Fuel prices in Malaysia is set to rise from RM 1.92 ringgit to RM 2.70 (£0.425) a litre while in India it has increased to Rs 47.49 (£0.57) a litre (an increase of almost 5 rupees). Read the report in the International Herald Tribune here. Petrol prices are heavily subsidised in both countries.
Over here in the UK the prices are determined by the market. Got the shock of my life when I saw the prices at the nearby Texaco station near my house this morning - 116.99p. It is the highest since we arrived here in the UK.
As a student here, I am definitely feeling the pinch. As much as I would like to, I simply can't reduce my dependence on the car. I use it to send and pick up my kids from the nursery. We also have use it to go to the University. Of course public transport is always an option but we have to change two buses to get there, taking almost 40 minutes of our precious time and a day saver ticket costs £2.60. In the end, it is cheaper to take the car.
However we are resigned to it as it doesn't look like the fuel prices are not going to come down anytime soon. It might not even come down at all.
05 June 2008
01 June 2008
Pink flowers
Noticed a strange plant coming up all over the place. Uprooted most of them and I don't know why, left this one. Quite recently it started flowering - beautiful pink flowers. Like usual, I have no idea what this plant is. Now I am regretting cutting the plants. The amazing thing is that I have no idea where they came from.
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
The Hairdresser
Had my hair cut yesterday at my favourite saloon. It's walking distance form my house but I didn't know it was unisex as the place is packed with ladies, until I saw a sign offering discounts on haircuts for gents. There's only one guy there who deals with the guys the rest are all ladies and there's even a special room for the guys.
Anyway, noticed the discount for guys is still on (only £6/). The guy who cut my hair is really friendly and talkative. We got talking and I found out that he's been cutting hair on and off for nearly 46 years. He's been cutting hair even before I was born. However, he told me that he had worked in a car factory for sometime. He lost his job when the factory closed. But he was quite philosophical about it saying that it was part of Coventry's evolution. "It has been reinventing itself over the ages". He told me that the place had been famous for it's watches at one time and for silk at another until industrialisation happened and it became the auto capital of the UK.
No! I forgot to ask his name.
Anyway, noticed the discount for guys is still on (only £6/). The guy who cut my hair is really friendly and talkative. We got talking and I found out that he's been cutting hair on and off for nearly 46 years. He's been cutting hair even before I was born. However, he told me that he had worked in a car factory for sometime. He lost his job when the factory closed. But he was quite philosophical about it saying that it was part of Coventry's evolution. "It has been reinventing itself over the ages". He told me that the place had been famous for it's watches at one time and for silk at another until industrialisation happened and it became the auto capital of the UK.
No! I forgot to ask his name.
27 May 2008
Review of Socialspark.com
In case you haven't heard there is a new social marketing network on the web.
SocialSpark is the latest innovation from the same guys who brought you PayPerPost. It is similar to the latter in some respects in that it is an online market place where advertisers and bloggers come together. However, there are several features that makes Socialspark different from PayPerPost, or for that matter, from any other social marketing network on the web. More about that later.
After signing up, you go and add your blogs. In order to do this, I had to add the claim and the itk (IZEA ToolKit) Javascript codes. You can start taking opportunities (sponsored posts) as soon as your blog is verified.
Taking an opportunity was a bit confusing in the beginning but later found out that it was quite easy. After going through the list of opportunities available. A few seconds after you reserved the opportunity, you should receive an email from them informing that you have 12 hours to complete the opp.
I had signed up sometime back but this is my first SocialSpark sponsored post. One of the main reasons I didn't take any oops earlier was that I was scared of being Googlespanked again. For those who are not aware, Googlespank refers to Google (the leader in the web search industry) punishing websites, which they feel have not been complying with their standards, with a big fat PR 0.
Socialspark has done away with this problem by coming out with their own blog ranking system called "real rank", that takes several factors into account including traffic to your site. Furthermore, all posts will have in-post disclosures and all the required links in the sponsored posts will carry the no-follow tag - something that should satisfy Google guidelines and hopefully silence critics of sponsored posts. Other exciting features are the blog analytics and of course the social networking tools.
So if you are a blogger looking for a way to earn some money from your blog, I recommend that you check out SocialSpark.
SocialSpark is the latest innovation from the same guys who brought you PayPerPost. It is similar to the latter in some respects in that it is an online market place where advertisers and bloggers come together. However, there are several features that makes Socialspark different from PayPerPost, or for that matter, from any other social marketing network on the web. More about that later.
After signing up, you go and add your blogs. In order to do this, I had to add the claim and the itk (IZEA ToolKit) Javascript codes. You can start taking opportunities (sponsored posts) as soon as your blog is verified.
Taking an opportunity was a bit confusing in the beginning but later found out that it was quite easy. After going through the list of opportunities available. A few seconds after you reserved the opportunity, you should receive an email from them informing that you have 12 hours to complete the opp.
I had signed up sometime back but this is my first SocialSpark sponsored post. One of the main reasons I didn't take any oops earlier was that I was scared of being Googlespanked again. For those who are not aware, Googlespank refers to Google (the leader in the web search industry) punishing websites, which they feel have not been complying with their standards, with a big fat PR 0.
Socialspark has done away with this problem by coming out with their own blog ranking system called "real rank", that takes several factors into account including traffic to your site. Furthermore, all posts will have in-post disclosures and all the required links in the sponsored posts will carry the no-follow tag - something that should satisfy Google guidelines and hopefully silence critics of sponsored posts. Other exciting features are the blog analytics and of course the social networking tools.
So if you are a blogger looking for a way to earn some money from your blog, I recommend that you check out SocialSpark.
20 May 2008
African daisies and dahlias
Took my mother-in-law and the kids to the Furnace End car boot yesterday morning. My daughter obviously enjoyed herself on the bouncy castle and the merry-go-round.
Saw these African daisies on sale and got three plants for £2/. Hopefully they will later look as good as the pictures of the flowers I look in Cornwall.
My mother-in-law liked these miniature dahlias and bought two of them as well.
Took the pictures yesterday evening. I had wanted to post them up as part of "Green Thumb Sunday" but couldn't as I slept early yesterday.
Saw these African daisies on sale and got three plants for £2/. Hopefully they will later look as good as the pictures of the flowers I look in Cornwall.
My mother-in-law liked these miniature dahlias and bought two of them as well.
Took the pictures yesterday evening. I had wanted to post them up as part of "Green Thumb Sunday" but couldn't as I slept early yesterday.
16 May 2008
Trip to Marazion and St Michael's Mount
Marazion is said to be the oldest town in Britain and called Ictis during Roman times. Driving through the narrow roads was interesting. The sloping roads are too narrow to allow two cars to pass and cars have to give way to those coming from opposite directions at designated points. We had wanted to visit St Michael’s Mount. Unfortunately we were too late as the castle and gardens are only open till 5pm. However we were able to take some pictures of the island from the shore.
You can apparently walk to the island during low tide using the causeway.
Marazion
The plaque says:
You can apparently walk to the island during low tide using the causeway.
Marazion
The plaque says:
HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD
Landed near this spot
April 19 1902
14 May 2008
Trip to Land's End Cornwall
Land's End is the Western most point on the British Isles. They have several undercover attractions including a Dr. Who exhibition but we didn't go to any of them. Instead we walked around.
Here are some pics of our trip there.
Penwith House. Artist's Gallery and End to End Club room.
The First and Last House, where the actual Land’s End point is situated.
On board the Confide, a trawler.
A circle of granite stones. You will find granite pillars all around Cornwall, remnants of pagan beliefs.
The cliffs
A panorama from behind the Land’s End Hotel. In the distance you can see the Longships lighthouse.
Here are some pics of our trip there.
Penwith House. Artist's Gallery and End to End Club room.
The First and Last House, where the actual Land’s End point is situated.
On board the Confide, a trawler.
A circle of granite stones. You will find granite pillars all around Cornwall, remnants of pagan beliefs.
The cliffs
A panorama from behind the Land’s End Hotel. In the distance you can see the Longships lighthouse.
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