My personal review of a netbook

What do I think of a Netbook?  It's great if you are using it mainly for browsing the Web, accessing emails, participating in forums, blogging or if you are someone who are constantly on the move and you need to accomplish tasks on the run, yeah...netbook is great becos it is extremely lightweight and can fit into a handbag easily. However, for me.....

                                                   

3 days into using this piece of crap machine, I feel like I want to poke my eyes out. Steams are coming out of my ears each time I attempt to do work with it. 

The display is small. I have to keep scrolling down just to read one page of document.

It is fucking slow...but then again, what can one expect from a machine that uses Atom processor.

It does not come with an optical drive.

The battery is great when it's new but we'll see how it performs 6 mths down the line.

The pointing device ia fuckingly annoying.  Sometimes I try to place the cursor on the screen, the page will just runs up or down automatically.  Damn annoying especially when one is rushing to get work done.

Sometimes need to click more than twice to open up a file.

Limited RAM and HDD size.

Forget about watching videos online.  A snail can crawl to China and back and I still don't get to watch the video.

In short, a Netbook is not for business use.  Great for a directors, maybe, cos let's face it, they delegate more than they actually do work.  Not so great for the Executives who need to do work on a computer for hours.  If you are someone who is easily stressed, for goodness sake, never ever get a netbook...not  unless you want your blood pressure to go thru the roof.

I don't understand how my moron team leader can get us a netbook considering that we deal with proposals on a frequent basis and a CD/DVD drive is very much an important necessity than a luxury.  This is what I call...making decision without utilising the brain. Personally, this is an insult.

Bringing the feet to life

For someone who has never done foot reflexology before, I have been itching to try this out for the past 1 month. Now I can say, been there, done that. To encourage better blood circulation, I encouraged myself to go for regular massage in order to have better results. Here are some reviews of the places I have tried out.

Pusat Rawatan Cinta (WARTA Shopping Centre, Bangi)

The name of the shop seemed a little kinky but there was nothing kinky going on here. Owned by a Malay couple. The lady was able to advise some of the little problems I have, namely..weak left kidney and knees (ya, I injured both knees before). For a first timer, this experience wasn't bad as the massage was gentle. However, it is slightly more expensive. RM30 for a half hour massage. I can get cheaper elsewhere.

Break Time Traditional Massage (1st Floor, Endah Parade, Sri Petaling)

With so many foot reflexology shops (I stopped counting at 10, and that is just on one floor) to choose from in this shopping complex, I finally settled on this one. Started off with soaking feet in warm water with sea salt, which I assume was to get rid of any odor and to soften the feet. Unlike my first attempt, this one is slightly more painful cos first of all, it was a guy who did the massage, and secondly, he was using his knuckles. He repeatedly asked if I was ok which I assured him I was, though I was silently "screaming" in pain...ahaks. Despite this, it was really nice. I felt all the tensions just draining away. Felt so much lighter too. The massage was priced at RM20 for 40minutes and RM30 for 1hour. I like this one so I may return for another massage here.

Patrick Wong Foot Reflexology (2nd Floor, Endah Parade, Sri Petaling)

The cheapest but the most painful foot massage I have encountered thus far. Owned by a Mr. Patrick who can speak English so I was able to ask loads of questions. Started off with soaking feet too but no warm water and no sea salt. Humpph! Mr. Patrick also used his knuckes and since he is quite a big sized man, naturally the energy he put in were more. I was told my digestive system was a little weak (I kinda suspected this). Unlike my visits to other foot reflexologists, Mr. Patrick spent equal time massaging both feet and legs. I assumed Mr. Patrick is a one man staff at his shop so it is best to visit during non peak hours ie. weekdays or else make prior appointments. RM18 for 45mins. 10 times, free 1 OR 20 times, free 3.

Arokaya House (Sunway Pyramid, LG2, near Marrakesh Zone)

Opted for their Foot Reflexology + Back Massage package. This is pure Thai traditional massage center. Lovely Thai settings with english speaking Thai staff. Started off with warm feet bath + sea salt. Despite 3 previous attempts at foot massage, I still couldn't help but grimaced when the Thai girl was working me. When she whipped out a wooden stick, I braved myself for the worse. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. The customers around me were mostly sleeping or resting their eyes during their foot massages. I, on the other hand, have not reached that stage yet. The massage started off with feet/leg, arms then the back. The kneeding was damn good despite the pain. Couldn't help but tensed up at times, which isn't good really. Left the shop feeling extremely fresh and light though. This package is priced at RM60 - 1 hour. There is a 10% between the hours of 10am-12noon.

Next target: Full body massage. Till then, cheers!

I have officially been poked

I braved myself to visit an acupuncturist a week ago at Da Cheng Chinese Physician & Acupuncturist, Puchong Jaya. The sinsei (chinese physician) is a Taiwanese. After explaining to him the reason for my visit (cannot sleep well at nite), he proceeded to ask some questions and pressed certain parts of my body to assess pain. Since my problem was not a physical problem, the sinsei seemed to have slight difficulty assessing me. Ended up I required 3 needles..2 near my armpits and the other on my neck. All on the left side of my body. Needles used are new, rest assured. The sinsei opened them right in front of me. After inserting the needles, I was told to rest or sleep for 30 mins. Easier said than done, in my case.

I was prescribed some chinese medicine to be consumed for 3 days; in powder and capsule form. All in all, it cost me RM83; RM12 (for consultation), RM20 (for acupuncture), RM36 (6 powder packs) and RM15 (3 capsules). Very expensive, IMO. Next time will settle for one that do not require medication. Anyone who wishes to try out acupuncture must ensure that they go to a certified acupuncturist.

Can't really tell what is the effect of this on my insomnia. Sleep has improved though not smooth yet. Cheers!

Da Cheng Chinese Physician and Acupuncturist Sdn Bhd

159, Jalan Kenari 23A

Bandar Puchong Jaya

47100 Puchong Jaya

Tel: 8075 8579

Nori Maki anyone?

I found a healthier snack to feast on....Nori Maki Rice Crackers, classic japanese rice crackers wrapped in tight hugging seaweed. Super crunchy and super crisp. Unlike some other types of rice crackers, this one does not contain msg.

The package claims FAT FREE, CHOLESTEROL FREE AND NUT FREE. OK, I'll take their word for it. Definitely no nuts though. It also says "You will become addicted once you try them". That is so true...I definitely can't stop eating since I open it.

The package is resealable and the zipper actually seals well. It's priced at RM4.75 (yes, not cheap). I bought mine at Jusco Supermarket.

Masking with Dainty Design

Of late, I couldn't resist checking out sheet facial masks in Guardians and Watsons. Got myself 2 pieces of Dainty All-In-One Collagen facial masks at RM13.80 over the weekend. Or one can get 5 pieces at RM26.90. Was indecisive between Dainty and Neutrogena's Deep Hydrating mask, having read good reviews about this 2 products in beauty forums. Finally, decided on the former.

Collagen, a type of protein, makes up about 25% of our body's total amount of protein. It provides firmness and strength to the body tissues. As we aged, collagen degrades and leads to wrinkle formation.

Effects of All-In-One Collagen Mask :

1. To whiten and re-hydrate your skin

2. Prevent wrinkles by increasing skin elasticity

3. To repair and re-conceal wounds and sunken scars

4. To facilitates the recovery of skin metabolism

5. Modulate and stabilizes skin pH

I am not too sure of the effects above it left on my skin after just using 1 piece. The mask was a little big for my face but I guess all the better to cover every inch of my face eh?. Had a little difficulty opening up the whole mask because there were too many foldings. This mask covers the eye area as well, including eye lids. The essence didn't drip down my neck which was good. If anything, there were plenty of the essence after I put the mask on my face, that I actually used it to wipe on my neck, no waste.

After using, my face did feel more hydrated and radiant. Face didn't feel sticky at all, even after massaging in all the leftover essence. I believe my fine lines are also minimised but it did nothing to my laugh lines, at least not yet. My stubborn pimple scars did look lightened slightly. Gonna try a few more of these and see the overall effect.