Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Buffet Lunch At Baccanal Caesar Palace Hotel, Las Vegas

BUFFET LUNCH... We made reservation for a nice buffet a week before we came to Las Vegas, the buffet is one of its kind in Caesar Palace, Baccanal is the name of the restaurant.  My kids were saying that we must have at least one good and memorable meal while here in Las Vegas and they chose the seafood buffet.  It cost around $90 per pax and being Asians, sure we would be attracted to just seafood!  Alaska Crabs... hairy crabs....lobster claws..  clams etc etc... 

Oh, I did not take much photos on what we ate, just too busy stuffing in and to take out the camera with dirty hands and all.  LOL.... Just the initial stage and after that, it was all about eating and eating... oh, by the way, they only allowed 90 minutes in the restaurant, but I don't think they timed anyone... LOL.. Anyway, we took that amount of time to finish our food, sipping free champayne and mocktail too.  What a scrumptious meal... from mains to desserts, I think we only had one meal done for that day itself... LOL... 

We only "attacked" these... plate after plate... 
I did not take any beef nor meat... 
But I did take porridge and pho as part of my main meal... 
And endless desserts after that...
Definitely I did not manage to eat $90 worth of food... LOL...
Inside Caesar Palacce...
At the Mirage...
Mostly tourists.. mask on!
After our heavy meal, we walked around the Strip... 


Tuesday, January 25, 2022

The Best Ways to Give Yourself a Confidence Boost

 If you’ve been suffering from a lack of confidence recently, it’s time to do something about that. So many people struggle to get to where they want to be and they struggle to make the most of their careers because they’re being held back by a lack of confidence, that’s not something that you want to let yourself go through. We’re going to talk today about some of the things you can do to give yourself a needed confidence boost.


Take a Deep Breath and Let Your Fears Go


First of all, you should stop, slow down and try to take a deep breath. When you’re feeling nervous and like you’re not good enough, that lack of confidence is something that can become overwhelming, especially in a business or professional setting. Taking deep breaths and learning to let your fears go is one of the most important things you can do in that situation.


Walk with Confidence


The way in which you walk and carry yourself will have a huge impact on how confident you feel and on how other people view you. So you want to make sure that you’re always doing what you can to carry yourself with confidence and walk with your head up and your shoulders back. If you master this, other people will also start to perceive you as more confident and assertive.


Image Source - CC0 License


Celebrate Your Accomplishments


Celebrating your accomplishments is something that’s definitely important. It’s all too easy to become too negative and focus too heavily on the bad and negative things, but it shouldn’t be that way. If you want to grow in confidence and go further in your career, you really need to celebrate those small successes and accomplishments that come along.


Deal with Dental Issues That Dent Your Confidence


If you’ve been having problems with your smile, it might really have dented your confidence. That’s often the case for a lot of people, but you should try not to let it hold you back. The best teeth whitening strategies out there can help you feel a lot more confident than you would otherwise be able to. So it’s best to deal with them and then benefit from the confidence boost it gives you.


Visualize the Outcomes You Want to Achieve


People often feel more confident and in control when they’re able to visualize the outcomes that they’re striving for and that they want to make real. So maybe that’s something that you should start to practice as well. When you’re really focused on what you need to achieve and what you need to make happen, visualization is a strategy that works.


As you can see, there are lots of steps you can take if you want to give yourself a confidence boost and start believing in your abilities. Sometimes you have to fake your confidence levels until you start feeling them for real, but that’s to be expected. What matters is that you eventually start feeling as confident as you want to feel.


Thursday, January 20, 2022

Westgate Is Our Vacation Stay

FROM THE AIRPORT, we took a shuttle bus to our car rental place nearby.  Budget is the name of the car company we rented the car from.  Yes, really budget rate, I think it is around $200 for 5 days and we planned to utilize the transport while in Las Vegas.  LOL... 

Next, we checked in to our apartment where we would be staying for 5 nights.  It is called Westgate and it is a two room apartment.  We requested for ground floor for easy accessibility, anyway, it has only two floors.  hehehehe...

Check in time was at 4pm and we had three hours to go before checking in.  We went to take lunch at a Japanese place in Chinatown, waited half an hour before we were seated and by then, we were super hungry except for the baby, of course....

Once we reached the apartment, I did not feel like going out.... "why don't you youngsters go out and get all the food stuff we need and I stay with the baby?"  Sounds good, eh.... 

And after that, it was a night of relaxation for me..... 
I slept in the master bedroom.... 
Don't ask me why....
They prefer the second room with two queen sized beds.... 
The living hall and the sofa chair is also a bed....
This apartment fits 8 people anytime!
And the mini kitchen where we cook our breakfast most times....
Yes, definitely we love Westgate.... 

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Dodge These Bank Balance Drainers In Your Life

 When you are managing your personal finances, you always need to be aware of the problems that can drain your bank balance. Here are some of the possibilities that you may need to address at some point. 


Pexels Source CCO License


Injury 


An injury can be a huge drain on your bank balance. It’s possible that a serious injury stops you from earning a fixed income which is always going to be a nightmare. To deal with this, we recommend that you do think about exploring options such as disability insurance. This means that if you are impacted by a long term injury then you can claim the cushion of cash that you need. You might want to address what caused the injury. Be aware that it’s common for an injury to get worse after a poor surgical treatment. If this does happen, you should definitely think about speaking to medical malpractice lawyers to claim the damages you deserve. 


Bad Mortgage


Next, you should think about how a bad mortgage can impact your bank balance. A poor mortgage will always put you under far more financial pressure overall and could leave you struggling to cover all of your costs. To avoid a bad mortgage, you need to make sure that you do improve your credit before you start seeking alone. There are numerous steps that you can take to improve your credit rating. For instance, you might want to think about getting rid of your debts from sources such as credit cards. 


Legal Trouble 


Another issue that can drain your bank balance is legal trouble. That’s why you need to make sure that you don’t fall on the wrong side of the law. If you are running your own business or side hustle, then it’s important that you are aware of the laws and regulations that could impact you in the long or short term. To deal with this, you should think about hiring a legal advisor. Be aware that this can be an outsourcing solution and will always save you more than it costs. 


Unexpected Repairs 


Finally, an unexpected repair for your car or your home can be a massive drain on your bank balance that you will almost certainly want to avoid. So, how should you handle this issue? Well, we recommend that you make sure that you are completing the necessary checks on your home and your car throughout the year. That way, you can guarantee that it does remain in the right condition. For instance, you should check your heating system on a bi-annual or annual basis. This can help you avoid a replacement and instead may just mean that you need a repair at some. The difference in cost here can be thousands. 


We hope this helps you understand some of the bank balance drainers that you might have to deal with in your life. By tackling problems like this head on, you can make sure that they don’t continue to play havoc with your income. Instead, you’ll be able to keep everything on the right track. 


Simple Ways To Stay Safe As You Travel


https://unsplash.com/photos/T7K4aEPoGGk


Traveling is an exciting experience. But, it can also be very dangerous. We should always take precautions before traveling. We should always make sure to do our research on the destination beforehand, and make sure we have all the necessary vaccinations for that country.

We should also keep in mind that if we are traveling abroad, then our cell phone might not work or it might be expensive to use data roaming while abroad. It is important to consider this before leaving for our trip so that we can plan ahead of time what we will do in case of emergency situations like this one.

The Importance of Safe Travel & Why You Should Care!

Safe travel is not just about avoiding your destination. It's about protecting yourself before, during, and after your trip.

What makes travelers safe?

- Safe Travels Checklist:

- Vaccinations: make sure you get the right immunizations for the country you are visiting

- Safety Gear: pack a personal safety kit with things like a good flashlight, from somewhere like ecogearfx.com, first aid kit, and emergency contact numbers.

- Know Your Surroundings: research the area you will be visiting so you know what to expect and where to go if something goes wrong

How to Stay Safe As You Travel By Yourself

Solo travel safety is a hot topic these days. With the world becoming more and more globalized, more people are traveling alone. And that means that solo female travelers are on the rise. There are many safety tips for solo female travelers, but the most important ones are to trust your intuition, stay in groups when possible, be aware of your surroundings and know when to call it quits.

The Best Ways To Stay Safe In Remote Locations

It is always important to be prepared when you are going to a remote location. Think about what you might need in case of an emergency and how you will get help if needed.

If you are camping, it is important to stay aware of your surroundings and be prepared for the unexpected. Bring a first-aid kit, water, food, matches/lighter, flashlight or headlamp, extra clothes including rain gear if needed and any medications that you take on a regular basis.

There are many things that can go wrong when you're in a remote location. It's important to be prepared for the worst and know what to do if you find yourself in a dangerous situation.

How To Stay Safer When Traveling Internationally

Many people are aware of the fact that there are some countries that are considered unsafe to visit. However, many people do not know which countries they should avoid, and why. So, it’s important to know what makes a country safe or unsafe to travel to, and what you should keep in mind when you're planning your next vacation. Be sure to research the destination and the culture, understand do’s and don’ts, and be aware of how to keep yourself safe in each location.


Our First Flight For 2022

FLYING ON NEW YEAR 2022....

We went to Las Vegas on the 1st January 2022.  The flight was only an hour plus away, it was a short one, just what I like.  Since it was a short flight, I did not watch any downloaded movies, just listened to some songs and spent the time taking pictures of the scenery from the window seat.  Baby was good too, he spent his time playing with his mom's iPad... and another half hour napping before our plane landed in Las Vegas.... 

These are some of the shots I managed to capture while passing through the desserts..... 







Amazing scenery of the mountains covered in snow....
Baby and I before boarding....
And this marked our first New Year flight 2022...

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Facts About Sealife for Your North Carolina Vacation

The beautiful beaches of North Carolina draw visitors from around the world. Noted for the breathtaking dunes that dot the sand-covered beachfront, the North Carolina shoreline is also home to many types of sea life. For your next vacation, you can plan on observing the plethora of creatures who make the sea and its surrounding environs home. 

Crustaceans

The crustaceans of North Carolina sport spiny and hard exoskeletons and many-jointed legs. Admittedly, several eventually find their way into the delicious seafood dishes of North Carolina chefs. But animal lovers benefit from seeing them in their home habitats in and along the North Carolina coast. Crustaceans that you might glimpse on the beach or in the Atlantic include barnacles, shrimp, lobsters and crabs like the Acorn barnacle, Pink shrimp, Spiny lobster and Blue crab.

Mammals

Numerous mammals make the North Carolina coast their home. They include those found in the sea, such as the Atlantic Spotted dolphin and bottle-nosed dolphin. You might also notice land mammals, like rabbits, chipmunks, raccoons and some that can even do double-duty, like beavers. 

Fish

The saltwater fish that inhabit the sea on the North Carolina coast provide a visual riot for the eyes. Once you have booked a place to stay, selecting from Bald Head Island vacation rentals and other spots on or near the beach, you can find out ways to observe nearby nature on your trip. For example, charter boats offer guided tours where you can learn more while out on the ocean. You might watch Red Mackerel, Bluefish or Spotted Trout from the shipside. Other fish common to the area include Spotted Sea Trout and Red Drum.


Spending time out in wild areas and natural spots helps reset the body back to a calm state. For this reason, making plans to enjoy the coastal habitats along the North Carolina beaches can not only teach you about the gorgeous creatures that live there but can enable you to relax and enjoy your time on vacation fully.        

Tips on Building a Great Business Website

 A businesses website is fundamental to its overall success. A badly put together sire, with a lot of outdated and irrelevant content in a seemingly incoherent manner, is not going to get you anywhere. It will definitely reflect negatively against you. If you have not given your website much thought until now, or if it is pretty basic and the content has not been updated for a while, it is time you paid it much more attention. Pretty much all businesses worth their salt have a great website. And if you need ideas, just check out your competitors. You're bound to find something suitable. Okay, so here are some tips on building your own business website:


Image from Pixabay


Site Plan

Before you start creating content and taking photos, you need to work out exactly what you need. It is probably worth doing a little investigation into similar websites and discovering more about how theft is laid out and all the information that is required. You need, in the first instance, a great home page. Your home page is what entices your potential customer to stay. You then need the home page to have a logically laid out menu structure. You will want a menu with no more than seven items, any more than this is too much and distracting. So you need to carefully consider why a customer will be landing on your website and ensure your home page reflect this, and your menu headings do too. What you want is a logical and easy to navigate site. You will also want to consider the functions such as a shop, and live chat. There are a lot of places you can go to to get help on your website, such as WebX360.


Your Content 

Relevance, preciseness and ease of reading are absolutely key. Remember that less is more when it comes to content. You do not want to have all the essential information lost within a ton of text. If you believe that more content is better, you are mistaken. You are far better off having concise text with a relevant matching image rather than a page of waffle. No one has the time to search through that for the golden nuggets they are after. It is also important to use relevant images, vlogs, gifs, etc. Anything that distracts from the point is to be removed. 


SEO

You will also want to ensure that your content is optimized for the search engine. SEO (search engine optimization) is an essential part of your marketing strategy, as it determines how a search engine will find you. What you need to do is look at your customer data and determine how your customer communicates, the language they use, words, phrases etc. What are they likely to type into the search engine? Ensure your pages have these words and phrases in their content. Another way to ensure that your content is always updated and relevant to help the search engines fins you is to have a blog that is loaded with keywords.  






Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Our Meals To Bid Farewell To 2021

BACK IN ST JOSE...  a few days before ushing in 2022....

My kids got to work during the last week of 2021 and so we got back home on Sunday after Christmas.  It was kind of relaxing but still got to work and anyway, it was a quiet relaxing week for us.  

We made two special dishes before the end of 2021, something worth mentioning about, mainly because the reason is that I did not cook for these two meals.  LOL... These two meals below are prepared and cooked by my daughter-in-law.....

Her famous Hainamese chicken rice!
All done from scratch...
including the rice and soup.... 
Oh, that includes the bean sprouts in claypot too... hahaha...
Now I learn a thing or two..
Next time I can do these back in Malaysia....
On new year eve, she made this fusion of east and west....
Chicken chop plus sides....
Can soup this time... LOL....
Garlic bread, sauteed french beans, boiled radish and chicken thigh....
Yes, it was a nice evening dinner for the three of us.... 
The baby, as usual, is always on white liquid... MILK!
LOL... 

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Building A Better Working Environment For Your Business


Credit - Pixabay CC0 License


A strong workplace setting is a vital foundation for all successful businesses. So, if there’s only one change that you wish to implement in 2022, upgrading this setting is the answer. 


It may seem like a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Simply learn to focus on the five factors below and a positive transformation will be assured. Let’s get started.


#1. Prevent overcrowding


After returning to the office after lockdowns, most employees will want to avoid crowding. Rather than cutting staff numbers or moving to a new business location, you should focus on how you handle staffing. Outsourcing common jobs to freelancers or other businesses can work wonders. It can reduce costs while also saving valuable space, which creates a comfortable setting. It also means you can invest more time in your on-site teams.


Crucially, you can be sure that the work will be completed to high standards at all times. 


#2. Invest in safety


Safety has always been a priority, but it needs to take an even greater role in 2022. For starters, hand sanitisation stations should be readily available for all employees and guests. Meanwhile, you must give security the attention it deserves. It can range from entry access points and surveillance cameras to cybersecurity. Aside from aiding the atmosphere across the company, it should go a long way to keeping your mind at ease. 


It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Recovering from the situation would be very tough.


 

Credit - Pixabay CC0 License


#3. Add the right tech features


Employees rely heavily on technology each day. If your company fails to move ahead with the times on this front, it will come back to haunt you dearly. Adding the latest equipment, software, and systems will boost productivity and engagement. However, you will need the help of commercial electricians to ensure that the building is ready to meet the increased demands. If it is not, you may encounter power outages or cause electrical hazards.


As well as the right tech additions, you must ensure that employees are trained to use them.


#4. Invest in staff health


Employees are human. Therefore, you must ensure that the company has taken the necessary steps to keep engaged and energised. Even a small drop in hydration levels can have a telling impact on an employee’s attentiveness. So, a water cooler is a great addition to the workspace. You should also schedule regular breaks for workers to stretch their legs. Physical health will promote mental wellness and a better overall performance level.


When supported by perks that show your appreciation of employees, they will repay you.


#5. Focus on interior design choices


Interior design choices have a huge influence on your brand and help your company set a great first impression. However, it’s not only customers who are influenced by this. Staff members will also respond to the settings. Like hydration, natural lighting can translate to improved productivity and happiness. Colour schemes and floor plans are vital too. Speaking to a commercial interior design team can be one of your smartest moves.


When used to support the other steps mentioned above, success is assured.




Saturday, January 8, 2022

Sweet Temptations For Christmas 2021

ABSENT....  For the past couple of weeks.... Now I am back again!

To continue on my Christmas post, *yes, very backdated, I know*..... 

Desserts came after the main meal, a big thank you to our youngest chef who has a real passion for cooking and baking... Her name is Kaye, only in her early 20s and she really cooks and bakes real good food!  She is planning to open a cafe soon... just find for the right location and timing... meanwhile, she does all the orders online, just type in Dining With Kaye in the Instagram and we will find lots of good and yummy food there, mainly desserts, which is really my kind of food!

Here goes...one of her Christmas packs.... 
Inside her box of goodies....
She does everything from scratch...
And I think I have tried a bit of everything inside this box.... 
Fudges, choc lava... butter cookies.... among them.... 
She brought over a tray of Tiramisu!
Her signature cake...
And she has so many orders for this cake....
I am missing this now...
Never tasted such tiramisu before....
Real Quality... 
Red velvet cake from Railey's.....
Only two pieces were eaten on Christmas....
Everyone was busy "attacking" the Tiramisu...
LOL... 

Friday, January 7, 2022

The day my Nintendo DS stopped working

I had a ton of free time on a particular rainy Saturday afternoon. It was a perfect day to be lazy in the chilly weather. I decided to first warm myself up with some food. I cooked some hot soup and braised some pan-fried tofu, having them over freshly cooked white rice. It was just perfect for the day as I warmed up over lunch, making it more comfortable to stay in and laze around.

I took out my Nintendo DS from my drawer and headed for the couch. I made myself comfortable and then started the only game I have played on the DS over the past year, Cooking Mama. Cooking Mama is this cooking simulator game where a character instructs you how to prepare ingredients and cook dishes. It is a very casual game that I can just start and not worry about stopping as most dishes can be completed in a short time. I still have quite a number of dishes I have not started cooking in the game and so I got going in my quest to complete the game.

An hour into breaking eggs into a pan, stirring ingredients in a mixing bowl and grilling fish in the game, the low battery light flashed. I quickly got the charger ready and the moment I plugged it to the DS, it just turned off. No matter how I tried to turn it on again, it just wouldn’t respond. Its dead, and I have no idea why.

Well, I need to fill the rest of the day with something else and I wanted a little bit more Cooking Mama. What else to do but scour the internet for some cooking games. The first game I found was a boiling egg game. I get six pots of water with a clickable button each which controls the flame. The goal is to cook as many eggs as possible in the correct temperature window for the desired doneness. Each time a button is clicked, the heat indicator goes up a little. So, spam clicking the buttons is required to keep the eggs in the right temperature window. The experience is really quite similar to Cooking Mama. I spam clicked and managed the temperature of six different pots which just tire out my finger. Well, it is a casual game and it is quite addictive. After a couple of rounds where I try to beat my previous high score as much as possible, I looked for another game.

There are not many games that focus on the process of preparing ingredients while cooking. But in this website where I found the egg game, there were quite a few restaurant simulators. I opened a random one out of the list and played a little. In this game, I just manage the customer flow into and out of the restaurant as the only waiter there. I click on tables to guide customers there, clicked the kitchen to get food and pass them to the customers, collect payments from them and then clear the table. There is a revenue target for the restaurant each day which have to be met within the time limit provided. The game was quite addictive and I spent the rest of my day advancing through the game, trying to hit the ever increasing daily target every time.

Overall, a sad day for my Nintendo DS, but quite a rewarding time discovering some new games to play. Though, I still need some Cooking Mama and there is no substitute for that.


Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Home Problems That May Be Preventing You From Enjoying Your Home

You'll want to make sure that your house is a relaxing haven for you and your family, as well as a source of stability for your finances in the big scheme of things. Those things, however, are not assured. When you're a property owner, there are a lot of things that may go wrong. As a result, you may not be able to enjoy your home as much as you would like, or you may have financial issues.


When it comes to serious concerns, it may be possible to avoid them if you're aware of them in advance. We'll go over some of the most important issues with your house that you should be aware of in this article.


https://unsplash.com/photos/U8zsjmKA840 


Security Flaws

It's critical that you take steps to keep your house secure. For starters, you will not be as comfortable in your home as you could be if it isn't properly secured. Second, you will be at risk of becoming a victim of crime. Both are two things you could definitely go without, though. Even if your front entrance is well-guarded, there's a chance that your garage, rear door, and other weak spots aren't, so check them out before it's too late.


Structural Integrity

Even if it's natural to be preoccupied with the interior of your home, the truth is that if something goes wrong, say, with your wallpaper, you only have to fix it quickly. Because of this, if you have an issue with your home's infrastructure, it could lead to much more catastrophic problems. Is the security of your roof as good as it might or should be? You'll want to take a proactive approach to this because a single hole in the roof might result in big issues. The same goes for your windows, failure to rectify issues quickly could lead to replacement windows instead of a quick fix.. If your home's foundation has a problem, it can be very expensive to repair. And the worse the situation gets, the longer it's allowed to fester. So, get to work as soon as you can!


Water Damage

Make sure to keep an eye on your home for signs of water damage as well. Slight water damage isn't a big deal if it's found early, but if it's not addressed right away, you risk getting mould. You'll need to know what to look for in order to remember the problem, so spend some time researching the early indicators of mould. You won't have to worry about anything if you deal with the situation as soon as possible.


A general lack of quality

The main challenges are difficult, but most people understand that they must be addressed as quickly as possible. When the problem is slight, people take longer to act. Having numerous tiny problems, on the other hand, can lead to one major issue. It's worthwhile to master the fundamentals of home DIY so that you can manage problems as they emerge – it'll help to keep your house in good shape.


Lunar New Year 2024 Before And After

TODAY IS THE SIXTH DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR.... And this is the day when I am now free to blog a few lines to activate back my blog after a lon...