tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12483887211749273682024-03-13T09:26:47.835+08:00The Personal Blog of Lyra Kuaa blog about my thoughts, my knowledge, my interests, and snippets of my personal lifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-73976788155410757562014-11-10T16:32:00.000+08:002016-03-19T15:16:05.224+08:00Infobarrel Overview - A New Chapter of My Online Writing Career<div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm just new to Infobarrel, and so my journey there has just begun. After <a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2014/08/is-this-goodbye-for-squidoo.html">saying goodbye to Squidoo</a> (it was bought by another website called Hubpages), I decided not to transfer my articles to Hubpages, as was suggested by Squidoo, but to go to a different writing platform instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enters Infobarrel. I discovered the site through a fellow online writer (thank you WinterWolf!). Infobarrel sounds like a great choice for people like me who doesn't own a Google Adsense account (<a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2011/10/goodbye-google-adsense.html">Why I don't have an Adsense</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I decided to join. I submitted <span style="font-family: inherit;">a </span>few articles. Within days, I saw a few traffic. To my surprise, I also saw a few pennies accumulating on my earnings report. Although it was only a few cents, but seeing the numbers increase little by little was motivating enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I found unique in the site is the quality control of the articles. You cannot just submit an article without undergoing a manual review from the site's editorial staff. If they found some grammatical errors, or things that violate their rules, they will notify you and prompt you to edit the article in question. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, quality control is extremely important as having too many rubbish articles can pull the site's ranking down. Also, being part of a quality writing site makes me feel being a member of an exclusive writing club. It may sound difficult for starters. I got denied a few times myself but after some more tries, I started to get the hang of the site.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Monthly contests are another special feature of Infobarrel. Every month, topics are listed and you can submit your new articles under those topics. Points are awarded according to number of words. Those who get the highest points at the end of the month will receive 25-100 USD, which will be added to the earnings report. If you don't win, you still get the chance to have your articles featured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You get paid by Infobarrel directly, with the exception of Amazon earnings which will be accumulated through your own affiliate account. As I've mentioned, you do not need an Adsense to earn, as you earn there through the site's Ad system. The payout threshold is fifty US Dollars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are interested, here's the sign-up link: <a href="http://www.infobarrel.com/signup.php?ref_id=2110639">http://www.infobarrel.com/signup.php?ref_id=2110639</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are already a writer of Infobarrel, I'll be glad to hear about your experience.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-32483866184191575262014-08-27T13:50:00.000+08:002014-08-27T13:50:06.864+08:00Is This Goodbye for Squidoo?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pixabay.com/en/girlfriends-sunset-vintage-bohemian-338449/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXX9C02BnIoLt4Ilak0ltppFV17hVYvZVf5z3dqvcDbS3_4p1hsGvnzpe9uRE3L6h9T3INvzsGLbM4HPLAhXJ19LqdEX-po1BT8ZWy8S5XNbCmQAE3dLXdYLalCMcDoIcvplbR1KynJe8/s1600/girlfriends-338449_640.jpg" height="213" width="320"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Although I am not that productive on Squidoo, I do log in to the site almost every day to check how my articles are faring. There is a page called the dashboard were writers can check the ranking of their lenses (or Squidoo articles). I have already written thirty plus lenses. I don't write that often, considering that I have other writing platforms to attend to; besides, online writing is only a side job of mine.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img src="file:///C:/Users/henry/AppData/Local/Temp/enhtmlclip/girlfriends-338449_640.jpg" style="cursor: default;"></span></div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2014/08/is-this-goodbye-for-squidoo.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-49985845282620626872013-11-12T15:14:00.001+08:002016-03-19T15:17:39.407+08:00How to Help The Victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan<div>
<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right now, I am looking outside the street of Manila. It is raining a little. Quite peaceful if I must say. Four days ago, the downpour was much more intense. But the typhoon Yolanda (also known as Haiyan) did not affect my area directly. It was the city of Tacloban that was hit the hardest. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I couldn't help but feel very sad upon seeing the aftermath of the super typhoon on the news. A huge part of the city of Tacloban has been destroyed. The place looked as if it was destroyed by a huge tsunami wave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many people there haven't eaten for days. Relief goods haven't arrived yet due to blocked roads. Even those with money couldn't do anything because there were no food available. Some people resorted to looting for survival. Some groups were even seen stealing appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. My guess is that those gangs came from outside the city to take advantage of its vulnerable situation. After all, what use would the locals have for those appliances? Their houses were already ruined!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">People would come rushing to the cameras whenever they see journalists. They wanted to tell their families that they were alive. The most heartbreaking moment was when they would face the camera, talk to their families on air, telling them they are alive, <span style="font-family: inherit;">while</span> some of them didn't make it, and that they're sorry they were unable to protect th<span style="font-family: inherit;">em.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I pray that they would gather enough strength to rise again. May the arrival of aids be swift. Below is a link for more information of how we could donate to the devastated places of the country. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God bless Tacloban and the rest of the places ravaged by Yolanda.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-65059058315805421342013-11-12T09:00:00.000+08:002013-11-12T09:00:05.221+08:00Today I learned: An Extra Virgin Olive Oil Label Doesn't Guarantee Quality<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58562eGbwakFW5_KrqT60LSquPKrjdbh0_sHo7qsCte2m3NULnLW8tAl8C6X-Tx5Sq4JmsEHe5nCh9zKw_2UB0fJhcH7p3cNnqOQJBDKebYsdj2RV88fKNR2JYzTX7lifs2Vv8R2a58mF/s1600/ID-100152201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58562eGbwakFW5_KrqT60LSquPKrjdbh0_sHo7qsCte2m3NULnLW8tAl8C6X-Tx5Sq4JmsEHe5nCh9zKw_2UB0fJhcH7p3cNnqOQJBDKebYsdj2RV88fKNR2JYzTX7lifs2Vv8R2a58mF/s320/ID-100152201.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=5681" target="_blank">artur84 </a>| Freedigitalphotos.net</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love using olive oil because of it's health benefits. I've been told that all I needed to look for is the "extra virgin" label. It means that the oil comes from the first press of olives, ensuring that the oil contains antioxidants and omega 3 and other health benefits. However, I just learned that it's not the end of story. It takes a closer look at the back of the bottles for us to find out about the product's quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, we need to look for the harvest date. It should be within two years. Olive oils degrade fast so they shouldn't be allowed to age as wines. I always look for thick and dark bottles to make sure that the product inside isn't exposed to light - another variable that will degrade the olive oil. I cringe whenever I see olive oils sold inside clear bottles. Yes, poorly bottled olive oils do exist in the market.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, there should be a seal from a third party body that tests for the oil's quality, such as COCC from California. Usually, products bearing a harvest date has a seal in the label as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite a number of olive oil products undergo several steps of processing before they reach our shelves. If the label indicates that it was made from different countries before eventually getting inside the bottle, chances are, the oil has already degraded in quality during shipment. It's better to have the product manufactured from one country only. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After buying the brand of your choice, check immediately at home if it smells off. You may also taste it to see if its fresh. If it stings the back of your throat a bit, then it means there are polyphenols present in the oil. You can always return the product if your dissatisfied with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Source:</b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><i><a href="http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/uc-davis-olive-oil-report-and-buying-tips/" style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/uc-davis-olive-oil-report-and-buying-tips/</a></i></span><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/30/226844915/to-get-the-benefits-of-olive-oil-fresh-may-be-best"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/30/226844915/to-get-the-benefits-of-olive-oil-fresh-may-be-best</span></i></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-5159723691260195852013-11-08T14:59:00.000+08:002016-03-19T15:13:20.735+08:00Great News<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">It's been a while since I've posted something in this blog. Today I am very happy. I'm here to announce a major feat I had now as an online writer. It's about a writing online platform - </span><b style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Squidoo </b><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">- where I also contribute articles aside from Blogger. My status there have just been upgraded to a </span><b style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Giant Squid</b><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you haven't heard about Squidoo, it's a writing platform where anyone can submit articles of interests for free while earning money. You don't need a <b>Google Adsense</b> account to be able to earn there. Squidoo has its own Google Adsense account to which a portion of its earnings is being distributed to the writers (called <b>Squids</b>) every month. The amount depends on the writers' performance. Since my account was disabled by Google two years ago (<a href="http://seriousnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/goodbye-google-adsense.html">for reasons unknown</a>), I signed up for Squidoo for a greener pasture, <span style="font-family: inherit;">while tending my blogs at Blogger</span>. For this reason, writing on different platforms has made me a little more busy, not to mention I still have a day job and housework to care for!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Losing my account on Adsense didn't make me lose heart. I write whenever I have time. I write informative articles the most. The earnings are very slow to come, but at least I'm enjoying the process, and despite the little amount, it still made me feel productive while doing what I love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After signing up for Squidoo, I didn't participate right away. I just let my profile sit there, with only a couple of articles (called <b>lenses </b>in Squidoo) published under my name. That led on to one year. During that period, I <span style="font-family: inherit;">f<span style="font-family: inherit;">ocused my writing on</span></span> Blogger. After a year, I decided to give more time to Squidoo. I was able to produce twenty five quality lenses (Squidoo has a meter that shows you if the lens your writing has 100% score). My sister, who has been on Squidoo much longer, urged me to apply for a Giant Squid status. Being a Giant Squid has some perks, such as being qualified to join writing contests with prizes. Also, having a Giant Squid seal beside my name is an entitlement, and other writers would revere you for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I agreed to apply. Squidoo has an application form for that. The form says that it will take two weeks for Squidoo to review my account before deciding if they would grant me the title. After only a day, I received the good news. Not only that, one of my lenses: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/my-roller-coaster-adventure"><b>My Roller Coaster Experience</b></a>, was awarded with a <b>Purple Star</b>. The Purple Star is just one of the many ways Squidoo motivates the writers who deserve encouragement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the new title tagged along my pen name, I got even more motivated to write there. It's really a great morale booster. I love Squidoo. If you're like me who don't have an Adsense account, or got it disabled for some reason, consider writing on Squidoo. If you work hard enough, the site would surely reward you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To see a complete list of my Squidoo Lenses, check <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/seriousnuts">this profile</a>. You may also sign up through this <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/seriousnuts#.UobPnh5k2ps.blogger" target="_blank">referral link</a> if you decided to join the community.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-9250716639772803132013-04-19T10:00:00.000+08:002013-04-19T10:00:03.567+08:00Journey to Happiness - Step #3: Be Assertive<br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">I am a nice person. I grew up believing that doing good to others would benefit me in the long run. Sure, there is even an old saying that if you treat others well, they will also treat you well. But as I mingle with different people, I noticed that it's not necessarily going to happen. Sometimes, my being nice even made me into a doormat. I'd become an under appreciated, sad, cynical, and resentful person because of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But then I realized, in order to change how people treat me, I should change myself first. By voicing out my thoughts and feelings more often, other people would know what I want. This is called assertiveness. It is not being egotistical. It is not being aggressive. It is simply putting your own needs equal to others' needs. Tell people what you want, also listen to what they want, then reach for a resolution.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2013/04/journey-to-happiness-step-3-be-assertive.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-52866848711938729432013-04-12T11:34:00.000+08:002013-04-12T11:34:44.037+08:00Having a Twin Sister<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What's it like to having a twin sister? People find it interesting after learning I have a twin. They are always eager to hear about having-a-twin stories. But I would always find myself dumbfounded where to start. In fact, I do not even have entertaining or funny stories prepared for them.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having a twin is part of my life. I cannot explain what is special about it, because I have never experienced having an ordinary sibling. People may find having a twin is interesting. But to me, I also get curious what it's like to have a non-identical sibling. </span><br>
</div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2013/04/having-twin-sister.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-29172350951234438782013-03-19T13:36:00.000+08:002013-03-19T13:36:29.266+08:00How to Deal with Plagiarism<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYoDg7QP64PgOiRmqhpoUq3oINbpgQm1DmM3ue6wCqY-nssKugfGGRBazrHtH33CpTqlDqQvQKqE8Den85gS7g6-AMxWXvTzocduzlsGsS3N9lo95PqmaeKQhlq2weeTXsWvpentnwXB6/s1600/plagiarism.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="plagiarism" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYoDg7QP64PgOiRmqhpoUq3oINbpgQm1DmM3ue6wCqY-nssKugfGGRBazrHtH33CpTqlDqQvQKqE8Den85gS7g6-AMxWXvTzocduzlsGsS3N9lo95PqmaeKQhlq2weeTXsWvpentnwXB6/s320/plagiarism.png" title="" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by seriousnuts.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">You've probably already heard or read somewhere about the saying: "<i>Jealousy is the greatest form of flattery.</i>" This is true and many of you will surely agree with that statement. </span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I can somehow relate this saying into Blogosphere, but jealousy is not the issue here. Rather, it's about plagiarism. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the nth time, I found out that some of my written works were copied and pasted into another website and claimed to be the blogger's own works. I was of course mad about my discovery. I was even tempted to drop a comment such as:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hey, it's my written work you're posting." </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Do you know it's plagiarism you're doing?"</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Are you sure this post is written by you? I will have your site closed soon, just wait."</span></i></blockquote>
<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But instead, I held my composure, and did what is right - filing a DMCA complaint to <b>Google </b>(since it was Google that hosted the blogger's site in question).</span><br>
</div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-deal-with-plagiarism.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-24516471007326148562013-02-11T10:00:00.000+08:002013-02-11T10:00:04.762+08:00Journey to Happiness - Step #2: Think of One Happy Thought Each Day<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I remembered one of the topics I've learned from my Psychology classes about a form of therapy called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. It's about "fixing" a patient's illogical thoughts to control his/her anxiety or neuroticism. Likewise, when it comes to happiness, a huge chunk of it comes from the way we think. As cliche as it may sound, it's all about our attitude.</span></div>
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Many times, we get sad because of the thoughts that pop in our head. It might be about a painful past. Or about the uncertainty of the future. It may also be about the present that isn't too favorable to us. Whatever the reasons we may have, we know that thinking about sad thoughts won't lead us to a solution. </div>
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So, just for a change, whenever a sad thought strikes us, instead of allowing that thought to conquer our minds, let's try to push the thought away. Let's keep our minds busy by thinking of happy thoughts instead. Think about one good thing someone has done to you. Or about a memorable vacation. Reminisce about how you've met your spouse. Think about a very inspiring movie you've just watched. And so on. As you practice thinking happy things, you'll notice that it becomes easier for your mind to be more positive. And the habit of positive thinking becomes an effortless act.</div>
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So, what good thought popped in your head today?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-46513258182201138772013-02-01T13:53:00.001+08:002013-02-01T13:53:59.125+08:00Journey to Happiness - Step #1: Organize Your Home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaY5IYVFA3ULlNLZJg4IsshQPFrW89HmiKN3-BT2lgHuAr1t9b5vzEyKG5i-JMph91sl0635pDmcvqTJZZ2muwsnxnPbGzodwugsmOR7-MdEfmK_WbIwchCeFuZtt92ppk4FgyNgMwnG2h/s1600/smile.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaY5IYVFA3ULlNLZJg4IsshQPFrW89HmiKN3-BT2lgHuAr1t9b5vzEyKG5i-JMph91sl0635pDmcvqTJZZ2muwsnxnPbGzodwugsmOR7-MdEfmK_WbIwchCeFuZtt92ppk4FgyNgMwnG2h/s200/smile.png" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;">These past few weeks might be a tough one for many people. January blues following shortly after a jolly December. Perhaps the sadness may be due to the dullness of the month (in stark contrast with a festive previous month). Then it might even be a lot tougher to single people, especially now that the lovers' season is fast approaching. There are lots of factors why one might be blue right now. But instead of giving you reasons to believe that you should be sad too, I would instead focus on things that could make you happy. </span><br>
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Join me in this series of blog posts where I too, search for happiness. Who doesn't want to be happy anyway? If you would love to share your own ideas, feel free to post a comment.</div>
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</div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2013/02/journey-to-happiness-step-1-organize.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-77686046497218043232012-12-22T09:25:00.001+08:002012-12-22T09:25:22.729+08:00How to be a Chinese<br />
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<img src="http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t390/seriousnuts/file7921250646457_zps46dbc19c.jpg" width="250px" /><br />
Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/615597">kconnors</a> | Morguefile</div>
The Chinese culture has been part of the earliest civilizations in the world. Due to its roots that can be traced back from ancient times, the Chinese culture has continued to refine itself into a rich, awesome, distinct, and superior state that it is known today.<br />
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China has the largest population in the world, but the Chinese are not only limited within their land's borders. The Chinese people can be found in many different countries, and instead of mingling with the rest of the people, they have established their own districts in foreign countries as can be witnessed by the existing Chinatowns around the world.<br />
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<a href="http://seriouschineseliving.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-be-chinese.html" target="_blank"><b>Continue Reading: How to be a Chinese</b></a><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-14767798291641057602012-12-18T13:58:00.000+08:002012-12-18T14:00:19.321+08:00My First Christmas Gift from SquidooFor these past few months, I've been busy writing on Squidoo, a great platform for budding online writers. I used to write on Hubpages, but since my Adsense account was closed by Google (<a href="http://seriousnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/goodbye-google-adsense.html" target="_blank">see story here</a>), earning in Hubpages became impossible. So I've migrated my articles to <b><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/" target="_blank">Squidoo</a></b>, which doesn't require writers to own Adsense accounts.<br>
<a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-first-christmas-gift-from-squidoo.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-22835643058530972762012-11-26T16:03:00.001+08:002012-11-26T16:07:17.839+08:00How to Save Money<span style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Saving money </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">is not as hard as you would think. It is a habit that everyone needs to learn. Once you acquire this habit, it becomes easier. With the right attitude, </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;">spending habits, and knowledge, you will get closer to your financial goal. </span><br>
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<b>Getting Started: My Journey towards Saving Money</b><br>
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I was taught about the habit of saving at a young age. Now that I'm an adult, I still continue to save. Saving has been a rewarding experience to me. Because of my savings, I was able to help pay a portion of my tuition in High school when my parents were financially down. I was also able to ease my parents' burden by taking part of my savings instead of asking them for my allowance. So saving for me is filial piety too. Now, I am even planning to help pay for part of the downpayment for my parents' dream car.<br>
</div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-save-money.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-82335830621895944952012-11-15T22:32:00.001+08:002012-11-15T22:32:09.197+08:00Christmas Gift Idea: Beauty Products<br>
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Running out of ideas for Christmas gifts for your mom, sister, or female friend? Buying them beauty products might just be the perfect solution to your problem. Remember the times when you were on a tight budget? Despite that financial hardship, you still managed to buy a tube of lipstick, right? This just shows how every woman values beauty. Using beauty products is a way of pampering yourself in an affordable way. This Christmas, why not treat your loved ones as well with these skin care products?</div>
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</div></div><a href="http://lyrakua.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-gift-idea-beauty-products.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-35146802086489495222012-06-29T10:00:00.000+08:002012-06-29T10:00:00.435+08:00Anonymous Proxy Server<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IEtyka5CYrtZhsc-64_ove248bb2UQKBXiRdNuCQWIdevs8Q-4DqfWomfi0y320F0-LAH3H04uVbSZx6kCZkOZt5P4pe1YqXKXiy8SHxuJ3OAxmgXlxrJ8DZt14Uf-qbrEdEwQAkbw_7/s1600/internet+privacy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IEtyka5CYrtZhsc-64_ove248bb2UQKBXiRdNuCQWIdevs8Q-4DqfWomfi0y320F0-LAH3H04uVbSZx6kCZkOZt5P4pe1YqXKXiy8SHxuJ3OAxmgXlxrJ8DZt14Uf-qbrEdEwQAkbw_7/s320/internet+privacy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/o5com/" target="_blank">o5com</a> | Flickr</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">H</span>ackers nowadays are very clever. They could easily get <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">personal information</span>
from unsuspecting Internet users by the way these users surf the web.
Being in the virtual world under a different surname and fake <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">avatar</span> doesn't mean that our identity is forever safe. There are some other precautions we need to take when <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">we go</span>
online. In this post, I would talk about using anonymous proxy servers
as one of the several ways to help us secure our identity.<br />
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<a href="http://computertipsandsecurity.blogspot.com/2012/06/anonymous-proxy-server.html" target="_blank">Continue reading the full article on All About Computers. </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-11143124391503651922012-06-21T11:35:00.001+08:002012-06-21T11:35:14.935+08:00How to Improve Laptop's Performance<div class="post-header">
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If your <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">laptop</span> is becoming sluggish, you may want to <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">upgrade</span> some parts. But that isn't always necessary. Chances are, you can still improve your laptop's performance by just tweaking your system's configurations without replacing or adding some hardware.<br />
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Here is a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">compilation</span> of tweaks that you could apply on <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">your computer</span>. I've tried these tweaks on my 4-year-old laptop. My laptop did improve. Take note, these steps are specifically for <b>Vista</b> and <b>Windows 7</b>. So if your laptop is running <b>XP</b>, the steps required may be slightly different. A word of <i>caution</i>: Create a <b>restore point</b> on your system first before attempting to make any changes on your system. (<a href="http://computertipsandsecurity.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-improve-laptops-performance.html" target="_blank"><i>Continue reading on All About Computers</i></a>)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-66999036629896377402012-06-18T09:57:00.001+08:002012-06-18T09:57:14.978+08:00BB Cream: An Alternative to Traditional Makeup<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-VK9l41r7OcBAA7gkY0qL4LEs51ZTc_ZiqbKKpPRTOnU0a27hznpZI_p52Ff6I5dWLcevF0Kg2CxgyqpDN1yx9qtJ3AxyXsC_m0xhpLXLeqfoiODT66fsnabTUpZeoqqzmTJGtlFrbtS/s1600/4607643597_b87a48b78a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-VK9l41r7OcBAA7gkY0qL4LEs51ZTc_ZiqbKKpPRTOnU0a27hznpZI_p52Ff6I5dWLcevF0Kg2CxgyqpDN1yx9qtJ3AxyXsC_m0xhpLXLeqfoiODT66fsnabTUpZeoqqzmTJGtlFrbtS/s320/4607643597_b87a48b78a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthlydelights/4607643597/sizes/m/in/photostream/" target="_blank">earthlydelights</a> | Flickr</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">M</span>y mother used to tell me that
makeup is bad for the skin. During the occasions that I had to wear
makeup though, my face would get so irritated. The next day my face
would be covered with tiny, red bumps. That only confirmed my mother's
words that makeup is bad. Thus, I grew up having the same perceptions
and had avoided wearing makeup as much as possible.(<a href="http://seriousskincareblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/bb-cream-alternative-to-traditional.html" target="_blank"><i>Continue reading at Serious Skin Care Blog</i></a>)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-31084007912729799592012-05-25T10:00:00.000+08:002012-05-25T10:00:01.473+08:009 Ways to Stay Away from Hackers, Spyware, and Viruses<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I admit that I’m not a Computer Wizard, yet using a computer since I was
8 years old without a brother to fix it when it went wrong had forced
me to learn everything I can to care for my computer. So yeah, maybe I’m
the “technician” when it comes to my family.</span></div>
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I have noticed that many users I know have little or no knowledge about
computer protection. Especially now that almost everyone with a computer
has internet access, having the necessary protection is a must.
Internet is a good place to get freebies. You get to download songs,
music videos, movies, e-books, games, and softwares – you name it. But
just as much as there are goodies in the internet, so do the bad stuff –
Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Malwares, and Spywares. What’s more scary is
that since the advent of wifi, more and more users have become connected
to a computer network. One attack by the bad guys and all the computers
connected are doomed. But don’t despair; you don’t have to be a
computer wizard to be able to have a secured computer or a secured
network. Everyone can learn. Here are some of the guidelines you could
follow to help protect your computer. (<a href="http://computertipsandsecurity.blogspot.com/p/how-to-protect-your-computer-9-ways-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Continue reading on All About Computers</i></a>).</span></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-59240359362262508662012-05-22T10:00:00.000+08:002012-05-22T10:00:02.464+08:00Aging Gracefully<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6OemFxkto72YdzJi0RtdyfXbfz04Vg9D7Rqc5Zu8jlR7Z5mfn94MQ1HAbbPG9yKqNDgnXPNz9pVDRQsE4qF-a8O8Gvs2g3fjKef75NfgXjmjUc37bnJalO3v4ZV7m_FJY4zJBZ8ukDVY/s1600/elderly+couple.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6OemFxkto72YdzJi0RtdyfXbfz04Vg9D7Rqc5Zu8jlR7Z5mfn94MQ1HAbbPG9yKqNDgnXPNz9pVDRQsE4qF-a8O8Gvs2g3fjKef75NfgXjmjUc37bnJalO3v4ZV7m_FJY4zJBZ8ukDVY/s320/elderly+couple.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1499" target="_blank">Ambro </a>via Freedigitalphotos.net</td></tr>
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I came across a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">yearbook</span> of my mom's friend - a sixty-year anniversary book to be specific. What's special about it is that in addition to the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">students</span>' black and white solo pictures taken during the year of the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">graduation</span> were the photos of the students taken after sixty years. (<a href="http://seriousskincareblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/aging-gracefully.html" target="_blank"><i>Continue reading on Serious Skin Care Blog</i></a>)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-69760495156717139532012-05-18T10:00:00.000+08:002012-05-18T10:00:01.538+08:00App for Chinese LearnersThe Chinese Language is an old language. It has several characters and
these the learner need to memorize. To me, Chinese is simpler to learn
compared to English and other European <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">languages</span>. It has no grammar and the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">sentence structure</span> is very simple. It has no verb tenses nor subject-verb agreement to worry about. To be good in this language, you only need to practice it a lot, and of course, building vocabulary words is important. (<a href="http://seriouschineseliving.blogspot.com/2012/05/app-for-chinese-learners.html" target="_blank"><i>Continue reading on Everything Chinese</i></a>).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-12417467095072048602012-04-30T12:44:00.000+08:002012-04-30T12:44:07.305+08:00Uniqlo is coming to the Philippines!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAczEKH8YCkG3lPpNP9wzYWm96xSU9W0pCUTzewjskWbt-sBJ9KbJpYPyJGESBvDEW9jZ-ijMs5Zym7JlX7mh9Pt84BdWz5kro8hSvWcVjOjmS3MK1V_Sf4XEshWlYoA5a6KmkSAzNWExR/s1600/uniqlo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAczEKH8YCkG3lPpNP9wzYWm96xSU9W0pCUTzewjskWbt-sBJ9KbJpYPyJGESBvDEW9jZ-ijMs5Zym7JlX7mh9Pt84BdWz5kro8hSvWcVjOjmS3MK1V_Sf4XEshWlYoA5a6KmkSAzNWExR/s320/uniqlo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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If you have already visited <b>Mall of Asia (MOA)</b> for these past few months, you may have noticed several stores undergoing renovations. Many of these shops were even relocated from one place to another within the mall. This is to give way to some larger stores coming their way. I've seen <b>Forever21</b> starting its way to the spots formerly occupied by <b>Our Home</b> and <b>Toy Kingdom</b>. Imagine, these two pretty huge stores were combined to accommodate <b>Forever21</b>. I could already imagine several girls flocking into the store on its first day.<br /><br />Another store that is coming to MOA is <b>Uniqlo</b> (which will be located at 2nd level of main mall). <b>Uniqlo</b> is a store that sells both menswear and womenswear at very affordable prices. This is going to be the very first branch to open in Manila. I used to shop in <b>Uniqlo</b> when I was in Japan and Hong Kong. I have bought several wardrobe essentials there. The quality of the goods are impressive and given at a reasonable price. When I first learned about the new branch that is coming to MOA, I couldn't help but feel excited. I am definitely going to that store to buy more of my wardrobe essentials.<br /><br />While I was strolling in the main mall of MOA yesterday, I was approached by one of the <b>Uniqlo </b>staffs scattered outside the still-under-construction store. They were having this marketing campaign with Facebook as their platform. So the staff asked me to log in to my account as I was ushered to one of their iPad stations. I was then prompted to vote for my favorite T-Shirts or <b>UT </b>that was shown in their Facebook app. A person could only vote twice within 24 hours, and a chance to win a T-Shirt on the spot. What's more is that when the T-Shirt you've voted received the highest number of votes at the end of the campaign, you get a chance to win a trip to Japan for two! Too bad I didn't win anything yesterday.<br /><br />Now, I'm at home trying my luck again. I had more chance to look closely at the T-Shirts. I think what <b>Uniqlo </b>did is a great marketing strategy. The voting system allows users to look at the wonderful designs of their products. I am already tempted to buy some of those shirts if I didn't win a shirt. I can't wait for its grand opening at June 15, 2012.<br /><br /><i>To learn more about the products, visit their website:<br /><br />http://www.uniqlo.com<br /><br />Like their Facebook page and vote for your favorite UT for a chance to win a shirt and a trip for Japan for two.<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/uniqlo.ph</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-51563369534517502882012-04-26T11:47:00.000+08:002012-04-26T11:47:17.770+08:00Tagged: 11 Questions about Myself<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6FNw6fx1AFSTRi4rz7nq7yTbr4FysSWXeo1LJM7gNPe0FD-87wiejNqFD78-HVR5BVDGrGEsgAf_S2XwJovfQzs21OkINZpk186dPJy7nu8O8RKBbAPSalbOK8YS-av226wMidElmljj/s1600/questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6FNw6fx1AFSTRi4rz7nq7yTbr4FysSWXeo1LJM7gNPe0FD-87wiejNqFD78-HVR5BVDGrGEsgAf_S2XwJovfQzs21OkINZpk186dPJy7nu8O8RKBbAPSalbOK8YS-av226wMidElmljj/s320/questions.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/valeriebb/" target="_blank">Valerie Everett</a> | Flickr</td></tr>
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Good day to everyone! A few days ago, I was tagged by my Blogger friend <a href="http://judyh-jsthoughts.blogspot.com%20/" target="_blank">Judy</a> to answer some questions about myself. Here are my answers:<br />
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1.How long have you been blogging?<br />
I started my online writing venture on Hubpages a year ago, and a few months after, I tried Blogger. It was around September of last year that I decided to focus more on Blogger.<br />
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2. Are you a procrastinator or do you take care of things right away?<br />
Yes I procrastinate things and I'm not proud of it. I just often see time as very flexible so I always end up not doing things within the time frame.<br />
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3. If you have siblings, are you close?<br />
I have an identical twin who I am very close to. We are inseparable and we share a lot of common interests. She is my lifetime best friend.<br />
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4. What's the best thing about your job? the worst?<br />
My job pays better compared to the average salary, but it is boring.<br />
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5. If you had $1,000 to spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy? <br />
I would spend it on a vacation with my family.<br />
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6. How long has it been since you visited your hometown?<br />
I never left my hometown and am still residing here.<br />
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7. Have you decorated for Easter/Spring? please share pictures. <br />
No.<br />
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8. Do you sleep with a fan on?<br />
Sometimes, when I forget to turn it off. Usually, I turn on the air-con while sleeping, not the fan. A fan wouldn't be enough to keep me cool during the hot summer.<br />
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9. The beach or the mountains?<br />
Mountains. I love trees and the sight of them is very soothing. <br />
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10. If you had to choose only one which would you pick: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or blogging?<br />
I am torn between Facebook and blogging. Facebook has allowed me to communicate with my old friends who I am unable to meet regularly. On the other hand, blogging has taught me a lot of things and I have met a lot of interesting bloggers/writers through this experience.<br />
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11. When shopping, do you use coupons or shop around for the best deal?<br />
Unfortunately in our country, we don't have coupons for shopping, if not rarely. But I am very avid to the rewards system for credit card holders. Through this system I was able to avail many items on a discounted price.<br />
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Now, I am going to tag some blogger friends to answer the questions above! I hope that those who get tagged would enjoy answering these questions as much as I did. Happy blogging!<br />
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<a href="http://www.krazymonkeytale.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Krazy Monkey Tale </a><br />
<a href="http://missindependentmind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Miss Independent Mind</a><br />
<a href="http://www.aynzan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Musings of Mom2Four</a><br />
<a href="http://www.palithoughts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">PaLiiTs in Blogosphere </a><br />
<a href="http://sweetest-tales.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sweetest Tales</a><br />
<a href="http://mommyfleur.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mommy Fleur</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-16057566289627083432012-03-30T10:00:00.000+08:002012-03-30T10:00:03.323+08:00My Bucket List: Revisit Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEYBc2vHxfwWBFHrq8LDkk9JjSNLW71ahOJRt107OQI2Yh2jlsOFbawwZvgMwVbTkV4rKhkbHkY92TDPWhXLbPRvbfxlYFyVeKp2zDYoGiTUJFvcwtZcFg-Yf4bE5ll9XE_gQmEL4Vuax/s1600/04022010509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEYBc2vHxfwWBFHrq8LDkk9JjSNLW71ahOJRt107OQI2Yh2jlsOFbawwZvgMwVbTkV4rKhkbHkY92TDPWhXLbPRvbfxlYFyVeKp2zDYoGiTUJFvcwtZcFg-Yf4bE5ll9XE_gQmEL4Vuax/s320/04022010509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
One thing I've been yearning for since childhood is to go to Japan. I've finally made it, but would still go back there some time. The country is so rich in culture and tradition. In fact, there is a word specifically made for the study of Japanese culture - <i>Japanology</i>. I've never seen so many shows delving into a country's tradition as much as in Japan (at least among those that I am aware of.) I think it is because of the many peculiarities of the culture that foreigners find so intriguing. <br /><br />There are still so many things to look forward to on my next visit. I would like to go to <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Ghibli museum</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Sanrio Land</span></b>. I would like to buy Anime merchandise or simply window shop to see their many cute products. I would like to taste some authentic <i>sashimi</i> and <i>ramen</i>. I wish that someday I would bring my special someone and have a picnic with him under the Cherry blossoms tree. Endless of things to do there. Meanwhile, check the articles below to know more about our travel experiences there, written by my twin sister <i><a href="http://cheefulnuts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">cheerfulnuts</a></i>:<br />
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<u style="color: #783f04;"><b><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/cheerfulnuts-in-the-tokyo-subway-her-adventure-from-shinjuku-to-shibuya-with-seriousnuts" target="_blank">Cheerfulnuts in the Tokyo Subway: Her Adventure from Shinjuku to Shibuya with Seriousnuts</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/where-to-go-in-japan-cheerfulnuts-experience-in-the-land-of-the-rising-sun" target="_blank">Where to Go in Japan: Cheerfulnuts' Experience in the Land of the Rising Sun</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/an-important-advice-for-travelers-pee-whenever-you-have-the-chance" target="_blank">An Important Advice for Travelers: Pee Whenever You Have the Chance</a></b></u>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-21808317377674526422012-03-28T10:00:00.000+08:002012-03-28T10:00:00.472+08:00My Bucket List: Own a Dog<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKlw-BCPNKXOX8YNwRtuDZ0nqbEWbscL7eWbNRT-_bjDNfPpLPVJ09cti-ncrFYRQ4XraT3Ewmt5wKDSJsDsRFAlBorIQv620PoQRvHuEDsMI5arnhntQZURiUwDTs4FSpA-3GPAOx00x/s1600/dreamstimefree_238874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKlw-BCPNKXOX8YNwRtuDZ0nqbEWbscL7eWbNRT-_bjDNfPpLPVJ09cti-ncrFYRQ4XraT3Ewmt5wKDSJsDsRFAlBorIQv620PoQRvHuEDsMI5arnhntQZURiUwDTs4FSpA-3GPAOx00x/s320/dreamstimefree_238874.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">© <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/vasilkova_info">Olga Vasilkova</a> | Dreamstime.com </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I</span></span>'ve heard several stories of animals both good and bad, but the good stories of heroism and love prevail. I always see dogs as four-legged guardian angels. You take good care of them and they will always repay you with kindness tenfold to what you have given to them. They are capable of loving you above themselves, even if it means risking their lives. <br /><br />When I was a little child, I was fearful of dogs. Even those furry and cuddly type of dogs scared me. I was paranoid that they were going to bite me. Whenever I got to see a dog, the dog always seemed to be very excited. That was kind of scary to me. Of course, I came to realize that they just wanted to play, and not harm me. I don't know how and exactly when, but I came to love dogs and craved to cuddle them.<br /><br />I started watching Animal Planet shows and would find myself saying "awwwwww" a lot of times when a dog shows up on screen. I really wish I could have a dog as my very own pet. I never had the luxury to own one. Whenever I would go to houses of my friends who have dogs, I would play with their pets. I find great joy accompanying them even though they aren't my pets. <br /><br />Someday, I would own a dog. Now isn't the right time yet. I would rather be patiently waiting, than grab the moment and not be able to give the best for my dog. To have a pet dog is one of the things in my bucket list. <br /><br />Below is a video about a dog who was rescued and brought to a new home. It's nice, and I'm glad that the dog found a happy ending. I'm sure that she would be forever grateful to the people behind her rescue. When you are kind to dogs, they always know it. Happy viewing.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390578833294534623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248388721174927368.post-61750881670522813972012-02-22T10:00:00.000+08:002012-09-30T22:00:30.926+08:00Tribute to a Chinese Legend: The Hat-Wearing Diva Feng Fei Fei<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.whatsonjinan.com/ent_images/9832Feng%20Feifei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://www.whatsonjinan.com/ent_images/9832Feng%20Feifei.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken from <a href="http://whatsonjinan.com/">whatsonjinan.com</a></td></tr>
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While the world was mourning for the international singer Whitney Houston's death, the Eastern Part of the world was also mourning for a well-known Taiwanese singer's death. The singer was Feng Fei Fei (鳳飛飛), an award-winning legend also known as the hat-wearing diva. She died of lung cancer at age 58.<br />
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She died on January 3, 2012, but news of her death was only announced several days after. Before her death, she insisted to her lawyer to not let him disclose about her death until after Chinese New Year, which was celebrated on January 23. She did not want her fans to be saddened by her death during the New Year celebration as she believed it would bring bad luck.<br />
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I wasn't aware of this wonderful legend's name until I started seeing her tributes being shown on most Chinese TV stations. As her songs were being played, I realized that those familiar songs I heard were after all sung by her. She was indeed very famous and well-known among my mother's generation. Her songs were so famous that many mainstream artists performed her songs onstage, including the song in the following video.<br />
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My mom was of course saddened by this loss. Feng Fei Fei songs were already deeply ingrained within Chinese music. And to know about Chinese music is to know about her songs. Kudos to Feng Fei Fei for her contributions to the music industry. Her songs will surely remain in the hearts of her fans.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">More Songs by Feng Fei Fei </span></b><br />
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