Sany Woo's Blog

After more than 2 months of holidays… the new school session for 2010 began yesterday.

A new school year and new schooling hours for the students in pre-schools. I only found out about this when I read an article in the papers on December 31, 2009. It seems that the minimum number of schooling hours has been increased from 3 to 4.

Why is there a need to do so, I wonder? The only word that played in my mind then is ‘kiasu’ (fear of loss). What else can you cramp into the young minds in that extra hour?

My son is an intelligent and articulate boy for his age, though he can be quite a handful with his endless questions and chattering sometimes. His teachers say that sometimes they do not know how to answer his questions?! He can count quite well and I am in no hurry to ask him to sit still for hours to improve his writing skills, unless he’s ready for it.

I prefer my son to learn and build his creativity through play. I let him absorb the wonders of nature and science first hand by bringing him for nature walks, trips to the beach, zoo, parks and science center.

We build his love for books and learning by subscribing for a library membership for him and encouraging him to read (or rather look at) picture books whenever he wishes (which is quite often).

I prepare lots of papers for him to draw his interpretation of the wonders he sees around him and stuck the first picture he has drawn of our family (plus our car and home) on our fridge.

He has many sets of bricks and Lego’s to ‘build’ whatever he fancies. Lots of board games and educational toys to keep him busy for hours.

He loves to zoom around the house on his bicycle and mini-car (he can even drift with it). When you think he’s going to hit a table or wall, he suddenly performs a quick maneuver and rides safely away. He gave my mom and mother-in-law quite a number of frights!

That’s what he’s been doing during the holidays and he enjoyed every moment of it. Some of my friends sent their children for extra tuition classes… unbelievable… tuition classes at 4 years old?! A nightmare if you ask me.

Last year we sent him to playschool because we wanted him to learn how to socialise with children his age. He is surrounded by adults as he’s an only child and it’s healthier for him to start learning to mix with young friends. It took him a while to adjust because he still prefers the company of adults, especially the elderly. I think it’s because they have more patience with him and loves to chat with him. Just ask my grandmothers!

Now he is in his 1st year of kindergarten. Ah! How time flies!

Luckily for me my son is an early riser because now his preschool starts at 8am and ends at 12pm. To prepare the young scholars for the longer schooling hours, his preschool planned a short adjustment period whereby on the 1st to 3rd day, they gradually increase the number of hours to the full 4 hours.

So far he’s happy to be with his friends from playschool.

How was your childrens’ first day of school?

Leave a comment below and share your views with the readers of this blog!

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THE biggest Chinese Artistes Concert yet, featuring many international and local talents, will be held this year-end at Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur.

Specially held in conjunction with New Year Countdown 2010, the Street Party Countdown is organised by Sungei Wang Plaza in collaboration with co-organisers Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall and MCA National Youth, presenter Hotlink and co-sponsor Nokia, with MY FM as the official radio station and Astro as the official TV channel.

According to Sungei Wang Plaza senior manager (promotions and public relations) K.K. Lim, the Street Party Countdown 2010 will be one of the most exciting concerts to be held since the first street party concert in 2003.

Bosco Wong from Hong Kong, Peter Pan, Stanley Xu and Judy Chow from Taiwan and Chin from Thailand are set to usher in the New Year with their Malaysian fans.

Malaysian Chinese talents: (From left) Rynn Linn, Andrew Tan, Suki Low, Thomas Jack and Chen Keat Yoke will be belting out their hit songs to make the New Year countdown celebration even more entertaining.

Wong, the talented Hong Kong TVB actor, is also well known for his excellent vocals.

Meanwhile, Pan, Xu and Chow are among the top 10 finalists in Taiwan’s TV Reality singing competition, which boasts the highest viewership in the island. They released their first mini album last year and Pan has just released his maiden full album in Asia.

In addition, talented Malaysian Chinese artistes like Rynn Linn, Thomas Jack, Andrew Tan, Chen Keat Yoke and Suki Low will also be belting out their hit songs to add to the merriment.

Entry is free and Sungei Wang Plaza is currently offering 2,000 VIP tickets (Standing Zone) to shoppers who make purchases of RM100 and above in accumulated receipts within the same day, from any shops in the mall, except Parkson and Giant Supermarket.

The VIP tickets can be redeemed at the Information Counter on the Lower Ground Floor of the shopping centre on a first-come-first-served basis.

Lim said more than 50,000 spectators were expected to attend the Street Party Countdown 2010 celebration.

“Previous concerts have attracted almost 80,000 viewers from all ages. This year, we hope more people will come to enjoy the entertainment,” he said.

The celebration will kick off at 6.30pm with various performances, including a Street Diabolo performance and aRoller Skate performance.

The Street Party Concert will commence at 10pm.

Jalan Sultan Ismail, in front of Sungei Wang Plaza, will be closed to public transportation from 12.01am on Dec 31 till 6am on Jan 1, 2010, for the setting and dismantling of the stage.

The public is advised to make the necessary arrangements to avoid traffic congestion on the aforesaid dates.

For more information, call Lim or Wymen Chew of Sungei Wang Plaza’s Promotions and Public Relations Department at 03-2142 6636 during office hours, or the Information Counter at 03-2148 6109 from 10am to 10pm daily or log on to www.sungeiwang.com.

Source: TheStar Online

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Are you guilty of spending more time watching the television than on trying to connect with your kids? If your answer is ‘yes’, you are not alone. Parenting children is not an easy task as sometimes parents find it hard to understand their kids, thus many parents resort to trying to connect with their children through watching a show on television with their kids. There are even others who give in to the easier solution of letting their children watch the programs rather than try to figure out a way to connect with them. These parents might end up spending only quantity time, rather than quality time with their children. The best way to actually bond with your children is to first turn off that television! This article will look at some ways in which parents can bond with their kids and how to make parenting their children an enjoyable task.

As mentioned, parenting children involves bonding and dinner time is actually the best time for parents to bond with their children but sad to say, this has been overlooked by many families. Even if you are unable to have dinner together every night of the week, you should try to do so for at least two or three times each week. However, regardless of how many times you might try to have dinner together, it is most important to remember that the television must be turned off during these special family times.

Another important point to take note of is that you should not eat in silence during these special family times. It will be a very awkward mealtime if nobody makes any attempts to talk! Parents can make use of these mealtimes to find out about each other’s days. You can start by telling your kids about your next grocery trip or ask your children what they have eaten or learnt at school that day. Parenting children does not only mean ensuring that your kids are healthy and that they do well at school, finding out about their emotional and social aspects are equally essential. So, in between mouthfuls, you can encourage your children to talk about what they had enjoyed most or about the friends that they had made at school.

Another way in which you can bond with your children is through playing board games. Parenting children also requires that you should know what your children’s strong and weak points are. Playing board games together is a useful activity where you can find out about your kids’ personality or nature. Observe your children during these games period. Do they make use of strategic planning before making their moves or are they just having some fun together as a family? Board games are not expensive items and most families will have no problem affording them, so do consider investing in a fun board game or two that the whole family can play together. This will greatly help to promote family bonding as family members team up to play the games. However, it is essential to remember to stay away from those games that require the use of television as the temptation will be there for you to switch back to watching those shows on TV!

One other fun activity that you can do together which will also encourage bonding is going to the parks or playgrounds. If time does not allow you to do this everyday, set aside at least the weekends to bring the children out for some outdoor activities. Parenting children should not mean that you only focus on disciplining the kids, it is also important to enjoy outdoor activities together. Playing together at the playground is one good way to spend quality time with your children too. You can also spend time talking while taking a stroll around the park. Even exercising together can help in bonding.

Although it is true that you can learn a lot about the rest of the world from television, it does not help much in bonding within the home. Parenting children is definitely not an easy task but having the television turned on is not going to help you understand your kids. Parents should be more proactive in getting to know more about their children and doing activities together is a better way of spending quality time with your kids. Whether you prefer outdoor activities or board games depends largely on your family situation but you can try different ones until you find the right one and you’ll discover that parenting children can actually be fun and without stress after all!

Author: Stella Mak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Wordpress plugin expert

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Who says parenting is easy? Most likely it’s someone who has never had children. Children can bring the most wonderful joy in your life and the most tragic of sorrows. Most often people have said if they only had a parent guide to show us what to say, when to say it and what to do at the time I would be the best parent in the world. Wouldn’t we all? Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Whether you are a first time parent of have several children. Parenting is underpaid, which it never makes any money. Over worked, and sometimes seems under appreciated.

It is also the most rewarding job, with laughter, hugs and kisses. Being a parent requires walking a fine line. Sometimes the line is wide and straight. Knowing what you need to do when the time comes. Sometimes as thin as a strand of hair, one wrong move and you fall off or it breaks. Raising children to be adults takes a life long commitment on our part. When your child turns eighteen means in the worlds eye’s they are adults, in some cases however that’s not always true. Just because they are tall than you does not necessarily mean they are mature.

Parenting is a never-ending job, even with grown children they may come to you for advice on life matters. Young children need a lot of attention and guidance while they grow older. They need to learn responsibilities of their actions and the consequences of making the wrong decision’s sometimes. Whether you realize it or not parenting never stops. We all want our children to have happier and better lives then ours were. If we were to just sit back and let what ever happens what kind of lessons are we teaching our children? Most children wouldn’t survive out of the baby stage let along make it to be full-grown adults.

If your child comes to you and asks mom, dad I need help are you going to say to them sorry but I am too busy right now. I don’t think so! The first thing we ask is what the problem is then we go about trying to find a solution to help with the problem. Children now matter what age need help and guidance from their parents. Parents want what’s best for their children. Watching your child become an adult and strike out on his or her own, becoming independent and self-aware is a wonderful thing. Parenting that child takes a lifetime to do. Think before you become a parent. It’s never as easy as you think it’s going to be.

Author: Jamie Hargis
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

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More and more people are looking into starting a home based business. The unstable economy, low job satisfaction and the high cost of living are some of the many factors driving people to explore ways to create additional income. Even network marketing doesn’t seem to have the stigma it used to as people are starting MLM businesses more than ever.

If this describes you then I congratulate your entrepreneurial spirit! I admire people who seek ways to improve their lives and those of their families. I also encourage you to do your due diligence before leaping into just any network marketing company if that’s what you’re considering. I’ve been in many network marketing companies and I learned what to look for (and what to avoid) in MLM companies through painful trial and error.

There are a huge variety of network marketing companies out there offering almost any product or service you can imagine including travel services, legal services, nutritional and health products, weight loss products and many more. But I personally recommend you seriously consider starting a health network marketing business rather than any other. And I have seven really good reasons which you’ll never forget because they form the word HEALTHY. 

Here we go!

Huge market. When you start your health network marketing business you’ll automatically have the largest market possible–everyone! Everyone either wants to improve their health or maintain their good health. You won’t find anyone who will say, “Nah, I’m not interested in being healthy.”

With some other network marketing companies, however, the market can be very limited. Not everyone needs a cell phone plan or dental insurance or legal services, for instance. These aren’t bad companies but their markets are obviously smaller than that of health MLMs.

Everyone wants more money. The primary appeal of network marketing is the potential for additional income. This is another place where health network marketing outshines other forms of network marketing. With other types of MLMs, getting people excited in the products or services can be a “tough sell” which means making money is harder. Many health and nutrition MLMs, on the other hand, offer products that create visible and dramatic results with their customers, creating instant excitement. If you’ve had dramatic results with your own health products, even better! Sales are easy when people are excited and want to get the same results you had.

Before and after photos are common sales tools in health MLMs, usually showing improvement with skin problems or significant weight loss. These photos are visual evidence that customers are getting great results. Great results create an emotional attachment between the customer and the products. This translates into more repeat sales, better customer retention, increased word of mouth advertising and referrals for you.

This is in contrast with other network marketing companies which may have great products or services but are less likely to create dramatic physical results, emotional attachment from their customers and repeat sales. I’ve been in other types of MLMs myself and I can tell you from personal experience that the income potential in a health network marketing company is significantly higher.

Alternative health industry is booming. Health network marketing products generally fall into the alternative health category versus more traditional forms of Western medicine such as surgeries and pharmaceutical drugs. This is a good thing because there’s a growing trend of people preferring alternative health options such as high-density nutritional products; vitamins, antioxidants and other supplements; natural weight loss solutions; etc.

Think of the “buy organic” trend and the popularity of Whole Foods and other similar stores. When it comes to picking a good business, it’s like picking a good stock: “The trend is your friend.” Ask yourself if the other network marketing companies you may be looking at are part of a booming trend like alternative health or if they just have run-of-the-mill products and services that could have been offered 20 years ago.

Lowers your grocery costs. Many health network marketing companies offer a wide variety of nutritional products including meal replacements, vitamins, protein bars and energy drinks–all of which can replace equivalent products that you and your customers probably already buy at the grocery store.

If you’re a distributor, you’re getting your company’s products at wholesale prices which in many cases will be about the same price or lower than what you’d pay at a regular store. Not to mention your products are probably much better for you! Plus, if you factor in the advantage of deducting you autoshipped products from your taxes (check with your CPA) your food costs are even lower.

Take advantage of massive income potential. With health network marketing companies, your chances of getting large initial and ongoing purchases are very good as customers stock up on their favorite products for themselves and their families. This means higher commissions for you–and more business volume from your team members.

With other types of MLMs, though, it’s much harder to get large orders on a regular basis. For instance, it’s not likely that a customer will order several hundred dollars worth of household cleaning supplies or greeting cards on a monthly basis. But this is common practice for many customers with families in health network marketing companies. That’s why there’s so much more potential for huge income in a health network marketing business.

Health professionals seeking additional income streams. With the uncertainty in the economy, the questionable future of health care (at least in the US) and rising costs of running a health practice, health professionals are looking into health network marketing businesses like never before. Normally, health professionals need to get past one or more “hurdles” before they’ll join a health MLM, though.

These hurdles include believing that alternative health products must be inferior to Western medicine counterparts and the concern that selling products to their patients may be “unethical”. Once they see proof that alternative health products can benefit their patients, many health professionals will take a serious look at the products and company behind them. Then, once they see that sales of these health products can create a significant income stream, even surpassing their income as a health professional (like the millionaire chiropractor I know), stepping over their earlier hurdles becomes much easier.

Of course, the benefits of having a health professional on your team can be huge. Few people have more authority or bigger personal networks than health professionals. I’ll write another article about attracting health professionals to your business soon.

You get to help others transform their lives. The best reason of all for starting a health network marketing business, though, is you are able to impact people’s health and improve their lives like no other type of network marketing company. I’ve personally helped people lose hundreds of pounds total, improve their energy and probably extend their lives through my business. I get incredible personal satisfaction knowing how much I’m helping people lose weight and improve their health.

In other network marketing companies, you can certainly help people save money with helpful products and services. They’ll probably be grateful to you for introducing it to them. But if these aren’t health products, are you really transforming their lives? You can only really do that with a health network marketing business offering highly effective products.

And those are the 7 HEALTHY reasons why you should start a health network marketing business!

Don’t Get Me Wrong

I know it sounds like I’m bashing other types of network marketing companies and saying a health network marketing business is the only type of MLM you should consider if you want to be successful. I’m not bashing other types of companies, though. There are lots of great companies out there.

But I’ve been in this industry for many years and I’ve seen other companies from the inside. And it’s my strong and obviously biased opinion that if you want to improve your chances for outrageous success in network marketing, a health network marketing business is the way to go for the 7 HEALTHY reasons above.

Author: Marc Menninger

Agree? Disagree? Civilized comments are welcome. Please let me know what you think!

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BLOGGERS have been debating what ethics, if any, the Weblog community should follow.

Since not all bloggers are journalists and the Weblog form is more casual, they argue they shouldn’t be expected to follow the same ethics code journalists are subjected to.

Responsible bloggers, however, recognise they are publishing words publicly and, therefore, have ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about and society in general.

CyberJournalist.net, a news and resource site that focuses on how the Internet, convergence and new technologies are changing the media, has created a model Bloggers’ Code of Ethics by modifying the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics for the Weblog world.

These are just guidelines. In the end it is up to individual bloggers to choose their own best practices.

A BLOGGERS’ CODE OF ETHICS

Be Honest and Fair

Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

• Never plagiarise

• Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability.

• Make certain those Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.

• Never distort the content of photos without disclosing what has been changed. Image enhancement is only acceptable for technical clarity. Label montages and photo illustrations.

• Never publish information they know is inaccurate – and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it’s in doubt.

• Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context.

• Distinguish factual information and commentary from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

Minimise Harm

Ethical bloggers treat sources and subjects as human beings deserving of respect.

• Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by Weblog content. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.

• Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.

• Recognise that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of information is not a license for arrogance.

• Recognise that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention.

Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.

• Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.

Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects, victims of sex crimes and criminal suspectsbefore the formal filing of charges.

Be Accountable

• Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.

• Explain each Weblog’s mission and invite dialogue with the public over its content and the bloggers’ conduct.

• Disclose conflicts of interest, affiliations, activities and personal agendas.

• Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence content. When exceptions are made, disclose them fully to readers.

• Be wary of sources offering information for favors. When accepting such information, disclose the favors.

• Expose unethical practices of other bloggers.

• Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

– CyberJournalist/Malaysian Mirror

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MUAR: The next time you get an e-mail from a friend or relative saying they are stranded or have been robbed while overseas and need urgent cash to get back, chances are it is a scam.

Federal Commercial Crimes director Comm Datuk Koh Hong Sun advised Internet users to be cautious as there are Internet scams nationwide.

“If known names send distress e-mails requesting for financial help, try verifying the facts as there are a lot of scams out there,” he said, adding that many originated from overseas.

“These syndicates obtain peoples’ e-mail information when they send them spam mails requesting for username or passwords on the pretext of upgrading their e-mail accounts.”

Comm Koh advised Internet users to regularly change their passwords, use a password that would be hard to guess, never reveal the password to anyone and have a copy of the Internet address book just in case if you need to inform people that your e-mail has been hacked into.

In a recent case in Johor, a victim, who only wanted to be known as Leong said that he had received an official e-mail from Yahoo! saying that he needed to provide them with his particulars, including his password to upgrade their services.

“The next day I got a shock when I received over 20 calls and SMSes from friends and family asking if I was in trouble and needed help.

“They told me that they had received an e-mail from me saying that I was overseas and someone had stolen all my money and I desperately needed some money,” he said.

Leong said the e-mail also included a London-based address where his friends and family could forward their money.

“I immediately called up my closest friends and warned them of the scam,” he said but found two of them had believed the message and forwarded their credit card details to the sender.

“Now I cannot access my e-mail and I have lost all my contacts.

“I am also not sure how many other people in my contact list have forwarded money or their credit card information after reading the e-mail,” he said.

Author: Nelson Benjamin and Desiree Tresa Gasper

Source: TheStar Online

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PETALING JAYA: Scrutinise your mobile phone bills thoroughly or you may end up paying for “unsolicited services.”

Users can be charged up to RM100 extra for various types of content sent via short-messaging service (SMS) by external providers who hook up with network providers.

However, the policy of the network providers over such SMSes is not clear.

When contacted by The Star, a customer service officer said mobile phone users were charged once the SMS was despatched — even if the user does not read the SMS. “We cannot do anything about it,” the officer said.

“Once they send out an SMS to you, you will be charged.” But another officer from the company said the user would have to reply with a certain code before a charge was imposed.

Such SMSes cost between RM2 and RM5 each, and many customers have complained that their monthly bills have spiked with such unsolicited charges. Some complained that these SMSes were usually only sent to supplementary lines.

“We are so busy that we usually do not check their details. Why is it that I have never had such SMSes sent to my main line?” one user said. Questions are also being raised as to how the content providers got hold of the mobile numbers.

Richard Wong from Tawau claimed he was charged about RM100 in his October bill for such services, adding that the amount was slapped on his son’s prepaid line.

“The prepaid amount from my son’s mobile line was deducted on a regular basis without his knowledge.” The issue has even been highlighted by certain bloggers, with one describing such unsolicited SMS services as a “scam”.

There are presently 29.62 million mobile phone users in the country, 6.2 million of them postpaid and the rest prepaid.

A DiGi Telecommunications Bhd spokesman said the company had no fixed arrangement with content providers, adding that its mobile number database was not released to them.

“Customers must have performed certain downloads in the past or have given consent to businesses to receive selected information.”

“The content providers must have kept the subscribers’ mobile numbers to cross-sell or promote their services.”

A Maxis Bhd official said a preventive system was put in place since 2007, whereby users were automatically protected from receiving unsolicited SMSes from unauthorised parties.

Author: Joshua Foong

Source: TheStar Online

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TheStar Online (November 27, 2009)

SEREMBAN: Sim Carmen, 12, (pic) loves the outdoors but having the blood disorder thalassemia prevents her from living life fully.

The young girl is in desperate need of RM260,000 for a cord blood transplant.

Carmen’s mother Chin Chui Ling, 42, said her daughter was diagnosed when she was four.

“In the beginning, she did not require frequent blood transfusions, but now, she goes to the hospital for a transfusion every two weeks, sometimes more. Watching her go through the process is heart-breaking but Carmen is brave and rarely complains,” she said.

Housewife Chin and her husband Sim Kim Joo, 54, recently found out that such a transplant was available at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taiwan.

“We have no choice but to go abroad as it may take a year or two before Carmen gets the chance to undergo a similar operation here,” she added. Both Chin and her

husband are thalassemia carriers but Carmen is the only one of their three children who has the disease.

Chin said her salesman husband earned just enough to cover the family’s expenses.

“My oldest son is only 18 but has decided to work to help us with our finances. The 17-year-old is still in school,” she said. The couple approached Lobak assemblyman Anthony Loke Siew Fook for assistance.

Loke said the transplant was estimated to cost RM350,000 but the Sim family had already raised RM90,000.

Thalassemia is a genetic disorder which causes decreased and defective production of hemoglobin, a molecule found inside all red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body.

Those who wish to contribute can send their cheques addressed to the Sim Carmen Trust Fund to Loke’s office at 1st Floor, 169, Jalan Tuanku Munawir, 70000 Seremban, or bank in their contributions directly into Alliance Bank account 05017-0-02-974367-5 (Sim Carmen Trust Fund).

For further details, contact Loke at 06-763 4525.

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This unique business has millions of distributors doing billions of pounds in sales annually. It is conducted in nearly 100 countries around the world. It has been praised by leading business people and also by heads of state for boosting the economy. Yet most people in the UK are still totally confused by it.

Network marketing has created many millionaires and spread that excitement to millions more, but just what are the realities of this business?

So what is network marketing?

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