Jo's Park: 2007

12.31.2007

2007 Review & New Year Resolutions

Today marks the last day of 2007. I look forward to the new year, yet there's a little bit of me who wish to stay in 2007.

Looking back 2007

Year 2007 has been a good year for me. I've picked up many soft skills in my work, and extended my working network, made new friends, travelled to a f ew places, tried different things. Well, what can I say, things have zoomed past and generally it has been a great year. I remembered writing my travel wish list on the beginning of January this year. I'm going to review how far I've travelled.

1) Chiangmai
2) Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
3) Halong Bay (Vietnam) -- Visited
4) Phuket Island
5) Koh Samui -- Visited
6) Mauritius
7) Maldives
8) Hong Kong/Macau -- planned for next year
9) Tokyo (Japan)
10) Korea
11) Shanghai (China)
12) Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) -- Visited (*newly added)

3 places striked off the list. Hmm..not bad considering my meagre budget. Oh, the last one was not in my original list, I only added it in here.

2008 New Year resolutions
2008 is just a day away. I better start making some new year resolutions.

Q1
1) Start planning for my visit Hong Kong/Macau (Mar-Apr)
2) Finish reading these books (Freakonomics, How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be) - Lets not be over ambitious here, it took me for than a month to finish the last book I read :P
3) Finish reading self help e-books (Assertivess & Networking) - my boss said I need to polish up this skill in my year end review.
4) To blog at least twice a week -- knowing my busy schedule & my laziness, I will most probably slack off my blogging schedule again.

Q2, Q3, Q4
No plans yet. I think I'll sit down and ponder on it after CNY.

My Travel Wish List (updated)
1) Chiangmai
2) Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
3) Phuket Island
4) Mauritius
5) Maldives
6) Hong Kong/Macau
7) Tokyo (Japan)
8) Korea
9) Shanghai (China)

Anyone interested to travel with me to the above places? Let me know ya.. ;-)

counting down to Y2008....7 hours & 28 mins...
Firethorn

12.28.2007

New look for the site

Finally I took the time to revamp my blog's look. I upgraded the template so that it could have more features to play around with (which kept me busy the whole day exploring the features and deciding which to be added onto my blog).

Some of you might have saw the yellowish theme yesterday. Not something I fancy too much either, so I decided for something plain today. That makes it easier to insert contents and they sort off blended easily into the plain background. I did search for some free blog templates, but most of them have too much fancy stuff which are unnecessary, and it makes it difficult to add in my stuffs. So I dumped them!

Since the new year is just round the corner, this revamped look will hopefully bring a new feel to my blog readers. I'm thinking of putting a new poll soon. Guys, do look out for it ok? And make sure you vote lah! It will be fun to see what everyone's thinking.

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12.27.2007

KL-Putrajaya highway will be toll-free until Jan 13, 2008

Updates: The KL-Putrajaya highway will be toll-free for a month until Jan 13, 2008.

More links:

If you happen to be in Cyberjaya, and would like to know how to get on the KL-Putrajaya Highway from Cyberjaya.
Read about my test drive on Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya highway.

12.26.2007

Personalised M&Ms Chocolates as Gifts

On Xmas' eve, I received this pack of M&Ms chocolate as a Team's Year End gift. And it flew all the way from US.

Plain as it may seems, this is actually a customised gift. The colours were specificly chosen to represent the colours of the company's logo, and there was the customised message on each of the chocolate. Yeah, and it doesn't come cheap. I looked it up on the internet, and found that it costs about USD$11.99 per pack! But it's still cool and cute :-)

This is how you can order one custom print M&Ms for yourself . There are other cute packagings as well, and you could choose your favourite colours and put your custom messages. And of course it would be delivered right up to your doorstep.

And oh, this is not a sponsored post. I just thought it was a nice gift idea for season's greetings or as a door gift for any events! Of course, if you prefer something from Santa, you might want to try Santagram.

12.24.2007

Getting on the KL-Putrajaya Highway from Cyberjaya

Here's a map provided by one of my colleagues on how to get on the Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya highway from Cyberjaya. Click on the map for a larger view.

This morning, I tried driving to work using this highway. It took me about 20 mins from Kg Pandan roundabout to Cyberjaya exit, total distance was about 32 km. Driving was a breeze, and best of all, no toll yet at the moment! hehehe..

12.21.2007

Test drive on Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya highway

Since it was a public holiday yesterday, Dad decided to try out the new Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya highway which has just recently completed, and to be officially opened in January 2008. I tagged along.

We went into the highway via the starting point at Kampung Pandan roundbout. It was easy to identify as the signages were clear & direct. Yeah, I can't afford to miss it since the construction works have brought so much inconvenience and traffic jams to that area. You may say I am one of the stakeholders haha..

The highway is opened to the public currently, and it's still FREE OF CHARGE (FOC). We asked the tol l booth operator, he said toll charges will only commence in January 2008. Though the toll rate is still undercertain and pending the announcement from you-know-who-minister (Datuk Seri Samy Vellu lah)

The drive was a breeze, there are few strategic entry and exit ramps along the highway. You can even see some of the photos taken of the highway here.

The highway connects to the existing Putrajaya/Cyberjaya - KLIA highway. So that's why you can take about 30-40 mins drive from KL to KLIA, but I doubt the toll will much cheaper than using the KL-Seremban highway route. Matapena here advises to use the toll-free Dengkil new road once you exit from the Cyberjaya/Dengkil exit, which goes to KLIA too. Personally I've heard about this road to KLIA, but have never use it though. This way you can save on the Cyberjaya-KLIA toll, which I think costs around RM3.50.

It's good to know that this highway is so near my new house! Travelling to KL is going to be breeze. You get the accessibility to the city center, yet far away to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the city suburbs. I'm going to give a try next week on my way to Cyberjaya for work.

So guys, no excuse for not visiting my new house next time when I moved in ya :P

Signing up for Blogvertise

I just signed up at Blogvertise today after bumping into a post in Amidrin's blog. Actually I've seen it many times in other bloggers' site, but never bother to check it out. I saw one of friends on the featured bloggers' page when I visited the site! And I've known this friend has been making big bucks from blogging.

The way Blogvertise works is simple:
1. they assigned task and send an email to you
2. you write an post in your blog but remember to link at least 3 times to the advertiser's site in your post.
3. Blogvertise will pay you via Paypal after the post has been reviewed & approved.

Of course there are certain terms and conditions to comply. But they are not difficult!
You do not have to endorse the product/service that you are writing about. You can discuss it however you want, compliment it, review it, discuss how it relates to something going on recently or in the past in your life, or even complain about it. But your blog/entry should be at least 60-100 words and contain a minimum of 3 or more links. And that's all it takes.

Let's hope my sign up request gets approved, and I can start blogging for them soon :-) You can also start by signing up here.

Travel Plans : Accomodation

DIY holiday is fun but it also takes alot of self planning before the trip. It is always a headache to search for good sites which offer reputable offerings on accomodation, flights and travel packages.

You can have one less headache to look at by starting your Hotel Reservations at HotelReservations.Com. I've featured this site before, and I quite like the friendly and useful tools & features found on this site. Plus, they have this "Lowest Internet Rate Price Guarantee". This gives the assurance that what you are getting will be the lowest rate you can find on the Internet, and saves you the time of searching and comparing prices among other offerings.

For hotels in Asia, they have hotels listed in several cities in these countries:
China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, India and many more.

Make sure you bookmark this Hotel Reservations page and use it for your next travel booking.

* Note : This post is sponsored.

12.17.2007

Thank You My Dear Friends

I think this was the best ever birthday surprise for me. All thanks to N and my bunch of friends. Yeah, and now N call them his new "partners in crime". *roll eyes*

I must say it was a good act by all, you guys totally fooled me! I was so unsuspecting of any surprises, because I was expecting to meet up with N's friends rather than my own friends. My first reaction when I saw C & M sitting in the restaurant, was perhaps it was just coincidence. But then I look further, I saw more familiar faces...I started thinking to myself...what?? you guys meet up without even asking me?!

Then again, I didn't see any of N's friends, only then did it strike me that this was a planned surprise for me after all. Gosh, I'm so touched that my dear friends have all gathered to celebrate my birthday. Yeah, I guess you could also say my surprise look was priceless. Sheesh....so paiseh leh..

Ok, to stop myself before I go on rattling nonsense, I just want to say BIG THANKS to everyone who came, you know who you are...And also those who couldn't come but sent me their best wishes & thoughts..

C&M - thanks for calling the rest to come, buying the cake, and taking photos, and your gifts!
LY, MY, SL, CL - thanks for the lovely accessories set. *special thanks to CL who chauffeured the girls home that night.
C&Y - thanks for the bodyshop gift, I'll make sure I smell nice like a rose!

Oh, of course not forgetting to thank the "grand master" behind this plan too :P

*photos to be posted up later ya...

12.15.2007

Wedding toast for C&M

For those who missed my wedding toast speech to C&M that day, or dunno what I blabbered about...read here...haha.

* Colbert/Michelle, perhaps you wanna link back this post to your website for remembrance ? :P

GENERAL
Ladies and Gentlemen, a very good evening to all.
I am very delighted to be here tonight to share Michelle’s & Colbert’s special day. And I just want to tell them how honoured I am today to be standing up here giving this speech.

As I look around the room/place, I look and realize what dear friends we have.
We have all gathered here tonight to celebrate the marriage of Michelle & Colbert.
And this evening is just lovely, and everyone looks great. I must say that you have chosen wisely to be here tonight. Don’t you think so? Yes? (Pause)

So come, let’s give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause)
I hope you will all have a really wonderful time tonight.

REFLECTION ON LOVE
Well..This day ushers in the beginning of a wonderful new phase in the lives of this couple. Hence, I would like to reflect for a few moments on love and relationships. (pause)

mm…Perhaps the wisest thing anyone has ever said to me about marriage and love is this: love is a decision. (pause)

On the surface it sounds too simple and a bit unromantic, but if you think about it a little deeper you will realize that there is truth in these words.

You see…It’s so easy to fall in love. When a young couple first meet, the world looks rosy, neither can do any wrong, nothing can touch them.

But as you grow into your relationship and the realities of life take hold- things like mortgage, kids, joys and sufferings, general ups and downs - then you start to realize that love is a conscious decision.

Relationships take a lot of work. You have to be working at them all the time so that both of you grow together. When you hit a bump, that’s the time to stop and say “Love is a decision. I made a conscious decision to love this man or this woman - despite his or her shortcomings, and despite my not agreeing with everything he says and she does.

But….“Because I love this person, I can resolve any problem we might face.”
So, if you look at love in this way, then nothing can stop you.

THE COUPLE

Dear Colbert & Michelle,

I love you both very much, you are two very dear friends to me. I have seen you both grow as individuals and flourish as a couple. Separately you both are very special people, but together you are complete.

I’ve known Michelle since the very first day in college and we’ve been the best of friends ever since. Together, we are partners in crime. Oops..sorry, I meant to say we’ve had a very good time studying & playing together. And we still do! We had just return from a recent trip to Koh Samui together with our friends, who are also sitting here tonight.

Michelle has always said that I was the very first person she spoke to in the class.
Although I’m abit shy to admit it, Michelle, I just want you to know that I’m very proud of that, and I’ve always take that as an honour of our friendship. (pause)

Dear Colbert,
I’m glad that Michelle has chosen you. You’ve always been the “cool”man & a very patient gentleman. Yep, that are the best qualities a woman can find in a good husband.

Being one of Michelle’s closest friends, and knowing pretty well about Michelle’s strong character…mm, I think I should give you 3 very important advice. So do listen carefully & remember them. Well, perhaps the rest of the guys in the room should also pay attention.

First - Woman like silent men, they think they are listening.
Second - No man should have a secret from his wife. She will find out anyway.
And third, which I think it will serve you quite well in most occassions -
A husband's last words should always be 'OK dear, buy it'. (pause for laughter)

So I hope you’ve remembered all the three? Haha…

Colbert, as a member of Michelle’s sisterhood, now there is something I need to ask you to do. I need the both of you to stand and I need you, Colbert, to place your right hand…on top of Michelle’s.. ..

Ok, then take a moment to savour how it feels….does it feel REALLY good?
Well, treasure this moment well, because this will be the last time that you have the upper hand in this union. Haha (laughter)

THE TOAST
Ladies and Gentlemen, today we celebrate the happiness of Michelle & Colbert.
Now kindly rise from your seat, as I would like all of us to raise our glasses and please join me in a toast to the couple.

(Pause, all rise)

The first toast - May Michelle & Colbert always sail in the same direction, sharing aspirations, hopes, dreams, laughter and co-sharing all conquests.
Cheers!
(PAUSE)

Second toast - To love, laughter and happily ever after.. Cheers!

And…the final toast - To Colbert & Michelle….Congratulations..!

Thank you ladies & gentlemen. Please be seated.
And thank you very much for having me here.

* The idea for this speech came from: http://www.hitched.co.uk/speeches/samples/samplespeech.aspx?Type=2&ID=1559&selection=Best

For more samples of wedding toasts speech:
http://www.hitched.co.uk/speeches/samples/samplespeechhome.aspx

12.04.2007

Kah Keong's Wedding @ 12/2/2007

Another wedding dinner attended last weekend. KK is my secondary school & college mate. Good to see he's finally married to a fine lady. This was a little gathering for us, as I met some of our ex-schoolmates who I've not seen for ages! (since I completed my Form 5, phew!). Oh, please forgive me, these photos are not really excellent quality as these were taken using my new phone with 2MP only. Oh, did I just mention "new phone"? hahaha..ok, I'll blog about my new phone next.

The couple cutting cake on the stage

Group photo with the couple

11.24.2007

Buying motor insurance cover

My car had just past its one-year mark and I have just switched the car insurance company for convenience sake. Car insurance are not cheap nowadays depending on your car value. My, my...the premiums do burnt a hole in my pocket this month.

Talking about car, few things I would like to share with you some things to consider when you buy motor insurance cover. I saw some of these useful info from my insurance policy brochure, perhaps some of you already known some of the things. But it's never bad to know more ;-)

Insurable Interest
Make sure you buy insurance cover as soon as you purchase a vehicle, even when buying a used car. This is to protect your interest as the previous owner's cover is no longer valid.

Insured Value/Sum Insured
Ensure you vehicle is adequately insured.
New vehicle : sum insured = purchase price
Others : sum insured = market value of vehicle when policy is bought

Under-insurance : sum insured is less than market value. You will only be partially compensated in the event of a loss.

Over-insurance : sum insured is higher than market value. The maximum compensation is the market value of the vehicle, so you will not profit from a claim.

So you need to determine the market value to avoid under- or over- insurance.

To read more, you can find out from these links:
Home insurance - http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/insurance/home-insurance.html
Car insurance - http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/insurance/
cheap car insurance

*Note : This post is sponsored.

11.21.2007

Yin Jin's Wedding @ 11/18/2007

Attended another wedding dinner of my ex-schoolmates on the day after Ah Long's wedding. This time, the bride & the bridegroom were both my ex-classmates. The hall was nicely decorated, with beige and orange roses, and litted candlelights. Even the slideshow was tastefully done. Oh, of course the couple looked radiant!

roses & candles the slideshow
my gal friends with the couple

click here for more of the photos

Ah Long's Wedding @ 17/11/2007

It isn't everyday you get to see Ah Long dressed up in nice suit, and his hair neatly combed :P It was such a pretty sight to see Joey and Ah Long holding hand in hand, giving toast to the guests, and playing host to their own wedding party!

Though it a vegetarian lunch, I must say the food is awesome! Even the food presentation is interesting. We're trying to guess what each plate of food was made from (e.g mushroom, taufu, beans etc..) What creative chefs they have.

the couple walking in car in ribbons

the 1st dish save the best for last!

...and all of us who went...

And of course, go here for more of the wedding lunch photos.

Thinking of garage flooring?

I've not moved into the new house I've bought, and neither does the house have any garage. Malaysian houses can't afford to have garages, but we do see crudely built garages in the city outskirts.

Let's see, if I were to have my own garage, I would of course parked my precious baby (my car of course) there. So to match the colour of my car, the garage flooring should be in silver or ivory colour. And of course it should be non slip and solid (so that I don't get slipped down while admiring my car).

I may consider those garage floor tiles which are quiet, warm, fire and chemical resistant, flexible and will not crack (in case dearie wants to get a 4x4 into the garage!)

http://www.carguygarage.com/gaflti.html
http://www.carguygarage.com/diamond-garage-flooring.html
http://www.carguygarage.com/epgafl.html

* Disclosure note: This post is sponsored.

Pictures of my Kota Kinabalu trip...more!

I've finally uploaded more of my KK trip photos here. Phew! what a massive job. And that's not all the pictures I've. A few of us have brought cameras, and each of us have snapped different pictures! But I guess these are enough to feast your eyes for now. Sorry for the long wait. Click on the link to view the entire photo collection from my camera (yup, from the newly bought camera). It will show you the places we went, what we ate, and our transportation.

Oh, forgot to mention...nah, we didn't reach the peak because of bad weather. What a waste...but we did enjoyed the trip, very much indeed :-)

At the meeting point of Mesilau Trail and Timpohan Trail...

...not at the peak yet! just at Laban Rata, but the view is awesome!

11.19.2007

Online Coupons

With the blink of an eye, Deepavali has just flew past us, and now I can almost hear the ringing bells of Christmas (oh, and my “not so far away” birthday too :P)

Well, well...you know what I am thinking? Yup, wishlists and gifts!

I have always like those pretty stuffs that smell nice, and BodyShop deals are definitely somewhere to start…Aah.. some bath gels to pamper myself, or some sweet smelling perfumes, or some hip lippies balm to protect the soft kissable lips.

Of course, if you feel kind of rich and generous enough to spend it on me, take a look at Dell’s deals. A LCD screen or a hip laptop from Dell would be great to decorate my desktop.

Haha..but these are not the only ones you can choose for me. Check out other stores that offers some cool deals at and discount coupons at CouponChief.com

Now, how I wish they have this e-coupons in Malaysia. Kind of make your Christmas shopping easier, ain’t it?

Pictures of my Kota Kinabalu trip (25-29 Sept)

I know this post is waaaay past the due..but, but, it's better late than never :P There'll be no long winded story to tell. As I'm too lazy to write the whole experience. But hey, looking at the photos will be quite enough to tell you about my trip to KK. If you want to know about the intinerary and how we planned it, well, you gotta ask for it ;-) There were six of us, 4 guys and 2 girls...together we go for water fun and mountain climbing..oh, and of course shopping and makan-makan too !

Tuesday nite (25/09)
- LCCT waiting hall, waiting to board the flight to KK.