search for discount hotel rates and the best accommodation deals in a breeze

Ever felt like you have lost track of dates and time? I do. The past few days have gone so fast that I didn't even know that we are already approaching October! With so many tasks on my plate, I'm finding it hard to juggle with the little quality hours left for my internet marketing work.

There are currently two internet marketing projects brewing in my home office kitchen and as I work on these in the next couple of weeks, I also need to confirm our family vacation itinerary and plans. Comparing discount hotels rates and the best accommodation deals for our family has been a breeze with the following search hotel search tool I've been using. If you haven't tried it, you should. Simple enter your destination in the hotel search box and you will be presented with hotel search results of more than 30+ travel search engines. It's hard not to find good discount hotel rates and the best accommodation deals that way.

my new Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens: Clayton on candid

Yes, I've been a busy bee but I managed to steal time to snap some candid portraits of my little one with my new Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens whenever I have the opportunity to do so... I have to say that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF is a good lens except that I'm not used to the 'no zoom' qualities - think I need another lens :P

find cheap discount deals and cheap hotel deals in just one step

Searching and finding cheap discount hotels and cheap hotels rooms can be a tiring one if you don't know just where to search. For those who are new to booking your hotel accommodation online, you are missing out a great deal. Not only does online hotel accommodation booking saves you time, it saves you money too.

But with so many travel and hotel search engines out there, it can be difficult to identify which hotel booking site is offering you the cheapest discount hotels or best hotel deals. Instead of searching through one, three or five online hotel booking sites, you can now find out the best hotel deals in just one step. Don't believe it? Why not enter your destination and watch how this travel search engine find you the best cheap discount hotels and lowest hotel rates.

discount deals in hotel accommodation

Yesterday, I had a fun time playing around with my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens. Like I said before, photography is one addictive hobby. I'm truly thankful for technology which makes it cheaper and more affordable to practice my photography skills! Even though the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens is the cheapest in the Nikkor lens range, it delivers great results for portraits, close objects and nice bokeh effects. Hubby was impressed with the photos and thus, he didn't nagged about my expenses - LOL.

I've been spending much time with the search engines in the last week - searching for discount deals in hotel accommodation, reading reviews, deciding on which Hakone ryokan to stay. Some hotel travel sites are better and more efficient than others. But to be a savvy traveler, you should compare the discount deals in hotel accomodation amongst the various travel sites before making your decision. Here are some of my favourite discount accommodation booking sites:






And if you are looking for student travel, the STA Travel is the place to start your search:



Today, I may have to see if I need a pair of walking shoes for our coming Japan/Hong Kong trip. Camper shoes, Birkenstock, Asgi shoes... what else?

I got my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens!

Finally, I collected my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - it feels so exciting to try out a new lens! Though I do wish to add on a zoom lens in the near future, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens is what I can afford for now!

After reading so many reviews in and around the web and discussions among Nikon DSLR users, I trust that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens is a compact and fast lens that is perfect for travel and portrait pictures, as well as general photography / f/1.8D / 50mm / Compatible with 52mm Filters Stops down to f/22 for excellent depth-of-field control. Photographing portraits and objects in close range is what I'm passionate about and I can't wait to snap some more shots of my little model at home. Plus, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras happens to the favourite lens of many Nikon DSLR photographers! With 186 positive 5-star ratings review in Amazon, it sure is a good Nikkor Lens for enthusiastic portrait photographers!

"This is the lens to get for any Nikon SLR, from the simple N75 all the way to the Digital D70. It's faster than a zoom and much, much sharper. That's right, no zooming! If you want to make the image bigger, move closer. Want to make a wider view? Step back. This is the lens that all photographers should start with. Most of Henri Cartier Bresson's photos were taken with a 50mm lens. It forces you to think about perspective, composition, and arrangement. You can take more pictures without the intrusive light of a flash. It's cheap too. This lens is a classic and will make you a better photographer by enabling you to make creative choices. It works on almost every Nikon ever made. What more do you need to know? Get one." ~ R. Rosener "Photomatic", St. Louis, MO United States

awesome travel photos of a friend

I was so blown away by these awesome photo shots of a friend I got to know in a travel forum. I can only say that anyone who wants or plans to travel to Japan and need real local's advice should visit Optimistk's blog... here are some of the photos taken from Optimistk's Flickr (with permission, of course!)



Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Himeji, Japan

Yamanashi, Japan

Teresa Kok is freed - God is good!

Finally - Teresa Kok is freed. I'm so happy for her. God has certainly heard the prayers of the saints. Now, those who detained her should be detained for a week but will they? Back to the question: who is responsible for her detention? What wrong has she committed to deserve this? Only they know... and God too.

ranting on the political scene here

In the midst of all the political drama and the series of unjustified events happening in this country, I've been busy planning for our upcoming family vacation to Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka and Hong Kong.

Til now, this ignorant and arrogant government still cannot answer to the millions of citizens on why they have allowed the ISA to arrest Teresa Kok. I was just reading about her mom's brief report the other day and I whispered a prayer asking God to intervene. She is a child of God and these people doing harm to her are on dangerous grounds. All I know is that God is on the throne and these malicious people will be fighting with the Awesome One above. I pray that she'll be in good health and God will keep her strong in every aspect during this difficult time. There are so many wicked and evil politicians in this country - wicked enough to be put behind bars and be sentenced to long term jail - but sadly, they are still roaming around, eating the tax payers' money (including mine) and posing to be 'nice' and kind and patriotic individuals - In times like these, I do ask - How is the nation going to grow and thrive? This is a very sad thing, for the future generations in this country, says a linear motion businessman and I can't agree more.

planning for Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka and Hong Kong

It's been thursday and I'm still waiting for my 50mm f1.8 lens - can't wait to play around with it!

Over the last week, I've been spending alot of time in TripAdvisor, reading reviews, asking questions in the forum and reading travelers' feedback and stories. I don't know if my other half knows that planning for a family vacation is not such an easy task! This year, we have a strict budget to keep so I'm working hard on checking on the hotels and accommodations and seeking good deals for our family travels.



So now, it's Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka and Hong Kong. It amazes me that November accommodations in Kyoto are hard to find and even if you can find - they are expensive! Then I found out that November is popular among locals and tourists for Kyoto's beautiful autumn foliage... I pray that they will still stay golden and red when we are there! What's cool about technology is that it makes travel much easy with the heaps of online resources available. Gone are the days where you need to depend on your travel agent to book your hotel accommodations! Not only is the online technology so powerful for travelers and globetrotters, but people use it to search, popular jobs, find free giveaways, shop for good deals, gather information and most of all, communicate and networking!

Search and compare the best accommodation deals and hotel bargains in Osaka.

Search and compare the best accommodation deals and hotel bargains in Kyoto

a visit to Philea Home

We had a great time in the Philea Home Orphanage last Sunday. Before heading for the home, our dear friend, Meng, brought us for a yummy Bak Kut Teh indulgence in Klang - that is his territory!!

Though it was a hot and very humid afternoon, the smiles on the kids' faces were worth our time. Prior to the actual day, all the members in the cell were busy coordinating, getting sponsors, planning activities and getting everything ready for the visit. All the kids whose ages range between 4 - 12 have been well taken care under the care of this wonderful lady, Yoges, who is also working as a full time teacher, so that she can support the homes. It made my heart cry to see that these kids were abandoned at such a young age... the Bible says that 'God is the Father to the fatherless'. I have to say I'm reminded to count my blessings after the visit.

If any of you in Malaysia is looking for a orphanage to visit or show your generosity, Philea Home welcomes all support - money or in kind. Here are but some photos of the visit:

ryokan research and macau accommodation for our family vacation

As much as I'm excited about our upcoming family vacation to Tokyo and Hong Kong, I have been so swamped with my new online webstore that I'm stealing bits of time here and there to read reviews from Trip Advisor.



gondola in The Venetian, macau

In the last few days, I've been doing my research in Hakone ryokans and our Macau accommodation. Yes, we have decided to spend a night in Macau. After reading some updates on Macau, I believe this is one place we shouldn't leave out during our 5 nights in Hong Kong. I'm really glad that DH has agreed to my Hong Kong trip request. Macau is no longer the same since I last visited the island in 1998... the developments over the last 10 years were spectacular and I'm looking forward to witness it. After all that research, The Venetian looks like one cool hotel to stay. All rooms are suites and one thing you must note when booking your stay in Macau. Hotel rates from thursday to saturday can be 50% more than the other weekdays. I'm not kidding. For that reason, I have to time our stay in Macau to be a 'monday' so that I am paying HKD1000 lesser!



(http://www.ito-yamatokan.jp)

And the ryokan research has been fun though it's rather confusing when it comes to choosing the right ryokan in the right location. Due to the language hindrance, it is not so easy to pick and choose so those ryokan websites with English explanation helps a great deal. If you like an English ryokan booking site, check out the following:

http://www.ryokancollection.com
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com

More ryokan updates for our family vacation coming...

Compare the best deals, compare prices and get the best travel bargains for hotels in Japan

Compare the best deals, compare prices and get the best travel bargains for hotels in HOng Kong

quality time together in the garden

Lately, we have been spending time in the garden when the evening sun is not scorching hot. Since recovering from that bout of diarrhea and vomiting (whatever is the cause), I learned to do more fun things together with Clayton - simple things like spinning windmill in the garden, counting the snails after the rain, kicking football and messing with the garden hose. In fact, I can't wait for him to recover totally so that he can try out his new swimwear!

It only takes an adversity to teach us how to appreciate the simple things in life sometimes... and often, the simplest doesn't cost a cent - only our time. Parents, are you listening?

so much to do, so little time

So glad to see Clayton up and running again. Though it makes me tired, I know that it's better to be tired in this manner than to be mentally drained about his wellbeing.

There is so much to be done in our home office now. We need to pack the unwanted stuff in shipping boxes and put them away to make more space for our new internet marketing business. I dislike packing - it is so time-consuming! Plus, I've got tonnes of things to do for my new home office business and sometimes, I wonder why is time passing so quickly! I still have our family vacation research to do in the next few weeks and all I can say is that, the online search technology rocks!

Clayton is all well - thank you for praying

Here's a quick post to thank all my wonderful friends who showed your love and concern for Clayton during his bout of diarrhea and vomiting last week. It was a very scary experience for me. I had never seen my son so sick, tired, weak and pale... I got so scared on Saturday that I broke down and cried while holding his weak body. He felt so cold then and I got so frightened.

Through this experience, I have learned to offer 'spoonfuls' of water when a child is suffering from excessive vomiting. It was very heartsick when he threw up all the water on Saturday and for a moment, I was clueless on how I could keep him hydrated. He was obviously very thirsty. Plus, he didn't eat the day before.

I'm so thankful for God who answered all our prayers that Clayton got better on Saturday afternoon and started taking small amounts of food. The strange thing was, he started asking for pistachios. We don't usually eat that at home. I had to drive to the organic shop to grab a pack and was very hesistant to offer him since nuts don't digest that readily.

Today, he's already 'quite himself' - playful, loud, noisy, full of mischief. I can't complain anymore. Thank God for active children... better to have them active than to lie down listless and ill.

the heart of a mother

These few days have been very tiring and worrying for me. Clayton started having diarrhea and throwing up since Tuesday evening. I have no idea what is wrong but all I know is that I just want this throwing up and diarrhea to stop!

He started showing signs of recovery yesterday but today, things seemed to be a little worse. I am scared and worried. Not that he has alot of weight to lose, he's already so small and he's now passing out all that goes in. I have tried to be very careful with his food intake these few days but somehow, the recovery signs has been irregular. It saddens my heart and I am praying so hard that all these bad stuff that is attacking him with be gone!

Coaxing him to drink and eat has been very tough. Coping with his crankiness and discomforts is challenging too. Worse still, DH went to be a busybody in some friend's restaurant celebration in Malacca yesterday and tomorrow, he's off to Malacca again for golf with his old classmates. I have no problems with him catching up with friends and taking a break but in times like this, I believe men need to recognize their priorities.

I have an important work meeting tomorrow and I might have to call it off if things don't get better. I would like to stand firm in my faith and believe that Clayton will recover but mothers being mothers, we are willing to sacrifice, our time and everything else.

For now, I'm just praying that this bout of virus will be gone into the land of never return. Please say a word of prayer for our little boy. He needs to be well again. This is the heart of a mother.

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WIN a MacBOOK Air - For Singapore surfers only!

So you heard about the world's thinnest notebook - the MacBook Air. So it's as light as the air as the name describes and this full-size notebook is encased in the 0.16 to 0.76 inch of sleek, sturdy anodized aluminum and weighs 3.0 pounds! Ladies, are you listening? You don't need to worry about traveling with a heavy notebook anymore!

But let's be honest, cool and chic things don't come cheap but if you can stand a chance to win a MacBook Air for FREE, why not take the chance? So if you hail from SINGAPORE, the below MacBook Air promotional campaign is for you. CLICK THIS ONLY IF YOU ARE READING THIS FROM SINGAPORE cos it requires you to submit a Singapore mobile number and accept the text message a proof of entry.

If you are a Malaysian, look out for the next campaign just for you!



*If you click this outside Singapore, it may take you to a different campaign.

when a mom gets stressed

A mom gets stressed when:

her child is not eating well.
her child is not putting on weight.
her child is ill.
her child is cranky.
her child is misbehaving.
her child is not listening.
her child messes up.
she is in need of space and rest.

It's not easy being a mom, is it? Oh Lord, give us mothers the grace, strength and wisdom.

another great day at the Taman Tun River Stream

The weather has been less than perfect these couple of weeks. As such, we haven't taken Clayton to the Taman Tun Park much. Today, we promised him that we would take him and he was so happy. He was still hopeful that the Taman Tun Park plan would still be valid even when it started storming at 3pm. Children are so full of faith.

At 4.45pm, the rain had already stopped and strangely, he fell asleep on his own on the floor downstairs... while watching the TV sitting on the LCD mount. We had to wake him up since the weather was cool and it looked like a nice day to be at the river stream in Taman Tun park.







Yes, we had fun and it was nice shooting pictures in the outdoors, though I kinda wished the sun was not sheltered by the clouds. Dinner at Yau Tak Teng was extremely delicious today that Clayton had a full bowl of rice!

Children learn things fast

Clayton is at that age where his favourite words are 'why', 'no', 'how come' and 'i want'. He is a curious boy who likes to know about anything and everything. Children being children, they are not afraid to ask you anything and would ask everything too. Sometimes, I get impatient with his persistent queries but I must often keep my composure and answer smartly and reply as wisely as I possibly can. Children learn things fast too! Due to this, I gotta be very careful in what I say to him every time, even in casual chat.

He would point to my little acne spot on my face and ask why do I have a pimple. I will then take the opportunity to tell him that if he eat too much junk, he'll get that too. Then he'll say in a giggly tone, "I don't eat junk, so I won't have a pimple".

This is also an age where we have to set boundaries and break his will. This requires lots of patience, love and wisdom and we have to constantly remind ourselves not to discipline out of anger but to do it with love. The cute thing is, no matter how he makes me upset or misbehaves, we always enjoy moments where we would laugh together on jokes and funny situations. He is such a happy boy, even when he misbehaves... it's hard to be angry with him for a long time.