Rachel's purple dream

Saturday, September 30, 2006 ~ 1:46 AM

Fill Your Plate to Lose Weight

Lose weight—and also ward off diabetes, heart disease and cancer with our eating plan from The Sugar Solution.
By Sari N. Harrar

Saundra Snow knew she had put on some weight. But in the fall of 2005, the 33-year-old was most concerned about her lack of energy. Snow was so tired after work that she couldn't get off the couch to walk her dogs, Daisy and Nacho. She had chronic headaches and occasional dizziness, couldn't remember when she'd last had a period and was depressed. Her husband was starting to worry. "You're breathing too hard," he told her one day as they walked up the three flights to the St. Meinrad, Ind., catalog company where they work.

Snow, a graphic designer, made an appointment to see her doctor, who ordered a battery of tests. "The doctor came in and said, point-blank, 'Here's the deal: You're prediabetic. You have to change your ways.' I sat there with this towel wrapped around me and said, 'Oh, crap!' "

But she answered the wake-up call. Though she claims to suffer from "the opposite of anorexia—I look in the mirror and say, 'Oh, not so bad!,' " Snow acknowledged that her double-X clothes were too snug. When she got a mail offer for a new book, The Sugar Solution (published by Rodale, Prevention's parent company), she ordered it. It was a diet, exercise and stress-reduction plan that promised weight loss, newfound energy, even protection from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. The secret? Controlling blood sugar.

"My fasting blood sugar was 120 and it should be under 100," says Snow. "It sounded like this program was on the money for me."

Following the book's advice, she said good-bye to cookies and candy. "I love them, but we've ended our relationship," she jokes. She switched to whole grains and filled up on vegetables, protein and fruit. She began walking daily on her treadmill ("after I cleaned the dust off"), starting at 2.5 MPH for 15 minutes, and adding time and speed every week.

Within two weeks, she felt her energy surging back. After a month, she was shedding two pounds a week. By the end of the year, she was walking 45 minutes every day, had lost 52 pounds, and had shaved 10 inches off her waist. Even better, her blood sugar is now normal (90); her cholesterol went from a high of 220 mg/dl down to 180; and her triglycerides—another blood fat closely linked to diet—dropped from 300 mg/dl to 140 mg/dl (optimal is less than 150). And her mood has improved. "The worst thing about the plan was that I was buying new clothes every month," says Snow. "It's a good problem to have."

Why It Works
To understand how you can lose weight like Saundra Snow did—and reap all the health benefits—you need to know a little about your metabolism. Everything you eat that contains carbs, from Caesar salad to a slice of cherry cheesecake, is ultimately converted into glucose—blood sugar—which is what your body's cells use for energy. Any excess is stored as fat. In the lean times (when you're on a diet and exercising, for example), your body will burn fat for energy to keep you going. That's how you lose weight.

Glucose gets into cells with the help of insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas. This system works pretty efficiently when you're eating a variety of foods: whole grains, protein and fat, which are digested and metabolized slowly for energy over the long haul, as well as simple carbohydrates, which are digested and absorbed quickly.

But if your diet favors these fast-burning carbs, your insulin-production system has to work overtime—the pancreas must produce more insulin to open up cells and usher in all the sugar. So far, so good—but as your body realizes it's flush with fuel, two dire things happen. It stops burning fat stores for energy and it begins storing more of the food you eat as fat. So you gain weight.

Your insulin levels plummet once all the glucose is either feeding your cells or packed onto your belly and hips. But with blood sugar bottomed out too, you're left tired, moody and hungry for more sugary foods to boost your energy levels.

If your diet continually requires lots of insulin, the hormone can eventually become less efficient, a condition called insulin resistance. So your pancreas produces still more. But when extra insulin circulates, it can damage your heart and create problems. People with prediabetic conditions or diabetes are up to four times as likely as healthy people to get heart disease and are at increased risk of cancers of the breast, uterus, colon and pancreas.

The Sugar Solution is designed to keep your glucose control system steady, whether you have diabetes, are prediabetic, or are an otherwise healthy but overweight carb addict. It can even melt stubborn belly fat—the dangerous fat that increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. In a Danish study, 25 people who raised their daily protein levels to the amount recommended in The Sugar Solution (up to 25 percent of daily calories) lost 10 percent more belly fat than dieters who ate more carbs. Aerobic exercise most days of the week—along with strength-training—also attacks abdominal fat and is an important part of this program.

The eating plan, developed by nutrition expert Ann Fittante, RD, at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Seattle, is based on the glycemic index (GI), a system that ranks foods by how much and how quickly they raise blood sugar. Eating low-GI foods frequently during the day (three meals and three snacks) has been shown to keep blood sugar levels on an even keel for hours. There's growing evidence that a low-GI eating plan can help you lose weight, keep it off, switch off cravings, and make you feel energetic, even when you're eating fewer calories.

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Sunday, September 24, 2006 ~ 1:30 AM

SJ uptown third weekend in a row! :P

Went to Johor with my boss from Sept 19th-20th, 2006 (Tues & Wed). Managed to secure a sale there. Woohoo! I was overjoyed! Couldn't stop smiling! =) Thank God for His countless blessings.

This is how I look like in my cool new shades!

Did my blood test today (23/09/06). Phew! Thank God, I ain't no diabetic! After having starved myself for 12 hours, the sugar level in my blood was only 2.6... according to the doctor, a person is diabetic when the sugar level reaches 6 and above. Hip hip hurray! I'm not diabetic!

Kevin & Meng Kaei

Kevin's mate, Meng Kaei and his wifey were in Sunway Pyramid today. So we went to meet them there. Both of them are currently working in Singapore. Went jalan-jalan with them. I didn't buy anything (that's surprising!). Took some pics on each other's cam phone. Simply lovely for memories' sake! =)

Later that night, I met up with Tammy for another session of SJ Uptown, haha! Well, I think I didn't buy anything. I wasn't feeling it that night. Probably bcoz I was experiencing some period discomfort. My legs were constantly numb and aching. Need to rest now. Tata for now!

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Sunday, September 17, 2006 ~ 5:01 PM

Lovely night walk at SJ uptown

Went for a movie with Kevin on Saturday afternoon (16/09) in GSC, Summit USJ. Watched DOA: Dead or Alive which starred Holly Valance, Jaime Pressly and Devon Aoki (juz to name a few). Quite a kick-ass movie. Loved Holly Valance in the movie cuz she juz simply sizzled in the movie with her hot bod! :P

After that, we went for some drinks in Starbucks cuz I knew Kevin likes hanging out there while reading magazines or the newspaper. I belanja Kevin minum Green Tea Frappucino. I took apple juice. Tasted bad cuz it was too sweet for my liking.

When the evening came, Kevin went out with his friends in Summit (again!) while I went to pick Tammy up from her house for dinner. We went to have dinner at new restaurant called Nanako in ss15. Judging by the name of it, we thought they served Japanese food there. but we were wrong cuz they served only Malaysian cuisine (like nasi lemak, laksa, etc) and steamboat.

So we decided to go for steamboat. The food was quite satisfying. We had fun hanging out and talking about stuff. Tammy made a comment about me which I thought was quite opposite of who I am. She said that she saw me as a person who always spoke her mind. Haha, juz b'coz I like to talk alot of garbage doesn't mean that I am alwiz opinionated. Whatever it is, I still take it as a compliment. Thanks, girl! =)

Painted my fingernails black with the new nail polish I bought

This is Tammy with her signature pose!

After dinner, we headed on to SJ uptown for a night stroll and checked out the stuff there. We both bought a shades each. I finally bought a new handsfree kit for my Nokia 6020 handphone, I was really glad. Been out of handsfree for ages. The old handsfree was not functioning anymore. After walking from one end to the other and back, I dropped Tammy home and went back to Kevin's at 1am. Really had fun, man! I guess shopping really does wonders to girl, be it major or minor shopping. Hee hee!

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Saturday, September 16, 2006 ~ 11:50 AM

Hanging out in Kim Gary on Friday nite

Went to Kim Gary, Sunway Pyramid yesterday (Friday 15/09/06) to have dinner with Tanya and Tammy. Had a fun time chatting girlie stuff! =)

And that's Tanya hiding behind the piece of paper. She's camera shy! :P

This is me after the dinner, haha!

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Thursday, September 14, 2006 ~ 6:57 PM

Day trip to Seremban... again!

Went down to Seremban today with Ravin and Kaz in the company's 5-seater van. Ravin drove cuz naturally he was the only one among the three of us who had a GDL licence. We met the contractors (who had agreed to install the the LCD monitor) in Sungai Besi toll.

The pictures below were taken in Seremban Specialist Hospital after the contractors had finished installing the external 17'' LCD monitor beautifully in one of the consultation suites in SSH. Kaz and Ravin both decided to take turns playing doctor on one another. Hee hee!

Then I took them to Pasar Besar Seremban for lunch. Both of them didn't enjoy the food there but I did! Maybe both Ravin & Kaz were not used to Chinese food so much. Below is the picture of my tasty beef noodles (but deep in my heart, I still feel the beef noodles in Tangkak, Johor is the best but for a nearer alternative, this will have to do).

After work, I went dinner with Kevin and Yit Wei at the Chinese kopitiam next to Anggerik mamak. I had the anchovies fried rice which was quite tasty (according to my mom, anchovies are enriched with calcium).

After dinner, we went back to Kevin's place to hang out. Then Mex came over and took us all out for yum char in Ehsan Mamak in USJ2 cuz it was drizzling. Jax juz got off work that time and joined us in mamak. We juz chitchatted about stuff. That wrapped up my day.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006 ~ 8:54 PM

Pantai Bangsar

Today Jenny and I went to Pantai Medical Centre in Bangsar separately to meet our own customers. After seeing the doctors, we promised to meet up for a drink either in Starbucks or in Pantai's cafeteria. I was halfway waiting to meet my customer when I received an sms from Lip Kee, asking if I were free for lunch. I told him Jenny and I were in Pantai and he came to meet us up. He had his lunch while Jenny and I had some pastries and milo.

After that, I went back to see my customer at 2pm (still in Pantai Bangsar) while Jenny left for Cheras and Lip Kee went back to his office near Dataran Prima. When I was done with my work for the day, I decided to take a stroll in Giant USJ1 to buy some stuff to accessorize my cute car. Was pleased with my purchases today. Bought a drink holder, CD holder, two general hooks (to hook plastic bags, etc) and also rubber door protectors (to protect my car doors from being scratched when they are opened).

Then I bought nuggets, a non-stick frying pan, cooking oil, kitchen paper towels, Thai chilli sauce and something to stir fry the nuggets with (I dunno the name of that kitchen utensil). Cuz I juz felt like giving Kevin a surprise tonight when he comes back from work. I wanna cook for him for a change though it was juz nuggets. Well, it was a good start anyway! =) He finished all the nuggets... which was good! Yay! =) That's the picture of the Thai chilli sauce and the finished plate of nuggets (left with only the crumbs) and an empty glass of milk. Well, I drank the milk actually.

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Monday, September 11, 2006 ~ 12:22 PM

A day off

Today I took the day off from work to send my car to the Perodua workshop in Bukit Raja industrial area for rustproofing the under carriage of my car. Also, I changed the four tyres of my car. In order to avoid getting caught in the famous Klang traffic jam, my mom and I left the house at 7.00am. We drove my car to Bukit Raja for the earliest appointment of the day - 8.30am. We got there so early that we decided to go for breakfast in the nearby mamak. Mom and I had a nasi lemak and milo kosong panas each.

After that, we drove to the Perodua workshop. We were there early so mom took out her book to read a little bit. At 8.30am sharp, we were attended to in the

Perodua reception area. We told the Perodua guy what we wanted to be done on my car and then we were told to wait in the waiting area upstairs the workshop while my car was being worked on. The waiting area was quite okay. It was air-conditioned and

there were sofa seats around. Also, there was a TV set along with the Astro decoder (minus the remote, hehe) as well as a refreshment section (where they served biscuits, coffee and sky juice).

The extended area of the waiting area led to a narrow room where we were allowed

to watch down where the workshop was to see the mechanics working on the car. It was pretty cool. This was my first time here though I've had my car for two years already (by end of September 2006). That was my car when it was being driven into the workshop area by the Perodua mechanic and my mom was watching over the whole scenario.

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Sunday, September 10, 2006 ~ 8:50 PM

Drink out with the girls in Asia Cafe

Today Kevin and I went to USJ2 area to have lunch together. We ate chap fun. Yummy! We go to that kopitiam regularly. Today, I was so greedy as usual, I took so much of food till I was stuffed silly. I couldn't finish most of my food, I gave some to Kevin, hehe! That was the pic taken by me of Kevin drinking his iced soya bean drink and those two pink plates were wiped clean by both Kevin and I. Shortly after that, I sent Kevin back to his house and then I drove back home to Klang cuz I had made an appointment to meet up with Mandy and Su-Lynn later at 3pm.

I got home and waited for Mandy to arrive so that we could go together in my ca

r. Then we drove to pick Su-Lynn up at her place in Kota Kemuning. Initially we wanted to head to Subang Parade but Su-Lynn wanted to eat in Asia Cafe ss15. So we drank there, had some light food and Su-Lynn had her lunch there. Those were the giant glasses of watermelon juice that Mandy and I had earlier in Asia Cafe. Then I dropped the girls back to their respective homes and drove back to my house. Had a fun day hanging out with my friends, especially my best friend - Mandy!

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Lazy rainy Saturday at Subang Parade

Kevin and I took a drive to Subang Parade yesterday (09/09/06) to have a late lunch in Sakae Sushi. It was raining heavily during our journey from USJ2 to Subang Parade. We experienced slight traffic jam too. The food in Sakae Sushi was affordable and yummy-licious! =) I juz loved the salmon sashimi and miso soup. After that, I bought HOT magazine and Kevin bought today's paper and we read them in Secret Recipe. When we were done, we took a lazy, slow stroll in Subang Parade. Finally, we landed our feet at Uncle Lim where we had roti bakar and tea. Yummy-licious as well! This was the pic we took of each other when we were hanging out in Uncle Lim.

It was still raining heavily around town. Mandy called me about 5pm and told me that she was experiencing a massive traffic jam in NKVE (nearby the KLIA exit) caused by floods. So Kevin and I hung out in Subang Parade a little longer to allow the heavy downpour to pass. After Uncle Lim, we headed back to the carpark to retrieve the car and left. This was the pic which we took while we were on the way to the carpark.

After that, I dropped Kevin off at Silva mamak in ss15 where Jax, Yit Wei and Mex were already there watching a football match. I met up with Tammy shortly for a drink in Pan Bakery (which is also in ss15). After that, we took a slow stroll along the SJ Uptown stretch. Bought myself a new watch for RM9.00 and a fashion ring (it's purple) for RM5.00 =) Super!

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Saturday, September 09, 2006 ~ 10:38 AM

5-day trip down South!

From September 4th, 2006 (Monday) till September 8th, 2006 (Friday), I was in the Southern region for work, Johor Darul Takzim. A colleague of mine, Tan Han Hui (an engineer) and I headed for Johor Bahru on Monday to meet the Korean engineers in Hotel Selesa juz beside Jalan Tebrau in JB. My boss's son, Lee Wee Loong, wanted to take advantage of the Korean engineers while they were down in Singapore for an exhibition that time to troubleshoot our faulty SA8000Live Prime. Wee Loong also suggested that we brought a new & functioning SA8000Live Prime juz in case the Korean engineers needed to refer to anything at all. Well, all that juz meant extra carrying work for Tan & I.

That night, Tan stayed in Hotel Selesa in care of the two units of SA8000Live Prime. Kana booked the room for the machines to stay but since Tan insisted he wanted to stay in the bigger hotel, I was fine with it as long as he sent me to Grand Dragon Hotel in Permas Jaya. I always stay there whenever I'm down in JB for work cuz it's more affordable there as my company only gives RM80 per night inclusive of lodging & food.

When I arrived at Grand Dragon Hotel, the manager there (she recognized me as a regular there. Well, I've been to JB frequently for work) told me that they had renovated their rooms. I asked for a room with a window (but I didn't know why. It wasn't as if I would ever use the window or anything). She told me she would offer the old rate for the room per night. I was glad. When I saw my room (233A), I smiled even broader. It was juz lovely. I would only be putting up a night here in JB, the room was good enough. It was cleaner, brighter and more exquisite now. And the best part was the room rate stayed the same for me. Thanks, Grand Dragon Hotel.

The next day (05/09/06 - Tuesday), Tan & I packed the two units of SA8000Live Prime in the van and travelled to Segamat. This was a pic of me taken in the van on the way to Segamat from Johor Bahru. My colleague, Tan, was driving the van along with machines at the back (there were two SA8000Live Prime units and an SA X4).

When we arrived at Segamat, it was lunch time. We were both hungry and searching frantically for food outlets. Unfortunately for us, food outlets are very scarce here in Segamat. After many rounds of circling in the neighborhood, we found a simple "chap fun" shop andfed ourselves. Then we headed to Hospital Segamat to drop off the SA X4 in Dr. Hemalatha's consultation suite. I performed a machine demonstration for her and explained the functions of the ultrasound system to her. Dr. Hema told me that tomorrow (06/09/06 - Wednesday) she would be having an OT day. So she wouldn't be scanning at all. So she said I needn't come to Hospital Segamat tomorrow.

However, I fell sick the very next day upon arriving in Segamat (06/09/06 - Wednesday). I spent almost the entire day sneezing and being bedridden. I wanted to sleep all the time cuz my eyelids felt so heavy. My eyes and nose were alwiz watery.

This was taken when I recovered on September 7th, 2006 (Thursday) in Hospital Segamat. I was waiting patiently outside Dr. Hemalatha's consultation suite in case she needed any assistance on the X4 which she was using at that time to scan her patients.

After lunch, Tan & I were able to collect the SA X4 system from Dr. Hema's room and packed it into the van to head back down to JB for a demonstration to Dr. Ravichandran in Hospital Sultanah Aminah. So off we went back to JB. Arrived in the hospital close to 4pm to drop off the SA X4. The person-in-charge was Encik Omar and tomorrow (08/09/06) I was supposed to demo the X4 to him along with other MOs.

Finally, Friday was here. After staying in the ultrasound room from 8.30am till 2.00pm and demonstrating to a handful of ppl (sonographers, MOs, doctors), I finally get to head on back to KL. Hip hip hurray!

It was raining during some parts of my journey back to KL in the van driven by Tan. So there was a massive traffic jam, I thought I was gonna die cuz I was juz suffocating in the van for hours. But thank God, I'm here right now, typing this blog. Praise the Lord!

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8 signs you're ready to buy your first home

Saw this article on MSN homepage today and I find it interesting cuz I'd like to have my own home too. I'll keep it here on my blog so I'll know it when I'm ready.

With home prices cooling off and apartment rents heating up, is now the time to buy your own place? Here are the ways to know when it makes sense financially to purchase your first home.By Erin Burt, Kiplinger's

The squeeze is on for renters. Apartment rents are expected to rise 5.3% this year, according to the National Association of Realtors. That's about double last year's increase, and it's the highest jump since 2000. Until now, rents have seen slow growth over the past few years as the booming real estate market has lured away renters into homeownership.

But that's starting to change. Interest rates are rising and home price appreciation is slowing, so fewer buyers are looking for new homes. That gives landlords the upper hand to raise rents. Meanwhile, the real estate market is starting to turn from the seller's favor toward the buyer's. So if you're a renter who has been dreaming of homeownership, is now a good time to take the leap?

Sure, a cooling real estate market is good news for buyers because it's easier for them to negotiate a deal. But it shouldn't be the main reason that pushes you into your first home. In fact, buying your first home is a personal decision that you should make independent of what the market may or may not be doing.

"Time means nothing," says Michael Eisenberg, a CPA and financial planning specialist in West Los Angeles. You can't predict what will happen to home prices in your neighborhood in the next few months, let alone the next few years. But if you're looking to make the long-term commitment of homeownership, it helps to approach the decision like you would any business decision. You don't want to buy on emotion, or because everyone else is doing it. "This is the biggest financial move a young person may ever make," Eisenberg says. "You should make the investment because it makes sense for your finances. You buy when you're ready."

So how, exactly, do you know when your finances are ready? We provide a checklist of eight things first-time home buyers should have squared away before they consider a purchase -- no matter where analysts say home prices are heading.

You are ready to buy when …

No. 1: You have a budget -- and you know how to use it

Owning your own place comes with a slew of new expenses, so good money management skills are a must-have. If you don't have a household budget right now, start one. (See "Build your budget" and "A simpler way to save: The 60% solution" to learn how.) You need to know where you are financially -- where your money is coming from and where it goes every month -- to know exactly how much you can afford to spend on a new home.

Once you have your current finances sorted out, draw up a mock budget for homeownership. Find out how much homes cost in your area and how much your mortgage payment will run. Then, factor in higher utility bills, homeowner's insurance, property taxes, homeowners association fees, and maintenance and upkeep costs, as well as higher commuting costs if you're considering a neighborhood further from work. If you simply cannot afford the increased expenses that come with a house, it's never a good time to buy -- no matter what's happening in the real estate market.

No. 2: You have a sizeable down payment

Traditionally, to get your foot in the door, you'll need a down payment worth 20% of the home price. That means for a $250,000 home, you'll need $50,000 upfront. Sure, there are ways to get around that steep requirement with zero- or low-down loans, but those options will cost you. You may have to pay extra for private mortgage insurance or take out a piggyback loan with a much higher interest rate. With the slowing housing market, having that 20% down payment becomes even more important because you'll start off with some equity in case you have to move earlier than expected. "In the early years, you aren't building any equity with the mortgage payment," says Eisenberg. "If the market changes or your personal circumstances change and you're forced to sell, you could lose money" if you made little or no down payment. The equity in your home can also give you an extra source of cash in an emergency. (See "Why you need a home down payment" to learn more.) And the money down is only the beginning. Don't forget to factor in closing costs (3% to 6% of the purchase price) property taxes, initial repairs, moving expenses and decorating costs.

No. 3: You have a reliable source of income

Buying a home is a long-term financial commitment, so you'll need consistent cash flow to cover those monthly payments -- not to mention the little extra expenses that come with homeownership. If you're in school, plan to go back to school, have a less-than-reliable job or plan to start a family, you need to take a good look at your future cash-flow abilities. Will you be able to make your mortgage payment six months from now? How about six years from now? "Some couples can afford the house when they're both working, but if a kid comes along and one wants to stop working, then they have a problem," says Eisenberg.

No. 4: You have an emergency savings fund

If you have enough cash on hand to cover three to six months of your living expenses, you're one step closer to being prepared for homeownership. Just in case something happens to disrupt your steady income -- say a serious illness, unexpected layoff or even a natural disaster that prevents you from working -- you want to make sure you can still afford to make your mortgage payments until you can get out of your rough patch, says Bob Baldwin, a CPA in Charleston, S.C. Learn more about how and where to build your emergency stash.

No. 5: You have your debts under control

Call 'em crazy, but lenders like to make sure you'll have enough money each month to pay your obligations. So before they'll give you a mortgage, they take a look at your so-called debt-to-income ratio. Generally speaking, they want to make sure your monthly housing costs -- including principal, interest, taxes and insurance -- will consume no more than 33% of your monthly gross income; and that your total debt payments, including your mortgage, credit cards, student loans and auto loans, will remain below 38% of your total pay. So if you have large outstanding debts, it's a good idea to try to pay them down before applying for a mortgage to make sure you can qualify for as much money as you'll need. This also means you should avoid taking on any substantial new debt six months to one year prior to your purchase, or you may throw your ratio off. So, it may be best to drive that clunker for a little while longer, or put off charging that European vacation. Find out here how much you can qualify to borrow.

No. 6: Your credit report is in good shape

Nowadays you don't have to have perfect credit to become a homeowner, but a decent history can help you get a lower interest rate on your mortgage and a lower monthly payment. The government allows you to check your credit history free once a year from each of the three main credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. So take a peek to find out what lenders see about you. If you see any errors, correct them now. If you see room for improvement, find out how you can boost your score.

"Don't be sloppy the year or two before you buy the house," says Baldwin. You don't want any missed payments or other black marks that could lower your estimation in the eyes of lenders.
Having bad credit, however, may not be your biggest concern. If you're just starting out, you need to make sure you have a credit history. If you hold a credit card or took out student loans, you're probably covered. If not, find out how you can build a stellar credit history from scratch, preferably one year or more before you plan to buy.

No. 7: You can make a long-term commitment

Are you ready to stay put for at least three to five years? Typically, that's how long you'll have to keep the house in order to recoup your buying and selling costs. If you sell before then, you may lose money on the deal. And if you do turn a profit, you'll have to pay capital gains taxes if you lived in the house less than two years. The length of your stay becomes even more important now that home appreciation is beginning to slow from its previous pace. If you don't think you'd stay put for that long, you may be better off renting.

Don't fret: Renting can actually make better financial sense for some people at different times in their lives, says Eisenberg. If you think you may get a job transfer, go back to school or otherwise need to move within the next five years, renting gives you the flexibility you need and could possibly save you money.

Want to find out if renting or buying makes the most sense for you? Our calculator will crunch the numbers to help you decide. In the slot for "appreciation rate," assume your home will appreciate at the rate of inflation or a little more, just to be safe. Right now, that's around 3% to 4% annually.

No. 8: You are prepared to become your own landlord

Even if you can afford homeownership, don't buy simply because you can. You need to make sure you're ready to live the lifestyle. Owning a place comes with a fair share of new responsibilities, headaches and costs -- not the least of which is becoming your own landlord. When you rent an apartment, you simply call the landlord if something breaks. With your own home, if it's broke, you fix it -- or you'll have to pay someone else to fix it. You're also responsible for upkeep, including yard work and shoveling snow (unless, of course, you buy a condo without a yard). Will you have the time, energy or desire to maintain the property? How about the money for all those little extras, such as buying your own lawn mower and hiring the occasional plumber? Make sure you know what you're getting into.

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Saturday, September 02, 2006 ~ 11:48 PM

Suma's wedding dinner (Part Two)

I wore my new skirt (the one I bought in Blook, Subang Parade with Tammy) and my lovely round-headed heels which I bought from Esarli, Seremban2 Jusco. Brought my flashy new silver clutch from Dot Perkins too. And for my top, I opted for a layered look where I wore my new MNG sleeveless top outside and the new white sleeveless lace top from Jusco inside (the same top combi which I wore when I met up with Lai Kuan for the first time after 5 years for a girls' nite out in Bangsar.) This is a pic of me taken with the lovely engineer, Hidayah, who is always kind and helpful.

After the dinner, Lip Kee sent me back to my car in A&W. I was like dead tired cuz I'd had a long day at work. Woke up like 6 something in the morning cuz I had to reach Vision by 8am for the UPM course. Kim Seng worked together with me too during the UPM course. He was super dead tired, that was why he did not attend Suma's wedding dinner.

Well, as for Hira's wedding ceremony on the very next day in the morning (3rd September 2006), I chose not to attend. (I'm so sorry, Hira dear) Already last weekend I had to work in Seremban where my weekend was shortened. This weekend I was working in Vision for the UPM course and my weekend has been shortened once again. And then come Monday, I'll be in Johor for the week for demonstrations and work, etc. I juz need my rest!

Well, this was how I looked like after Suma's wedding. I took off my outer MNG black top.

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UPM course and Suma's wedding dinner (Part One)

Today we had UPM course Part 1 - Abdomen & Pelvis in Vision College. Dr. Chaw Chee Kien was there, he was still as good-looking as ever. Tall, slim (for a man of his height) and "ying chun" and "wai mang". I was juz blushing like mad and was too stiff & nervous to speak or even look at him. I was juz too shy. All the while today, I juz wished I could speak to him normally but I couldn't think of anything smart to say. I had like brain freeze or something. Haha! Poor me! But he remembered me (yes!!) cuz he called out to me by my name (and no, I wasn't wearing a nametag or whatever). I spoke nervously to him but I was glad I managed to get a few words out. Haha! :P I must had looked like a weirdo to him. Or sounded like a weirdo. Or both! :S

Anyway, I was the specimen for the assessment part of the ultrasound course, where I got scanned by the doctors who attended the course to be assessed by Professor Rozi Mahmood (head radiologist in UPM). But it was juz too bad that Dr. Chaw was in the other cubicle (but I could look at it in a good way cuz he wouldn't have to see my fats that way). Haha! Well, at least I got a free medical check-up by ultrasound. All my internal organs are normal and free of anomalies. However, there was this quite disturbing part where I found out that I got a small "wall-less" cyst in my right pelvic area. According to the doctors and ultimately Prof Rozi, I shouldn't be worried about it. It is the cyst that causes pain during my periods (yeah, that explains it all) and when I'm ovulating, the cyst is present and when I have my menses, the cyst will burst and it will be ejected out of my system thru my period. Unfortunately, it'll grow again when I'm waiting for my next period. It's like a little vicious cycle. Oh well, since they all say it's harmless and I shouldn't worry about it, so I won't. =)

Later that night, I went to my ex-Gideons colleague's wedding dinner in Sedaya School in PJS area. Suma got married to her sweetheart, Balan. So I left work (at Vision) at 5.30pm and drove to Kevin's place in USJ2 to rest for awhile, bathe and dress up. Kevin wasn't around as he was out watching some Chinese movie with his mates. Since my friend, Lip Kee, insisted that we went together, I parked my car in front of the A&W restaurant near 3K Sports Complex and he came to pick me up from there so we could head to the wedding dinner together. That was the pic I took from my Nokia camera handphone of Suma and her hubby, Balan. Lovely couple! I guess Balan was juz too excited that he forgot to stare into the camera. Hee hee!

Lip Kee and I were the first ones of our Gideons gang to arrive at Suma's wedding dinner in Sedaya School. Right behind us was Alex Teh (the engineer who quit Gideons in April 2005 - the same month that I joined the company. Not that I had anything to do with it anyway.) The rest who eventually turned up for Suma's wedding dinner was Hidayah, Leslie, Scott, Jet, Gary, Jenny and Thaddeus. We all sat in the same table. It was a buffet-styled dinner and the mutton curry was juz simply fantabulous, I'd say. Super yummy! Spoilt my diet rotten for sure! Haha!

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Friday, September 01, 2006 ~ 10:19 PM

Tired after work

This was me when I was driving back home in my car after work today. Must have stopped at the traffic light when it turned red to take some pics. And this was the best one in the lot. Hee hee! Tomorrow I gotta work in Vision College (Gideons' subsidiary company) as we are having UPM course Part One - Abdomen & Pelvis there. And then there's Suma's wedding dinner to attend. I plan to wear my new Blook skirt (to officiate it as I've not worn it before).

I took this pic when I got home from work, all sweaty and hot. Scorching day in Klang, man! I got back home and quickly turned on the air-cond in the hall and juz dropped dead on the couch.

Despite being covered in sweat and all, I managed to put a sweet smile for the camera, haha! Of course, I wiped the sweat off oredi la or else, my face will juz be shiny with grease and sweat all over! Yechhh!! :P

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Jamie in Shogun

Above are Jamie's pics taken on the same night in Shogun. Sharon had applied lip gloss on Jamie's lips and the little baby girl was so excited about it that she couldn't stop smiling and dancing. Hehe! I guess all girls (young & old) are juz excited about being pretty.

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Dinner at Shogun

Went for dinner in Shogun Japanese Buffet Restaurant in 1 Utama Shopping Centre with my family and Kevin and Shyang Li on 26th August 2006 (Saturday). It was to celebrate both Esther's 20th birthday, and mom & dad's 30th wedding anniversary. Since Esther and mommy both love Japanese food, so we decided to celebrate in Shogun where we could eat all we wanted. Hee hee! The picture above is of my mom & I. Look at my FAT bum! :P

I juz love salmon sashimi! Love them to bits! I juz ate those mostly that night. Jamie was so adorable as alwiz... but that night, she was rather shy with the rest of us. But still that didn't keep her from being mischievous. Hee hee!

Also, I met my ex-college mate from Inti in Shogun as well. Mazanni was having dinner there with his wife, Siti. He told me he's currently working in KL and staying near Terminal 3 in Subang. He chatted with Kevin too.

It's such a shame that Kevin and I did not take a picture together that night. But I love that guy to no ends! Luckily I managed to take a pic with my good friend cum ex-colleague in Gideons, Shyang Li. She'd been wanting to eat Japanese food for weeks, so there we were that night in Shogun, eating to our hearts' content.

Overall, I'd say we all had had a great time stuffing ourselves silly in Shogun, haha! Well, I knew my mom, Kevin & Shyang Li were all too stuffed beyond words cuz they couldn't move nor talk as they were almost on the verge of throwing up owing to the fact that they were TOO full. LOL! I was juz fine cuz I ate mostly sashimi only, remember? :P I still had room for ice-cream then, muahahahhaha!

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