Author / Krystle K.

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Posts by Krystle K.

Christian. Logophile. Writer. Gourmand. Film geek. Apt to break out into song (showtune-style) at any moment. Passionate about mental health.
by Krystle K.

eBay mixed blessing for collectibles market

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the Ottawa Business Journal newspaper and website.
July 31, 2006

Click here to view this article on OttawaBusinessJournal.com.

Kurt Hamnes of Miraj Trading says eBay has proven to be both a rival and a useful sales outlet for the sports cards and collectibles store.
Kurt Hamnes of Miraj Trading says eBay has proven to be both a rival and a useful sales outlet for the sports cards and collectibles store.
Photo by DARREN BROWN for the Ottawa Business Journal

With the worldwide collectibles market booming, many entrepreneurs are finding success buying and selling collectors’ items online, thanks to the electronic marketing phenomenon that is eBay.

But local businesspeople caution against giving up your day job to invest full-time in Beanie Babies and rookie sports cards.

“The market is constantly changing, and you can’t count on something selling for a decent price,” says Inma Services owner Petr Maly, one Ottawa entrepreneur who does make a decent living using eBay. “The biggest obstacle is figuring out what’s coming in (in popularity).”

Mr. Maly has been selling consignments of antiques and collectibles on the auction site for eight years. However, despite his success as an online merchant, he warns that the collectibles market can be a tricky one to manoeuvre.

“You have to have a lot of knowledge, and you have to think ahead,” he says, explaining that it’s often difficult to predict which collectors’ items will sell at any time with only a general knowledge of the market.

He says eBay has played a large role in shaping this volatile market, with varying effects on the prices of collectible goods. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

D. Roy students learn lessons in entrepreneurship

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the Ottawa West edition of The News EMC.
May 25, 2006

A group of local elementary school students have come up with an innovative way to combine learning, creative writing, and entrepreneurship.

An eighth-grade French class at D. Roy Kennedy Public School are producing a bilingual magazine to promote literacy, as part of the Learning Partnership’s Entrepreneurial Adventure program. This is the second time the school has participated in the project.

“The program is about getting kids working together to start a business venture to have an impact on their school or community,” says Shari Cooper, who teaches the intermediate Core French class which is producing the magazine.

Participants in the program come from schools in Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, and Ottawa.

Ms. Cooper says the students are thrilled Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Cards can be costly on the road

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the March/April 2006 edition (Vol. 6, Issue 3) of Ottawa Insight.
April 2006

Anne Cottingham prepares for another trip.
Anne Cottingham prepares for another trip.

OTTAWA – Summer is nearing, and Anne Cottingham is planning a trip to Europe after graduation.

One thing she says she’s never considered when preparing for travel, however, is what transaction costs may be incurred with each different kind of payment method.

“I just think, ‘OK, I’m going,’” she says when asked if she’s thought about whether it’s best to use a credit card, debit card, traveller’s cheques, or to buy foreign currency. “It’s not something I’ve really looked into.”

Cottingham has just returned from Vancouver and was in New York City in late February. She says she plans to indulge her newly discovered passion for travel even more once she has finished her fourth year at Carleton University.

It’s an expensive hobby, to be sure; Cottingham says she spends about $500 to $1000 for a short-term trip like her New York weekend jaunt, excluding the cost of travel and lodging.

She adds she brought $200 USD in cash for her New York trip, mainly for cabs, meals and some stores. For the most part, she used her credit card and didn’t use her debit card much at all. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Helping budding rock stars realize their dreams

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the Ottawa West Edition of The News EMC.
April 27, 2006

Chad Nesrallah of Fat Dog Productions chuckles as he tells the story of how he played a practical joke on some of the young musicians who participated in the company’s summer program.

“We told them this was the cover for their demo disc,” he says, holding out a grainy black-and-white computer printout on plain paper. “I said we’d worked all night on it.”

Of course, the actual demo disc was full-colour and glossy – a professional production from one of the few large studios left in Ottawa.

It’s part of Mr. Nesrallah’s philosophy for Fat Dog Productions; especially with his two-week Rock Star Camp program to train youth who are interested in becoming professional artists Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Raising awareness about a medical mystery

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the Ottawa West edition of The News EMC.
Apr. 20, 2006

Kelda Whalen recalls a beautiful day in 1997 when she walked 10 blocks up Elgin Street.

“I was smiling at strangers,” she says. “It was the happiest I’d been in 15 years.”

That walk was the result of a temporarily successful operation on her brain – one of 12 to treat a disorder known as dystonia, which causes sufferers to constantly jerk and move involuntarily.

However, the surgery’s effects only lasted a few months before the deep brain stimulators implanted in her skull malfunctioned and had to be removed.

Ms. Whalen has had the condition since Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

The real “Malaysia, Truly Asia”

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in theCICAK.com.
March 27, 2006

When we Malaysians think of Malaysia, we often think of the fabulous food, incredibly cheap and trendy shopping, and beautiful beaches with almost year-round gorgeous beach-bumming weather – all characteristics of a tourist haven.

But if we’re so darn tootin’, why aren’t tourists flocking to our shores?

For that matter, why aren’t we Malaysians exploring our own country more?

Sadly enough, I can attest to the fact that I’ve only been to four states, including my home state, Selangor/Wilayah Persekutuan. And despite being awed Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Privileged pets

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the March/April 2006 edition (Vol. 6, Issue 2) of Ottawa Insight.
March 2006

Gillian Pearlstone says she spends about $1,800 a year on each of her dogs.Gillian Pearlstone says she spends about $1,800 a year on each of her dogs.

OTTAWA – Gillian Pearlstone buys bottled water and natural foods for her pets, and occasionally brings them in to the Natural Pet Foods store in Ottawa’s Westboro community for massage or reiki therapy.

Pearlstone, who is the proud owner of two cats and a dog, says she spends about $1,800 a year on her dog and about half that amount a year per cat. Along with her own pets, she also pays for the upkeep of the two or three dogs she fosters every couple of months.

“They’re my children,” she says. “I’d rather spend a lot on food than on vet bills.”

Pearlstone is one of a growing number of pet owners who spend thousands of dollars each year on their furry companions. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Beating heart disease

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in the March 2006 edition (Vol.6, Issue 2) of Ottawa Insight.
March 2006

OTTAWA – Success in the biopharmaceutical industry has always depended on which company comes out first in the frantic dash to get products approved, patented, and on the market.

It’s a high-stakes race, especially in the huge market for drugs which fight heart disease – the number-one killer in North America – and Liponex Inc. of Ottawa is hoping to be the winner in producing one of the first “good cholesterol” increasing drugs in the world. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

High-school dropout rates tumble across Canada

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire, in the National Post (pg. A10), the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A7), the Regina Leader-Post (pg. A3), the Saskatoon StarPhoenix (pg. C10), the Vancouver Sun (pg. A4), and the Victoria Times Colonist (pg. A7).
Dec. 17 2005

OTTAWA – High-school dropout rates across Canada have declined significantly since the early 1990s, with the most dramatic changes happening in the Atlantic provinces, where the numbers fell from the highest in the country to among the lowest, a Statistics Canada report said Friday. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Canadians over 65 to be double the number of kids under 15

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire, in the Calgary Herald (pg. A13), the Montreal Gazette (pg. A19), the Nanaimo Daily News (pg. A9), the National Post (pg. A12, all but Ottawa, Toronto & Vancouver), the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A8), the Saskatoon Star Phoenix (pg. B8), the Vancouver Sun (pg. A3), and the Windsor Star (pg. D10).
Dec. 16 2005

OTTAWA – In 25 years, Canada’s population of seniors 65 and older could be more than double the number of children under 15, a Statistics Canada report says.

Although the country’s population is expected to swell to nearly 40 million by 2031, so will the proportion of seniors, who are projected to make up about 23 to 25 per cent of the total population in 2031. Continue reading →