Quality furniture site

As I have mentioned several times on this blog, I have been an Ikea fan for quite sometime. However, I can feel that my taste is slowly changing. Maybe watching too many Colin and Justin interior decoration shows on TV is having it's effect. The company produces very functional furniture that you put up yourself but somehow lacks the sophistication.

If I were a successful business man, I am not quite sure whether I would go for plywood or fibreboard furniture that I have to put together, for my office.

On the other hand, this handsome computer desk is something that I would definitely consider. It comes from the online furniture store 'Furniture From Home', which carries a range of high quality bedroom, Living Room and Home Office Furniture among others.

Their website is quite nice and it's easy for customers to shop by room, style, or color using the advanced search on the site.

A simple way to self-publish

Are you an aspiring author but have no idea how to go about publishing your book?

You may very well be the next JK Rowling but unfortunately convincing the various, well established publishing houses otherwise may prove to be the biggest hurdle. Even if you do convince them, they might take away most of the control over the book while giving you a paltry sum as a royalty.

You may want to consider a new way of publishing a book, by Self Publishing with AuthorHouse. This leading self-publishing company was established in 1997 and have since then has helped over 25,000 authors to self publish their book.

The best part is that you as a author retain all rights and control decisions regarding the publishing and ultimate marketing of their book. After it is published you won't even have to worry about the marketing of the book as it will available for order at more than 25,000 retail outlets worldwide, online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, well as their own online book store.

My copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Oops! I should make that OUR COPY of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (my wife wants to read it first). Drove down to the nearby Morrisons and grabbed a copy. I was quite surprised because there was so many copies left. I had expected the shelves to be half empty at least. Read my post "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows price war".



There was an elderly couple in front of me at the payment counter and they were really surprised when I told them it cost only £4.99. The husband quickly ran to the display near the entrance to grab a copy for their grandchild.

"People were queuing up for it at midnight", the lady told me. "Yeah!" I replied, "they didn't need to".

Tags: harry potter harry potter and the deathly hallows morrisons

High defnition video communication

A few years ago, only a few companies considered video conferencing. However, due to innovations in technology and faster net connections, it is something very viable. There are several advantages - you can save on travel costs (and of course the environment by reducing your carbon footprint), hotel cots and of course no jet lag.

Companies are not the only ones that can benefit from video conferencing systems. For example if you organistion is involved in the education sector and you are thinking of installing such a system, you might want to consider LifeSize's Video Conference Equipment, which delivers high definition video resolution (1280 x 720) at 1Mbps

This high definition video communications company was founded in 2003 and has it's headquarters in Austin, Texas.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows price war

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) is $17.99 on Amazon.com. On the other hand, it is £8.99 on the Amazon UK site.

Compare that with what UK supermarket chain Morrisons is offering. The last Harry Potter book is only £4.99 here. No! I won't be queuing up anywhere when the clock strikes midnight. However, I will be rushing there tomorrow morning and hope that there are still some copies left. If not, my next choice will be Asda where it is going for £5.

It is still £8.87 at Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Waterstone's and Woolworths are sellingit at £8.99 per copy while it is £10.99 at WH Smith.

The price war is on in Malaysia too. According to a news report, bookstores here are protesting against hypermarkets Carrefour and Tesco, slashing the price of the book from the recommended retail price of RM109.90 to RM69.90. The four major bookstores there, namely MPH, Popular, Harris and Times announced at a press conference, that they would not sell the last Harry Potter book. Cry babies!

Updated: 22 July 2007

Tags: harry potter harry potter and the deathly hallows morrisons

Bowling shirts made in the USA

Most cloth manufacturers in the developed countries have now moved production to China, India and other countries where the cost of production is cheaper. It's simple economics. This is true of many American brands. However, there are a few survivors who still produce their clothes in America and proudly carry the 'Made in the US' label.

There are still many American customers who will buy these American-made products even though they are slightly costlier than those available in the local hypermarkets, for patriotic reasons. I guess the brand names have something to do with it too. People trusts the quality of the brands. A good example are the American-made retro bowling shirts and rockabilly shirts. they have loads of designs but the most popular shirts on the site happen to be the retro bowling shirts.

European rail info site

When I was a kid in London, I had a very close friend called Marco. They were from Portugal and his mum used to work with my dad. We lost touch after we all left the UK for our respective home countries. I have always wanted to go to Portugal and find out what ever happened to him.

I suddenly remembered him as I was going through the Railshopper.com website and came across the Portugal Rail Pass Tickets. This site is ideal for searching for Europe rail passes, tickets and schedules.

I hate to be blunt but the site looks quite boring. The site needs more brightening up and more images might do the job. For example, night life pictures of Lisbon in the above mentioned Portugal page instead of that ugly looking train image.

I also suggest that they get rid of their amateurish looking logo and get one properly designed. Having said that, the site does have loads of useful info and visitors would probably come back for that.

The Coca-Cola with Orange

Just noticed an ad for the new limited edition Coca-Cola with orange. According to the ad, it is available in 3 sizes, namely, 6 pack of 330ml cans, 500ml and 2 litre bottles. Later learnt that this particular limited edition is for release in the UK only. The drink contains 1% orange fruit from concentrate.

I couldn't find it in the Tesco Metro outlet near my house.

Wonder how it tastes like.

Bloody inefficient energy company

When we first moved into our house, it already had a prepaid card meter system installed for both the electricity and gas. As we preferred to be billed, our landlord had both replaced to electronic meters. The company we signed up for is supposed to be one of the biggest in the UK and has ads running on TV all the time.

A few months on I was a bit worried as we hadn't received any bill as yet. Looked up their website and called up their customer service number. Was asked to push a couple of numbers one after another and I finally got a ring tone. However after several minutes nobody answered. At that time we didn't have a house phone and I was calling from my mobile - I hung up. Emailed them asking them for a bill. Received a prompt reply and they asked me to send them my meter readings. This I did.

After a few weeks I received a letter from Siemens (their official metering partner, it seems) asking me to fill up a a small form with the meter reading and send it back to them. I was a bit concerned as the letter was addressed to "New Customer" with our address but I sent it back anyway,.

Weeks went by but still no bill arrived even though we received 2 new prepayment cards. I again sent them an email and called them up too. This time I got through and explained that I had changed to a metering system. The people at the other end were quite polite but seemed to be quite clueless to what was going on and couldn't give me any satisfying answer. Was passed around a bit but finally assured that everything will be settled.

While waiting for the bill, I had the billing changed to my name rather than my wife.

I got the shock of my life when we received TWO bills in February - one for £584.57 and another for a whooping £1,193.97 (both dated 18 of Sept. 2006). The bills were addressed to the "New Customer" but both had separate account numbers listed. Around the same time, we received 2 more prepayment cards addressed to my wife.

Of course I was worried. Remember this was in Winter and we had 2 kids with us. Just imagine what would have happened if the gas and electricity were cut off.

I called them up and after being passed around a few time finally spoke to someone who told em that there had been a mistake and if I could give them the meter reading AGAIN.

Waited for some more time but the bill still didn't come. Called them up again - got passed around and I had to explain everything all over again - that we didn't have a prepayment meter, the bill was wrong as we only moved in around the end of Sept. blah blah blah.

We finally received a bill around the end of March and another in June. All the while no body came to check the meter readings, which means that our bills were estimations.

In the end, fed up with the company and after finding out that other companies were offering much cheaper rates, we shifted to EDF energy last month.

However, the story does not end there. After we moved to the new company, we have been visited by representatives from the previous company, not once but TWICE. They wanted to change our non-existent prepayment meter to the newer version.

The difference between a developing country (for example, Malaysia) and a developed country (UK) is that they are (supposed to be) more efficient and have better customer service. That is also the same argument behind the privatization of services but it seems like they have messed up everything here in the UK. Customer service is almost non-existent even though we have a number of companies to choose from.

Give me Tenaga Nasional anytime.

updated with extra info: 18 July '07

Personalized prepaid card for teens

Just learnt that the PAYjr Visa Buxx card was launched today. Targeted at teens (13 and older) and of course, their parents, this reloadable prepaid allow teens to personalize them by using their own images. Teens can upload images and design their own card. This is a great idea and I bet this would be a hit with many grown ups too. Any credit card companies listening?

PAYjr is also running a card design competition. Teenagers can upload their own card designs on the site. Other people can vote for their favorite designs. The winners stands to win an Apple Macbook among other prizes. Check the site for more details.

Asia Petroleum Hub commencement of works ceremony

As promised in my previous post, here are some exclusive pictures from the commencement of works ceremony.



What you won't read in the newspapers. Apparently there was a bit of drama on the day of the ceremony (5th July). In the morning at about 9.30 am a strong storm started and blew off some of smaller tents that had been put up on the island. The generator went off and everything was in big mess. However the storm suddenly let up around 11 am and everything went off as planned.





Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH




Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi















The official press release:

Asia Petroleum Hub Set to Place Malaysia in the Global Petroleum Trading Market

Pulau Petroliam Johor, Thursday, 5th July 2007 - The highly anticipated Asia Petroleum Hub (APH) project was officially named today with the honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmah Badawi performing the commencement of works ceremony witnessed by Johor Menteri Besar YAB Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani Othman , Minister of Transport YB Dato Seri Chan Kong Choy and other luminaries.

This RM1.4 billion project sited on a 100-acre (approx. 40 ha) reclaimed island near Tanjung Pelepas is being developed by homegrown KIC Oil & Gas (KIC), which holds a 90% stake and the remaining 10% is held by Trek Perintis Sdn. Bhd., a government-approved strategic financial investor. KIC is the largest independent terminal operator as well as a major bunker player in Malaysia.

APH, targeted for completion in 2009, will be an integrated facility with multiple jetties capable of handling all sizes of vessels from 1,000 dead weight tonnes (DWT) coastal tankers to 350,000 DWT Ultra Large Crude Carriers as well as accommodate over 3,000 vessels calling at the terminal annually. The terminal is designed to handle over 30 million tons of petroleum products and is expected to achieve a turnover exceeding RM200 million annually.

In the first 5 years, in is anticipated that the value created from APH will be RM1.1 billion from storage revenues alone. In addition, the value of oil stored will be in excess of RM100 billion and the value of physical and paper trading generated from the Hub will be over RM1 trillion.

The Hub is essential in meeting the demands for petroleum storage and blending requirements which presently relies on foreign facilities. It provides the much needed option for additional strategic storage of petroleum products on Malaysian soil.

The IDR will receive a massive boost from the project. The Hub will be a natural pillar of the Logistics sector and the IDR will reap various benefits from the spin-off effects of the Hub. This will help ensure the IDR not only takes off on a firm footing but grows from strength to strength.

Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry, the Executive Chairman of APH said, “The Hub will not only put Malaysia at the heart of the global petroleum market and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP but will help to spur the economic growth of the State of Johor as it provides a spectrum of socio-economic benefits through the increase of business activities that will bring about job creation and improved infrastructure”.

He added, “One of APH’s mission is to reduce the cost of landed petroleum products in Malaysia by eliminating double-handling charges as shipments will be made directly from source to the Hub.

The entire cost of this project is undertaken by APH and funded via equity and project financing provided by a local bank.

As part of its CSR initiatives, APH is firm in its support of the Environmental Protection Zone which houses the mangrove conservation area.

APH will be managed by KIC Oil Terminals Sdn Bhd. which also manages KIC’s oil terminals in Port Tanjung Pelepas and West Port. Once completed APH is poised to complement Singapore, currently the world’s largest trans-shipment for petroleum products.

The project team comprises of ZAQ Construction Sdn Bhd who is the managing contractor entrusted with the completion of the project, Mott MacDonald Ltd, Nam Fatt Corporation Bhd., Kencana Petroleum Bhd., Muhibbah Engineering Bhd., and Qi-PMC Sdn Bhd.

About The KIC Group

KIC Group of Companies is currently the largest independent terminal operator in Malaysia with a total storage and production capacity of 522,000 cbm. Through their Floating Oil Processing Terminal, Kadriah I, which is anchored just outside Port Tanjung Pelepas and another land based terminal based in West Port, Port Klang, KIC currently caters to the bunker needs of the country’s two busiest ports. In the last three years KIC has handled 19 million metric tones (MT) of cargo and has successfully turned around the utilization of storage facilities at Westport from 300,000 MT to 3 million MT, transforming it from a domestic petroleum depot to an international petroleum terminal.

The company was founded by Tuan Haji Abdul Rashid Mohd Isa Al-Qadiry and Faidzan Hassan Al-Qadiry, who are also the major shareholders.

Tags: kic petroleum asia petroleum hub abdul rashid mohd isa al-qadiry faidzan hassan al-qadiry kadriah I

World’s largest petroleum terminal

Some of you may recall that I had blogged about "Malaysia as South East Asian oil hub" a few months back.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today launched the groundbreaking ceremony of the Asia Petroleum Hub (APH). This 1.0 million cubic-meter storage terminal would be located on a 40 ha man-made island, in Tanjung Bin, Pontian, Johor.

The Government of Malaysia has invested RM100mil in the RM1.4bil terminal.

Scheduled to be completed in 2009, APH is being developed by a consortium led by the KIC Group of companies. It would be able to handle 30 million tonnes of petroleum products and accommodate 3,000 vessels annually when completed.

Come back for some exclusive pictures.

Reputed international logistics company

Due to the advances of transportation, the World has indeed become a much smaller place. More and more people are leaving their home countries to seek their fortune or destiny in other countries. An overseas posting is also seen as a prerequisite for moving up the corporate ladder now in MNCs. However, packing up and moving home can be an harrowing experience. I had to face that when we moved to the UK from Malaysia last year.

Anyway, when shipping your stuff (you can't take everything in your air luggage) you need to be extremely careful in choosing a reputable international shipping company. Schumacher Cargo Logistics is apparently one of the best. They have been specializing in international cargo shipping since 1977. They ship almost anything including automobiles, household goods, and cargo to overseas destinations.

Talking about automobile shipping, it was interesting to note that Schumacher Cargo Logistics, moves over 10,000 vehicles annually. This includes cars, motorcycles, RV's, and even boats.

In the US, the company operates warehouses in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami and New York. In Europe, Schumacher Cargo Logistics own and operate their own companies in the UK, The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, while all other worldwide destinations are covered by affiliated organization member companies.

Their website stresses that besides transportation, they take the utmost care to secure vehicles during transit by utilizing insured, secured and bonded facilities. One indication of their high standard of quality is their safety records for cargo shipment delivery that has exceeded all industry standards. Thus, we can rest assured that our stuff will reach the destination safe and sound.

And that's not all, their shipping rates are extremely competitive. Contact them for a free quote today.

Received my VistaPrint name cards

Quite sometime back I had visited the VistaPrint site after learning about their unbelievable offer - 250 name cards for free. Was a bit skeptical but as it turned out, it was indeed free but you have to pay for the shipping. I was OK with that and was about to check out when I discovered that I couldn't pay using PayPal. They only accept credit cards. I didn't want to use my credit cards and left the site.

A few days later, I received an offer by e-mail from them - "Premium Business Cards - 250 usually $19.99
NOW FREE". So, I went ahead as it was real cheap. Was tired with giving excuses to people whenever they handed me their card, saying "Sorry! I don't have a card."

I had opted for the normal (slow) shipping and it finally arrived today. The total cost was only US$6.47 after tax.

Quite happy with the quality of the printing and the paper. Just wondering how the ordinary name card quality would be like as mine was supposed to be premium quality. It looks and feels just like any other normal card. But I am not complaining at that price.

So how do they make money?

As you go through the card making process, they tempt you with a number of add-ons - like ability to put up your logo, printing on the back, card holder and so on, which slowly adds up to the total. I went for the "no frills" option (FREE) and it still looks great.

Definitely recommend this site. UK customers go to their UK site here.

Related link: Business cards for free with VistaPrint

Tags: name cards vistaprint

Google's massage manager

At first I thought it was a joke but found out that it's true. Google really has a Massage Programs Manager.

From their website, I learnt that Google’s massage program began in 1999 and it has become the most popular onsite perk in the company. So, if you thought that the only jobs available in Google were for IT people, then you are wrong. They are also looking for massage therapists too.

Hear what Babette, Google's Massage Programs Manager has to say:



Tags: google jobs massage

Ikea in Coventry

As a long time fan of Ikea, I was really excited when I heard that they were going to open a store here in Coventry. This store on Queen Victoria Road, is the first one to be built in a City centre shopping area. Work started on the site on 15 May last year and is scheduled to open later this year.

The building will be seven storeys high, three of which will be for parking and another three for stores (with a store space of 24,000 square meters).

Ikea's decision to open a store is a boon for Coventry which has seen an exodus of businesses and public services leaving the city in the past few years. The new store is expected to create around 1000 new jobs here.

Right now, they already have a small store open at 2 Croft Road, CV1 3AZ.

Would definitely love to work with them. Since they are recruiting, I thought it would be a good idea to send in an application too. Unfortunately, have been rejected twice.

Guess I will have to send in an application again.

Fresh food from Florida

When we talk about Florida, the first thing that comes to mind are the amusement parks, in particular the Walt Disney World Resort and of course the Universal Orlando Resort. However, Florida is much more than Orlando and amusement parks.

I too was surprised to learn that agriculture in the state is a is a $87 billion industry. Fresh food produce from Florida are sent to countries around the globe. Just shows how Florida's Farmers are making their mark on the World.

Just check out the video below:

Fresh milk in Malaysia

The one with the blue cap is Whole milk whereas the other one with the green cap is semi-skimmed milk.
Our small family of four consumes one of each - that's 3 litres of milk, every week.

One of our friends just returned to Coventry from Malaysia for his doctoral viva. It seems that his kids are having a tough time readjusting to life in Malaysia. It can be a culture shock sometimes considering that the some of the kids were born and raised up here in the UK. However, I am sure it will be a matter of time before they settle in.

One of the complaints was that it was so hard to obtain fresh milk back home. Not impossible but hard. I guess it's true. Most of the milk in Malaysia comes from Australia and New Zealand and it's either in the canned condensed/ sweetened or powder form.

I may be wrong but there is not a single diary company of note in Malaysia today. I posed this question to one of my friends who is involved in goat rearing and import of cattle. According to him, most people who rear cattle in Malaysia do so for their meat. Many are actually mere importers, who bring in cattle from Thailand and then resell them in Malaysia.

He added that even though Malaysians consume a lot of milk products, especially in their favorite drink (maybe the National drink) - teh tarik, it is mostly in the form of sweetened condensed milk. Not many Malaysians drink fresh milk now-a-days anyway. The Chinese also traditionally prefer soya rather than cow milk.

However, talking to the older generation including my in-laws, I learned that they used to drink fresh milk in their childhood.

So what happened? Does that mean that the food habits changed in a single generation.

My friend was reluctant to try the diary business despite my suggestion that once eaten, a cow is gone forever but can give milk for a long time if kept alive. According to him, it was a high risk venture. However, I am sure there is a market for fresh milk.

So any takers for diary farming in Malaysia?

BP and Shell

Did you know that the petroleum companies, BP and Shell, were once a single company?

BP and Shell-Mex Ltd had merged in 1931, to create Shell-Mex and BP Ltd until they separated again in 1975.

I only got to know when I visited the Coventry Transport Museum. It was not mentioned anywhere in the museum but my father-in-law, who's in the oil and gas business noticed this classic petrol truck.


Read about our trip to the museum with loads of pics here.

Not related, but the BP fuel station here on Lockhurst Lane, happens to be my favourite, along with Tesco's at Ricoh Arena - because they are the cheapest.

Tags: bp coventry shell coventry transport museum

Belisi Fashions press release

PALM BEACH, Fla., May 2 /PRNewswire/ - Fashion, it's not just a New York game anymore. South Florida has become a top contender of those "in the know." Palm Beach-based Belisi Fashions, a driving force behind this new fashion movement, combines luxury, innovative style and distinctive creations, setting it a part from the rest of the fashion industry. Fashion-forward designer Peter Belisi of Belisi Fashions is unveiling his new and improved online destination http://www.Belisi.com, which is more than a shopping website-it's a community where discriminating consumers can find valuable fashion advice, keep up with trends and so much more.


Belisi Fashions is synonymous with luxury, a brand that represents a growing collection of fine Italian silk ties, pocket squares, and scarves. Peter Belisi inspires and surprises with characteristic versatility and responsiveness to an ever-changing market. The very essence of his collections reflects his emotional and artistic view of life's experiences; thereby, creating a personal style inspiring men and women to dress and accessorize according to their own personality.

Belisi was built on the philosophy that a necktie or a scarf is more than an article of clothing-it completes your look. "There are plenty of Web sites where you can buy accessories but few where you feel like you're a part of a fashion community," affirms Belisi.

"A tie is a focal point that makes a bold statement. When we design and create a tie, pocket square or scarf, we first think about the person who will wear it. We want our products to enhance customers' lives through quality, using the most aucourant in fabrics and signature detailing," confirms Belisi. "These accessories add flare to any outfit with an accent of color that creates a whole new look."

The Belisi brand is flourishing, and anticipates the release of its new luxury handbag collection in Fall '07. As with all Belisi products, the handbag collection will feature extraordinary detailing including real gold hardware, soft treated Italian leather and brushed fabrics, plus many other exclusive features only available through Belisi.com.

About Belisi.com
Belisi.com is an online community where customers are "Insiders" instead of order numbers. Being an "Insider" means access to special privileges including free shipping, gift wrap on all orders and a designated place on the Belisi Insider's Advisory Board. Belisi Insiders' opinions are more than thoughts expressed in cyber space. Peter Belisi embraces each comment, suggestion or question and responds to his clients personally. Belisi's fashion blogs offer up-to-the-minute insight from fashion, beauty and lifestyle experts. Find out more by visiting:
http://www.TheDivasDreams.com for women and http://www.SharpByDesignblog.com for men.
Belisi also has a beauty blog, http://www.BeautifulMeblog.com, which keeps customers "in the know" about all things related to beauty-inside and out.

About Belisi Fashions
The Belisi brand is the brainchild of Peter Belisi, whose lifelong aspirations were to fuse the luxury and prestige of Palm Beach with Italian sophistication. Belisi embodies the spirit of true entrepreneurship with a passion for the best of everything, which is evident in the quality products produced. Each dramatic detail in a Belisi tie, pocket square and scarf represents Belisi's unwavering commitment to creating fashion products that embody timeless sophistication and enduring beauty.
Peter Belisi is loyal to his community and remains steadfast in giving back to those in need, never forgetting his roots and the journey that led him to where he is today. Through the "Belisi Luxury with Meaning" program, a minimum of 10 percent of the company's pre-tax profits are donated to those in need. Thus keeping in-line with Belisi's mission to create a community within a community, customers decide which charity to make their contribution. Some of the charities include: Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, American Heart Association, and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.