Celebrating Life.

Summer events.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Other than Spring, Summer is also a perfect season for events. It is the time when you get more wedding invitations,party invitations and also opportunities to go to various musical events. To name a couple major events here in Budapest, there is the Budapest Summer festival which are held in various locations.

Also not forgeting one of the biggest outdoor music festival in Europe called the "Sziget Festival", simply means Island Festival which is held every year on Óbudai Island, North of Budapest.

Download .jar files for your mobile phone.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:40:00 +0000

After trying out the various cool homebrew applications on my ds lite - drawing application, read a book application and hiragana/katakana application- I've decided to go back and search for applications for my mobile phone. I don't have a high tech phone but it works pretty well with .jar applications. I found a website where you can download freeware, shareware, and demo .jar/.jad applications for your phones. Visit www getjar dot com.

I found many English dictionary applications there (which is the reason why I came upon the website in the first place). Many work well just that it seems that none of them has the word mesothelioma in their databases.:p

Nevertheless, I think I'd be having a little bit more fun with my phone now with all those .jar applications to try out.

Saving on car insurance.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:31:00 +0000

Having a car is great. It is convenient and takes you places, most of the time, in comfort. What's more, cars are becoming more affordable. However the downside of having a car is the maintenance and other expenses that comes with it - quarterly or biannual maintenance check, gas or petrol, spare parts, accessories and of course paying your auto insurance company.

Just like everything else these days, when looking for the most suitable auto insurance, you just have to take time looking around. Thanks to the internet this task has become a lot easier than ever before. Obtaining car insurance rate from the company of your choice is just a few clicks away. I remember having to check from one insurance company website to another and calling them one by one. Too much time, too much of a hassle.

I wish they had car insurance comparison websites sooner. But then again it is better late than never. Now, with car insurance quotation websites - such as autoquotenow dot com - comparing and choosing the cheapest insurance rate from insurance companies across the country is so quick, simple and most of all for free. In this sort of economy we are facing currently, it is a good way to save money on car insurance.

Fiddling around with the camera.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

It was only 2 days ago that I started reading my old camera's manual. After nearly five years of having it. :"> I usually take pictures in auto mode and seldom steered away from it - thought that it was sufficient since the pictures didn't turn out bad at all. And it was only last week that I found out what the flower and mountain signs on my camera LCD display were all about (macro and infinity modes).Really a photography illiterate.

So after doing a little bit of tweaking on the settings, here are a few pictures taken at my father in law's garden. He has a rather spacious garden which he filled with fruit trees and nothing else. Somebody should mention gazebos to him. I'd definitely have a gazebo if I had a garden. :P

Anyhow, these are definitely not the best pictures anyone had seen, but the potentiality that my camera hadn't touched before after all these years and who knows what else I can do with it. Although embarrassed of my own ignorance, I'm quite positive that there are so many people who are like me.

I will be getting another new camera which is slightly more complicated to handle that the one that I have now which means I have to be little bit more diligent on learning what those photography jargon like aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc, etc. Talking about it already made me regret a bit. he he he. Perhaps should have just stuck to simple compact digital camera. But those nice photos I see others take do make me feel a little bit more motivated to learn.

A sign on the bus.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Goodbye Michael.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:13:00 +0000

I never thought that I'd write something about Michael Jackson up here on my blog. I never considered myself a fan of his even though I know many of his songs by heart. To be honest when I first read about his death, I felt like it was a dream (or rather a nightmare) that I wish was not true and just like before felt as if he is still there, alive in his home with his kids. But today, after watching his memorial from beginning to end, the sad fact seemed to sink in. "Gosh, Michael really is gone". I even cried listening to the songs by him that I so often listened to, and speeches from all those who were lucky enough to know him personally. And words from Paris, his daughter.... and that does it, tears were pouring down uncontrollably. Strange feeling this emptiness.

Never realized how much he had given the world. Not only his music, but the kindness that he had shown, through the charities that he had done. An amazing man. Truly is an inspiration. For it is not what he had gained from his fame and fortune but how much he had given back. Perhaps too much than many of us would be able to do in our entire lifetime.

Goodbye Michael, and as many had said before, "Thank you for the Music" and may God bless you where ever you may be.

Let your car pay for itself.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Having a car is expensive. Nearly everyone I know, who owns a car got it through loan. Which means, a certain amount of money will be taken out of your monthly paycheck to pay off your car debt. Not to mention money for weekly gas or petrol, yearly insurance and also for the regular maintenance check to make sure that the car is in good condition. Although a car gives you a little bit of convenience and traveling comfort, it sure sucks the money out of your wallet fast.

Now, if you have a car that needs to be paid for monthly and you don't mind to display advertisements on your car, you may want to know about streetvertisement.com because they have a way to help you with your car payments. "How can I Lower my car payment with a Streetvertisement?" you ask? Well, streetvertisement helps connect advertisers and car owners/drivers.

All you have to do is list your vehicle, include a picture of your vehicle and list where you would be displaying the advertisement and how much you would ask to advertise for a month - say $100/month, $150/month, and so on. Advertisers will browse the available vehicles listed and they will choose the vehicles and then will contact the owners. Once both parties agree, advertisement put in place, the car owners will be paid monthly as per agreement.

Street advertising is rather a brilliant idea I must say. You gain more exposures this way.We've got two of our cars sold rather quickly through displaying ads stating that the cars were for sale.

Anyhow, if you are interested to display ads on your car, you better list your car on the site as soon as possible for it is free to add for now. After they've got 250 cars on the site they will start to charge. So be quick.

Multiplayer billiard online game.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Online multiplayer games can indeed be very addictive. Why wouldn't they be? They are a lot of fun. You can play with friends from all over the globe. Although most of the time you would only find those role playing fantasy games, shooting games etc, but there are more and more variety of online multiplayer games available now.

For those who enjoy playing billiard, now they can play the game online with their friends. Go to http://www.8c1.net to play for free. I've tried a bit (though I am more of the RPG type of gamer) just to see how fast the site is. Loads up pretty quickly, even with my rather slow portable web stick internet connection. Most likely it would be a breeze to load for adsl users.

Have fun playing!

Elefánt ház of Budapest zoo.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:20:00 +0000

The Budapest állatkert or zoo is one of my favourite places in Budapest. The zoo is well maintained and the architecture is beautiful.

This here is called the Elephant house located within the zoo itself. Built in 1912 by Kornél Neuschloss.At first glance, with the dome shaped roofs and the single minaret it does look like a mosque.

Eastern European women and red hair.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:44:00 +0000

The other day, when I was shopping for some toiletries I passed by the hair product section and saw the hair dyes on display. Grabbed a box of Garnier hair dye just out of whim and because it was on sale :P . The first and last time I dyed my hair was when I was 15.

I haven't used it yet. Not sure whether I really should when I think again about it. So I browsed about hair dyes. About how safe it is to topics about Hungarian women choice of hair colours. When I came upon a blog of another foreigner in Hungary writing about how she find it strange to see so many Hungarian women with red hair. Strange enough, it was exactly what I thought so many times before when I encounter Hungarian ladies with various shade of red hair. Some nice, some are simply strange. (Like clownish sort of red). Then I read a forum where someone was asking about why middle aged Polish women seem to love to dye their hair red. So perhaps there is something about red hair and Eastern European at the moment? But then again it has been a rather popular colour it seems for years now. Even before I came to Hungary nearly 3 years ago since a relative who was 18 at that time came to visit us in Malaysia with her hair dyed reddish (told me it was the same colour as her mother's hair. Go figure).

I didn't go for red though. I took the blondest shade I saw on the shelf. Because my hair is real black so the end result should be brownish as stated on the box itself. But then again, after reading about all those hair dye disasters, I think I'd not dye my hair. Or at least not by myself. Don't want to end up getting green hair or worst, I may end up having to buy hair loss products.
Should just go down to the nearest salon and do it if I really want to.

Exercise with your toddler.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Spending time playing with my daughter can be considered one of the best fat burners around. :) She seems to have an unlimited pool of energy to burn. I feel that I am rather unfit at times that I simply could not catch up with her.

Though there are some parents who thought they are not exercising enough when they are with their kids. You feel even if you move a lot with your child yet you don't get to the real exercise with results that you want. If you feel that way too, perhaps you would like to try out the award winning dvd, "Get fit together".

There are about 3 workout programs available: Cardio, Toning and Abs, or Cardio, Toning and Abs. All of which your kids can participate.

Find out more about the DVD on it's website : momandtotfitness.com.

Big girl (you are beautiful)

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:16:00 +0000

I absolutely love this song. Mika is so cool. I like the thought that he sees the beauty in big girls, when many people think being 'big' is unattractive.

I'm not saying one should continue to stay overweight. It is unhealthy. You can diet, you can exercise or find the diet pills that work for you, but at least, at the same time you can simply love the way you look regardless in what shape you are in. Because you can still feel and be beautiful.

Cuti-cuti Hungary.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Above is an ad I saw on my way to tutor. An advertisement promoting summer holiday in Balaton, Hungary. With the title 'Itthon csodat' or if not mistaken means 'wonders at home'. In Malaysia, local people are encouraged to go for holidays within the country. I couldn't agree more actually. It's not that holidays in far off places from here like in Las Vegas, Tokyo, Outer Banks doesn't sound cool. But perhaps it is better to know your own country more first.

While back home in Malaysia, I've lived down South, up North and even in the Capital city, Kuala Lumpur in West Malaysia, yet I haven't really gone around the country thoroughly. Would be nice to check out Sabah and Sarawak and a few of the beautiful Islands.

Anyhow, since I'm here in Hungary, it would be a good thing if I would be able to see what cool places the country has got to offer. One thing for sure, Balaton is a nice place to visit.

Would you enter?

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:56:00 +0000

When ever you go into buildings, do you tend to look for the exit signs? Well, just in case you may need to use them for emergencies.

Now, would you enter this building? :) It's actually an advertisement for a martial art school. What I understand is, once you enter, there is no way out. Either you learn to fight or get your ass kicked and be thrown out through the wall right under the exit sign. :D How's that for an assessment?

Finally back home.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:34:00 +0000

After being away from home for 5 days, we were all set to come back home. It was fun to be in the country, but got kinda homesick. :) We stayed in an old peasant house that was in its original structure - except for a little renovation inside for comfort - since it was built in 1912. Came complete with a horse stable but was turned into a storage room.

Since we are still in Spring now, the crops has grown but will be ready for harvesting only in the Summer I suppose. I haven't the faintest idea about growing crops other than growing the crops in my 'Harvest Moon' Ds cute game. :P

But one thing I know, the fields looks amazingly beautiful. It was like a green ocean. This field here is half planted with wheat while the other side is planted with 'biodiesel' plant which name I have forgotten again.

We drove up to Slovakia for a day trip. The village was rather near to the country border. Didn't go too far though, went up to Modry Kamen and checked out an old castle turned museum. It's called the Castle Modry Kamen (Blue rock).

But then, just as we parked the car by the entrance, it started to rain. Aww, shucks! That's just too bad. Spoilt our mood actually. They had a special tour guide who spoke in Hungarian. 3.15 Euro per person for an hour tour. But we decided to do it another time when the weather is better and when we can walk in the castle grounds. Summer would be a better time I suppose.

After all that, we headed back to Hungary. But we got lost. I had a feeling that we were driving like .... forever. Instead of going South we went South-West. But at least we were still near to Hungary. But we got back eventually. Tired and a bit irritated. Guess if we decided to be adventurous and venture out to other countries more frequently, we got to get ourselves a GPS that works for the whole Europe and even a travel insurance. We can never be too careful can we? :)

It was a short vacation, but an enjoyable one nevertheless. :)

Blogging from Romhány.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:15:00 +0000

I'm currently blogging from Nograd. About 1 1/2 hours drive away from Budapest. We are staying in a small village of 400 residents. No internet, no phone network, not even a tv stand let alone a tv to watch. Well, at least we have warm water to bathe with. :)

Currently, in a restaurant in Romhany about 3 kilometers from the village. Called people up and check emails. :) We'll be back to Budapest in a few days time though.

Know your employees.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:02:00 +0000

Everybody deserves a second chance. That includes those with criminal backgrounds. But as an employer, sometimes it is best to know the backgrounds of their potential employees.

I, myself, would want to know everything that is important to know about anyone whom I'm going to work with or those that I am going to rely on with my business. I suppose that is why there are websites that can be used specifically for employers to do an employee background check.

One such sites is accurateinformationsystems.com. The place where you can obtain accurate information, pre-employment and drug test or screening.

Clean your bathroom fast & easy.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:32:00 +0000

Doing a little online window shopping, and looking at a new shiny lookingDelta faucet. I wish my bathroom faucet would look as shiny as new. The faucet along with everything else in the bathroom tends to get dirty easily I think. However, I do like my bathroom to be clean at all times. To clean it can be a dread especially when it comes to scrubbing away the stubborn soap scums. However, here is tips,which I think can be very useful, from an ehow.com member (kkemp) on how to clean your bathroom quick and easy.

1. Take shower curtain down and place it in the washing machine with 1 cup of bleach and laundry detergent, use warm water. let soak while you are cleaning the bathroom.

2. Remove everything from the shower, top of the commode, floor and sink vanity,(All surfaces need to be cleared).

3. Spray sink vanity, commode and shower with bath, tub & tile cleaner.

4. Now let the washing machine resume & add fabric softener to rinse cycle.
(My machine has a special dispenser that allows you to add it at the beginning).

5. Wipe down all surfaces with hand towel, using old toothbrush around facets as needed.

6. Clean mirror and facets with window cleaner and paper towels.

7. Then when shower curtain is clean hang it back up.
*Note: The fabric softener that you added to the wash helps to keep it clean longer. As far as I know there's never been a scientific research done on this. I just stumbled upon it by accidentally adding it to the rinse cycle.

Happy bathroom cleaning!

Teaching the concept of money with a toy cash register.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Although to teach a child to save money at an early age is important, it is also important that we teach them how to spend (the right way :) ). Well, spending does stimulate the economy doesn't it?

My 3 year old knows that we need money to buy stuff but she totally has no idea about the real concept of buying and selling. Of course we cannot give a long lecture to a child of that age about money, but we can start teaching through playing. That's why I think cash register pretend toys make great teaching tool for that.

I recall making my own money to play shop with friends. I imagine to have a working toy cash register would have been great. There are many types of toy cash register out there. This one here is 'Pretend and Play calculator cash register' that is solar powered. Which means you save on batteries.

I have to admit pretend toys are becoming more realistic and better. I wonder whether they would even try to make pretend POS systems for kids to play shop.

Easy ways to start slimming.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:28:00 +0000

Pic from everydaypeoplecartoons.com

The more one ages, sometimes the body tends to gain weight easier and takes extra effort than before to lose the unwanted weight that were gained. But it definitely isn't impossible. Reader's Digest recommended 50 easy ways to get slimmer.

Here are the first 10 :

1. Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

* Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.

* Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.

* Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.

* Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.

3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That's nearly 90,000 calories a year -- or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don't trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips -- even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you're eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you're consuming 1,700 calories a day and don't understand why you're not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we're suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you're eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

Read the rest here;
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/easy-ways-to-lose-weight-50-ideas/article16057.html

There are 50 ideas to lose weight, there must be a least one that is worth a try. :) You see, cheap fat burners methods can be found easily.All one has to do now is just try them.

Killer high heels.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:38:00 +0000

We have to agree that high heel women's shoes would make the wearer's legs appear elongated and slimmer. The highest high heeled shoes that I'd ever wear are 3 inches. No more. However the highest I've seen is 8 inches.

These are called ballet boots. Good gosh, how that woman walk in those without feeling pain?? And what would doctors say about wearing these kind of shoes??

This 8 inch stiletto comes with a coin slot. It comes with a tip jar. So you can guess who would wear these sort of shoes. :) Cute though. LOL

I'd be 6' 2 with these on.

Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary builder.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:15:00 +0000

English is my second language with Malay being my first. However, I can speak English rather fluently even if my choice of words may not be the best. Complacency is an enemy, that is why in order to increase my proficiency in expressing myself better in English, I bought Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder as one of the steps to improve.

This is my first book of its kind that I ever owned. So I cannot really say whether there are others that are better than this one, but thus far I can say that I really enjoy reading the book.

The author - Mary wood Cornog - set the words into small sections according to their same root words/origins. Under these root words there will be at least 3-4 words. You will be given the meaning, example of usage and some interesting facts about the words or how it came to existence. After every word group you will be given a short quiz to complete to check your understanding and also how well you can remember the words usage. I think the quiz is more likely to help one to remember the words instead of the other way round. Well, at least that's how it is for me.

The book is not a bore to read. I think it is rather a good investment on my part. Got it for £4 from Amazon.co.uk. It's less than $6 on Amazon.com.

The book of positive quotations.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:31:00 +0000

Random quote: "I advise you to go on living solely to enrage those who are paying your annuities. It is the only pleasure I have left." - Voltaire.

I love to read quotations. Especially the witty, funny ones. One of the few gadgets on my igoogle page is 'Quotes of the day' by quotationspage.com for the random daily dose of quotations.

It is the positive quotations that I like to read when ever I need a little boost of confidence or a little spirit lifting. I can read quotes online, but then I decided to get a book of quotations instead.

I bought "The book of Positive Quotations" 2nd ed, compiled and arranged by James Cook on Amazon.co.uk, couple of months ago. With 10,000 over inspirational quotes it is indeed a treasure trove of motivation.

Mr.Cook had arranged the book into 6 main categories - Peace of Mind, Living One Day At A Time, Preparing For Success, Knowing What To Do, Overcoming Negatives And Uncertainties, Making Dreams Come True - and under these 6 main categories there are sub-categories like acceptance, forgiveness,hope, positive thinking and self-fulfilling prophesies and actions, fear, worry, courage, and more. Thus making it easy for you to browse the categories and sub-categories according to what you would like to read.

I have found some duplicates though but no problem. The book is still a great addition to my bookshelf and I never regretted buying it. :)

Recommended Anime - Mainichi Kaasan.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:01:00 +0000

A recent favourite Anime of mine - Mainichi Kaasan. Direct translation would be Everday mother. But it's English title is 'A mom's life'. It's about a mother who is a Manga (comic) artist who is always behind schedule with her work. Juggling between her work and having to take care of her hyper active children. It's just hillarious to watch. Having an alcoholic, traveler husband made things harder too.

This is just the promo vid. To watch 'A mom's life' videos, visit crunchyroll.com.

Victorian style bathroom suite.

noreply@blogger.com (Syari) — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:25:00 +0000

I may not be a clean freak, but when it comes to bathrooms and toilets, I simply cannot stand to see them dirty. The older I become the fussier I am. Can't help it. The the first things I cleaned when we first moved into our current apartment was the bathtub and the toilet. I was quite unhappy to see that the bathtub's surface was rather damaged. Not sure of what, most probably due to the cleaning chemicals used by the previous people who lived here . Now regardless of how I brushed or scrubbed, the bathtub would still look unclean. Wish I can just chuck the bathtub out and get a new one.

Besides the kitchen I really would like to have the bathroom renovated. I like this victorian styled bathroom suite that I saw at betterbathrooms.com.

Sure would make my bathroom look better alright. The website offers plenty of bathroom items from bathroom suites to bathroom mirrors and lighting. Just about everything you may need to create that harmonious looking, bathroom that you've always wanted.

It won't be anytime soon that I'd be able to choose my own bathroom suite, but the time will come nevertheless, when I get the chance. Just that, looking at the collections at betterbathrooms.com, I feel like that time cannot come any sooner!