Full Change Jar

2008-01-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last week, we were high up in the mountains, fighting off mosquito ( by the way, thank you Jaime for your professional advise on Malaria, it is too late now!) , riding disobedient mules, drinking river water on the advice of Pablo, the crazy mountain man, and fighting with real estate agents. After a 9 hour tense flight, we are back in civilization. I still don't feel like I can face this place yet, so no phone calls for today!! I will call you tomorrow when I feel more human and can find the charger for my cell phone :)

I will just send this as a quick summary. Give me a few days, and I can get a blog site uploaded with the pictures, details, etc....

The flight to Puerto Plata was okay. Cecil wanted the window seat, complaining that he never had a chance to see the scenery. So, he got the window seat. After take-off, he promptly fell asleep and remained that way for the duration of the flight. Mom was worried about being able to go to the bathroom the entire flight, so I had to coordinate that. She was also giving Cecil disapproving looks. It reminded me of watching The Curse of the Golden Flower with him in Richmond....the whole theatre was giving him disapproving looks as he chewed on popcorn and slurped his drink.... :)

We arrived at the Puerto Plata aeropuerto at night time, and was directed by a Sunquest vacation agent to our transfer bus. The porter demanded a tip (this was foreshadowing for what's to come for the next 7 days), and none of us had any pesos ready for him. On the bus, I think the Sunquest agent was pointing out landmarks, the lush vegetations, and other various things she deemed important. Did I mention it was pitch dark outside and her microphone was broken?

We were booked into the Fun Royale Tropicale all inclusive resort, which is in the Playa Dorada complex. Playa Dorada is the largest all inclusive complex in the world, with probably over 30 individual resorts. It is what I call a "prison" compound. They give you a wrist band, which you can't take off for the duration of the stay, and they try to keep everyone inside, because the outside is just too "dangerous". It is literally a compound, with gates and security guards patrolling the perimeters. You can't get in unless you are on a tour bus, or wearing a wrist band. Right now, I still have the wrist band on. It's kind of like the prisoner numbers tattooed on Jewish concentration camp prisoners, I am having separation anxieties :)

After some disgusting food at the resort, we started calling real estate agents and booked appointments outside of the "compound" for the next seven days.

Barb and Dorothy from Remax picked us up the next day. For the next 3 days, they took us to about 6 fincas (farms). It was their first time dealing with clients who want massive amounts of land, so it was an adventure for everyone. Our criteria was this: a finca with mountains, a flatland portion, a body of water runing through it, excellent soil for farming, and ocean view...basically what everyone wants.

One of the fincas we looked at belonged to a German family. The guy's name is Arnold, but he insisted on us calling him Pablo (?). We had to go up into the mountains with three 4x4 trackers. After crossing rivers and muddy terraine, one of the trackers had a flat tire, the other one's radiator blew, so we hiked rest of the way. A lot of the fincas don't have access to main roads, so this was the only way to get there. Pablo and his family have been living there for over 20 years. Sitting on the chairs he made with the mahogany wood on his property, he went into a lecture about living one with the universe, returning to his roots, living off the land, and his version of eco-tourism. We hiked up a mountain to see the view of the ocean. There were fireant hills everywhere, so on the way up, I was bitten. Cecil and I didn't know whether to brush away the ants as they were biting me, as Pablo was big on not harming anything on his property. So, I was bitten the whole way up. As we crossed a river, he said proudly, "I raised my children on this water, please try some!". I didn't know how to refuse that, on the grounds of not insulting his parenting skills.

There were so many others, but I don't have time to recall all 6 farms. Check them out on my blog when I finish that.

After 3 days of trekking up and down mountains, we decided that it would be fun to rent a car and go to Santiago, the second largest city in the Dominican Republic. Driving was an experience, as there are no traffic laws. 8 years ago, no one really had cars there, so they drive like manics, coming at you from all directions. Motorcycles are like bicycles in Asia, everywhere. We took the scenic route, going through the Jamao mountains. The view was breathtaking, and there were little fruit stands along the way. We stopped to pick up some baked yams and a watermelon on the mountain. Let me tell you that the drive to Santiago was great, but getting back was a problem. We were lost in the slums of Santiago, one wrong turn, we ended up at this garbage dump surrounded by stick homes. I am the only one out of the four of us who can speak some Spanish, so with my broken Spanish and and a lot of finger pointing, and 3 hours later, we got out of the slums and headed back to Puerto Plata. People were extremely friendly, and they all gave us looks of pity...

The next day, I called the seller of the 610 acre finca we planned on buying. She was on an airplane out of the country, returning to the United States, so she cordinated her uncle to show us the farm. He is 82 years old and rode a 4 hour long bus from Santo Domingo just to meet us. On the phone, he murmured something in Spanish about mules, and I thought I heard wrong.

This was the plan, go to Jamao Dal Norte, find the Jamao River Bridge, and wait for Cesar Belarus, who is the 82 year-old uncle. He will then take us to the farm. The Jamao River Bridge was easy to find, except we were the major attraction of the region. As we loitered around, the locals started gathering, all thinking whether we needed any help.

Cesar arrived an hour late, but he got down to business right away by getting 6 mules ready. So, Cesar, the four of us, his machete wielding assistant, and 2 local kids were on our way. It's a beautiful farm, with turqoise blue rivers running through it. He led us up and down the mountains, across the rivers, and some swimming holes. The most interesting thing was riding a disobdient mule down the mountain close to barb wires that fenced the property. Going downhill was really really really frightening...not sure how to explain it. Mom wasn't paying much attention to the views, instead, she had her eyes set on the sweet lemons. One of the kids climbed the tree to get sweet lemons for everyone, and she was the happiest about that.

The last two days, we saw more farms, one in Rio San Juan that really peaked our interest. The ad said 180 acres, but when we got there, Danilo, the caretaker of the farm, said it's actually 1000 acres for the same price. Sometimes, it's funny dealing with Dominican sellers, as they tend to exagerate and trick buyers, especially when people show interest. I asked him whether he can swear on his children's life that it's 1000 acres for the same price, and he responded by saying he swears on his mother's life. Male dominicans hold their mothers pretty high, so that was enough to believe him.

I don't have much to say about the resort we stayed at. We wouldn't have stayed if we went on our own. The whole point of an all-inclusive resort is to keep you there. If I wanted to see people stuff their faces with food, drink themselves silly, and then sun tan around the pool, I could do it here. The Dominican Republic is famous for all-inclusive deals, on the way back home, a British airbus pulled into the airport, and every one on board was here for an all-inclusive holiday. Airbuses are huge. The sad thing is it's the economy in small towns is taking a beating, because tourists don't get out of the resorts. We also looked at a 150 room hotel in the Sosua/Cabarete area, and it was completely dilapidated. The area's economy went downhill after Puerto Plata started the all-inclusive trend. Small boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts are going out of business fast...

The last day, we went to the Isabel de Torres Botanical Gardens. You take the cable car to get up to an altitute of 800 meters. You can get a manificent view of the entire Puerto Plata area. The garden was unimpressive, one of the guides at the garden was pointing at a tree telling tourists that it's mahogany. I've seen millions of mahogany trees on the farms we went to, and this was not mahogany, it was pine, and the pine needles were all over the ground. He wasn't so thrilled with me for pointing that out. Then he proceeded to say that the French occupied Haiti and left the country as the 4th poorest country in the world. I am all for blaming the French for things, but that just wasn't the case. The French had a lot to do with it, but in the end, it goes back to Haitians massively cutting down all Mahogany trees and top soil erosion. All in all, he wasn't too impressed with me for the whole day.

There is a lot of anti-Haitian propaganda in Dominican educational books, but the 4 million Haitians (estimation) in the country are the hardest working. They often speak several languages, always educating themselves to learn more, work the sugar crane fields for 2 dollars US a day, and send money back home when they can. They are thoroughly hated by the Dominicans because of the their rough past. Duarte, the revoluntionary figure who fought back the Haitians, is very much celebrated there. Statues of him are everywhere in Santiago, and the main highway is called Autopista Duarte...

A lot of the expatriates there fund Haitian children to go to school. The education is free, but it costs 1500 pesos ( 1:25.5 conversion rate) to buy the uniform, books, and backpacks (which is mandatory).

I would recommend the Dominican Republic, but don't stay with the all-inclusive resorts. In the Puerto Plata area, stay at Sosua, Cabarete, Rio San Juan, Jamao or Playa Grande, and give back to the local economy a little bit. Buy from local vendors, it goes a long way. At the least, rent a car, drive around, get lost, and trust that people are friendly and genuine enough to help you with no conditions.

itune imix added

2007-01-14T00:10:00.000-08:00

Itune has a neat feature, where bloggers can list the songs on their playlist on blogs in an attractive way.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to hear a sample of the songs. If you have iTune, you will be redirected to your iTune Store.

It's a clever viral marketing strategy to encourage visitors to download iTune songs.

You can see a sample iMix at the bottom of this webpage.

The Much Anticipated Glovers Atoll "Resort" Review

2007-01-13T23:23:00.000-08:00

The word "Resort" can not describe the true experience of the Glovers Atoll Resort.

Please do not go if you are looking for pampering, service, or cleanliness.

Go, because you want a "Robinson Crusoe" experience, you enjoy the feeling of insignificance and isolation, you marvel at the incredible beauty of a World Heritage Site and want to soak it in from a "traveler's" perspective, you want world class diving without the price tag, or you are a seasoned and independent traveler who has no concept of time.

A week on the atoll is actually a long time, believe me.

The Glovers Atoll Resort is a mystery on the Internet. So many people stumble upon their website and search for reviews, but there aren't any that ranks particularly high on the search engine results. You need to dig deep to find genuine reviews. I guess that's why I am doing this.
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Some Do's and Don'ts...

1) Don't stay at the Glovers Atoll Guest House at Sittee River before departure. It's cheap, but not cheap enough for the condition it is in, especially considering that Sittee Toucan is right next door. It's a little more expensive, but you don't have to fight off the mosquitoes at night or swallow the horrible yet over priced breakfast.

I stayed at Tipple Tree Beya at Hopkins Village. It's a 10 minute bicycle ride to Sittee River. It was perfect! The Watering Hole is right across the street. You can sit outside and chat with the locals on fishing, diving, village life while you wait for delicious yet inexpensive food.

2) Do bring your own food, especially in the off-season. If you don't remember a thing from this review, do remember this one. Whether you choose to stay in the cabanas, dorm rooms or campsites, bring your own food. I bought mine from a market in Hopkins village; it had everything you will ever need on the atoll. Buy canned, pickled, or packaged foods, avoid anything fresh. It will go bad in hours. Buy water. You will thank me.

As far as cooking goes, this is what Glover's Atoll provides you to cook. They don't clean it, so it's up to you. Clean it with Clorox (provided) before you use it, you will thank me for that too.

3) Don't be ambitious like me! I wanted to camp. This is a bad idea during the pre-rainy or rainy season. The campsite is tucked in the treed portion of the atoll. Mosquitoes are rampant, and you won't survive. For your own sanity, pay for the cabana. It will make your stay much more pleasant.

4) Do bring Benedryl. Your worst enemy is the sand flies. They hide in your towels, clothes, shorts, t-shifts, and end up on your bed. You will be covered in tiny red bumps. Benedryl takes away the itch. Nothing I brought in my backpack worked, and the local "marijuana" remedy did not deter the buggers either. There is no need to worry about prevention, just bring Benedryl to deal with the aftermath.

5) Do bring a travel size board game or some type of entertainment. I swam, dived, snorkeled, star-gazed, played with hermit crabs, tortured cockroaches and kayaked all day, yet there were always a few hours a day when I was bored.

6) Don't go if you can't share your cabana, dorm, campsite or your bed with cockroaches. Every night around 8 pm, a few hours after sunset, they come out and play. I tried flicking them into the sea, but they just swam back and jump into my bed again.

7) Don't count on anything on the Glover's Atoll website. We were three hours behind the departure time. The owners ran out of water on the second day; hence, bring water. The bread never came until the fourth day, and it was given to us by the real resort on the adjacent atoll. The fresh fish was unreliable, as Warren, the owner's son , seems like the sole provider of fish for the travelers.

8) Don't rent the kayak for the week. Rent it on a daily basis. I rented mine for the week, and sometimes for days, it was sitting ashore. The best snorkeling point is a quick swim away, so there is actually no need for the kayak. If you want to venture into vast lagoon to check out the sandbars and reef points, just rent the kayak as you need it.

9) Do bring toilet paper. They ran out, and luckily, I brought my own :)

10) Do close the cabana doors and windows at night. Thunderstorms can roll in unexpectedly.
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Some Unpleasant Memories....

1) Starving for a couple of days after I ran out of food. The Lomonts had food in the club house, but it honestly didn't look good. I can stomach a lot of things, but this was bad.

2) Running out of water and drinking what the Lomonts said was collected rain water. I've lived off rain water before in my other travels, but whatever this was, it was not rain water. I was charged for this too!

3) Becky, one of the owners, finally arrived on day four with the catamaran. The guests waited anxiously for some bread. Then it hit us....Becky was drunk, partying on the catamaran with her friends, and she forgot both the water and bread.

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Some Unforgettable Memories...

1) Feeling the much needed tropical breeze while eating fresh barracuda and tuna caught in the morning...

2) Snorkeling for hours and hours and hours in total peacefulness...

3) Chasing after sting rays on my second dive, feeling their rubbery texture on my figure tips, and watching their shadows as they disappear into the distance...

4) Sitting in the cabana by the doors, and just staring into the nothingness, while the absorbing the sweet scent of the tropical breeze...

5) The sulfuric smell of the rustic shower in the jungle...

6) Being afraid of tiny jelly fish...more so than of nurse sharks...

7) The glow worms that flash blue in the lagoon at night...gosh...that was amazing...

8) Shivering in my bed when the thunder shook the cabana. It came with such force that I thought it was going to fall...

9) Talking to the teacher from Ohio who was on her fourth week at the atoll. She was going a little mad from the isolation, but still remained charming.

10) Watching the Lomonts. For a week, you are allowed into their lives. Don't judge them too harshly.
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Go to Glover's Atoll Resort. It's an experience. While you are there, the sheer isolation will drive you to think of creative ways to get off the atoll. After you leave, you will die to go back again.

Thank you!

2007-01-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

In the long run, I am horrible at keeping in touch with those who matter to me.

This is primarily due to my belief that friendship comes without conditions, which include the condition of "keeping in touch". We can all come and go freely, and I don't want to hinder anyone's wish to leave and live his/her life. Vise versa, if our friendship were true, then you should not be bothered by my silence.

With that said, I understand it is unorthodox and perhaps a little cold.

So, I just want to say that you still inspire me and are with me through every decision. Here are some things unsaid...

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To my cousin, I am sorry I haven't attempted any genuine communication in years. I still have the last letter you sent; it's tucked away somewhere safe. Some nights, I think of the mountains we climbed, sitting atop looking at the winding rivers and valley below. At any sight of natural beauty, anywhere in the world, I imagine you with me.
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To Tom Magnussen, what can I say, it was a wonderful year full of memories.

The nightly roadtrip we did to Seattle, Knight and Day in North Vancouver, and Squamish.
Trying to nail Kevin for the money he stole from both our rooms. The ATM picture was priceless. You praying to God that I would live when I was near death.

I never wanted to admit it, but the night you went to Squamish by yourself, I was terribly jealous!

Your Ikea coffee table is still in my living room.

I called your mom again after you returned to Japan, but I moved numerous times afterwards. So, you probably can't find me. Maybe when life slows down a bit, I will look you up.
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To Mutsue, if I could choose a sister, it would be you! Oh my god, where do I begin?

Camping and hiking along the Oregon and California coast was interesting! We nearly fell off the cliff and died, but it would have been worth it. Next time, we will leave Mika behind. She is too fragile.

The Kelowna, Jasper, Banff and Columbia Icefield Parkway trip was even more interesting. The hikes were amazing, Athabasca Falls, Revelstoke, Lake Louise, the vineyards, sneaking into campsites to use the showers, me fighting with Hideo in Kelowna, the four of us sleeping in a 2 person tent, and waking up freezing cold in Jasper.

The Vancouver Island / Tofino trip was too short. The car we rented was a piece of crap, and I am sorry I took the wrong turn and ended up going in the wrong direction for 2 hours.

The weekly Lighthouse park hikes with you and Ken. I tried going back there after you left, it just wasn't the same.

The nightly singing and drinking parties at our place. We put our roommates through hell.

I would choose you to travel the world with!
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To Hideo, I am sorry for fighting with you in Kelowna. The important thing is we made up! Thank you for grabing the flaming tree branch to light my cigarette. That was a sweet gesture. I still tell people about you and I sleeping in the elements in the middle of nowhere, with no sleeping bags, blankets, or a tent. I hope you enjoyed that experience.

Oh, and you are great at parking a truck and the most incredible softball player on our team!

You emailed me so long ago, but my email address changed, and I don't know how to reach you again.
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To Leon, yikes....

What can I say, I am so sorry. I was young, immature, and didn't understand what you wanted. You did everything right, and I did everything wrong.

Thank you for coming with me to Northern BC and trusting me enough to drive in the hail and total darkness :)

After hurting you, I decided that I couldn't do the same to anyone else. Thank god I learnt this young.

If I see you again, I would still be too embarrassed at myself to say Hello.
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To Jaime, I miss you.

We've known each other for nine years. I've said everything I wanted to say to you.

Those daily nine, ten hour phone conversations kept me sane during a difficult time. I cost you a fortune. It must have been difficult to be doing medical school and cattering to my whims at the same time.

If we were good at one thing, it was discussing things in life that don't really matter to most people.

I should have taken the trip to New York when I had the chance. It's too late now. But, I carry you in my spirit.

I'll email you after I come back from my February trip, like I promised.
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To Kay, you bug me too much about seeing you and keeping in touch! Now that you are in Trail, I have a good excuse!

My mom loves you to death, and that's rare. She must see a bit of herself in you....the good bit of course. She still wants to adopt you.

We pretty much grew up together...losing our hair over the IB program in school, those 4:30am drives to UBC, experimentation in cooking exotic foods, going to SFU together, going through anxiety issues during exam time, stealing bags and bags full of pop bottles from the softball team, our painting business in high school, the charity we co-founded, your wedding, your son...

You brought extra lunch for me in school, and that was very motherly. You've always called me a "wandering soul", and that term has never left me.

I will email you with the update of my trip in February!
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To Andy, I am not sure why we lost touch.

After I met my fiance, you sort of disappeared. Perhaps it was my fault, but I don't remember.

We tried, it was weird, but we tried. It was by far the shortest relationship I've ever had - whole 16 hours. We were much better as friends.

I haven't returned to Salmon House since, but I want to go back. The view of the city was amazing, and the dessert didn't hurt either.

I always felt that I was your therapist, maybe that's why it would have never worked out. You and I in the mist on Burnaby Mountain at 3 o'clock in the morning is etched in my mind. I've never given such a long therapy session before. The sleepover at your place downtown was odd, but thanks for teaching me MahJong with such patience.

Someone told me that you were hurt after I met my fiance. You should have known it wouldn't have make a difference. You should have stayed, and I would have loved your friendship.
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To Chris, the fatherly advices were getting to me, and that's why I never called you back. I realize now that you just cared.

Running into you at BCIT was nice. You left your number, but I never called. Sorry!

You were kind of an odd ball, but we shared good experiences! Thanks for hiking and climbing with me, playing tennis when I lost my partner, bring me that bottle of Crown Royale for my birthday, and making me Sushi at Kishapopo.

I think in a lot of ways, I was too young then to see that you wanted the best for me.

Still! Your constant pestering was threatening my freedom. Today, I might have reacted more tactfully.

If I see you at BCIT again, I will say Hello.
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Finally, to Rob MacKenzie, we travelled and still do travel the world together...

Getting sick in Mozambique for two days after eating the crabs was horrifying, but you held my hair back every single time I vomitted. The 3 day fever I had on the train in Russia, the slipped disc I had after falling off the horse in Mongolia, the twisted ankle I had after tripping on the way down to Lake Titicaca, the freaky diving accident on Roatan, Honduras that knocked me unconcious....I injured myself all over the world, and you didn't mind patching me up! Thank God you are a true expert survivalist!

I wish I could be with you now, but I am definitely coming in December for the Thailand trip. The ticket is already booked! I hope you like the quote I sent you about Macchu Picchu!

I never said this to you before, but thank you for never expecting anything more of me than someone to share unbelievable experiences with.

I will see you in February when you come back! We will go for better food this time.

Blank Stares

2007-01-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

I get a lot of blank stares.

Lately, the number of blank stares is increasing at an exponential rate.

Case One

Room C206, Web Redesign Committee Meeting.....

I said : " Maybe we should reconsider paying an editor $70,000 to rewrite 70 course outlines. The reward of the expenditure does not outweigh the expenses. Radio spots cost less, reaches more targeted demographic audience. Why are we spending money on something that's highly inaccessible by students, especially when they are hidden on our website?"

Blank stares all around the room.....

Case Two

Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....

I said: "We send enough material aids to Africa. The problem is North American and European businesses would love nothing more than for Africa to remain impoverished. It has endless natural resources. By keeping the people poor and uneducated, we have enslaved them. It's a self-serving strategy."

Students said: "................" and blank stares all around.....

Case Three

Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....

I said : " I plan to adopt a girl from China after having a child of my own...."

Students said :"................" and blank stares all around.....

I am on a roll today. Maybe I am the one who is not making sense.

Conquering Ebay

2006-12-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

Ebay Observation #1

A very high percentage of all luxury handbags and accessaries listed on Ebay is fake. Think about this, how do people get their hands on the most current season's Balenciaga handbag, especially when there is always a waiting list of a few years.

I have searched for years for a genuine supply of luxury handbags sold at a discount. Only a few suppliers were found.

The first one is Bag Borrow Steal, which was featured on the Oprah website. You can rent the luxury brands such as Andrea Brueckner, Kooba, Hermes, Balenciaga, Gucci, Fendi, Chanel, etc. You can also join their email distribution list and purchase used rental handbags. Believe, the prices are still steep. The other web site is no longer available. But, I did know of this lady in New York who bought shelf-pulls and last season's designer accessaries. Then, she sells them to you in bulk. I suppose she discontinued the website because she really doesn't need it. She has enough clientales in New York.

The other day, I saw tons of Thomas Wylde grey skull handbag for bids on Ebay. The sellers all claim they are real, but that's unlikely considering that the Thomas Wylde handbag is elusive to the general public.

Also, I found some direct agents of Francis Tse the other day. After some email communications, they sent me their distribution list of luxury designer handbags and the price list. For those of you who don't know Francis Tse, the manufacturer has the most sought after mirror image designer handbags and accessaries. The rumor is that the mirror image product is indistinguishable from the real thing. I also see a lot of Francis Tse products on Ebay. It's truly buyer be aware. Use your common sense and spend a bit more money to buy the real thing instead of taking your chances on Ebay.

Ebay Observation #2

From a seller's point of view, and I have sold on Ebay numerous times, it is essential to find a wholesale supplier in China. Everything is manufactured in China for a cheaper price, and I mean everything. When the Play Station 3 frenzie took the pre-Christmas sale by storm, Chinese suppliers already made fake PS3s. They look exactly like the real thing, but of a poorer quality. I have also seen fake PS3s on Ebay being sold just like Sony's real Play Station.

My mother will be leaving for China next Tuesday to have dinner with some local politicians in what used to be the capital of Manchuria. I asked her to also take a tour of some local factories to see what I can possibly import to North American. Ideally, I am looking for dropshipping opportunities, meaning I never receive the inventory, but the factories ship it to my customers on their end. There are websites that list Chinese manufacturers, but I can't just communicate with them through emails. I will either make the deal face-to-face or do business with factory owners my family knows.

One Sour Note

2006-12-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

A Christmas party is not an open invitation to consume copious amounts of alcohol and pass out. Well, I did not get that memo, did you?

Passing out and vomitting in the car did not shock me. What shocked me was the crying! I mean, I was really really crying.

A reliable source, my fiance, told me apparently I was crying uncontrollably for about one hour.

The alcohol was not the culprit, just the catalyst. The culprit was the Malaysian singer Guang Liang's "Fairy Tale" song. This song is precisely the reason why I avoid listening to Mandarin music. The MTV video is depressing, typical of Chinese music and movies. After the first brilliantly composed piano chord, I was a mess. In the haze of drunkeness, I decided to put the song on repeat.

This is the part that draws out the waterworks:

"You said to me with full of tears, inside the fairytale are all lies".

Please do psychoanalyze me. I am an emotion suppressor. It takes a bit of alcohol and one sour note, and years of suppression comes out all at once. It happens once every few years, but once I have had a good cry, I move on by supressing some more. I am unable to express any real emotions without alcohol. This is simply not healthy.

For the record, my take on love fairytales is that they are all lies. It's a combination of two idealists, unattainable romance, overcoming obstacles, and happily ever after. Except, what exactly is happily after anyhow?.

Homeless Vancouver Website

2006-12-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

Instead of giving presents this year, I will be sponsoring the homeless on my family and friends' behalf.

The Vancouver Homeless website has profiles of the homeless along with their Christmas list. Most of the items are everyday necessities like blankets, shoes, and cooking utencils.

Helping is easy. Just print out the form, fill it out and send it along with the items listed.

I am officially banning Christmas. I can't stand the consumerism any more, so no one will be getting presents this year. There will be no Christmas decorations, no tree, and no Christmas dinner. I don't understand why we need Christmas to feel giving and kind. We can all do this throughout the year.

Reflections on the International Baccalaureate Program

2006-12-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I wrote an article titled "Unexpected", where I explained the reasons why I refused to be a panel member at the International Baccalaureate recruitment session.

I feel I have been extremely unfair in only bring up the negative side of this program for gifted children. Perhaps, a full reflection on the International Baccalaureate program would have helped more people in their decisions.

For those of you who are not familiar with the program, it is a meticulously developed curriculum for gifted children and teenagers. Often, it is the side-branch of a typical high school. This means, you are fully intergrated into the high school environment; however, you do not take high school curriculum, but do have the option of socializing with regular kids. The classes are similar to advanced placement classes, except you are asked to be well-rounded. The goal of the International Baccalaureate program is to produce "perfect" beings, self-aware, articulate, knowledgeable in multiple areas, multilingual, and adventurous.

For starters, instead of the regular high school orientation, the IB kids went camping with the school councilors. It was a 3 day workshop over the weekend, where the students kayaked, dived, and swam. It wasn't all fun, as we were expected to complete assignments during the workshop. As you can see, we all bonded right from the beginning.

In French classes, instead of learning French the traditional way, we went to French restaurants with the teacher and were sent to Trois-Rivere in Quebec to stay with homestay families. For homework assignments, we composed and wrote lyrics for French songs. Johnny, my partner at the time, and I went to a Karaoke bar to sing and record our homework. Now, you don't get to do that everyday.

Theory of Knowledge classes were the most amusing. We talked about everything and anything that don't have answers. It made us realize that the universe is pretty grey.

In English classes, we read university level novels and wrote critiques. After each novel, the test was not in written format, but oral. We were expected to quote lines without referencing the book, and this by far was the most challenging task. The idea was if we were truly familiar with the books, we would be able to quote it. Often, these oral exams were one hour long, so you better have plenty to say in front of the whole class. The final exam for the class was actually a 3 hour long oral exam on all the novels examined during the year. That experience was absolutely frightening. Imagine being in a tiny room, with nothing but a desk and a microphone. Your teacher is the only other person in the room, and he is drilling information out of you that you didn't think you possessed. It is all recorded.

I actually enjoyed my time in the International Baccalaureate Program. Some life-long friendships were formed, and I was truly prepared for 3rd or 4th year university straight out of high school. The biggest advantage, however, is that I am forever identified by the program. It links me with others who are just like me. Basically, you are in the club for life...

After all these fond memories, why did I refuse to be on the recruitment panel?

Good memories are not enough to make up for what the program lacked. In reality, we were all pretty troubled kids facing enormous pressure at home, and there was no real help for us. It was the Pascal Contest, then the International Biology Olympiad, then the IB Profound Pursuit, then the SATs, then the Ivy League applications, then the scholarship applications, etc, etc. It never ended. My calculus teacher was sympathetic and offered kind words, but others didn't care. I ran away from home twice before permanently leaving. My friend Anthony didn't even bother to have a "trial-run", he just left. Kay moved out when she turned 16 and never returned home. Ironically, the three of us ended up working for the same company a few years later.

I don't blame the program entirely. If I accepted the position on the panel, I would have said to the parents....

The IB program will always be a part of me. It is only through extraordinary hardship that people build self-confidence, and IB was mighty hard! But, I think hardships can be experienced in other ways, and it is not only limited to a school for "genius" children. The hardest episode of my life was being on my own for the first time, sleeping in rat infested rooms with broken windows. At night, the rats came out and chewed on my toothpaste, and they built highways around my futon on the floor. Often, I heard my roommate screaming next door after shooting heroine with the money he stole from my room.

The only comfort was from Jamie who kept me sane by talking to me on the phone until early morning. He wired me money without me asking, and he justified it by saying that the universe owed it to me for my struggles. Even my mother was quite impressed with that line.

So, send your children to the program, or don't send them. Just ease off a little bit....let them build their own dreams of greatness rather than living out your own.

Exercising Extreme Patience

2006-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

I have issues with my mother.

Most days, I think of my mother as a cartoon character, somewhat cute, spits out witty yet venemous one-liners, memorable while I am watching, but easy to forget until the next episode.

The next episode will take place in the Dominican Republic. It will be the climatic episode of the season because I have not really seen my mother in 8 months, by choice of course on both of our parts. The phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" does not apply to our relationship.

In fact, I am positive she has taken this time to compile a list of things to "discuss" with me. My mother is highly predictable, so after some thinking, I have concluded that the list will look like this:

Why will this be the climatic episode of the season? For one, my fiance and father will also be there. This means my entire immediate family, and it's a dangerous mixture. I am already trembling with fear. Usually, I can take on my mother alone, but now I have extra variables.

My father, for one, will be on her side. My fiance will face the firing squad for the first few days, but his lack of experience in combating my mother will surely bring his demise. This means, I will be on my own facing two sets of canons.

I need a game plan.

You must understand, I was foolish. In my moment of weakness, mother whispered sweet words in my ears, appealed to my fragile heart, and somehow convinced me to co-purchase a 600 acre farm in the Dominican Republic. She must have sharpened her manipulation skills. If I weren't so weak, I would have seen through her evil plan.

She doesn't need me to buy a farm?! It is nothing but a total ploy to keep me around! Well played mom, well played.....

Yes, I am impressed by her skills. It has taken time, but I am now accustomed to the idea of having a financial stake in this venture. It's okay right? They will retire there, I will be here, and at most I only need to see her once a year, right? Then it happened again....

That.....little......%$&#$......evil.....woman.....went and bought 4 return tickets to the Dominican Republic behind my back!

This is how the conversation went:

Ring.....Ring.....Ring......

Me - "Hello?"

Mom - "Why did you say no to John Hopkins University? What's the point of applying if you were going to say no! I mean, you are 27, and they won't offer this again! Nevermind...... how do you spell what's-his-name's last name?"

Me - "Umm......Hi Mom, how are you?"

Mom - "How do you spell what's-his-name's last name?"

Me - "Whose name? You mean.....my fiance?"

Mom - " Yeah, whatever.....just tell me how you spell his last name."

Me - " O...........K.........it's L.....A.....B.....O......N...., why?"

Mom - " I have to let my travel agent know so she can print the tickets! "

Me - "What tickets? Are you going somehwere? And why do you want my fiance's last name?"

Mom - "We need to go to the Dominican Republic to sign the papers. We all need to be there...."

Me - "Ummm......okay........ummm......don't they fax that to us?"

Mom - "Whatever, I don't trust faxes, so we are going. The tickets are booked, the hotel is booked, and what's his name is coming too. "

Me - "You mean my fiance?"

Mom - "Yeah, him. So, one of my friends' son, you know the one that went to Stanford? He is back in town, and apparently, he has started a very successful business. So, anyhow, you haven't seen him in awhile, and you know he still remembers you, and wants to go for dinner sometime. Why don't you go?"

Me - "You know I am engaged right? And, I bet you had something to do with this. It's not like you just "ran" into him? Isn't he the one that was divorced? Why is that okay all of a sudden. Wait, what is this about all four of us going on a holiday? You never asked me."

Mom - "He is not divorced, who told you that??!?"

Me - "You did!! (I am fuming by this point) Remember, you said that when you were trying to set me up with the other one???"

Mom - "Oh, no such thing. He is perfectly fine!!!"

Me - "Whatever mom......back to what I asked, why didn't you tell me we are all going together?"

Mom - "That doesn't matter. We are all going, it will be fun!! I have some things to talk to you about anyhow (see list above) , so it will be fun!! What's his name will have a good time too."

Me - "But, I don't even know if I can get the time off work...and..."

Mom - "I am your mother you know. You left home young, and that was so devastating for me. Remember I told you I cried in front of the cats for 3 months straight . I was so worried about you and what you were doing. No child should put their mother through that....(By now, I can hear sobbing)"

Me - "Mom, that was like 12 years ago. Aren't you over it?"

Mom - "No, I am not! (The sobbing instantly went away) And you are coming. I already bought the tickets. I even bought a ticket for what's his name just in case you won't come. So, you are coming! What I mean is.....well.....it will be fun!! Okay, I gotta go, your dad is calling me (nobody was calling her). You are coming, okay? Bye!"

Click.......

See! See! She is pure pure evil. She is always one step ahead of me, and she is relentless.

I love you mom, but you are an evil.....evil....evil....person.

Chaos and Peace

2006-12-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

What can I say? I am in love......

It was 3 am, the palm trees were swaying to the wind storm, and lightning filled the sky in the distance. Yet, lying on the boat dock wrapped in a thin bed sheet, all I could see was billions of stars above, the arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the mesmerizing flashes of blue from the glow worms in the lagoon below.

I have sailed 3 hours on a catamaran to the middle of no where. All that surrounds me is the chaos in the distance and the peace that is in my soul.

Then I realize, this is where I want to be.

Love is nothing but an amalgamation of the feeling of chaos and peace. Belize provided both ends of the spectrum.

The Chaos

Guards with AK 47s (Kalashnikova) were everywhere, guarding resorts, compounds, and highways. Recent robberies of tourists prompted more security measures all over the country. Guatemalan from the border are getting smarter and more bold; they are often in bands, and target tourists regardless of whether they travel in groups or individually.

While traveling on a chicken bus from Belize City to Hopkins Village, passengers were passing around wanted posters of 5 Guantamalan bandits. The reward was hefty by Belizean standards, and the fund was put together by resorts desperate to win back the terrified tourists.

With all this going on, I wasn't about to give up on trying something unorthodox. Hitchhiking...
Now, I am pretty sure it's not recommended, but since there were no deterrent signs, we did it anyhow. As you can see, there were no cars in sight, and 2 hours later, we were still sitting on our backpacks on the side of the road.

Finally, a Belizean man picked us up in his tractor. This thing was going maybe 20 miles an hour at its peak efficiency, but considering how dehydrated we were, it was good enough to get us somewhere with water.

He offered us his lunch: plump oranges from his orchid. I must have died and gone to heaven.

It was during a conversation with him that I heard about the gross inequities in pay and treatment in Belize. On average, he makes $75.00 a month working as a guide for a resort. This is good pay, as he is capable of supporting his family and save a little to build his home. The resort he works for averages $500,000 net a year. I asked him why he does not start his own business. He replied by saying that he does not understand marketing and how to get customers to come.

This hit a nerve. I was in Belize to look at the possibility of building a non-profit educational camp for the local children. I want to incorporate computer training, adventure tourism training, business training and medical training so that children in Belize can be equipped with the same skills that North American children take for granted. The funding would come from donations from local Canadian businesses and foreign owned Belize businesses. If this man had received internet training, especially in search engine optimization, he would be able to market his business to the rest of the world.

Maybe this may not be such a bad idea!

Everywhere I have been, it is the same story. Whether it is tracking gorillas in Rwanda, snorkeling in Mozambique, or riding elephants in Sri Lanka, most of these business are foreign owned. Fear of the unknown can be crippling, and the typical xenophobic tourist wants a safe 4 star hotel with a bit of culture thrown in. Most locals, if given the opportunity and knowledge, can create something that is more genuine. Pick any third world country with unbelievable natural beauty or market advantages, you will find foreign owned businesses.

Growing up in North America, I have realized that we are educated to smother third world countries: build a hotel in Belize, employ the locals, but don't give them any means of creating their own economy. Start a factory in China, pay taxes to the government, employ the local farmers, but don't provide them with an education. The problem is two fold. On one hand, most of us believe that foreign businesses provide much needed jobs to the locals. Albeit grueling work hours and conditions, the pay is better than farming or fishing. In parts of the world where medicare and social security is non-existent, people take any job they can find because there is no safety net. On the other hand, most locals actually think they are better off.

This is where I feel conflicted. How do I tell them that they can live better lives? And that their way of life is just not good enough?

The Peace

Sherri, the Belizean maid who works at Tipple Tree Beya, invited me to her 300 square feet home she rents in Hopkins village. She offered me water, some traditional Garifuna food made with freshly caught barracuda, plantain and coconut milk. Afterwards, we took a quick bicycle ride to the home she is building in the jungle. It has taken her 3 years to build the shell, no windows, no stairs, no electrical wiring or plumbing.

She is quite happy with the progress!

In fact, she is happy period.

It doesn't matter where I go, people in other parts of the world are generally happier. I have yet met a Belizean who knows what Prozac is, or an anorexic in Istanbul.

Growing up in Asia, I remember taking leisurely strolls after dinner, weekly family gatherings, eating the cucumbers and tomatoes right off the vine on our farm, or curiously watching my grandfather slaughter a goat for the neighbours. In North America, most people are just a mess. There is no emphasis on deriving happiness from the family unit. Most of our happiness comes from external sources. Last year, I was quite happy with my tax return.

In Belize, I was happy for the simplest reasons: a good fish meal, chatting with the villagers at The Watering Hole, listening to Reggae music on the beach, waking up to roosters, quivering to the thunderstorm that shook the house, smelling the scent of mango everywhere, sailing on the catamaran that brought me to that 9 acre atoll, where I aired out my soul in the sun and everything just fell into place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE on other postings: My Mother has Manipulated me AGAIN!

Trip Planning: Caves Branch and Glover's Reef Atoll

2006-05-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Everything is done...as done as they can be.

After a mirad of emails going back and forth with the resort/lodge/hotel operators, we booked:

1) Ian Anderson's Cave Branch (June 4,5,6,7,8, 2006)

Today, we mailed $40.00 in traveler cheques to the Cave Branch as deposit. The whole 5 day accommodation will total $54.50 after a 9% hotel tax. So, we will pay the difference when we arrive. Normally a 50% deposit is required, but we did not have smaller denominations. The payment for the adventure tours can be paid on arrival.

I can't wait to experience the 'jungle shower'.

2) Tipple Tree Beya in Hopkins Village (June 9,10)

Several sources on the net said that this is the best budget place to stay in Hokpins Village. The rate for a room with private bath, hot shower, ceiling fan, fridge, coffee pot, dishes is $40.00 per night. We are staying for two nights, and will be renting two bicycles to go to Sittee River and possibly two kayaks for some exploration of the area. A deposit is required for accommodation, 50%, and they take credit cards. Tricia has been very nice via email correspondences and can set up tours led by local guides.

3) Glover's Reef Atoll (June 11,12,13,14,15,16,17)

We wired a payment of $379.32 U.S for a full week stay and the rental of a sit-on-top double kayak. The Scotiabank charged a hefty fee $35.00 to wire the money (unbelievable!), but the girl who helped us was nice enough to fax the receipt to Glover's Reef Atoll Resort. As for food, we will be bringing most of our own food to cook, and can buy fresh fish or lobsters there. If we run out of food, we plan to purchase the meals offered there.

So far, we have spent:

Airfare - $1256 CDN,

Miscellaneous Camping/Travel Gears - $150.00 CDN

Accommodation Deposits/Full Payments - $461.68

So, before we leave, we have already accrued virtually $2,000 in expenses....yikes!! At least the major expenses are taken care of.

All we need now is to get some Pepto, insect repellent, purchase prepaid airport parking ticket, and get our butts to Belize.

By the way, is there anyone who will be in Belize between June 4-June 20 and want to meet up? Do you have similar itenaries? Please leave a comment here and I will be in touch!

Kaavya Viswanathan Lost Her Book Deal - How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life

2006-05-04T01:28:00.000-07:00

First the James Frey shocker, and now it's a 19 year old Harvard sophomore. Kaavya Viswanathan signed a $500,000 book deal at 17 years old, and wrote How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. The publisher has permanently withdrew her books from the shelves because of alligations of plagiarism. Reports from various online sources site multiple sources of plagiarism. Apparently, she plagiarised from author Megan McCafferty,Sophie Kinsella among others.

She may also be asked to returned the $500,000 advanced received to write the two books.

With the recent news, people who own the first book How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life are rushing to Ebay, where it is listed for as high as $57.18! I wish I bought several copies before the scandal.

What made an obviously bright young Ivy League student to do this? Sometimes, I have a lot of mixed thoughts in my head from various books I've read, shows I've seen, so when I do have an idea, is it actually original? Apparently, Kaavya Viswanathan's plagiarisms are pretty obvious, sometimes only a few words are changed. This makes me think how many other books are amalgamations of other books, shows, and other people's ideas. What I have written here combines what I read from other sites, so am I to site every sentence? When does an original idea truly original?

Pre-Planning Mother's Day

2006-05-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

I am determined to save money this Mother's Day. The best way to do is to buy the flowers early. I plan to buy some flowers and surprise her on May 10th instead of May 14th. Then, on May 14th, I will give her the present.

Flowers cost so much more on Mother's Day, so if you can, it's best to buy them early. It can be a pre-mother's day surprise! Of course, in order to not look really cheap, get her something else to be received on Mother's Day. This works on my mother, because she understands, but may not work on other mothers who may consider this very insulting :)

My Fiancé’s Best Friends

2006-04-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

My fiancé is very protective of his change jar…over-protective. He likes to count change, repetitively. Once, I found him sitting on the bed surrounded by change. He grabbed some, tossed them in the air, grabbed some more, etc, etc. What a child!

Yesterday, we were getting changed to go out. I grabbed a jacket I have not worn in a long time. What do I find? Change!

There were dollar coins, two dollar coins, and lots of them!

I showed them to my fiancé, and this was the conversation that followed.

Me – “See what I found!”

My fiancé – “ OH MY GOD, where have you guys been??” (referring to the change)

Me – “Who?”

My fiancé – “ YOU STOLE MY CHANGE!! Look, this is little Billie, this is Georgie, and this one here is Bobbie….”

Me – “You named your change???”

My fiancé – “Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

So, I backed away slowly and left him with Billie, Georgie, Bobbie, and their fellow brothers and sisters.

Years ago, I was excited that he has learnt how to budget and keep track of money. Then, I was thrilled that he was keeping a change jar. Now, I am just a bit worried. Maybe it’s gone too far.

Google Adsense Misconceptions (Part 1)

2006-04-25T02:11:00.000-07:00

Google Adsense creates a lot of misery and frustration for most bloggers. The most common question I come across is "I only made $0.23 in one year, but I have so many hits!!". After answering these questions on various blogs, I got tired. So, here is the most simple way I can explain this mystery.

What Kind of Hits Do You Have?

Let me guess, you read somewhere "The more hits you get, the more clicks you get, and the more money you will make".

Argh....

You need TARGETED HITS, not just any hits. At the beginning, every blogger cheats. We join free traffic exchanges, sign up for referral schemes, put up those banners on our sites. Why? Because someone told us that "The more hits you get, the more clicks you get, and the more money you will make".

If your blog is geared towards making affiliate and Google Adsense money, why do you circulate it amongst people who are after the same thing? They will NEVER be interested in what you have to say, because most likely your blog is about METALS, RECIPES, some wierd GPS SYSTEM, or a MEDICAL CONDITION of sorts. Everyone can see what you are up to, and NO ONE CLICKS (some of this is purely out of spite too!).

So, all of your tens of thousands of hits are cheater hits, and while you are diligently waiting 20 seconds to get a credit, you are wasting time you could have used to actually think of a plan. Okay, this plan can start with SUBMITTING YOUR SITE TO SEARCH ENGINES!

ARGH!!!!

Why do you even have ads on your page when you haven't even submitted your site. Yes, YOU! You know who you are.

Your Perfect Hit: Me! 3 Years Ago!

Think of your perfect customer as who I was three years ago....younger, internet savvy but not too familiar with all money making opportunities on the web, and most importantly curiously searching the net everyday. If I want to know the best place to retire in the Caribbean, I am going to search until my fingers go number. I type in the search bar "The Best Place to Retire In the Caribbean", I click, click, click, unaware of whether I am clicking on a link or an ad, because really, I just can't bother to see the little words "Ads for Google". As far as I am concerned, I thought I was clicking on links! Gosh, I was such a great customer!

Your Worst Nightmare: Me! Now!

I will most likely NEVER click on your ad. I know how you make money, what you have done to your site to trick me, and I just won't fall for it. So, think of me, and think of say Blog Explosion, and think of how it is full of people like me. So, why would you put yourself in that situation?

Can You Name 10 Sites That Have Free Adsense/SEO/Web Tools?

A big part of succeeding is knowing your stuff. I can name 10 sites, but I am nowhere near an expert.

If you can't, what are you doing??? Go now and read, read, read!

The,It,I,You,Me,A,.......

You open someone else's site, and viola, all the adsense ads pop up and they are entirely geared towards the content. Then, you open up your site, and you get ad space is blank, and strange Blog ads pop up once in awhile. So, you wonder why?

Read this entry. I barely have any keywords. I use generic words that you can find anywhere, because it is geared towards making you see my point. Most of my content is insulting your intelligence, and it is littered with words like "The, it, you, i me, a, and, so, why...", etc. Then, go to this entry, and you will see how ads pop up nicely, fitting to the content. It is focused on a niche subject (very few people talk about the Glover Reef Atoll, perhaps too niche).

To All the Anorexics Out There...

2006-04-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

To all the Anorexic Girls Out There:

I deeply apologize for making fun of your kind.

Yesterday, I made one more comment towards one of your fellow club members, and although I did not feel bad about it, I feel the need to apologize deeply for hurting one of you. While I am at it, I might as well apologize for all the things I said or did to your kind.

I apologize for calling you fat.

I apologize for eating a McDonald cheeseburger and fries drenched in grease and ketchup in front of Fitness World.

I apologize for recommending Jenny Craig to you.

I apologize for questioning why you threw away that full plate of perfectly good food.

I apologize for not responding to your question of "Do I look fat?".

I apologize for telling you that eating a lot of rice, bread, and spaghetti will help you lose a few pounds.

I apologize for explaining to you that not eating because children in Africa are starving is just not a good enough reason to not eat food.

I apologize for noticing that your teeth are rotting because of the stomach acid from your vomit.

Overall, I apologize for a lot of things, but most importantly, I apologize for telling you that on some days, you look like a young boy.

Perhaps I should tell you why I make fun of you. Your only conversation with me is to draw attention to your body. All those "do I look fat" or "my butt burns from doing 6 hours of exercising yesterday" or "how do I look in these jeans" questions are starting to get to me.

At first I entertained you, but then I just ridiculed you. I figure that if you really want to have an answer, I will give you an answer you are not going to like. This all leads to you not ever asking me the same questions again. You know, we can talk about other things, like world peace, love for animals, or even about aliens probing humans on earth.

So there, I am sorry.

Poor Nick Lachey

2006-04-17T01:17:00.000-07:00

Poor Nick Lachey....

On the Newlywed reality show, the guy was clearly in the shadow of Jessica Simpson. While her career was taking off, mostly because of the show, his was going nowhere.

While watching the old shows, I always wondered why they did not divorce sooner. They have nothing in common, Jessica Simpson can't carry on a decent conversation if her life depended on it. Nick Lachey was the puppy dog who followed her around. It was painful the watch. The whole "chicken of the sea" comment was just down right stupid.

In fact, I suspected that....

- They did not sleep in the same bedroom
- Nick Lachey hates Jessica Simpson's guts, but she was his sugar-mama
- Jessica Simpson was cheating on him with numerous men
- Jessica Simpson does not know how to spell her own name
- Nick Lachey was cheating on Jessica Simpson with her sister

hehe....

Now, after the split of these two celebrities, Nick is still mouching off her trying to get spousal support.....HA!

Second Day in Church

2006-04-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went to Church for the second time.

It is Orthodox Palm Sunday, which is different from the Catholic Palm Sunday. Even the Easter holidays are not the same. This itself is a clear indication that there is a deep division between the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Churches. Apparently, we can't even agree on when to celebrate Easter.

The Easter date is based on a formula, and there are some complicated interpretations of the Easter formula.

The formula is - The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.

Both Easter and Western Christian Churches agree that this is the correct formula; however they use different calendars. The Western Church uses the Gregorian Calendar to calculator the date of Easter, and the Easter Church uses the Julian Calendar. Most of the world uses the Gregorian Calendar which says that:

" an ordinary year consists of 365 days. A leap year of 366 days occurs in every year whose number is exactly divisible by 4 except centenary years whose numbers are not exactly divisible by 400, as 1700, 1800, and 1900."

The Julian Calendar states that:

"established by Julius Caesar in 46 b.c., fixing the length of the year at 365 days and at 366 days every fourth year. There are 12 months of 30 or 31 days, except for February (which has 28 days with the exception of every fourth year, or leap year, when it has 29 days)."

In order to arrive at the Easter date, the formula considers ecclesiastical moons, paschal full moons, astronomical equinox, and the fixed equinox plus the differences between the two calendars. (I am actually lost at this point). The two Churches have different definitions of vernal equinox. The Eastern Church uses the actual, astronomical full moon and the actual equinox as observed along the meridian of Jerusalem, which is the site of the Ressurrection and Cruxifiction.

Why are there two Easters? Really, it's because the Eastern Orthodoxy has maintained the old and traditional way of calculating Easter, while the Western Churches use the modified Gregorian Calendar. There was an attempt to reconcile the two ways of calculating Easter, but nothing really came of it.

I sent an email to the Father of the Church inquiring about our meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to go over the procedures in becoming a catechumen and then an Orthodox. With my husband and my busy schedule, I hope he is flexible enough to accommodate us.

First Day in Church

2006-04-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I met Father L at my new church. It was my very first time at an Orthodox Christian church, and as a beginner, I had a lot to learn.

First, I was scared as to what I am supposed to do when I enter the church. Other people seemed so comfortable in their surroundings and were kissing icons, doing crosses, and there seemed to be a way to actually enter the church. I was not aware of this, and did not even know that I was supposed to light a candle.

After that, the room was split into two sections, with the middle section clear. Everyone stood. That was one thing I thought was different. We don't sit in church, we stand. The elderly and the children sit, but most of the adults were standing...throughout the whole service. My feet were killing me, but I lasted okay. I was not offered communion because I am not baptised, but I was able to get some bread. There was harmonized singing throughout the entire service. Everything was sang! It was so angelic!

I liked my first experience and just wished that I could have known more about it before I went. But, I guess that's what learning is all about. One last thing, everything is scented in church, and after I left, I could still smell the sweet scent until the next day!

Why Orthodoxy?

2006-04-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

I chose Orthodoxy because of two reasons: the people I met, and the Orthodox views.

My Preliminary Learnings of Orthodox Christian Views (The ones I like!)

Going to Church on Sundays is not necessarily viewed as worshipping God. The purpose is actually to receive spirtual nourishment through God so that we can take on the world for the next week. God is here to give us guidance and help, and it is up to us whether to take his help. It is no wonder that some people say that they feel spiritually empty when they have missed Church. I never understood this and saw going to Church more of an obligation. I now know that this was the wrong approach.

Christianity is like a tree. Before the Great Schism, Catholics and Orthodox were one, and after the separation, most of the present day Protestant Churchs are branches of Catholicism. Orthodox has remained unchanged.

Fasting shouldn't be seen as depriving the body of nutrients or a test of will power. It is really to clear your mind or free your mind so that you can think of God clearly. I can't wait to fast!

The Holy Light of Jerusalem is only received by Orthodox Christians. This tradition has been ongoing for 1000 years, and even when other Churchs tried to receive the light, only the Orthodox Patriarch has been successful in receiving this flame from God. Many people consider this to be the greatest miracle of all and great proof for the existence of God and that Orthodoxy is the choosen religion.

These are all that I can remember for now, but there are many others.In the end, I choose Orthodoxy because although many people see it as a conservative Church, I think it is actually quite liberal in its thinking, yet takes nothing out and adds nothing new to the Bible. It uses philosophy and science as a way to defend its position and beliefs rather than using them to come up with new beliefs. It is both philosophical and spiritual.

Reflections on My Buy-A-Groupie Website

2006-04-16T00:59:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago, I was a groupie for Jeff. Jeff used to have a Online Gambling website and a online gambling blog. He asked for 10 groupies to post comments on his website. In exchange, he would visit his groupies' sites and post comments. I was a groupie, and then Jeff just disappeared, along with his sites.

So, I took his idea one step further. I started the Buy-a-Groupie site, where bloggers can buy services ranging from $1.00 to $100.00. They are designed to help bloggers to promote their sites and gain traffic. It has been a few months since I started the Buy-a-Groupie site, and I have made some observations.

IT IS A COOL IDEA

I receive a lot of emails and comments about how the idea is very cool and unique. At the same time, the people who tell me my ideas are cool do not buy my services. I have no idea what they are waiting for. If the same people who tell me it's a cool idea would buy my services, I would be doing QUITE well.

I DO A LOT OF WORK FOR $1.00 A MONTH!

The worst service I have is the $1.00 a month groupie service. I write four articles to promote the client's site, I post comments on every single one of the clients' postings, and I have a link to the client's site. So, for $1.00, I do all of the above. It started okay, because I only had one customer. Then, people started to sign up, and I was writing articles on a regular basis. An article usually takes me about 10 minutes to write and 20 minutes to research. By research, I mean going to the client's website and find something to write about. I am not sure if this is the best way to earn a buck.

THE SERVICE WITH THE BEST RESULT

The service that truly builds traffic is where the clients buy comments. No argument here. My Buy-a-Groupie site is new, and I don't have a lot of traffic, so advertising on my site is probably only worth $1.00 a month. However, when I post comments for say the Rob In China site, there is definitely an increase in traffic. I was happy to see that Rob's 0-2 comments a day increased to 4-10 comments a day since he purchased my service. He was also my first customer.

SOME PEOPLE HATE ME

I realized that I cannot post a comment on a blogger's site and mention my business. Okay, I was not spamming.....far from it! Usually, a blogger will have an article about building site traffic, and I comment on all the ways of doing so, including the premise of my Buy-a-Groupie site. Although what I post is relevant to the author's content, they are usually very angry at me and scream "spam!". Now, I am very careful and basically don't comment under Buy-a-Groupie at all. I do it under "Alana" instead. I am often surprised by how some people don't bother to visit my Groupie site and just automatically consider it a "spam" type of service.

IMPOSTER (RIGHT OR WRONG?)

So far, no one has brought this up, but for some of my services, a lot of bloggers are led to believe that I am the client. How does this happen? Well, I post what I think, I am vague about my sex and my location. Most of what I post for the clients do not include anything personal. They are simply my opinions on their articles. So, when the bloggers click on my clients' site, they actually have no idea that I have posted for the clients. Is this wrong? I figure I am adding value to bloggers' site by posting genuinely thoughtful comments. Is it wrong that I do the work and someone else gain the traffic?

Orthodox Easter and The Da Vinci Code

2006-04-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Why You Should Give Me $1.00 A Month to Promote YOUR BLOG!

It has been a pretty religious week!

By far, Easter is the most holy time for Christians, and this week has been hectic. There were church services nightly, and I could not make it to all of them....or any of them.

Tomorrow, I will go to Church as a part of my weekly visit, and that is all the time for spiritual nourishment.

Since I am a new Orthodox Christian, I was not aware that the Greek Orthodox Easter actually lands on different dates from Western Easter. Once in a while, the dates coincide. For example, we will be going to Easter mass next weekend instead of this week.

For someone like me, who is often unsure about dates, time, and can't recall people's names, the Orthodox Christian religion is perhaps not a good choice. There are many fasting dates, and I can never keep track of when to fast and when to stop. For now, I follow what others do and have to double check on many occasions. Does anyone know where I can buy an Orthodox calendar where it shows all the religious holidays and fasting dates??

Last night, I visited a friend who was 'born' into the Greek Orthodox religion. She has just finished reading The Da Vinci Code. Since then, she has many questions that are unanswered. Apparently, the book shook the foundation of many religons and the religious by getting them to question some of their fundamental believes. Before I go any further, I should read the book by Dan Brown.

Tomorrow at Church, I will be extra tired because I am coming off a graveyard shift....oh, the things I do for God's approval :)

Bimbos and Alpha Male Gorillas

2006-04-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

During the day shift, I work for a government post-secondary school that trains police officers, paramedics, sheriffs, military personnel, fire-fighters and other professionals who make communities safe. There are many perks, which include watching recruits pass physicals, police dog shows or the amazing healthy foods in the cafeteria. By far, the most entertaining aspect of my job is watching bimbos and alpha male gorillas prance around doing mating dances.

Let me explain.

Everyone knows what a bimbo is, so no explanation is required there. An alpha male gorilla, on the other hand, are male students or co-workers who emit a large quantity of testosterone, occasionally beat their chests during territorial fights, and love to be surrounded by bimbos who have no problem picking fleas off their backs. I like to call them alpha male gorillas, because they bear resemblance in behavior.

There are two types of males at my work. One type has the rescue personality, and they are characterized by having a heightened sense of empathy and sensitivity and are performance driven. This type is not involved in any non-sense, and they come to school or work to learn, teach, and to better them. I like them! The other type worries me. They are territorial, confrontational, full of testosterone, slackers, immoral, cheats, sexist, and just have no business being in their profession. Everything that they do is to satisfy one urge: securing women and more women.

If we look at the animal world, they are just like alpha male gorillas in behavior. Let’s take a look at some of their characteristics:

The Stare

They love to stare at women, whether they are students or co-workers. They do not bother to hide it. In spite of the fact that they are in a professional school and a professional environment, they stare. Why do they stare? There are female gorillas nearby, and they can sense them from a mile away. They begin to touch their bald heads, as if they still have hair left. I used to think that was a nervous twitch. Then, they stand up and stand with both hands on their waist, one on each side, and try hard to suck in the beer belly. They stare some more…

Being Condescending

They believe that they know everything and they want you to know it! Aside from telling glorious stories about their adventurous profession (faking details sometimes), they also take every opportunity to put you in your place. This behavior is applied to both competing males and unsuspecting females. It is always difficult to decide whether to burst their bubble or pretend you are dumber.

Making Fun of Competing Male Gorillas….in Front of Bimbos

One particular alpha male gorilla comes to mind. He is famous for making fun of other male co-workers in front of female employees. Often, the other co-worker is present and has to run away with his tail between his legs. The alpha male’s dominance is secured, and he happily walks away with his trophy. He will repeat this behavior at the next battle for Bimbos’ company.

The Bimbos don’t help the situation. They play right into the trap. Let’s look at the characteristics of flea-picking Bimbos.

Drawing Attention to Their Bodies

It is not uncommon at my work to hear “I want a nose job!”, “My thighs are bigger today than yesterday”, or my favorite “Let’s go on a diet, it will be super fun!”. Are these teenagers? No, they are often 30 or 40 something married women. These comments kick up a notch in front of a dominating alpha male gorilla. Usually they are followed by “hehe…hehe…” and more “hehe…”. Although we are professionals, we don’t dress like professionals. I have seen bosoms slipping out, skirts that are too short or see-through, and a lot of caked on makeup. The alpha male gorillas love it!

Flea Picking Tendencies

When an alpha male gorilla has an itchy back, the Bimbos gather to pick fleas. This provides satisfaction for the male gorilla, and the Bimbos feel useful and probably get full from eating the fleas. It is that desire for fullness, usefulness, and securing an alpha male gorilla that fulfills their emotional and biological needs. Pickings can be slim at times, so some Bimbos migrate to secondary male gorillas and continue to pick fleas off their backs. For example, when an alpha male says “I have a great idea for this project. I think blah blah blah”, the Bimbos will reply “What a great idea for this project!!!! You are so smart!!!”. I am not kidding either…

Attacking Fellow Bimbos

One way to secure a male gorilla is to get rid of the competition. The Bimbos are all friends, but perception can be deceiving. There are a lot of Jerry Springer-ish fights behind the scenes. When a Bimbo is talking to an alpha male Gorilla, the other Bimbos will put on their lipsticks and try to join the conversation. The attack begins, all with a smile off course, and the winner is the last one standing.

After observing the mating dances, I came to one conclusion. It has everything to do with energy.

I genuinely enjoy watching the mating dances when the participants are not claimed (married or dating). It is the married gorillas and bimbos who worry me. I just think they are not very bright at conserving energy.

When the single gorillas and Bimbos are involved, they are directing energy to securing a mate, reproduction, and security. It is energy well-spent! By all means, dress more scandalous, show more cleavage, and go and attack your competitors! On the other hand, why do married gorillas and bimbos think this is beneficial? They exhaust a lot of energy, and often there isn’t a satisfactory result. I feel that unless they end up getting the alpha male gorilla and have his baby gorillas, then it is pointless….unless that’s what they want? In most situations, this is not what they want.

It is hard to be human and live with animal instincts. We put emphasis on loyalty, love, duty, morality and all the while, we are fighting our primal instincts. It is a constant struggle to live a life with reasoning. From my observation, human instincts win over human reasoning in most situations at work.

I am a Traveling Agent!

2006-04-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

For the past two days, I have been acting as a traveling agent of sorts for my parents. They suddenly decided to go on a 12 day trip to Punta Uva in Costa Rica. After purchasing the airfare on April 3rd, they realized that they did not plan very well on where to stay and how to get to where they are going. So, they contacted me to arrange for accommodation and transportation.

I have learnt a very important lesson from all of this : Do not travel last minute! It is just stupid and creates headaches....mostly on my part. While my parents were relaxing, getting hair cuts, and packing their luggage, I was busting my @#$@!!@(*)& calling Costa Rica and calling my parents back to relay the messages. Actually the lesson can be : Do not travel last minute! Unless you contact me :)

After 2 days of headaches (literally), 12 Tylenols later, I learnt quite a few interesting and useful things.

GET VOIP (Voice Over IP)

I can't recommend this enough. I was setup for VOIP a year ago, and I bought the unlimited worldwide package. This means I can call anywhere in the world (actually, it's only about 60 countries) and only pay $56.00 a month. This amount includes the cost of the 'landline' and the long distance charges. Aside from the odd calls I make to U.S, Fiji, and China, I have not really tasted the full value of the package....until NOW! Boy, was it ever great to call Costa Rica whenever and for however long I wanted! I would have never been able to set up the transportation and accommodation had I only relied on emails. My $56.00 a month is finally paying off.

Smaller VOIP companies sometimes offer great monthly packages. Some can be found for as low as $9.99 a month, which includes only local calls. This is still significantly less expensive than regular telephone lines from your phone provider. However, VOIP does have its moments:

- Random connection problems.

- No 911 calls (on some VOIP plans)

- When your modem is out, so is your phone. This can get very frustrating.

PUNTA UVA LOOKS GREAT

I am very envious of my parents' trip. Punta Uva looks like a great place to live. Their reason for going is to buy a summer home, and I don't think they could have picked a better place. It is on the Carribbean side of Costa Rica, and it even has a living coral reef not far from shore. There is a good community of foreign homeowners, so my parents can rely on them for some extra help. It is about 4 hours outside of San Jose, so it is remote from the hussle and bussle of the city and away from crimes.

GREAT BUSINESS IDEA

It was incredibly painful to look for a bus to take my parents from the airport to Punta Uva (4 hours away). My biggest concern is safety. Most people don't know that the airport is actually outside of San Jose, and the bus station is in the city. Everyone knows that San Jose is not exactly the safest place, so getting my parents onto the bus was a problem. In addition, they have to wave down the bus on a highway, and this frightened me. Then, I found A Safe Passage. A driver picks you up from the airport, takes you to the bus stop, waves down the bus for you, and helps you to load your luggage onto the bus. For my parents' destination, it costs $70 U.S. What a great idea for first time tourists on their own! Of couse $70.00 is actually a fortune there, but it's worth the safey. John was the person I contacted at A Safe Passage, and he answered all of my questions patiently. I called a total of 4 times, and he was great every time and told me to take my time with the questions. In this price, it also includes stops at the bank, market or if you want to eat at a Tico restaurant. Basically, he ensures that you are relaxed and safe once you get off the plane.

Because of their age, my parents opted for the private transfer, which is $185 U.S, and John will take them directly fromt he airport to Punta Uva. He will even bring refreshments and alcohol for the passengers! On the way, he will stop at points of interest so my parents can take pictures or have something to eat. He is like their personal tour guide.

If I were to go to Costa Rica, I would not need this service, as I am still young and fairly adventurous and can get through with my broken Spanish. For seniors or other tourists on their own, I think it is a great service. Also, I wonder if other countries have similar businesses. For example, going to China on your own can be daunting. What would you do and where would you go if you need to get somewhere right away after landing at the airport? Let's say that you have to go to the outskirts of Beijing directly, and don't want to miss your bus and stay overnight in Beijing, how do you know where the bus station is located or how to get there? If you are leaving last minute, how can you buy the bus tickets?

There is money to be made in capitalizing on people's fears :)

BOOK YOUR AIRPORT PARKING ONLINE

My parents need to park their car at the Seattle airport during the trip, and I did some research online to find the right lot. There are so many parking lots!! My conclusion is that it is always less expensive to book online. For example, one online reservation site quoted one parking lot at $64.00 for 12 days. When I called the same company, it became $80.00. When I asked them about the cheaper rate, they said that's done through a consolidated company and not through them. Go to Airport Parking Reseravation, and you can reserve parking at most airports in the U.S. You only pay a small portion to reserve and can pay the difference when you get therThe rates are significantly less expensive online. Trust me, I called virtually all of them in Seattle.

I was suprised to know that I can learn quite a bit under pressure. Everything can be a great learning opportunity, in spite of the headaches.

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My parents' first accommodation (2 days) : Pachamama, owned by Stepano and Patrizia, very nice Italian couple.

My parents' second accommodation (8 days): Casa Viva, owned by Dave and Jeanie, also very nice on the phone and helpful.

Glover's Reef Atoll Resort (Update)

2006-04-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Glover's Reef Atoll Resort has been receiving a mixture of reviews on the net. So, I think it is appropriate to present what I have found, the positive and the negative reviews from other travellers.

CONS

1) It is extremely rustic. Remember, it is not technically a 'resort', where you will have clean rooms, clean towels, or clean dishware. In fact, you have to bring your own towels and may be asked to help to clean the 9 acre island (1 hour per day).

2) Grandmother Marsha Jo may be a little bit off on some days, so you have to take her with a grain of salt. The Lomonts have owned the Glover's Reef Atoll Resort since the 1960s, so they are pretty set in their ways. Apparently, Becky, the daughter is a bit rough around the edges. So, you may not get the smiling hospitality that you expect.

3) The 3 hour catamaran ride from Sittee Point River may end up being a lot longer than 3 hours. One traveller complained of a 6 hour ride, because he said that Gilbert Lomont picked up another passager from another island for a fee. Also, I have an email from a fellow Canadian traveller that says it was 5 hours long due to wind factors.

4) Everything is on Belize time, so your dinner, lunch and breakfast may not be on time. Some travellers have complained that they were sometimes late by a few hours. Also, some people also said that dining with the Lomonts was a rough experience. One traveller alluded to a dinner table yelling match between the host and the diners over the topic of eating at MacDonalds, she also suggested that Becky was pretty drunk.

5) Since there is no running water on the island and no electricity, the water from the well smells of sulfur. You have to get the water from the well for showers. You have to bring your own towels, and you have to bring your own toilet paper :)

6) Some people have said that the beach is littered, and no one picks up the trash.

7) You may experience extreme boredom. Some travellers have said that they wanted to get off the island as soon as they arrived, all because of a combination of the above reasons. In order to get off the island, you are looking at $350 U.S one way.

8) The Glover Guest House in Sittee River is not in the best condition. There are lots of bugs, and the rooms are not exactly clean. Travellers have recommended in staying at Hopkins Village instead of the Glover Guest House.

9) You most likely have to bring your own food and bring it to the island for the week. While you can buy meal packages, but from what I have read, it is better to leave the Lomonts alone and cook your own.

10) The owner of the island has dogs, so they roam the island as if it is theirs (well...it is actually theirs). So, if you don't like dogs, this may not be the place for you.

PROS

1) It is the best location for diving, snorkeling and fishing. Look at the map below, and you will get a sense of what the atoll can offer. Snorkeling is great right off the shore, and you may not even need a kayak.

2) It is rustic, laid-back, and deserted.

3) It is very inexpensive, starting at $99.00 U.S per week for camping accommodation.

4) Warren, the Lomont's 14 year old grandson, is the best fishing and snorkeling guide you can get. All their grandkids are simply amazing. I have read many accounts of their generosity.

Source: http://www.bicyclediaries.co.uk/blog.html

http://www.belizeforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000588

5) You can learn how to dive, all the way from getting your Open Water Diver's Certificate to Divemaster.

6) If you talk to no one, no one will talk to you. You can literally go for the whole week without speaking to anyone. It can be very quiet and peaceful.

7) The Lomonts can be friendly when they open up, especially the kids. There are travellers who love them, because they are excellent diving teachers and can offer invaluable advice when it comes to snorkeling and fishing locations.

8) Location, location, location!!! The island is so tiny that everything is 'beachfront'.

9) There is great reef kayaking, with 700 patch reefs in the lagoon.

10) No shopping malls....hehe....

MY CONCLUSIONS

1) Be Prepared! This is a week long trip that takes a lot of researching and planning.

2) Don't stay at the Glover's Guest House at Sittee River. Other travellers also agree with this one. If you can, stay in Hopkins village or Toucan Sittee, which is a lot better than Glover's Guest Hourse

3) Convince yourself that the Lomonts are kind enough to invite you to their island. They can't wait on you, and won't. They are sharing their home with you, and consider your $99.00 accommodation charge as a tip. Really, you just can't get that type of location for less. Picking up some litter is not really that bad. Essentially, you are their guests.

4) You will get out of it what you put in. If you are open to their way of life, then they will be more open to you. Marsha Jo is on and off. There are stories of her being grumpy, and there are stories of her being friendly. Becky is also on and off. What is consistant is that the grandkids are helpful and friendly. Overall, there are more positive stories about the hosts than negative ones.

5) Visiting Belize is more of an adventure than relaxation. You can't expect to visit Belize but not deal with Belizean culture, people, and ways of life. If you want a resort, it is safer to go to Manta Resort next door or Slickrock (for the more adventurous type). They charge significantly more.

6) Read all the information on Glover's Reef Atoll Resort's website. I mean ALL of it. It tells you what they have and don't have, so at least you are aware.

7) Read all the postings on the Belize Forum , until your eyes hurt.

8) The hermit crabs can be either a nuisance or your best friend. They come out at night, and they can clean your dirty dishes really well. If you roam around at night, you might find them annoying.

9) Imagine the Castaway Island, then add a little litter, kayaks, diving gear, huts, and some home cooked meals, and that is all your are getting.

10) This is the kind of place for travellers who have a budget, want to experience a third world country still relatively unspoiled and want to experience all of its beauty and limitations. If you want to relax at a resort, it is best to go elsewhere. If you are open minded, want a slice of paradise, decide what you want to do with your time rather than following tours, and want to experience true nature, then this may be the place for you.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR GLOVER'S REEF ATOLL RESORT

1) The resort should improve the condition of the Glover's Guest House at Sittee River. I am sure travellers don't mind a price increase.

2) The resort should also have a more realistic 'letter to travellers' that explains to people exactly what kind of resort this is. The website can be misleading to someone who does not dig deeper. Also, there is a lot of negative feedback about them on the net, and this can be bad for business. One disgruntled customer can influence thousands.

3) I would like to see a beginner's fishing package. I don't fish, but would like to learn, and there is no better place than the Glover's Reef Atoll. I am willing to pay for this.

When I come back from my trip, I will give you more first hand reports. For now, this is all you get. It is an accumulation of over 100 hours of research on the net from various forums, personal home pages, and blogs. During my research, I have also emailed a fellow Canadian from British Columbia, who provided me with a lengthy description of their stay there (they just left yesterday!). If you want to read it, email me at azhoua@gmail.com, and I will forward it to you.

One last thing, I have to say that the travellers who go to Belize are of a different breed. I have never encountered more friendly people (although most of our communication has been virtual). They are genuinely interested in helping, and are very eager to give detailed accounts of their travels. Never hesitate to ask. You will always receive useful information.

Other Glover's Atoll Resort Posts:

http://fullchangejar.blogspot.com/2007/01/much-anticipated-glovers-atoll-resort.html

http://fullchangejar.blogspot.com/2006/05/trip-planning-caves-branch-and-glovers.html

Teaching about Google Adsense

2006-03-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is pregant and will be giving birth any day now. The baby has turned and dropped, so we are all excited about the new addition to our family. The baby will be a part of our family because we are officially the god-parents for the very first time!

My friend is terrified of having the baby. The biggest problem is whether to find a job after having a baby or just become a stay at home mother. The cost of daycare makes the second choice very tempting. However, she is afraid that she will not be able to contribute to the bills. It's a double edged sword.

I haven't told a lot of people I know about my Google Adsense sites, mostly because I don't want them to click on the ads. It can be interpreted as a sign to Google that there is fraud. Besides, I never want to count on my friends clicking on the ads. It's not a sustainable way to "do business", and it skews data.

With the new baby coming and her dilemma, I decided to tell her about what I do online.

- I showed her my Full Change Jar website, and used it to explain to her the details of content based advertising, what keywords are, what search engine optimization is, and how to set up a free account at Google Adsense and Blogger.

- I showed her my Buy A Groupie website, and told her about ways of starting a small on-line business. Then, this led to talking about doing businesses with dropshippers to sell products rather than services. I explained to her that if she is able to find a good dropshipper, she doesn't need to keep an inventory and just needs to sell the products through websites.

- I showed her my other 15 blogs and websites, and explained that as long as she takes 10 minutes a day to write original articles for each site, after awhile, she can pull in an okay income. Although this income may not be able to pay the rent, but it might someday.

As I was talking non-stop and her looking at me with intensity, I realized that I was just going way too quickly. One thought led to another, and I was trying to explain what I have learnt in the last 3 months to someone who is just exposed to it for the first time. I get excited about what I do, and I really believe that anyone can do it as long as they do the work.

So, I guess I was very motivating, and she seemed very interested. Then, out of nowhere, she asked me "So, how do I cut and paste something in a Word document".....

Silence....

Then I said " Okay, let's start with the basics...this is a website, and this is the URL, and this is a Microsoft Word document that you can use to create things like letters. In order to cut and paste, you highlight the text, pressed Ctrl C....all at the same time....then, click...."

Anyhow, maybe I should have asked about her computer literacy level before I dived into the mysterious world of Google Adsense.

Splurging on Junk!

2006-03-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

What is this blue object in front of my computer monitor? A bird, an airplane? No, it's total junk!

I splurged a little on junk today. I saw it at the cashier counter after eating at ABC family restaurant with a few friends. It was love at first sight... the blue feather, the dangling satin, and the cute little rhinestones on the smooth satin strips....ah.....

What is its purpose? Writing, of course.....(yes, it is a pen), but there is a secondary purpose. Its fluffy blue feathers feel great against my face. I feel instantly happy!

I like things that make me happy, the cuter the better! Perhaps you think I am insane, but you have to look at this from a different angle...

It is so PRETTY! It cost me $5.00 to buy this happiness, because I am easily amused by stationery. Maybe you think it's tacky, a waste of money, or just plain ugly. Well, think what you want, but I am in love with my new pen.

There is nothing wrong with buying things that give you happiness, as long as it is not breaking the piggy bank. With the new found happines I acquired through this pen, I felt extremely productive today. I worked on a few websites, cleaned the house, and made myself baked yam. It was delicious, just like the pen....deliciously cute. You can even call it an investment!

By the way, yes, I am 26 years old, not 6, and yes I still like fluffy things with shiny parts.

Dive Trip to Belize on a Budget

2006-03-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

READ MY UPDATE ON GLOVER'S REEF ATOLL RESORT

I believe in the motto of "work hard, play hard". So, in June, I will be going to Belize for two weeks for a jungle expedition/diving trip. Finally, I will have a chance to just relax, get plenty of undisturbed sleep, and be completely away from traffic jams and packed buses.

I am also determined to not feel guilty about doing absolutely nothing productive, which is harder than you think. I like efficiency and productivity, so being on vacation is a guilty pleasure. I am also determined to not feel guilty about splurging a little, which is EVEN HARDER.

I have been to Belize before, but I did not do everything I wanted to do. We might see Bonaire too, and that will be a brand new experience, and being the diving capital in the Caribbeans, it will not be disappointing. In addition, because of its dry, arid climate, I am guaranteed to see sunny, clear days during the Caribbean's rainy season.

I do about 2 major vacations a year, and when it comes to travelling, my dual-personality comes out. I am cheap on transportation cost and splurge on entertaining activities. I will provide a detailed summary below of the planned activites and the costs.

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Getting to Belize (Latin America)

Situated in Vancouver, British Columbia, we are cursed geographically when it comes to budget vacation choices in tropical places. Hawaii and Cancun are by far the most inexpensive places, especially in the summer months. Anything past Cancun costs a fortune. This time around, I am going to splurge on airfare by travelling directly from Vancouver to Belize city. This will cost $910.00 CDN per passager. Last year, I did it for under $400.00 CDN, but it also took us three days to get there.

The most inexpensive way to get to Latin America is actually by bus. Last year, we drove to Los Angeles, flew to Cancun, took the "luxury" bus from Cancun to Belize City. The bus took more than 8 hours, and we had to transfer at Chetumal. This costs $400.00 CDN per person, so I saved a grand total of $1020.00 on airfare alone.

Accommodation and Activities
My fiance and I both enjoy camping, and have a great water-resistant, light weight tent that weighs all of 2.3 pounds. We paid $320 for it some years ago, so that was our accommodation. Belize still has some beautiful and safe campgrounds for budget travellers. We have selected two places this year: Ian Anderson's Cave Branch Jungle Lodge, and Glover Reef Atoll Resort.

Ian Anderson is a fellow Vancouverite who is the pioneer of adventure tourism in Belize. He introduced such activies as cave tubing to Belize. On his 58,000 acre estate in Belize, there are cabanas, jungle suites, campgrounds, Mayan ruins, waterfalls, rivers etc. Basically, as you can imagine, a lot of things can be found on 58,000 acres. The lodge is famous for offering jungle adventures such as cave tubing, river kayaking, jungle treks, and trips to Mayan ruins. We plan to stay there for 3 nights, camping of course, and want to participate in cave tubing, jungle expeditions, and the snorkeling trip.

Camping (3 nights): $5/night/person
River Cave Tubing: $95.00/person
Jungle Tours and Treks: $75.00/person
Snorkeling Day Trip: $75.00/person

Total: $520.00 U.S

The Glover's Reef Atoll Resort is probably the last of its kind left. Years ago, you could camp on deserted islands, but as real estate booms, more and more of the islands are private now (sold to wealthy foreigners). Glover's Reef Atoll is a World Heritage site and a Marine Reserve. It has some of the best snorkeling and diving locations. When they say "resort", it is far from it. It is truly a castaway island with sparse accommodation, supplies, and equipment. What you will get is complete seclusion from civilization (no running water, no electricity). You will find hermit crabs to keep you company, iguanas, millions of stars at night, and the sound of the tropical wind to fall asleep to. At any time, there is no more than a handful of people on the atoll, making it a truly rustic environment.

We choose this "resort" because of these factors:

- Inexpensive camping option ($99.00 per person per week!)
- Kayak rental (A sit-on-top double. $150.00 for the entire week!)
- Diving opportunities (there is no where better than the atolls due to the abundance of marine life).
- Total privacy
- Self-guided activities (essentially, we can snorkel all day without any limitations)

We plan to stay on the island for a week to take advantage of the weekly rate and the free 90 mile boat ride which normally costs $400.00.

Camping: $99.00 per person per week.
Kayak Rental: $150.00 per week.
Meals: $150.00 per week (budgeted)
Diving: 12 boat dives for $477 per person

Total: $1452.00

Extra Costs

We plan to bring roughly $2000 CDN above the cost of airfare, accommodation, and activites. Why? For emergencies, extra activites if we are bored, and some small souvenirs, better meals if we are picky.

Total Costs

Transportation: $910.00 (air)+$910.00 (air)+$100.00(buses,taxis) = $1920.00 CDN

Accommodation/Activities: $520.00 (Cave Branch Jungle Lodge) + $1452.00 (Glover's Reef) = $1972.00 U.S = $2302.00 CDN

Extra Money = $2000.00 CDN

Grand Total = $6222.00 CDN

Okay, in reality, we will probably not need any extra money ($2000), so the real cost of the trip is $4222.00. And, if you are not a diver, it will shave off another $1114.00 CND for both people. Then, the total will come to $3108.00 CND. THEN, if you are American, your total will be $2662.00 U.S.

$2662.00 U.S will get you two weeks in paradise, at two totally different locations, 3 great jungle activities, a week of snorkeling to all your heart's content, meals, accommodation, etc. On top of that, let's say you are located in some place like Texas or Florida; this means your airfare is practically nothing, and you can realistically do this trip for under $2000.00 U.S or even less.

For me, I am looking at approximately $4,000 for two people. Last year, I spent just under $2,000 because I really cut corners in terms of transportation, meals, and activities. I only did 2 boat dives, ate at local diners, camped everywhere, and only did the least inexpensive activites. This time around, I want to splurge!

P.S
And BOOHOOO to Blogger for not allowing me post any pictures!

READ MY UPDATE ON GLOVER'S REEF ATOLL RESORT.

Mis-Spelling Fortunes

2006-03-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

I am getting some odd hits from Google search engine...all because of a non-planned spelling mistake! What they translate into is clicks on Google ads...hehe...

In my Rich Dad posting, I spelled Robert Kiyosaki's last name wrong (Kiyasaki). Quite surprisingly, a lot of people spell it wrong too, so they have been finding my site this way. I have to admit that I am quite happy with this little spelling mistake.

While I did not do this on purpose, a lot of sites do capitalize purposely from mis-spelled words. For example, I have been directed to Gogle.ca quite a few times because of my happy figures. Now, I know who they are, and I have no doubt that this was a planned move to lure unsuspecting victims like myself!

Funeral Costs

2006-03-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

Why You Should Give Me $1.00 A Month to Promote YOUR BLOG

At work today, I had a conversation with a co-worker regarding her mother's funeral.

Her - "My mother bought a funeral plan for $300 50 years ago, and that was so smart of her! We would have spent thousands of dollars had she not bought the plan."

Me - "Yeah, that's great. It sure saves the children the heachaches of budgeting for the funeral."

Her - "They are selling the same plan now for $1,100, and I think I will buy it."

Me - "Sure, that's great planning."

So, after our converation, I started to think about whether this plan makes sense.

At an average return of 10% (stock/mutual funds), her mother's $300.00 would have been $3,5217.25 today.

An average funeral today costs approximately (according to Motley Fool):

Most Commonly Average Cost
Selected Services

Professional Charges $1,182.31
Embalming $400.51
Other preparations* $150.35
Visitation/viewing $314.42
Funeral at funeral home $356.68
Funeral Home transfering $158.66
Hearse (local) $179.08
Service car/van $87.42
Acknowledgement cards $14.47
Casket $2,176.46
Vault $757.80

Total $5,778.16

There are some additional expenses such as:

Cemetery plot can be $500 to several thousand, opening and closing the grave can be $350 to $1,500, and headstones, statues, or markers can be $500 to several thousand. On the other hand, a cremation can cost $1,500 or less.

So, at the cheap end, a funeral can cost $7,100.00, and at the expensive end, it can cost tens of thousands, depending on your selection of plots, markers, etc. From what I understand, my co-worker's mom's funeral was an average funeral, so let's say that it costs $10,000 today. Still, I think that the better choice would have been to put the $300.00 in an investment account designate it funeral expense.

As I told my co-worker about my calculators, she said that the most important thing is the $300.00 bought everyone peace after her death, and that is priceless. I am not one to argue with that line of thinking, so I let it drop.

At the same time, I started to think about this clever strategy on the part of the funeral businesses. What a smart idea! You sell something for dirt cheap, and you don't provide the service for decades later. You take that money to invest in your business or just simply invest in stocks or real estate, then when the customer wants the service, you have so much more money than what the service costs today!

Exposing My Dirty Little Secret

2006-03-15T00:53:00.000-08:00

This is so shameful!

I am a smoker......there it is!

It's the worst Latte Factor out there, and yep... I am a smoker.

I quit in January, and just started again. Although I am only smoking 2 or 3 cigarettes a day, it's still smoking.

In my mind, I know that this is where I lose the most amount of money....Yikes!

My problem is that I enjoy it, and I can't seem to bring myself to care about the damages it does to my body. I love diving, and even that does not deter me from smoking :( The only reason I feel guilty about it is because it is costing me money. Then, I begin to think if I only smoke 2 or 3 a day, it is not costly me that much.

So, I have no plans to quit, at least not now. I am just not sure what to do......

P.S. Just to show that I am delusional about this whole affair, I found some sites where they sell cheap cigarettes. Wow, Marlboros for $12.00 per carton!! That's 10 packs per carton. What a great price! Yeah, I need help.

How Do I Do It?!?

2006-03-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Almost on a daily basis, one or two people always ask me:

"Are you still working two full-time jobs?"

"Yes...."

"I can't believe it, how do you do it?!?!"

When I first started a year ago, most people gave me two or three months. To be honest, I gave myself a month top. It was more like a surreal challenge than reality. Now, I am pretty sure that this is my reality. I can no longer remember a time when I worked only one job, and I don't know what free time is anymore. Often, I find myself living vicariously through other people's stories about weekend gateaways, having the time to comparison shop, sit-down dinners, family disputes, etc, etc....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So how do I do it?

Sheer Will Power
I have a financial goal of accruing $1,000,000 in 10 years, and I am going to reach it. On average, I sleep 2-4 hours a day. Getting up in the morning is the hardest thing. At the beginning, it was a struggle and my body was telling me that this is a stupid idea. I pretty much dragged myself out of bed everyday and get to work. Now, it is just automatic.

The Best Indication of Future Behavior is Past Behavior
Dr. Phil is right! I have a past history of over-doing everything. It takes four years to finish university, I did it in two, overloading my schedule every semester. Most people sang in choirs, but I had to go and join the most prestigious. Some people play the piano, but I had to go and learn more than 10 different instruments. When I was young and my parents wanted me to become a doctor, I said "when I become a doctor, I will have a second part-time job!". So, it is only natural that if most people want to retire at 55, I want to do it at 36.

My Attitude
My attitude is that if you have a dream or goal, why talk about it, think about it, and sleep on it? Just do it. Everything else is a waste of time. One of my biggest pet peeves is wasting time. Ten years ago, I was sixteen. I remember saying to myself that by the time I am 26, I would be set for life! AlthoughI was very young, and this was very unrealistic, I also did not do anything to make this reality. The bottom line is I wasted 10 years, and I will not waste another 10.

Stop Lying To Yourself
You will not attain any goals by lying to yourself. Unless you have done the numbers for your retirement, you are not ready and you will be in a lot of trouble. If you are trusting someone else to do the numbers for you, you will also be in a lot of trouble. Similarily, if you have any goals of any kind, you have to approach them truthfully and realistically with yourself bearing the entire responsibility

Visualizing Achieving My Goal
I constantly visualize the day I reach my goal. I create a fairly realistic fantasy of that day and the days after. The most important thing is to not lose track of what I want my future reality to be.

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There is a few positive side-effects of working two full-time jobs.

I am forced to value every free minute.

I am actually a lot more productive outside of work.

I do more things during down time, such as working on my online sites, watching movies, reading books, making crafts, etc.

Most importantly, I am not wasting time.

How Rich Are You?

2006-03-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

How rich are you compared to the rest of the world?

Global Rich Tool has a neat tool that calculates how rich you are compared to the rest of the world. Enter your annual income in Canadian, Euro, US, Pound or Yen, the calculator then gives you the result.

There will be an arrow that shows you where you fit on this scale.

After entering my income, it says...

"You are in the top 0.78% richest people in the world.

There are
5,953,193,715 people poorer than you.
How do you feel about that? A bit
richer we hope. Please consider donating just a small amount to help some of the
poorest people in the world. Many of their lives could be improved dramatically
or even saved if you donate just one hour's salary (approx $63.88)"

This tool truly makes me appreciate what I have and reminds me that there are so many other people in the world whose first worry is not retirement or money, rather it's having food, shelter, and security.

Retirement Countdown

2006-03-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

I have just added a count down clock on this blog.

My goal is to retire in 10 years (Year 2016) when I am 36. It's amazing to see that it is only 3585 days away.

Having a visual tool like the count down clock helps me to see that although 10 years seems like a very long time away, in reality, it is only a few thousand days to financial freedom and retiring young and wealthy.

Rich Dad's Guide to Wealth with Robert Kiyasaki

2006-03-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

At this very moment, I am at work watching a program on KCTS. It's a public television channel with intriging and educational seminars. Often these seminars would normally cost you an arm and a leg, but when the station is doing pledges, it airs some of the best shows.

Right now, it is showing The Rich Dad's Guide to Wealth with Robert Kiyasaki. He is the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and so far the seminar is pretty interesting. He is funny, charismatic, and explains financial knowledge in a simple way.

Here are some of his key points.

E,S,B,I

E = Employee
S = Self-employed
---------------------------------------
B = Business/Entrepreneur
I = Investor

Point 1: Be a "B" or "I". The key is to have other people and money work for you, instead of working hard for someone else or working hard for your own business. Also, being an "E" or "S", you will pay the government first through taxes, and it's only through being a "B" or "I" can you actually legitimately pay zero in taxes.

Poor, Middle Class, Rich (Diverse Views on Money)

Point 2: The poor spend money, the middle class bury money, and the rich create/make money.

The Definition of Assets

Point 3: An asset is something that puts money in your pocket whether you work or not. So, having a house is not necessarily equal to having an asset. If the house is making you money, then it's an asset. The problem is a lot of people tend to think that having a house and a car (mortgage/loan) is the same as having assets. That's not the case. A mortgage/loan is a liability, and it is an asset for the bank. Along the same line, an equity loan is not an asset, and a lot of people treat their house as an ATM machine. A funny thing he said was the word "mortgage" is derived from the French word "Mort", which means "death"...hehe

Financial Education

Point 4: There are three types of education: Academic, Professional, and Financial. Schools give us academic and professional education, and they do not teach us Financial education. In order to be wealthy, you need financial education. In fact, when you leave school, your financial statement is equivalent to your report card.

Risk

Point 5: A lot of people consider investments to be risky. Risk is equal to a lack of control. The analogy he used was driving a car. You would not get into the car without your driver's licence, insurance, checking the oil, steering, gas pedal, etc. Likewise, you cannot invest smartly without control.

Don't Wait

Point 6: Your life is like a football game, there is the 1st quarter, half time, no time, over time etc....don't wait no time or over time. Start young!

Your Inner Genius

Point 7: Don't do what other people tell you to do, find your inner genius.

Overall, the seminar contained some very simple, common-sense information. He did not go into specifics about anything, but I guess that's where reading his books comes in. Sometimes, simple information can be very powerful, as we are often blind to what's clearly in front of us. It's good to have someone point those things out once in awhile.

Robert Kiyasaki is a huge fan of creating wealth through being a business man and investor. The old style of working hard, saving money, invest long term and diversify is not his style.

Unfortunately for me, I was brought up on the old philosophy, and it is the only way that I have seen people become wealthy. I understand his points, I can visualize them, but changing my entire view will be hard. I can only do what works for me and what I have seen work for other people.

Teaching Children about Money

2006-03-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

My mother is a little weird. Most people find her hard to deal with, unsympathetic, and possibly neurotic. My father agrees.

If there is one thing she is good at, it is making money and saving money to make even more money. It is probably the only thing she understands.

In her own neurotic way, she taught me about savings. The experience is etched in my mind, because it was rather embarrasssing.

I was 10, and she took me to her bank and asked me find as many tossed away account balance receipts as possible from ATM garbage cans. Then, she asked me to tell her how much money other people have in their accounts. So, there I was, going through other people's trash, and being watched by others and possibly videotaped by security cameras.

The account balances were very low. A few people were in the negative, most had about $30-$300 in savings, and one person out of about 100 receipts had over $3,000 in savings.

Then, my mother talked to me about how most people lived from pay cheque to pay cheque, and I should not get into that habit.

Thinking back, I don't think the experiment reflected the truth 100%, as a low savings balance does not mean that someone is broke. He may have money in investments or other banks. Nevertheless, it was a good lesson for a 10 year old child.

$1.00 Rich Jerk E-Book Update

2006-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

On February 17th, I posted a "Wanted Ad" for 55 people who have $1.00 each to go to the purchase of the Rich Jerk's E-book.

Some people brought up the issue of copyright infringement. After consulting with a few people at work, and doing a little research on the internet, I received the best advice: go to the source!

I emailed the Rich Jerk. In my first email, I asked whether it's legal to share the cost of the e-book, and distribute it. The answer was "NO".

Then, I emailed again asking whether it's okay to buy the e-book, write commentaries on it, and take $1.00 each from people who want to fund this research. Then, I received this email:

"Hi,Sure that should be okay, but why not just become an affiliate of ours and make money by referring your donors to our site?See our affiliate page at http://www.therichjerk.com/site/affiliates for more information.

All the best,CameronRich Jerk Staff"

So, I've been given the O.K to go ahead with my experiment.

Now, I am looking for 55 people who have $1.00 each. For $1.00, you will receive my DETAILED review of the e-book. This is virtually RISK-FREE for everyone.

It will work the same way as before. If you are interested, please leave a comment, and once I have 55 people who are interested, I will put a "DONATE" button from paypal and inform you how to proceed.

How to build a successful site in 12 months.

2006-02-22T01:28:00.000-08:00

While wandering through the forums at Webmasterworld, I came across a great article on how to build a successful site in 12 months.

The author Brett Tabke talks about domain names, site design, the perfect page size, links, seo, and has a step by step way of building a successful website. He claims that if you do what he says, you should expect 10-15K page views per day.

Best of all, it's free advice.

Millennium Bullion Fund

2006-02-22T01:09:00.000-08:00

The Millennium Bullion Fund is the world's first open-ended mutual fund that invests in physical gold, silver, and platinum and is RRSP eligible. The fund also qualifies for RESPs, RRIFs and LIFs.

- It's a safe place to put your money if you want to avoid future stock market of fund turmoil.

- You can have the gold sent to you if you wish! Or you can leave it in the Bank of Nova Scotia vault.

- Year to date return : 4.5%

- Asset consists of real physical silver, platinum and gold.

- Factors that will drive this fund: investors' speculation that gold's value will increase, India's increasing demand on gold jewelry, China's increasing gold reserve, etc.

Wanted: 55 People with $1.00 Each

2006-02-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Wanted: 55 People with $1.00 Each

In my previous posting about the Rich Jerk, a lot of people expressed that they have heard of the Rich Jerk, but have not bought any of his products because they just have a bad feeling about him.

I have NEVER bought anything from him, and I have to admit that I am curious. Under normal circumstances, the chance of purchasing anything from him is remote. Then, I thought that I can't very well judge him without actually reading his e-book. I know I am NOT alone in this, as many readers don't want to spend $50-100 on something that's a scam....so here is my proposal.

I need 55 people who are willing to share the cost of purchasing. What we need is $1.00 from each person. The e-book can then be circulated to the group. I am not sure if this is legal, but I can't see the difference between this and....say....sharing the cost of purchasing a book with a friend. Here is how this will work:

1) If you are interested, leave a comment, and make sure I have a way of getting back to you.
2) Once we have 55 people signed up, I will add a PayPal donate button on this website and let you know. You can then proceed to pay $1.00 for your e-book.

3) Then, I will purchase the e-book and circulate it to the group

Regarding the issue of trust.....

You will just have to trust me that I am not going to run away with your $1.00. I will purchase the product, distribute it, and that's that. $55.00 US is not going to get me any further in life.

What I want is to provide a way for everyone to learn without spending a lot of money. If this is a success, we can do this again, as there is a lot of useful webmaster information out there buried in the junk. We just have to sift through it. Also, I want any future purchases to be exclusive to the 55 people who sign up....as long as the cost remains $1.00 for each person.

If this is worth $1.00 to you, please start by leaving a comment.

P.S. If you have any other thoughts and suggestions, please also leave a comment!

Disclaimer:

The total cost of the e-book may change. Today, the Rich Jerk website has a special of $49.99 for the e-book. This may change. If it does change, I will recruit a few more people or cover the difference myself...whichever maybe more suitable at that time.

If you have purchased the e-book before, and can see obstacles with circulating this book, please take a moment and leave a comment.

It may take us a while to find 55 people, and I will not purchase anything until the full cost is covered. So...bear with me. If it takes too long, and you want to opt out, by all means, go ahead.

Does Paradise Exist?

2006-02-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

Does Paradise Exist?

Warm azure waters, swaying coconut trees, miles and miles of green pasture as far as the eye can see, low taxes, stable political system, peaceful local residents, ultra low cost of living, English speaking, great healthcare system, and has no natural disasters.....

Does such a place exist? A place that is the perfect amalgamation of everything that's perfect and peaceful?

In finding the perfect place to kick up your feet and retire, you may have come across countless countries that have a few of the characteristics above. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find the perfect retirement haven.

For a long time, Belize has been a great place for expats from North America. It is an English speaking country, which is rare for retirement havens. The temperature is great, and the living cost is inexpensive compared to other Carribbean countries. The political system is fairly stable, and it's commonwealth. While there is no medicare, it is cheap to get a root canal and its proximity to North America makes it convenient to travel to a major US city for treatment. The problem with Belize is that it is still on the hurricane belt. The weather is becoming more and more unpredictable lately, and although the barrier reef and Belize's location minimizes the damages of hurricanes, it does not completely avoid them.

Fiji is a tropical paradise for travelers. It is also commonwealth, and there are no hurricanes. The land value is still decent compared to Carribean countries. A 500 acre freehold land with a couple of houses and a private island can be found for $400,000 US. The people in Fiji are also friendly and will not be hostile towards foreigners. The problem with Fiji is that there have been coups arising in Suva over the last few decades. Recently, there is fear of another coup as the natives are becoming increasing uncomfortable with their situation with Fijians. Fortunately, the coup is concentrated in Suva, and the neighbouring islands are not affected as much. Also, I have not heard of anyone losing their house due to the coup. But, it is still a factor that weighs heavily on people's minds when choosing the perfect retirement location. Also, geographically, Fiji is further from North America than the Carribean or Latin America, so airfare is costly.

Other retirement havens are Equador, Mexico, tons and tons of Carribean countries, of which I prefer the ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) because they are below the hurricane belt. Of course, the problem with being below the belt is that Bonaire is quite dry and for retirees who want to have a little organic garden, it may not be the best choice. There is also Margarita Island in Venezuela, but there was rumours of robberies and hijackings of expat residents, it is disturbing.

There are so many choices, and each choice has pros and cons. I would suggest taking the following steps.

Narrow your choices down to four locations. Visit all four locations more than once and during different seasons. It can also be helpful to rent a place first and live there for a month to test out the environment; during the month, you may discover more pros and cons that can help you to make a decision. Be friendly to the locals, as they are always your best source of information. It is unwise to take a North American or European attitude to some of these places, and the local people may not appreciate it. Soon, you may find yourself in trouble.

Then, create a spreadsheet and think about your needs, what you are willing to sacrifice (or not willing to sacrifice) and what each four locations offer. List some of the most important factors of what you are looking for, and rank each location on a scale of 1-10 (ten being perfect). Here is a sample below:

Fiji Bonaire Belize Equador Etc Etc
Temperature 6 2 5 5
Natural Diasters 7 6 9 9
Cost of living 8 4 6 9
Tax Benefits 3 5 5 2
Health Care 5 8 7 2
Friendly Locals 8 8 6 5
Etc
Etc
Total 37 35 35 32

While the scores may not reflect how you feel, you can get the general idea. You can insert whatever is important to you, for example, diving, hiking trails, house prices,etc. If you think diving is crucial for your retirement, by all means, don't sacrifice that! So, according to my chart, Fiji comes out on top.

Finding the perfect retirement haven is a combination of sacrificing what you are willing to give up and knowing what you can't give up. As long as you have clear thinking in outlining these factors, you will not be disappointed with the location you choose. You should do a lot of research beforehand to find the ideal place for you. It will all pay off in the end, because your retirement haven will be your sanctuary for many years to come!

Good Bye to Blog Explosion, Blog Clickers, Blog Advance, etc, etc

2006-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn everything there is to learn about building a successful site, then go to Webmasterworld and read as much as you can from the forums. The Google Adsense section alone is worth the time.

In the end, you will learn that gimicks, scams and free traffic tools can make you a few quick bucks, but original content and lots (I mean LOTS) of it is one of the keys to long-term lasting success.

It's interesting that bloggers or webmasters like myself can read this from other sites, but we still don't believe it. I have been blogging since December 31, 2005, and now I am a believer!

I have learnt some things in these two months, and also have some observations.

Why did I even bother with Blog Explosion, Blog Advance, Blog Clicker, etc, etc ???
After creating this site on Blogger.com, I immediately thought about the next challenge: how to generate traffic? At that time, it did not occur to me that what I want is targeted traffic. So, after searching the web, I registered with Blog Explosion, Blog Clicker, Blog Advance, and Blog Soldiers. Basically, they are traffic exchange sites, where I can view other blogs, and get traffic in return.

The problem

- Virtually all the blogs on these exchange sites are after the same goal. There is a few opinion sites, but most of the blogs have Google Adsense or other pay-per-click ads, and some are clearly article sites geared towards making Adsense money. So, I am swimming with sharks! I have NEVER clicked on someone else's Google Adsense ads, so why would I expect any of the bloggers to click mine?

- Since the key is to get targeted traffic, the chance of someone on Blog Explosion or other traffic exchange sites to find my content valuable is slim to none. I am only basing this on what I think of other people's sites. I have no real interest in political opinions, information on gadgets, or stay-at-home mommy blogs, so how can these bloggers find a financial blog useful?

- Take one look at my referrals and site stats, anyone can figure out that such traffic exchange sites do not work. Not a lot of people stay for longer than 25 secs, which is the required length of time for Blog Explosion. You may get the odd one, but it's just not worth the effort.

Why is Hitsntraffic.com working for me???

Even though I am bashing traffic exchange sites, I am puzzled over my stats with Hitsntraffic.com. Unlike BlogClikers and other blog traffic exchange sites, Hitsntraffic.com allows not only blog sites, but other commerce sites as well. It is still not a great place to generate targeted traffic, but for some bizarre reason, it is doing quite well for me. My stats show that most of the hits from Hitsntraffic.com stay on my site for longer than 10 minutes, and view at least two or three pages. Since I registered with them, I have been receiving more clicks as well. So, for now, I will keep Hitsntraffic.com.

Possible Reasons for the Success

- Hitsntraffic.com does not have a lot of blog sites being circulated. So perhaps my site is an oddity!

- To be honest, I am not sure why it's being good to me. The surfing is automatic, so you don't even have to be at the computer. Then, it should actually backfire in terms of generating traffic. My assumption was that these people were not even looking at my sites (because really, I am not looking at theirs), but apparently this was the wrong assumption!

- If someone knows why this is and has had similar experiences with Hitsntraffic.com, please let me know.

I Am Finally Gitting Hits from Search Engines

This site does not have a lot of content yet, but recently, I have been receiving a few hits from Google search engine. I am excited, and it is motivation to actually write original content on a daily basis. For example:

Some one searched "Investing $4000" on Netscape, and Full Change Jar is ranked #4

Some one searched "E-wealthology" on Google, and Full Change Jar is also ranked #4

There were others, including one from some one who also has a "weakness for Starbucks Coffee". These are small victories!

Google Adsense TOS Rules Bother Me

We are not allowed to reveal Google Adsense revenue figures, and also not allowed to reveal the nature of our sites. I am okay with this. However, these rules help scam artists to cheat people. Typically, this is what I see on some scam sites "I can't tell you what my sites are or how much I make, but you can make the same amount of money or more if you buy my product." If I will spend money on your products, I want to see your books.

Link Swap Does Help (at least for me)

One of the best linkbacks to my site is from Retire Young and Wealthy. What I need is more linkbacks from other quality sites.

More "Unknown" Referrals

I am also getting a few "unknown" referrals. This is great news. This means that some people have bookmarked or remembered my site, and are arriving here directly without any help from search engines. It's always good to have groupies :)

So, with the increase in Google Search Engine hits and what I've learnt in the last two months, my goal now is to commit to writing at least one original entry each day. I will circulate this blog on Blog Explosion and other blog traffic exchange sites for a little longer to get some feedback on what others think, but after that I will no longer participate. I will remain loyal to Hitsntraffic.com, as it is working for me, but I have to find out why it is working (it really shouldn't).

Valentines Day Flowers!

2006-02-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

It is Valentines' day, and the most popular and simple gift is a dozen red roses.

While I was still going to university, I used to work at a fairly large flower shop part-time. It was the most eye-opening experience, and it has helped me to be more aware of purchasing flowers. Valentines' day is the most busy day, and also one of the most profitable days for a flower business. I remember preparing the shop for the day, and making 7,000 water picks for the roses. Needless to say, by the end of the day, the skin on my hands was peeling, and my shoulders were sore.

On Valentines' day, we sold our roses for $10.00 per stem, whereas regularly, a long stem rose can go for $4.50 or $5.00. So, a bouquet of a dozen red roses can cost in excess of $150.00. This will include 12 roses, some greens, and wrapping, which all cost extra. The reason that the flowers are so much more expensive on Valentines' day is because they cost more from wholesalers.

In my city, a flower business (or anyone with a GST number) can go to the flower auction and purchase flowers at wholesale prices. Sometimes, a stem of red rose costs $0.15-$0.25, depending on how the auction goes. Of course, on Valentines' Day or other holidays, a stem can cost $1.00-2.00. So, it's not that the stores raise their prices to make a buck, they are really just adjusting for the extra cost.

I find that it's better to buy roses from street venders, as they get a fresh supply, and often charge a lower price. Sometimes, they buy directly from the growers, and the savings can be passed to you because the middle men (auctions, wholesalers) are eliminated. It may surprise you that it does not cost very much to start a little business selling flowers on street corners.

1) Buy a cart
2) Get a permit
3) Buy flowers from auctions or growers
4) Buy the essentials, such as flower food, water picks, ribbons, etc from wholesalers
5) Find a location, put up a sign, and start selling!

Some supermarkets sell dozens of roses at a huge discount. I like discounts, but I also like good quality. I have not been able to find good quality flowers at supermarkets. A dozen red roses may be as inexpensive as $15.00, but when you look at the stem where the cut was made, you can will see black or grey, which means that the roses are not fresh. Supermarkets buy large quantities of roses at wholesale, and they are kept in the cooler for as long as possible. I can't imagine that you can get fresh roses this way. In fact, most of the roses I buy from supermarkets die in less then 3 days, and roses should at least last one week. You are definitely NOT paying for quality.

On the other hand, I also dislike some tactics flower shops use to make a profit. Have you heard of Teleflora? You can see the dove symbol everywhere on doors, windows, brochures of flower shops. Here is a typical scenerio. You live in New York, and you want to send flowers to someone in Las Vagas. So, you walk into a flower shop and see the sign "We will send flowers to anywhere in the world". You think "this is wonderful!". The nice sales girl show you a thick book full of pictures of beautiful arrangements and bouquets, and you pick one. She tells you that the recipient will receive exactly what's shown on the picture, or maybe with a few differences.

The truth is most people who buy flowers are people who don't know anything about flowers. It is also true that most people are just plain happy to receive flowers, regardless of the types of flowers they receive. So, you will pay say $90 to send these flowers to someone, and the New York store tells you that it has affiliates all over the world. Then you think "Great! It is pretty much one company that has many franchises." Your friend will receive the flowers; she tells you they are great. By this time, you don't remember the flowers in the pictures, and probably don't care because she loves them.

What you don't know is that you may have paid $90.00 for flowers that should only cost $30.00.

This is how Teleflora works. It is a business that provides software, websites, ideas, and a way of linking flower shops worldwide. If I start a flower business, I will pay Teleflora commission and probably a monthly fee to use their services. Without them, I will lose profit, because people can't come to me to send flowers worldwide. Teleflora even sets up credit card processing systems for merchants for a fee. When you purchase flowers from a Teleflora shop, you are NOT buying flowers from that shop. You may like the decor, the feel, the look of the store you are sitting in, but where your flowers are being sent from may be something COMPLETELY different.

Furthermore, your $90.00 doesn't mean $90.00 worth of flowers. The flower shop in New York will keep some of that money. As I mentioned before, because you are not an expert in flowers and will not be present when your friend receives the flowers, it is very easy to put cheap flowers in a bouquet and add a rose or stargazer lily here and there to impress someone. Either way, you have no control as to how your flowers will look. To be honest, there is no way that every flower shop will have all the flowers in stock, so there is always some degree of substitution. It's just that some flower shops abuse the system completely.

Here is an idea....if you are in New York and want to send flowers to someone in Las Vagas, why don't you look up flower shops located in Las Vagas on the internet and call the shop directly? You can pay with a credit card, and actually save $10.00 or more on ordering from New York (commission fees for Teleflora services). Better yet, don't go with a Teleflora shop at all, because most solid flower shops do not even want to make a living through Teleflora. Shops with great designers have a theme of their own, and Teleflora designs are very generic.

Here are some designers I love, and I would have no problem spending this kind of money on great flowers and great designs for someone I love.

Jane Carroll Floral Artistry
Thomas Hobbs Florist
Winston Flowers
Jaco Maarse Florists

Happy Valentines' Day and good luck with your flower purchases!

What to do with your tax refund?

2006-02-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Tax season is upon us! Once again, it's time to dig up receipts stained by coffee, T4s, and any RRSP contribution receipts. I am not a very organized person, so my receipts and any tax related slips are never in the best condition. However, I don't lose them very often, because my strategy is to just put whatever I receive in my purse. You may think "Yikes! What will you do if you lose your purse?". That is a genuine concern on my part as well, but it seems to be the only way I can keep track of important financial documents.

At this point, I have all my pay stubs, my palm pilot, and donation receipts in my purse; in addition, I have a lipstick and lip balm, which come in handy if I can't find a pen.

Most likely, I will be receiving a small tax refund this year, and I have begun to think what to do with that money.

I can....

Re-invest in RRSPs

Spend the tax refund on a distance education course that can increase my web skills

Pay for my fiance's Open Water Certificate scuba diving course in March

Purchase additional stocks or mutual funds

Put the refund in a GIC (term deposit) for 5 years

Pay for our trip to Fiji in April

Do absolutely nothing and leave it in our savings account

Donate 10% to a charity

Purchase gold bullion bars since they are now eligible investments for RRSP

I like the idea of reinvesting the money back into RRSPs, either in mutual funds or gold bullion bars. The US deficits is growing, and the economy is at a slowdown, and teh US dollar is weakening and all these factors will push up the market value of gold. The Millenium Bullion Fund is Canada's first and only mutual fund that holds physical silver, platinum, and gold bullion. Even better, it is the only one that is RRSP eligible. I will have to look more into this.

I have also taken the action of contributing more into taxes next year. With two full-time jobs, I am doomed at tax seasons. Then, I started to think about the opposite end of the spectrum. What if I do the opposite and pay less in taxes?

The idea behind this thinking is giving taxes to the government is like giving the government an interest free loan for the year. They hold the money and then give back what is owed to me after tax season. If one is good at financial management, the otherwise withheld taxes can actually be invested early in the year. A tax refund is basically your overpayment to the government, and it's money that should have been yours in the first place. If you are interested in a tax reduction, you can fill out a request to the Canada Revenue Agency and have less taxes deducted from your pay cheques, so you can have money earlier to reinvest. As far as I know, this can also be done through the IRA,

Professional Development Plan

2006-02-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

This morning at a work meeting, the subject of completing a professional/personal development plan came up. A few months ago, all the employees completed a survey administered by an independent third party regarding employee satisfaction. The scores were low from professional development type questions.

So, after several meetings with the board of directors and other human resources, each faculty decided to tackle this program in its own way, and my faculty came up with the solution of completing a professional development plan. While it is not mandatory, it is a great idea for people who want to put their goals on paper.

I really liked this idea, because I love putting things down on paper (or computer). This way, I will be accountable for it and will not forget. It also helps me to really re-examine my life and find out what I need to accomplish. I have already posted my financial goals here. Since I have to work on my professional development plan anyhow, I might as well start gathering my thoughts here.

3 Months Goals (by May 7)

- Register for the online Dreamweaver course at BCIT and apply for union funds to cover the cost.
- Research and decide on a post graduate or Masters program
- Acquire Advanced Open Water Diver (Drysuit) Certificate
- Go to an Orthodox Christian church at least twice and get information on its beliefs

6 Months Goals

- Join 2 work related committees
- Apply for a post graduate or Masters program
- Acquire Emergency First Repsonse Certificate
- Register for another on-line webmaster course

1 Year Goals

- Be registered in a post graduate/Masters program
- Complete 50% of the requirement of the webmaster associate program
- Complete 80%-100% of the PADI Divemaster program
- Join North Vancouver Mountain Bike Club, and ride or get out there at least 2 times a month

A Million Little Pieces

2006-02-02T00:52:00.000-08:00

I am going to stray a little from the usual financial post this time.

Recently, everyone is talking about the book "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. I read the book a few months ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Regardless of the severity of James' drug and alcohol addition and criminal past, I believe that anyone who can overcome any kind of addition is strong. The book is published as a non-fiction, and that is where the trouble starts.

"A Million Little Pieces" is about a man's life on drugs and alcohol and his determination to overcome his demons without going through the regular detox programs. The details are graphic, and that's why it was such an interesting read. James Frey always claimed that the story was true...until now.

The Smoking Gun website exposed his lies in this article. After reading six pages of it, I am not sure whether it was important that he lied or embellished the truth. At least it was not important for me. After Oprah promoted his book, now she feels duped, so she invited him back to uncover the truth. On the show, she questioned him how his ex-girlfriend died. In the book, James Frey said she hung herself, but now he says that she actually slit her wrist. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't see why how she died is so important.

Some social workers were recommending this book to other drug/alcohol addicts, saying that if he overcame the additions, then they can too. Now they are very upset and want to sue.....argh... Addicts are also upset, because they feel betrayed.

In the end, he is still an ex-addict who cleaned up. Isn't that the story?

Does it really matter that he lied about the number of times he was arrested, whether he rejected Novacain when he had root canal procedures, or who he was friends with?

I am not an addict in the sense that James Frey was, and I still can't remember what I did last week. Can we really expect a non-fiction to be completed non-fiction? Should we now go back and do investigative work on every non-fiction book out there? Why do we have such high expectations for others when we can't uphold the same expectations for ourselves?

If the goal is to be clean, then read the book, take away the good and apply it to your life. A lot of energy is wasted by people who want to hear this man apologize and confess to his lies. What bothers me is that people act so shocked and say things like

"You of all people know how serious the truth is when it comes to addiction. I think that's why I'm so disappointed and betrayed. I mean, the story was great. The book was great, but, you know, it's troubling. I don't trust memoirs anymore." (Amy, a reader, source Oprah).

To be honest, I really enjoyed a good lie. There can be so much truth!

Security Blanket

2006-01-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

I have been on unemployment insurance once. It was between jobs, and I only claimed it for about two weeks before I found another job. Since then, I have not claimed unemployment insurance, and it will most likely never happen again either.

While I was on unemployment insurance, I was thankful. It was a nice security blanket! Then, I started to think about the pitfalls of social security.

Canada is a really comfortable place. I can pretty much do nothing and still be okay. By okay, I mean - alive and healthy.

Suppose that I am unemployed, I can potentially qualify for about six months of unemployment insurance that pays me $1600.00 a month.

If I can prove that I do not have any skills, I can have the government pay for my education while being paid $1600.00 a month.

If this runs out, I can go on welfare indefinitely. Sure it doesn't pay very well, but at least I am not starving, especially if I can arrange to not pay rent.

Because of the availability of social housing, I can also pay rent that's proportionate to what I make. A friend of a friend was paying $89.00 per month for a 3 bedroom townhouse, because she only took home $800 from work.

If I have children, I can claim an additional amount per child.

I can get medicare, because if I don't have a job and on unemployment insurance or welfare, it's pretty much free.

All in all, it's not a bad deal.

If I compare this to a country like China, which has very little social security, I can see why people treat money differently. In North America, the worst case scenerio for spending way beyond your means is owing creditors and filing for bankruptcy. You will still be healthy because of medicare and still eat because of government support.

In China, you will pay for all your medical expenses before you see a doctor, and nothing is covered under any type of insurance. You will pay up front when you buy an apartment, because there is still no such thing as credit majority of the cities. You will also need to have money for your children's school, because while education is still free, corruption is rampant, and bribery still rules. If you are ever out of a job, the government does not pay you or fund your education; you are pretty much on your own. The bottom line is you take care of your own financial future, because no one else will do it for you.

I hate the comfort of living in this part of the world, the wastefulness, the hunger for all things material, and the blatant disregard for what other people would give for our opportunities.

I have a small weakness for luxury handbags; I look at them online, I fantasize about carrying a real Balenciaga bag, the soft distressed leather, almost like butter....but that's about as far as I go. There is something unsettling knowing that even the most inexpensive luxury purse can feed a family for a year elsewhere.

Having social security in place almost makes it okay for us to strive for mediocrecy, and it makes what most of the world consider to be sloth - "normal".

It's "normal" to be unemployed; it's "normal" to be on unemployment insurance for the sixth time. It's "normal" to owe $8000.00 on credit cards because that's the average, so there can't possibly to anything wrong with that. It's "normal" to live in social housing and get $450 from the government and another $800 for having children. It's "normal" to pay interest. It's also "normal" to not finish high school and justify it by saying that education is over-rated or "I just did not have that opportunity".

I want to be better than normal, and I don't think that's too high of a goal.

Why is money so darn important?

2006-01-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I tell people about my retire young plan, I receive a lot of negative feedback. Some people think I am greedy, and others want to know why I think money is just so darn important; they tend to recite the "money can't buy you happiness" phrase.

I think a lot about why money is so important to me, and I only came to one conclusion.

Money certainly can't buy or guarantee happiness, but it can sure buy me freedom. More importantly, it can buy me the freedom to leave.

Because I have money, I can leave all sorts of sticky situations.

For example:

Case 1: You can leave your job! If you had money, the only reason you would stay at a job is because you love it. You sure don't need to do it for the money.

Case 2: You can leave a bad relationship! If you had money, you could stay because you wanted to stay.

Case 3: You can leave the town, city, state, province, or country! You can practically be anywhere you wish to be.

Money is a huge factor in people's decisions regarding employment, relationships, and where to live (among other things). At one point or another, we all have felt the obligation to stay put due to a lack of money.

I like the freedom to leave, the ultimate freedom to choose who I want to be with and where I want to be. Realistically, it is awfully hard to achieve this without the help of money.

If I do stay put, whether it be a relationship or a location to live, you can be sure that it is because I want to, not because I feel forced to.

The Rich Jerk

2006-01-22T00:16:00.000-08:00

So, now I am a groupie.....the word conjures some disturbing images about rock bands and loose women, but nevertheless, I am a groupie for Jeff. If you would also like to be a groupie, you can visit Jeff's Onlinebonuses blog site and "sign up"!

While I was visiting Jeff's site, I came across a posting about "The Rich Jerk". Anyone who uses adsense on their site knows who he is. So, here is my experience...

I was curious, so I signed up for some "free" advice. So, here is a guy who promsies that you can have a successful adsense site running by doing exactly what he says. There are the emails I received from him.

1) First email - Get a google adsense account (wow enlightening!). Then buy XSitePro, which is a software that allows you to handle multiple adsense websites.

2) Second email - Blend the adsense ads with the content. Then buy XSitePro, and also buy Joel Comm's step by step manual on how to do this. I was thinking that Blogger can already do this for you with one ad when you go through Blogger's adsense page.

3) Third email - Search Engine Optimization is key. Then buy XSitePro, and also buy SEO Elite.

4) Fourth email - Oh, he is offering a freebie! Send him your site, and he will let his team of experts critique it for free. I suspect you will end up needing XSitePro, Joel Comm's book, and SEO Elite.

5) Fifth, sixth, seventh..... - Buy XSitePRo, buy this and buy that.

6) The last email - Have 2 websites. Buy a plug-in-profit site, join his e-wealthology club. use the adsense site to promote the plug-in-profit site by hiring a massive number of cars driving around your neighbourhood with a decal. Or, was it the other way around....anyhow I was getting a little dizzy by that point.

So, I can sum it up pretty easily: do exactly what he says, which is buy his products, and you will be rich just like him!

Here is the kicker....after I received all the promised "free" advice, I continue to get even more "free" advice! Every couple of days, I am reminded to buy XSitePro and other goodies.

So, here it is. You don't need to sign up for his free advice, it's pretty much all summed up here.

You can always to go the webmasterworld forum and learn a lot of useful information. Everything adsense or webmaster related is pretty much all there. It's free, and you don't need to buy XSitePro.

UPDATE: Please see my Wanted: 55 People Needed with $1.00 Each posting. It's for people who are interesting in purchasing the Rich Jerk E-book (among other things). How about paying $1.00 for the e-book?

Financial Goals

2006-01-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

Long Term Financial Goal

1 - Have $1,000,000 in liquid assets (bonds, mutual funds, stocks, real estate, cash) by the age of 36.

2 - Retire young at 36! This is the hard part - I am a workaholic.

3 - Have both a winter (in a low-cost tropical country) and summer home (in Canada).

Short Term Goal

1 - Purchase a condo or townhouse in Canada by the end of August, 2006.

2 - Purchase a winter home by the end of 2009.

3 - Have a stable third and fourth stream of income by Jan, 2007. This will most likely be accomplished through a home based or on-line business.

4 - Invest $50,000 per year, that's $4,166.67 per month.

5 - Maintain an average of 15% return on all investments.

"Lunch on a budget" Revisited!

2006-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

I started my "lunch on a budget" program with a co-worker on January 3rd, which prompted my Latte Factor posting.

The objective: To bring lunch to work everyday.

The incentive: $150.00 shopping trip to Seattle after three months.

The punishment: Each time we slip, we have to deduct $10.00 from our shopping trip.

Progress

Me:

Days so far: 10

Money saved: Jan 3 - 16, 10 business days x 10 dollars = $100.00

Money deducted: I slipped today, and bought a gello $1.45, so $10.00 deducted.

Trip money: $140.00

My friend:

Days so far: 10

Money saved: not sure, because she slipped quite a bit.

Money deducted: Not only did she slip > 10 times, she also decided to shop before the trip :(

Trip money: $0.00

So, it looks like I will be doing the "lunch on a budget" program by myself!

My Mutual Funds

2006-01-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I called my bank to transfer some money from one mutual fund to another. Apparently, the call center clerks are experts now! I was told by four different call center employees that my choice in mutual fund was not recommended, because it is an agressive fund. In addition, I was only allowed to transfer 20% of my money to the mutual fund I wanted. I thought it was the customer's decision as to where his or her money goes.

Anyhow, here are five Canadian funds that I believe will out perform the market.

Assumption/MB TSX 100 Momentum B

Canada Life Gens Cdn Growth (AIM)

Ethical Canadian Dividend

Standard Life Ideal NL Cdn Small Cap

TD Latin American Growth - I

Hassel Free Mortgage Helper

2006-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Why pay your full mortgage payment when someone else can do it?

I am not talking about renters. Renters present huge hassles, as it's always a hit or miss situation. If you pick the wrong tenants, you can have a huge mess on your hands.

For example, my parents purchased a house years ago as an investment property. They rented the upstairs for $1050 and the downstairs suite for $800. It's harder to rent the entire house out to one person, and it's often more risky too. So, they thought this would have been a better idea. So they put ads in the newspaper and patiently waited for people to call. They were pretty nervous, because they needed tenants to pay for the first mortgage payment. Otherwise, they would have been paying for both houses.

The tenants upstairs were great, but they had serious problems with the tenants downstairs. Not only did they live like slobs, but they created problems with the neighbours. It was so bad that finally the police was involved. After my parents got rid of these tenants, my father and I had to clean up their mess. The place was a disaster; they had several cats, but never cleaned up after them, and the whole place smelled of urine. On top of that, there were thousands and thousands of fleas hopping around after the cats left. I could see little black dots all over my legs.

After a few years, my parents became really tired of renting out to tenants the conventional way, so they looked into another way of paying their mortgage.

The answer was homestays! This works especially well when you are living in the house that is open to homestay students. Generally, as a homestay host, you are required to provide the student(s) with a room, meals. Some schools may require you to drop off/pick up students under a certain age.

Homestay students were great! They are usually from Asia, studying ESL at a college or ESL school. Depending on the program they are enrolled in, they can be here for a few months or a year or longer. In most situations, they have already paid the school for their homestay costs, so the payment to you is guaranteed. The best part about homestays is that because you provide room and board, the pay is usually anywhere from $600-$800 per student. If you have several rooms in your house, and have maybe three students, you will be making $1800-$2400 per month.

They students are hassel free, and it's a great opportunity to learn about another culture. In my parents' case, the students were barely at home. They wanted to be out all the time, some even went on long trips. This was okay for my parents because the students paid the rent regardless.

Through accommodating homestay students and renting a couple of rooms to Japanese students, my parents never had to pay a cent into their mortgage. This is a great plan if your house is located close to a school. Many schools will advertise in the newspaper when they need host parents. They will want to visit your home to make sure that it's a safe environment. After that, you will be waitlisted until when a new group of students arrive!

Hello LaDawna

2006-01-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

On January 5th, I made some comments in "How do you use 24 hours?" that drew the attention of LaDawna McLeish, who left a comment under that posting. Here is my response.

Hello LaDawna,

First, I'd like to thank you for visiting the site and taking the time to explain your position.

If I have upset you, it certainly was not my intention. The comments I made are not meant to be personal, in fact, I can't say I considered your feelings when I wrote them. I was not criticising the people mentioned in the article, but the behaviours.

I do not read an article thinking that it reflects the whole truth. Any article will only reflect part of the truth, and yes, I was basing my opinions on part of the truth.

The article is titled "To feed a lifestyle, some are taking second jobs". And yes, based on the article, the assumption is that you are someone who wastes your money on a wedding, a dress, and a life style you can't afford......as the title and the contents suggest.

So here is my dilemma, the article says:

You are working a second job to pay for the wedding.
You would like lobsters and steaks for the guests.
You would like a dress that costs upwards of $1000.
You are a software engineer who makes more than $75,000 US.
You have a $2000 monthly mortgage.

From your comment, I can see that shy of the dress (which you did not comment on), and the $2000 monthly mortgage (which you also did not comment on), the other points are still true. You may have a lot of sensible reasons for why things are the way they are, but in the end, you are still an above-average income-earner working a second job to pay for the wedding with lobsters. So far, I haven't made any assumptions. And I still think you are crazy.

On the other hand, if the article was titled "How to Plan a Wedding and Not Get into Debt", and it mentioned:

You want to hold the wedding at your parents' home to save the venue cost.
You are choosing daisies over the more expensive flowers.
You are working a second job to fund your dream wedding without dipping into your savings.

Then, I would say that you are quite responsible and more people should be like you, but the lobster and steak dinner still makes me a little uncomfortable :)

I think maybe there is a bit of truth in both.

If you read my entire posting, you would know my points are:

a) I do not sleep much....
b) I do not sleep much because I work two jobs...
c) Wow, other people work two jobs too....
d) But, wow, they sure work for different reasons...
e) Some of these reasons are......a bit weird......to me...
f) Would I lose sleep for the same reasons? Probably not...
g) Why not? Because weddings can be inexpensive, yet great.
h) Why not? because vacations can be inexpensive, yet fun.
i) So, there is a lot of ways to not work two jobs and truly "afford" these "lifestyles", but you just have use your time to figure out how.
j) Why is it worth it? Because not sleeping much really really sucks.

At least, this was my thought process when I wrote the posting. So in the end, I am sorry to say, the article was not about you and your situation. It was kind of about me and my lack of sleep! You might feel that it's upsetting I used my "assumptions" of you and others' situations as a way to generate some thoughts of my own, but I think that's what an article is for: to use what's given to spark some related thoughts.

I also think the point of the article is to discuss the phenomenon of people choosing to take a second job rather than cutting back expenses, all in the pursuit of a better lifestyle, may it be a wedding or a vacation. There are only two ways to increase the money you keep at the end of the day: either make more or spend less. Traditionally, people choose to spend less, but now more and more people are choosing to make more. The article was more than fair.

All these things aside, I have some questions! Were you led to believe you were interviewed on a different topic? Are you going to do your own flowers? (i.e not going through a designer). I am trying to do my own flowers, and I came across this site http://www.marisolblooms.com/, where they sell wholesale to the public. I am not located in the States, so I do not qualify, but they seem to have more expensive flowers at reasonable prices. If you can do your own flowers and want to go with the traditionally more expensive ones, maybe you can check it out (online catelogue). I have no affiliations with this site and am not endorsing it. I just think it can be a great idea. On my end, I am going to get a GST number so that I can purchase wholesale from the auctions.

I wish your wedding is everything you hoped it to be!

P.S. $1000 is actually not that much for a wedding dress. It is probably on the low end of the wedding dress cost spectrum. My friend bought a used dress for $700, so that gives you an idea of how much a new one can cost.

How do you use 24 hours?

2006-01-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

I surfed the net today searching for people who are just like me, particularly "two-jobbers". I came across an article on http://www.boston.com/ titled "To feed a lifestyle, some are taking second jobs. More in middle class finding seasonal work". Here are some interesting highlights:

"Kevin Kipler spends his days managing corporate flights and military jets at Bangor International Airport. At night, the 41-year-old father listens to gift orders in a cubicle at L.L. Bean, where he recently took on a seasonal job as a quality control coach.Sometimes, during his 15-hour days, he forgets which job he's at, mistakenly calling people passengers instead of customers."

My thoughts: I work a total of 80 hours per week, and these are paid hours at two different full time jobs. My day time job is fixed at Monday to Friday 8 am - 4 pm, but my graveyard shift rotates every two months. I can either work Monday to Friday 8 pm - 4 am or Saturday to Wednesday 8 pm - 4 am, depending on the rotation. If you think about this for a moment, you would know that I am better off working Saturday to Wednesday at my graveyard job, because I can get more sleep. Working Monday to Friday at both jobs is painful, not work wise ,but body wise. I truly understand what it's like to be a zombie by Friday and making silly mistakes. Most of my mistakes involve public transportation.
1) Driving the car to work, and then taking the bus home, because I forgot that I drove the car to work.
2) Trying to open a door for 10 minutes at a bus stop before seeing the sign "Electrical Room". I thought it would lead to the escalator.
3) Falling asleep on the sky train and missing my stop....several times. I am just happy that I have not fallen asleep driving.
4) Forgetting to take the change after buying a bus ticket....this can get costly.

"Tina Martin, a radio journalist who recently took a second job five days a week as a customer service representative for Dancing Deer Baking Co., leaves her 95.9 FM night reporting stint at 2 a.m. She sleeps a few hours, arrives at the Boston cookie company by 9 a.m., works an eight-hour shift, and then heads back to the radio station at 6 p.m.Martin, 31, usually collapses by Friday night, but she can earn more than $500 a week at Dancing Deer. She plans to use the money to pad her holiday budget and avoid overspending like she did last year."

My thoughts: Oh my god...she is going to blow it on holidays.

There is something strange about working two jobs to pay for better holidays. On average, I get about 2-4 hours of sleep per day on Monday-Friday rotations, and I am sacrificing for my retirement fund. I can not imaging doing the same just to have a good time. Typically, an exotic holiday costs my fiancé and I approximately $1500 CDN total for two weeks. For example, we went to Belize and British Virgin Islands last September, and that was our total. What cost the most were the airline tickets from L.A to Cancun at $350 CDN each. After that, we took the Mexican "luxury" bus to Belize city. The bus ride was $30 CND each. We camped all the time and ate at local diners. It was a great trip considering that one of our campsites was beach front.

"LaDawna McLeish, 27, knows she makes a good salary -- more than $75,000 annually as a software engineer. But she needed a second job to pay for her dream wedding -- including a dress that costs upward of $1,000 and serving guests lobster and steak -- while still making her $2,000 monthly mortgage payments."

My thoughts: Who are these people? Lobsters and steak? My fiancé and I are working on our wedding details, and we want the wedding to be an investment, not
something that will put us into debt. Through careful planning and a bit of extra work, we can plan a reasonably priced wedding and make a profit from cash gifts (the only form of gift we will accept).

Also, $75,000 annually? She really needs to invest her money better.

So, by the end of the article, I realized that these people are not quite like me.

Me: Job 1 = $62,000 annually Job 2 = 35,000 annually.

Fiancé: Job 1 = $82,000 annually Job 2 = $32,000 annually.

We have been extremely lucky with the jobs we have. I barely do anything at my graveyard job. In fact, we can finish the work in 2 hours, and have 6 hours to watch TV, surf the net, or in my case, work on side projects. My work is due on a daily basis, so after it's done, there is nothing else to do. I figure that I am actually making more than $35,000 since I am using the time to make even more money. My fiancé’s second job is at a restaurant, and the environment is great, and he would never think of leaving. He considers them his family. So, both of us have second jobs that are too good to be true, and while the hard part is finding the time to sleep, the money is too good and too easy.

Between the two of us, we make $211,000per year, and all of the savings (after taxes) goes into investment vehicles. We take 3 vacations a year, each costs around $1000 - $1500, and I am working on making some money from vacations, such as writing traveling articles and finding sponsors. Every once in awhile, I still think of the days when my friend Kay and I used to collect pop cans on campus. We used to have a great system, so that we could make $60 in two hours. That's A LOT of pop cans. It was good spending money.

So my philosophy is: there are 24 hours in a day, so that's 24 hours to think of ways to better yourself and your situation. It all depends on how you decide to spend the time.

The Latte Factor

2006-01-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

I have read several books written by David Bach. He has written books such as " Start Late, Finish Rich" and "The Automatic Millionaire". I really like some of his key ideas such as "make everything automatic" and the "latte factor".

The premise of the "Latte Factor" is based the idea that most people spend money on small things, such as a Latte, and these small amounts add up, and should the money be invested, people would see a greater return.

My "Latte Factor" is actually lattes.....well...actually, my weakness is Starbucks. During my coffee breaks at work, my co-workers and I walk over to Starbucks, stand in the line up, and immediately feel better. We look at the shiny espresso machines, coffee mugs with Starbucks logos, coffee beans, and all the little chocolate treats and after-coffee mints.

This is usually how pathetic I am. I know that the after-coffee mints are just gums, rather really expensive gums. Well, the first time I bought them, I did not know, but now that I know, I still buy them. Usually, I pay something like $2-$3 dollars for these mints in shiny tin boxes. At any gas station, regular gums cost a dollar. The point is that I know this is wrong, and I shouldn't pay that much for gum, but there is something I can do about it. I still bend over backwards for them.

Now, back to Lattes. I love the Non-Fat Vanilla Lattes. Depending on the size, I can spend between $3-$6. Sometimes, I buy two Lattes a day.....plus some mints. If you add everything togather, at Starbucks along I can spend anywhere between $5-$10 dollars a day. I think I am being conservative, because there are days I can't say no to those dark cherry chocolates. Oh, and on some days, I also can't say no to new mugs.

In David's book, there was a simple calculation of how much $5 dollars a day can mean in the future:

$5 per day (the average cost of a latte and a muffin) x 7 days = $35 per week

$35/week = $150/month

$150 per month invested at a rate of 10% annual return =
1 year = $1,885
2 years = $3,967
5 years =$11,616
10 years = $30,727
15 years = $62,171
30 years = $339,073
40 years = $948,611

So, according to David, I have been a bad bad girl....

So, today was my first real attempt at changing my ways. I brought snacks to work! In my "snack bag", I had an orange, a sandwich, a breakfast bar, a yogurt and some juice. I can't even bring myself to say that it was great, because it wasn't. It was very hard. The problem with bringing snacks to work is that you tend to eat them too quickly, because they are readily available! By mid morning, I only had an orange left. Then the Starbucks urge kicked in. Also, it doesn't help that going out for Starbucks is almost like a social outing. So, not only can I not have my Starbucks, but I can't socialize either. I struggled until the end of the day, ate my orange, and gave dirty looks to the empty Starbucks cups on other people's desks.

At the end of the day, I saved myself $5-$10 dollars. One day down, many more to go.....

You can learn about David Bach at: http://www.finishrich.com/pages/home.php

Take a Latte Factor test : http://www.finishrich.com/free_resources/lattecalculator.php

Fico Scores & Credit

2006-01-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

When my fiancé and I first met, I was under the impression that everyone had a perfect Fico Score. Why couldn't they? Your visa statement arrives, you check the amount, write a cheque, and voila! It's paid. The truth is far from this, and I learnt some valuable debt management lessons through my fiancé’s Fico Score.

FICO scores are the credit scores most lenders use to determine your credit risk. There are three FICO scores, one for each of the three credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Each score is based on information the credit bureau keeps on file about you. Your credit scores tend to change as well, as this information changes. We used Fico scores from Equifax.

Six years ago, he had a Fico Score of 534. Today, he has a Fico Score of 721. For people who understand Fico Scores, this is a huge improvement.

Here is how we did it.

A score of 534 indicates a few things, such as a collections item on your report or a complete lack of credit history. In his case, it was a collections item. As a result, banks and other lenders usually do not consider your loan applications, and even if it is considered, you pay a much higher interest rate. When my fiancé was younger, he decided to take out a student loan. Then, he had a car accident and had to withdraw with the course. Usually, people return the student loan to the lender, but for some reason, he felt it was okay to spend the money. So, after awhile, the lender said "well, enough is enough, we have to report you to the credit bureau".

A score of 721 means you have fairly decent credit history, the banks will consider you, and most likely you can qualify for prime. My take on credit scores is this: good credit score saves you money in the long run. And more money in the long run equals early retirement!

It has taken us six years to fix my fiancé’s credit. If someone tells you that there are quick fixes, most likely they are lying. When I researched the net on Fico Scores, many sites said that they are derived from complex mathematical formulae, and more importantly, they are kept secret.

However, what is certain is the following:

35% of your Fico Score is based on: Payment history
30% of your Fico Score is based on : Amount owed
15% of your Fico Score is based on : Length of credit history
10% of your Fico Score is based on: Types of credit used
10% of your Fico Score is based on: New Credit

So the answer is simple. You should always make your payments on time, owed very little on your credit cards and other loans, have both revolving and installment types of loans, and after awhile (actually, a long while), your credit is fixed!

These were the steps we took:
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1) Pay the Collections Item.

There were two key points in dealing with a collections agency. First, I contacted them so that they would cease all communication methods except for the ones I set out for them. This meant that they could not contact my fiancé at his work place, his parents' home, or any other number they may have acquired along the way. All this took was a firm verbal expression over the phone, and letting them know that I understood consumer rights laws. You have every right to ask them to mail or fax the outstanding bill to you before you make any kind of payments; and if you settle the payment close to the end of the month (cut-off time for collectors' commissions), sometimes you can negotiate the interest owed.

On the other hand, if you do not have the lump-sum to settle the collection item, then it's best to send a letter to the collection agency with an initial payment and post dated cheques for the outstanding amount. This shows good faith, and by-law, they have to take it. In reality, for a small amount (in our case, it was $6000), the last thing the collection agency wants to do is to take you to court; but, they are certainly not afraid of threatening you with this. Going to court means larger costs and leaving the matter to judges, and they are not fans of collection agencies.

2. Establish Credit

There are many banks that will issue secured or semi-secured credit cards for consumers with less than fair credit. We went with Capital One, and put down a $75 dollar deposit for a $300 credit card. If you want more credit, you can put down more, but we thought it was best to start with a small amount. We only used this credit card to pay our utility bills, since we would have to pay these bills anyhow. To me, the worst thing to do is to use credit cards for perishable items, such as going out for dinner.

3. Pay on Time Every Time

A blemish on your credit report stays with you for roughly seven years. They count seven years from the time the last activity was reported on your account, and not when the credit was issued. Of course, the impact of a late payment diminishes with time; nevertheless, it is on your report. My fiancé still has the collections item on his report, and it should disappear soon. We made every single payment on time every time. If there happens to be a late payment, it's best that it falls under "30 days late", rather than "60 days late" or "120 days late".

4. Establish an Installment Account

There are two types of credit: installment and revolving. A revolving account is your typical credit card, where if you pay it off, you can spend your credit limit again. An installment account is something like a car loan, where you can a set amount monthly until the loan is completely paid off. Installment accounts are important because they are usually larger loans, and banks like to see that you can handle larger credit responsibilities.

Even with bad credit or no credit, you can purchase a car these days. My fiancé bought a $12000 car with $1000 down and an interest rate of 20%! This is actually very high interest, and the loan was from a second tier bank. Our intention was to pay this interest for 6 months, and then convince a regular bank to take over the loan at a better rate. In hide sight, we should have just gone with a RRSP loan or something smaller.

5. Try Not to Exceed Your Credit Limit

Exceeding your credit limit means you are in need of money....I am sure it can mean a lot of things, but at least that's how most banks view it. Basically, if you can not handle your existing accounts, why ask for more credit? It's just a bad cycle to get into.

6. Time is Key

The minimum amount of time it takes for one to build or rebuild credit is 6 months to 1 year. I think even 1 year is a little bit short. It's possible to pay off the collection items, get a secured credit card, and make timely payments for six months, but this not really long enough to show the lenders that you have changed your ways. We had to be very patient.

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I think there should have been a course in school on credit. At least, parents should educate children on this very important subject. It is something that can cause a lot of damage very quickly, but takes years and years to repair. The key is not to have fear. If you are not going to make a payment, it's best to contact the lenders and let them know your situation. You can also ask them to not report this late payment. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't. The worst thing to do is to hide from them, and think everything will be okay. Pretty soon, the banks will write off the debt and send the amount to a collections agency. At that time, it's too late. It is best to have good communication with your lenders.

I need to add one last point. Some people think if you have a collections/bad debt item on the credit report, it will disappear after 7 years. Then, they think "well, why don't I wait 7 years, and my credit will be new again".

If you owe to a major bank, it's very likely that they are still reporting your inactivity to the credit bureaus every month. The 7 years is counted from the time when the bad debt was paid in full or the last time the lenders reported activity. Also, let's say that after 7 years, the blemish falls off your report, you will have to explain a 7 year gap to lenders, and they are not that stupid. It's better to take three or four years to pay off your debts and rebuild credit.

Unexpected

2006-01-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

An unexpected side-effect of having a lot of jobs is having double the number of friends. I did not anticipate this, so I was ill-prepared for the Christmas holidays. I was hoping to use Christmas and New Years holidays to recuperate. In my case, this means sleeping a lot and doing a lot of laundry. No, not this time. This time, my fiancé and I visited friends and relatives, so many that it felt more like a chore than a social outing. I created a to-do list on my palm pilot and entered the names of friends, and I put a nice satisfying check beside each one when it was done.

Today, I entered the last check - lunch with Gord and Kay.

Gord and Kay have been my friends since high school. We were all part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB). What this meant was going to school with a lot of intelligent kids, and we were groomed to succeed. So, we had students like Roxanna, whom to this day, I despise. I am not sure how one person can be a national-team soccer player, straight A student, Class Valedictorian, champion debater, teacher's pet, etc, etc...all at the same time. Or students like Janelle, who is a world class concert pianist and tells stories of competitions in places like Argentina and how you need to be a size 2 to be a true concert pianist. I guess presentation is important. Or how about Chun, whose genius brother was a legend back then, because he got a full scholarship to Harvard. So, Chun was known as 'the brother of the guy who went to Harvard with a full scholarship'. Needless to say, there was a lot of pressure on him.

Then, there was me. On my IB program application form, I put "I like camping, and on a good day, I can play the piano."

IB was interesting. They told us we were great and gifted all day long, then they told us we were the future leaders of tomorrow; every year, they hosted IB competitions amongst IB schools, so that if we won, we would feel pretty great and gifted. All in all, we felt great!

Then, we went to university. Somewhere between Kay failing physics, Chun losing his mind because he was only accepted to MIT and not Harvard, and Eugene taking eight years to finish his Bachelors in Chemistry, I came to the conclusion that IB did not inform us of some basic ideas. When you are sixteen or seventeen, your thoughts follow a linear and logical path. It is so simple!

"A"s in high school = Getting in to the university you want= Finishing university in 4 years = Getting a Bachelors = Great job with a great pension= Nice house and that Lexus I always wanted = Finding the perfect mate = Time to have children = Happiness and some more happiness.

Oh, and all these have to happen before you are twenty-five.

No one ever mentioned the variables. Some things just kind of happen, and they take you on a completely different path. So, you end up side-tracking for awhile, then returning back on track, and then side track some more.

Gord and Kay are both twenty-six. They had their first baby last year, around the same time that Gord lost his job. It will be eight years now since graduation, and Gord is only half way through his courses in university. Kay finished her Bachelors in Kinesiology and could not find a job, so she is back to school again. This time, she picked a 1 year diploma program in Sonography, where the job prospects are better. They used to have a condo, but couldn't afford it, so now they live with Gord's parents in the basement suite.

A few months ago, I received a letter from my old high school. It cordially invites me to be a panel member at the next IB recruitment session. My job would be to talk about my experiences, and how they benefited me in my life. I can think of a lot of lessons I learnt, but none of which came from IB, so I politely refused.

Empty Change Jar

2005-12-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

How appropriate! It is New Years Eve, 5:43 pm, and what am I doing? I am working. In fact, my shift does not end until 'next year'. That's right, I am working on New Years Eve, and it is a graveyard shift.

So.......

This is who I am. I am Alana, twenty-six years old, a workaholic, and looking to fill my change jar.

I hold two full-time jobs (yes, it is possible). By day, I am a faithful unionized government employee, working for a post-secondary institution. The pay is more than decent, my colleagues are either middle-class or pretending to be upper class, and on most days, their conversations are entertaining enough that I do not mind being there. By night, I am just a number at a large telecommunications company. On most nights, I DO mind being there. The employees are younger, a lot younger, and one can only handle the "Who-is-the-hottest-celebrity" conversation for so long.

I am unhappy at both jobs, but I am usually quite happy to see the pay cheques, and very happy to spend the cheques. This is not good for my 'change jar' situation, but I am working on it.

I have been happily engaged for six years. It is usually awkward to introduce him. He can be referred to as "husband", "fiance", "common-law spouse", or when I am angry - "roommate" or "friend". I can shift from one term another, depending on the situation or my mood. For example, at a job interview, I refer to him as my "husband" in order to suggest that I have a proper marriage - hence will be a proper employee; on the other hand, for tax purposes, he is my "common-law spouse". So that there is no confusion, I will refer to him as my fiance, for that is the term closest to the truth.

The great thing about having someone, aside from the conventional reasons, is that they can be a perfect source of extra income! My fiance also has two full-time jobs. By day, he is a skilled labourer, and by night, he is the pizza-delivery man for a Greek restaurant.

We were not always workaholics......we were normal once. Then, one day, I thought of my parents and a few other people.

I thought of how my parents were immigrants in a new country with a few dollars, and how through hard work and only hard work they turned a few dollars into millions. I thought of Rob, the sixty-seven-year-old man who slept in his car and sometimes crashed on our couch. I thought of how he grew up in this country, speaks perfect English, had no cultural obstacles to overcome, yet with all these simple advantages, he was not able to hold a job for longer than two months. Then, I thought of my goal of retiring young to persue my passion of traveling, and how it would be such a shame if I did not take every opportunity to see it through. So, my fiance and I both took second jobs, and here we are!

I do not have get rich quick schemes, but I figure that if my parents have retired after 15 years of working in this country, then I (someone with fewer obstacles to overcome) can do it in 10 years.

So, here I am, a twenty-six-year-old-somewhat enlightened-workaholic, determined to fill my change jar and retire by my thirty-sixth birthday.

The truth is, if I could do it, anyone can. Watch me fill my jar!

Happy New Year!