Month: March 2010

Internet @ Home: Need or Want?

Speaking for myself, it is unimaginable not to have internet connection at home. If it only means having to update my social network accounts, chat with friends, check emails regularly or do some research work, free wi-fi establishments would have been enough. Unfortunately, my income depends on the speed, availability and dependability of internet. What more, online transaction has made my life a lot easier and by going out to look for an internet connection would definitely defeat the purpose. This made me thinking, is having internet at home nowadays comparable to having electricity, water, cable or what have you?

I know many people like me can’t live without internet. We start the day by checking our emails and end it by saying goodnight to online friends. In between, we would check the tweets and status of our friends, chat, play online games, upload photos and videos, answer emails and of course try to do some work. haha! On the other hand, other people literally depends on the internet to survive the growing business of internet marketing.

Sadly though, there is much greater number of people who can’t barely eat a decent 3x-a-day meal, more so afford a PC and monthly internet fee. Worse, children in public schools are deprived from learning to use the computer because the government provides either obsolete computers or those that are not working.

So then I realized that thanks to internet, our country has been divided into groups of those who really needs the internet, those who thinks that internet is cool but can actually live without it, those who knows about it but thinks it is not important and finally those who have no idea about it at all.

B&B Scotland

I’ve written a couple of B&B Paris’ paid reviews since last year. I was blindly writing those blogs because I never really had a first hand experience with bed and breakfast accomodation. Not until last month when we had a chance to experience bed and breakfast London and Scotland. I don’t want to talk much about our B&B London experience because I think that the room was not worth the money we paid for. The room has 1 queen-sized bed, 1 single bed, a small TV with only 4 channels, a small bathroom, a coffee/tea facility, a small cabinet, 2 small tables and 1 chair all cramped in a small room. We could barely move inside. And per night it costs us 90 pounds! Oh well, what do I expect, its in Kingscross London!

On the other hand, our B&B accommodation in Scotland which only costs 35 pounds per night was comparable to a 3-4 star hotel. We were provided with a spacious room with 3 single beds, large cabinet, coffee area / entertainment area (whatever it’s called), coffee/tea facility and a bigger bathroom. The Windows have those thick, elegant curtains to match the Pakistan-inspired comforter and chair covers. To top it all, the room has wifi.

Location wise, it’s a walking distance from Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, Parliament Square Law Courts and Palace of Holyrood House. We really were able to maximize our 2-day stay there. You can visit other places in Scotland by bus or train. Lastly, it’s just a walking distance from the train station and 20 pounds taxi ride away from the airport.

So I really do recommend York Place B&B at 38 York Place, New Town Edinburgh, UK. See for yourself! *wink*

Ten, Four, Zero

10, 4, 0… this is definitely not the combination of numbers I want to bet on. They’re actually the ages of our children we brought along during our last Hong Kong trip. I knew it was a courageous thing to do, but I wouldn’t want to leave any of my children at home. True enough, more than seeing Disneyland for the first time or experiencing a cable car ride at Ocean Park, I was so happy to see my children’s happy faces during the whole trip.

Bringing along a 10 year old isn’t difficult anymore. He was actually helping me look after his siblings. He was always willing to pull one of our baggage or carry a back-pack. Well, except for bullying his little brother at times, he can be treated as an adult already. And during our trip, he preferred the thrill rides more than watching shows or looking at animals.

Our 4-year old kid, on the other hand, was a handful. He literally runs everywhere, to his heart’s desire, without worrying about being lost. “Wait,” “in a minute,” and “almost done” are words that doesn’t exist in his world. If he’s tired, hungry, or has to go to the bathroom, there’s no room for negotiation. He even used our infant’s stroller because he refused to walk a little more. But his innocence and funny remarks make him get away with all of it. And unlike his older brother, he adores sea animals. He enjoyed seeing the big aquarium with all those fishes, sharks, sting-rays, etc. swimming around.

Lastly, bringing a 7-month old baby wouldn’t be too difficult if not for all the baby things we have to bring along. Milk formula, bottles, meds, vitamins, infant food, diapers, bib and extra clothes… just to name a few. She may not have any idea where she was at that time or what’s happening around her but I was so happy having her in my arms as the whole family explored Hong Kong.

The whole experience gave my husband and I the idea who to bring along where. As much as we would always want to travel as a family, we realized that there will be places that not everyone could be brought along.

Wake-up!

It’s been a while since the last time I wrote a blog, an unpaid blog that is, and I guess I should start creating one now before its too late. It’s not because I don’t have anything to say. Actually, its either because I’m too busy with work and daily errands or ideas are all mixed up that I cannot come-up with a good topic. But then I realized, why need to wait for a good topic if this is not a report anyway. I’ve been wanting my blog site to be active but as I’ve said, I’ve been so conscious about what to write. So to rev things up, I have to come-up with daily blogs. (Pressure!)

To start, I just want to share some of my thoughts every morning as I bring my kids to school. Actually, it’s not much of a thought but just an observation because my brain is still half awake having to rise 6 in the morning. Inside the elevator or outside the parking lot I would see employees, most of them in a hurry, on their corporate attire with laptop bags hanging on their shoulders. Women are wearing their make-up trying to conceal the tired look on their faces. I used to be like that and used to think that life should be like that.

On the other hand, there I was still with bed lines on my face, wearing shirt and shorts, carrying (or pulling) school bag in one hand and holding my son’s hand on the other, also in a hurry to make sure kids won’t be late. People look at me and I wonder what they’re thinking. Sometimes it’s a humbling experience. Sometimes it makes me proud. Nobody knows I gave up my career to spend more time with my children. It is a privilege, not a sacrifice.

I have to admit I miss wearing slacks, blazer and boots. I miss putting on a light make-up and perfume to make sure that I’m at my best having to deal with different people everyday. I miss having friends at the office and looking forward to coffee breaks. I miss going home knowing that I was able to accomplish a lot of work in a day. But surprisingly, I don’t want to go back to the corporate world. It’s definitely a different world now.