Christmas is for the Young

I could best describe young as the children and the adults that are young at heart. Like in the song "Chestnuts Roasting in an Open Fire" it mentioned to kids from one to ninety-two. 

Earlier we had a caroling within the campus of AIT.  Most of our audience were kids and their parents.  Both Christians and non-Christians. I felt so happy seeing the glow in their eyes as they echoed our songs of joy.

Song is prayer. Let this season be filled with faith, hope and love in welcoming the coming of Christ.

Surprise Call From a Friend

One Thursday afternoon, I went to AIT arcade to buy some flowers for the birthday of our officemate. I was surprised to have an unknown incoming call on my mobile phone. Unknown calls are usually long distance calls. I hesitated at first because I don't expect anyone to call, but I answered it.

Yeah, it's my friend Meow from New York. She's having a days off and have the time to call me. She's been in US for maybe nearly 10 years and I only seldom get a call from her. It's good that the line was clear and we have a very long chat. I kept on reminding her that maybe it will cost her a lot already. She quiped that she's trying the 3longdistance cheap calls service. She even noted that she's going to Call Germany to surprise another friend.

It's good to hear once again from people we care. We lasted for an hour on the phone and I told her to call me every week or every day if it's that cheap. =)

80th Birthday of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Photo taken by Mr. Pok, last  Nov. 5, 2007 during the Royal Barge Parade in Chao Phraya River 

The highlight of festivities in honor of the King's birthday will take place this very day in Sanam Luang, Bangkok.  Early this year there were several activities that transpired like extravagance fireworks display,  Regata, free jazz parties, Royal Barge parade, 80 elephant parade, commemorative items were sold (i.e. coins and watches) and several exhibitions around Thailand.

To date he is the longest-reigning/serving monarch in the present day. He is highly revered by Thai citizens and by other country leaders through his important role in the lives of his beloved countrymen.

Cold Feet

The cold season has brought new changes to our home lately. Windows are closed everyday, we use thick blankets at night instead of the light cotton and we finally rolled our carpets on the floor that has been kept of 11 months in the terrace.  We use the carpets to prevent from ending up with cracked heels after the weather have subsided.  My main concern for now is keeping the mat clean.  Since it was placed outside our house it accumulated pile of dust on it.  I was thinking of getting some help from a vacuum cleaner. So I made  few Google search before I make the necessary steps.

The specification that I want matched with that of Dyson upright vacuum cleaner.  My favorite among the four designs is the Dyson Slim. It's lightweight material is what I am after for. And the main catch is the free carpet cleaning kit when you avail the product. It seems to be an answered prayer for me.

Dyson genuine accessories are stylish and a state of the art technology. I will never regret if I get to own one of it soon. 

Ice Skating

Photo taken by Chelo 

I'm relaxing my retinas awhile ago as I gaze at the trees and the pond outside my window.  The stillness of the water makes me think of the latest photos I've seen from Chelo in London.  She took beautiful pictures of people in the skating rink.

The cold weather compliments my day dreaming for a white Christmas bringing me to the frosty place in the alley of  hotels in London.  Just a few walks near the Big Ben and gazing at their National Museum is enough. 

Next stop is at Machester and . To see the famous Man-u team, literally rubbing elbows with them, taking photos and autographs together with other fans. Hotels in Manchester are famous for sporting connections during soccer playoffs.

Another nippy place to go will be Birmingham and lurk for best offers of hotels in Birmingham. To visit the ice hockey league like B.A.H.A (Birmingham Adult Hockey Association) and seeing their matches at Alpine Memorial Cup.

Let met transport back to reality.  Enough day dreaming for the day.

Things To Do on A Holiday

My early morning habit is to check my YM for offline messages which usually comes either from Daisy or Ate Carey. As expected I got a new assignment to work on for a few minutes.  After that I’ll continue the research task on SRI (System on Intensive Rice) and Climate Change to be submitted tomorrow.  Am I on a panic? No. I digress.  As I keep telling myself. Relax, relax, and relax.  As if that’s all not enough I’ll be going to the caroling with other AIT Catholic Community members in 3 houses in Bangkok.  It will start at 11:30 in the morning till 9:00 in the evening.  I hope by that time I still have the energy to continue my research and blogging.

Shopping Savers Galore

There is a saying that "Limits Only Exists in the Mind". When it comes to shopping, limits do exist only with the budget. =) Never to worry, since coupons for different online stores are abundant. Orders online includes free shipping, free items, discounts and more. To let you get the best prices, it even includes a newsletter with deals of the week. If you want buy say some Dell laptop, you can have Dell Coupons to avail of some discount.

Online shopping is one of the things that I like. I can shop without limit on the net. This saves me so much time from going to the store and selecting the goodies to be brought home.

What a Wonderful Day

I had a great start today. The birds' chirping sound awoke me. The brightness of the sun and the cool morning breeze is just terrific.

Early calls came first from my husbands friend Lulu inviting him to play tennis. After a while another one came from Jojoy asking him also to play tennis.

His sports mates are expecting him to be available to play since it's a national holiday. But he needs to do some work even on his day of rest. I pity him missing his sports time. By and by another call came this time from Barry requesting to order a chocolate cake to our neighbor.

Good to know, everybody's awake on a holiday. What a wonder day!

Rise in Military School Popularity

Talking of military schools brings me to the famous West Point Academy, also known as the U.S. Military Academy. In the year 1960's and 1970's there was a decline of demand for military schools, but afterwards there was an annual steady increase.

The war on terror that happens around the world which is played mostly by the United States promotes the importance of military. Thus, this could be the reason why there is a significant increase in demand for military schools. Another could be that the parents who have difficulty in handling troubled teenagers opt to send their kids to military school.

In the US, a Military School Directory is a one stop site to locate nearby military schools in any give area. Toll free numbers are provided also for prospective parents to call to avail of more information.

Military schools are known for their style discipline and education standards. It has become an alternative to the dwindling quality of public school education. Those are a few of the reason for the rise in the popularity of military schools.

Indian Treat of the Evening

Today, we we're invited to sing carols on Professor Nitin's house. Some of their close friends were also there to join them. After singing we were treated with some sweets and special Indian food. They prepared "dava" and "samosa" with the matching salty and spicy green sauce.

It's good to taste different variety of food from different countries; that's one of the best things there is when you join carols.

Putting some Shades on My Office

I work in the Gender and Development Studies (GDS) in the School of Environment Resources and Development (SERD) of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). My office is located on the second floor of the two storey building. I was lucky that I have an office space with a big glass window over looking the trees, the soccer field and the nearby pond.

It is really a blessing to have this beautiful view everyday. The big glass window allows me to take some photo of squirrels and birds playing in the trees, but during hot season, the Sun shines through the glass window straight into my desk. I am thinking of putting up some cheap but classy Bamboo Blinds to protect my working place from the heat of the Sun. This would make my environment cool and comfortable during hot season.

Sundalo

I'm not going to view my opinion here during the latest coup attempt that transpired in the Philippines. I myself was confused of what totally was that fuzz all about.  The video clips I saw on BBC were not enough to put the puzzle together.  Good thing I found this interesting link during blog hopping yesterday. 

It's a little scary to see the faces of our dead heroes being associated to the new generation of peace seekers.  Read their cause straight from the people involved. 

Related Link:

Sundalo- a site featuring the other side of the coin. 

Boarding School Education with Quality

Giving your children a good quality education is important especially in the formative years. I remember my husband studied before in Don Bosco Technical Institute during high school. It is an exclusive school for boys. He stayed on the dormitory together with the other students who are far away from home. They have a common time to pray, play, study, eat and rest.

In the US where everyone is busy; boarding school can be a good option. If you wish to send your child to a boarding school the first step is to look in the National Directory of Boarding Schools.

In the future, I prefer to send my child to a Catholic boarding school to enhance personal discipline. I believe also in the Christian and moral values that they instill to the children.

Internet Is Still Crawling

I was assigned to research some gender related journals from SCOPUS directory but today the internet in the campus is still insufficient to power up downloads from online libraries. The broken fiber optic line in the nearby construction site of Thailand National Science Park has greatly affected many students and few staffs in AIT.  When I open the site it just shows a few images and the search box and button are also not visible.

Imagine the world without computer and internet. Would that be an advantage or disadvantage on your part? For me it would be both. 

Claiming Your Right in an Accident

A couple of weeks I have written about the accident on the express way going home entitled "Delivered from Danger."  Workers riding at the back of the pick up were thrown out on the street when the tires burst. The accident caused personal injury to those poor workers. I am sure that they have been injured, physical or psychological, as the result of that accident.

The injured workers could actually be entitled to monetary compensation due to the negligence of the pickup owner. In the United States this system is complex and often controversial. If the accident happened in a particular state like Nebraska a Nebraska Personal Injury Attorney could be called to resolve the case.

Attorneys often represent clients on a case to case basis, wherein no fee is charged for consultation or the services until the case is resolved. Personal injury attorneys are important in learning about rights to compensation in a friendly and confidential atmosphere.

Yellow Everywhere

When I got down from the bicycle I noticed a bunch of people in yellow shirt outside the building.  I am aware that Thais wear it only on Mondays.  But now it's Tuesday.  So I asked Khun J. how come, she said all Thais are personally obliged to wear this particular color to show their love to the King especially on the day of his 80th Birthday and that would be tomorrow. 

I have caught the infectious Thai spirit too! In respect to the ruler of this land that have become my second home for quite some time now. It wouldn't  hurt to do such little thing for a good cause. 

Long live the King! 

Dispose Mountains of Documents

One effect of becoming successful is the piling up of documents around the office. Even a whole day of work piling then into folders would not be enough. A solution for disposing mounts of documents is to convert them from paper to digital copies. Converting paper copies of documents into digital have benefits of easier in indexing and searching. Today, there are companies that thrive by providing digitizing document services.

Even in an ordinary office sometimes scanning of ID's or documents are needed. Usually this documents are sent through email to another country. Sometimes there are double sided documents that are to scanned. A minimum of two pass scanning is required in this case. One up front and the other for the backside. In our office we have scanners that are one sided only. If we have documents to be copied that are double sided, I just make two pass scanning.

A solution for scanning ID's and medical documents which are double sided would be to use a duplex scanner.  A duplex scanner, as it is known, is a scanner which can scan both sides of document at same time during scanning. One of such scanners is ScanShell 3000DN. It is a lightweight portable scanner powered through a USB cable and it also has a scan to PDF feature.  A duplex scanner is a useful equipment to have in the office and it could help save  time and effort in digitizing and processing documents. Trully the task of disposing mountains of document will be a reality.

Slow Internet Connectivity

I have a pending research to make on online libraries regarding "System on Intensive Rice Cultivation" and it's taking me too long to finish it because of  poor Internet connectivity since this morning.  It was only during lunch when I found out the source of the problem. Hope it won't take a week to fix it.  Or else I'll be busted.

Dear users

The fiber optic cable linking us and Science Park was accidentaly cut
last night by construction workers there, and therefore the connection
to research networks (e.g. Uninet, Internet2, etc) is currently routed
to commercial line which has only limited bandwidth. Since this
accident affects overall speed of Internet access, we would like to
request users to defer huge data download from Internet until the
problem is solved. We are in the process of repairing the damage and
soon normal operation will be resumed.

Your kind cooperation is highly appreciated and please accept our
apologies for the inconvenience

Thank you
—————
Helpdesk,ITSU

Merry Making

Everybody seems to be on a festive mood these days.  Eagerly awaiting for the Christmas parties and gift giving. Here in AIT, it has been the tradition to celebrate Christmas party on the eve of December 25.  In Bangkok the Philippine Embassy is hosting it on the 9th of December.  That's why all the groups that has been assigned for the presentation are religiously practicing every weekend.  Ours would be a song number.  Yesterday they were looking for somebody to wear an Adult Santa Suit. For the kids to enjoy the said occasion.

In Czech I have learned that they have this tradition of baking all sorts of homemade cookies to give out to their neighbors each December.  Well for busy moms, I think it's nice to try some Kosher Dairy Certified desserts from David's Cookies.  An excellent treat for everybody.

This coming Wednesday, it's going to be one of the biggest holiday here in Thailand. People will be celebrating the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King.  It would be a great time to shop also for electronic items like Sony VAIO or Dell, not minding the traffic, since all prices are expected to drop significantly on the 5th of December.

On a Rush

Last Friday was the last day of the second to the last month of the year.  Dig it! 

I rushed to send some of my surprises to friends and family on the last minute.  The post office was about to close in few minutes when I arrived. Luckily the postman accommodated me.  I came there to pay the bills and other stuff.  Too afraid to be penalized for delayed payments. 

I felt relief as I step out of the door.  Glad to meet the deadline!

Raise Yourself to Help Others

People shun away when they hear about network marketing. I pity those people, they have picked up some bits of information from here and there and they conclude it to be something bad. Some may have some bad experience, others may have made good out of it but everything really depends on how one views and respond to the situation.

I got this beautiful slogan of a network marketing company which says "Raise Yourself to Help Mankind". Every person is encouraged to raise ones self to help others. Really beautiful, part of this process is the personal development. People focus on positive thinking by reading self help books, watching self help videos, listening to self help audio while others get some positive hypnosis downloads from the net. All of this directs to personal development so that after developing ones self, one will be able to go out and help others.

Though the reasons and actions are varied for getting into network marketing, after giving some thought, it actually helps one grow as a person. I remember the saying that "What we are today is God's gift to us, what we will become is our gift to God". Truly we owe to Him everything there is and what we have.

Watch out for BiznBuzz!

I'm beginning to think that this site might not be enough to exercise my skills in typing.  So I registered a new domain which I named biznbuzz.net in shortcut I call it BNB.  Later on it will become an extension to post some of my quirky yet insightful ideas, I suppose, with my growing interest on blogging. 

Do watch out for it soon!

Difficulty in Searching for a Web Hosting Service

Searching for web hosting services is a challenging task. One needs to search for the various hosting available. Added to that is to compare the features offered by each hosting service provider.

If you've been looking on the net through search engines for a particular hosting it will really take time. I have found sites like web hosting choice that provide services to help make the task of selection easier. What's good about this site is that one could search of available web hosting sites based on monthly cost, setup fee, diskspace and bandwidth. Then from the list of result a learned decision of the web hosting required could be made. This makes choosing from the set of comparable web hosting services easier.

There are sites not listed on this hosting directory but every hosting company is free to register. It caught me by surprise to see lot's of unheard hosting sites; not shown by the major search engines but are listed on this web hosting directory which fits fine with my needs. So, if you are looking for a web hosting service web hosting choice will definitely help.

Simplepleasures on top 10 list

The simple perks of blogging is seeing my posts on the top 10 list of Google and other search engines when I try to check my sitemeter for frequently visited topics.  It is really important, more likely mind boggling, to create an interesting and unique content.

Today, Mr. Tom's information came in as a surprise. He left a message informing me that he had this recent discovery with i.ph ranking in Alexa.  Fortunately, my site is on the top 10 with unique visits, I presume, or using Alexa's term "where people go."

I'm keeping a copy here only to be reminded that there are things that money can't buy. =) For sure I'll be wearing this happy face for a week or so. 

Spice Up Long Trip Rides

On holidays, we go around the country visiting places of interest. Last time we went to Chiang Mai, Thailand and we engaged ourselves in almost like 10 hour long drive from Bangkok. We contacted a van for hire service to provide us with a twenty seater first class van. Rental vans for long trips usually have this audio system, LCD video screen and spacious seats. As it is a peak season, we were not able to secure the latest van. During the trip we settled and muse ourselves with the audio sound of the van that was available.

The whole trip was with family and we're with our nephews and niece; they are restless and would engage in bickering once in a while. How I wish there was this video screen for them to enjoy and watch; I remember of a portable digital picture frame which is a DVD player at the same time. It could have been very useful in long trips especially with kids. The whole trip would have been much more enjoyable and fun for them.