Officially Moved

Ok so technically it's been awhile but I keep forgetting to do this post. I'm now officially at my new place so if you want to check me out I'll be over there.

There's book features, blogger/wordpress how to's, contests, and lots of free stuff so make sure to come see me at my new blog

Indie Designz

updated to add: Thanks to the wonderful Alex I've added a GFC follower button unfortunately you all will have to refollow me there. So if anyone wants to take pity on me and be a follower I would so appreciate it.

Lost in Translation

When my husband and I began our translating business, we truly had no clue what we were doing. It began as a request from a friend. You see, my husband’s first language is urdu and second is English. I’m the opposite. My first language is English and second language is Urdu. 

My husband’s friend wanted a book that was written in Urdu to be translated into English. That is how my husband and I came up with our unique style of translation. We translate together. Every paragraph. We discuss its obvious and hidden meanings. Variations of words that can be used. Or if there isn’t one particular word my husband will explain to me all the meanings and uses and I’ll figure out what English word works best. 

By using this method we’re able to have a translation that doesn’t “look” like a translation. If you’ve ever watched a badly subtitled movie or just read some of the humorously translated Chinese signs then you know what I’m talking about by “looking” translated. 

When we had completed his friend’s book, he showed it to a publisher friend of his and we were hired. That’s when we thought “ok now what?! We’re not professionals”. That’s when I turned to the web in search of various other professional translation sites.  I was surprised at how many I found. The Shanghai translationcompany/companies were the most helpful in answering some of our more basic questions on what to do next. 

It’s been three years since that simple request turned into a business. My husband and I have translated upwards of 100 books in that time. Some from Urdu to English and some from Arabic to Urdu. I have no idea how many we’ll end up doing by the time we’re finished. I didn’t think there would be that many but it seems the list just keeps growing. Which I’m glad about. I love translating. It lets me feel like I’m part of the book making process, and being an avid reader there is no greater enjoyment than being able to see a book blossom from beginning to end. And then seeing it in the hands of other readers, there is no greater gift than that.

Time to Get Mellowed

Recently I've taken up yoga. Well not recently. Originally I started doing yoga about seven years ago to help with my lower back and hip pain caused from a car accident when I was a teenager. Yoga not only helps with my physical relaxation but my mental relaxation as well.

However lately I've been lazy and slacked off and I've really started to notice the difference. Not only in my physical mood but my emotional mood as well. In an attempt to get back on the yoga wagon I took the ever popular Google oracle to find out what other forms or techniques I could use to help relax.

And that search is what led me to  Herbal City LLC. Seriously I didn't know such things existed. I realize I don't get out much. Don't watch TV and as much as I'm online I don't really surf the web so this was totally a new thing for me.

I had to look through what they offered because I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass. I mean if Google recommends it then it must be good, right?

After some clicking around I found things like Party enhancers, K6 herbal incense, and Spiritual powders.


It was like falling into a 70's party commercial and the strangest thing of all is all this stuff is legal. I'm not sure what it all does, but it's definitely something to check out if you're looking for a natural way to relax among other things.

Moving to Paradise

My husband and I have been talking of moving. Jobs here are scarce, but moving is not that easy. There's a ton of variables to consider. Not just the obvious ones like housing and jobs. We have his family to consider as well. We've been their sole support ever since his father passed away. While he and I'd be able and willing to live for awhile on little, we always have to consider how our actions impact upon them.

I've been looking at various online job sites like IT Jobs Melbourne and a few others. We aren't sure where exactly we'll go. If it had jobs and was cheap I'm not sure that either of us really cares. In today's economy, it's difficult to take care of a family. Especially a large one. I can't expect his mother and sister to start living a different life than what they're use to. While it is different without their father, still it's the only way of life they've ever known.

So my husband and I've been spending a lot of time searching and trying to figure out what the best options are and how to proceed. Not sure what we'll end up doing, but hopefully something will work out soon.

Easy Way to Write Your Novel

Often times my thoughts fly faster than my fingers can type them or somewhere between brain and finger the thoughts get convuluded and don't come out exactly the way I want them to. This causes me to get confused about what I was going to say or makes me unable to express myself as clearly as I do in my head. Since I haven't developed telepathic abilities to allow readers to see my thoughts I've been looking for ways on how I can improve my writing without losing the sparks of genius that seem to disappear somewhere between inspiration and the time my fingers get moving on my keyboard.

At first I tried just using a tape recorder and recording myself speaking, but I'm not very good at dictation or keeping up with my own voice so I'd have to start and stop the recording. This was extremely time consuming. So I continued looking for ways I could speed up my writing time without losing the quality and that is how I came across the  voice biometric with biometric security system.

Even though this didn't solve my problem, it definitely intrigued me. Biometric security is basically voice recognition software which allows a person to record a sample of their voice and use it for identification purposes. It is a great tool for small businesses in order to enhance their customer service and provide greater service quality. I admit I didn't know such things existed and it's interesting to see what you find when you're searching for one thing but it leads you some place totally unexpected which is what happened to me in this instance.

Wrong Side of the Road

I thought living in London would be pretty much like living in the USA, just with more tea. It was actually extremely surprising me to me how much things were different. Especially the whole driving on the wrong side of the road thing. It never failed whenever we went out I'd end up standing in front of the car for a good 10-15 secs trying to figure out which side I was suppose to get in on. Of course my cousin was of no help, he'd just stand there and watch me because he knew I was waiting on him to pick a side so I'd know to go to the opposite one.

Another thing that was surprising was the fact I could drive using my US driver's license. At first I totally refused to drive, but then my cousin needed to buy a car. In my name. Using my license. Which meant I had to drive on the freaking wrong side of the road. I thought it'd be difficult or take awhile for him to find something, but considering my luck it took him less than two days to find exactly what he was looking for.

I seriously wish it had been that easy when I bought my first car in the states. I had no idea there were so many online car dealers in the UK. The main ones are Autotrader, Motors.co.uk and Trusteddealers.co.uk. He went on Trusted Dealers Used Cars. He entered exactly what he was looking for and got a list of all of the available cars that fit the search info he entered. Then it was just a matter of contacting the dealers via the website. The very next day I was sitting there on the wrong side of the road, a complete and total nervous wreck, but we made it home in one piece and three panic attacks later.

Setting Up Your Domain

When I took the plunge and purchased my own domain for my graphic design business, figuring out which webhosting to use was one of the toughest things to do. There was a lot to think about. For me I needed something that provided unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth. While there are other things that are equally as important, this was my top priority when I was searching for a good website hosting company.

It's important you know your particular needs. A lot of companies throw out flashy signs and discounts but what you'll need for your particular site to run properly may cost more than the flashy discount they're  posting in big letters on their home page. Always be sure to read the features carefully and if you're unsure of something, contact customer support to verify or read some website hosting reviews. If they don't offer what you need or if it's not included in the discount, then you probably want to keep looking.

Another thing to consider is web site hosting renewal fees. While the initial cost may be inexpensive to renew could be two or three times that amount. If you plan on having your website for a long time and will renew then make sure their renewal fees don't cost you an arm, leg, and/or kidney. I ended up going with iPage initially but haven't been satisfied with their customer service. I've heard a lot of good things about GoDaddy so I'm considering switching to them in the future when it comes time to renew.

Learning Eventually

The other day I went through some information online about a consultant interview course. It was interesting. It’s been awhile I’ve had homework or had to study for anything. I was impressed with the extensive training and explanations they offered during the course. 

There were several courses to choose from which would not only help me get my degree but also seemed quite interesting. I had hoped to do a couple this semester but I’m not sure exactly how many I’ll be able to fit into my schedule. I hadn’t decided between the medical teaching course or the medical management course. They both seem interesting. I’ll have to look more into them and see what each one offers before I decide. Although I’ll probably end up doing both eventually. You can never learn too much.  Of course the teach the teacher course sounded like fun, or well the name of it sounds fun, not too sure what exactly it all entails, but I’m sure there’ll be quite a few students sign up for it thinking it’s all fun and games. They’ll be in for a shock when they learn teaching video games is not on the syllabus. I’ve still got a couple weeks before I have to decide so I’m going to keep looking around. That way I’ll be sure to manage my time so as not to be overwhelmed with classes while I’m still working

Counting Pennies

I don't consider myself "cheap". Cheap as in stingy not that cheap. Geesh get your mind out of the gutter people.

My husband use to go grocery shopping with me, but now he prefers to stay at home. Not because I take a specifically long time or spend lots of money. I don't even actually use that many coupons for Wal-mart, but I do however stand in the aisles and count up the ounces. You know when something is on sale. Especially if it's something I use a lot of like tomato paste. I'll stand there and calculate how much it'll cost me to buy 3 of the smaller 2 oz jars as opposed to the larger "on sale" one. Usually it's cheaper so I buy a bunch of smaller ones. I get the same amount and I save money. Apparently to my husband this is worse than clipping coupons. I don’t see how. Aren’t men usually complaining how their wives spend money? My husband has the opposite problem so he should be happy but instead he’s embarrassed watching me try to do the math in my head. Maybe that’s the problem. Not the actual coupons or saving. Maybe it’s because I count on my fingers. Nahh it’s the coupons.

Last year, we needed a new washing machine. My husband was ready to go out and buy a new after hearing the first knocking noise come out of it. I knew spring sales would be around the corner so I kept waiting for the paper, looking for the coupons for Sears. My husband moaned and groaned and was ready to pay full price, but oh no, not me. There was no way I was going to pay an extra $100 when I could wait a week. I grew up washing clothes in bucket and hanging them on the line. So I figured a week of going it again wouldn’t kill us. You'd think he'd appreciate my frugalness but apparently there is a fine line between frugal and cheapskate. And not having clean underwear is where my husband draws that line. So we got the new washer (with my coupons, you didn't think I'd actually let him win did you lol)

Now if they'd just stop putting all of those delicious cookie coupons for Pillsbury in the paper I might actually stick to my diet. Then I could buy a whole new wardrobe during the after Christmas special.

Understanding Your Rights

Most people believe police and law enforcement officers are infallible. They never make mistakes, but the reality is they are human and therefore at some point in their careers will make a mistake. It's just statistics. Not intentional, not racism. It's just bound to happen at some point and time. The only problem is what if you're on the receiving end of their once in a career mistake? Then what do you do? I wish I didn't know the answers to these questions, but unfortunately I've had my fair share of statistics when it comes to law enforcement.

Recently a family member of mine also had some issues to deal with. Thankfully they were able to contact an area Cincinnatti DUI attorney for help. It's really very scary how easily you can be confused for something you're not. Even just being on prescription medications can have results that do not look favorable on your part. This is why it's important to know what to do in these situations and most of all it's important to remain calm. Otherwise you'll be the next youtube sensation. Unless that's your end goal then by all means freak totally out lol.

Luckily for us we were able to meet with our Cincinnatti attorney and get it all sorted. If you're in similar circumstances, I strongly advise you do the same. Obviously there are many legalities that needed to be done in a certain order and without having someone to guide us we'd never have been able to get it all taken care of properly. Thanks to our Cincinnati lawyer everything is taken care of. Our family member was able to show the reason for their "drunkenness" was due to their medication and were able to avoid losing their license and possible jail time.

Expo of the Future

My husband was talking about updating his office for the business so like any good wife who loves to shop I immediately jumped online to begin looking at new office furniture, or possibly chocolate. But eventually I did look for new stuff for him, after I had the chocolate. One of the sites I stumbled upon was an expo hire.

Being overseas for so long I tend to forget what it's like on the other side of the globe. Competition is high and companies are using bigger and better technology to lure customers in. Things like audio and visual equipment such as plasma tv's. I'll be honest I've never even seen a plasma tv in my life. They're not popular here mostly because they're expensive and people can't afford them. If you want them, then they're special ordered from abroad which is not cheap.

I was also a bit jealous with their graphics and signage packages. I've been dying for a whiteboard. I'm like the note queen. I write notes to myself about my notes. If my organizer ever disappears, then the mad woman running, screaming through the streets will be me. It will also be the reason I forgot your birthday/anniversary/or to reply to your email. Yes I have to leave myself notes to reply to emails or I forget. To have a whiteboard would be like the ultimate in note taking for me. I'm a very visual person so it really helps me to stay focused and on task. I guess if I ever move back then I'll get all of the nifty little gadgets until then I'll just have to drool over them on the internet.

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Go Daddy's Gator

When I decided to purchase my dot com for Indie Designz, I didn't put a whole lot of thought into where I'd get my web hosting from. Now a few months later I wish I'd known then what I know now. It's important to know what your specific needs are when choosing a web host. It's also important to know they'll throw a bunch of flashy things in front of you that you don't really need. Fortunately I had a friend help guide me when I purchased so I was able to purchase a plan specific to what I needed and didn't end up purchasing a bunch of things that really are more flash than necessity. Considering my limited budget it's important all of my purchases are absolute necessary.


There are many choices out there and the absolute best is to have your own dedicated server hosting. However that's also the most expensive and not really something many can afford to do. So whether you're needing an e-commerce site or simply wanting to promote your latest kitty,you have to make sure your site is Google friendly. While those free flash sites may look pretty, Google hates them and refuses to play with them. So make sure you choose a site and hosting that Google likes. Also make sure to bring cookies and chocolate to bribe with in case it becomes necessary.

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Bets Please

I know I shouldn't be surprised with all there is to do online these days, but still whenever I come across something new I can't help but "gasp" and think "really they can do that online?!" So why I was surprised when I realized there were actual to goodness online casinos I'll never know, but apparently gambling online has become very popular and easy to do. Which means it's becoming ever easier for people to gamble away their life savings before they finish their cup of tea. 

I'm not really sure how I feel about all of these online advances. While I love being able to email my friends across the globe and no longer have to wait for snail mail, there is something about sitting in the actual place and experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells that can't really be duplicated when it's done completely online in your pj's while DH is sound asleep upstairs and the kiddos are tucked in bed just down the hall. I mean seriously who is going to shout TWENTY-ONE or WINNER when you hit the jackpot while playing online blackjack or roulette or whichever it is you get 21 at.

I know businesses are in it for the bottom line, but businesses can only go as far as we the consumers allow them to go so while it's easy to shift the blame on some faceless corporation, the true responsibility lies with us, the consumers. So if you don't like it, then don't buy/play/use online, actually go into the store and make an honest to goodness purchase from some pimply faced teenager who's too busy to help you find the item because they're updating their Facebook status about the dork customer who just walked in. 

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Monetizing Your Blog

For the majority of bloggers, blogging is just about sharing the daily exploits of their little ones so that family and friends who live far away can keep up with first steps, lost teeth, and when the dog hides the remote. Every person who blogs does so for their own personal reasons and there really is no right or wrong reason. Even if you started blogging so Grammy and Gramps can view pics of little Bo-bo, you soon start to realize you can actually make money from blogging. There are a variety of different ways to do this. Some people use top affiliate networks to post links through out their blog. Then when someone clicks the link and purchases something they get a few pennies, and usually it is just a few pennies.

There are lots of affiliates out there who will allow you to put use their links such as Amazon, Blue Global Media, and if you google I'm sure you can find an endless number of sources that will allow you to use their link on your blog and pay you when someone uses that link to purchase something on their site. Basically the affiliate program works much like a referral system.

Within each affiliate program, there are a also a variety of subprograms for you to choose from such as Payday affiliate program, cash advance affiliate program, product linking program, etc. Each program has its own set of rules regarding how the links can be used and how you are paid when a person happens upon your blog and clicks the link. There are lots of other ways to monetize your blog, but affiliate links seems to be the most popular along with selling of ad space. But that is another blog post. If you're looking to monetize your blog, these are just a few of the ways you can. There are countless others but these are some of the easiest and simplest which would work well for the majority of bloggers.




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Spicing Things Up

I love to cook. Growing up I very rarely if ever saw anyone cook that much except on the holidays. When I moved out on my own, I taught myself to cook and then got some help from a neighbor friend who was Arab. Thus my love of spices was born and when my ex and I bought our own house the first thing I did to the kitchen was install a spice rack. One of the things I love about living overseas is the wide variety of spices you can find. There are spices available here that I never existed and  they mostly are sold in bulk. So when you go to the store you get all of these little bags of spices. 

This led to my dilemma of what to do with the spices once I got home. I am an utter clutz so keeping them in the bags wasn't an option. I was constantly spilling things and finding jars small enough or similar enough that my OCD didn't freak out because the cinnamom jar was totally different to the turmeric jar. 

This would be why my husband built me a wall spice rack. Our kitchen is small and no cabinets so the majority of pots and pans are not in the kitchen so having a kitchen spice rack makes my life so much easier. Before he built it, I was running back and forth and now I just grab and throw something in the pot. He even said the food tastes better. That would be because sometimes I'd be a bit lazy and not want to go to the other room and get the spices. Now everything tastes like it's suppose to.

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That Time of Year

It seems the stores start putting out Christmas gifts and decor earlier every year. While I don't celebrate Christmas I can't help but laugh at some of the novelty gifts they seem to come out with each year, like the cure for farting in bed. Really?! People buy stuff like that? I would kill someone if they bought me that. When I was little I remember one year as a joke my mom put one sock in  a barbie dream car box. I had been waiting and waiting MONTHS for that car. I was so not laughing when they let me in on the "joke". But I got my barbie convertible so I didn't stay mad for long.

I'd start celebrating if someone bought me this pampered massage gift. Oh that would be awesome. Now that is the kind of gift I'd love to receive, but most likely I'll get the other sock.

Soon I think shops will just have Christmas gifts out all year round. Considering they already start in July in some shops and keep them out til January already I don't see why they even bother to put them away. There really is no point. Just leave them out and then maybe it'll be less of a shock to see santa sitting beside the skeleton on Halloween.

Online Courses

The last few months I've been pondering with the idea of possibly studying online. I'd love to finish off my degree, but attending uni doesn't fit into my schedule. It definitely doesn't fit into my wallet so I've been searching for some inexpensive online courses I could take. I truly had no idea there was so much available to study online. I wish these options had been available when I started my degree years ago. Most likely I would have done it all online and would have completed it by now. Instead I'm still working jobs I don't necessarily like because I don't have the time or money to complete my degree.

Some of the courses I found most surprising online were for the gp exam. I never would have imagined you could find anything in the medical field online, but they have numerous courses and training available from the gp application all the way up to gpst stage 3 interview training. Even though I'm not going into the medical field. I still find it amazing that you can study and get your degree online. It makes me wonder what advances will be made ten years from now. Soon I'm certain all of the studying will be done via online classes. Wouldn't that be great? You could have homeroom in your PJ's.

Providing Translation Services

I don’t talk about it too often, but besides our graphic design business, my husband and I offer translations services to a local independent book publisher. We’ve been doing this for about two years now and I must say I’ve learned a tremendous amount in that time. Not only about translating, but about book publishing as well.  One way I learn is by visiting sites of those who offer professional translation companies. 

One site I recently found was for a London translation agency. They offered a vast array of services and products at affordable prices. My husband and I have discussed expanding our small business to a larger one, but there really isn’t that much of a market here where we are for translation service This is the main reason we stay with the book publisher.  It provides us with a steady stream of income while having a low overhead.

Most o f the online translation agencies I found offer various forms of certification that he and I aren’t able to provide. This is another reason why we don’t expand the translation side of our business and instead focus more on the graphic design side. Even though I prefer the translation work, at the moment, we have to focus our energies on the side of things that is providing the most work, and that is the graphic design. 

I hope that one day we could provide the services like other translation agencies do but for now we are limited to our small book publisher. 

*Disclaimer this is a sponsored post

Officially Moved

Ok so technically it's been awhile but I keep forgetting to do this post. I'm now officially at my new place so if you want to check me out I'll be over there.

There's book features, blogger/wordpress how to's, contests, and lots of free stuff so make sure to come see me at my new blog

Indie Designz

updated to add: Thanks to the wonderful Alex I've added a GFC follower button unfortunately you all will have to refollow me there. So if anyone wants to take pity on me and be a follower I would so appreciate it.

Guest Post and Giveaway

This will be my last official post here. I feel like I'm leaving a childhood friend. While it's great to be building something, this was my first bloggy home. When I started blogging I never imagined I would end up meeting such wonderful people and doing so many amazing things.

I got a new friend, fellow campaigner and NaNoWriMo participant visiting today at my new diggs so make sure to check it out and give her some love. She's also having a giveaway so make sure to enter. Who doesn't love free stuff!!


Check it out here!!