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.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Much Anticipated Glovers Atoll "Resort" Review
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!
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...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Blank Stares
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.
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.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Conquering Ebay
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.
Monday, December 11, 2006
One Sour Note
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?.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Homeless Vancouver Website
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.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Reflections on the International Baccalaureate Program
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.
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.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Exercising Extreme Patience
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.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Chaos and Peace
- "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 (Kalashniko
va) 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 m
e 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.
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UPDATE on other postings: My Mother has Manipulated me AGAIN!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Trip Planning: Caves Branch and Glover's Reef Atoll
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)
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!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Kaavya Viswanathan Lost Her Book Deal - How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life
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?
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?
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Pre-Planning Mother's Day
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 :)
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 :)
Sunday, April 30, 2006
My Fiancé’s Best Friends
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.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Google Adsense Misconceptions (Part 1)
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).
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).
Monday, April 17, 2006
To All the Anorexics Out There...
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
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!
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
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:
The Julian Calendar states that:
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
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!
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?
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.
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.
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