Review: Iphone 4

I am not that techie anymore as I used before but I still have my own requirements when it comes to a smart phones.  I just had a terrible experience yesterday using this phone.  My niece needed to borrow my laptop for her presentation so her mom exchanged her Iphone 4 to my laptop so I could still chat with my hubby.

First thing I noticed on this phone is the battery life.  My sister's fone will not last for about a day if you have a lot of calls and in my case chatting.  I charged it twice on the same day.  I'm not sure what's the average battery hours on other Iphones though.

Second thing that bothers me is the wifi.  Whew...it is taking forever before it can even detect new wifi connection.  And for the price of an Iphone, this should be the first priority as we reach forward through the internet age.  So it really bothers me a lot.

Third and the most annoying thing is the keyboard.  If you have a very small, childlike fingers you may survive Iphone but not for me.  As a piano player I have (you can say) a flat fingertips.  So typing is really a stressful task on Iphone.   Here's a sample of a disaster status using an Iphone.

Good things my friends understands what I am talking about.  Anyways, I will never recommend Iphone if you are buying the solely for chatting.  It is not ergonomically designed.  My hand/fingers hurts after a while I chat with it because of the possible position of your other fingers while trying to use your index finger to type.

I am not advertising for Sony Ericsson (as previous posts about my phone) but I  think their engineers and thinking more practical than the designers of Iphone.  For example, Sony Ericsson released their P series of smart phones sometime in 2000s.  The best phone I wanted ( and I hope Iphone would copy/do the same) is the P900 mobile phone.

If you can see, you can have options on this one.  If you want to maximize your screen to watch video or for pictures, you can remove the qwerty keyboard.  If you will be busy in the office, when you need to send some text message or do something in the internet, you can use the keypads too.  Not to mention, this fone (which was born before year 2000 - and I am pertaining to the older version of this like P800) already have hand writing recognition.  They also provided quick office software on this one.  The resolution of the camera is already clear and since it is Sony, the sound is superb.  You can actually watch movies on this and using your SE headphone package, the sound is cinematic.  It is surround.

Anyways a long time ago when P900 was released the price is a little less than he Iphone.  But if SE will release their new smart phones, my expectation should be more than the P900 experience.  Reliability wise i can count on Sony Ericcson phone.  I got the P900, second hand (not sure how old it was when I took it) and I have used it for 3 years, 1000 drops on the floor, 8 drops on the stairs, 5 on elevators and one in the head but still working.  I even sold it for a decent price later on (when I moved to SE W810i phone).

To pack this up, all I can say is that I will never be an Iphone fun (but I am not closing my door on them).  I think there's nothing new in this phone.  I tried more better smartphones.  Maybe there are some applications which you will enjoy but not a big factor for me.  

Advance Happy 6th Year Wedding Anniversary

Again, it's been ages since I last posted here in my blog.  Finally, I got a time to stop for a moment and remember my dearest husband/BFF and times we've been together.  Yes, it's been almost 12 years since we've been together and we have spent most of our time with each other and no one else.  It's difficult when both of you are used to be with each other and then one day you have to be apart (even temporarily). 

We have been married for the past 6 years and each year being together is a year to ponder, to cherish.  Even though we are away from each other at this time, I will always remember our times together.  We celebrated our anniversary earlier but 20th October will always be the most special day of my life.   

I pray to God that you'll be here with me to re-celebrate again our wedding anniversary.  I miss you so much!

Sickness...Why???

Last time I posted I am experiencing fatigue, today my body gave up.  I fell ill.  Victor and I got a lot of plans this evening.  After I am done with my student in piano, we have to go to mall to pay my credit card bills, look for the sleeve or bag or whatever protection I can give on my tablet, answer for the meeting tomorrow. Today was also a hectic day in the office.  After completing my weekly routine on Thursday I felt different.  My whole body aches specially my back.  I thought this is another fatigue attacks but I was wrong.  My knees started to get numb and I cannot even speak clearly.  I got a  husky/hoarse voice and no energy.

I took a nap for 30 mins in the office and when I wake up I got some energy.  I thought I'll be fine.  Not when I reached home.  Victor gave me some massage at the back since I was complaining about it for the last couple of days.  Again I took a nap for 30 mins while Victor has to run back to Manama.  My student came and I gave lesson but I already got a temperature.  While waiting for Victor I felt cold and I knew this is bad.

Now I took some meds and I will take some rest after this blog.  While I am listening for tomorrow's article, I hope I can answer on tomorrow's meeting.

I really hate being sick.  It immobilizes me with the things I should have been doing. :((

How much to Spend on your Wedding Day?

           I just read a news at BBC.com (Click here) and was surprised how people (in China) spends for their engagement and wedding day.  We all know wedding is one of the most important day of our lives.  It is a life-changing event not only for the couple-to-be but also to their family and friends.

          While reading the news, I almost envy the woman who got a diamond engagement ring from his fiance that costs $3,500 and then I realized that putting a huge investment on these material things really does not guarantee a life-long happiness .  I remember my engagement ring was a simple white gold that looks like a wedding ring too.  So it's the same ring we used when we got married. So we saved some money out of that.  Good thing me and my husband is not very particular on such things.  Also, I think it's not about the money value of the ring but the sentimental value of it.

           People spends their fortune (5 years or less savings) on their wedding day and starts with $0 balance, in worse case a negative balance, on their bank account the next day after marriage.  Couple should be practical on how much of their savings would be allocated in this event because the struggles does not start before marriage but AFTER marriage.  A practical marriage needs a detailed planning and budgeting.  Also, the budget should not stop after the wedding day but has to continue at least one more year after that so the couple could visualize if they can still accommodate the cost of their wedding.   The first year of marriage is a critical year for the couple, so you need to avoid all the unnecessary pressures in your marriage life and sad to say, MONEY is one of that.   If the couple spends all their money on their wedding, husbands will be  ressured to earn money, their tendency is to work hard until finally, the quality time for their wife is being occupied by their work.  On the other hand, the wife, if not working, will be longing for his husband's time and if she can't have it she usually spends these 'time' shopping, going out with friends, etc.  If the wife is also working, then both of them struggles to earn money and will apparently will lost their time for each other. This is the start of marriage breakdown.

           Financial pressure, although shallow, is a big contributor in marriage breakups.  So for all the people who are planning to get married, plan you wedding according to your financial capacity.  Though all of us wants to have the BEST WEDDING EVER, it does not mean we spend all our money on it.  We can have the best wedding, but a valuable one, on a simple ceremony.  It will be a big waste of money if you had a prestigious wedding but gets separated later on. It will turn out that wedding day is a nightmare.

            So be wise and invest not on your wedding day but on post-wedding days (that is the day one of your marriage till death do you part).

Fatigue Attacks

         I think this goes to all people who are working full time and still tries to do more things after work.  I am, again, facing this tough time where my schedule does not fit in 24 hrs time.  Of course we can't have more than 24 hrs in a day so it goes on pending tasks in a week.  The spare time that you for the weekend and family day will be occupied.

           I recently accepted some piano and academic students because we need to adjust our income to fit this month's budget.  Now, after a tiring day at work and commuting for almost an hour, I still have to teach.  Though I know these are blessings, having students and earn some money, my body sometimes cannot handle all these.

          When I got married 5 years ago I had this feeling of being sick and tired even after waking up in the morning.  I cannot even eat properly because all I wanted is to sleep because I feel tired but I cannot get a good sleep either.  A small task needs a big effort from me.  Now, that feeling is coming back.  I am pretty sure stress really contributes on these attacks.  Normally, I can sleep  7 to 8 hrs a day and when my alarm clocks rings, I even snooze it 10 more minutes and get back dreaming.  Nowadays, I wake up after 6 hrs of sleep. I am feeling anxious of something which I don't know what.  I just wait for the alarm clock's rings and turn it off and start preparing for office.

          And having this kind of condition, going to office is the  heaviest part of all.  The frustrating career that I have, the people, the work, all contributes in this condition.  I may need to find a new atmosphere because I have been sitting in the same place and chair for the last 4 years and  I really need a break or much better break free from here.  It's starting to feel like a prison now.

        The saddest part of this is that after all the effort of trying to do all your best you cannot see any results of your efforts. I really wish the new system of this comes as soon as possible but not as per my will but God's will.

Movie Review: Transformers 3 - Dark of the Moon

Popcorn rating:  9/10

After a long wait, we finally watched this movie last night.   After 2 1/2 hr of full action in 3D, my astigmatism attacked.  However I was here to give a review about the movie and not my eye problems.

The movie is full of action and few dialogue in contrast of part 1.  My husband enjoyed it a lot he's a kind of audience who wants more action and less talking.  Well for me I want it balance.  A story that will suffice the action.  As far as I know this will be the last installment of this movie and for a finale, it's not really bigger than part 2.

Sentinel (the new character) was Optimus Prime's teacher in the planet Cyberton and he betrayed Optimus Prime by helping out Megatron to set up the space bridge so they can bring their planet here on Earth and make the human their slaves.  Some of the scenes are very predictable.

Yes, this is the first time I am watching  movie in cinema in 3D.  What can I say? I am not really satisfied.  This is because I am used on watching HD movies.  Now on the big screen, I don't know what resolution they have to reach so it could go in high resolution.  The frame rate is so bad that you will not appreciate the action and how the robots more.

One more new face in this series is the new leading lady.  Maegan Fox was fired because at one of her magazine interview he compared Michael Bay to Adolf Hitler so Steven Spielberg (being a Jew) asked Fox to fire her.  This new face is an Englisg model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.  She's so tall and of course sexy.  Though her lips are a bit annoying especially in a big screen :O.

Anyway, Michael Bay is the king of Disaster movie so I can't count and calculate how much they have spent this time on cars.  On part 1, they have used a LOT of cars (actual cars but engine removed) on their film.  This is the only thing I really want to give credit for.  Bay does not rely on 3D animations but prefers the actual action.  Unlike Iron Man and 300 movies which are mostly visual effects.  Ferrari surely begged so they can have a slot in this movie and so is Mercedes Benz.

There's a very rare scene when you will appreciate the 3D effect so I think we should've watched this in 2D instead.  Not to mention the astigmatism attack that I still feeling now while writing this movie review. Ouch!

To wrap it up, it's a good action movie but a bit lower than my expectation assuming this is the final episode.  Packed with a lot of action and it's better to watch in 2D.  If the Blu ray will be out after few months, I'll take the 3D and try to watch it at home instead.

Foster Parents for 2 Months

Yeah, you heard it right. Victor and I will be fostering my niece Darynce (DJ) for a couple of months while her parents will be out of the country.  How we will take care of her we still don't know but definitely her food will be supplied by Eskinita Restaurant (because we can't cook).  So only I have to worry is her activity schedule.  It is not so difficult too because Me and DJ were both acting at the same age - 18.  Yes I stopped maturing after this age while DJ is acting at this age...hahaha!

Anyways we have some programs to do while she will be living with us.

1.Watch Transformers 3 in 3D at BCC

2. Play Ps3 games (Dj you need to get new games)

3. Watch Kung Fu Panda 2 at BCC (maybe next week)

4. Swim at Wahoo!

5. Teach DJ to play the piano and guitar.
6. Bible Study
7. Teach her Maths.
8. Swimming at Wahoo
9.  Watch a  lot of movies
10. - see, I don't have anything left in my mind, but I still have time to think about it...See I have 2 months.

Hope she will not get bored with us but I will try to teach her to do some chores (as if I am doing it) like cooking and cleaning.  Let's see if I can improve her or  make her worse :( wahh!!! hirap pala maging parent talaga.

Foster Parents for 2 Months

Yeah, you heard it right. We will be fostering my niece Darynce (DJ) for a couple of months while her parents will be out of the country.  On how we will take care of her we still don't know.  Me and DJ were both acting at the same age and we meet at the age of 18.  Yes I stopped maturing after this age while DJ is acting at this age...hahaha!

Anyways we have some programs to do while she will be living with us.

1.Watch Transformers 3 in 3D at BCC

2. Play Ps3 games (Dj you need to get new games)

3. Watch Kung Fu Panda 2 at BCC (maybe next week)

4. Swim at Wahoo!

5. Teach DJ to play the piano and guitar.
6. Bible Study
7. Teach her Maths.
8. Swimming at Wahoo
9.  Watch a  lot of movies
10. - see, I don't have anything left in my mind, but I still have time to think about it...See I have 2 months.

Hope she will not get bored with us but I will try to teach her to do some chores (as if I am doing it) like cooking and cleaning.  Let's see if I can improve her or  make her worse :( wahh!!! hirap pala maging parent talaga.

Movie Review: Drive Angry (2011)

My Popcorn Rating: 4/10

This movie is very disappointing.  I was expecting a "Gone-in-30-seconds" type of movie by looking at the poster of it.  I tried to get this movie because of the word "SHOT IN 3D" and I want to see it on our 3D TV.  Ok let's try to rate the movie in two perspective.  The Movie and Cinematography.

The Movie:  The plot is lousy. The story is non-sense.  There's no story!  Imagine one escaping hell (even though there's no such thing as hell) just to save his granddaughter from being sacrificed by a satanic cult while the accountant was following him the whole time?  Very dirty movie it is.  This movie promotes sex, violence and occultism.

The Cinematography:  This is the only aspect I am giving popcorn.  I am giving 4 for the effort of doing movies in 3D.  But if it was in 2D, it should be 3 or maybe 3.  Anyways, there's a lot of violence in this movie.  The only thing that you would enjoy is the flying blood on the screen (in 3D), the gun pointing towards you, the clarity of the film which makes you feel that you are really IN the movie.

Literally, I fell asleep when the movie was near to its end and I never sleep while watching a movie not unless it is so BORING.  Sadly this is the first movie that I will review in my blog and it depressingly failed.  Nicholas Cage is one of my favorite actor and I was expecting more to him.  I just think that next time he should be choosy on what movies he will do because it damages his reputation as an actor by taking part on this junk movie.

My recommendation:  Never waste your money and if you get this for free, don't waste your time watching it.

Sony Ericsson W810i - My Best Phone (Friend) Ever.

I was a mobile phone savvy! Yes, that was before.  I was always updated with what is new on cellphones (before getting married).  There are thousands of different models of cellphones and I own about 10 models (apprx) and used about 20 but I can only name a few who satisfies my expectations.

Top3   Nokia 3210 - I was in college when this Nokia phone was released.  If you have one of this, you are the coolest! hahaha...Anyways, this fone is really appealing by look because it is slim and no antenna.  Also, the reliability of the product is also good. I dropped mine several times (with battery's out).  The keypad is user friendly, you can text message without even looking (wow!) and the battery life is remarkable.

Top 2 Sony Ericsson P800 - yes, this was the first Sony Ericsson fone I have.  This is a smartphone and having one that time (about 2004) was really helpful. SE, to be honest, are really not a user-friendly phones.  When yo are used in Nokia phones, SE phones are a puzzle.  However when I got used to it, the features of this phone is awesome.  Imagine you can watch a movie on this phone?  I was doing a lot of experiments on this phone: excel applications, internet, picture taking, etc.  As most of my friends know, I am a clumsy person so I needed a strong phone because I drop most of my things in my hand...and yes, this phone survived me.

Top1 Sony Ericsson W810i - this is my phone from 2006 till today.  Yes, until 2011, this phone still rocks! Me and my husband really loves music and this is the reason I bought a walkman series fone.  This is a 2G fone (which for me was enough as I never really browse internet using a phone because of the huge charges of  the telecom companies).  The camera has 2MP resolution which was enough or better on that time has AUTO focus function.  The picture is very clear.  The screen clarity and sharpness is spectacular I can compare watching HD movies with this fone (yes this time I am exaggerating a bit).  Anyways the best thing I love about this fone is the sound.  It has the MegaBass™ feature that gives the maximum bass but clear sounds.  If you are listening to Evanescence music with this fone, you'll definitely love the depth of the sounds.  You will also appreciate Karen Carpenter's voice if you listen from this phone.  It was a bit expensive fone back in 2006 but considering the life span of this mobile it was a BEST/WISE buy.

I have dropped this phone a million times I think ( I lost the count).  One funny experience with this fone was me and my husband went mountain biking.  I don't a have front light (as we went on evening) so I used this fone's flashlight (this fone I think is advisable to McGyver).  My husband strapped it at the front of the bike and then we went.  We passed by on a rough road and unfortunately, my phone dropped on the ground and my back tire run over it.  I wanted to cry because I loved this phone.  When I picked it up, it was off.  I was really worried but when I turned it on it was fine.

Last time Victor and I was at the mall.  I was carrying a lot of things and I asked him to take my pouch.  I though he already held the pouch and my fone so I let go.  It dropped on the flat escalator 4 feet away from me.  I checked, again it was off, and turned out fine when I turn in back on.

I stopped looking for another fone because I am satisfied with this one.  A lot of phones, especially smart phones, are available in the market. My families and relatives are so after the Galaxy Tab, the Wifi capabilities, internet, android applications, does not appeal to me anymore.  If I want to have those applications, I will by HP tablet instead where I can have all the capabilities of a laptop.

The next question is:  Up to when will this cellphone last?  No one can tell but as long as I continue using this fone as it is, it will survive at least for the next 5 years more.

Going HD! in a cheap way... :P

I rarely watch a movie in cinema nowadays. It maybe because of different reasons:

1. There's no good movie to watch.

2. There's no time.

3. There's no budget (frugal me!)

But I really love watching movies. I remember when I was young, there's a program in RPN 9 (not even sure if this station still runs) every afternoon which shows the old movies (most of them are classics which are still in BW film).

When LCD TV was sold in the market, and looking at the pictures (especially the animated one), you'll appreciate the movie more. Actually I am a type of person who could watch the same movie (if listed as one of my fave) over and over again. Anyways, while looking at one SAMSUNG TV, I told myself "I'm gonna have one of those, at least a 32in should satisfy me!". Sad to say the LCD prices was so high that time so it took us 2 years before we can find a budget to have one. Finally, last 2009 we got our first LCD TV. It was LG, HD ready, 1 HDMI, etc. I really wanted to by FULL HD TV that time but the costs are beyond what we can afford.

We were so happy especially when you're opening the box and installing the TV. You know the feeling when you get a new stuff when you were a kid? hehehe! When we got this TV, we don't have anything to watch in HD. That's one thing Tv buyers should consider when buying TV. If you don't have HD players, your LCDs are nothing but a normal TV. So to maximize the potential, buy a DVD with HD upscaling at least!

So after buying the TV, after few months of window shopping and saving money, we decided to buy a Pioneer DVD player (K410), it has upscaling capacity to 1080p. Imagine that. You can watch your normal DVD into a High Def quality. But it does not work at all dvds.

I was really happy with our LG TV. The picture quality is really comparable to those full HD tv. I am a picture critic you can say. I am very sensitive in the picture quality, sharpness, contrast ratio, frame rate, clarity, etc. A lot of people around us really wanted to have a full HD TV. One of my friend who have a Sony Bravia (32" HD READY) was very eager to upgrade into full HD but selling your HD ready TV is a big loss of investment because people will buy on a very cheap price.

In my opinion, HD Ready TVs show the same picture quality as Full HD TV. I am very convince on that one. I have been looking around for the last 2 years observing what could be the difference but NOTHING.

This is what is also funny in this world. Once you bought one thing you need to buy MORE things. Like in this case, we bought LCD, we needed to buy a new DVD player. In order to get the best picture, you need to buy an HDMI cable. In addition to these things, a good sound system should suffice to mini-home theater project and of course HD movies so you have something to watch. Me and Victor sometimes laugh as we buy new things and telling each other (quoting from Solomon's verses in Proverbs) "chasing after the wind".

If you guys have questions if you are considering buying gadgets or how to set-up your home theater, just drop me a question.