new horizons

No aggressive marketing strategy beats that of a satisfied customer. They market your products and services faster than the speed of light. That may be an exaggeration but word-of-mouth marketing reaches others in a more convincing way. Why so? The rants and raves of a family member or friend tend to be more believable than […]

While most of the people are looking forward to the coming Christmas season, some are quite hesitant about welcoming it. They’re terrified just thinking about the soaring expenses during the holidays especially now that prices have gone up. We were at the grocery last night and the price tags on some goods we usually buy […]

Do you prefer buying environment-friendly products over those that are not? Somebody recommended to me a cellphone brand which supports Greenpeace Foundation, an international organization which aims for environmental protection and conservation and promoting peace. While most consumers support these global concerns, their purchasing habits are still not that totally dependent on whether a product […]

Whenever I buy something, particularly items or gadgets that will be used for a long time, I always check the warranty. For me, products with longer warranty period have an edge over the others. Any buyer who values his money would examine if a warranty is reliable. One thing he looks for is the track […]

During my elementary days, I was one of those genius-looking kids wearing bulky eyeglasses… and I find it so uncomfortable. I would take it off at school and just squinted if I needed to focus on far objects. This visual deficiency was inherited from my Mom who was nearsighted. Even my siblings are nearsighted too […]

When it comes to buying new stuff especially gadgets – cell phones, digital cameras, etc., I make sure I do a lot of research before deciding which is which. First is to visit the shops and scan the display shelves for some potential candidates (leading to the item that I would eventually buy). I bring […]

I’m not really that environmentally-conscious as a consumer. But sometimes, I do tend to favor eco-friendly products than those that are not. I would be glad to see some environment-friendly products which provide information about the materials used (recycled paper, environmentally-safe chemicals, etc.). For instance, greeting cards, notebooks and other paper products made from recycled […]

How do you choose your footwear? Is it based on fashion or comfort… or both?
For me, it should be both.
I don’t want walking around in cute stylish shoes with my feet aching from blisters, or feeling uncomfortable and tired after few minutes of hitting the streets. Thankfully, I bought with me a pair light rubber […]

While on our way to the Tyn Church at the Old Town in Prague, we passed by some souvenir shops on the narrow alleys. Of the many souvenir items on display, I find the Czech crystal and glassware truly eye-catching! Czech Republic is known for the ancient art of glass-making and it’s a must to […]

While touring along the Old Town in Prague, cutie sis and I also stopped by some of the shops and bought some gifts and souvenirs. There were t-shirts, figurines, glasses, cups, refrigerator magnets, baseball caps and numerous items on display that attracted our attention. Too bad, I just can’t buy more since I’m afraid I […]

After searching for a 7 pin mini-DIN S-video plug, big sis and I finally found an alternative to allow my laptop’s screen to show on their TV. We went to Gigantti and after going through their cables and connectors, big sis asked help from one of their staff. He suggested two cables - the s-video […]

These days, we’ve been looking for a plug or connector to connect my laptop to the TV. Big sis and I have been to one computer store yet… and haven’t found what we’ve been looking for.
The socket on my laptop looks like this:

I did a bit of research (thanks to Wikipedia!) and got its name […]

I was amused the other day while reading a traveler about his Helsinki trip. He was complaining that it’s a very expensive city. I couldn’t agree more. Finland is known for its high priced goods. How about a cup of hot chocolate drink at 2 Euros? Or hair clip at 3 Euros? Luckily, I was […]

I love taking pictures. I love visiting photo blogs and I appreciate the featured photos. The thought of buying an SLR and going into photography sometimes crosses my mind too. Sigh. I wonder when can I have my own digital SLR cam? Anyway, if I do decide on that later (of course, when I have […]

Having souvenirs and keepsakes is one way of bringing with us part of our travels. This is why every time I go to a shop here in Finland, I always check out some Finnish stuff which I could bring home as souvenir. One important condition for me: it has to be authentically made in Finland. […]