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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Winter Has Been Kind

Last Friday’s Metro Halifax news says it all – that this year’s 2010 Winter has been very kind.

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Some Shots of Winter

Here are some shots taken when we went out during winter and just after a snowfall.

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Funniest one is this – A Chinese acupuncture physician shop named - “I Stop Pain”… 

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Debunking Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Get Rich Program

Just watched today’s episode of CBC’s Marketplace program. It was particularly interesting for me because this particular episode exposes the slick tricks used by Robert Kiyosaki’s Learn to be Rich training workshop. That’s because both wifey and I went to the preview last year and were abit interested in signing up. But luckily we didn’t – and here’s why:

Based on the episode by CBC titled, “How not to get taken in by real estate seminars”

  • The free intro session pitches its viewers to sign up for a 3days (costs CAD 500) workshop in which 3 days are spend on giving additional sales pitch for another costlier advance real-estate courses (price tagged at CAD 40K and more).
  • Lots of folks have been tricked and not have their money returned.
  • Rude trainers who conduct training sessions unprofessionally.
  • Unwise lessons – such as asking you to raise your credit card limit to 100K!!!
  • MOST OF ALL –> the man himself, Robert Kiyosaki being aware of these events and happenings but NOT doing anything serious about it!!! And why? Well, perhaps he’s getting alot of money out of it – so why should he…?!

Here’s a shot of Marketplace’s Erica Johnson interviewing Robert himself when he was here in Vancouver not too long ago…

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So you think you’d learn something from Robert’s lessons. Well you probably would have learn a thing or two but, do be wise with anything else apart from that – like signing up for his workshops.

Want to know more? Just go to CBC Marketplace’s video channel and look for this particular episode and probably you’ll get a first understanding why –> here.

Here’s the CBC’s promo vid of that episode on facebook,
http://www.facebook.com/cbcmarketplace#/video/video.php?v=275007085980
and here
http://www.facebook.com/cbcmarketplace#/video/video.php?v=262772910980

Monday, January 25, 2010

Unsual Weather Again...

Canadians have a love-hate relationship with the weather. Its something we've been of late able to understand better.

Take for example today's forecast for the next few days.


Imagine this - its right smack in the middle of the winter month (not even at the end yet) and we're going to experience a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius with rainfall warning in effect!

Just 2 days ago it was -10 and -18 with wind chill effect. The weather is weird.

Here's CBC Nova Scotia's meteorologist, Peter Coede showing the viewers the weather outlook for tomorrow. Unlike back in Malaysia, the weather man is a much respected TV personality.


The markings in red are all the areas which are going to experience rain tomorrow.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Wintery Updates

Winter isn't all too bad. Partly because we've been lucky to come around this time. Compared to last year, as we were told, this year's winter seem very mild.... for now.... Hope it last till CNY.

We managed to get hold of a plot of land behind for our gardening. That's an excellent piece of news.

As for the day, unlike in Fall where the combination of a daylight savings and the earth's rotation, made it seem a lot shorter (becomes night by 4.15nish), that's quite the opposite now as the I guess its reach the shortest daylight it can even reach in Fall already. Now the day is expanding. Of late, daylight last right till about 5.30nish.

On to something else - sometime back, some asked me now that you're in Canada for sometime, can you tell the difference between Canadian accent? Well some might they use alot of 'eh', in their sentences, but I guess there wasn't much of that around. I would say that they tend to give emphasis on anything with a 'o' or 'ou' sound in it. Say for example about, the o is emphasis so much until the word sounds like aboat.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Of Excercise And All

We've talked alot about it but rarely acted on it as we thought the continuous walking to lab, supermarkets, parks, and wherever we went (plus using bus as well but you still have to walk to bus stops, eh!?) would be exercise enough for us.

But finally, we were invited by one of our faculty mate who is part of a group of oriental students that gather to play badminton with each other every Friday evening. Although squash would be our preferred choice, but I guess the company was undeniably better with a larger crowd.

We met a few familiar faces that we saw when we attended the orientation for Fall intake last year. So wifey took the opportunity to play catch up with some chit chat. For me, it was pure fun, playing my hearts out - almost until I forgot that I haven't been playing for quite a while. Hardly a day after its over and all my body parts are aching. Sigh... - is this the sign of old age? Wifey also complain as such... Anyhow, guess we still have a little fire left in us - will be going for dance class tonight at a community church and later a drink with a friend.

What a weekend this is going to be!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Ushering 2010 With A Big S-M-I-L-E

This year, we're welcoming 2010 with a big SMILE

Yes. We are.

We're committed to having a more positive outlook in life.
We're committed to loving each other more, day after day.
We want to grow in strength, both with wisdom and compassion.
We want to be more focus in our responsibilities - that includes our research work as well as anything else we set our minds to.
We will persevere in our life's challenges miles and miles away from home, no matter what the odds are (for the past 8 mths we thought the odds were against us, but we survive through it all)

To start of, we're done some interesting things. We got ourselves a sleigh and rode mad rides down the hill behind our apartments. Take a look at some of the blurred shots we took.





Here's the field covered with fresh snow.




And here's what it looks like when there's just too many people there. Lucky for us, we woke up about 7 to play in the snow.



We also been baking a lot... Yes we have... Here's some of our master pieces, of which we love baking bread the most. We're also (mostly, wifey) kinda obsess with our new blog on our baking rendezvous - but we're waiting for a couple of recipes first before making the link available  here.















Well, I know I've not been contributing to this blog as often as I have - probably that's because we've been very busy and focused with work of late too. If its not reading in the lab, we're off to acquire some stuff for the home. For example, I've bought some soil as I've taken up another interest which is to build our indoor herb garden. Problem is, its winter and there's not much places where you can find them selling seeds. So the easiest to plant for now would be garlic and next in line, onions.






We've also changed the position of the furnitures in the unit. As we got another futon which was given to us by our new acquaintances we've made in the building. We also got ourselves some extra lights for the the kitchen and the study area.





All that being said, we're looking forward for good week ahead. So just sit and relax. Enjoy your coffee and biscuit as we bring you more news of things over here. Hope to hear from you all too.


picture taken from wife's recent baking wonders - biscotti