31 Dec 2009
by irenein Food & Drinks
The House of Eliott has been on our restaurant list for almost 2 years. I am glad we finally made it there. And what a gorgeous experience it was! Delicious meal, fantastic house wine (even the non-wine drinker enjoyed), friendly unpretentious services, and a cosy environment. I love this place…
If The House of Eliott would have been opened during New Year’s Eve, it would have been our first choice of restaurant to spend the evening. The owner said that it is not worth it. Hmmm, now that we think about it, that concept works both ways. 
Every New Year’s Eve, we spent a small fortune for a meal just because it is a special evening. So D and I decided to welcome the new year with home cooking this time round. We got all necessary ingredients for quarter of the cost and we are going to spend the evening in lovely Ghent. I am sure we will have as much fun as we did at those weird New Year’s Eve dinners under the stairs or in the attic of some hectic restaurants.
Cheers to a happy, healthy and beautiful new year 2010!
29 Dec 2009
by irenein Creative Business
I recently discovered that there’s an undeniable correlation between the Euro/Dollar trend and gas prices.
Well… it is hardly a discovery. I read a short article about this strange connection a few months ago. It is surprising that the article didn’t get much fanfare or follow ups.
I need to look into this connection. If this data prove to be correct and consistent, I will have at least 2 days head start on the Euro Dollar trend! That is an advantage to me now that I am in the process of converting my Dollar savings to Euros.
27 Dec 2009
by irenein Travels
Because of yet another stupid terrorist attempt, air travelers are now subject to a new travel inconvenience. First it was restricted access to the airport terminals, then came double security checkpoints, then shoe removals and scanning, and then the liquid restriction.
Now this. Passengers are no longer allowed to get out from their seats an hour before landing. Bad luck for the parent who’s child wants his or her huggy bunny that is in the hand carry compartment. Bad luck for the passenger who has stomach problems. No more ‘freshen up’ time before we land at airports with nightmarish restrooms.
Good grief. What’s next?
25 Dec 2009
by irenein Happenings
I have not think of Christmas as a religious day for a long long time. Historical facts aside, I think it is more essential that we try our best in celebrating life with love, peace and joy EVERY SINGLE DAY.
If the Christmas Spirit of giving and sharing only means a couple weeks of shopping madness, you can have it all for yourself then. Thanks but no thanks.
Everyday is Christmas if you are happy, healthy, wealthy and belong to a group of people you love and cherish.
23 Dec 2009
by irenein Quotes
Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. ~ Buddha
21 Dec 2009
by irenein Belgium, Movies, Books & TV Shows
The plot of Ben X at IMDB is written as such: As an alternative to getting bullied at school, an autistic teenager retreats into the world of online role-playing games.
I assure you, it is much much more than what the summary led you to believe. Anger, bitterness, a tiny ray of hope, sadness, curiosity, and bewilderment. I went through a whole range of the above feelings watching Ben X. At certain points, I forgot I was watching a movie! What an emotional roller coaster!
Ben X is my first full length Flemish movie without English subtitles. If I would have watched this in the US via Netflix, I would have placed it very high on my list of favorite foreign movies.
19 Dec 2009
by irenein Happenings
A toast to a healthy and fantastic year! How great that you are able to celebrate your 67th birthday at your birth place – Singapore.
17 Dec 2009
by irenein Belgium
The photo on the left was taken in the morning. It shows the part of Ghent that we see from our apartment. Rooftops, streets and cars are completely covered with snow. Lovely no? Even more lovely is that I do not need to be anywhere – say Brussels. Belgium had the longest traffic jam ever and there’s a friend who was stuck in it for 4 hours! Amai!
On the right is a photo taken at the Friday Market in the evening. We were on our way to dinner. The snow has not melted and it was slippery slope. No one fell – thankfully.
Ghent is beautiful with all the snow. But I hope it does not happen too many times this winter.
15 Dec 2009
by irenein Creative Business
- I am not a design firm, I cannot charge you MORE.
- I am an ethical designer. I do good work. I will charge you fairly and not MORE.
- I am not a starving art student building my portfolio, I cannot charge you LESS.
- I have to eat, pay my bills and keep the roof above my head, I cannot charge you LESS.
- I have my career pride to uphold, my fellow designers to think about. I cannot charge you LESS.
- My time and design skills didn’t come FREE, therefore they will never ever be for FREE.
And that my friend is my business principles…
13 Dec 2009
by irenein Travels
I started making frequent trips to and from Europe about 7 – 8 years ago. Then there are the trips back home to Malaysia and also the business trips to China.
So, it is only to my advantage that I know all I can about currency exchange. I did my research on the best places to exchange currencies, exchange rates, currency trends and all possible fees that the seller can charge.
Banks are a bad place to exchange your money. Not only do you get a bad exchange rate, you will usually be charged with numerous little things. You will end up paying a costly fee on top of the bad conversion. The worst part is – it is all legal and there’s nothing you can do about it!
Up to now, I have to say that ATMs are the best way to get foreign currency. The exchange rate is based on real time market rate and you usually only get charged a small foreign exchange fee. Only thing you need to do is to make sure your bank has global network and affiliations.
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