leaf! Shea caught the leaf, and looked into Ming Ming's face.

Janet Looks for New Skin

2007-05-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Staring at her image in the mirror, Janet could not take her eyes off the few pimples on her forehead. She used to wear her bangs over her forehead when she went out. That way, she could hide those unsightly pimples, which seemed stubbornly determined to make their home on her forehead! She had tried a number of skin care products bought off the counter at the pharmacy. However, the pimples stayed on, and on, and on!

Janet's sister came into the bathroom, "Still worrying over your pimply forehead?" she teased.

Janet resented her sister's comment. She turned abruptly to get out of the bathroom. Janet's sister regretted for being so insensitive. She said quickly, "Hey! I'm sorry! I have something for you that may help!"

Janet turned and looked hopefully at her sister. Her sister rummaged through her purse, and got out a tube of something. Janet examined the tube of cream of some sort. On the tube were these words, among others, Skincare for sensitive skin. Janet believed she had both sensitive and extremely dry skin. Janet's sister said, "Try it! My friend passed me this. She said it worked on her skin!"

"Go visit this site, which is all about Skincare for dry skin, and learn more about their products!"

Janet rushed to the computer and browsed the skin care site. That night, she applied the cream on her pimples, and smiled, hoping the cream would win the fight, and wipe out the pimples from her forehead.

This is a sponsored post.

Little Shea's Backyard Adventures (6)

2007-05-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Little Shea opened his sleepy eyes. He had heard tapping on his window. He looked over at his window, and was surprised to see Ming Ming perched on the ledge outside! Ming Ming waved at Shea, with a huge grin on his face.

Shea got out of bed in a hurry, and went to the window, "What are you doing here?" he asked through the window.

Ming Ming laughed, and said, "It's a beautiful day! Don't you want to come out and play?"

"Sure! But I have to wash up, get dressed, and eat breakfast, you know?" Shea said anxiously.

"I know! I know! Hurry up then!" Ming Ming said, and started to climb down the window.

Shea pressed his face against the window pane, trying to watch Ming Ming climbing down the wall. Ming Ming must have suction cups on his palms and feet! He did not have any trouble grabbing on to the walls. Shea was sure there were no footholds on the walls!

He scratched head in puzzlement, and rushed into the bathroom, to begin washing up.

Kauai Vacation Packages

2007-05-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have always dreamed of visiting Hawaii! In fact, I won't mind living in Hawaii. I guess being Asian has something to do with it. Having majored in Japanese Studies in college also contributes to my interest in Hawaii. A part of the population in Hawaii is Japanese, or of Japanese descent. There are other reasons to love Hawaii too. The beach, the weather, the care-free surfing spirit, the unique Hawaiian culture...

I don't surf myself, but the image of surfers riding the huge waves is, to me, both beautiful, and picturesque! It's like watching a silent movie, with the sounds of nature in its background! There's just something about the beaches of Hawaii, that make one feel like vacation, even for a resident there. Of course, if you're a surfer, a vacation in Hawaii will simply be delightful! If you're not a surfer, there are still a lot of things you can enjoy on the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Known as the Rainbow state, Hawaii has a lot of natural beauty of which to boast. The volcanoes, and waterfalls - just to name a couple! If you don't want to have anything to do with the waves, except to watch it from a distance, you can go hiking, and let the trails surprise you with unique living creatures, and foliage! Visit the kauai vacation packages, and enjoy a relaxing, and fun stay on the island!

Of course, if you love water, surfing is not the only thing you can do on the island of Hawaii. You can snorkel, dive, and swim too! Just look on line at kauai vacation packages, and pick the package that suits you most! Let others do the work for you, and enjoy a hassle free vacation on a legendary beautiful island! Aloha!

Below is a press release you'll enjoy reading!

Press Release:

KAUAI, HI--(MARKET WIRE)--Feb 19, 2007 -- Recommendations by the 9/11 Commission have led to a new law that requires US citizens returning to the country by air to show a passport. As of 2006, only a quarter of the American public actually held a passport. Hawaiian Beach Rentals recently conducted an informal survey that projected a marked increase in domestic travel as a result of the new passport legislation.

In accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the passport requirement is a part of the states' and Homeland Security's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Charles Koehl of Hawaiian Beach Rentals states, "Our staff recently conducted an informal survey of our customers. In light of the new passport regulations, more than half the customers questioned intend to make domestic travel arrangements as opposed to scheduling international travel. In fact, one of our customers who's spent her life traveling the south pacific told us that as long as her favorite Kauai condo is available, there's really no need to leave the US."

As early as January 1, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security expects to have similar passport requirements that apply to sea travel. Traveling to domestic destinations such as an all-inclusive Kauai vacation package will allow tourists to plan exotic, luxurious, and hassle-free vacations by air or sea without having to obtain a passport.

Mr. Koehl further says, "American travelers now find it easier to come to Hawaii than other international destinations, but still want a customized experience that only local people can help coordinate. Hawaiian Beach Rentals offers accommodations such as Kauai vacation rental homes, condos and hotels, as well as airfare and car rentals to customers wanting to travel to Hawaii. Our services include up to date local information about Hawaii and the ability for customers to quickly and easily pay for their vacation online via a secure payment process." Additional information and incredible color photos of domestic travel destinations in Hawaii are available online at Hawaiian Beach Rentals.

This is a sponsored post.

Bugs Are Scary!

2007-05-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

My 2-year-old, going to be 3-year-old is terrified of bugs - big or small. He's a boy! Boys are not supposed to be afraid of bugs! My husband is especially frustrated about this. Well, he thinks boys should not be afraid, but should LOVE bugs. My little one is even afraid of tiny ants!

I'm worried about him as summer draws near. I'm already beginning to see lots of love bugs flying around. The other day, when I took him to the library, a moth fluttered into the car, when I opened the door to release him from his car seat. He saw the moth, and went hysterical. I could not calm him down. Of course, I had to "shoo" the moth from the car, with him clinging onto me for dear life!

Hours after the incident, my toddler still asked me, "Mommy! Where's the moth?" Sigh! I do hope my son will outgrow his fear of bugs. I don't want him to come home with grasshoppers, or cockroaches in his pockets or backpacks, but I do wish he'll not freak out and cry when he's around bugs!

Game Time!

2007-04-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

The Berenstain Bears

2007-04-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

2007-04-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

Kamishibai Man

2007-04-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

The Delight of Birthdays!

2007-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

Dancing with The Stars

2007-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

Smart Move to Blog for Money!

2007-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

A Precious Gift

2007-04-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Rock Star Reality Shows

2007-04-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

Emma's Rug

2007-04-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-04-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Pathetic Parents

2007-04-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Allison

2007-04-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

The Bracelet

2007-04-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

"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.".

This is a sponsored post.

Grandfather's Journey

2007-04-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Country Music

2007-04-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-04-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Tea with Milk

2007-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

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.

This is a sponsored post.

Bao-er Attempts to Snow-board

2007-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Dare to Dream (2)

2007-04-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

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!

This is a sponsored post.

Dare to Dream

2007-04-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

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!