Shopping Cart Service Provider

Do you have a online business and thinking of a way how to handle online orders ? And with the limited technical skills, don't have capability to implement it by yourself ? There are several ways which you could do, first is to buy license software to handle it or second is to have it through hosted service. The first option of buying a licensed software is eventually not your best option as you may require technical skills to customize the software. The best bet then is to talk to a company that provides hosted shopping cart service. In choosing your shopping cart service provider (SP), here are some points that you may need to check :

a. Cost of Service per month
b. Size of disk space allocated to you Disk Space provided
c. The amount of data you are allowed to transfer per month (Bandwidth)
d. Special features of the service provided such as any limit on how many products you can add? or the SP provide any discount coupons
e. Check whether SP provide customer support, or you may have the ability to contact the SP for support at no charge, or whether SP could provide further training
f. Whether fraud protection system is provided

One leading company of shopping cart software provider is Ashop Commerce. Ashop Commerce caters to small to medium sized businesses, that are looking to create an online presence selling products.

If you would like to know more information, please visit Ashop Commerce website, or how to set up an online store

Tips to keep your eyes bright and healthy

Most of us works with computers at home or in office.  Some even use computers in excess of 8 hours.  This sometimes leads to red, dry and irritated eyes which could lead eye problems if precautions are not taken.  Here's some tips to keep your eyes health.

a.  Take a 10 minute visual break every hour
b.  Do not sit too close to your computer screen or when reading.  Objects should always be 45 and 60 centimeters away.
c.  Avoid excessively bright lights.  Soft, gentle lighting is best for your eyes.
d.  Blink from time to time to prevent your eyes from drying out
e.  Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.  These supply vitamins essential for healthy eyes.
f.  Wear sunglasses or UV protected eyeglasses outdoors.
g.  Have a regular eye check up to detect possible eye illnesses and prompt early treatment.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

Ingredients :
1/2  or 1 kg of medium size shrimps
Big bunch of spring onion cut into 2 inches long
4 to 6 pcs  RED Long chilli (sliced)
1 big white onion (sliced)
4  dried bay leaves
2 tbps butter
3 tbps cooking oil
brown sugar
dark soy sauce

Procedure  :
a.       In a deep pan, heat oil and butter together
b.      add  onion and bay leaves and stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minutes
c.      add shrimp stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes
d.      then add sliced chilli and mixture of sugar and soy
e.      if you are not satisfied with the taste add more sugar or soy, stir one more time
f.       then add the spring onion, turn off fire and stir once more. 
g.      Serve hot.
 
Note: It should taste bit spicy, bit salty and sweet.

Peking Duck

Since I arrived to Hongkong in 1994, I have never eaten any duck dish.  But on one baptism occasion, our friend John had invited me to eat at the Chinese Restaurant and before I knew it, he ordered Peking Duck as one of the dish.  I told my friend that I never eat duck as I would have allergy whenever I ate "balut" or cooked duck eggs back in the Philippines.  He said, I just have to try it as he highly recommends the dish.  Well, the Peking Duck was really superb.  So whenever you have the opportunity to visit Hongkong or a famous chinese restaurant, I highly recommend that you try this authentic chinese dish.



Peking Duck is a famous chinese dish.  The duck would be thinly sliced serving mostly the crispy skin and little meat.  It  is often eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoi sin sauce or sweet noodle sauce.   Some vegetable dishes are likewise provided to accompany the meat, typically cucumber or carrot sticks.  You eat by spreading sauce over the pancake, putting vegetables (cucumber, spring onion) and duck skin/ meat over it and used the pancake to wrapped around the meat and vegetables and then eat it by hand.  The remaining fat, meat and bones may be made into duck broth.    

Autism: A gift of hope, courage and inspiration

Autism: A gift of hope, courage and inspiration
By Jeanne Tan Te

* It is my sincerest hope to continue inspiring parents who are facing the same dilemma that we've been through, that I share another story from the very courageous and giving lady, Awit Dalusong

It is my sincerest hope to continue inspiring parents who are facing the same dilemma that we've been through, that I share another story from the very courageous and giving lady behind www.autismpinoy.com, Awit Dalusong:

"A few weeks before giving birth to Ethan, I was busy surfing the internet trying to update myself on the latest research on how to take care of a newborn. When, suddenly, I was directed to a website with these words on the front page, "God gives special children to special parents." Immediately, I turned off the computer and said, "Well, I don't think I want to be special."

As fate would have it, two and a half years later, I was once again in front of the computer, trying to figure out why my son lost his language and why he has failed to make eye contact with anybody including his mom and dad. It really started with an innocent question from a friend. She asked me, "How does Ethan call his Ate Colleen?" I answered, "He doesn't really call her anything. He had about 60+ words but after his second birthday, his words suddenly disappeared. I think it's because he's been watching too much TV." That night, I got a text message from her with these words, "not to alarm you or anything but please have Ethan checked right away because it's unusual for a child to lose his language according to my uncle who is a psychologist." I deleted her message right away. Fear had hit home, and it hit me hard.

The Autism Society's website confirmed any mother's worst nightmare. They enumerated fourteen behavioral signs and symptoms that may indicate autism. If the child manifested seven signs, then he needed to be diagnosed immediately. It was funny how my husband, Edward, and I desperately omitted some signs so Ethan wouldn't meet the seven signs or symptoms. I vividly recall saying, "I think he only has five signs, six max. Maybe he doesn't have autism after all." But, deep down, I knew the writing was on the wall. For the next several days, I never felt more scared, never felt more desperate and never thought I had so much tears to shed. We just knew he had autism. The diagnoses from the development pediatricians were mere formalities.

"Why my son?" was the question I asked myself everyday while I cried myself to sleep. Ethan crawled, lifted his head, sat, walked, uttered his first word exactly when he was supposed to, if not ahead of most kids his age. At eighteen months, he had uttered more words than his sister. His repertoire included the names of the secretaries in his Dad's office including complex words that a 3 year old may have difficulty pronouncing. He was a very happy boy with a constant smile plastered on his chubby little face. I fondly recall the Christmas before his second birthday, Ethan was dancing to the tune of the latest dance craze. He also gamely helped me show off his extraordinary verbal ability by perfectly identifying all the words in the flashcards. Everyone was really impressed with Ethan that I carried those flashcards wherever we went. Ethan (and I) enjoyed the applause and admiration. Then, out of the blue, autism entered our house, like a thief in the night it snatched my son's soul away from me. At two years old, our son virtually disappeared.

From a bubbly toddler, Ethan transformed into someone I barely know. He walked in circles, opted to play on his own, and the most devastating of all was that he seemed to have forgotten who his parents were. He had a blank look on his face all the time, our boy seemed lost, oblivious of our presence...

Edward had to kick me out of my depression and told me to "get to work because Ethan won't get well with you just sitting down." I called the Behavioral Management for Autistic Children (BMAC), Inc. (thank God for their website) and told them I wanted my son to undergo Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy ASAP.

Edward and I went to two developmental pediatricians and both confirmed that Ethan was indeed in the Autism Spectrum. We went back to the internet in search for hope. After a few days, we stumbled upon the website of the Autism Research Institute (ARI). ARI's theories on the biomedical approach in treating autism offered a new lease on life for our little boy. Incredulous as we were, our skepticism was still there. But it also offered us hope, and for a parent of a special kid, hope is all you could ask for. Prior to discovering the existence of BMAC, ABA therapy and the biomedical intervention of the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) movement, I felt so hopeless. I kept picturing Ethan ending up in an institution. My nightly prayer was for God to not let me lose patience in taking care of my boy for the rest of his life. In fact, one developmental pediatrician told us point blank, "Your son is autistic, and he'll forever be autistic." From that moment, we vowed to prove otherwise.

A month later, we went to Hongkong to meet with a DAN doctor who helped us get started with Ethan's biomedical and dietary intervention. If we were to help Ethan, Edward and I felt that we should address the behavioral and biomedical issues related to autism to ensure success. We felt we owed it to Ethan to explore every possible treatment available to help him recover. The DAN doctor told us that along with the ABA therapy, Ethan's biomedical interventions will put him on a faster track to recovery.

Ethan's first day of ABA was on June 28, 2004. I remember how frustrating the first session went. Ethan practically cried for the first two hours. I thought he could have cried longer had he not exhausted his energy from all that kicking, screaming, and running away. As the days rolled by, Ethan behaved better. For that alone, living with a child with autism seem to be more bearable.

However, Ethan's lack of expressive communication was still a very deep concern for everyone in the family (especially his grandparents). So, in the summer of 2005, I flew to Canada and the United States to attend a couple of workshops on Verbal Behavior spearheaded by Dr. Vince Carbone.

When I came back home, I was very eager to share what I learned from the workshops. I was ecstatic that the staff was excited to incorporate Verbal Behavior in Ethan's program. I have been blessed to work with a team that was very supportive in my endeavors to strengthen my son's program.

Ethan recently turned 4 years old. He knows all the uppercase and lowercase alphabets. He knows his numbers from 1- 20. He easily identifies all the shapes, colors, body parts and animal sounds. He has about 300+ receptive vocabulary. He knows the concept of opposites. His fine motor skills have dramatically improved to indicate that he now has the ability to concentrate on tasks. He feeds himself during mealtimes with great scooping control. Our greatest achievement by far is that Ethan can now sight read common words. But, Ethan is still a work in progress. He still has very limited expressive language. Most of his words are just approximations. His social skills need to be addressed. But there's no denying that he's had a major leap in his cognitive skills. A year and a half ago, he was a boy who didn't know any nursery song. Fast forward to today, Ethan can fill in words to some of his favorite songs. The point is, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel might be long and winding, but that light is a guide for me to persevere more for my son.

The year 2005 has been good to Ethan. Ethan got a coveted slot at International Montessori School, a school with a well-established inclusion program. The directress, Ms. Judith Gonzalez is very supportive with Ethan's dietary and biomedical intervention. She has been an answered prayer to a mother like me. The icing on the cake is that the school uses ABA techniques during Ethan's pull out sessions with his SPED teacher. Ethan's socialization skills practically blossomed overnight. He now enjoys being around other children. A far cry from several months ago when he opted to be left alone and showed no interest to be part of a group.

I am often asked what keeps me going despite the fact that my son has autism. The answer is simple, I have fully accepted Ethan's condition but I also haven't given up hope that I will recover him. Don't be afraid to tell people that your child has autism.

Upon confirming that Ethan was in the Autism Spectrum, I was afraid that my friends would pull away from me. Believe it or not, I never felt more loved and more understood by the people I cared about the most after I revealed Ethan's condition to them. Also, it's important to study. The best way to fight autism is to face it head on with courage, conviction and research. Nobody has all the answers to your child's condition. Parents are in the best position to decide what they feel is best for their children. I am currently doing some volunteer work for the Generation Rescue group. I also moderate an online support group for Filipino families affected by autism. Every week, I receive several emails from parents from here and abroad who wish to learn more about helping their children. Nothing excites me more than reading emails from parents inquiring about autism and recovery.

Yes, Ethan is a special child. He has made significant steps but he is still on the proverbial long road to recovery. Every now and then, my six year old daughter innocently assures me that "Ethan is on the road to recovery but there's just traffic, Mom." I still hope that Ethan will attend a good University, borrow my car to go on dates and get married someday. Edward still hopes that his little boy will be a world-class athlete. Yes, we still have high hopes for him and we will never give up until we find the solution.

They say that God gives special children to special people. We truly believe that parents of special children are some of the greatest caregivers in the world, the uber parents as they say. It's a tough honor, but it surely is worth living up to. Every child with autism deserves nothing less."



See also related posts :
Autism: A gift of hope, courage and inspiration
Autism - Checking for Symptons
Light at the end of the tunnel
Autism : Brief List of Where to Begin
Autism (part 2): Signs of Autism
Raising a Child with ADHD
Autism Resources for English speakers in Hong Kong

Useful tips in HK School Search for your kids

Expatriates with children in Hong Kong have plenty of choices of international schools.   For a British curriculum, the English Schools Foundation has 19 schools from pre-school to secondary level.   The Hong Kong International School (HKIS) offers an American educational system. There are also schools for students who wish to follow their national curriculum from Canada, France, Germany / Switzerland, Singapore, Japan and Korea. Expatriate students may also attend schools that offer the local curriculum and Cantonese immersion programs.

Most common urgent concerns of foreigners planning to relocate to Hong Kong is finding school for their school aged children and provided below are some useful tips to your school searching.  

1          School Website Referral
Most schools have a website outlining important considerations such as their address, the school's system and curriculum, extra curricular activities, pictures of their facilities, tuition fees and zoning requirements.   It is very useful to use the school websites, the links below are good starting point in the search for a good school in HK.

• English Schools Foundation   http://www.esf.edu.hk/index.aspx
• Canadian International School   http://www.cdnis.edu.hk
• French International School       http://www.fis.edu.hk
• Kellet (British school) ;  http://www.kellettschool.com
• Hong Kong International School (American)   http://www.hkis.edu.hk

2         Request for School Brochures
If you feel as though you need further information, contact the school and ask them to send you a brochure and an application form.

3         Set up an Appointment or Send in an Application
If you decide that the school is suitable for your child, contact the school to set up an appointment to discuss any questions further. If you have no further questions, send in an application. Documents required may include copies of school reports and passports for verification of your child's date of birth, especially if there is to be a change of curriculum and a suitable class needs to be determined.

4         Wait for a Reply from the School
Possible responses  from school may be to decline your child's application or to request an interview with your child in order assess whether the application will be considered further.

5         School Interview/Assessment
If your child's application is being considered further, the school will ask to meet you and your child. At this time you will be able to participate in a tour of the school as well.

6        Waiting List
If your child is been placed on a waiting list, there is little that you can do but wait. It is advisable to keep in contact with the school for up-to-date information on where on the list your child is. It is always advisable to apply for several schools to minimize the risk of failing to find an appropriate school for your child.

7        Acceptance
If the school accepts your child, it is likely that you will have to pay a registration fee, provided that the child has the appropriate visa to study. To verify compliance with their catchments policy, ESF schools also require proof of address in the form of a rent receipt, copy of offer letter or tenancy agreement. You will be supplied with information such as where to purchase uniforms, a school calendar and materials list.

Pork Sinigang or Sinigang Na Baboy

Ingredients
1 kg  pork liempo or ribs cut into 1 inch
string beans (cut into 2 to 3 inches length)
3 gabi ( taro )  cut into cubes
garlic (pressed or minced)
1 big onion chopped
kangkong leaves
2 tomatoes
1 raddish, sliced
2 siling mahaba (long green pepper) (pangsigang)
salt or fish sauce
Knorr Tamarind Sinigang Mix
Water (better if tubig na pinaghugasan ng biga)


Directions  
1.  Saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes until tomatoes turned into a bit mushy.
2.  Add the pork ribs and saute a little bit  (add salt or fish sauce to taste)
3.  Pour in the water (pinaghugasan ng bigas) until the pork is well submerged and let it boil
4.  When pork is tender, add the Knorr Tamarind sinigang mix (according to your taste)
5.  Add the taro, raddish and string beans then let it boil
6.  Lastly add the long green pepper and kangkong and let it boil for few more minutes
7.  Season with fish sauce or salt
8.  Serve hot with your kanin (rice).

6 Serious Medical Symptoms

I find this medical article from WebMD to be quite informative and could serve as a good reminders to us.

Some medical symptoms are warnings that you need immediate care. Learn to recognize these "six flags" -- six medical symptoms -- you should keep in mind:

1. If you have unexplained weight loss and/or loss of appetite , you may have a serious underlying medical illness.

"If you're on a diet, you're expecting this to happen. But if you're eating the same way -- and now have to adjust your belt a few notches tighter -- you could have a serious problem,"  says Neil Shulman, MD, a professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and has authored numerous medical books and scientific papers. .

        "With ovarian cancer , the opposite is true," he says. "Fluid builds in the abdomen, and women think they are gaining weight. But if you have been         at the same weight range for years, and doing nothing different, see a doctor."

2. Slurred speech, paralysis, weakness, tingling, burning pains, numbness, and confusion are signs of a stroke , and you should get to an appropriate emergency center immediately. Early treatment may prevent permanent damage to the brain or even save your life.

        Slurred speech can often go unnoticed, says Shulman. However, you might have a blood clot in a blood vessel in the brain or bleeding of a blood         vessel.

3. Black, tarry stools may indicate a hemorrhage from an ulcer of the stomach or the small intestine. It is important to stop the bleeding and to rule out cancer as a cause.

        What you eat changes the color of stools. But black, tarry stools mean there may be bleeding higher in the digestive tract.   It could be a sign of a         bleeding ulcer or cancer.

4. A headache accompanied by a stiff neck and fever is an indicator of a serious infection called meningitis .

        In fact, if you can't put your chin on your chest, that's a sign you may have bacterial meningitis, says Shulman. With bacterial meningitis, you need         antibiotics immediately to kill the bacteria before it infects and scars the brain.

5. A sudden, agonizing headache, more severe than any you have felt before, could mean you are bleeding in the brain. Go to an emergency room immediately.

        A brain aneurysm is rare, but it can happen -- even in people under 40. "It can be very disastrous if it's not treated," says Shulman.    If you have a         severe,         crushing headache, you may have an aneurysm, which is a blood-filled pouch bulging out from a weak spot in the wall of a brain artery. If         treated         before it bursts, it could save your life.

6a. For women: Vaginal bleeding after menopause is a warning sign of possible cancer.

        Some women are in denial when they discover postmenopausal bleeding. "Others think it's a little cut, or something in their urine," says Shulman .          But bleeding after menopause is a symptom of uterine cancer , which is treatable if caught early.

6b. For men: A lump in your testicle with or without a small lump in the groin could be serious. Testicular cancer is more commonly found in testicles that did not naturally descend from the abdomen to the scrotum.

        Guys, when you take a shower, check yourself, says Shulman. "That doesn't mean you have to do it every day, but once in awhile. It's so simple,         simpler than washing your hair. It becomes an automatic thing, then it's easier to remember. If you know what 'normal' feels like, then you'll know         when it feels abnormal."

SOURCES: Shulman, N. Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals, Dell, April 13, 1999. Neil Shulman, MD, professor of internal medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.
Web Source : http://women.webmd.com/features/6-serious-medical-symptoms

Autism - Checking for Symptons

Here are 7 questions parents with children three years or younger are often asked during checks for signs of autism.  Replies must be one of the following four choices :
a.  Never,
b.  Rarely
c.  Sometimes
d.  Often

1.  Does your child take an interest in other children ?

2.  Does your child ever pretend, for example, to talk on the phone or take care of dolls, or pretend other things

3.  Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point , to indicate interest in something ?

4.  Does your child ever bring objects over to you (parent) to show you something ?

5.  Does your child imitate you ?  (eg. you make a face, will your child imitate ?)

6.  If you point at a toy across the room, does your child look at it ?

7.  Does your child look at your face to check your reaction when face with something unfamiliar ?

If two or more of the answers are never, your child has an inclination towards autism.

Source : HK University Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine


See also related posts :
Autism: A gift of hope, courage and inspiration
Autism - Checking for Symptons
Light at the end of the tunnel
Autism : Brief List of Where to Begin
Autism (part 2): Signs of Autism
Raising a Child with ADHD
Autism Resources for English speakers in Hong Kong