Blog-4-Help

Hiatus

2008-02-13T22:31:00.001+08:00

Dear Readers,

First of Happy Valentines Day!
It's been a good 6 months since I've last blogged, believe me you! work has been hectic came to a point where I did not have time for myself ; let alone time for blogging.

Wow! Its finally that time of the year where roses are overly priced; a 50 cents sweet could go to abt RM 1 , and just about everything else related to valentines is double the price.
Which brings me to today's post...

Valentines isnt just about Feb14 and having sent the best bouquite of roses with the extra large teddy bear and the best chocs your money can buy!
Valentines to me is knowing that you're appreciated; a simple meal with your family wld do... at least that's what I plan to do... I plan to take my parents out for a nice quiet family dinner ; and enjoy each and every moment with them...

Go out there; and make yourself feel loved; not by anyone else but by you! because valentines first begins from your heart :)

Decorating Ideas

2007-08-25T17:54:00.000+08:00

Dear Readers,

I applogies once again for the long hiatus, work load has been exceptionaly heavy. There were days when I had tried to blog, but it got side tracked by other activities.

Anyways, today's post is going to be on one of my favourite topics, Interior Decorating.

You do not need to have heaps in your pocket in order to make your crib look cozy and comfty. Here are a few tips that could turn an empty space into a cozy home.

1. Colours / Themes

In order to set a tone to your comfort zone, the first thing you would need to do is choose the right colour for your walls. Work on a special theme you would like for each section of your home. Personally when decorating my room, I went with the Oriental cum Balinese theme. I incoperated browns , maroons and olive green to give the room a rustic holiday retreat cum spa look.

If you're the sort of person who likes the room to be a lil funky choose colours that would make your room look bright. Pale yellow for instance should do the trick , (http://www.designcity.com.my/) this website will give you a links to other website that could be of help to you.

2. Furniture

Depending on how small or huge your place is, you would have to decide on the kind of furniture that you would want in the house. For example, if you've got yourself a small apartment say around 1120 sqf (like mine) you'd want to go with simple furnitures which would be less of a clutter. Go for different sofa's to create that homely look.

For my unit what i did was get a simple 3 seater L-Shaped sofa, it surved the purpose, but I got in some other bamboo chairs that came in handy as extra chairs in the living.

Same would apply to your bedroom, the key here is to use your imagination and let it go wild.... you'd be surprise with what you'd come out with.

3. Cost

The main idea here is to look around for things... you dont have to always go for something that's expensive ... there are bound to be things that nice , suits your theme yet within you budget. if you like antiques particularly go to flee markets , they'll be lots to buy, someone elses junk , may just turn out to be your main attraction.

Just to give you an idea , I'm posting up a photograph of my room. Happy Decorating...

2007-07-05T13:54:00.000+08:00

I apologise for not having been able to update as often as I would like to. I came across this very interesting article on Bernama (www.bernama.com) and thought I'd share it with you.

Getting Married Without Bursting Your Budget
By Rosliwaty RamlyKUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- Getting married is indeed a serious business because it is considered as once in a lifetime occasion that should be celebrated.And this gives enough reason for businesses to capitalise on the wedding.Hence, if you are not careful in budgeting for your wedding, you may find yourself saddled with debts. Not a good way to start a new life with your spouse.
So, what should you do to make sure the wedding is organised within your budget?The answer lies in 'planning'. Planning for the wedding should be discussed as soon as you decide to get married.
No matter how big or small you want your wedding to be, at the end of the day, what you have to show for your wedding is the rings, the bridal gowns, the photo albums, and the videos.
This does not mean you cannot spend money on fresh flowers to decorate your wedding venue. But, it will help to prioritise where your money should go first.
TIPS
Here are several tips offered by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) as outlined in its guidebook on Personal Finance.Set up a wedding budgetA budget is absolutely a must in planning your wedding. Costs can spiral out of control if you do not document everything that you buy. But the question is, how do you figure out what things to get for the wedding? Here is how you can do it:
* Discuss with your spouse
Talk to your spouse-to-be about what kind of wedding you both want. You may want to have a garden wedding, but your spouse prefers to have it in a ballroom. So, try to reach a decision where you both agree. Then, proceed to discuss the venue, clothing, food, invitation etc.
* Prioritise your list.
Yes, the wedding is your big day. But let's face it. You have a limited budget to work with. So, the best thing to do is to prioritise the things that matter most to you.Is renting a wedding car more important than the music? The idea here is for you to find out where you can save some money without sacrificing your dream. So, if music is more important to you, then you may want to settle for a Honda rather than a Jaguar as your wedding car.
* Know who pays for what
It would help to know who will foot the bill for the various functions for your wedding. To do this, it is best to meet with both sets of parents to find out if there are certain traditions to be observed. If theres none, then you can gracefully broach the subject of how much, if any, they are willing to contribute.Remember, the more people footing the bill, the more they feel entitled to have their say. So, do not feel disappointed if you receive unfavourable answers from your parents. For all you know, you may have side-stepped the necessary protocol.
* Know your financial status
Calculate how much money you currently have available, how much you think your wedding will cost and how much more you will have to save for that to happen.
* Device a plan to get the money
Make a plan to save the money you need for the wedding. One of the things you could do is set-up a joint account purposely for the wedding. You and your intended can then deposit a regular amount by direct debit from your respective bank accounts every month. Be discipline about this, otherwise you will not be able to achieve your target.You may also want to consider selling off some of your investments if necessary. This is much better than taking up personal loan from the bank.
* Divide your budget
Divide your budget according to your priorities.In general, your wedding reception will eat up half of the total expenses. Wedding dress, photography and flowers would each take up 10 percent and the remaining 20 percent goes to miscellaneous like sending out invitation cards, car rental etc.
* Get quotations from suppliers
The key here is to get the best price for the service you want. So, try to get at least three quotations from different suppliers for everything that you need. Get quotations from vatious florists, photographers, caterers, car rental services etc. and compare the prices they offer.
* Choose your suppliers
Sometimes, price is not the determining factor. The quality of service and the way they handle you as client is important too. So pay a visit to each supplier and ask the important questions before making your decision.
* Get the figure right
Now that you have the exact budget for each item in your list, compare actual costs against your estimated costs. This is to see how close or how far off you are from the original budget. You can then make a necessary adjustment.
* Keep all the records
Keep all contracts, agreements, receipts and vouchers in a safe place. Whenever possible, pay with your credit cards. They will be useful in the event of dispute between you and the suppliers.
* Review your budget
Every once a month, revise your budget to make sure it is on track. As the wedding date draws nearer, you may want to do it every week due to a lot of shopping and bookings made.Try to have a wedding that suits your financial circumstances. Often times, we are compelled to have a lavish wedding reception that normally costs a lot of money that we would conntinue to have to pay for, long afterwards.Moderation is the key. Avoid taking personal loans from the bank. The loan that you take can last well into your third child. By then, your financial obligations will be getting heavier, and if you are not careful, you might be spiralling down deeper into debts.The bottom line is, while tying the knot is suppose to be a joyous and memorable occasion for you, it should not force you to tighten up your belt long afterwards. So, whatever your budget is, try to keep perspective intact.You wouldn't want to receive a deluge of bills in your first month of marriage, would you?

Appologies

2007-06-09T23:10:00.000+08:00

Dear Readers,

I would like to applogise for the lack of content in the recent days. I have been mobbed down by tons and tons of work, hence by the time I get back I am too tired to even think about anything else but sleep.
I promise to update soon, within this week I should hope. In the meantime, a huge word of thanks to all those who have left such wonderful comments on this blog. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I found this website to be helpful , in coping up with stress... believe it or not we're all stressed up. People of different walks of life all cope with different kind of stress... perhaps u may find it to be of some help. http://depression.about.com/cs/stress/ht/Stress.htm

Thank You

2007-05-29T01:04:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone,
It's good to be able to post something up. I've been busy with work lately, and the stress is mounting up. Enough about me; this blog is dedicated to all of you out there who feel the need to talk to someone.
In the recent weeks I've been getting quite a bit of fan-mail (if i may say so myself) congratulating me along with giving me the encouragement to continue what I'm doing. I thought I'd take the oppurtunity to thank you all on this platform. Not that you'll not get a personal thank you note from me... :D
Anyways , yea so thanks a bunch for all the encouragement and support. Remember Blog-4-Help , is all about you, so whenever you're feeling down, just gimme a buzz okay?

Love Always
Deepa

How To Stay Happy ...

2007-05-17T16:26:00.000+08:00

Last night I coudnt get much sleep after watching this particular bollywood movie titled Life Mein Kabhie Kabhie when translated it simply means 'sometimes in life...' this movie was just like any ordinary bollywood movie one would watch , except with a little hidden meaning behind it..

The movie was about 5 friends who made a bet amongst themselves on who would be happy after 5 years (at that point, they had just graduated from College). Each had their own definition of happiness... one felt it was fame, the other felt it was power... and the movie unfolds their story about how they each went about finding their own route towards happiness.

But often in life when we venture out to look for happiness regardless of which route we use or what our defintion of happiness is ; we forget to live ... because more often than not we're chasing something that is materialistic. I'm not saying Money is not important in life, or that it would not be good to have fame and power... but while searching for these forms of happiness we forget who we really are and where our roots lay in.

At the end of the movie, what I learnt is that, being happy is about just having a peaceful sleep at night,knowing that the ones you love are by yourside and that they're safe with you. Being happy is knowing that no matter what come may you will always be together. Life is always going to be filled with obstacles , and happiness is overcoming those obstacles and learning to value the expirence because , being happy is all about enjoying the journey towards finding happiness.

I felt like sharing it with you guys, and hopefully you to will find you way to happiness ....

Online Relationships

2007-04-17T23:26:00.000+08:00

How many of us have been in a virtual relationship ? or otherwise known as an online relationship ? Looking at the trend today; more and more people have opted for this 21st century relationship.

No doubt it can be very scary, after all there isnt much you know about the person who is on the other side of the computer screen. He/She could be nothing like they've potrayed themselves to be.

But here are a few pointers that have helped me, and hopefully they are of some benefit to you as well.

1) Take your time.

Rome wasn't built in a day, nor are relationships... if you feel a tiny spark when you meet someone online, wait for sometime analyse your feelings it could be just a passing phase in your life; a little something i call attraction.

2) Know more about person.

So you've decided or feel that there is something between the both of you and it is a mutual feeling. Well get to know the person then. It wont be easy because there may be times when you think to yourself "is this guy/girl for real?" "what if he/she is just impressing me?" well believe it or not it isnt that hard to figure these answers out. Look for signs , this is where you have to be on the alert and notice things about the person you're trying to persue a relationship with.

If he/she is sincere you'll know by the end of 2 months or perhaps 3.

3) Communicate

Its very very very important to communicate with each other, if you guys live in the same city/country well and good fix a good day and time to meet up. If you're a girl please meet in a public place during the day, do not offer to let the guy pick you up from your place , after the first meeting if you feel he's sincere ; its okie for him to drop you back. Guys' its only natural that she is going to be very cautious , you can't blaime her after all she's read about those online date rape cases in the newspaper. Be patient with her and trust me you'll be happy with the results.

If you guys are from a different time zone, well then you'll just have to rely on the MSN/Yahoo Messenger along with SMS's and Webcam's ; and yea a headphone and mic to go along with that. They come in real handy ;)

4) Learn to be patient

There will bound to be differences , and also other issues like the yearning to meet etc.. but you have to place yourself in the others shoe. All that is good will happen in due time. You've just got to be a little patient with things...

There is one good thing about being in an online relationship, you learn to appreciate someone not for thier looks but for their personality and the way they approach things in life. In the initial days as mentioned above, it will be hard to understand if you're being taken for a ride, but when you talk to a person everyday , you'll you if you're headed in the right direction.. trust your heart and listen to your gut feeling; you'll never go wrong.

If you've got more questions pertaining any kind of relationship please do email and I'll try and assist you with your problems.

So there you have it another relationship article ...

Website of the day : www.love-lectures.com

Cross Cultural Relationship

2007-03-27T16:35:00.000+08:00

We all know that love does not look at colour, religion or the background and ethnicity of a person. We also realise that love happens when we least expect it to come into our lives. I know a lot of people who have had mixed marriages, in other words Cross Cultural relationships.
There are many reasons why one would choose to embark on a cross cultural relationships, but more often than not it falls back on old fashioned love. However it's not always easy to be in a relationship of this nature, so if you're already in a cross cultural relationship or you fancy someone who is from a different religioun; you may want to look into these aspects before you take the next step into the relationship.

1.Cross Cultural Relationships are Common.
Gone are the days where our parents introduce us to someone through their mutual friends today with the help of the Internet and living in a global village, it's a fairly common thing. Very often , couples meet each other over the Internet and sometimes things develop to the next level. Other times these relationships bloom while in College or University.

2. Expect some differences
When you're in a cross cultural relationship, remember that you're taking a step closer in understanding your partners culture,his/her way of life and a lot of other things that may not matter to other people, but remember it should matter to you. IF you want the relationship to work.

3. Do your Homework
You're going to meet your partners family for the first time, observe and ask him/her questions before meeting the family, you deffinately dont wanna be the odd one. A little background information and understanding will take you a long way and will help ease things. Remember to allow yourself to understand their culture a little better.

4. In Love there are NO Rules
This by far is the most important thing one should remember. Everything is fair and square and as the saying goes all's fair in love and war. What may seem difficult at first will turn out to be a learning expirence of a lifetime. Remember to always be yourself at all times.

So there you have it , 4 ways on how you can make your cross cultural relationship work. Remember the golden rule , LOVE HAS NO RULES ;)

Advertlets

2007-03-25T23:51:00.000+08:00

These days we're all into making money, which ever way possible as long as it is legal. A couple of days back I wrote an entry about Advertlets.

Advertlets as I've mentioned before is a home-grown site ; i.e Boleh Land's first website that allows us to blog while making money through advertisements.

However, what sets advertlets apart from the rest , is the fact that it allows people / readers to take part in poll surveys.

I personally signed up with advertlets because it is

1. A malaysian website

2. it serves a good cause, if you actually look at how they've offered to help alot of poeple and along the line do some charity as well .

3. It allows advertisers and Bloggers to make money.

Hopefully in the coming months, not only will i be able to earn a decent residual income, but help people along the way with advertlets. Because we Malaysian's always believe in the gesture of tolong menolong loosely translated (you scratch my back, I scratch your back)

If you're interested in making some extra moolah please visit www.advertlets.com

Write-4-Money.

2007-03-22T15:12:00.000+08:00

More and more people are earning a residual income through the internet. A few days back I shared with you a method in which you could earn up tp RM 200. Now lets take another step at learning how to make more money probably in USD. A cousin of mine has been active in e-books these days, and it came as a suprise to me that he earns RM6000 to RM8000 a month. All he does is write e-books. Yes you read it right. E-Books. Upon questioning him, he explained the procedure and also recomended a website that could be beneficial.
www.elance.com is a website that allows both business people and writes to make more money. Here is how they do it.
If you're in the business world, you've got a project coming up in which you require books or somesort, but you're not the type who is able to write, let alone communicate your ideas to your readers, fret not. Go to the above mentioned website, invest in a little amount of money( You actually auction the project). Writers who are looking to make a little side income will bid on the project. Who ever bids the lowest, or within the budget that you've allocated for this project will take on this e-book project.
I personally think its a good way to make money. It's a win-win situation isnt it. Well what are you waiting for ? Put on your creative caps and start working on your next million dollar e-book.
Please visit this space again for more information on D.I.Y Blogs.

Law of Attraction.

2007-03-22T01:25:00.000+08:00

Ever felt that nothing seemed right? Your day is screwed up ? Your boss yells at you ? The copier doesnt work, and just when you think your day can't get worst thn it already is, something else happens.
This is when you sit and think aloud "Why is this happening to me? Why is it always me?" Well truth to be told , IT HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU WANT IT TO HAPPEN! seems weird isn't it ? But it's true. Read about it in the article on www.wikipedia.org which I found was of benefit to me. So I took the next logical step, I thought I'd share it with you to see how you are able to apply this into your life and making things a wholle lot easier for you.

The Law of Attraction is a controversial theory commonly associated with New Age and New Thought theories. It has its origins in the 4000 year old Hindu monistic theory of the universe; the theory that One is All, and that All is One; that one Substance manifests itself as the seeming many elements of the material world. It posits that one should never dwell on the negative, as the "metaphysical principle of life" is embodied in a "law of attraction": "you get what you think about; your thoughts determine your destiny."[1]
The earliest known ancient formulation of the Law is a statement from one of the 9th Century BC Hindu "Upanishad" scriptures known as the Brihadaranyaka which states in section 1.4.10 "Aham Brahmasmi" or "I am Brahman"; this statement is an aphorism known as a "mahavakya" still invoked as a mantra in modern times in the Hindu discipline known as Yoga. The statement means "I am the Creator" - the fundamental premise of the Law of Attraction being that each individualized consciousness is in essence an identical creator as the universal Creator is, and thus has the same power to create through the same powers of focused thought and applied emotion.

D-I-Y Blog

2007-03-18T01:14:00.000+08:00

Ever wanted to know internet marketing works ? how lots of people have earned a residual income from just spending a little time on the internet? It's simple you can do a google search on a lot of these websites.
Lately I've come accross websites that allow you to make money, legitimate income (not those phony web-sites that never pay out) one of which is www.advertlets.com , which is a malaysian website.
What advertles does is , it generates polls based on the topic of your blog, and based on that it garners information. Smart innit ? :D So what are you waiting for ? Blog 4 Money ! Haah! that's a new one :)

So there you go, thats' your first blog-4-help article today. How to generate income look out for more tips within the coming days.

D33pa M3hta

2007-03-18T00:32:00.001+08:00

Most of you must be wondering who I am, I do not blaime you. How can you talk to a person you do not know?
Well I guess its important that you know who I am, rather than I know who you are.
My name is Deepa, and I am currently persuing my final semester in Mass Communications majoring in Journalism and Public Relations.
The idea of this blog came about when a few friends told me , that I have the ability to comfort ones fears. So I figured why not put my free time into some good use.. maybe by helping you , I'll be able to be a better human being in life. Do write soon, I look forward to assisting you in your needs.

Introduction

2007-03-18T00:25:00.000+08:00

We all have problems in our lives at some point of time. However not all of us are able to express our thoughts. This blog has been created with your needs in mind.
I realise it is never easy to talk to somone about your problems. That is why it is easier to talk to someone you dont know, who will not judge you based on your life's experience. If you choose to remain annyonomus... please feel free to do so.
I can be contacted at d33pa.m3hta@gmail.com . Please feel free to drop me an email anytime and I assure you I'll do my best to assist you.