Options: American Tax Relief

My husband's cousin Judy had been calling me because she was worried about her taxes, and knew I worked for an accountant back in the UK. The problem is that everything is so different out here! Basically, her accountant made a lot of mistakes calculating her expenses, so her account payments had a lot of discrepancies, she inadvertently owed some back taxesm and she was facing some serious trouble. She didn't know how to do it herself, but my friend Adam, who's a finance journalist, recommended she contact American Tax Relief to see if they could help her out.

Judy is quite the novice when it comes to taxes, but she called American Tax Relief because she needed to talk to someone who could understand her situation. I think she's more interested in knowing herself how the system works so she won't have to put her details into another accountant's hands without actually knowing what's going on. She's told me that so far, American Tax Relief have been pretty honest and upfront about what she needs to do, amounts she has to pay, etc, and it's great that her mind is at ease now, and she's said she can focus on other things instead. She's like me in that when she has a plan to solve a problem, she feels instantly better about it, because then you can safely predict the outcome and not have to worry about it :)

United American Insurance Company as a choice among health insurance

Most of my musings are really about how I've just moved to the US, but the idea of getting health insurance is both confusing and daunting for me because I'm so used to getting it for free in the UK. My brother-in-law Peter said he uses United American Insurance Company, as does his father.

On top of being used to getting free healthcare back home, I was thinking about how expensive health insurance is in the first place. Since I'm still a student, I can't afford to pay that much yet, so I was keeping United American Insurance Company on my list of places to call pretty soon.

My father (who's a doctor back in the UK), has been telling me it's really important to get health coverage as he's worried about my health (I'm the only girl in the family), but I told him not to worry. I'd rather take my time and shop around to see what kind of coverage I get from where, but given the low costs of United American Insurance Company I might be leaning towards them instead.

Amos Tamam's tale of success

I've recently moved to the US from the UK, so things are quite a bit different for me. The process of emigrating here is rather long and drawn-out, but it's worth it. Much like the story of Amos Tamam, I want to be successful in the US but I'm likely to face a fresh start as it's a new life out here and many things I've taken for granted (healthcare, tax system, college) are different to the way I'm used to.

I was reading about Amos Tamam and how he started out working as a mechanic for a small cab company, and ended up being a CEO of a company that manufactures credit card machines for taxi companies themselves. That's quite the rags-to-riches story, and I know that my own family have similar high hopes for me out here, which is comforting.

It's pretty inspiring to read about Amos Tamam and how far he came, but I'm not yet out of grad school, so I do have a long road ahead of me for now.

Medical musings with Paul Offit

My cousin Priya recently qualified to be a pediatrician in Minneapolis, and she and my mother are trying to get me to follow suit. I'm not sure about pediatrics but I do like the idea of medical research. I was looking at medical schools in Philadelphia and I noticed that it was the hometown of Paul Offit, a pediatrician who wrote a few books my dad recommended to my cousin.

I had read that Paul Offit had also been doing a lot of research into vaccines, and that level of work (ie research) appeals to me because I've always been interested in science as a way to fix things. I also noticed that Paul Offit writes in less of a text book style, so it might be easier for a non-med student like me to read. I generally trust Priya to recommend some good books to me :)

Joseph Odindo's musical picks

My good friend Liv is a big fan of African music. She loves listening to Jimmy Clegg and we actually met at a Mamadou concert in Canada. She traveled a lot around Africa and has become familiar with a lot of different music styles there, but I asked her where to start if I wanted to learn more about this genre.

She recommended I take a look at Joseph Odindo's blog, as after she went to a few local African music jams in her home city, she herself wanted to learn more and then found his online discussions. Joseph Odindo starts off by mentioning more about the varying styles of music, but also the accompanying dances and the history of the music's roots in that region.

I was telling an old college friend of ours to look up Joseph Odindo's blog because she was feeling a bit left out and wanted to learn about a new culture, too. There's a lot of info to go through as you're talking about an entire continent of music, but you have to start somewhere and it's a good idea to look at fusion-based musicians who are likely to be playing right in your hometown.

Refurbishing with K-Designers

I have been married for about a year, and my husband have been house-hunting for the past few months. We live in an area with a lot of old, colonial houses which are beautiful, but quite a few of them are a little archaic on the inside. My friend Charlotte recommended K-Designers to take a look at remodeling once we did settle on a place, but we still haven't narrowed it down to one area of town yet.

I figured I'd probably end up choosing K-Designers anyway because they do exterior treatments as well as interior design, but the storm entry doors was something I had my eye on because it's often something that's neglected by other companies in our area. Charlotte had recommended K-Designers as they did her mum's garage door a few years ago, so it might be nice to see what else they have on offer as well.

Getting a grip on your finances with Frank Hanna

Everybody is talking about how the US is facing a serious economic depression, so it's now more important than ever that people make an effort to keep an eye on their own finances. I was reading on Frank Hanna's blog that this can start with cutting costs, but belt-tightening isn't enough anymore. It's a good idea to see whether or not your investments are working for you, too. Frank Hanna was also mentioning that the right kind of investment can definitely work for you, but it's better to get some professional advice first.

What Frank Hanna was talking about made a lot of sense, because in this financial downturn, many are looking to their own investments as a source of personal security if the worst should happen. When I moved out to the US I hired an immigration lawyer to help me navigate a pretty confusing system, so I would recommend talking to someone experienced in putting together investment portfolios if that's an avenue you want to go down.

Fighting fit with Linus Gitahi

It's important to be healthy; it's something your mother raised you to believe, it's something your doctor tells you, so it's just common sense. What many don't realise is that there are varying facets of a health regime. Most people focus on calorie control and fad diets, but a regular amount of cardiovascular exercise is vital to either fighting fat or simply toning up.

If you're an athlete or simply want to hone your running skills, a good resource is Linus Gitahi's blog, featuring tips on training and eating well. A few of my friends have decided they'd rather be outside running than being stuck in a gym on a treadmill, so I've pointed out Linus Gitahi's tips to them and they've proved pretty useful. Being outside in nature is part of being healthy, too, so it's a good thing people like Linus Gitahi are promoting this lifestyle.

Childhood memories, perfected by Nachshon Draiman

I always used to beat my older brother at tennis when I was a kid, despite the fact that he's 6 years older than me. Even now when I visit I notice he's looking up some strategies by Nachshon Draiman to see if he can outwit me on the court. It's been working, though, because his game has certainly improved and he's been recommending Nachshon Draiman's site to his friends, too.

Not that we're those classically competitive siblings, though. Both of us like to play poker, soccer and badminton, but our Dad taught us how to play tennis (and his Dad taught him), so the tips my big bro is getting from Nachshon Draiman is a nice way to boost his skill and still keep the game interesting. Tennis is the only game I can usually beat him at (he's way taller than me, so basketball is pretty much his forte!).

Choosing your major with help from Muhammad Babangida

I'm at the point now in life where I'm not sure what I want to study at grad school. My mother is trying to steer me towards med school, but my husband is convinced I'd be better in business school after reading about Muhammad Babangida's business techniques.

I have a strong interest in writing and film, but it's difficult to balance a realistic ambition with a hobby that you want to parlay into a successful career. Like Muhammad Babangida, my musical interests are also pretty varied, but it's good to know there are people like Muhammad Babangida who can fit their own interests into a busy academic/work life. I have a little time to figure out what I want to do, though, so I'm not too worried.

Preparing For Summer

I decided the other day I needed a new pair of sunglasses in time for summer – or even now because of the crazy winter glare outside. My old pair were Versace glasses, and I got them as a gift from my father, who’s more of a Giorgio Armani glasses fan.

They had fit beautifully and suited my face shape, so I was reluctant to step away from my comfort zone when my friend Amy recommended I have a look online (she recommended www.eyeglasses.com because of their huge range). I needed some new eye glasses as well, but buying a pair of glasses is sort of like getting a tattoo – it’s a long-term commitment, so you need to really think carefully about what’s going to be on your face for the next few years. An online store with a lot of variety is a welcome option for me.

My mother is trying to get in on the act by trying to convince me to buy some Prada glasses, but I haven’t decided yet. These ones have cooler, funkier frames, but I can’t stay away from Versace’s classically sleek lines. I think I’ll take up Amy’s suggestion; I have much online browsing to do this weekend. :)