One of our family’s favorite holiday activities is walking around East Sacramento and enjoying the gorgeous light displays and decorations. We load the thermos with hot chocolate, bundle up with scarves, gloves and beanies, and enjoy the fruits of our neighbors’ labor. Not only is the walk great exercise, it is good for both the environment and our budget (saving money in gas instead of driving.)

If the weather doesn’t permit walking or you’d like to take in some professionally assembled displays you need to make time in the next month to see the Downtown Partnership’s Carnival of Lights!

This holiday season, the Carnival of Lights will delight visitors with a dazzling display of lights throughout the Central City from the waterfront through Midtown. Lights, reminiscent of the historic Grand Electric Carnival of 1895, will be on display November 25 through January 3. Downtown Sacramento will be aglow with colorful lights, twinkling trees, shooting stars, holiday banners and much more!

The promotion, produced by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, will connect holiday events including Old Sacramento’s Theatre of Lights and Carnival at St. Rose with downtown retailers, hotels and restaurants. The decorative lighting will create a magical and memorable pedestrian experience.

The Carnival of Lights is the Downtown Partnership’s effort to make up for not hosting the Downtown Holiday Ice Rink and encompasses the area between Old Sacramento and 7th and K Streets (where you will find the Carnival at St. Rose!)

Complete with classic carnival games, rides and food vendors, the Carnival at St. Rose will “bring the holidays to life at 7th & K streets.” The Carnival at St. Rose is subject to weather restrictions, but is generally open to the public daily through January 3rd from noon to 8PM. Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for seniors over 55 and children under 12. The Carnival at St. Rose is located at Lima Park at 7th and K Streets.

Where to park? Parking validation is available for the Westfield Downtown Plaza (garage entrances are located at 5th and J Streets and 4th and L Streets) but you may also find street parking (if you’re lucky!)

For more information about the Carnival at St. Rose click here or call 916.442.5563.

For more information about the Carnival of Lights click here or call 916.442.8575.

Are you planning to check out either of the light displays? Are there any neighborhood displays you would recommend? Share with other readers by commenting on this post. We appreciate your feedback.

We’ll see you there!

The man that makes it happen,  Mr. Bruce Makowsky (who just happens to be married to the handbag diva herself Kathy Van Zeeland), has launched a new collection of handbags that are called the B Makowsky Lites.   These are part of their main line of fine leather handbags, B Makowsky. 

These luscious handbags have the same high quality leathers and fantastic hardware detailing as the originals, but are lighter to carry.  As sellers of B Makowsky handbags, we have heard from several of our customers that a B Makowsky bag is heavy.  They are right, the thick leather and high volume of chunky hardware can make them a bit on the heavy side.  This must have been an issue Bruce Makowsky heard often which probably prompted him to create his Lites collection.

One of our favorites from the new Lites collection is the B Makowsky Canterbury bag.  Available in solid leather from shades from black to brown AND some even having a magnificent haircalf trim on the front.  Shown below is the Canterbury Medium Satchel in Brandy/Zebra.  This is yummy, and with a retail of $298, it is an investment. 

However, being a savvy shopper you can score a B Makowsky handbag for way under retail online.  Yes, you can check sites like Macys and Zappos, but eBay is our #1 suggestion.  You can find 100’s of B Makowsky Lites handbags on eBay including the Canterbury Satchel.

Happy shopping, and may your days be filled with Dream-Adventures!

I have been lying awake trying to solve the economic problems of the island I live on in my head. I did this all day also. This is not a new activity; I grew up in Newfoundland. I spent rather a lot of my youth on this issue.

Here’s the problem in a nutshell: Every dollar that we spend importing things needs to come from somewhere off the island. All three major industries of the area have closed down over the last 30 years, leaving call-centres and tourism as the only real sources of revenue. (The call centres are starting to close as well.) We have an abundance of land, water, wind, a deep harbour, forests, and a fair amount of skilled labour (from the previous industries). And we don’t seem to be able to get anything started. Half the people I know with university degrees (including graduate degrees) are doing volunteer work, farming, manual labour, or staying home with the kids because there’s nothing else for them to do. The major issue that faces the area is outmigration, particularly among the young, and particularly among the young and educated.

It’s so, so, so hard to say to people that are trying to just make a go of it… “Actually, part of the reason that there is no work here and your children are leaving is that you are shopping at Walmart/SuperStore/Home Depot.” It’s so, so, so hard to get anybody to listen to that. If you used to have forestry products made at home, and you start buying all your forestry products from off shore, the people who used to make them have to go somewhere else now. Contrary to what the economics textbooks tell you, they don’t just stay and think of something new to do. (They try, they really do. I’ve seen SO many retraining programs and make-work projects. I see so many people just scraping by, hoping that things will get better.) They also don’t go off to bigger and better things. These are not people that were yearning to get away; they left because they had to. We lose our community, our family connections, our sense of history, and our sense of place when we leave because we have no choice.

This isn’t a purely economic question; this is about community and connection. This is about our buying choices. But we need to look at the thing in our hand, and see the tendrils of connection that come off it, joining us to the people that handled it before us. Their life force connects to our own through the exchange. And maybe if we start to reconnect with those people, we can start making sure that some of them are people that we have looked in the eye.

Welcome to the beginning of the end of the year! I’m sure you are now at least thinking of the gifts you’ll be gifting, right? No? If you’re like me—well-meaning but low on cash—you’ve got to get creative. And you have to start early. I’ve learned to be very good at last minute, crafty ideas. A couple years ago, a friend told me about these scrapbook things. In case you couldn’t tell from the picture, it’s a homemade photo album. They turn out to be really thoughtful gifts to give to friends and family.

A few of you have asked me for directions. So here it is. Merry Christmas. The gift of instruction. What should we call them? We thought “Phocordians” was a good name. You know, because they’re photo albums and accordions put together.  It’s a very simple design that I’m happy to pass along to you.

The materials:

• Glue (make sure it’s the scrapbooking kind so it doesn’t eat your pictures)
• double sided tape (I prefer Scotch. Cheap brands don’t cut it. Remind me to tell you the story…)
• A cutter (You can use something like the gray one above, or plain old scissors will do.)
• 2 feet of ribbon
• 2 7X7 inch pieces of light cardboard
• 6 12×12 pages of scrapbooking paper (4 for the inside, 2 for the covers)
• 3 12×12 sheets of cardstock (the thicker construction paper)

Let’s begin. Ahem.

Grab your two 7×7 pieces of light cardboard and select two sheets of 12×12 scrapbooking paper. These will be the covers of your “phocordian,” so choose wisely. Or go crazy. No matter. Wrap both pieces of cardboard with the paper as if you were wrapping a present. It’s good practice for Christmas. I typically stink at this step, but it doesn’t matter too much. Tape each side down toward the middle.

When you’re finished, you should have two covers that look something like this.

Select one of the covers to be the bottom, grab some double sided tape, and stick the ribbon in the middle of the cardboard. Be very particular about getting the ribbon directly in the middle. Nobody likes one side longer than the other. Ahem. Set the covers aside for later.

Next we’ll do some cutting. The remaining 4 12×12 sheets of scrapbooking paper will need to be cut down to 5.5 inch squares. I usually do this by trimming the edges down to 11×11 and then cutting it directly down the center, both ways. Once you have 4 squares from each sheet, take two of the squares from each paper and cut them diagonally down the center (as shown above).

If you’ve done it right, you should have 2 5.5 inch squares and 4 triangles of each paper. For this project, select one really awesome square and 3 super great triangles of each paper. Set aside to let rise. Now comes the difficult part. This is where I lose most of you. That’s right, we’re going to fold. Don’t panic.

Grab your 3 pieces of cardstock. Don’t worry. Each piece is folded the same way. First, fold the paper in half (hotdog style, although both ways is hotdog style with a square).

Turn it sideways and fold it again down the center.  Important: the fold must be bending inward and up, as shown above.

Here it is. The hard part. Turn the paper upside down so that the folds bend toward the table. Fold again into a triangle against the grain of the other folds. You’ll only do one triangle fold. Whew! Is that confusing? It’s hard to explain.

If everything goes well, the paper will fold into itself as shown above. An easy way to make it fold correctly is to put your fingers on the fold lines where you bent the triangle and squeeze.

When all is said and done, you should have three cardstocks that look like this. Smooth on the top, folded in the center.

And now it’s time for gluing. Arrange the cardstock as shown above. The squares will fit nicely on top of each other. You should have 3 points on top and 3 points on bottom. Glue the middle cardstock to the two other cardstocks.

You are ready to paste the triangles and squares to the cardstock. Arrange it in any way you’d like. There is no particular rules about this. Except that I have rules for myself about which colors can go where. But you don’t have to do it. I give you full creative license.

Once you’re finished gluing, it will look something like this. See how nice a border the cardstock created behind your squares and triangles? This is your platform for photos. When everything is dry, you can write and color and paste your photos in here. But we’re not done. When it’s dry, it will fold like it did before. Except this time there are three parts instead of one. The pretty squares and triangles should be on the inside of your fold. From here, we’ll add the covers.

Tape the outer edges of the cardstock with double sided tape.

Center the cardstock on the middle of the bottom cover. It should fit like stuffing in an oreo. Repeat this step with the top cover. Tape the top of the cardstock, and center the front cover.

It looks like this.

And it opens. As long as the ribbon is not tied.

And reveals the accordion center. Where you will put your photos. Or let somebody else do that part for you. And you’re done! Congratulations. You’ve scrapbooked. Once you’ve done 70 of these puppies, it should take you about 20 minutes to do the whole process. I’m assuming it’s around $10 tops for all the materials (including glue, ribbon, and tape). That’s a pretty cheap gift, right? But not cheap looking. And that’s the distinction. This is love. Phocordian style.

I’m happy to clarify any steps that have caused you pain. Happy scrapping. Happy early Christmas.

Hi again everyone, Your wide eyed cyclist again here. As you know would know from reading Carbonize my Ride!!! that I’ve started a project to basically, well, carbonize my ride. I’m essentially putting my previously damaged (by CY) carbon Trek frame on my Merida bike. Then again, maybe it’s considered transferring my Merida’s components over to my carbon frame. Either way, I’ll end up with a sweet assed carbon bike, and a Merida alu frame with carbon forks to sell!!

Got a couple of things done to my bikes since the last post. Most notably, I’ve managed to straighten the bent dropout (considered impossible by a reputable bike shop in the Jurong area. God knows why…) AND I’ve fused the crack with an aluminium weld. Nice workmanship on the dropout by my welder I must say, considering the proximity of the crack to the derailleur mounting threads. Total job cost me coffee $$ of 10 bucks. Good deal considering that some mechanic told me that it was impossible to bend the dropout and save the frame. Here are some pics of the finished job.

I must admit that it’s not exactly elegant, but it serves its purpose, while preserving your piggy bank, and seriously, who actually looks behind and under your rear derailleur? (If you want the contact of the aluminium worker/company, drop me a comment/message with your contact info) So now that the carbon frame has been fixed, I’ve gone shopping at bike shops for the cost of transferring components and parts from 1 bike to another. So here’s a mini report on prices in the Katong region and slightly beyond… JOFI (Roxy square) $60 for swap. $40 for tune up with new cables. Hong Soon Seng (Joo Chiat Rd) $60 for swap and tune up. $32 for 4 new cables. Rodalink (East side) $55 for swap and tune up. $32+ for 4 new cables. T3 (Siglap rd) $80 for swap and tune up. Looks like I’ll be sending the bike in to a bike shop soon enough, so stay tuned for the before/after pictures!!

It was one good evening when I decided to take a break from my usual fast-food eating habit.  After an excellent meal (I hadn’t taste “pinaksiw na isda” for years now) and so I took some time browsing some stores in San Joaquin looking for some cell phones – aha! and to my surprise I bumped into this one – a Blackberry look-a-like.

A China-made phone with a WiFi, — yup, that’s right; I was thinking that one of these days we will not be surprise when it can view your map turn-by-turn.  Though I don’t have much time to test or tried it well, here’s what you get with this P5,899 phone.

Features:

-          WiFi + TV + Bluetooth

-          Quad band

-          Dual Camera that can take 12MP resolution

-          Orbit tracking ball

-          Support gravity sensor

-          Body mass indicator (Java)

-          To-do-List, Organizer, Java

-          Dual active SIM

-          MicroSD support up to 2GB of memory, 20MB internal

-          miniUSB support, 3.5mm audio jack

-          Volume and camera control button

-          FM Radio

-          Ebook and PDF reader

-          World Clock and Currency Converter

-          Web browser

One of the staff says she tried it once at Starbucks and its WiFi feature works seamlessly. So now, you know what these guys could do – I believe you’re guess is as good as mine. Watch out for more look-a-likes.  Don’t worry it does not run on RIM.

I know all of you who read this were hoping that at this point I would be putting up my review of this past months great game Assassin’s Creed II. Sadly I have not sat down yet to write or edit one for the public, all I have is a leather journal with my notes. Don’t fret, this month I have established a new method of blogging, the post, post, post and promote tactic. I will be starting a double posting strategy for each week, one on Monday and one on Friday with either news/updates on the gaming world, reviews, or other wise. I will also ask those who view to comment and tell your gaming friends of this blog, if you like it. If you have crappy things, please keep those ideas to yourself lol. They say bad press is still press, but I don’t need life of these blogs to die before they truly begin.

Any who, this days blog post is a series I like to call Cheap Man’s Guide to:. A series for those, like me, have low income or no income, and still wish to make purchases and not break the budget sheet you have sitting under the pile of bills on your kitchen counter. This time it’ll be about all things gaming, where to buy, when not to buy, how to get the best trade in values, sales, etc. Enjoy

Cheap Man’s Guide to: Gaming Purchases

Gamers! Have you ever had those months, especially lately, where your budget is either restricted to the small stuff, or cut off completely, in order to survive till the next paycheck or however you get cash? I know I have experienced this within the past month.

Losing your job is something very common lately and not being able to get another one is a problem we have to face, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a way to get by. First step is to, obviously, establish what your amount you’ll be able to spend on such entertainment worthy items such as games. If you have bills that pile up every month, and your pay check barely covers them, you may have to save and scrounge to get the extra $20 or more to even get the latest game. Those of you who lost your job… well you might not even have the money what so ever to even pick up the latest game at all. Though when and if you find your minimum spending limit for these amazing products that can keep you from becoming so stressed when you get turned down in an interview or by your girlfriend/boyfriend, you need to think about what you want.

The big question is this, “Do I really need the latest and greatest game?” Most of you just decided yes before the thought was finished inside your head. Sorry to break it to you but your lifestyle in that mindset will never flourish. You must think very carefully how bad you really want to play games.  Some of you it’s a compulsive need to buy the next Assassin’s Creed, or Call of Duty, but your life without it isn’t any less meaningless. You just wont be able to stay with the gamers version of the Johnsons. Until you can learn to except that fact, your money will be lost ever so much every time you walk by a game shop. You can’t have the new stuff, but that never stops you from buying the classics. Those games that gave the developers ideas for these new, realistic looking, pieces of art you want to play today. Why can’t you go back and see where all these great ideas came from?

Before Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank, there was Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot. We used to love those games but when Naughty Dog and Insomniac came out with even better titles that caught your interest, some of you toss the games into the nearest Gamestop for the few bucks they give you and trade up. Is that what gaming has become? Trading up, forgetting the past? I say when you find a treasure, you keep it. If you have a game fit, go in and pick up a copy of an older game. Some may cost 15-20 bucks, but it could be far less expensive depending on the game, and is sure as hell less expensive than half these new games, even used, at $50. You save $30-35 alone by picking up and older title instead of a new one! Wouldn’t you rather build your collection of games you love than have 3 games sitting on yourself and you find yourself bored with all three?

I started rebuilding my collection this past Summer. I believe I tripled my count till now just by picking up the old and inexpensive titles compared to the one $50-60 games. I used to sell my games to get new ones as recently as Halo 3. I came to realize all the games that I ever liked, I’m missing. I came to my sense when I found out my friend had over 300 titles that ranged from Wii back to the NES. I was shocked at how he had kept all the games he ever had and still picked up some current ones. I finally came to my senses and started scouring the bins of local shops looking for the cheap old games I used to love so much.

However, if collecting isn’t your bigger picture in all this, by all means sell the games, more cash to work with and breaks your bank a little less. Though you need to watch where you trade in your games, certain places sell the same game you have for $20-30 yet when you got to trade it in, they give you $3. It seems unfair, that’s because it is. You spent your hard earned money, why can’t you get at least half of what you spent? I did some searching, not a huge search, but enough to find that there are places that will give you fair value. Gamestop is a must avoid when you go to trade in your games, you remember the $20 value getting only $3 back? That is a true story from their stores, giving you the lowest return value I have seen so far. Go ahead and buy your games there, I think it’s a good buy 6 out of 10 times, just don’t fall for the trade-in value discounts on new games or any other trade in deal.

There are two, possibly three places I have seen that have given a better discount by far. My favorite, which doesn’t exist outside of Texas, possibly, is Entertainmart. They have signs claiming they think they give you too much for your games, that statement is very much true. I have traded in a game that was worth over $50 and they gave back $40 for it, if not adding on a few dollars and cents. Sound better than getting $3? I know it does to me. If it was me, I would urge the owners of Entertainmart to expand their business to other states, as I know they would sure as hell get more sales, if not from gamers alone.

Another place I found with a slight, if not more, decrease than Entertainmart is called Movie Trading Co.. They are better about their deals most the time, better than Gamestop, but not up in the ranks of E Mart. A DS game valued in at $20 gave back a $10 exchange of cash, though in store credit it was worth 5 dollars more, but I never like store credit. Especially if I have no source of income, I needed the money for something right? All in all I think E mart is a safe choice, but it’s a far drive for me, so if I can’t make it out there I generally take it to MTC, if I really don’t want the game, or save it till my next trip out to the E mart area.

The last place I recently found was called Gamecrazy. I had never once heard of it until I took some random Gamestop survey. I looked it up and this one is even further away but offers some interesting services. Bigger trade in values, I haven’t tried it out since they have only one store close to me and it’s like 2 hours away, try before you buy, a membership deal, everything you could want in a store I suppose. I check the prices and they were standard but I want to know exactly the type of deals they have on trade ins. I do say that with these features and you know of one of these stores, go for it, but I honestly can’t tell you if E mart would be any better.

If anything what I am trying to say here is, search around for the better deal on trade ins. If you have to give up your games, you want some kind of big return for it, as I know I would. Just search before you just randomly trade it in. You’ll be happy that you did.

The other thing on deals, be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for the big deals. Store closings, Holiday sales, Liquidations (which have good deals, but normally wont hear about them besides the radio randomly). The more money you save, the better off you’ll be. You’ll have the feeling of joy of getting this awesome game you either know you love or will love PLUS you save some extra money you can put towards groceries, gas, bills. You wont be out on the street and you’ll have your entertainment for the next month or so. The best thing you’ll get lately is Holiday sales, big amounts of sales on all things gift worthy.

Go out to Best Buy, Wal-mart, or  local game shops searching for Buy two get one free or 50% off selected items. You’ll have to probably wake up early to get some of the good sales, but honestly your a gamer on a fixed income, your games either keep you up or you can sleep early then rise just as early to go get the titles you want. Heck you probably could just pause your current gaming session and run to the nearest store and be the first in line. You could even bring your handheld and play while waiting to play.

Another heads up, Blockbuster recently has been having store closings around the areas and they carry games and gaming accessories. If you get up to one quickly you can grab the good titles at very cheap prices. I just recently saw a game like Resident Evil 5 going for $20, Mercenaries 2 for $10. You can also scan the shelves for DVD’s that are 50-70% off. It’s a win-win for the entertainment portion of your life for a while. Plus some cheap Christmas gifts for those you talk with.

Also the game company EA has been having selected titles on sale for what looked like half their original price. I am not sure if they still have it going but you should check it out. Any sell is better than paying full price. Restricted budget or not.

The last lesson I want to impart is this, even when you come into more money, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, feel like you can go back and start buying every new title again. The idea of spending less for games is to continue to do it, you can go ahead and reserve your copy of Mass Effect 2 but reserve it early, once you’re allowed to do so, and make small payments. It keeps you safe and is just a small fee per paycheck till the game comes out. Which could be months if your lucky. You can’t just drop into old habits and go back to spending $60 ever two weeks for one game. You want a habit that keeps you happy. If you spend all your money and have no room to do anything else, even pay bills, it wont keep you happy for long.

For now, this is all I have to say on Game Purchases. I will update once I find out cheaper ways, but I hope the lessons in this session will help you survive the down season of cash flow and still game in happiness.

Gamer Jay

Don’t you just hate it?

I wish I could go back 6000 years and smack the first women who decided to experiment with kohl and burned charcoal.  They’ve obligated the rest of us to make near heroic efforts to improve our appearance beyond what nature and our good mothers gave us.  Sure, you look great, but it takes time to apply it and there are a bewildering number of options out on the market.  What’s an AG to do?  Does it really make a difference if you buy the $40 foundation instead of the $10 one?  Does a $26 Dior mascara really ever out perform the hot pink Maybelline tube you grew up with?

The answer is, yes.  And no.

In my experience, the more expensive foundations and powders tend to be worth it.  They usually have higher quality ingredients and less fillers; especially true of mineral powder foundations.   They also usually wear longer without drying your skin out, and are less likely to irritate sensitive skin (like mine).  Plus, they often have a wider variety of colors to match skin tone.   I also think the more expensive blushes portray a more natural flush, especially on paler skin tones.

When applied with the proper brushes, one bottle/compact/stick should last you several months, making your investment in quality base products worth it.  Sonia Kashuk brushes are a great find, and can be picked up at Target, or Target.com.  Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart also offer some natural bristle brushes on the cheap, though they don’t last long.  But at $3.00 a brush, does it really matter?

There are some great concealers, eye shadows, liners (eye and lip), lipsticks, glosses and mascaras you can also pick up at the local drug store.  This is especially great because these are the items most likely to change with trends and seasons. For example, bold lips are in this winter.  Try L’Oreal Colour Riche or Maybelline ColorSenesational lipsticks in a shade flattering to your skin tone.  I’m currently rocking Maybelline’s Red Revival, and I use a Sally Hansen reverse lipliner to keep it from bleeding.  It looks great, and women almost always ask if it’s from MAC.

For gloss, I usually choose Victoria’s Secret  glosses.  They come in soooooo many shades, and all of them are yummy.  Plus it makes me feel good knowing that I share at least something with Giselle Bundchen.  Sure it’s not Tom Brady, or the ability to wear a thong bikini and make it look good, but at least we can both rock that same glossy pout.

Another great find are L’Oreal’s H.I.P. eyeshadows.  They come in a wide variety of colors, and have a lot of pigment; something that has been a major drawback to most drug store brands up til now.  The color combinations can be a little crazy, but don’t let that intimidate you.  You don’t have to use both colors at once, and you can mix and match from several different compacts if you want to.  L’Oreal’s other eyeshadows are also great, and come in some more neutral shades.

For mascara, I almost always choose anything Max Factor.  The blacks are BLACK, and they also have a great blue option that really perks up tired eyes.  As for eyeliners, it’s hard to go wrong with Rimmel or Wet N’ Wild. Both are super cheap and come in a number of great shades. And the new combination highlighter/concealers put out by Maybelline- Instant Age Rewind- are an absolute steal.  I switched from a super expensive Estee Lauder Highlighting pen and Makeup Forever under eye concealer to this great (cheap!!!!) combo product.

And of course, everything looks better on great skin.  So drink lots of water and keep your hands away from your face.  I’ll talk a little more about skin care next time…

Code : C-15

Price : Rp 80.000

Weight : 4 gram

When you see an ad for a cheap flight to Delhi, you should take advantage of the savings to have a wonderful holiday. Delhi is the capital of India and as such is one of the most wondrous cities of the world. Not only is the city a beehive of activity, but also a cheap flight to Delhi will place you in a location from which you can easily travel to other parts of the country, such as the Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and locations in North Central India.

Even though you might want to take advantage of a cheap flight to India, you really should spend some time in the city exploring the many impressive attractions. Explore ancient fortresses and majestic ruins where you can discover the history of this exciting and exotic India country. Here you will find a blend of the past and the present. Many dynasties have ruled this country through its lengthy and sometimes stormy history. The city of Delhi was destroyed on seven different occasions and has been rebuilt better each time. The many monuments throughout the city detail the pain and sorrow suffered by the people and stand as a testament to the past.

Forts and Monuments

A cheap flight to Delhi offers the opportunity to visit the forts and monuments of the city. There are so many sights to see in this great city that it is only possible to list a few of them.

Visit what some believe to be the predecessor of the Taj Mahal at Humayun’s Tomb. This monument, built of red sandstone by Haji Begum, the wife of Humayun, dates back to the mid 1500’s. It is one of the best examples of Mughal architecture in all of India. On the way to this tomb, you can also visit a mosque, called the Nizam-Ud-Din Shrine. Inside you will see a tank surrounded by tombs, but most importantly, it is the location of the famous Sufi saint for which the shrine is named.

Even if you don’t plan a layover as part of the itinerary of your cheap flight to Delhi, but have a few hours to wait, you will be able to visit the Safdarjung Tomb, as it is located quite close to the airport. This monument tells the story of a dying empire as the Nawab of Avadh built it for his father. It dates back to the mid-1700’s and lies in the middle of a garden spanning more than 300 square meters.

A must see when you do get a chance to fly to Delhi on a cheap flight is the Red Fort. This impressive fort has a perimeter of more than 3km, and the height of the wall ranges from 18 to 30 meters in places. During the evenings, you can enjoy a light and sound show that will give you a eyefull into the history of Delhi and the part the fort played in that history. The Lahore Gate is the site from which the prime Minister addresses the people on August 15 of each year. Just inside the gate there is a indian market called bazaar, where there is a shopping plaza with many types of items for sale.

The Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India and dates back to its completion in 1658. This mosque has four towers and two minarets that are 40 meters high. From the top of these minarets, you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the entire city of Delhi.

Visit the Rose Garden located in the Chanakya Puri section of the city. Here you will see many rare rose varieties. However, the best time to see the roses in bloom is during the months of December and January. If you are a lover of flowers and want to visit the many botanical gardens of Delhi, you should look for cheap flights for this time of the year.

Getting Around Delhi

Although you might save a lot of money with a cheap flight to Delhi, if you are not used to this city, you shouldn’t try to save money by renting a car. Take advantage of the many ways to travel in Delhi worry free. There are rickshaws or taxis available at the Delhi airport that will take you to your hotel. As soon as you clear customs, there will be many porters offering to carry your bags for you. You can arrange with the hotel where you make reservations to have someone meet you at the airport. If this is so, that person will have a sign bearing your name so that you can identify him. Check at the counter to arrange a taxi, as most of them have established rates from the airport into the city.

When traveling about the city, the hotel can arrange a taxi for you. Delhi is also a city of the rickshaw – a three-wheeled vehicle that is usually about half the price you would pay for a taxi. There is also a bus service that runs from the airport to the center of the city.

Enjoy your visit to Delhi, but remember that this is a big city where you do have to be careful of your belongings.

I’m currently in love with these bombs, they go with everything! spaghetti, noodles, rice, couscous..you name it! All I need to do is make a little adjustments, If I want to eat them with pasta, I just use Italian herbs such as basil, or oregano. In this post, I have them with stir fried flat rice noodle and vegies, so I added chopped up coriander and rolled them in flour and sesame seeds before shallow frying them. We ended up eating the rest of the balls with sweet chilli sauce as a ‘dessert’.  Next time, I’m thinking to add some nori flakes, and have them with soba or udon noodles.

Finding a cheap flight to Bombay might take a little bit of research online and in person, but you will be glad that you did. Visiting Bombay is one of the most interesting and culturally diverse things that you can do, and many people visit Bombay for quite a few reasons. First of all, finding a cheap flight to Bombay is more than just that making travel arrangements. Bombay is now currently known as Mumbai, and is the capital of the Maharashtra state in India. There are about 13 million people who live in Bombay, so visiting this city is something that is full of big city adventures for lots of people.

A cheap flight to Bombay will take you to an area that is off the west coast of the country of India. The city itself has a natural harbour that is quite deep. This is advantageous for the city of Mumbai, which takes care of more than half the passenger traffic in all of India, as well as most of the Indian cargo. A cheap flight to Bombay will take you to the hub of the commercial and entertainment areas in India, so you will be able to catch a glimpse of both areas while visiting the city. First of all, Mumbia is the commercial capital, which means that the major financial institutions, like the Reserve Bank of India, as well as the Bombay Stock exchange, are found here. Visitors who are interested in the commercial goings-on of India will enjoy their time in Bombay, because a cheap flight to Bombay means being right where the action is, and right in the middle of the business district of the city. However, commerce isn’t all that a cheap flight to Bombay will have to offer you. It is also the entertainment capital of India. This includes the Hindi industry of film and television, which is commonly called Bollywood. Film buffs, as well as history scholars, will enjoy taking a cheap flight to Bombay and visiting this area. This is because Bombay is the birthplace of the entire Indian cinema idea.

With a history that dates back to silent movies made by Dadasaheb Phalke, followed by talkies, the oldest film that was broadcast in India can be dated back to the early 20th century. This historical area of cinema also includes current entertainment, as well.

Mumbia has a large number of theaters and cinemas, and it is also home to the world’s biggest IMAX Theater. This theater shows Bollywood, Marathi, and Hollywood hits.

Not only that, but Bombay is one of the few cities in the world that actually has a national park inside its borders. This is something that is quite interesting to tourists of all types. One of the premier destinations for backpackers, family vacations, and couples is the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is not all cinema and park that brings tourists in on a cheap flight to Bombay, however. There are many other reasons that one might want to visit Bombay. Contemporary art is a main attraction in Mumbai. There are several government funded art galleries that are open for viewing. There is also a gallery of modern art, as well as several historical galleries, and a large public library.

With all the arts, culture, and historical books that can be found, a scholar can lose themselves in history and learning on a visit to this great city. For those backpackers and tourists who are looking for well-known historical sites, they will be able to find two UNESCO World Heritage Sites after a cheap flight to Bombay.

These are the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Elephanta Caves. Both these attractions are highly popular, and are among the primary reasons that people choose to visit Bombay.

For backpackers, these are two of the most popular destinations in India, and the hotels around them are usually quite cheap as well. In fact, cheap hotels and hostels in Bombay are so available that many people come and stay longer than they may have planned. They can take advantage of all there is to see and do, while having a cheap place to stay, as well. There are also several popular areas in the city that one might visit on a cheap flight to Bombay. These include Nariman Point, Chowpatti Beach, and Juhu Beach, as well as Marine Drive. These are all sites that are listed in travel guides and in other guidebooks that you can purchase beforehand or after you arrive in Bombay. With all that can be found in Bombay, it is no wonder that many people choose to spend a few pounds on a cheap flight to Bombay. There are many attractions in this bustling city, which is a treasure trove of history, culture, and life.

Let me start out saying, for MP3 player and IPOD headphones, I hate earbuds. They’re totally uncomfortable, the sound sucks and they fall out of my ears when jogging and working out. They also can possibly cause ear damage. For some reason most mp3 players include them for free and they usually always suck! Anyway, after a lot of research and going through several different sets of around the ear mp3 player headphones, I got the Koss PortaPro headphones and they’re to my ears what a young Sophia Loren is to my eyes!

I bought a great Zen Nano Plus MP3 Player 512 mainly for jogging, work and travel by public transport and the headphones Koss PortaPro get what I always wanted in a headset for your iPod / MP3 player and much more. First of all, are super lightweight and extremely comfortable and quite stay ears while running, and the development and also, in reality, you do not realize they are. Also very good sound too good, but notoverbearing bass. When comfort and in a position where they are worn without falling while running, working / not a factor for you, then I am sure there are some headphones that sound better, but if you use the headphones for jogging and working conditions, They have the best you can get this sound with the best comfort.

The icing on the cake for the Koss PortaPro the price down, the $ 35 you can usually find for you online, rather than being reduced by $ 49.99. I strongly recommendKoss PortaPro headphones who is good, headphones comfortable, the ears for the development and management and will also want a good sound.

Author: Jennie Carpenter
Source: ezinearticles.com

If you don’t live in New York,, theatre tickets, then you may not find much opportunity to watch Broadway shows. Some large cities such as San Francisco and Chicago, theatre tickets, have ongoing shows that come through, while other small cities can only find very few shows per year. Tickets therefore come with steep prices sometimes going over $80 or $100 for decent seats, and therefore can be quite difficult for the rest of use to watch these shows when they come to our town.

Still, if you, theatre tickets, are on a budget, there is a solution: Get Rush Seats. Some touring productions provide tickets called rush tickets in which they sell at bargains right on the show day to people through various ways, among them through a lottery.

One such event is the show “Wicked” which holds lottery for tickets costing $25 just two hours before their show. To win this lottery, you only need to show up, show your ID and then, theatre tickets, enter your name into the ballot. Of course winners need to pay cash or forfeit the tickets.

Some shows will sell in the box office some very cheap tickets for the show of the day. These tickets may not be sold normally, or may have been cancelled just during, theatre tickets, the last minute. Theatres may choose not to lose income and sell at half price. You will need to buy them at a theater box office.

Another way is to wait in line for low cost tickets. An example is “RENT” which sells $20 for tickets to the first two rows of seats just two hours before, theatre tickets, it begins. You will need to wait in line for quite a while, still, there is just no other option for getting front row seat to this show.

If you want, theatre tickets, to know what options are available for you, check the websites giving information,, theatre tickets, theatre tickets, for theaters in your town and find out which shows will, theatre tickets, be available. If you can’t find information in the websites, then call the box office to inquire on any low priced tickets.

You may also search in google, with, theatre tickets, the show name, city name and rush tickets as the keywords. Also use forums and bulletin boards to find out information regarding these shows.

If you follow these tips, you will find yourself getting more opportunity to enjoy broadway shows at a much reduced price.

Jennie Carpenter is an expert in art and humanities. She regularly writes on dances and entertainment and also reviews and comments on arts, musical, and Broadway shows. Her works may be found in here.

This just in: we have a special promo offer going on SeatingZone!

This whole holiday season, you can get $20 off on any order over $120 if you use Google Checkout when you buy. Nothing could be easier — simply add items to your shopping cart as you would normally. Then, after you click “submit”, you’ll see the Google icon, allowing you to use your Google account to check out. Google checkout is safe and reliable, plus it gives you $20 off your order this holiday season!

So what better time to get a decadent new office chair for your favorite office worker, college student, or even yourself?

Good through December 17th, 2009.

A review of the Onda VX787 Chinese Mp4 Player in 8Gb and 16Gb.

Manufacturer: Onda  Model: VX787 8GB V3

Features

Description:

The latest V3 version 4.3 Inch Digital Video Touch Screen

Black acrylic mirror screen, with toughened matt black aluminum alloy light weight casing, make a perfect combination of technology and advanced materials. It gives this machine a sense of elegance with its fashionable style and a super strong body. A very easy to use player.

The latest Onda VX 787 4.3” Captive Touch Screen MP3 MP4 Player with TV-out and FM Transmitter. Fitted with the latest RK2706 rock chip. This VX787 has a 8GB internal memory that is also expandable up TO 40GB, with a Micro SD card or SDHC card. It features a built in microphone for recording from the radio to the player and voice recording. The VX787 can play audio for upto 24hours and 8hours video, continuous with I full battery charge. This latest Onda VX787 supports an advanced sensitive touch screen which matches any leading brand on the market.

The ONDA VX787 player has outstanding music quality and video/movie pictures.

The ONDA VX787 also comes with TV Out function, which means you can plug directly into your big screenTV, LCD or Plasma, turning your player into a digital video player

With its inbuilt FM transmitter, you can connect to your car radio and play all your favourite tunes from your Onda player through your car stereo.

Comes in full retail package

Accessories:

• USB Cable
• Earphones
• AV Cable
• User Manual
• Polishing Cloth
• DC Charger (US/UK/EU/AU available)
• Warranty Card

Source:4CoolTechnology

Onda VX787 Specifications

The prices we recommend for purchase are around £70/$105 for the 16Gb and £60/$90 for the 8Gb though as it is difficult to buy this chinese Mp4 direct prices will vary.

Going through the same routine everyday becomes quite a bore. Get up in the morning and then rush through the day, so that you do not miss the daily things that you do, can at times get really boring and tiresome. We all work hard day and night to be able to live up to the expectations of others and to make a mark for ourselves in this ever evolving and rapidly changing world. In this quest, we almost forget that we are human beings and that we too need a change in our lives. If not forever, then atleast for sometime, we do need a change, so that we can rejuvenate ourselves and get a new spirit embedded in ourselves. Going for a vacation with our loved ones is something that we all enjoy and love to do. In addition, this helps us to get a little more close to our family members and our loved ones and moreover, we get to spend time with them also. Bahamas has proved to be one of the most sought after holiday destinations and cheap Bahamas vacation is definitely icing on the cake for people who want to enjoy a vacation in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is an amalgamation of seven hundred small islands. This itself speaks about the beauty of that place and proves to be a good point to tempt tourists to visit that place more than once. The Bahamas is famous for its scenic beauty and is an exotic place to enjoy quality time with loved ones and family members. In fact, one can go to the Bahamas all alone because the scenic beauty of that place and the calmness of the place, makes one feel of being close of Mother Nature and this is definitely something that no one would want to miss. In fact, because of the number of tourists, the cheap Bahamas vacation has been introduced, so that people can go there at a much cheaper rate and enjoy the scenic beauty of that place.

Now you must be thinking from where you would get the details of a cheap Bahamas vacation. Well, there are many travel agents who provide all the details of a cheap Bahamas vacation and also arranges for the same. Therefore, all you would need to do is to look out for a travel agent who could provide you with all the details of a cheap Bahamas vacation and at the same time, help you to get a good deal. Moreover, these travel agents also help you to get hold of good accommodation. Moreover, they also help you for sight seeing and other purposes. With these travel agents, you just do not feel out of place.

Therefore, if you are bored with your life and want to rejuvenate it, then opting for a cheap Bahamas vacation is the best thing to do. This not only helps you to go to one of the best places on this Earth with you loved ones but also helps you to save a lot on your pocket. This entire thing is almost like a dream and it is obvious that you would not want to miss the opportunity. Therefore, pack your bags and get going for a rejuvenation session.

Have you been dying to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant but feel that it’s out of your price range? Worry no more. A small “hole-in-the-wall” named Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong has been awarded it’s first Michelin star. They serve rice, noodles, dim sum, steamed dumplings, pork buns and other typical Southern Chinese cuisine.

The restaurant was opened by Mak Pui Gor, who was previously the dim sum chef at the three Michelin-starred restaurant Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.

The most expensive dish on the menu, a noodle dish, will run you about $5. An entire meal for two can be had for under $10. Because of it’s accolades and the fact that the dim sum is made-to-order, the wait can be upwards of an hour so be prepared to wait (one person decided to eat his ticket rather than wait).

Now the only problem is getting there. Tack on $1000 (which isn’t too bad) for your flight from JFK International to Hong Kong International and you’re still in the price range of some dinners at a few other Michelin rated restaurants.

Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Expert (添好運點心專門店)
Address: G/F, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St, Mong Kok
(take exit A2 of Yau Ma Tei MRT station, its directly opposite Paradise Parade)
Phone: 2332 2896
Hours: Daily 10am-11pm

Tim Ho Wan (via Chikawatanabe)

Dim Sum (via Chikawantanbe)

Seriously I think the guy or gal that invented the cardboard core for paper towels, toilet paper or even wrapping paper should get a Nobel Peace Prize because in my house any activity involving one lends peace and quiet to this mommy even if it is only for a few sips of coffee. Last week my son was having a good old time shaking some goldfish crackers in a sealed Tupperware container when I had the idea to take a wrapping paper tube, tape a scrape piece of paper over one opening, fill it with some crackers (20 or so), tape that end shut with piece of paper to create a rain stick! Viola! Easy and my son loved hearing the crackers fall down all the while oblivious to the fact that we was learning cause and effect.