text:
The RAC Foundation has welcomed the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in which he said he would scrap the proposed rise in the fuel duty due on 1st January 2012 and bring forward a large-scale programme of infrastructure investment, the details of which have been outlined by Infrastructure UK.
“This is good news on fuel duty. Figures out today, show transport is the single biggest area of expense for the average household with £1 out of every £8 going on motoring. On paper the scrapping of the 3p fuel duty rise in January will cost the Chancellor about £1.5 billion, but it will bring real respite to the nation’s 34 million drivers and mean they can get out and contribute to economic growth, which should be good news for the Treasury.
“The infrastructure announcement is a huge vote of confidence in the benefits road schemes can bring. Last week the RAC Foundation published details of the ten unfunded road projects which would deliver the greatest returns. Today the Chancellor has announced that at least five of them will go ahead, providing anything between £6.40 and £9.70 of benefits for every taxpayer pound spent. Transport infrastructure facilitates economic growth and that has been recognised.


text: Silent Rubber Pave proudly informs that the product RARX we are on a fast track to bring to market world wide has just received an award from the KING OF SPAIN. (https://lnkd.in/eWsKRv2 ). This award reflects on the impact RARX will have to promote a circular economy, to bring more cost effective, safe and silent roads to the World. CIRTEC has been licensed to produce and commercialize RARX.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
During the 4 years of the CLARIAH program, there will be different public activities. Every year there will be a CLARIAH-day (January/February) and a CLARIAH-tech day (Septembre/Octobre). Moreover, there will be demonstration days where the different WP's will give acte de presence and will show what has been done. Finally there will be information day's where the board or other will explain the purpose and the way-to-go of calls-for-proposals.
Additionally CLARIAH will participate in summer / winter schools, crash-courses and That Camps. The board of CLARIAH is in principle open to sensible suggestions for possible activities of third parties.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: This beautiful open floor plan home is located within the gated community of Pineda Ridge. This well maintained LifeStyle home is priced to sell! The floor plan boasts 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, office with walk-in closet, and great energy efficiency! Enjoy tranquil views of the lake. The great room offers a tray ceiling with crown molding and LED lighting. The oversized two-stall garage will fit two cars and offer extra storage. Some additional features include porcelain tile, quartz counters, pot filler, trash compactor, stainless appliances, home security system including CCTV, ceiling speakers, Jacuzzi tub, master shower with seat and rain head shower, fenced yard, generator hook up directly to the electrical panel, and community pool. Please visit this home to learn even more!

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


text:
For the 2nd time in five years, a Giant Squid has been found washed up on the shores of a Tasmanian beach on Wednesday 11th July 2007 exciting scientists.
The 2007 fishing season is finally starting to shape up, with improving weather now is time to get the boat ready and go out on the salt chuck and try and catch a halibut or some early returning Chinooks. March through May usually means halibut time around Sooke.
Sooke is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island Canada, and boasts some of the best salmon and halibut fishing waters in the world.
KOBTV.com - Eagle Nest Lake in northeastern New Mexico has reopened more than two weeks after warm weather caused ice to melt, creating unsafe fishing conditions.
SignOnSanDiego.com weekly Hunting/Fishing report showing what's getting caught and where: Barrett, Chollas, Cuyamaca, Dixon, El Capitan, Henshaw, Hodges, Jennings, Loveland, Miramar, Murray, Otay, Lower, Upper, Poway, Santee Lakes, San Vicente, Sutherland, Sweetwater and Wohlford.
— forcing new fishing tournament boundaries. Well, we knew something was going to happen with fishing regulations since the discovery of the disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia in the local waters of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, The Detroit River and St. Clair River last year.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


text: It felt like we had stepped back in time upon entering the gorgeous Alstadt Hotel Stadtkrug (the building itself dates back to the 1300s). The Klammer family owned the property starting in the 15th century, the same year Stiegl Beer (an Austrian staple) was founded and when Christopher Columbus found America. The house saw several different owners of the century, and once was a bakery, a tailor, and then a brewery. In 1966 the property was sold to the Auer family and changed into the Stadtkrug restaurant. Eva and Hug Lucian are now the current owners of the hotel along with the Juhu Ranch where they get fresh, local meat to serve at the restaurant. The hotel resides in the iconic old town area of Salzburg, right next to the river below the Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) which has our favorite panoramic views of the city. The feast of a breakfast was also one of the highlights, complete with everything from local smoked trout to warm muesli and Austrian pastries (it ends at 11am so you can even sleep in and not miss out). Our room still had the original wooden beam ceiling dating back to the middle ages, while our windows opened up looking over the quaint streets of old town. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the roof top garden terrace sitting on the slopes of the Kapuzinerberg. The staff was so incredibly helpful and kind, one employee even took us out to the Christmas markets and ice skating! Hotel Stadtkrug offers the warmth and charm of old Austria while giving guests a little added luxury during their stay, we will definitely be back when visiting Salzburg!

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


text: 4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders* of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? 8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.

industry_corpus2: Others


text:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — It's estimated that nearly one million divorces take place each year in this country. It's further estimated that somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of these divorces continue into high-conflict relationships.
That means that hundreds of thousands of children each year join the ranks of those children from previous divorces (and separations) who have to endure the ongoing fighting and arguing of their parents.
While we are not sure about the number of high-conflict post-divorce relationships, we do know with much more certainty what happens to the children exposed to prolonged and intense conflict between their parents.
Children whose parents continue to fight after the first or second year following a divorce will experience a number of devastating consequences, including physical changes (such as increased blood pressure and increased stress levels), anxiety and depression, acting-out behaviors and academic problems at school.
*Don't put your child in the middle of the bickering and squabbling with your co-parent. The best way to do this is to avoid using your child as a go-between with your co-parent. If you have a message to convey to your child's other parent, then deliver it yourself — don't ask your child to tell your co-parent about anything, especially if it is likely to be something your co-parent doesn't want to hear.
*Don't discuss adult issues with your child. You may be very close with your child, but that is no reason to discuss issues that are really none of your child's business.
Areas that you should never discuss with your child include custody, child support or parenting time. Parents I work with who do this use the excuse that their child needs to know why her dad isn't paying child support or why his mother doesn't see him regularly. However, discussing these weighty issues will only sadden your child — not bring about greater enlightenment.
*Don't make your child your confidant. You may enjoy talking to your child and your child may be a good listener, but young children should not be placed in the position of having to take care of you (emotionally or otherwise), nor should they feel they have to help you solve your problems.
If you have a need to talk about your problems, your divorce, or your co-parent, then find a therapist — don't burden your children with your personal problems.
*Don't badmouth your co-parent in front of your child. No matter how tempting it is to let your child know what the other parent is really like, don't yield to this temptation.
Your child should not be placed in the position of having to either agree with you or to disagree with you. If you bash your co-parent in front of your child, your child will be forced to choose between you and her other parent. This is not fair and you should not subject your child to this.
*Don't place your child in a situation where he is likely going to have to lie to one of you in order to show his love. Asking your child about what's going on at the other house during his parenting time there or telling your child what her behavior should be while with her other parent invites deception on your child's part in order to win the approval of both of you.
If you have done any of these things, you're not alone. Engaging in any of these inappropriate behaviors once or twice is not going to damage your child for life.
But continue doing any one or more of these on a regular basis and you will cause harm to your child that may be difficult to reverse. If you've done one of these, you may have to apologize to your child, but more importantly you need to make a commitment to be more vigilant at shielding your child from the worst aspects of a conflicted relationship with your co-parent.


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It is now Tuesday, the 22nd, at 1:15 AM, and I am in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Why am I still awake? Because I am still on New Zealand time, 7 hours earlier (7:15 PM on Monday). We have been here since Wednesday the 16th, 6 days now, and my sleep schedule is STILL messed up!
Yesterday, I fell asleep at 6 AM and slept until 7 PM. I KNOW, it’s HORRIBLE! I am wasting the last few days of our world trip! But I can’t help it, I am so tired during the day and so awake at night!
Any suggestions on how to get over jet lag faster? I told Aaron he HAS to get me up tomorrow, no matter what. I need to get to the beach so I will have a nice tan when I get back to the States!
While on our tour of Africa, we met another couple in our group who we instantly got along with. They were Nikita Crocker and Erik Edwards, traveling from London through Africa before reaching their final destination: New Zealand.
Brief background: Nikita is originally from South Africa. Her family moved to New Zealand when she was 10. When she graduated, she decided to delay going to university, instead traveling to London to live for a brief time. There she met Erik. She needed to return to New Zealand to start college, and Erik decided to take a year off of school to go with her. They also wanted to do a little bit of traveling beforehand, hence the Africa trip.
Erik and Nikita are living with Nikita’s family in Auckland. Erik will be returning to London in August 2011.
Anyway, Nikita’s family (The Crocker’s, FYI) was kind enough to offer their home to us for the majority of our stay in New Zealand. We were, once again, lucky enough to stay with some locals who could give us insider’s perspective of Auckland. And the Crocker’s did not disappoint!
We followed our beach day with a 21st birthday party New Zealand style. A 21st birthday is for some reason a big celebration, although no one could give me an explanation as to why. They can drink at 18, so drinking legally is not the reason, unlike Americans. Well, whatever.
As you can tell by the pictures, we had an amazing time. By the way, what we are doing with our hands is making the ‘W’ sign for ‘winning.’ We were ‘Sheening’ all night, for sure.
During the week, as seen in my original post, we traveled down to Wellington (still on the north island, about 8 hours south). We met up with some more Crocker’s down there, including Nikita’s sister and cousin. Her cousin, Robert, and his family (wife Claire, sons Ben (4) and George (2)) were even kind enough to let us stay a night in their home! I could shoot myself, though, because I forgot to take a picture with them (boo). But I did get a picture with sister Julie!
The next weekend Nikita and Erik took us to a concert, more precisely an Indian music concert since we were not able to go into India (did I mention I love them?). We went to yet ANOTHER 21st birthday, another beach, and a 13K run called “Round the Bays.” Nikita and Aaron ran it, Erik and I walked it (shocker, I know!).
We made dinner for the Crocker’s twice, to show our appreciation. Tacos the first night, and my Great Aunt Nat’s Casserole the second night. I hope they enjoyed it!
Making new friends has been a very important part of our trip, and Erik and Nikita our some of the best ones we made during this 10 months. They are two people that we definitely don’t want to lose touch with, and we hope that they come see us in the States sooner rather than later.
Love you guys, and miss you already!
Aww, New Zealand. Known for its gorgeous landscape, thanks mostly to the filming of the Lord of the Rings series. Naturally we wanted to see as many of these film sites as possible. Luckily, we saw quite a few on our road trip from Wellington to Auckland.
Just outside of Wellington lies Kaitoke Regional Park, where they filmed the Rivendell scenes. It is made up of native New Zealand bush, and it was absolutely worth the visit, even if they had not filmed LOTR scenes there.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text:
There are many people who debate the type of rice that is healthiest and there are fair arguments for both sides. If you are trying to achieve certain goals, you might find that white rice is a better and more healthy options. For other people, you can find brown rice to be better. Either way, the two options are found across the globe and continue to be some of the most popular foodstuffs that is currently used. Although there are many types of grains and filler carbs (like potatoes, pasta, and bread) used around the world, rice is perhaps the healthiest.
Compared to many of the other large, cheap, filler carbohydrates that are used worldwide, rice is free from any gluten. This means that there are usually few problems with inflammation like there are when people eat too much bread or pasta in their diet. Still, people have the question of whether the brown or white rice options are best. In general, it is safe to look for brown rice because it has more fiber and nutrients. Actually, brown rice also has a large amount of protein, which is important for vegans and vegetarians especially.
When it comes to eating a Paleo style diet, some people like the white sticky rice. Some have similar dietary troubles with the brown rice because the husk might have some proteins that are not well digested by humans. While this is even rarer than gluten intolerance, it is a problem that you might have. Whatever the case may be, if you are trying to lose fat on a diet, it is important that you consider how many carbs are in rice. White rice is especially heavy in carbs because it has less water retention and it is less fibrous. Choose wisely when you are debating your rice choice depending on your needs.


text:
When is the best time to book from Ho Chi Minh City to Tiruchirapalli?
Make sure you’re getting the best price for your flight tickets. Find the best time to book from Ho Chi Minh City to Tiruchirapalli by checking our best time to book tool.
Which airlines fly direct to Tiruchirapalli from Ho Chi Minh City.
We’ll keep you posted with the latest schedule information and send you important flight updates for your travel to Tiruchirapalli from Ho Chi Minh City.

industry_corpus2: Transportation


text:
Preconfigured to align with your state’s annual plan, these dashboards provide an intuitive user experience for data driven decision making and continuous improvement.
In today’s volatile and uncertain environment, business leaders must be equipped to make the right decisions with real-time data that is unfiltered by human preference or error. RevHub can help unveil non-obvious patterns and forecasts from information collected and by leveraging predictive analytics. RevHub Executive Foresight utilizes compelling visuals to help you quickly understand the information through easy-to-interpret dashboards and interactive reports enabling to you to make better decisions, faster.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
Seizure: n. An alcoholic Roman emperor.
Neil - you apparently sent something to my inbox, but the message part was empty.
Hello all. Rainy day here.
I love all of your medical daffynitions, Kayo, but today's is particularly funny. Thanks.
We're getting a bit of much needed rain!
That fruit looks good. I need to see how much I have in the house now.
Jim - hope you have a safe journey to So. CA and blessings to your (soon to be) 90 year old mom.
My dad turns 93 next month. Still going strong!
God morning from sunny Colorado. Sure could use some rain. Fire danger very very high.
HI all! Rainy and stormy here today. Colorado seems the only dry place on the planet so far!
To the riddle - seems if you keep the answers short the messages go through - will give it a try - answers to the short inbox please!
Thanks Heidi for your weekend helping hand! I don't know how successful you were with the PMs but the bat will be pleased you covered for her. Is she back this week?
Good Maen, all! We have been getting a lot of rain ever since Beryl barreled through! We are still designated as 'abnormally dry', however. Hard to fathom when everything is totally saturated!
Fiona - did you get the e-mail I sent last week?
Send it up here, Jane! We need it badly!
I don't know how many people actually tried to answer this latest puzzle. I thought it was going to be more difficult than it was, but everybody just assumed that there was water in the water bottle.
The Bat Lady said that she's returning on the 12th, Fiona.
If I could, I would gladly share, Shiela. We have been unable to go to the beach for two weeks!
Oh my, look at that! I got 22 without even realizing it!
I appreciate the push, Heidi!
I had fruit for breakfast too! High of 33C expected today and it's already way too hot to cook. So much for corn on the cob!
Cook it in the microwave! Eight minutes does it perfectly.
If it's under a fathom deep, it's totally saturated.
yes Jane, will reply sooooon!
Good one, Neil! You're too quick for me this morning.
Don't worry about it, Fiona. I just wanted to make sure you got it. It had been a long time since I e-mailed you, and I wasn't sure I had the right address!
I was happy to see Nadal win his 7th French Open title this morning!
Jane, you & Rob were happy. I was not. I would have rather seen Djokovic make history than Nadal.
Heidi, thanks for filling in as the puzzlemeister. I sent an answer for the V puzzle along with a few more sentences. Guess that was too much as my PM didn't go through. I'm beginning to wonder if it's going to be possible for Gath to restore the site to normal. The difficulties seem to be increasing & the number of posts decreasing. Makes me kind of sad.
Hal - the next time we have corn, I'll try that! Jaime is the corn shucker, and it takes him at least 15 minutes an ear to get every bit of the silk off (he's very fussy!) Think I'll try it tonight, in fact!
Thanks on the tips for corn on the cob using the microwave. It never occurred to me to cook them in the microwave. And what an easy way to shuck the cobs. Maybe we will have corn on the cob for supper after all.
Looks like this afternoon, we will find out if we have another home. If I don't sound thrilled, it is because, I am not. The house is a fixer upper and on my house wish list I asked for a ready to move in. But the house is a great price, good location, and 2 school district option.
I will get my thrills another way.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
Nature has given us a lot of wonderful and beautiful things. One of these wonderful things are the trees that we see everywhere. Trees serve a significant role in human life. Wood or Lumber is an incredible material that trees provide. Lumber is mainly used as construction material for making beautiful furniture or homes.
Ordinary types of furniture such as tables, beds, bookcases, and nightstands surprisingly had various chemicals that are not only harmful to your health and your family but also in the environment that we are living. Children are especially sensitive, and you don’t want them to be affected by these toxic substances.
Formaldehyde is the common chemical found in many furniture products. This substance is scientifically linked with many forms of cancer. Other chemicals tend to cause irritation, hormonal changes, and breathing problems.
For this reason, it is important to consider the ideal furniture that you’re planning to install on your premises. You should always provide a safe and healthy environment for you and your family.
When it comes to style, there are a lot of furniture nowadays that looks so great, but we don’t know what’s this furniture made of to achieve its extraordinary look. Compared to the commercial furniture that applies a chemical coating and uses plywoods that contains formaldehyde, an eco brand furniture typically composed of non-harmful materials.
It primarily uses a 100% natural wood. With regards to the outside pieces, it only uses clear coat, glues, and paints that are all low or free from VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds).
Compared to other types of furniture, The eco-friendly furniture is usually more affordable and sustainable. It also provides a unique touch and interesting beauty to your home. Because of this sustainable furniture that is made up of recyclable materials, it becomes much cheaper compared to the other types of processed furniture, which is the main reason behind it.
Hence, eco-friendly furniture is known for having an affordable price, yet, it is still giving you the stylish touch you desired for your home.
Additional for being better for your home, the eco-friendly furniture has a has also impact on our environment. There are a lot of old furniture that is useless or damaged that are only thrown off. And for these materials not be wasted, it needs to be recycled and goes with processes to be used again.
Eco-Friendly Furniture is typically made up of a wood element that is natural and sustainable such as bamboo, locally grown hardwoods, reclaimed wood and other recycled materials that are built to last. Due to this, it can decrease the number of fresh-cutting of trees for making new furniture. It also conserves and protects the environment, and as possible, it avoids deforestations.
Another way to prevent a lot of furniture from easily being damaged and thrown away is that the manufacturer must produce a high-quality crafted eco-friendly furniture that is more durable and can withstand wear and tear in daily use and looks even better in the long run.
Nowadays, many of environmental-friendly companies are aware of deforestation and commit to solutions that restore and maximize environmental benefits. One of these methods is limiting the fresh-cutting of tree resources and focus more on planting different varieties of trees.
In choosing the right eco-friendly furniture that is ideal for your room, the best thing to do is by doing some research before purchasing. Know what the composition of materials particularly the wood of your furniture, where it came from, and what possible chemicals may have applied to it.
Eco- Friendly Furniture serves as an excellent investment. From being derived from renewable resources and chemical free materials, its existence as possible has the least negative impact on the environment. It does serves not only important functionality and add a unique beauty to every room but also promote healthy living to its users.
Caleigh Martin is an aspiring writer and blogger who is interested in the latest and ideal home improvement ideas. She began writing articles about home furniture when she was still at college. Caleigh still writes about ideas about the right design and styles for small to medium-sized houses and finds Deal Wiki as a great source.


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Recording in Crow Agency with Margo Real Bird from July 2015. Margo shared stories about her 25 years teaching elementary school, her life raising three children (and now grandchildren), and the craftsmanship she enjoys, like making elk tooth dresses.
This summer in Crow Agency, in partnership with our friends at The Language Conservancy, documentation associates will continue work on the Crow Language Education Project – an ongoing effort to create materials for Apsáalooke. Last year, documentation associates collaborated with Crow speakers to record a multitude of stories about Crow traditions, culture, and personal narratives about travel, family life, and the importance of Crow language education. While last year speakers worked to record all of the words for the Crow Vocab Builder, this year’s grand undertaking is recording 15,000 words for the Crow Audio Dictionary! The dictionary, which we hope to complete by 2017, will be an accessible, accurate and comprehensive tool – beneficial for the current speakers of Crow, as well as for the new generation.
As a result of our efforts, we are excited to announce that the free Crow Vocab Builder is now available for iOS (Android version also available). With more than 350 words, learners can play their way to better Crow vocabulary skills. Features include audio pronunciation and visual aid for each word in the category and 30 culturally-relevant categories designed by Crow speakers.
These projects would not be possible without the generous support of the J & M Fitzgerald Family. The dollars they give enable the sacred language to be shared with future generations.
To follow the adventures of our documentation projects this summer, stay tuned and check in on the Crow Language Consortium and The Language Conservancy Facebook pages.


text: The customer satisfaction is our primary target. We uphold a consistent level of professionalism, quality, credibility and service for Aramid Fiber Packing to Colombia, Ptfe Graphite Gland Packing , Ptfe Envelope Epdm Gaskets , Ptfe Flat Gasket , We welcome an opportunity to do business with you and hope to have pleasure in attaching further details of our products. Innovation, excellent and reliability are the core values of our company. These principles today much more than ever form the basis of our success as an internationally active mid-size business for Aramid Fiber Packing to Colombia, To achieve reciprocal advantages, our company is widely boosting our tactics of globalization in terms of communication with overseas customers, fast delivery, the best quality and long-term cooperation. Our company upholds the spirit of "innovation, harmony, team work and sharing, trails, pragmatic progress". Give us a chance and we will prove our capability. With your kind help, we believe that we can create a bright future with you together.


text:
Deforestation is at the worst it has ever been.
and the animals are crying out for our help.
50% of all sale proceeds of Mungai and the Goa Constrictor, from 13th December until 13th January, will be donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society – my Christmas gift to the animals.
The holidays are almost upon us – What better time to gift someone a copy!
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor offers the ideal way to spread awareness of the intentional devastation wreaked on the forest environments by unscrupulous members of society; those propelled through life by callousness and greed. Those who are so impervious to the effects of deforestation on all who inhabit the earth, only the united strength of the global community can stop their activities.
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor is a children’s book best suited to ages 9 to 90. Told through the eyes of animals, it tells of conspiracies hatched to aid the wilful destruction of the rainforests, and the resulting unlikely friendships forged between the various species of the widespread animal kingdom. It’s a story filled with action, adventure, humour, deceit, friendship, tolerance and environmental awareness.
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor has received twenty two wonderful four and five star reviews.
Two excerpts from Chapters Twenty-Eight and Six.
The first is where the good animals are in pursuit of one of the escaped villains.
The second is the first meeting between the animal villains and the ‘two-legs’.
“He looks like a monkey-meat lover,” thought Gerald, but he was frozen to the spot and could only think of his imminent death, followed by a prestigious military funeral, he hoped, for his few remains.The unidentifiable creature grabbed Gerald by the feet, and swung him round and round above his head, and then hurled him skywards towards the canopy roof, where he became stuck between two branches. He was so far up, the others lost sight of him.
On his own, with no-one to help him, he thought immediately of his ‘military training’ and decided to bring in the ‘vacate the high location’ manoeuvre. This manoeuvre was something only to be used in emergency situations, which he quite rightly deemed this was. He did not have much time, so he started straight away tearing off branches and bits of other vegetation, and weaving them together securely. He kept doing this until he had a large piece, three times his own size. He took one corner in each claw, and let himself fall backwards, down from the top. It was a very crowded tree. The growth from top to bottom was extremely dense. It cannot be said he sailed down from above, more bounced than anything. He bounced and he bounced and he bounced. From one branch to the other…sideways, backwards and forwards. Hanging upside down, he could not see where he was going. Much to his surprise, he found the jungle floor. It was not a soft landing.
The next day Mungai took Goa on a journey. They left the jungle and moved into the forest, and kept going until they arrived at a huge over-ground burrow hidden amongst some trees.
“What ith thith?” asked Goa.
“What doeth it do?” She asked again.
“It takes the logs, grinds them up, mixes them with water and turns them into pulp. It presses the pulp into sheets and they become paper for the two-legs to use.” Mungai seemed very well-informed. Goa couldn’t grasp it at all.
”Mungai turned round to greet the voice. Realising it was a two-leg, Goa shot underneath the building in fear.
He noticed the pleasant smell of honey and exotic fruits as Mungai got closer to him. Joe liked honey. He was a small scruffy two-leg of indeterminate age. He spoke badly and slouched a lot. His clothes did not fit him properly, nor did he look very clean. Goa was not impressed, and wondered if Joe had inspired Mungai’s description of the two-leg he had pretended to see in the forest. She hissed again, but was ignored by both of them.
“Come inside out of the sun,” invited Joe.
He knew whatever Mungai had planned would probably be against the laws made by the two-legs, and most certainly dangerous to any other creatures involved. He also knew, whatever it was, he would profit well out of it as he had done so many times in the past.
With their soft eyes, astonishingly beautiful coats and those magnificent horns, these highly sociable forest antelopes are a stunning vision. Bongos, in general, are fairly plentiful across west Africa. But, the critically endangered sub-species, isaaci, is only found in the mountains of central Kenya. As you would expect, deforestation and hunting (including so-called ‘trophy hunting‘) have played a major part in its decline. The numbers kept in captivity, now outweigh the numbers left in the wild by almost seven to one.
The mountain bongo may look a lot like its cousin, the western bongo, but, in fact, it is heavier, taller and more richly coloured. Adult mountain bongos stand at over four feet at the shoulder, and can be as much as an astonishing ten and a half feet in length. Males can weigh up to almost nine hundred pounds, and females, just over five hundred pounds.
Mountain bongos, or eastern bongos as they are sometimes called, have beautiful coats of deep-chestnut with vertical white stripes. Their muzzles are black with a white band across the nose and under the eyes, and their legs are dark in colour with patches of white. Further white markings occur on the chest. Like the okapi, the disruptive colouration of their coats helps to camouflage them in the forest.
Another notable feature of the bongo are the heavy, but elegant, spiral horns. Both male and female sport these, with the female’s being slightly smaller and paler. These horns can be used to break branches allowing their long prehensile tongues to strip the same with ease.
Unfortunately, these spectacular horns have been a contributing factor in their downfall. It is always wonderful how nature equips different species with these various adaptations for their survival. But, wonderful turns to tragic when man comes along and ends that chance of survival because he sees that which belongs to another as his, and his right to possess; to satisfy his unquenchable greed and lust for death.
Bongos are outgoing and non-territorial, but they are also shy and wary. They live in mixed herds of up to fifty individuals, though smaller herds are more likely. They forage mostly under cover of the dense forest, but can be tempted out into clearings and swamps if the pickings look good enough. Although mostly nocturnal, they are occasionally active during the day.
Distressed bongos bleat and mothers have a special low mooing call for their calves. Otherwise their vocalisations are fairly limited.
The peak breeding season for bongo antelope occurs between October and January. Following a gestation period of nine and a half months, a single calf will be born. Females give birth in dense undergrowth where they can hide their babies from predators. The mother will leave the calf alone for the first week, returning only to let the calf suckle. By the time it is two weeks old, it will be racing round and ready to join the nursery herd. Bongo calves are fast developers and will have the first signs of horns at three to four months of age. They are weaned at six months and fully mature at two years.
Dense montane forests and bamboo thickets.
The central Kenyan highlands – restricted to Aberdare’s Conservation Area, the Mau Forest and Mount Kenya National Park.
Leaves, shrubs, pith and bark of fallen dead trees, grasses and fruits.
Habitat loss due to illegal logging and charcoal production, poaching with snares and dogs, and diseases such as rinderpest. The mountain bongo are poached for their pelts and horns, and bushmeat to feed the ever-growing population. Natural predators include leopard and spotted hyena. Pythons have been known to eat calves. Bongo, in general, are considered a prize target for big-game trophy hunters, which in the past has devastated local populations of mountain bongo.
The mountain bongo, or eastern bongo, (Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. isaaci), is listed on the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group as Critically Endangered. It is thought there are now no more than one hundred of the species left in the wild, possibly as few as seventy-five. In 2012, six hundred and seventy-seven were recorded as kept in captivity around the globe. All captive bongo stem from the wild population captured from the Aberdere Mountains area in the 1970s.
“In 2000, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the USA (AZA) upgraded the bongo to a Species Survival Plan participant and in 2006 named the Bongo Restoration to Mount Kenya Project to its list of the Top Ten Wildlife Conservation Success Stories of the year. However, in 2013, it seems, these successes have been negated with reports of possibly only 100 mountain bongos left in the wild due to logging and poaching.” (Wikipedia) Although zoos are not the best option for wildlife, it seems, in this case, they may well be the saving of the mountain bongo. With so few left in the wild, the species might otherwise be lost to us.
Bongo Surveillance Project A village is rewarded with solar power to say ‘thank you’ for hosting the mountain bongo.
Native to the Himalayan foothills, and arguably one of the most heart-melting little bears on the planet, the red panda has seen a big rise in popularity lately, and ‘awwws’ and ‘ahhhs’ galore follow wherever it is seen. But, just like its namesake, the giant panda, man is robbing the red panda of its basic needs in the wild – food and shelter. Throughout most of the red pandas range, the trees it nests in and the bamboo it eats have disappeared. With over ninety per cent of its diet made up of something which is now in very short supply, hunger now looms.
The red panda’s striking red fur has made it a much sought after clothing item in some parts of China and Myanmar. And, red panda fur hats are still very popular in Bhutan. The killing of red pandas is highly illegal across its range, but the poaching continues, often unchecked.
But… at least what is left of the population can sleep easy in their nests tonight – the International Fur Trade Federation doesn’t do red panda any more!! Lucky red pandas!!
To veer slightly off topic for a moment – anything else, of course, is fair game to these self-serving, greedy and ruthless fur traders, who somehow seem to be missing the point.
These are not principles. These are hoodwinking statements attempting to justify their egregious activities. Surprisingly, they have the full approval of the IUCN.
Advocating, and profiting from, the breeding of animals solely for the purpose of killing them for their coats, or snatching animals from the wild simply because there are more than enough to go round, and then wallowing in the ill-claimed glory of avoiding using endangered species, does not make this barbaric trade any more acceptable. It simply serves to illustrate how wide a range of species are targeted, and how there is such a total lack of any form of moral compass involved.
But, back to the red panda itself. Also known as the lesser panda or red cat-bear, these little bears are not much bigger than the average domestic cat. They have rust-coloured fur on top with black legs and undersides, long bushy ringed-tails and cream-coloured markings on the face, and cream to white ears. Their fur is thick and covers their entire bodies including the soles of their feet. In winter they wrap their long, fluffy tails around themselves maintain heat. They have a low metabolic rate to further ensure their survival in extreme temperatures. A red panda can lose up to fifteen per cent of its body weight during the winter months.
Red pandas have semi-retractable claws and a thumb-like wrist projection for gripping bamboo. Their wrap-round tails also act as a balancing tool when moving through the trees. And, sweetly, red pandas dip their paws into water to drink.
Red pandas spend most of their waking time looking for and eating bamboo. They nibble away at it one leaf at a time. They have flattened teeth and well-developed chewing muscles. They are excellent tree climbers, and are most active during the day. If called upon to defend itself, the red panda will stand upright on its hind legs and show its sharp, ready to strike claws.
Red pandas are shy and solitary except when mating. Females (sows or she-bears) birth once a year. They build nests in hollow tree trunks or small caves. There is a gestation period of about one hundred and thirty-five days followed by the birth of one to four cubs. Baby red pandas weigh an average of one hundred and ten grams when born. They have fluffy cream and grey fur and their eyes and ears tightly closed. They remain in their protective nests for roughly ninety days. Only their mothers care for them. Male red pandas (boars or he-bears) take little or no interest in the babies. At six months old, the babies are weaned from their mother. Young red pandas grow relatively slowly, reaching adult size after one year. They reach full maturity at eighteen months. This pattern of growth results in an inability to recover efficiently from the devastating declines in population. There is also a fairly high infant mortality rate.
The red panda is the state animal of the Indian state of Sikkim.
Subtropical and temperate bamboo forests at sites above four thousand feet.
Bhutan, China, Myanmar, India and Nepal.
Almost all of their diet consists of bamboo shoots and leaves, but, they will also eat fruit, grasses, acorns, roots, bird eggs and some insects.
Habitat destruction is the greatest threat across the red panda’s range. In India, this threat is particularly significant. Loss of habitat has been caused by the medicinal plant trade, grazing, logging, livestock competition and agricultural cropping. In Nepal ,in the Dhorpatan Hunting reserve (the only area in Nepal where licensed hunting is allowed) deforestation has occurred, red pandas are caught using snares, overgrazing of domestic cattle has impacted ringal bamboo growth, and herders and their dogs are damaging the population further. In China and Myanmar, the threat of poaching looms large. Pelts are commonly found in local markets. In Bhutan, the pelts of the red panda are made into caps and hats.
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable (high risk of endangerment in the wild). The red panda is also listed under CITES Appendix 1 and Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life Protection Act 1972. The exact numbers of red pandas left in the wild are not known, but, are said to be declining rapidly. Red pandas have been kept and bred successfully in captivity across the world. Management programs have been created in North America, Japan, Europe, Australia, and China.


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Merseyside based Barndance band Two Left Feet was formed seven years ago, and consists of Richard Wilde on fiddle and melodeon, Gail Wilde on flute, clarinet, saxophone and recorders, Jon Mayhew on guitar, mandolins, and bodhran, and Jonathan Heyes on bass, guitar, and flute.
The band works with most of the major callers in the North West, (and sometimes further afield) including Brian Corrigan, Roger Downing, Rhodri Davies, Alan Barber and Brendan Morrison.
The caller on the night explains the dances to the audience, each in their own inimitable style, ensuring that nothing can possibly go wrong (well that’s the theory anyway).
They have a huge repertoire of music and dances from the British Isles, and America. The caller explains each dance before we play it. Then they let rip!
The band plays for all the main Ceilidh nights, namely Burns Night, St. Andrew’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, New Years Eve, and Hoe Downs for American Independence Day.
Two Left Feet have performed in all the major venues in the North West, including Knowsley Hall, Liverpool and Chester Town Halls, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, The Lowry, Salford, Haydock Racecourse, and Lancashire Cricket Ground, Old Trafford.
For the Queens Jubilee Celebrations they performed in Chester for public celebrations and the lighting of the Chester Beacon, and later on at Eaton Hall for the Duke of Westminster’s Jubilee Celebration.
They have been live in Hertfordshire, dead in Netherton, often seen around Macclesfield, roved the country o’er. They’ve played weddings galore, socials, carnivals, fairs, company shindigs, movie launches for Twentieth Century Fox, school and charity fundraisers.
They have also played at the BBC Music Live Festival, broadcast on the BBC, been twice featured on Radio Merseyside’s Folk Scene programme, as well as many other local radio stations around the country.
The band is available as either a 4 or 5 piece(this always includes the caller).
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industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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We had gone to Israel primarily to run the Jerusalem Marathon as a family, but we made sure that the trip was not solely to run the race, but to also experience Israel for what it really is. Like so many people, we were hesitant to visit the Holy Land because of the many things presented by the media about the country which were taken out of context and many times, exaggerated.
Our own reservations in the past had prevented us from pursuing a trip to Israel. But our doubts and fears were put to rest when our dear family friend and Ambassador to Israel Effie Ben Matityau invited us to run the Jerusalem Marathon, as it was an offer that was hard to resist. The Israel Ministry of Tourism also had just set up their first office in Manila and they were eager to have people experience the country. At the same time, having ran many marathons around the world, we knew we could not say no to running the same path Jesus and his disciples walked!
My husband, Anthony, ran the full marathon distance of 42 kilometers. My daughter Ella ran with me on the 10-kilometer distance, while Solana, our six-year-old, ran the community race.
When we first arrived, a representative from the Israel Ministry of Tourism welcomed us at the airport and entrusted us to their best tour guide, Alli Abu Rabiah. Each day the four of us spent with Ali proved to be special because he made us feel like a local and talked about his country in the most passionate manner. Best of all, he was a daring tour guide who would help us cross the Palestinian border because he knew it meant a lot to us to visit the place where our Savior was born.
In Tel Aviv, we had the chance to see and explore the Jaffa Flea Market. We were told that some of the cheapest and most interesting products are found there. It was so lovely to see carpet makers working on their works of art by hand! Each of the stalls we visited had its own character.
Meanwhile, our visit to the Old City and Gan HaPisga (Peak Garden) allowed us to look out to the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Tel Aviv!
In addition, Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in the world_and it is still an active fishing port. It was where we came across the home of Simon the Tanner from the New Testament.
We made sure that we maximized the little time we had in Tel Aviv, so we hit one of the beaches there to grant Solana a chance to play in the sand, as well as enjoy the vast playground located in the vicinity of the Hulon Children’s Museum.
Another place we visited was the Open Doors Monument in Rishon Lezion Memorial Park. It is very special to me and my family because it commemorates our country’s strong bond with Israel when former President Manuel Quezon opened our country to fleeing Jewish refugees when no other country would take them. I felt proud as a Filipino, as well as a member of the Quezon family through my stepfather, Ben Quezon Avanceña— President Quezon’s grandson.
The views going to Jerusalem were like a scene from the movies—with beautiful hills and nature sights. As soon as we settled in our hotel, we went right ahead to explore it.
We went to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Western Wall (or Jerusalem Wailing Wall), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock, and the Tower of David Museum.
We finally did the Jerusalem Marathon, which proved to be one of the most challenging routes we have ever ran. However, it was also enjoyable. The people were fantastic in terms of cheering and making it a whole family affair. There was music, dancing, and lots of entertainment.
The very next day, we explored the town of Bethlehem. We saw for ourselves the very spot where Jesus was born. We also ate local food such as hummus, falafel, shawarma, and kebab at Abu Dawod Restaurant. Afterwards, we took a dip in the Dead Sea—capping off a wonderful day.
It is quite difficult to pinpoint what makes Israel special but being surrounded with the ancient and modern that seems to harmoniously blend with everything makes it truly a unique place to visit. One of the things that we really regret now is having stayed in Israel for just eight days because there was so much more we wanted to see. However, it gives us reason to come back soon!
There is no visa required for Philippine Passport holders up to 90 days of stay.
Shabbat is one of the most important holy days in Judaism. But for Jews, apart from the Day of Atonement, it is the holiest day and is the only one mentioned in the Ten Commandments.
Pork, rabbit, eagle, owl, catfish, sturgeon, any shellfish, insect, or reptiles are not kosher.
Other species of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in a prescribed manner, for them to be considered kosher.
Kosher food that is processed or cooked together with non-kosher food, or any derivative of a non-kosher food, becomes non-kosher.
a Kashrut certificate granted to them by the local rabbinate.
Israel’s currency is the new Israel shekel (NIS) or shekel. There are 100 agorot (agora in singular) in each shekel. Bank notes are in denominations of NIS20, 50, 100 and 200, while coins are in denominations of NIS1, 2, 5, and 10. Agorot are in denominations of 10 and 50.
Foreign currency of all kinds may be exchanged at the airport, banks, post offices, most hotels, or licensed exchange agencies in large cities. A passport is required when exchanging traveler’s checks.
ATMs are available outside most banks where you can withdraw local or foreign currency.
The Value Added Tax in Israel is 17%. Goods worth more than $100 purchased within Israeli Shops (listed by Ministry of Tourism) are entitled to a refund at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). To obtain a refund, the goods should be packed in a closed bag together with the special refund invoice and presented to the official at the airport’s MILGAM counter.
Food, drinks, or tobacco products are not eligible for refund.
Thank you very much! Toda raba!
How much is this? Kama ze?
Ani yachol lekabel et haheshbon Bevakasha?


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This morning I was expecting to be up and early for a new experience- giving a bike tour of the city of Rouen. On Saturday afternoon I perfected the route, out on my own in glorious sunshine, wheeling my way along the river quay, past the many boats moored there, before climbing slowly up to the prefecture and passing the church of Joan of Arc nearby. enjoying the flower sellers in the street, and the Gros Horloge, and taking a pit stop in the cool of the abbey of St Ouen, an often missed, but gem of a monument, which easily competes with the cathedral for it’s light and perfect symmetry. But at 6 this morning a great crack of thunder and the rain came pouring down. I was prepared for the eventual soaking but by 9 the clients had cancelled and I now find myself with a free day!
I was thinking what an lovely week this has been for variety, which is perhaps what makes this job as good as it is.
When I’m not in Rouen, my “office” can be found generally with a wonderful view!
On Thursday this was my office at “Giverny”, the famous home and garden of Claude Monet. Then on Friday I met a boat at Les Andelys to walk up to Château Gaillard, Richard the Lionheart’s fortress at the top of the cliff. It was tough sitting waiting for the boat to come in! Later that afternoon we took a closer inspection of a tributary of the river.
and I have Jay and Betty to thank for immortalizing it for posterity!
On Saturday I was up again at the crack of dawn to head of to the Château of La Roche Guyon, a castle that spans the centuries from its early dwelling in the year 260 with troglodyte caves dug deep into the cliffs to its 18th century extensions. We just had enough time to climb to the 12 century donjon (keep) some 350 steps above the river and to take in the view. Even if I did have considerable difficulty getting some of the clients to come down again!
On Sunday another walking tour of Rouen before heading out yesterday to the Château Vascoeuil for an evening of cocktails and music in this historic building and art centre, home to over sixty sculptures in its gardens, including several of Dali. Tomorrow I shall head off to see my favorite dogs, Bêtise and Huge, two border collies who mind the ecological lawn mowers, the flock of 100 sheep at the award-winning cider farm, Duclos Fougeray. It’s all go! But never let it be said that I don’t like heading to the office because I really don’t mind the view!
Which view would you chose to have from your office?
For a few moments this morning I thought I was going to have to deal with a double booking. Not the kind where you find you are booked for two different tours in two entirely different places at the same time, but one you turn up to your destination and find that another group is already there.
It turned out that our cooking class was going to be televised and I was dammed glad that I had thought to wash my hair this morning. Five minutes later I was miked-up and ready to translate the charming Sylvie, the owner and chef of the atelier.
The morning turned into a riotous affair, doing what the french do best, (and australian TV presenters do worst apparently), cooking and tasting delicious patisserie. In fact the presenter’s choux buns were so bad that we had to take them out of the oven twice in order for the camera to effectively film the astonished expressions on the assembled cooks, and the grimace on the face of Sylvie!
“He’s the worst client that i’ve ever had in my atelier” I explained, and once the the camera man had finished snorting, he demanded we re-run the whole sequence. The presenter bravely bore the ridicule!
“Bon Apetite”, to the cameras as we went!
For the recipé click here, and for the method, click here!
Le Fête du Ventre and Other Activities.
My fellow guide and I had a huddled conversation this morning over how on earth we were going to get our 50 Amercan tourists through the heart of the city of Rouen this morning. Lining the streets on every side, cheek to cheek, was every conceivable stall groaning under the weight of speciality and artisan foods from the length and breadth of Normandy. Finally colourful umbrellas held high, Joan of Arc’s story having already being recounted on a quiet corner, we snaked our way through the crowd to the Vieux Marché and the cross in the garden outside the Eglise Jeanne d’Arc.
Maybe the end of the historic tour, but for me, the start of a fun-filled lunchtime. A quick call to my younger boys back at home to describe the sweet stall I had just passed, and the boys were hastily on route to the café where I had taken refuge for a pause, before launching ourselves into the crowds to taste all that was on offer.
Having started with a creamy hot chocolate, our next stop was of course the sweet stall. But barely had we paid for two groaning bags than we spotted our favourite chocolatier on the other side of the street making chocolate truffles before our eyes.
-“on offer, for a limited time only” he called, and I knew it was true since last year, once thoroughly addicted, the truffle source dried up by about the end of December, leaving an agonising 8 month wait until this year’s Fête!
Now loaded down with two bags of sweets and a huge groaning bag of truffles, we came across the Macroon stall and walked away with chocolate, Tiramisu, Spéculoos, and Framboise flavours.
But the fun was still to come. As we reached the corner the noise became deafening. Right there, across the street from the Oyster bar, a jazz band was entertaining the crowds. If you look really carefully you can see the oyster shells piled high on one of the tables.
Leaving the band we headed down the street to see what else we could find!
– and at least twenty varieties of Normandy apples!
and crates of delicious “champignons”.
-Don’t forget the “Neufchatel” cheese, formed in the shape of a heart by the Normandy dairymaids to the allied soldiers in the First World War.
The soft pretzel breads caused a stir with my boys! So much so that they forgot to clamour for a fresh crèpe or a gauffre (waffle)!
But full on fresh bread, sweet bags in hand, with music still ringing in our ears we headed happily home! I hope our American visitors enjoyed it as much as we did!
And A Bird Pooped On My Head!
A great friend of mine asked, at the begining of the summer how I would feel about house-sitting her mini chateau in return for caring for her elderly and ailing dog. After a year in a appartment, albeit a lovely one, the lure of a garden, a tennis court and an orchard was extremely appealing. No suprises that I said yes.
Thus began days of endless summer in wonderful Normandy surroundings, a bit of tuning of basic tennis skills and visits to the orchard to harvest the fruit to make jam, and find unripe pears as doggy-treats for a pear-loving dog!
The beauty of the chateau was that it is close enough to Rouen to continue working, and so it was that I could honour all my tour dates and guide an endless stream of Japanese and American tourists through the historic streets of Rouen.
One of the basic issues with guiding is what to do with personal effects. More often than not, the tour group arrive in Rouen by boat, down on the quayside. While those tours are always aided by microphone, the general indignity is having to carry a brightly coloured lollipop with the ship’s name blazoned across it in order not to loose the odd tourist along the way. On inclement days, the necessity to hold an umbrella claims the other free hand, leaving none with which to point to aspects of historic or aesthetic value. It’s not suprising then that I choose to descend to the ‘rendez-vous’ with nothing in my hands.
Leaving from the chateau early one morning on a hot sunny day it occurred to me that I had rather less pockets than usual. With my keys stuffed in one pocket, there was barely room for a hanky in the other. I deliberated a few moments on the need for a hanky on such a warm day, but having a sniffy nose and presenting a monument in front of thirty or so people are not good bedfellows. The hanky stayed.
The Parvis in front of the cathedral and the Bureau de Tourism has a lovely shady seating area under two rows of plane trees. Taking advantage of the peace and quiet of the early hours of this sunday morning I took a seat to wait and to savour the beautiful morning before the arrival of the group when suddenly – quite without warning..
…a bird pooped on my head!
After the initial horror, I felt up to the hairline of my forehead to feel copious quantities of slime slowly oozing their way onto my face. The next few minutes were a hasty attempt to restore my appearance and calm without mirror, and with only one solitary paper tissue to hand. The doors of the Bureau de Tourisme remained resolutely shut at this hour of a sunday morning!
It’s three weeks later now, the school year has begun, and once more the city plays host to the late summer arrival of a multitude of American and Australian tourists. Looking at the sky this morning, I deliberated on leaving my umbrella behind. After a weekend of 30° weather it seemed unneccessary that it encumber my day. At the last minute I swung it onto my arm and set out.
No more than three seconds into welcoming my group from their tour host and about one nano-second before I invited the crowd to move across the Parvis into the centre of the square, there came a shriek from one of the ladies at the back. If I thought I had been inundated with bird poop three weeks earlier, it was nothing on this poor woman. The rogue bird had managed to cover her hair, face and an extensive portion of her blouse. The tour ground to a complete standstill and the shocked victim was rushed off to the Bureau de Tourisme to repair the damage. Thankfully it was monday, and the Bureau was open, a significant improvement on my experience. Five minutes later she rejoined us in good spirits ready to get going.
It was less than five minutes later, from an apparently clear sky that I felt the first spots of rain. The speed with which the clouds followed, and the skies darkened beggered belief, but only moments later the heavens opened to torrents of rain. Three quarters of the group were umbrella-less, but generally good-humoured and optimistic that it would be shortlived.
By the Eglise St Maclou, in all its fine new stone-cleaned whiteness, the drips were dripping down the necks of the unprotected crowd, and we hastily pressed ourselves under a small roof overhang to keep out of the worst of it.
By the Aitre St Maclou, the tour groups had bunched up, all trying in vain to shelter under the archway access point. It was a devil of a job not to loose Americans to the German group, and welcome some Russians to ours as we started to disentangle and move on to our respective destinations. One lone couple of elderly Canadians had completely lost sight of their group – and may even now still be wandering the rainy streets!
By the Passage des Chanoines, with clothes now drenched to the skin, the more miserable of the un-umbrella’d group pleaded with me to take them back to their bus.
As you can imagine, the sense of humour, so abundent at the start was rapidly begining to diminish from a small quantity of the group.
We made our way, ducking and dodging between short arcades, doorways and cafe canopés to the Vieux Marché and the site of Joan of Arc’s death from burning at the stake. To add insult to indignity, an open overhead spigot-gutter shot a spout of water over the more unwary, until finally the sight of the tour operator came into view, hair wet and plastered to his head, and we headed off to the bus. One woman stepped into a huge puddle on the kerbside, but didn’t appear to notice, the rest, forewarned by me of it’s existance hardly seemed to care.. they were wet enough already.
Don’t forget an umbrella regardless of the forcast ..
and for heavens sake, …more than one tissue!
It really is madness in Rouen this week. On strict instructions from Tuesday’s tour operator I dutifully arrived at the Vieux Marché to show my group of thirty tourists the Vitraux (stained glass) rescued from St Vincent church during World War One to find a snaking queue in both directions through main entrance door.
“It’s not necessary to pay for entry” I said, as the well-dressed beggar on the door was doing a roaring trade with the unsuspecting Americans!
I wished I could have left out the stained glass and shown something more obscure and less stampeded; there were plenty of places I hadn’t had time to show them.
There are approximately 40 guides in Rouen, and over the last few weeks I have turned up to the river cruise ships to find guides who have been drafted in from Paris to help cater for demand. Some of them had had to rise at 4am to arrive on time. I am glad of my cosy apartment a second away from the centre.
Last night I cursed as the sounds of music came beating through my windows, thinking that once again the students in the neighbourhood were partying and it would be a night ‘thin’ on sleep, but pulled open the huge windows nevertheless to water the Geraniums hanging off my balconies, when I realised, with a start, that this wasn’t any old music…..
“Our House” was definitely playing at top volume, buffeted by the wind in my direction. And of course I should have known. My teenage son had headed off with a friend to listen to Madness on the quayside, a good 40 minute walk away, and I’d been relegated to babysitting. But now I had a perfect seat with the windows wide open to hear an hour and a half of Madness live performance, sadly without the visuals.. but we can’t have everything!
Every so often “Husband à l’Etranger” and I have raved about the cult pop groups of our time, only for our kids eyes to glaze over – “mum you are SO old”. Last night my son eventually returned, converted, having managed to get himself five rows from the stage, and having videod entire songs on his phone. How could I have ever thought that mobile phones for teenagers were evil!
Thankfully the organisers were handing out earplugs to the crowd, of which, according to no1 son, there were thousands. Tonight he’s off again to hear ‘Pony Pony Run Run’ – now there’s a band that is definitely not of my time! But what the city is gearing up for is Friday night’s concert of “Mika”. Superbly popular in France, this will draw thousands, including me and my two younger ones, not necessarily because he is to everyone’s taste, but because his songs are internationally known and because Mika is bilingual French/English which adds to his fan-pulling capability in France.
So there you are, Rouen has drawn in the crowds, not only with the Armada ships, but also with these great free live open-air concerts.
when the ships set sail once again and head for open sea. And then?
But more about that later!
The Day I Lost Gothic.
Somedays, (well actually normally at 3am when I wake in a cold sweat stressing about the impending tour on my calendar) I wonder who on earth set me up for this Tour Guiding malarkey! In the glow of the early dawn, the minutes ticking down to my second ever tour were gathering speed, whilst I lay in bed unable to mentally talk my way through, or indeed remember any detail about one of the principle monuments of the city! With the lightening of the sky came the terrifying realisation that I had only myself to blame for the terror I was inflicting on myself. Why oh why had I signed myself up for a career that involves public speaking in front of 30 strong crowds when I was the kid in class that skulked in the back of the classroom hoping not to be asked the question. For the first two tours I had the overwhelming urge to flee, much as had done the French soldiers on the fortified Pont de l’Arche on te Seine when faced with a fleet of ships containing 1200 marauding Vikings.
Suprisingly, the tours actually went quite well, and though my brain fumbled occasionally on the odd date whist trying to recall them at speed, the general ambiance of the group seemed to erase the fear after the first ten minutes or so. The few minutes needed to walk from one monument to the next was enough to mentally recompose and prepare the brain for how to present the next historical story and describe the architecture. Sometimes this was knocked a little off kilter by a ‘out of the box’ question from the group, but generally things had begun to fall into place.
Nothing could have prepared me for last Monday, when just as my general confidence and nonchalance was building, I turned to face the cathedral, and realised, in a moment of utter horror that the most important word in the architectural arsenal had ‘hopped it’, fled, ‘disparued’, leaving me with a vocabulary void in its place.
The first three monuments in the tour of Rouen are Gothic, and Gothic had gone awol. It wasn’t just that having learnt the whole tour at the outset in the French language, I had lost its translation – oh no! Gothic and Gothique are very much the same word. Quite simply, I had fallen victim to a very unwelcome verbal dyslexia.
The tour continued, as it should, and since my brain was no longer capable of annotating the windows, archways or delicate stone tracery with their historical references of primitive gothic or gothic rayonnant and gothic flamboyant, the lucky tourists were assailed with a veritable overload of dates as I struggled to get the details across. Fear was once more edging in around the edges as I wondered what other catastrophes my brain may have in wait for me. Whether the tourists noticed, I will never know.
Look at all those wonderful………..details!
but let’s hope it stays there until next time!
The cherry-pickers were out on Monday putting up ‘Armada’ bunting across the main street through Rouen, rue Jean d’Arc. There is a charged atmosphere about the city, expectant, and ready. The first Armada tall ships will hopefully arrive in Rouen next Wednesday evening, passing below the Pont Flaubert, the tallest lifting bridge in the world, which will be raised for the occasion.
But for today I was meeting another boat, and was there on the quayside just as The Viking moored after its gradual journey down the Seine from Paris. Should I have been worried? The last time Vikings were seen on the Seine, the city suffered from total destruction, pillaging, and Normandy was handed over to them. Thankfully for me, this Viking ship contained 120 American tourists who were keener on admiring our treasures, than plundering them. This is after all 2013 and not 841.
I am envious of the Americans, for when they continue their journey towards Le Havre, they will have the pleasure of watching the Armada ships sailing up the Seine from an excellent vantage point, the Seine itself. But for us, we have a week of ceremony, free access to the ships, fireworks and a ‘maritime Sunday mass’ ahead of us.
Tourists and visitors are arriving in their masses to watch the spectacle, the hotels are bursting at their seams, and everywhere you chose to look there are people carrying poles atopped with a shiny red disc denoting ‘group 2A, 2B, or 2C’. I should know, today I was one of them guiding the many tourists around the great monuments of Rouen, trying not to lose Americans in the general hubub and swirling crowds, and trying to keep count of 30 heads whilst at the same time telling them how the leaders of the Harelle riot lost theirs in 1382, and how we lost Jean of Arc for ever.
My diary is crammed with tour dates, many of the guides are running at three a day, but for some of us, we have to somehow fit in the picking up and dropping off of our children who are incorporated into choirs for both the rehearsals and the the sunday maritime mass, and find the time to provide them with brightly coloured teeshirts (with no buttons or logo) for their performance in front of the cameras. as the 640 strong choir will be televised.
One place I shall certainly be, with my boys, will be on one of the many bridges spanning the Seine watching the fireworks display at 11.30 on Friday night, which are rumoured to be outstanding. Having missed the great British Guy Fawkes night for the past two years, and inexplicably been out of France for every 14th July, this is an event we cannot miss.
So if you are at a loose end next week, Rouen is where you need to be, and if you see a numbered ‘lolly stick’ waggling above the heads of the crowds, you never know, it could just be me!


text: BMW has shocked the world with the debut of a futuristic motorcycle concept that utilizes self-balancing systems to keep the bike upright both when standing and when in motion. This in theory creates a ride that eliminates the need to wear a helmet or protective clothing. The German automotive giant also included “Digital Companion” technology in the form of a visor that is controlled by eye movements and sends active feedback about road conditions to the rider while continuously making adjustments to the bike to accommodate the rider’s driving style.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
The fourth Bledisloe Cup test will remain in Hong Kong, with the New Zealand and Australian resigned to absorbing an unforeseen financial hit.
Poor ticket sales raised the prospect of relocating the October 30 clash from Hong Kong Stadium to England rugby headquarters at Twickenham, where a large antipodean ex-pat community might have boosted the revenue-generating exercise.
Christchurch was also briefly touted as an alternative last week, where proceeds could go earthquake relief.
But New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew today confirmed the third "neutral" Bledisloe would remain in Asia.
"We've been worried about ticket sales for some weeks so explored options," Tew said, adding logistically it was impractical to make a switch.
"It's a big move and we've sold tickets. There are fans that have made a commitment to travel bookings."
Last week only 10,000 tickets had been sold for the 40,000-seat venue, home of the iconic Hong Kong sevens.
Tew was hoping demand would increase but accepted the union would probably have to cop a loss.
"This is revenue at risk so it definitely has an impact on our bottom line," he said.
"We'll have to reforecast and we'll be doing that at the next board meeting."
Hong Kong hosted the first Bledisloe clash on neutral ground in 2008, a historic occasion that did not sell out.
Tapping the Japanese market by hosting a game in Tokyo before both teams headed to Europe last year also failed to meet expectations.
"It's a more sobering experience," Tew said of the current apathy in Hong Kong.
"This is clearly a disappointment, we'll have to rethink what we're doing going forward."
With the World Cup taking place next year, there will only be two Bledisloe Cup tests included in a compressed Tri-Nations schedule, the same applying if and when Argentina join an enlarged southern hemisphere competition.
Tew said a third Bledisloe test could be reintroduced in 2012, again as a stopover enroute to Europe.
With interest in Asia apparently waning, Twickenham might be a viable location. Denver in the United States has also previously been nominated as a possible venue.

industry_corpus2: Sports


text: Thanks for contacting Sally Shamai. If you do not wish to be contacted via email please provide alternate contact information within your message. If you provide a telephone number please indicate whether or not a message may be left by the counsellor, therapist or psychologist.


text:
Josh Margolis discovered his passion for drums at the age of five under the guidance of the renowned drummer Kenny Aronoff at the Aronoff's family barn. Ten years of both drum and piano lessons followed. After attending Berklee School of Music, he came to NYC to study percussion with Miles Davis' drummer Mino Cinelu and Kenwood Dennard of Sting's band. He has been performing in rock, jazz, and acoustic groups in New York City for the past 25 years as a drummer, singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has also worked as a live television producer for Jonas Brothers, Wilson Phillips, and Josh Groban amongst others. Josh has worked as a BMI composer for ABC News, Martha Stewart Living Television, and FOX Sports. Billboard Magazine, NewSong and the New York Songwriter's Circle have lauded his songwriting skills. He currently produces music with composer extraordinaire Peter Fox. Josh regularly performs with his band Brooklyn Pearl, the LENNY collective, and Tracy Bonham among others. He lives in Boerum Hill with his wife Aimee Good and daughter Matilda.
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Bonham began singing at age 5, playing the violin at 9, and piano at age 14. After transferring to Berklee College of Music to study voice, leaving her full violin scholarship at the University of Southern California behind, she began to write songs on the guitar in 1994. She proved to be a quick study; Her 1996 major label debut, The Burdens of Being Upright (Island), went gold in the US as well as Holland, Australia, and Canada, spawning the hit single "Mother Mother". This lead to a pair of Grammy™ nominations in 1997, as well as an MTV Video Award nomination. She has since toured the world many times and has made television appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Late Show with Craig Furgussen, as well as A & E's Breakfast for the Arts. Her third album "blink the brightest" was released on Rounder Records in 2005 and with that she placed many of the songs in major network TV shows such as Brothers and Sisters, The L Word, The Closer, What About Brian, and Army Wives. Tracy's vocals are featured on various artist's albums such as Aerosmith "Honkin On Bobo" (Columbia 2004), Wayfaring Strangers "This Train" (Rounder 2004), Ron Sexmith's "Whereabouts" (violin – 1999). In 2003 and 2006 she toured extensively with Blue Man Group singing and playing violin in major arenas as their featured guest performer and their opening act. Tracy is currently writing and recording her next album and teaching violin and voice in Brooklyn.
Spencer has been with Gowanus Music Club since 2012. In addition to spreading the gospel of rock and roll to our students, he also handles spreading the word about all things GMC. He studied jazz at SUNY New Paltz with Tom Dempsey and Mark Dziuba of the National Guitar Workshop, and is equally happy working out chord melodies of old standards as he is wailing through a cranked tube amp with his band Planet Moon at NYC staples like Mercury Lounge, Pianos and Rockwood Music Hall, and of course, Hanks Saloon. Spencer currently lives in Boerum Hill with his wife and 2 cats, and when he isn't teaching or playing music, he's probably out running.
Sara Landeau is a guitarist, bassist, drummer, music director, teacher, producer, and band coach in NYC. After receiving a B.A. in Art History from Columbia University in 2002, Sara attended The Juilliard School where she studied audio technology, classical guitar, theory, ear training, percussion, and transcription. Since 2005, she has been band coach and guitar teacher for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls and Ladies Rock Camp in Brooklyn; and Austin Rock Camp for Girls. Many of her high school and college bound private students have gone on to attend top music schools including LaGuardia High School in NYC (the Fame school), New York University, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. She also specializes in working with adults learning an instrument for the first time. Sara is the guitarist for The Julie Ruin, a chart-topping band featuring Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill fame.
He recently launched the beat-making video series YUMMY SOUNDS with his eight-year old son, Aubrey, and fellow longtime STOMP cast member John Sawicki, and is currently scoring the short film "Origami", written and directed by Paul Burger. Jason Mills is a Drummer, Producer, Composer, Engineer and Teacher who has been living and working in New York City for the last 21 years. Originally from Loudoun County, VA, he was hired in 1995 to be part of the NYC cast of the Off-Broadway show STOMP, and has worked on and off with the show ever since in its lead role. In addition to thousands of shows at the Orpheum Theater in NYC, he has visited 12 countries on 5 continents with STOMP, and stars in the DVD version of the stage show: "STOMP Live". Other highlights included a 1996 performance on the 68th Academy Awards, and the privilege of musically directing & choreographing STOMP's 2013 performance of "Cecelia" alongside Paul Simon on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon".
Scott Seelig is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and teacher. Raised in a musical family, he studied classical piano as a child, but spent much of his time composing on his older brother’s computer and teaching himself Beatles songs on guitar. After high school, Scott resumed his music education at Berklee School of Music, where he studied piano and majored in music production. Scott has engineered, produced, and performed on Flamenco, Indie-Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Pop, and Hip-Hop record releases. He has also created music educational books for Hal Leonard, Cherry Lane, McGraw-Hill, and The Metropolitan Opera, and been a guest professor of Production and Piano in India. He currently works with his band Snowmine, and regularly coaches future rock stars at Gowanus Music Club!
Joanna Schubert is a pianist, composer, arranger, and music director. After attending La Guardia high school in NYC, Joanna enrolled at Skidmore College majoring in music with a focus on piano performance. Joanna recently moved to back to the city in September after having spent the last 5 years in the Boston area. In Boston she taught students of all ages, leading pop and musical theater choirs and musical theater productions. Teaching private piano and voice students, she specializes in self-accompaniment, ear training, and songwriting. As a musician and singer-songwriter, Joanna performs her own eclectic material. She is also is one half of a dreampop duo, and is currently composing the music for an upcoming musical. Joanna lives and teaches with boundless energy, humor, and high expectations. She lives in south Park Slope, Brooklyn with her very special cat, Moose.
Bob Edinger, a New England native, graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2008. He is a multi-instrumentalist with his primary focus being the drums. By graduation, Bob had toured internationally, recorded on numerous critically lauded albums, and taught a wide-range of students as well as teaching at several drum clinics. Bob also received the Berklee Urban Service Award for his part in teaching and coordinating the music program at Sociedad Latina, a non-profit dedicated to at-risk youth in the Boston community.
At the moment, Bob play in several different bands with styles ranging from jazz and funk, to rock including Mother West recording artist Tom Shaner. He has played at notable venues such as 55Bar, Fat Cat, Drom, Rockwood Music Hall, and the Mercury Lounge among others. Bob also teaches at schools in the NYC area as well as privately out of his studio in Bushwick. Bob Edinger currently resides in Brooklyn, where he's lived for the past four years.
Originally from New South Wales, Australia, Lucy received her B.A in Jazz performance from Sydney Conservatorium of Music before relocating to Boston USA, to complete her studies at Berklee College of Music. Lucy has performed with various artists including Grammy Winning Alejandro Sanz and Jesse & Joy at the Rise Up As One Festival (2016 USA), Mariza of her USA Tour (2017), Grammy Winning Producer Javier Limon & Tonina at the Ellas Crean Festival (2017 Spain), M+E at SXSW Music Festival to name a few. Recently, Lucy has been lauded for her original compositions, and was chosen to perform at the Women's Musician Network Concert for female composers at the Berklee Performance Center in 2014. She currently resides in New York City, working and composing for her ensemble under her own name.
John N Wlaysewski is a music producer and the principle singer and songwriter for Brooklyn band Late Cambrian. He produced and played on Tracy Bonham’s 2017 record, Modern Burdens, and is currently co-writing and producing her next record as well. Late Cambrian’s most recent record, Sweet Cambrian High, can be heard on all music streaming services and they are currently writing new music for release in 2019.
Alejandro Meola is a guitarist, composer and performer based in New York City since 2013. Born in Miami, FL he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he graduated with a B.A in Guitar Performance from the Argentine Society of Musicians (SADEM). Alejandro has been teaching music since age 19, releasing various albums with his own original material and performing regularly in the NYC club circuit.


text:
Gourmet Gift ideas There are 39 products.
Start your day with greatness! Get the best jams and spreads Quebec has to offer. And let's be honest, getting up in the morning is always easier when you have 6 jams waiting on the table! These jams and spreads are made by Master jam-producers.
A sample of what Quebec as to offer to your taste buds. This selection of fine products will get you to travel across the many regions of the Province. We selected high quality products that will be sent to you in a classy gift-box.
An assortment of some of our best vinaigrettes, vinegars and oils, perfect for all your cooking needs. This basket is the ideal gift for all the gourmands outhere who are seeking new flavors to add to their salads. And for the other, who are we to choose for you how to use your oils and vinegras? Let your imagination run wild!
Get the best from the Seas (product of Gaspesie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine) and from the Country side of all the Province of Quebec. It comes in a cute gift box!
Discover a selection of the best food products of Quebec.
Do not arrive empty-handed at a reception. Here is the present that will amaze your epicurean hosts. Coffee maple butter, honey, colas and herbal teas garnish this basket with a thousand flavors. In the event that certain products are out of stock, Terroirs Québec reserves itself the right to exchange the missing product for a similar one.
Our most beautiful discovery set. With this set, you'll start a gastronomic tour of Quebec.
Find the flavors of your childhood with this set of fine jams of yesteryear. Select for their rustic ingredients, they will delight you with their authenticity and unique taste. One thing is certain, you will not find them on the shelves of your grocery stores!
To offer to a friend, or to savour it with your family, this pack of three Cassis Monna et Filles products won't last long! The pack contains three 125ml jars of different blackcurrant products made at Île d'Orléans.
Sugar season has officially begun and what could be better than to allow yourself a selection of Quebec maple products. You can spoil your taste buds from morning to night with wild blueberry maple spread, maple sugar, maple syrup, foie gras mousse and maple candy. This selection can also be an excellent gift to offer.
In Quebec, spring is synonymous with maple syrup and what better way to enjoy a basket of sweet products! This set is a perfect gift to offer to a loved one. Once the products have been tasted, the basket will be used as a souvenir and decoration for their home.
This burgundy wooden box with a clear lid allows you to easily store your teas and herbal teas. It comes with about 54 bags from our home selection : Blueberry herb tea Maple tea Cranberry herb tea This box is only available at Terroirs Québec!
This is the perfect box to offer to those who love surprises. It's also an excellent option to organize a contest for your customers/clients. Maple jelly, spicy sauce, wild herbs rub for poultry... everything to surprise "foodies"!
Each trio includes stewed fruits and jellies specifically designed to enhance cheeses and foie gras. Each trio also comes with a card of recipes and ideas to use the products.
A gift-box that smells wilderness and testosterone. Forget about jellies and spreads. This is a gift that will satisfy the real men and wild meat enthousiasts.
Want to discover the exceptional flavours of Quebec? This discovery set is a selection of the finest products.
The trio includes 3 wild mustards. Each trio also includes recipes and ideas to use your products.
We offer an exclusive selection of gourmet gift baskets from Quebec, selected gifts by region or a selection ready to offer by artisan producers of our regions.


text:
I’m home from work, have eaten my lunch and soon it will be time to go and view the first flat.
The one Jan is probably not coming to view with me (he has now said he’ll try). the one where I rearranged the appointment so he could come with me.
Cross your fingers for me please.
I have an interview in an hour.
It’s for a job that I’m not even sure I want. In fact, I’m not even exactly sure what the job is… other than that it involves working in an office and the need to speak English.
Bleurgh, I feel like crap.
1. I have a progress meeting at work tomorrow. I’m very nervous about it. I don’t need a cold to make me feel even worse.
2. I start my Spanish course tomorrow. The lesson is from 6pm – 9pm. Really need the old brain to be working for that, which it won’t be if I have a cold.
3. I have friends coming round for Christmas dinner on Saturday. The boyfriend and I spent 56 euros in the English shop last weekend. I bought crackers, I bought cranberry sauce, I even bought bread pudding mix. I don’t even like bread pudding! And today a bought a turkey. I refuse to cancel this bloody meal! Therefore I am not allowed to be ill.
I think I shall go and make myself some hot lemon. Not sure if it actually does anything against colds, but at least it might warm me up!
And now back to what I really wanted to talk about.
This time next week I’ll be getting ready for my last day at my current place at work. It’s very scary and also quite sad (as in upsetting, not uncool). How can it have been almost a whole year since I started my internship there? It doesn’t seem like that long. And yet, at the same time, it feels like I’ve been there forever. I love working there. Love the banter (by email) with other English-speaking interns from our branches throughout Germany. Love most of the translations I get to do. Even some of the proofreads are fun (yesterday I was reading a very funny translation about jeans). My colleagues here in Karlsruhe are brilliant – two are pretty much my age and the third is only five years older. It’s great. We can have a laugh together and I don’t feel like the little, inexperienced child amongst all the adults who know exactly what they’re doing.
And now it’s time to leave.
A week on Monday I start my new internship. Between leaving where I am now and starting at the new place I have exactly 3 days to mentally prepare myself. My current mood? Nervous, sad, excited, nostalgic, terrified… it’s an emotional rollercoaster.
I’m currently trying to force myself to eat breakfast while my stomach goes “nooo, don’t want food. I’m too busy twisting myself into nervous knots to eat!” I have to eat though. I know what will happen if I don’t – I’ll get to my interview and my stomach will suddenly decide that it is hungry after all, then I’ll have to sit through the whole thing with it rumbling. Loudly. Not really the first impression that I want to make! So I’m trying to force myself to eat some toast with jam on. Once that’s gone I’m going to try and force myself to eat a yoghurt. I won’t have time for lunch – I need to leave the house at 12:00, buy credit for my phone, buy a ticket for the journey to Gernsbach, take a tram to the train station. The train to Gernsbach leaves at 12:43 and I arrive at 1:29pm. By the time I’ve got my bearings and walked down to the place it will pretty much be time for the interview, so no time for eating. I suppose I could take some food on the train. Hmm, actually that’s a possibility. I shall think about that. But in the meantime… must… eat… breakfast.
Fortunately the weather has decided to be kind to me today. The current temperature is a quite pleasant 21.7°C. This is good. I just hope it stays that way – I’m paranoid about making sweat marks on my nice blue blouse!
I’ve done the practice translation and the trial proofreads. They’ve been sent back and I’ve had confirmation that they’ve been received. Now it’s time to try and calm myself down. Time to breathe. Time to get over being a nervous wreck.
The work itself wasn’t too bad. The translation was quite nice, about a bar in Berlin. The proofreads were a little more technical but short and well translated. I’ve had worse proofreads during my internship and done harder translations for my Master’s.
I finished the translation half an hour before I needed to, then spent another 20 minutes checking it over and over, making sure there were no silly mistakes, checking Google to see whether those words really can be placed together in that order. I finally sent it back 10 minutes before they had asked for it.
I was then sent two texts to proofread. I had about an hour and 40 minutes to do them. 45 minutes before I was supposed to send them back I had read through both of them, listed all the mistakes and was starting to wonder what I’d missed. Did they really expect it to take that long or were they just making sure I had plenty of time? And if they really did expect it to take all that time I was sure I must have missed something. Some huge, glaringly obvious mistake perhaps. Or maybe I’d managed to overlook a page, somehow thought the texts were shorter than they actually were. I forced myself to move away from the computer, get a drink of water and take some deep breaths. I came back to find that the text really were that long and there really weren’t any more mistakes. I sent it back 20 minutes before they had asked for it.
So that’s it. All done. I guess I’m one step further on the road to finding a job. Now I suppose I just wait and see what happens next.


text:
Before break, I did a week long money focus with my students. We focused mainly on identifying coins and their values and counting coins up to $1. Later in the year, we will focus on making change and incorporating dollars into their counting of money.
My district uses Investigations math and we played the game Collect 25¢ about a million times. We also played Collect 50¢ and for my higher kiddos, they played Collect a Dollar.
We also utilized Erica Bohrer's WONDERFUL Touch Money posters.
What a wonderful resource! The concept of touch money really helped my struggling students and helped most of class counting amounts of coins over 70¢. Whenever I heard, "I don't get it!" I would reply, "Go use the touch money posters, and the "I don't get its" turned into "I got its." I love when that happens. I also hung up large pictures of the coins that showed the front and backs of the coins with the Touch Money dots on them in the front of the room, and my students really benefited from seeing the touch dots on the front and back of the coins.
We also used several sheets from the following resource book.
I am often indifferent with resource books that you can buy at the teacher store but I loved this book. I especially loved how the book builds with difficulty, making it easy to differentiate. During choice time, I would have the students work on some of these pages and hung up a key for them in the back of the room. I love doing this because students get to self check their work and you don't spend a lot of time going over work as a class, which can be beneficial but can also be spent doing other things.
We also played several games from Lory Evans. One was a freebie from her blog.
The other was from her Scholastic Book.
I ordered my copy of her book from Scholastic with my bonus points and use it almost weekly. My students LOVED the game "Make a Dollar" from her book.
I also used this Pinch and Total activity from What the Teacher Wants. I loved this activity because my students were able to move through the activity at their own pace and it made a great formative assessment as well. Win, win.
One of our focus indicators for money is representing an amount of money multiple ways. I made the following flip books for my students to practice this skill. I had my students show three different ways to show the amounts on their flip books and then they switched with a partner. Their partner checked their coins and made sure their partner's coin drawings were accurate. If there were any disputes, I quickly jumped in to referee. My students loved these activities and I heard lots of good math discussions while they were reviewing each others work. Click on the preview below to download your own copy to use with your class. I did one flip book a day during the week we studied money.
My students have really mastered the art of collaboration and partner work lately, so I wiped up this partner activity for them to use at the end of our unit. It was also a hit. Click on the preview below to get your own copy.
Overall, I was so happy with our study of money and level of mastery my students achieved! When I taught third grade, most of my students struggled to even identify coins and their values, making teaching making change and making money amounts using the least amount of coins possible, VERY difficult. So I wanted to make sure I gave my second graders a solid foundation on identifying and counting coins, as well as making sure they were able to show multiple ways to make a certain amount of money.
Enjoy your weekend! :) Happy New Years!
Hi Lisa! Thank you for sharing links to these great activities! I am excited to be one of the first followers to your blog. I would love for you to come visit my blog and grab LOTS of *freebies*!
I do Touch Math and Touch Money with my kiddos and I love it! It is just another strategy that they can use if it works for them, and it has helped some of my struggling kiddos tremendously!!
Ahhh! I'm glad you could use that game!!! Thanks for the shout out!
I do agree with all of the ideas you have offered to your post. They are very convincing and will definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for newbies. May you please extend them a little from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.


text: Here’s a Wednesday night TV special we bet Barbara Walters won’t be watching: Rosie Live, which stars Rosie O’Donnell and features a mishmash of Broadway dancers, celebrity appearances, comedy sketches, and musical performances. The special will be a test of the viability of the variety genre, which is earning new attention as ratings falter across the board. (The Osbournes and John Mayer are set to launch similar programs). Original variety queen Carol Burnett says, "I'm happy that the V word isn't so nasty anymore." Should Rosie Live sail to the top of the Nielsen charts, her special could become a weekly series.


text:
RCMP in Berens River, Manitoba are looking for the driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash on Saturday morning.
At around 1:30 a.m., police were called to a vehicle-pedestrian accident on Main Street, where they found the 29-year-old Berens River man suffering from serious injuries.
He was taken to the local nursing station where he later died.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Berens River RCMP at (204) 669-3268, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

industry_corpus2: Media & Journalism