Travel Review: Cameron Highlands part 2

Where to buy:

Roses:

• The best place to buy roses would be at the Kea Farm market.
• Sometimes roses are aplenty - when it's not raining; you can get 2 dozens roses (that's 24 stalks!) for RM5. But during rainy times, roses are less available and goes from RM3 for 6 stalks of non-red roses and RM3 for 4 stalks of red roses. (Not sure why red roses are more expensive??)
• Even at Kea Farm, it's still possible to find different stalls selling difference prices. Some stalls are selling a packet of 6 stalks for RM3. If you buy 4 packets for RM10. There's this stalls that sell a packet of 10 stalks for RM5. Worth it!
  
• Beware of the stall selling roses at Multi Crop market. They're selling for RM5 for only 2 packets of 3 roses each. Super expensive! They're selling on the pre-text that their roses are "treated" roses. (funny look)

Honey

• Don't get honey from the bee farm. Very expensive. Generally they go from RM28-RM35. For this price, it's better to get imported Capilano honey from Australia.
  
• The best value honey can be found in Kea Farm market also. The first stall on the right along the road, you can buy the honey for RM15 for the big bottle and RM10 for the small bottle. We manage to bargain it to RM14 for big and RM9 for small.
  
• The other stall along the road and mini markets are selling at RM28 for the big bottle and RM18 for the small bottle. At the mini market, it's fixed price. At the stalls, because you can bargain, you can get the big bottle at RM25 and small bottle at RM15. But if you want it cheaper, try Kea Farm.

Strawberry

• This is tough. Everywhere strawberries are selling from RM4 for a small box to RM15 for a big box.
  
• When buying strawberries, choose the bigger berries as they are sweeter. The smaller ones , even though they are cheap, are not worth it.
  
• The best place to buy we think would be Kasimanis Strawberry farm. you can ask to taste the strawberry first. their strawberries are bigger and taste sweeter.
  
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How To : Protect Yourself Online

According to Google*, malware poses an increasing threat to Web surfers. The search giant carried out in-depth research on 4.5 million Web sites and found 1 in 10 Web pages can successfully launch a "drive-by-download"—such as a Trojan—onto a user's computer.

So what can you do to protect yourself, your privacy and your identity? Here are five tips that should have you surfing more securely:

1. Use strong passwords.
With everything requiring a password, from your email, to your facebook, to download accounts and bank accounts, it's easy to choose a simple password to make it easier to remember. Unfortunately, this leads to hackers finding it easy to bypass your passwords and gaining access to YOUR information. Make sure that it's protected by using a strong password :

• must contain at least 8 characters.
• contains a mix of letters, numbers, and special symbols.
• must not be a word in the dictionary.
• should never be any personal information such as a name or address.

2. Secure your browser.
Oftentimes, it's easy to just click OK to every pop up that comes along. "Remember your password?" Click OK. "Always trust content from this publisher?" Click OK again. What you may not know is that you may be clicking OK to a hacker to access your browser. Increase security in your browser by always reading the pop up messages and understanding before you click OK. Increase the security levels of your zones in the browser, by using the Security option under your browser options menu.

3. Keep a clean cache.
Every website you log into will populate a cookie on your browser. Cookies are little bits of text files that are stored in your cookie folder, which essentially logs your IP, activities, username and passwords. They are also used to prove authentication during a session. For instance, once you have logged into your bank Web site, a cookie is created and stored on your system. If an attacker acquired this cookie, it could then be used to impersonate you. To prevent this, do not surf other Web sites while still being logged into a bank—or any secure Web site for that matter. Be sure to log out of the bank site because this will usually delete the session cookie.

4. Beware of phishing.
Websites that are configured to look like the real thing - frequent websites that are targetted are bank websites, shopping online sites and even car retails. Anything that is connected to something that you transact with either your bank account or your credit card. When you log in unsuspectingly, your details will be captured and leads to identity theft. For more information on phishing attacks and how to report them, please visit Report Phishing provided by US-CERT Coordination Center.

5. Verify a secure website.
Make sure the website you enter your personal information on is secure. When a site is “secure,” the communication is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). There are two ways to verify that the page utilizes SSL :

1. The first method is to look at the address bar to inspect the URL or Web page address. It should begin with “https” rather than “http.”
2. The other method is to look for the lock icon. Depending on your browser, this icon will be located in a different place. In Internet Explorer 6 and 7, the lock is on the bottom right hand corner of the window. In later versions of the browser the lock is by the URL as part of the address bar. By clicking on this icon, you will be able to view the SSL Certificate by a Certificate Authority.

Ultimately though, it is your responsibility to ensure that the website is secure before providing any information on it.

Food Review : OXO Queensbay

We walked into the newly opened OXO Cafelab (check it out at http://oxo.com.my/). The website was very attractive and we were very impressed when we walked in. The decor in the place is excellent - most of the dining area seating is on couches which looked very comfortable. We picked the couch on a raised dais near the entrance. Good impression so far.

The manager however was a different story. We were passed a set of "express set menu" - basically it is just a piece of paper with about 5 different sets ranging from RM11.90 - RM22.90. The set comes with soup, bread, a drink, dessert and ice cream. When we requested to look at the ala carte menu, he told us not to order it as it will "take a long time". Somehow he was very reluctant to let us see the ala carte menu - why?!? It doesn't hurt to check out the choices, does it?

Anyhow, we browsed through the menu. Prices are notably steep - the standard chicken chop that you can normally get outside for about RM7 is selling for more than twice the price (RM15.80++). When our friend arrived to join us at the table, we were scolded by the manager for not telling him that we had a party of 3 as they had to re-set the extra set of utensils on the table. And this was after we had informed the waiter that we had 3 people in our party. We're obviously ticked off by his attitude.

The final straw came when my friend spotted about 4-5 flies sitting on the bread that was placed on our table. As we had been browsing through the menu, we had not noticed that they were on it. Yucks! The place was really infested with flies! When we requested to change the bread, the manager informed us that it's normal because of the swamp nearby. Erks... does this mean all the food has been visited by the flies before?

That's what we decided that enough was enough and took a walk... out of that restaurant. When the quality improves to something beyond just the decor, we'll be back. Until then, it needs some serious upgrades in terms of customer service and cleanliness.

How To : Go Green In Your Home

Help Earth Day by going green in your home. Here's some eco-friendly steps to take :

1. Freshen The Air.
Go the natural way - throw away those synthetic air fresheners as they do release toxins that have been proven to contribute to headaches, depression, ear infections and diarrhoea. Instead, try using some baking soda to kill odours, a bouquet of flowers for natural scents or try a bunch of pandan leaves (cheap alternative) as it absorbs bad smells and gives out a more fresh smell.

2. BBQ On!
But make sure to use a gas-powered grill because natural gas burns cleaner and produces 45% less CO2 compared to coal. It is also more earth-friendly than charcoal and wood which produce soot that add to air pollution.

3. Mow The Lawn.
Don't throw away the grass clippings after you're done. The clippings will decompose in days and provide important nutrients in the soil for other plants. And good news to the gardeners, it will help stifle the growth of some types of weeds. It will also help earth worms breed which is good, as they aerate the soil and enrich it with their waste.

4. Save Water.
Instead of washing fruits and vege under a running tap, wash them in the sink or a basin half-filled with water. You save about 40 litres of water this way.

How To : Boost Your Health Through The Power Of Green Tea!

Green tea brings a lot of health benefits. To brew a top-notch cup of tea, pour boiling water into a cup and let it cool for around 2-3 minutes. Add the green tea into the water and let it steep for another 2-3 minutes. Don't oversteep it as the taste and goodness will be affected. Green tea is best enjoyed after a meal.

1. Prevents Cancer
Drinking green tea helps to prevent cancer. Green tea contains polyphenols, which block the growth of cancer cells. According to research, women with breast cancer who drink at least five cups a day, have tumors that spread slower and these women are less likely to have the cancer return. Green tea also reduces the risks for esophageal, gastric and skin cancer.

2. Protects Brain Cells
The previously mentioned antioxidant, polyphenol, when fed to mice induced with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, helped to protect brain cells from dying, as well as 'rescuing' already damaged neurons in the brain, a phenomenon called neurorescue or neurorestoration.

3. Burns More Calories
Use green tea properties to help you shed extra pounds. Studies show that people who drink green tea with caffeine burn calories faster. Studies showed that average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of Green Tea Extract than after ingestion of a placebo.

4. Lowers Cholesterol
Lower your cholesterol with green tea. It lowers the bad cholesterol and supports the good cholesterol. It also prevents blood clots from forming. This is important since blood clots are the major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

5. Protects Teeth
Protect your teeth with green tea. It destroys the bacteria that produces plaque.

How To : Free Up Your Living Space

Ever find yourself sinking deeper and deeper into a junk yard... and the junkyard is your home, or your office? Things just tend to pile up while we're not aware and one day, we look around and we're up to our necks. Here's some simple tips to get rid of the mess and free up your living space.

1. Remove those dusty old decorations.
Remove your decorations, dust them off, then put back only the ones that look the best. Collections of similar items look best all together, not scattered everywhere. Get rid of dusty fake plants, especially those above your kitchen cabinets. Fake plants can clutter your kitchen and cabinets often look best with nothing on top of them.

2. Organize those bits and pieces.
Small things all over the place clutter up the space and they tend to get lost as well. This includes keys, cell phones, rings, accessories, and remote controls among other things. Find a place to put them, and always keep them there. Combine the practicality of keeping them safe and out of sight with something decorative - like a nice handwoven basket or a cute ringholder box.

3. Paper paper everywhere.
As much as our workplaces are trying to go all electronic, there's always still paper documents and memos hanging around. And at home, those advertising leaflets and brochures arrive by the ton. Not to mention all those bills coming in! Make sure you have a way to sort out those mails and brochures. Have a recycling box where you can toss the unwanted paper away and give those to the newspaper man when he comes to collect them for recycling.

4. Get rid of those old clothes.
Most people advocate the one-year rule, which is if you haven't worn it in a year, chances are that you won't. So get rid of those clothes and donate it for a worthy cause. There are many homes and shelters that are eager for good clothes. Take some time off to bring those clothes there.

Happy living! :)

How To : Mosquito Control Technique

I ran across this tip in a forwarded email. With so much dengue going around, I believe this tip will help us. I am trying it out and will update what is the outcome!

"Here's a tip that was given at a recent gardening forum.

Put some water in a white dinner plate and add a couple drops of Lemon Fresh Joy / Harimau Kuat Lemon liquid dish. Set the dish on your porch,patio, picnic table, park bench, or other outdoor area. Not sure what attracts them, the lemon smell, the white plate colour, or what.

BUT .. mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after drinking the Lemon Fresh Joy/water mixture, and usually within about 10 feet of the plate.

TRY IT--- it works just superb! It may seem trivial, but it may also help to control mosquitoes around your home. Pass this on to anyone who likes sitting out in the evening, or when they're having a cook out."