What can I say? I am hooked! Yes, that's Mafia War in Facebook and soon I will be in level 12 before I sleep. I think I need to sleep very soon as it is almost midnight and I still have to run tomorrow!. I love the game and I love winning. It's busy days this weeks so I went home later and have some more work compared to other weeks but these extra-work activities really make me enjoy!

One Wednesday evening, Grant was doing his usual online browsing when he stumbled over an advertisement about drug rehab or a center for rehabilitating drug addicted individuals. Since this is a very strange thing for a nine-year old boy, his curiousity was drawn into it.. Yes, this is the usual Grant, the curious brilliant boy who easily gets interested into something new, something interesting or something, something educational and something useful.

Soon enough, it was dinner time and Grant wanted to ask his mother about it..

Grant: Mom, what is a drug rehab?

Mother: Why Son? Where did you hear that?

Grant: When I was browsing today, I was able to stumble into one. It's features are so cool!

Mother: Cool? I don't think so!

Grant: Yeah, Mom. It has all the conducive features that would surely help its patients or customers.

Mother: What do you mean? Most that I heard of are not worth the pay and the stay.

Grant: Well, it claims to have various phases in making its patients better:

The Program Steps include:

• Phase I: Sauna Detoxification Program
• Phase II: Social Education Therapies
• Phase III: Social Rehabilitation Therapies
• Phase IV: Discharge Planning and Family Classes

Mother: Wow! That sounds great. I will check that so that if I know someone who may need the place, I can refer. Thanks my genius son!

I was watching this video and it was bothe funny and with lesson! He was lucky to have some good hearts around or else he could have been hit by cars passing by or mal treated. Well, the guy seems so drunk and could not make it home... just see and decide for yourself.. I have not been drunk that heavily but that seems too much when one cannot walk so straight and one cannot carry the bicycle when it covered/fall over him... :) I was grinning and thinking all the while as I watched this. Any comment?

Warning: When you open the video, a whole-page pop-up ad will open. Return to the browser window or tab where this video is or to this page and click Play (green color) for the second time and the video will play.

September it is, yes! Month-end and at the same time quarter end. I have plans to ask for a vacation for two days at least this Friday and this Monday but I am crossing my fingers as I just consumed a bit of holidays when I went to Barcelona. There are quite a few people in vacation that day so I am not so sure about the plan of asking for it... Let's see today.

As for the promise I made here, I just posted it. In fact, I was so glad I thought of the thing as now, my google hits just got up, courtesy of that article i posted over here about these "Tips, Tricks and Techniques in Playing the Fish World Game, a Facebook Application"... Thank you my blog friends and thanks for the idea. Thanks to facebook as well!.

Grant was teasing his mom about the latest gadgets and technologies when an idea suddenly came into his mind. His birthday is coming soon, it will be in a couple of months and he could not ask for something else but for something very special. He just happen to remember of the thing as he discusses with his mother aboud gadgets and stuff though his mom always get left behind in the discussion.

Grant: By the way, Mom, have you heard of the multiplayer iphone gaming platform?

Mother: Here you go again, Son. Now I am really lost in our entire discussion.

Grant: No worries, Mom, I am always here at your rescue. :) I can tell you anything I know as long as you ask me.

Mother: All right. Thanks, Son. First thing first. So what's this stuff you just mentioned?

Grant: The MIGP?

Mother: What's that?

Grant: Hmmm... Would you like to see the demo with me, Mom? Maybe you will see better that way. But what it really is? It's first Multiplayer Gaming Platform for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Cool, right?

Mother: Wow! Sounds fantastic, Sonny!

Grant: Come on mom, I just bookmarked that page for you to see. But if it's good, may I have one for my birthday?

Mother: Hmmm... sounds like I'm tricked into it, huh? But if you asked for a thing, it's more or less 99% a good thing but let's see this demo first. Okay?

Grant: No problem my dear Mum!

Nothing special, I am simply enthusiastic as I will be in level 9 soon, the level I am waiting to be able to make a post about the game and share what I have learned so far in these early 9 stages. The game is relaxing, though I don't stay with the game all the time, it is so cool to see when I get back home from work and see my virtual fishes grown big and up for sale!

After selling them, I get more coins to have a wholesale purchase of new fishes and/or design my fish tanks with various plants and ornaments. I have four tanks/aquaria so far and I am happy with all of them. More learning I would ain until I reach the next level and I will share what I learned so far here so that other Fish World Facebook Application enthusiasts will see that not them are enjoying the game alone, many million others as well. :)

Courtesy of the health insurance that everyone must have here in Netherlands, people or these insurance owners also have nothing more to do but maximize the benefits. In my case, since I don't get sick at all, I mean, maybe once in 10 years, I maximize the benefits by having my dental checkup, dental maintenance and having a physiotherapist just this week. I had my appointment scheduled last week, Thursday and I was able to get the appointment this Tuesday. Not bad, right? If you're here in NL; getting an appointment does not always happen so quick, unless one is dying or having severe emergencies. :)

Making the story short, I had my session and the conclusion? I have no bone problems as I am very flexible, I am also fit courtesy of my many physical activities but my back muscles are so "tight" or tensed as the therapist said. I was given a guided exercise and a back massage right away!

I love massages and so I really appreciated it so much, Thus, I will have another session by next Tuesday, a week after the first session. I don't know what's in the program yet but I just hope my back pains subside as I am to darn young to have them! As for the rest of my fitness activity feel free to view them here..

I am so proud of myself! I was able to restart my running activity: still the same distance, the same trick, the same effort but at least, I am doing it again. I only started (I mean, restarted) last Monday and I have my second session today. I am hoping hard that I can continue the routine of this running 3 times in a week. That would mean an equivalent of thirty (30) kilometers each month. I will really celebrate if in the first month I will not skip the routine. In fact, to be able to do that, I made a constant log of my running activities and other fitness activities here.

Ladies and gentlemen and friends, wish me luck and please support me. I think a family and public support is the best companion in getting healthy and fit. What do you think?.

I have to say I am drawn into loving these fishes inside the tank and at the same time make a lil business out of them and eventually maximizing benefits from these tanks and fishes, creating more tanks with fishes, beautifying the tanks and many others. What I hate about entering this game is the fact that it is quite addictive and I hate it when I start having attachment into something. I have lots of plans for the day or weekend and sometimes my time is being dedicated to these fishes... Sigh...



If one is bored, playing this game is a great thing. It makes you see beautiful colors around and enjoy how these fishes grow, buy more eggs or sell these fishes. But for a busy person? I suggest don't start at all or else you'll be addicted. For those fellow players out there.. I have a message for you!

Enjoy playing in Fish World and SEND Me a free gift! :)

I was browsing around a video site as I newly register to be its member and I was able to find this video listed among the top favorites at this moment. What's special with it? Nothing really except that I had myself a great fun until the video was finished. I don't know what's with the child in it but it's not an effort to make him/her laugh! It's so amazing how you can see a happy soul without a single trace of worry around. See this video and forget your own worries for a while!.

Advice: When the pop-up ad opens (close it if you are not interested), and/or just go back to this page and click the play button again.

Amazing, isn't it? Wonderful yet very simple video but it give a relief and great fun to the viewer.

During lunch the other day at work, we have been discussing how modern the "older" generation are here in Netherlands. When I say "older" generation, I wanted to refer to those people who are 50 years AND OLDER. We were comparing them to the other "older generations" of various countries such as Peru, Philippines, Italy, Kenya or India. They seem to be more up to beat here. The older generation here still rides motorcycle, bike around, jog around and do normal stuff that the younger generation can only do in other parts of the world. And we, my colleagues and I, all agreed that this kind of culture is something positive.

After that discussion, the topic of oldness came and we were discussing about it. So when do we become old? My colleague has been telling that getting old is all "in the mind", all "psychological" and all in "the brain"... and yes that's true.

At certain moments in their lives, older people think, "Oh yeah, I am old so I have to:"
1. Wear this tpe of clothes
2. Act like old
3. Be respected as old
4. Let everyone know I am old and should be respected
5. Should not do these stuff as I am old
6. I am old
7. I am old...

Indeed it is us who decide! What we saw here in Netherlands is mosly the other way. Old people taking carts of books from borrowing in the libraries, older people jogging around, walking around in groups such as youngers in mett-up, they boke, they sped up theirs motos, they run around and many other things the rest of the older generation from other side of the world can't do or would not do.

What do you think? Is it us who decide when to grow old? Is it indeed psychological thing? I would love to hear from you...

Some facebook friend shared this video and I really had a good laugh. In fact, even if I try to look at it again, I still have a wide grin or even a chuckle escaping my throat if I see this video again. Japanese are so know to with their high-powered, hi technology cameras that they take with them anywhere they go... and they are aware of tis fact! Just look how they use this to promote something: a brand for camera films!How about you? By the way, are you in any way interested in football picks ?

Yesterday we got this crazy discussion as to which direction the image is moving. I see it going clock wise while two persons I know see this image go counter clockwise. How about you? Are a left-brain or right-brain thinker? That is an amzing test ... I can only see the image moving counter clockwise if I take time and really concentrate looking at it... but by default? I really see the image moving clockwise.. How about you?

See further explanation about it...

Life Settlements at the Rescue!

Created by Blogger: WebbieLady at 5:50 PM . Tuesday, September 15, 2009

When a child thinks and creat some scenario, sometimes a big surprise to the adults. Just like what Grant did that greatly surprised his mother. It was after Grant browsed online some insurance stuff. He was able to pass by a Life Settlements web site. Grant started asking his mom about his insurance related stuff to his mother.

Grant: Why do we have various insurace payments?

Mother: Ummm.. for security purposes, Son.

Grant: In what way? Nothing really happens to us, what if we just save the money ourselves?

Mother: It is more secure with unsurance companies as they know how to invest the money, and they can cover greater amount than what we really contribute in times of emergency..

Grant: Is it a valuable thing?

Mother: Of course, Son. It's an investment as I said and therefore it has value.

Grant: That explains it!

Mother: Explains the what?

Grant: I heard granpop and grandmama talking about life insurance and when I could not really understand what it's all about, I searced about it online. Then I saw that it could be sold in times of emergency.

Mother: Really? I never heard of that thing.

Grant; They actually termed it "Life Settlements"... As stated there,

"it the term used by life settlement companies to describe the money received when an individual sells their existing life insurance policy. Selling a life insurance policy is a quick and easy way to obtain cash that can be used to pay for medical bills and other expenses." Amrita Financial, the site where read this, claims to be "one of the leading life settlement companies that specializes in offering people an easy way to navigate the process of turning unneeded insurance policies into cash by selling them to third parties. This process can generate a settlement amount of approximately 200-500% more than the payout from surrendering a policy to an insurance company."

Mother: Wow! I can't believe that thing exists! It's so good to know though. Despite the fact that we don't eed this now, I can tell those people we know who might be needing this. Bravo, Son! BRAVO! As always!

Just watched the film of Jean Piere and Natalie Portman entitled "Leon".. It was so good, I love the acting of every character. The film is so old yet it still can be admired, and yes, it is admirable. I watched in Italian though so I bet you prefer not to watch it this way... But naturally, if you are not familiar about it, I post here the trailer I was able to ransack from Youtube. :) It's a bit violent though but it can happen....
.

Luckily, all but one in all of us in the office have our requests for free days, especially the holiday season got approved. That's a wonderful news! Why? We all know that to travel to go home or to go to any other place we need time in advance in order to have it arranged smoothly and of course to take advantage of early reservations and booking.

After more than a year, or to be exact it will be a year and half that I left Italy, I might be there again this December! Just love the idea of so much food, of many families and friends from the side of Amore and many other good stuff. Another good thing to look up too.

I actually plan to have a flight arranged by the end of this month to have everything secured.

-Grant's Amazing Experience with Disney Park in Orlando!-

In one of their so many close talks as mother and son, Grant's mother wanted to ask Grant what he really likes when they roam around the country or even abroad.

Mother: Grant, which among our vacation trips do you like most? The one in Singapore, or the one we did around Rome or that one we had in he United Kingdom?

Grant: Mom, I thought you always consider me as a child. Now it's the proper time. Well, what we had in SIngapore is to experience outside culture, for the UK, to see uncle's family as well while our moments in Rome, that was more of a history study that anything else... The Rimans, the Catholic Church, the old edifices, etc, etc, that they can't stick in my brain.

Mother: What do you mean, Son?

Grant: Well, Mom, the best ever is the one we had in Orlando a few months back! Thanks for that Mom. This time you can really assess me a "child". I did enjoy that Disney experience you and dad brought me too when I turned 9 years old!

Mother: But what do you like in there? Tell me.

Grant: Well, that's where I found my fantasy as a child Mom. I think when I reach ten, I will be a different child but I may want to go back in that place. I found in that Disney World my theme park of choice. Then the rides, do you remember those rides? Oh Mom! That's when I feel your love for me and dad's when you had to endure all those rides with me! Oh Mom! That's actually the thing that makes me remember that experience all the time. Your love as my parents are so true only as shown in that short moment but I knew and I feel it all the time.

Mother: Would you like to go back in that place, Son? After that we can stop by and visit your Aunt Susie a few miles away from the park or.... do you have better plans?

Grant: Hmmmm... if you and dad have extra cash, why don't we treat Liza, aunt Susie's daughter and have them go with us. Let's invite them!

Mother: Brilliant idea my little genius. All right, let's go son and see Disney Tickets to decide what we can do. No school today, you can help me with buying of tickets for our family and for your cousin and aunt. It would be a great surprise for her, I know.

Grant: When is uncle Ton coming back? Maybe he's home when we schedule the trip so ...

Mother: No son, your uncle is off to Australian waters this time of the year. I just spoke with your aunt Susie last weekend. You know how sea farers are and that's what she chose to marry. Sigh...

Grant: Okay Mom, ticket time! Let's see and buy them so we have lots of time to mix and match if we can do other stuff in Orlando.

Mother: That's my boy!

One time, Grant wanted to tease his mom about special occasions cards. As a very talented ad young boy, Grant has always something interesting and unpredictable ideas for boys of his age. Grant was actually having this idea as he just browsed the save the date cards from www.123print.com... He wanted to actually tell his mother to suggest the idea to his aunt that Grant would help her in her next birthday.

Grant: Mom, I would like to make a birthday card for Aunt and send to Orlando on her next birthday.

Mother: But Grant, she just had her birthday a few weeks back, remember?

Grant: Sure thing Mom. We were there, no way that I can forget. I was thinking, I can organize her birthday invitations the next time. After all, I will be ten years old that time. What do you say Mom?

Mother: Hmmm... But... Well, let's see what she says when I call her tomorrow. But which part of preparation you want to do?

Grant: The invitation. Please let aunt send me the names and addresses and I will make her a special and a design with personal touch....

Mother: All right, you know we all can't say no to you... You succeed in anything you do and you always exceed all our expectations... I'll give her a call tomorrow after lunch. Satisfied, my lil genius?

Grant: Thanks a lot, Mom! You're a supermother, y'know.

After arriving back home last Tuesday afternnon from Barcelona, I was tired with aching feet and I was naturally tired. I was glad I had to work only for three days, Wednesday to Friday and that it was not the busy week for my side (though I got so busy with pending tasks). Not so much postings in here lately, right? Why is that?

Aside from tiredness, I had to crop, edit and upload photos online. Moreover, I also have to make a few post of the trip's photos over here, in this blog. I had around 350 photos, around 250 of them may be posted so I am still far way from it. I have lots of useful plans for those photos.

This is actually the bad side of blogging, my fingers and time are not able to catch up on what my brain thinks of what I am going to do! I just have so many many many plans but I am "not enough" to act on them... Sigh... Jammer!.

Isn't this video amazing? I do love it when people do not base what they do to the norms or what others will say. They simply act as how they feel, expressing their freedom as long as this act does not harm anyone. Just take this video for example, it gave a free laugh to everyone and at the same time, it erased the so heavy tensions in such a celebration... What do you think? Any opinion on the marriage of andrew and melissa engstrom? Any violent reaction?

What a wonderful, remarkable, unforgettable wedding! Amazing! For sure even I or you will not forget it!

The X Factor 2009 - Stacey Soloman - Auditions 1 (itv.com/xfactor) extract from free video in Youtube. I just happen to click this when I visited youtube and I wanna share with all of you. Stacey Soloman has amazing personality, I can see that and she has the voice to match that personality!

Want a High Definition TV? See how people are amazed by this Directv generation...

Grant: Mom, why do we have Direc tv and Mike's family doesn't have? |

Mother: Son, your dad and I made that decision months back when I understood how better off we are with the Dish Network rather than having a cable TV. |

Grant: Why is that, Mom? |

Mother: Obviously, more and more consumers, just like me and your dad, and most of our neighbors, are turning to Satellite TV because dealing with the cable companies is less than convenient.

Mother: Directtv, for me, is number 1 in customer service and offers more variety in programming and pricing than any other television option.

Grant: No wonder Mike is bragging around that they will have it as well, very very soon. He mentioned that his mom does not wanna get left behind without DirectTV. Now I got it. Thanks Mom!

Mother: No problem my dear. You are always a curious one. No wonder everyone is fond of you. All right, I have to finish my work now. Go out and I bet Mike is waiting for you in the park for your afternoon stroll. See you during dinner time My treasure. (She kissed her son).

I was and still is always thankful to her for so many things... and of course, all I can say is thank you. Thank you, Iana! I just receive actually a personal travel guide for this weekend's trip to Barcelona. The guide was made personally, with personal touches and of course, with amazing shots of the highlighted city spots! Only of it's allowed, I would like to share the amazing guide but I believe it's for me alone.. :) For her dear close friends or family's eyes only until further notice. Once, again, thank you my dear, I'll send you an email as soon as I can but for now, I have three token images for you down. THANK YOU! She blogs too, check her site out as you will see tons of travel guides/personal experiences there!

photo courtesy of Leader to Leader

Are you fully contented? Who among us is? Is there always an unreachable star? One may be full of money and yet not happy of it? Poor people want money? Your height is not enough? Your curves is not perfect? This and that? This and that? And women always want something, like a bigges bust, longer legs, perfect rounded buns, always red and full lips, not fat, this and that, and that and you know... and this and that? Human beings are supposed to be the most reasonable and intelligent creatures but what's happened? What has become of "humans"? Just to think of it, it's actually "degarading" and ridiculous!  ANd I am one of this race... and I too have cravings... and discontentments... just like you! :)

Yesterday, over lunch at work, my dear colleagues and I were discussing about this topic, especially from the side of women. We were talking about body perations such as breast enlargements, liposiction and stuff and as one friend noted, "99% of women are not happy of their body, even the models themselves". Well, I can imagine how those models be unhappy.  I have one discontentment: getting the right curves on the right place but never would I go as deep as having liposuction or having implants, I think in this way, I am happy of what I have. 

Why do we have discontentment? In economic stand point, I always remember in my economics class back in the university that "himans have insatiable wants" and I think this explains it. There is always something there that I can't reach! In a way, this general attitude is a good thing because we all strive for self-improvement and for the betterment of life... or do we?

Having so many discontentments at times is also not healthy. It can make people get depressed and eventually suicide.. Scary huh? But who put us in this status? That we all have to behave this way? Women should be measuring 40-28-40 and should have at least 180 cm in height? And men should be full of money? Oh come on! It's all our making so we have to deal with it individually... For those who can't handle this enough, so bad, they turn having bad attitudes or sour at others... But at least, having this reaction is better that cutting/throwing life just for the sake of these unending discontentments, right?

As I previously mentioned in this post, I will be having Dutch lessons soon. And naturally, I have had to make an intake with the school... Just had it yesterday actually! It was so quick, I was just asked of my personal information, informed of what I should do and those stuff and then a little conversation with the one I was conversing with. It was barely 15 minutes in all actually.

The school has a grouping system that I was explained that the date that I could start going to school is not determined yet but it would be around October tentatively. I just hope I can start very soon as I am really excited to start speaking this language of the country where I am in!

I was also thrilled to know that the lessons are during Monday and Wednesday nights that I would not be having any scheduling conflicts with my Italian lessons on Tuesday nights if the course pushes through this 3rd week of September. I still have my Thursday and Friday nights free, if I could carry the lessons all rogether, I can still use these two nights for some more lessons! :).

Grant was busy browsing online for some personalised postcards one day. He wants to surpeise his mother and give her one but Grant wants it to have a "personal touch". The idea came to Grant when he realized that the months are already starting with the word "ber" and when he thinks about it, all he could think of are holidays, greetings, gifts and other related stuff: sending card the most important woman of his life included, his beloved mother!

Grant was so engrossed when his mother came in, thus, he was not able to notice her. He was startled when he noticed her.

Mother: What are you doing son?

Grant: Looking for something interesting, Mom. Like personalising a gift, a shirt, or any other thing.

Mother: Hmmmm... what for?

Grant: I just want to have "direct touch" on the stuff I do and the stuff I give. What do you think, Mom?

Mother: What do you mean?

Grant: Well, it's like this Mom. Ummmm... It's already September and before we know it, it's already December. I am thinking of having my holiday greetings card designed by me myself and it will be with a touch of Grant. In fact I have found a web site already that can make me achieve this plan. It's called 123print.co.uk.

Mother: That's a great idea son. It's always wonderful to see that someone put an effort and thoughts on the things they give. I love that idea! Tell me more about the site and I may use it myself. Wonderful idea as always my genius nine-year old!

Grant: Thanks, Mom!