A Homemaker’s Diary

For the past few days I am enjoying my living hall to the max. I can lounge on the sofa while watching TV and even breathe in relief that I can see the carpet on the living hall floor..hehe!

Perhaps after all it is not that bad being a tidy person. But I still wonder what it takes to be an interior designer. I found one website at http://www.browncollege.edu/ by accident that offers courses on Interior Design. If you complete the program, you will get Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. Cool, huh!

I bet that is even better than being a Computer Engineering grad with skills of Internet browsing and blogging..haha!

*This post is written for thriftyscot.co.uk*

Do you feel that you need to remortgage your house? With today’s mortgage rate that is increasing, perhaps you should look around for lenders that could give better deal for your mortgage loan rates. By doing so you can cut back on repayment amount each month and save a lot on the interest imposed on the mortgage you took. Believe me, for almost 30 years, those little percentage really makes a difference.

I honestly believe that hardly any person (at least normal, working class people) would be able to own a house without considering taking one kind of another type of mortgages. And surprisingly in UK alone, 8 out of 10 people are paying too much for their mortgages. How could this happen? Some blame banks for making it very easy for homeowners to get mortgages and later increase the interest rate and making it difficult for them to pay monthly repayment.

But I think the problems could be solved if we as the borrowers are equipped with extra knowledge and do our own homework – do mortgage rate comparison before we sign up the papers. Ignorance most of the time make people feel sorry later for themselves (which could be avoided by getting all the useful information beforehand).

There is another type of protective insurance that we as homeowners or borrowers need to consider. Taking the mortgage payment protection plan is really crucial because you might never know what lies ahead over the path of 30 years of your mortgage period. You might become disabled by accident, lose your job unexpectedly and coming down with illness.

Such mortgage plan protection will help you carry on with life peacefully until you can get back on your feet and earn income as per normal. At least you wouldn’t have to worry that the roof you are sheltering under will be repossessed anytime soon.

I am a football illiterate. And as a matter of fact I hate the sport for no reason. But I do know and have heard about FC Barcelona and Real Madrid club. Thanks to Posh and Beckham and the rest of the world who go crazy after Spanish league.

Anyway, I do wish that one day I would be able to visit Spain, especially its two cities – Madrid and Barcelona.

Barcelona is where you can see the most beautiful examples of Modernism and 20th century avant-garde art. A walk in the Güell Park will let you enjoy the amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. The park is one of the work of art designed by Barcelona famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, born in Reus in 1852.

Of course if you are in Barcelona, make sure you pay a visit to La Sagrada Familia as well, the giant temple that has been in construction (and still is) since 1882. It has been constructed by Gaudi until his death in 1926. Plus if you need to choose between the selection of hotels in Barcelona, my suggestion would be Catalonia Hotel Park Putxet Barcelona since it is located in the area of Güell Park and offers a last minute 4-star accommodation from EUR49 per night.

What about Madrid? It is the capital of Spain and known to be a place of intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife. Its Retiro Park is perhaps the only place in Europe with a statue dedicated to Satan, El Angel Caído.

And if you are looking for cheaper deals on hotels in Madrid, check out Asturias Hotel Madrid. Located about 200m from the Puerta del Sol, this hotel provides a last minute 2 star accommodation from rates EUR50. If you don’t know, Puerta del Sol is one of the most well known and busiest places in Madrid. This is also where you can find Madrid’s nightlife and entertainment.

Oh, BTW, the Police concert in Barcelona is on this 27th September. Since this would be their only concert in Spain, you might want to take the chance to enjoy their world tour there! So why wait, this is your chance to look around for Hoteles en Barcelona.

We in Malaysia are enjoying the long weekend this week since 31st August falls on Friday and it is our 50th Independence Day. So for those in the States that their weekend starts on Saturday and end on Sunday, it is the time for short vacation trip, family events and most people even choose to commemorate their wedding day on this weekend itself. So you can expect the highways to be packed with traffic and places of attraction are full with children and their family members.

But for me, since I don’t have any obligation to be anywhere this weekend (thank God since I hate traveling during peak time), I spend my days at home reading storybooks. I always noticed that people in the US choose to spend their vacation either in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe or Palm Springs. It makes me wonder what makes those places so special.

After researching more on Lake Tahoe, I think I kind of fall in love with the serene, blue lake pictures. Wouldn’t it be so cool to relax in the vacation cabin with your favorite book while the rest of your family are taking a stroll on the scenic walking route. It will be a change from the hustle and bustle of busy city life, I bet!

Then there’s the famous Kauai beach trip. Kauai is the oldest island in the Hawaiian chain and located at the western-most part of the United States. This vacation rental spot of Hale Hokuu is just a mile from the sunny Poipu Beach. Here you will get the chance to snorkel, surf or just relax on the white sandy beach.

Oh, the top above picture is the vacation rental villa in Palm Springs. This 1930’s Californian villa estate is located in the exclusive area of Las Palmas. For those who are not aware, Las Palmas is Palm Springs’ finest area among the past and present movie stars. With the Wireless High Speed Internet connection provided, I know I can still blog and surf the Internet while enjoying the luxury of this desert villa.

Enough of the research, now I’m going back to my fictional dream of a lazy afternoon in Lake Tahoe, wink!

I don’t know how to put this, but I need to ask myself and the rest of the readers. If you are from a religious background that prohibit sex before marriage and have certain rules on child out of wedlock, if you somehow did all the prohibited act and realize that you are pregnant, what would you do?

Will you go on with the pregnancy and keep the baby after he/she is born? Or will you abort the baby and by doing so you are allowing yourself to commit double sin?

I’m not saying making the mistake of having the prohibited sex is not wrong, but then if things are already done, there’s no point in finger pointing and blaming game.

Will you as the parents accept if somehow your daughter come back with bulging tummy and told you that she is pregnant? Or will you banish her because she brings shame to the family? For a friend who has to go through this, I salute your decision to go on with the pregnancy, gave birth and later gave the son for adoption. You have committed the sin but killing the child is not the answer. You may keep others’ mouth shut but if you really do that I’m sure in your heart you could not live with the fact that you are actually capable of killing a life that you alone has conceived.

I am sure (and pray) that the family who really want the child (and now have it) will treat and love your son with so much care and tenderness that you never ever get in your own life.