by Caleb | Nov 29, 2016 | Hotels & Accomodation, Travel
Looking for the perfect travel destination to take your family during the school holiday? Kuala Lumpur is one of the must-visit cities in Malaysia for a fun-filled family adventure, as there are plenty of incredible and family-friendly attractions that would delight practically everyone. These are the top five reasons to take that family adventure to Kuala Lumpur:
- Family-friendly hotels. There are so many family-friendly hotels to stay at in the city. A family-friendly hotel basically means a hotel that provides services and facilities that cater to children, such as baby cots, children’s beds, exclusive children club, playground, and children’s pool area. The best family-friendly hotels are the ones that have its own theme park, like the Nickelodeon Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Nickelodeon theme park is the first in Asia, featuring themes and beloved cartoon characters such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora the Explorer, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
- Amazing entertainment infrastructures. There are various amazing entertainment infrastructures throughout Kuala Lumpur, be it outdoor or indoor. Some of the must-visit entertainment places your family would love are the Mega Kidz World in MidValley Megamall, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, the IMAX Theatre at Berjaya Time Square, KLCC playground (with free water park for children), and the Berjaya Time Square Indoor Theme Park. Some of these places require an entrance fee, while others require a payment for each ride.
- Great and affordable food. Your trip will not be complete without savoring the special delights the city has to offer. Some of the must try delicacies while you’re in Kuala Lumpur include the oyster omelette in Lot 10, ikan bakar in Kampung Baru, ayam ponteh in Bukit Bintang, and banana leaf rice in Brickfields. If you’re interested in children-themed or kid-friendly restaurants, you can check out the Goodness Greens Café, Antipodean Café, Benbino, Gula Cakery, OldSchool, and Out of Africa.
- Educational and kid-friendly places. Your children should not only have the time of their life, but they should also learn a thing or two to make the family trip even more beneficial. There are several educational and children-friendly places that your kids would definitely love, including KidZania in Mutiara Damansara, Petrosains Discovery Centre in KLCC, and KLCC Aquarium. Each of these places offers facilities that make your trip easier as parents traveling with children.
- Lovely picnic locations. Although the city of Kuala Lumpur is filled with skyscrapers and modern architectures, there are still a few lush greeneries to be found within the big city. Some of the best and lovely picnic locations in the city include Taman Tasik Permaisuri, Tasik Titiwangsa, The Central Park, KLCC park, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Taman Bukit Jalil, and Taman Botani Perdana.
Vacationing with your family could be a fun and incredible experience if you plan it carefully and ahead of time. Brainstorm your options and get everyone’s input. You should also define your budget for the entire trip to make each experience counts. Your budget should be enough to cover accommodation, entertainment, food, and transportation.
For the best deals, make your reservation as early as possible, particularly if you plan to make the trip during school holiday. Aside from planning to do activities as a family, you should also plan for activities that you can enjoy as a couple with your partner, if possible.
by Caleb | Nov 29, 2016 | Furniture, Home and Living
In many cases, homeowners would be relying on nothing more than gut-feel when designing a home with fittings, furniture, and decor. They also tend to skim through sources of design ideas. But chances are, you are overlooking the most important and fundamental design elements required to create a masterpiece of a home.
Check out these 4 important home design elements that you must never ignore:
- Space
Space is the most fundamental element of interior design. The key takeaway here is to remember that there are two types of Spaces. The first is Positive Space which is filled with furniture and decor. The other is empty space which is also called Negative Space. The ideal is to achieve a 50/50 balance between these spaces.
- Colors
There are more to colors than you would normally think. Color psychology is a great interior design topic to educate yourself on. That’s because color sets the overall mood that people would experience when they step into your house. A great way to start with colors is to experiment warm colors with cool colors. For example, orange is a welcoming color but still is a hot color. Mix it with cool colors such as blue and you’ll achieve a nice aesthetic balance to please the eyes.
- Texture
Texture is quite an advanced topic to master. But it’s vital for adding depth and character to your home. Textures are divided into two types. A texture that can only be seen is called visual texture while texture that can be seen and felt is called actual texture. A rule of thumb when it comes to textures is to balance out dominant textures with a contrasting one. For example, having a visual texture such as a wallpaper should be complemented with actual textures such as bed linen of the same color.
- Light
Lastly, you should also gain a basic understanding of lighting. Without light, all 3 of the above elements are redundant. Lighting is typically categorized into 3 types – Accent lighting, Task lighting, and Ambient lighting. Accent lights are used to highlight showcases. Task lights, as its name suggests, are used for a specific task such as a table lamp. Ambient light typically sets the mood for the whole house. Hence, knowing what kind of lighting to use in the house is very important.
So before heading out to , it’s great to educate yourself on these 4 elements of interior designing. This way, you can create a comfortable and an aesthetic home for you and your family.
by Caleb | Nov 18, 2016 | Education
Education is the foundation of any individual’s future. The quality of education that a person gets during their formative years will ultimately determine how equipped they will be later on to face the challenges of independent life and work. It’s any parent’s goal to make sure their kids get the best education they can afford, and that’s why international schools have become such a popular choice for many parents. In Malaysia, public and private schools have begun to take a backseat to their international counterparts because parents see them as much better options when it comes to their kids’ education and learning. If you’re wondering why you should send your kid to an international school in Malaysia, these three reasons should tell you.
-
English as the Main Language – While English is spoken and understood by some in the country, it’s still not quite as widespread. For that reason, Malaysian nationals often find themselves struggling when they go abroad in search of employment, or in the hope of furthering their education. One of the main reasons why parents choose international schools in Malaysia is because of the fact that they use English as their main language during classes. This helps make students more capable of speaking and understanding the language to allow them to settle comfortably into global colleges and work opportunities.
-
Different Cultures – Many expatriates that work in Malaysia send their kids to international schools because of the fact that it reduces the risk of culture shock for their children. This is because international schools in Malaysia are known to have a diverse student population, allowing kids from other countries to find students that they can mingle and socialize with sans the culture and language barrier. For Malaysian kids however, this can also prove to be a worthy benefit. Having different cultures around them will allow Malaysian students to get a better understanding of what other people around the globe are like, giving them a more worldly idea of the population.
-
Curriculum Follows International Standards – Finally, the biggest reason why parents choose to send their kids to international schools is because the curriculum follows international standards. While public and private schools do offer effective teaching styles and curricula, international schools in Malaysia adopt the patterns of the International Baccalaureate Curriculum. This basically means students are better equipped to compete alongside other students around the world. This is ideal for parents who plan to send their kids to schools abroad once they’ve graduated from international school.
When choosing the right school for your kid, there really is no settling for second best. Be sure to give your child the best future by providing them the right education today. Find out more about international schools available to you, and learn more about where you can send your child to get the best education.
Triumph Over Turn-Over – 3 Effective Strategies for Human Capital Management
by Caleb | Nov 16, 2016 | Business and Finance
It’s hard to find worthy, competent, and diligent employees to perform the different functions of a company, so you can just imagine the frustration and difficulty business owners face when good workers leave their employment. According to studies conducted in Malaysia, there is a high correlation between employees’ intention to quit and their action of actually quitting. This basically means when workers in Malaysia desire or attempt to quit their job, they most probably will. One common reason for quitting is the employer’s faulty human capital management practices. If you don’t want to be that business owner who has to constantly sift through resumes and conduct interviews for new recruits, this list of effective strategies should help you build a solid and happy work force.
- Provide Career Opportunities
There is a big difference between a job opportunity and a career opportunity, and that is mainly that a career opportunity provides the chance for career development and growth as a professional. According to statistics, career opportunity is the top consideration and a motivating factor that keeps workers engaged in their jobs. Unfortunately, only 57% of employees in Malaysia believe they have career growth potential in their current employment. Employers should be aware that while their workers are pivotal in growing their business, they should also constantly try to improve and encourage growth throughout their work force.
- Appreciate Your Employees
This might sound a little vague, but you can make a huge difference by giving your employees a pat on the back when they do good. In Malaysia, only 54% of employees are made to feel like their company’s biggest asset, despite over 90% of companies stating that their work force is their greatest advantage. Believe it or not, the feeling of being overworked and underappreciated is also a good enough reason for workers to leave and look for other employment options. To provide them the sense of appreciation, offer incentives, hold awarding ceremonies, or simply tell them they’ve been doing a good job whenever appropriate and necessary.
- Keep Your Employees Safe and Healthy
Hazardous jobs or unsanitary work spaces can make employees feel unsafe and unhappy. Aside from making sure that your office space is clean and organized, you should also prevent any accidents and injuries that could cause employee turn-over. . They are even tailored to your unique need, regarding hazards, dangers, and safety practices – depending on your work space and employment nature.
Are your workers your top asset? Make them feel that way by putting these three effective employment management practices into action, so you can prevent workers from abandoning ship. Then, watch your business grow into a thriving, profitable, and successful venture.
by Caleb | Nov 15, 2016 | Furniture, Home and Living
If your home has a patio, then you’ve got yourself a real gem. These home spaces are uncommon, but offer endless opportunities for the home body that loves spending time in a cool, relaxing, and laid back environment. Unfortunately, decorating a patio can be very confusing – especially if you struggle bringing interior design ideas to life. Should you tackle it like an indoor decorating job, or as an outdoor space? If you’re trying to decorate your patio on a budget, be sure to bring these three tips with you to get the most of your efforts.
- Choose Material Wisely
One of the things that you should really consider when decorating a patio is the material of the furniture you choose. Because patios are generally more exposed to the outdoor elements, your furniture and decor need to be able to withstand humidity and direct sunlight without taking on any damage. If you want to get the right furniture for your patio, . Commonly, pieces made from teak are affordable and durable, able to take on wear and tear much better than other kinds of wood you’re likely to find.
- Avoid Padded Furniture
A patio is considered a problem area for a lot of home decorators because they don’t know what kind of decor to use for it. This is mostly because it plays around the border of interior and exterior, leaving homeowners flustered as to how they should pattern the look. As a general rule, any thickly cushioned furniture might not be the best for your patio as it can get stained and damaged, especially if it’s humid where you live. To save yourself from the trouble of having to clean up and maintain cushioned pieces, avoid putting them in your patio.
- Let Light In
Light is one of the best assets of any patio, and if you leverage natural light well enough, you might just be able to create a dream space for get-togethers or for lounging about. Unless you’re particularly sensitive to bright light, avoid draping around your patio like the plague. Natural sunlight can bring a breezy, airy, and open feel to your patio, allowing you to enjoy a comfortable environment minus the stuffy feeling of enclosed spaces. If you really need some shade in your patio, consider using an outdoor canopy instead to prevent blocking the view with blinds or curtains.
Decorating your patio doesn’t have to be that complicated – just take these tips with you when you start weaving those design ideas to make the most of your space!