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U.S. Automotive Coolant Market Demand Was 61.7 Million Gallons In 2015 And Is Expected To Reach 118.0 Million Gallons By 2024: Grand View Research, Inc.
The U.S. automotive coolant market is expected to reach USD 1.23 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing passenger car sales as a result of increased consumer confidence and high disposable income in recent years has impacted industry growth to a large extent.
The U.S. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has decreed antifreeze recycling standards under the 'Best Management Practices' in the industry, leading to greater consumption of recycled coolants with low toxin content. Growing consumer awareness regarding recyclable & sustainable materials is further likely to impact industry growth positively over the forecast period.
Propylene glycol emerged as the leading product segment and accounted for over 55% of total demand in 2015 on account of its growing demand as a substitute for conventional ethylene glycol coolants. It is also expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period. High growth of propylene glycol can be attributed to the product's non-toxicity & greater freeze point depression properties.
Browse full research report on Global U.S. Automotive Coolant Market: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-automotive-coolant-market
Further key findings from the study suggest:
- The U.S. automotive coolant market demand was 61.7 million gallons in 2015 and is expected to reach 118.0 million gallons by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2016 to 2024
- High consumer awareness regarding the ethylene glycol based coolants advantageous characteristics such as convective heat transfer properties is expected to foster its application as an antifreeze & corrosion inhibitor in automobiles.
- Coolants based on the organic acid technology (OAT) dominated the industry owing to their phosphate-free nature
- OAT segment is anticipated to grow at a rapid pace owing to its ability to provide superior protection to the automotive cooling system, while maintaining compatibility with exotic materials such as aluminum & magnesium
- The OEM distribution segment is anticipated to lose importance to the automotive aftermarket, since most automobile manufacturers refrain from assuming the responsibility of coolant refilling
- Commercial vehicles segment is expected to be the dominant end-use segment with its growth projected at over 8% from 2016 to 2024
- Increasing trade activities post revival of the U.S. economy has stimulated the demand for commercial heavy-duty vehicles leading to high coolant demand in the region
- Major industry participants include Lukoil, Total S.A., KOST USA, Motul, Ashland Incorporation, British Petroleum PLC, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron Phillips Corporation, and Sinopec among several others.
Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/petrochemicals-and-downstream-derivatives
Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. automotive coolant market on the basis of product, technology, distribution and end-use:
U.S. Automotive Coolant Product Outlook (Volume, Million Gallons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 – 2024)
- Ethylene Glycol
- Propylene Glycol
- Glycerin
U.S. Automotive Coolant Technology Outlook (Volume, Million Gallons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 – 2024)
- Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT)
- Organic Acid Technology (OAT)
- Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT)
U.S. Automotive Coolant Distribution Outlook (Volume, Million Gallons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 – 2024)
- Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)
- Automotive Aftermarket
U.S. Automotive Coolant End-Use Outlook (Volume, Million Gallons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 – 2024)
- Passenger Cars
- Commercial Vehicles
- Two-Wheelers
Access press release of this research report by Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/us-automotive-coolant-market-analysis
About Grand View Research
Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
Sherry James
Corporate Sales Specialist, USA
Grand View Research, Inc
Web: www.grandviewresearch.com
Read our blogs – mediafound.org, grandviewresearch.com/blogs/bulk-chemicals


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subset: commoncrawl


text: IoT Design Patterns: Computational Constructs to Design, Build and Engineer Edge ApplicationsSoheil Qanbari, Samim Pezeshki, +12 authors Schahram DustdarIoTDI2016—The objective of design patterns is to make design robust and to abstract reusable solutions behind expressive interfaces, independent of a concrete platform. They are abstracted away from the complexity of underlying and enabling technologies. The connected things in IoT tend to be diverse in terms of supported protocols, communication methods and… (More)


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Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among adult fishermen in coastal areas of Karachi
Disease epidemiology - infectious
Migrant populations are at high risk of Human Immuno Deficiency Virus infection (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Studies of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and practices among fishermen in developing countries have shown gaps in knowledge and fear of contagion with ambivalent attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and inconsistent universal precautions adherence. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among adult fishermen in a coastal area of Karachi, Pakistan.
Community based cross sectional study was conducted among fishermen in coastal area of Karachi from June to September 2012. A total of 297 adult fishermen were selected by using simple random sampling technique from different sectors of coastal village. Data were collected using a structured validated questionnaire. The frequency distribution of both dependent and independent variables were worked out. Comparisons of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS by socio-demographic characteristics were made using logistic regression.
Out of 297 fishermen, majority had in-appropriate knowledge (93.6%), negative attitude (75.8%) and less adherent sexual practices (91.6%). In univariate analysis, lower education and higher income were significantly associated (OR 2.25, 95% CI, 1.11, 4.55), (OR = 3.04 CI 1.03-9.02, p value 0.04) with negative attitude and un-safe practices towards HIV/AIDS respectively, whereas no significant association of socio-economic characteristics with knowledge, attitude and practices were observed in multivariate analysis.
This study suggests that fishermen had very poor knowledge, negative attitudes towards HIV and AIDS and had unsafe sexual practices which suggest that they lack the basic understanding of HIV/AIDS infection. Extensive health education campaign should be provided to the vulnerable sections of the society for the control of HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS is a major health problem, especially for the developing world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported approximately 33.3 million people were infected with HIV/AIDS globally in the year 2009
Evidence suggests that the basic knowledge of HIV among fishermen is very low. In a KAP survey in Indian state of Kerala, only 5% of the fishermen reported that they know about HIV and AIDS
Fishermen are considered a high risk bridging population for HIV/AIDS because of their social contacts and interactions with general population. The key components of that bridging phenomenon are they stay away from home for long periods and most people involved in fishing as an occupation are within the age groups (18 to 35 years) most vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As they stay away from home for longer durations, the chances of indulging in risky behavior such as unsafe sex with casual/commercial sex worker substantially increases. Studies suggest that frequent mobility and high levels of alcohol use among fishermen before and during sexual encounters may be a factor of unsafe sexual practices
Although regional evidence reflects that fishermen are a high risk population group, however, knowledge, attitudes and practices of this population group in Pakistan, largely remains unknown. Given that fairly large population groups are associated with fishing business, assessment of fishermen knowledge, attitudes and practices is important to understand their needs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine level of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among adult fishermen in a coastal area of Karachi.
Study area, design and period
This cross-sectional study was conducted among fishermen living in coastal areas of Karachi from June to September, 2012. During the study period there were approximately 60,000 individuals living in the coastal village of Bin Qasim town, Karachi.
Sample size and sample technique
Sample was calculated using WHO software for sample size determination in health studies; sample size was calculated based on proportion of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding of HIV/AIDS in fishermen reported by a previous study
Instrument and data collection
Fishermen were defined as all individuals living in fishing communities and involved in or depending on fishing for economic survival. These individuals have high risk for transmitting infection because they can carry and transmit infection to their spouses and sexual partners. They also move to general population where they have contacts and can transmit infection
The questionnaire was prepared in English version and translated to the local language (Sindhi) and checked for consistency. Before the final data collection, this questionnaire was pre-tested on fifty fishermen in another coastal village of Karachi and the results were used to improve the phrasing of questions in this instrument.
The knowledge scale was based on an instrument developed by Eckstein
Data management and analysis
During data collection process, the data were checked for completeness and any incomplete or misfiled questions were sent back for correction. Data were double entered in Epi Data software version 1.3, cleaned for missing values and checked error rate which was 0.02%. Data were analyzed using software SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistics were used to describe socio-demographic characteristics. The frequency distribution of both dependent and independent variables were worked out. Logistic regression models were used to examine the possible association between independent variables and outcome variables. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Independent variables which were biologically plausible to have some confounding potential or known factors associated with KAP or those appeared with a p-value ≤0.25 in unadjusted analysis were included in the multivariate analysis.
Ethical consideration
The study was ethically approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Aga Khan University Karachi. Written consent, after explanation about the study, was obtained from the study participants. The interviews were conducted in a private room for reasons of privacy, confidentiality of information. Counseling was done after interview providing them basic information, positive attitudes and safe practices which can prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Those fishermen who had negative attitude and un-safe practices were referred to tertiary care hospitals for screening of the disease. Study participants had rights to withdraw from the study at any time.
Mean age of fishermen was 32 ± 12.1 years, 60.9% were of age 18–30 years, 80.8% were married, 74.4% were illiterate and 63.6% were working on daily wages. 65.3% were earning less than 10,000 Pakistani rupees and 66.2% of the fishermen were not able to save money from their earned income.
Mean scores of knowledge, attitude and practice about HIV/AIDS of fishermen were 14.17 (SD = 5.29), 11.96(SD = 9.34), 14.47(SD = 5.25) and median scores were 13 (IQR =11-18), 10 (IQR = 3–18) and 13 (IQR = 3–28) respectively. Majority of fishermen had inappropriate knowledge (93.6%) of HIV/AIDS, 75.8% had negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS and 91.6% were involved in unsafe sexual practices.
The major sources of information regarding HIV/AIDS were electronic media (TV, radio) (n = 101, 34%), followed by print media (Newspaper) (n = 14, 4.7%). 89.6% of the fishermen were addicted of substances like nicotine, niswar and gutka (Table
Majority of fishermen (61.6%) did not hear about HIV/AIDS and 38% believed that even healthy looking individual could transmit infection (Table
Circumcision practices (97.0%), more than one spouse as sexual partner (9.8%), condom usage in last one year (25.6%), sexual partners other than spouse (25.6%) were prevalent characteristics among fishermen. Only a small percentage was (4.7%) informed about STI and of these only, 10.4% received treatment for STI.
Illiterate fishermen were two (OR = 2.25, CI 1.11- 4.55, p value 0.02) times more likely to have negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS than literate while fishermen who earned ≥10000 rupees per month were three (OR = 3.04 CI 1.03-9.02, p value 0.04) times more likely to have unsafe practices than who earned less. No significant association was observed for in-appropriate knowledge and other socio-demographic variables (Table
On multivariate analysis, men who were singles, had monthly income ≥ 10,000 were more likely to have in-appropriate knowledge, while those who were illiterate were more likely to have negative attitudes and un-safe practices compared to literate individuals, however, these associations were not statistically significant after adjusting for co-variates. There were no significant associations of socio-demographic characteristics with level of knowledge, attitude and practices towards HIV/AIDS after adjusting for co-variates (Table
This survey revealed that considerable proportion of fishermen have in-appropriate knowledge, negative attitude and un-safe practice regarding HIV/AIDS and also identified several deficiencies in the knowledge, attitude and practices of HIV/AIDS in certain key areas, such as basic knowledge about the disease, transmission and ways to prevent it.
These results are in concordance with the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge found in other studies from developing countries like African and Asian pacific region
In this study there was no significant difference of knowledge among different socio-demographic groups. This is perhaps due to the fact that the knowledge about HIV/AIDS, in general, is fairly poor across all study participants. This is in contrast to some others studies where education level, age categories were significantly associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge level among fishing communities
Generally participants had negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS but they were sympathetic towards HIV/AIDS patient and against isolating the patient form society. Other investigators have reported consistent presentation for negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS among fishermen
No participant reported that he has gone through screening test of HIV/AIDS and this is due to unawareness about the disease, access and availability of such services
There are several strength of this study, finding of this study determine the high risk group which was previously ignored, fishermen may act as a bridging population because they have social contact with the general population which may lead to transfer of infection from high risk group to low risk group (general population). Fishery plays an important role in Pakistan's economy, during the year 2000, Rs.7.9 billion valued of fish and fishery products were exported
Despite these limitations, appropriate health education should be given to the fishermen in a generalized way to bring behavioral change targeting at all health-risk behaviors in relation to HIV and AIDS. Electronic media appeared to be the only source which was utilized by at least one third of the populations, so behavior change interventions may be executed through local radio/TV channels to improve the knowledge and practices.
Study identified substantial gap in the knowledge, negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS and un-safe sexual practice among fishermen in Rehri Goth, coastal area of Karachi. Mass education related to HIV/AIDS among the fishermen is urgently needed.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
MZ conceived the study, undertook statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. NN, MK, ZF, KS supervised the study and made major contributions to the study design and statistical analysis. ZA contributed to the writing of the manuscript and all authors approved the submitted version of the manuscript.
The authors thank all the participants in the study.
Replicating viral vectors as HIV vaccines
The rise and fall of HIV in high-prevalence countries: a challenge for mathematical modeling
A systematic review of the frequency and correlates of partner abuse in HIV-infected women and Men Who partner with Men
Fisherfolk are among groups most at risk of HIV: cross-country analysis of prevalence and numbers infected
HIV and AIDS among Fisherfolk: a threat to 'responsible fisheries'?
HIV and AIDS vulnerability in fishing communities in Mangochi district, Malawi
Awareness of HIV/AIDS pandemic in selected fishing communities in North Central Nigeria
Awareness of HIV and AIDS among fishermen in coastal areas of Baluchistan
The organization of STI/HIV risk-taking among long-line fishermen in Bali, Indonesia
Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Predicting preschoolers' externalizing behaviors from toddler temperament, conflict, and maternal negativity
HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions of rural nurses in South Africa
Trends in HIV incidence among young adults in the united states
The knowledge, attitudes and perceived support of Tanzanian nurses when caring for patients with AIDS
Caring for people with AIDS in a Nigerian teaching hospital: staff attitudes and knowledge
Knowledge, attitude and practice on high risk factors pertaining to HIV/AIDS in a rural community
HIV/AIDS and the workplace: perceptions of nurses in a public hospital in South Africa
Globalization from below: social movements and altermundism reconceptualizing security from a Latin american perspective
Perceptions of vessels safety regulations: a southern New England fishery
Sexual networks in Uganda: mixing patterns between a trading town, Its rural hinter land and a nearby fishing village
Socio-economics tatus, gender and risk of HIV-1 infection in a rural community in South West Uganda
Governing migrants sexual behavior work HIV/AIDS and condom use campaigns in Southeast Asia
HIV-1 infection in a Ugandan town on the Trans Africa highway prevalence and risk factors
Occupational health of Turkish Aegean small-scale fishermen
The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on fishing community in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa: nurses' perspectives and implications for health policy
Responses to an emerging threat: HIV/AIDS policy in Pakistan
Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:


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Somewhere New - Page 3Mature
She attempted to control her breathing, managing to calm herself down.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't expect to see that!" she tried to joke
"It's okay," Gryphon replied gruffly, "We needed to stop anyway. It's tiring."
They sat and drank some of the water in their pouches, Aria and Gryphon in human form. Aria wandered off, leaving Gryphon and Electra together.
"What are you?" Electra asked absently as she leaped from rock to rock.
"I'm a Joka. Basically I'm what you call a dragon, only real and better."
"How come we – well, people, call you dragons, and even know about you, but what they know is wrong?" Electra sat on a rock across from Gryphon and stared, wide eyed.
"That's a story for another time. You aren't ready for it yet. However, there are some things I need to ask you." Electra, who had looked down, devastated, looked up again, smiling brightly.
"What can you remember?" Electra looked confused. "About before the forest."
"I can remember horses, a travelling party, and lots of people everywhere all the time."
"Where? What did the people look like? Tell me everything!"
"Fields, flat plains. Hills, far away. The people had dark skin, darker than yours, but I'd seen darker than theirs. Their skin was sort of orange? They had black hair and brown or green eyes. Two of them had pale hair and blue eyes. One had pale hair and brown eyes. One had orange hair and green eyes. She dressed prettily, in white shirts with no shoulders, she was like the important girl. They were often together and acted very similar. They always had their hair down, when all the


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Pattaya Nightlife
Pattaya Walking Street Go-Go Bars
Pattaya Nightlife
There are around 80 Pattaya Walking Street Go-Go Bars in total, covering a broad range of prices and levels of quality. Many follow a very similar sort of pattern: a selection of between 10 and 30 dancers (depending on the size of the venue) either moving around a main stage to the loud house music or sitting with the customers and chatting. The conversation tends to be quite limited as most of the staff don't speak much English.
Some of the Pattaya go-go bars liven things up with special shows. These can include the really impressive talents of professional pole dancers and even mini cabaret performances. We've picked out some of the most popular choices in our list of Walking Street go-go bars below.Read More
- Tiffany's Cabaret Show With VIP Seating
- Alcazar Cabaret Show with Transfers
- Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark Thailand
- Ko Samet Island Full-Day Excursion
- Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Half-Day Tour
- Flight of the Gibbon™ Chonburi Zipline Tour
- Koh Larn Coral Island Day Trip with Lunch
- Elephant Trekking Half-Day Tour
- VIP Fast-Track Service: Pattaya U-Tapao Airport (UTP)
- 2-Day Bangkok to Pattaya Cycling Adventure
Airport Club
There can't be that many airports in the world with a Jacuzzi in the middle or shower shows. The modestly-sized place has a comfortable lounge feeling and is usually quite full, it being one of the most popular clubs on Walking Street. Drinks prices are a little expensive, with draught beer from 125 baht (55 baht up to 20:00) and lady drinks starting at 135 baht.
- Opening Hours: 15:00 - late
- Location: Next to Iron Club, opposite Soi 15, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/Airport.Club.Pattayaa
Alcatraz A Go Go
Alcatraz has been long-established as one of the top go-gos on Walking Street, with the staff dressed in prisoner or police uniforms and a jail-themed interior. It is also one of the largest clubs, with as many as 80 dancers around on special nights, with reinforcements brought in from partner bars in Bangkok. There is a special VIP lounge on the second floor which is ideal for parties and stag nights. While there is a happy hour on draught beer between 20:00 and 22:00, the regular price is 79 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 03:00
- Location: 113/2-4 Moo 10, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/Alcatrazagogo
Baccara A Go Go
A sister club to the noted bar in Bangkok's Soi Cowboy, this is one of the most popular clubs of its kind in Pattaya. There are two levels, with a glass ceiling separating the two and a fireman's pole making for some exciting entrances. As you would expect of such a high-class venues, drinks prices are slightly higher than average, with a bottle of beer costing around 155 baht and a lady drink being 135 baht. Draught beer is available for 69 baht, but the glasses are quite small.
- Location: Next to Abe's Bar, near Soi BJ, Walking Street, South Pattaya
Crazy House A Go Go
Located where Teazers used to be, Crazy House has a selection of eight small stages and a large Jacuzzi and a shower show. It has a suitably psychedelic look both inside and out as well as special themed party nights most Thursdays or Fridays, featuring free food and a free lottery to win free drinks, kisses or hugs. There are also some cross-promotions with the sister venues, including Lighthouse, Mandarin, Fahrenheit and Shark. It has a fun and friendly atmosphere, but the waitresses can sometimes be a little determined to get you to buy more drinks. Prices for these start at 80 baht for draught beer (70 during happy hour, which ends at 21:30) and 135 baht for bottled, with lady drinks costing 150 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 04:00
- Location: Opposite Soi Happy, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)81 157 3491
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/crazyhousepattaya
Fahrenheit A Go Go
Temperatures definitely rise at this steamy, popular go-go. Opened in 2010, it is one of the longer-running joints on Walking Street and is still regularly packed. It has special themed party nights in conjunction with its sister venues like Crazy House, Mandarin and Shark. The club is quite modestly sized on the inside, with a packed central stage surrounded by bar stools and comfortable bench seating, with usually about 15 to 20 dancers around at any one time. Drinks prices are pretty good, with a small draught beer costing 80 baht (70 baht before 21:30) and bottled beer around 130 baht. Lady drinks are on the expensive side, ranging from 125 up to 180 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 04:00
- Location: Next to Alcatraz A Go Go, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/FahrenheitPattaya
Galaxy Cabaret Pattaya
As with most of the Russian go-gos in Pattaya, Galaxy styles itself as an "erotic cabaret". They do certainly have more of a focus on shows, with rather more sophistication than the shower or Jacuzzi shows you'll find in other go-gos and are performed by expert dancers. As with the sister venue in Koh Samui's Soi Green Mango, the interior has a classy look of velvet and dark woods, with champagne and high-end spirits being the drinks of choice. This level of sophistication does come at a cost, though, and drinks prices are significantly higher than they are at the usual Thai-style bars.
- Opening Hours: 21:00 – 03:00
- Location: Next to The Pier Discotheque, Walking Street, Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)80 002 3399
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyClubPattaya
Ginza Agogo
Ginza is a Japanese-themed two-floor bar. Quite a narrow place, it gets crowded quickly, but there is still space for some special shows on the light-up dance stage. The staff are nice and friendly, but they can be a little pushy when it comes to buying lady drinks which, at 160 baht each, can get very expensive very quickly. Regular drinks prices are quite reasonable, for a Walking Street go-go, including 79 baht for draught beer and 125 baht for bottled.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 03:00
- Location: 234/1 Moo 10, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)86 146 1717
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/ginzaagogo
Happy A Go Go
Happy A Go Go opened in the mid-1990s and is said to be the oldest bar of its kind in Pattaya, yet it remains quite a popular choice, not least for its no-hassle policy. It has an odd layout inside, with two stages which seem quite large for the small place, but it means that you are never sat far from the action. Drinks prices are excellent, with a small draught beer costing 69 baht, bottled beer around 130 baht and a lady drink costing 140 baht.
- Location: Soi Happy, Walking Street, South Pattaya
Infinity Ago Go
Opening in September 2014, Infinity has a modern and quite creative interior, with a main stage at one end and a sequence of smaller stages at varying heights along the middle of the long, narrow club, with comfortable seating along both sides. There are generally about 10 dancers performing at a time and they are very friendly, though buying them a drink will cost you 150 baht. Your own drinks come at a reasonable rate, with draught Asahi beer costing 80 baht and a bottle of Chang costing 135 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 04:00
- Location: Next to Crazy House A Go Go, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)89 250 5691
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/infinityagogo
Iron Club's acrobatic pole dancing shows give it a reputation as one of the most raucous and crazy bars in Pattaya. There is an open shower show in the middle of the room, with two main stages around it and a special performance stage where really skilled pole dancers strut their stuff. Lady drinks cost from 155 baht each. Drinks prices generally are on the expensive side, with draught beer from 85 baht and bottled from 160 baht. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 20:00 - late
- Location: Next to Airport Club, opposite Soi 15, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/ironclubpattaya
Lighthouse A Go Go
A fun and funky sort of a bar, Lighthouse is quite compact in design and has a selection of stages running along the middle. Very reasonable drinks prices and regular themed parties (held in association with those of sister clubs Fahrenheit, Shark and Mandarin) make this quite a popular place, which can make it feel very cramped and crowded. Draught beer costs 70 baht, bottled is 125 baht and lady drinks start from 140 baht.
- Location: Next to Lobster Pot, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)87 611 5914
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/lighthouseagogopattaya
Living Dolls Showcase
This probably wasn't what Cliff Richard has in mind when he was singing about "Living Dolls", but there is certainly plenty worth singing about here. The name of 'Showcase' is not a mere idle threat, with this bar's dancers being some of the most skilled in Walking Street and the shows being quite renowned. Unfortunately, this does all come at a cost. Living Dolls Showcase is one of very few places where the lady drinks are cheaper than the price of a regular bottle of beer, with the former being 160 baht and latter being 165 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:30 – 04:00
- Location: Next to Linda Beer Bar, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)89 936 4264
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/LivingDollsShowcaseGogoPattaya
Mandarin Walking Street
The latest addition to the group which also runs Shark, Fahrenheit and Lighthouse, Mandarin opened its doors in October 2012 and has since been quite a success. The theme is supposed to be Chinese (as opposed to British civil servants), but it changes for regular special evenings. While the exterior does look very Chinese, the interior is less noticeably themed, with a long central stage hosting about 10 of what can be as many as 40 dancers at one time. They can be a little pushy when it comes to getting you to buy them drinks, particularly if it is a quiet night. Drinks prices are fairly reasonable, though, with draught beer for 80 baht, bottled beer for 135 baht and lady drinks from 140 baht.
- Location: Next to Soi 14, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)87 111 3740
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/mandarinpattaya
The Moon Club
The Moon Club has a very distinctive appearance, with a crater-poked frontage. Inside has the look of a spaceship, with a light-up central stage. The drinks offer is probably the main attraction, with two-for-the-price-of-one on the full range up to 23:00. Draught beer costs 80 baht and bottled beer costs 130 baht, making this a great choice for warming up to a night of partying. Lady drinks start from 150 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 04:00
- Location: Next to Soi Diamond, Walking Street, South Pattaya
Moulin Rouge Pattaya
Moulin Rouge Pattaya is quite impressive for the fact that it does actually have the titular red windmill on its roof, though few people notice it beside the display boxes containing Russian and eastern European dancers. While the luxurious club does have a burlesque theme, you certainly won't find the long dresses or the famous high-kicking antics which made the Paris Moulin Rouge famous. The high quality of the performances naturally means that drinks prices are also quite high.
- Opening Hours: 21:00 – 06:00
- Location: Above King Seafood, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/MoulinRougePattaya
Palace A Go Go
Despite its name and grand frontage, the interior of Palace is sadly not palatial in theme or appearance. It is certainly not bad, though, being a bright and funky place with a long and busy central stage and comfortable seating down both sides of the room. The music can be quite loud, though. Being part of the group which also runs Crazy House, Mandarin, Lighthouse and others, the prices for drinks are much the same, including 80 baht draught beer, 135 baht local bottled beer and 150 baht lady drinks.
- Location: Next to P. 72 Bar & Restaurant, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)89 416 7151
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/palacegogo
Peppermint is one of the largest and among the most popular go-gos in Walking Street, which is hardly surprising when it is part of the Happy Group, which owns Baccara, Beach Club and Happy. It has a hip and modern look outside and in, with a large central stage and three smaller individual stages. Drinks prices are a little higher than most, though, with a small glass of draught beer for 69 baht, bottles from 145 baht and lady drinks at 150 baht. Spirits are more reasonably priced, starting at 140 baht (or 80 baht before 21:30).
- Opening Hours: 20:00 - late
- Location: Next to Marine Discotheque, Walking Street, South Pattaya
Sensations A Go Go
Sensations opened in February 2013 in the place which used to be the Cavern and Sisterz before that. In spite of this long parade of failed go-gos, Sensations bucked the trend and has been one of the more popular places on Walking Street right from day one. It has a very chic style, two long central stages which are usually filled with as many as a dozen dancers each. In spite of quite pricey drinks (135 baht for a bottle of beer and 150 baht for a lady drink), it remains a very popular choice and can get very busy.
- Location: Opposite The Moon Club, Walking Street, South Pattaya
Shark Club
Shark Club is noted for being very up-close and personal, making it perhaps more a choice for Walking Street veterans. Originally a table-dancing joint, it was heavily renovated in 2011 and reopened as a go-go, with a long, thin central stage. There are also a couple of smaller podiums right at the end. The bar has two entrances – the shark-head one on Soi Diamond and another on Soi 15 – and there is a noticeably different atmosphere depending on where you are sat, with the Soi 15 side having more attentive servers. Owned by the same group as operates Lighthouse and Fahrenheit, the drinks prices are the same: small draught beer at 80 baht (70 baht before 21:30), bottled beer at 130 baht and lady drinks from 125 to 180 baht.
- Location: Soi Diamond, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)3 841 3861
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/sharkclubagogo
Skyfall Agogo
Having opened in January 2015 on the site which was previously Snowice, Voodoo, the Nok beer bar complex and Halo, Skyfall is one of the newest bars in Walking Street. Its youth really does show in how smart the glitzy and glamourous interior is. The design is nothing unique, with three low stages set along the middle of the room and comfortable seating along each mirrored wall. Skyfall is associated with the nearby Airport Club and has the same high drinks prices, including beer starting at around 140 baht per bottle and lady drinks at 150 baht.
- Opening Hours: 20:30 – 05:00
- Location: Next to Sea Zone Restaurant, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/SkyfallAgogo
Sugarbaby is a sister-venue of the equally renowned Windmill Club on Soi Diamond. It opened in 2012 and had a rocky beginning before eventually finding a successful formula and the right playful atmosphere. Draught beer is reasonably priced at 80 baht, but bottled beers and lady drinks at 150 baht each are a little on the pricier side. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 19:30 – 03:30
- Location: Next to Soi 14, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)80 016 8499
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/SugarbabyPattayaGogoClub
Sweethearts A Gogo Pattaya is known for its relatively cheap drinks (by Walking Street standards) and a very friendly atmosphere. Strictly-speaking, this is a table-dancing club rather than a go-go bar, and is well-known for its very welcoming staff and owners, making it one of the most popular venues on a night of partying in Pattaya. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 20:30 – 04:00
- Location: 98/14 Moo 10, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)88 206 9937
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/sweetheartsagogo
A recent addition to Walking Street, Taboo opened at the end of November 2015, taking the place formerly occupied by Fairies, Eclipse, Coyote Club and Silver Star 3. It is a high-class place, with a stylish interior of leather padding-lined walls to match its strikingly chic frontage. It is the closest you are likely to find to a cross between a nightclub and a go-go bar, with a focus on providing a great atmosphere, exciting drinks and good music. Being high-class, prices are significantly higher, with beers costing around 160 baht. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 20:30 – 04:00
- Location: Next to Tankay Seafood, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)95 054 9100
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/TabooClubPattaya
Upstairs Go Go
Originally called Utopia Upstairs (it being connected with the live music bar of the same name), Upstairs has a hassle-free philosophy. The shows are on the more risqué end of the spectrum and include a shower and Jacuzzi show, among others. Unusually, it has two happy hours running from 20:00 to 22:00 and then 02:00 to 03:00, during which draught beer is an incredibly low 39 baht and bottled beer is 69 baht. In the intervening time, though the prices shoot up to 99 baht and 149 baht respectively, with lady drinks being consistently 155 baht. There are also some special offers to take advantage of, including two-for-one on house spirits and a free shot of tequila with your first order.
- Opening Hours: 20:00 – 03:00
- Location: Next to Right Spot, Walking Street, South Pattaya
One of the most popular go-gos in Pattaya, What's Up has an emphasis on shows. This includes cabaret-style choreographed performances, shower and Jacuzzi shows and acrobatic dancing by the highly athletic girls, often involving chains hanging from the ceiling rather than just the traditional chrome poles. The prices are unusually high for practically everything, including beers from 185 baht and lady drinks at 250 baht, but the staff are friendly and won't push you too hard to spend a lot. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 20:00 - late
- Location: 103/11-14 Moo 10, Walking Street Soi 15, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)3 871 0353, +66 (0)84 864 7996
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/Imagineclubpattaya
XO Club Pattaya
XO Club is as bright and flashy on the inside as it is outside, with a staff of quite talented Russian and European dancers. As with most similar places, the emphasis is on a high-class environment and skilled performances, with pole dancing as an art form rather than something to hang on to while you move vaguely in time with the music. Among its kind, XO Club has the friendliest staff. It also has quite high drinks prices.
- Opening Hours: 21:00 – 03:00
- Location: Opposite Soi Happy, Walking Street, South Pattaya
- Tel: +66 (0)88 060 6070
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/XOclubPattaya


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Neighborhood Diabetes Education Program
About the Program
Established in 2015, the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation has partnered with National Medical Fellowships (NMF) to offer the Neighborhood Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). This mentored service-learning program provides 200 hours of proactive diabetes education curriculum in a variety of community sites and healthcare-related settings in New York City. The NDEP provides a $5,000 scholarship to 10 qualified individuals who are either medical or graduate nursing students. The focus of this program is to reduce adult diabetes impacting underserved communities with a structured diabetes education curriculum customized for the recruited target group.
Program Eligibility
NDEP Scholar candidates must meet the following eligibility:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) approval letter
- Currently enrolled in an accredited medical or graduate-level nursing program located in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania
- Please Note: Each diabetes education curriculum must be implemented in the New York City area (including boroughs)
- Identification with one of the following minority groups: African American, Latino, Native American, or Asian Americans (Vietnamese and Cambodian only)
- Demonstrated leadership early in career
- Commitment to serving medically underserved communities
Program Requirements
Scholars must complete their program requirements between November 2015 and March 2016. Program requirements include:
- Orientation Participation
- 200 service-learning hours at NYC community site of choice
- Implementation of a site-specific structured diabetes education curriculum
- Informal Presentation to Peers
- Written Report on Community Health
- Oral Presentation w/ PowerPoint
- Program Colloquium Participation (Scholar, Mentor & Participant)
- Evaluation – Program surveys (Scholar & Mentor)
About the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation
At Empire we understand our health connects us to each other. What we all do impacts those around us. So Empire is dedicated to delivering better care to our members, providing greater value to our customers and helping improve the health of our communities.


text:
Special Forces - Untold Stories (Three Discs) (Box Set)
Release Date: 06 November 2006 | Certificate: Exempt
£9.19 includes FREE UK Postage (other delivery options available)
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Falkland Islands
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As seen on the Discovery Channel and Five, these heart-pounding missions are captured with extraordinary detail and accuracy by combining first-hand interviews, documentary footage and dramatic reenactments.
Release Date: 06 November 2006
Certificate: E - Exempt from Certification
Region 2
Main Language: English
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Catalogue No: STX3005


text:
The Park Veterinary Group - Braunstone106 Edward Avenue
Braunstone Town
- The Park Veterinary Group offers you the highest quality care for you and your pet
- We employ highly trained, approachable, compassionate and considerate staff
- Fully equipped facilities and services including our own 24 hr laboratory, X-Ray and Ultrasound
- Free services for our clients such as weight watchers clinics and puppy parties
- 24 hr own emergency service, 365 days a year from our Veterinary Hospital.
- Branches at Glenfield, Saffron lane, Scraptoft Lane and Braunstone
Opening times
Clinic reviews
5 Stars - 07-06-2014 - Aaron Vegh
I was able to get an appointment for my budgie at short notice. The vet was friendly and honest. Extremely helpful. I was happy with the service we got.
4 Stars - 28-05-2014 - Eric.
My family and I have been using you for over 20 years and we have always had a great service. however the last couple of visits have been poor, so much so that we have looked at other vets but thought we would give you one last try. the vet we saw this time was brilliant she was excellent with our cat and gave me some very advice also. The staff in the waiting room were also better then previous visits. we will be coming back.
5 Stars - 28-05-2014 - Catrione
We have had 4 of our dogs registered at the practice in the last 15 years or so two of which were older dogs who we inherited from family due to old age. We currently have two dogs registered with this practice a 9 year old springer spaniel and a 6 month old Dalmatian. We have never had a bad service from either the reception staff or any of the version army staff be it nurses or vets. I am vert satisfied with the practice and will continue to use this practice with any other pet I may have in the future. Regards Catrione
4.8 Stars - 28-05-2014 - george
After having a bad experince t with a former vet i was reassured by the practise that help and reliable tests would be given to my new puppy if he ever needs them.
5 Stars - 28-05-2014 - Mscott
Overall a great service. Thanks.
4.8 Stars - 28-05-2014 - Lou1966
Vet was friendly & kept my nervous dog calm & stress free
5 Stars - 28-05-2014 - ?
A thorough examination by a listening vet, followed by a prompt blood test and clear explanation of the results. The subsequent treatment seems to have been successful. So, a good visit and outcome.
4.8 Stars - 22-05-2014 - Alison
My dog lexi as been going to the parks Edward avenue branch since she was 12 weeks old. She as had quite a few problems within her two years from her skin to eating one of her toys and needing a major operation. She as always enjoy going and this is due to how good everyone at the park is. I would fully recommend to anyone to take there pets.
4.8 Stars - 22-05-2014 - Karina
It is a pleasure to come everyone is always so helpful and happy
4.6 Stars - 21-05-2014 - Jane Richard
We were seen at short notice to sort out my dog's broken claw. We were seen promptly on arrival and my dog was treated well. I was given advice about looking after my dog following treatment. The only downside was the bill, which was as little higher than I was expecting. Overall though, excellent, professional service.


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Need help building light for fish only tank
I am doing a african cichlid tank, and since they are known to uproot everything and anything I will likely only have anubius and java fern tied to rock at the most. It is a 55 gallon tank that I built a custom oak canopy for. Now I need to know how to put a bulb in it to light up my tank and hopefully give just enough light for the fern and anubius to survive.
I know it has been done tons of times I just need a recommendation on a easy DIY kit or a walkthrough on how to build a t5 or t8 setup or something.
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*From the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy (Dr. Spahija), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; the Department of Adult Critical Care (Dr. de Marchie), Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada; and Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Dr. Grassino), Notre-Dame Pavillon, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Correspondence to: Jadranka Spahija, PhD, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, L'Axe de Recherche en Pneumologie, 5400 Blvd Gouin Ouest, Montréal, QC, Canada H4J 1C5; e-mail: email@example.com
Study objectives: To investigate the effect of volitional pursed-lips breathing (PLB) on breathing pattern, respiratory mechanics, operational lung volumes, and dyspnea in patients with COPD.
Subjects: Eight COPD patients (6 male and 2 female) with a mean (±SD) age of 58 ± 11 years and a mean FEV1 of 1.34 ± 0.44 L (50 ± 21% predicted).
Methods: Wearing a tight-fitting transparent facemask, patients breathed for 8 min each, with and without PLB at rest and during constant-work-rate bicycle exercise (60% of maximum).
Results: PLB promoted a slower and deeper breathing pattern both at rest and during exercise. Whereas patients had no dyspnea with or without PLB at rest, during exercise dyspnea was variably affected by PLB across patients. Changes in the individual dyspnea scores with PLB during exercise were significantly correlated with changes in the end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) values estimated from inspiratory capacity maneuvers (as a percentage of total lung capacity; r2 = 0.82, p = 0.002) and with changes in the mean inspiratory ratio of pleural pressure to the maximal static inspiratory pressure-generating capacity (Pcapi) [r2 = 0.84; p = 0.001], measured using an esophageal balloon, where Pcapi was determined over the range of inspiratory lung volumes and adjusted for flow.
Conclusion: PLB can have a variable effect on dyspnea when performed volitionally during exercise by patients with COPD. The effect of PLB on dyspnea is related to the combined change that it promotes in the tidal volume and EELV and their impact on the available capacity of the respiratory muscles to meet the demands placed on them in terms of pressure generation.
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Key West, FL, USA < change city >
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Chris Thomas Music
Golf Club Drive
Key West, Florida 33040, USA
Ceremony Musicians, Bands/Live Entertainment
Chris Thomas Music provides solo musicians, duos, and full bands for weddings, events, and private parties in the Florida Keys....
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Jim was excellent! He really made our ceremony beautiful!
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We used Cory Heydon for our Ceremony and Cocktail Hour music and he was incredibl...
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Paid Traffic Source 2016 ? ANY
Hello all,
Here is my BACKLINK SOURCES, tell me what i am missing (yours )
1- Audio Sharing Sites.
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3- video shareing...
Digression: What are article directories?
For those who do not know what article directories, here's a brief digression: In an article directory...
Hi People, I know you can cite sources by linking to them within the article content. But guidelines on AC also say it is necessary to add author,...
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text:
FIFA warn World Cup could be targeted by protests
By Mark Gleeson
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The World Cup could be targeted again next year for demonstrations in Brazil against graft and poor public services but FIFA should not be held responsible or made a scapegoat, general secretary Jerome Valcke warned on Tuesday.
The presence of massed world media made the World Cup "an easy platform to express concern and organize demonstrations," he said.
"I think it is too easy to put the blame of what happened in the streets in Brazil in June on FIFA or the World Cup saying why are spending so much money on a football tournament and not spending it somewhere else.
June's Confederations Cup, a two-week test event before the 2014 finals, was overshadowed by a rapid and unexpected wave of discontent in Latin America's biggest country, catching both authorities and world football's governing body unawares.
The marches, which drew over one million protesters in more than 100 cities at their peak, used the tournament as a stage from which to vent their grievances.
Many Brazilians are outraged that the country is spending $14 billion on World Cup related projects at a time when schools, hospitals, roads and public security are in dire need of investment.
Six deaths were reported during Confederations Cup demonstrations, including four people who were run over by vehicles, one who died in a fall from an overpass and another from inhaling tear gas.
"It's true that the Confederations Cup, as is potentially the case for the World Cup next year, was the perfect platform to demonstrate. There will be thousands of journalists covering the World Cup," Valcke told reporters after a meeting in South Africa of the trust overseeing the profits from the last finals in 2010. Continued...


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Extract from a letter Beethoven wrote from Vienna to Dr Franz Wegeler, a friend from his Bonn days, dated 29th June, 1801:
...over the past three years my hearing has become increasingly weaker. It seems that my stomach, which even then [i.e. during Beethoven's youth in Bonn] was in a poor state, as you know, has worsened here. I am plagued continually by colic, and consequently by a dreadful tiredness. This seems to be the cause of my deafness. Frank wanted me to strengthen my body with powerful tonics and my hearing with oil of almond. But Cheers! that did me no good at all, my hearing declined further and my digestive problems stayed the same. This continued all last year until the autumn. Sometimes I was reduced to complete despair... [Despite - or because of - being prescribed cold baths in water from the Danube, Beethoven's hearing deteriorated further] ...This winter I was really in a bad way. I suffered dreadfully from colic, and returned to my former state. This continued until about four weeks ago, when I went to see Vering, as it occurred to me that my condition might really require a surgeon, and in any case he was a man I trusted. He almost managed to stop the violent diarrhoea...I must say I find myself better and stronger now, although my ears buzz and hum all the time, day and night. I may tell you that I lead a wretched life. Over the past two years I have avoided almost all social contact because I can hardly say to people 'I am deaf'. If I practised any other profession things would be easier, but in my profession this is a terrible affliction...
Extract from another letter to Dr Wegeler, dated 16th November 1801
...I am leading a more pleasant life now, and I go about more among my fellow men. You can scarcely imagine how empty and how miserable my life has been over the past two years. My deafness haunted me everywhere, like a ghost, so I avoided people. I must have seemed a misanthrope, which is far from the case. This change has been wrought by an adorable and charming girl who loves me and whom I love. So after two years I can now enjoy a few happy moments, and for the first time I think that marriage might bring happiness. Unfortunately, she is not of my station, so of course I cannot marry her. I must just keep going...
Extract from Beethoven's will, sometimes known as the Heiligenstadt Testament and shown above, dated 6th October 1802 but not found until after his death in 1827.
For my brothers Carl and [empty space] Beethoven
O you men, who think or say I am hostile, obstinate or misanthropic, how unfair you are to me, because you are not aware of the reasons why I may appear so. Since childhood my heart and soul have always been filled with warm feelings of goodwill...but consider that for six years I have suffered with an incurable affliction, made worse by incompetent doctors, disappointed year after year of any hope of improvement, forced now to face the prospect of a permanent disability...My misfortune is doubly hard to bear, because I shall certainly be misunderstood; I can take no pleasure in the fellowship of others, no intelligent conversation, no exchange of ideas...I am forced to live like an outcast.
...Maybe my condition will improve, maybe it will not. I have been obliged - when only in my twenty-eighth year - to become philosophical about this, which is not easy, and harder for an artist than for others. O men, when you read this, consider that you have wronged me...one who, despite the obstacles that nature has placed in his path, has yet done everything in his power to be counted among the ranks of worthy artists and men.
[My translation.] These heart-rending documents, spanning some fifteen months, illustrate the depths of Beethoven's sufferings in 1801 and 1802. By 1800 he was already a famous man in Vienna, celebrated equally as a composer and as a pianist. That deafness should strike him was the cruellest of ironies. The colic that he describes never left him. For the rest of his life he was terribly afflicted, and it led to his premature death at the age of 57. Only one thing eased this condition: wine, which had very likely caused the condition in the first place, in an extraordinarily bizarre and entirely unexpected way that I'll outline in due course.
The 'adorable and charming girl' was a 17-year-old countess called Giulietta Guicciardi. The 30-year-old Beethoven gave her piano lessons (dangerous situation!) and immortalized her as the dedicatee of his 'Moonlight' Sonata. Because of the differences in their social rank their love was doomed. Lost love, lost hearing, lost health: little wonder that the Heiligenstadt Testament is such a desperate outpouring of grief.
Two small points: Beethoven had two younger brothers, Carl and Johann. No one has ever offered any explanation as to why in his will Johann is never mentioned, although spaces are left for his name. It's as though Beethoven had temporarily forgotten his brother's name, and intended to add it later, which seems very unlikely. Then he refers to himself as being 28: I've already mentioned that he believed he had been born in 1772 instead of 1770.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
36 Steps to Vienna: 9 Eroica (1)
Extract from a letter Beethoven wrote from Vienna to Dr Franz Wegeler, a friend from his Bonn days, dated 29th June, 1801:
Friday, 21 November 2008
Intermission: The Dark Lady (2)
As suspected, there wasn't anything particularly revealing in the story my mother told. It turned out to be a wild and impossible farrago of persons, places and dates. Paring away the inessentials and non sequiturs, it seems likely that she bought it in Hampshire in the spring or summer of 1948 from a temporary bric-à-brac emporium, more a hut than a shop, somewhere between Fareham and Titchfield. When she passed the same way some time later, the place had disappeared, like The Moving Toyshop in Edmund Crispin's direly self-indulgent thriller. She said she'd paid £50 for it, which was a substantial sum in 1948. I think it's more likely that she paid £5. This was all she could remember about it.
But there's another mystery. If you blow up the image of the restored painting above, you may be able to see that although the new frame is perfectly straight, the edges of the canvas aren't. In fact the portrait has been cut a little irregularly from what must once have been a larger canvas, probably with a knife. It has then been glued on to a slightly larger stretcher, one of no great age, with another canvas already in place. So beneath The Dark Lady there may be another painting, which I expect only X-ray photography will reveal. Could The Dark Lady have been stolen from the portrait gallery of some great house? Was The Moving Bric-à-brac Emporium a receiver's outlet?
As we gathered last weekend, family opinion about the identity of The Dark Lady polarised neatly. The men thought it highly likely that she'd been debauched by some Restoration rake like the poet James Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, who'd done up his breeches, leapt on to his horse and galloped off whistling; hence her peevish expression. The women thought no, come off it, The Dark Lady is advertising her entirely respectable, indeed desirable, availability; if she looks constipated it's because her sell-by date is approaching far too fast.
We won't ever know, will we?
Monday, 10 November 2008
Intermission: The Dark Lady
Many years ago, probably in the late 40s or early 50s, my mother, who was at that time in the antiques business in Hampshire, acquired an oil painting, a portrait of a woman in the costume of a bygone and remote age. So smoke-stained and dirty was the painting that the subject was christened The Dark Lady. There was no clue to her identity.
My mother had a great affection for this painting. It was never put on sale, and it stayed with her long after she retired. She clearly felt a more than aesthetic affinity with it: when asked who the subject was, she would sometimes answer airily, after a swift assessment of her questioner's credulity, 'Oh, an ancestor'. Convinced of basic methods of picture preservation, she would sometimes wash it with soap and water. This lifted the dust, but otherwise did little more than force a caulking of soapy grime between the canvas and the frame.
The painting followed my mother through several house-moves and ended up in the north of Scotland, where it acquired further layers of tarry muck from open fires mostly of resiny pine, larch and spruce logs and occasionally of peat.
It appeared coincidentally, decorated with holly, as a detail in a general photograph of my mother's sitting room one Christmas. I've shown it above. An autumn or two later, disaster struck: the house caught fire. Although my mother wasn't harmed, thanks to the prompt action of a neighbour, many of her possessions were destroyed, everything in the house was begrimed beyond further use by greasy smoke, and the paintings were damaged beyond recognition by smoke and by a heat so ferocious that it boiled the water in the flower vases. Nearest the source of the fire was The Dark Lady, and although badly charred and scorched, with the paint pocked and pitted with burst bubbles of pigment, she didn't actually catch fire.
Afterwards my mother drew a veil of oblivion over the fire, lost interest in what had been damaged and looked to the future. What remained of the now ghostly and insubstantial Dark Lady was taken away, covered in bubble wrap and stored pending a possible restoration.
Last summer I brought it home to the south of France and took it for assessment to a picture restorer in Montpellier that I'd found in Yellow Pages. The restorer turned out to be a dishy and charming blonde, diplomée d'état (with a national diploma) in the restoration of paintings. I left The Dark Lady with her, feeling that she was in safe hands.
In the months that followed the restorer kept me up to date with her painstaking and slow progress and finally last week we went to collect it. What the restorer had done was little short of miraculous: here was The Dark Lady, still dark, but brought to light as she had never been in the last 60 years and probably much more.
We could now see that her off-the-shoulder, décolleté dress, blue-grey with white lace trimmings, red shawl, cream linen underskirt and especially her natural hairstyle dated her to a few years either side of 1670. In a fold of her skirt she has gathered pink roses, complete with stems and leaves. She's wearing a pearl necklace and a pearl earring, but no rings. She's blue-eyed, with a nose whose size she may have felt diffident about; close-mouthed, with an expression either sad or sardonic or bitter. There's no joy in her. In the portrait style of the period, she's leaning on a chest or maybe a sort of altar; to her left there's a column with some folds of drapery above it, and to her right there's a small, heavily clouded landscape, with a suggestion either of evening or of the aftermath of a storm. The shapes silhouetted against the lighter sky may be figures or, more likely, trees.
Who is she? Why was this portrait painted? We've no idea. We didn't expect an artist's signature from a painting of this period. She's evidently English, probably from the south, and the artist seems familiar with the style of Sir Peter Lely, Charles II's court painter. She's a lady of fashion, of some wealth, even. Although amply bosomed, she's no great beauty, nor is she in her first youth. But is there more to her than this?
She's clutching plucked roses in her dress, strategically - and symbolically? - held against what one might call her honour. If the roses had been white, they might have stood for virginity, and if they'd been red, some element of love might have been implied. But they're pink, and they've been ripped from the branch, stem, leaves and all. Is this a painterly metaphor for defloration? Is she pregnant? And she's wearing no wedding ring . . . but maybe we've conjectured more than is good for us. (We could find no information about the customs of ring-wearing in the late 17th century.)
When I told my 97-year-old mother about all this, she listened patiently but with an occasional hint of regret that the painting had passed to me. I asked her where she'd got it from, or if she knew anything else about it. Yes, she said, after a long pause, there was some other information, but it had better remain secret for the time being. She would tell us when next she saw us. So far, so tantalising. (If you're reading this, Dave, I'm sorry to inflict another but quite unintentional cliff-hanger on you.)
We're away to Scotland for several days, so maybe the secret will be unlocked. I'm keeping an open mind about it. Secrets lose their savour as soon as they're broached. I'll try to keep you posted, with a picture of the restored painting, when we come back, before resuming normal service with Beethoven and the pilgrimage to Vienna.
Saturday, 8 November 2008
36 Steps to Vienna: 8 Images of disillusion (3)
This was the darkest despair, the lowest ebb I had ever known. I had only been saved from an attempted homosexual rape by an angry cleaner, both harridan and saviour, chasing me out of the station toilets at the end of a wet mop, kicking over her bucket in her savage indignation and screaming abuse as though I was the initiator and not the evil Herr Schniedelwutz, who vanished as though he had never existed. I ran up the steps as fast as my rucksack allowed.
Nor of course was there any sign of Hink. Nor of George. The horrid thought struck me that he might have caught the next train back to Ostend. Solid and loyal friend, easy and undemanding companion, he had finally had enough. He'd really just come along, without any particular interest in to Beethoven, for an adventure that had turned out to be as disagreeable as it was uncomfortable. He must have become increasingly fatigued by my obsession with Adèle: how could I blame him for lebbing off? It was all my fault.
Far from resisting the blandishments of Hink and his dismal catamite, whose nickname (surely?) proclaimed his chief interest, I had sought weakly to ingratiate myself with them. Between them they had stolen my pocket-book with all my Deutschmarks, my return ferry ticket and my precious photo of Adèle. Never was trout more easily tickled: I had let them steal my self-respect as well. I was unslept, filthy, hungry, none the better for at least three glasses of schnapps at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning. All the make-believe bubble world of German Romantic poetry had burst, had been shown up as a treacherous delusion, zerfliesst wie eitel Schaum, vanished like a vain mist, as the wretched Heine put it, similarly betrayed by his own nature. I sat on my rucksack and could not hold the tears back.
This was how George found me a little later, a new George, determined and quietly assertive. We were getting out. There was a train for Siegburg in forty minutes. I was to get up and follow him to the ticket office. I didn't know where Siegburg was. I thought we were heading down the Rhine, for Bonn and Coblenz. George told me it was south of Cologne, on the way to Karlsruhe, where we could pick up the autobahn that would lead us to Munich, Salzburg and on to Vienna, just as we'd planned.
- I haven't got any money. You know I haven't.
- It doesn't matter. I'll pay.
- I'll pay you back. I don't know how or when, but I will.
- Sure. You can pay me back tomorrow. Just don't worry about it.
- Tomorrow! How will tomorrow be any different?
- You'll see. We'll be out of this shit-hole, for one thing. And for another, how about having a look in the back pocket of your shorts? Your other ones. The ones in your rucksack. Where you hid all those Belgian francs we got in Liège. You can't have forgotten. We'll find a bank or a bureau de change in Siegburg tomorrow.
There was time, after George had bought our tickets, to report the theft, which exercised my German to full stretch. The station policeman to whom I reported it wasn't much interested, but he took my name and home address. I had just enough change in my pocket to buy an orange for each of us - I felt I needed the sharp, sweet scour of fresh orange to cleanse my mouth and my mood - and something from the station bookstall: Beethoven und seine Zeit (Beethoven and his times). I felt as indebted to him as I did to George: if I hadn't been in a position to sing Die Ehre Gottes aus die Natur in Josef Kula's church in Liège, with its resulting shower of money, I would have been in an even worse way.
So we shook the dust of Cologne from our sandals without regret or backward glance. I've never felt any call to go back.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
36 Steps to Vienna: 8 Images of disillusion (2)
Nothing in my experience or education had taught me how to cope with the one-legged man who swung himself into a chair opposite George and me, propped his crutches against the vacant chair next to him, smiled broadly and told me he recognised the beret I was wearing. (This was a Royal Air Force beret: in place of the usual brass cap-badge I'd stuck a small Union Jack.) I smiled warily, wondering why this coarse, thick-set man, middle-aged and unclean, should choose ours when there were plenty of other unoccupied tables. He reached across and laid his hand on mine for a moment, before I had time to recoil. I remember grossly filthy and broken fingernails, but I suppose mine at this stage were no less revolting. He spoke a sort of pidgin-German, larded with a few English words: Trink, yes? He swivelled round, snapped his fingers and called zwei Schnapps, bitte to the woman behind the counter. There was no room for refusal.
At this remove it's impossible to give more than the gist of what he said and how he expressed himself. He said he'd lost his leg fighting the Russians in Poland. His comrades had left him behind with a broken leg. He'd been captured by the Russians. They'd taken him to a field hospital. They'd amputated his shattered leg. The Russians were good doctors. The Russians were his friends. He loved his Russian friends. Germans were no good. Every statement was followed by a broad smile.
See, he said, shifting back in his chair and undoing greasy strings and safety pins that held the vacant trouser leg against his thigh, preliminary to showing us a puckered and repellent mess of scarred and knitted skin covering the end of his femur.
- Come, you touch.
Incapable of resistance, I got up and laid an unwilling finger on a patch of skin that still retained a rough pelt of hair: other patches were pale pink and hairless, like newborn rats. George, arms tightly folded across his chest, didn't move.
As he put his trouser leg together again the schnapps arrived. It must be downed in one go, the German said, miming the action. I looked at George: in for a penny, in for a pound, even at 8.30 in the morning. Neither of us had drunk schnapps before. It didn't taste of anything much, but left a searing, cauterizing wake down the throat and oesophagus.
Good, good, the German said. Your friends bomb my house. Cigarette?
I took one from a packet of a brand called Ernte 3 and said Danke schön while he lit it for me, leaning across the table. (George didn't smoke.) This was my first taste of continental tobacco. Whatever taste it may have had was nullified by the effect of the schnapps. The man smiled continually.
- House kaput. All dead. My father, my woman, my dogs. Royal Air Force. Many bombs. All burning.
And still he smiled. I was beginning to feel very awkward.
- Royal Air Force hat. Give, please. I wear it, yes.
He reached forward. Powerless to resist, I took my beret off, cursing myself for ever thinking it would be a sensible thing to wear, and passed it to him.
- I show my friends now. Moment, please.
He laid it on his head, struggled to his crutches and shambled out, smiling still.
- Quick! George said. Let's bugger off before he comes back. Now. Come on.
- What? And lose my beret?
- So what? That bloke's trouble. Come on, never mind hanging about.
George left, I stayed, saying I would catch him up when I'd retrieved my beret. I was stubbing out my Ernte 3 when the German came back in with one of his friends, a small, weaselly, shifty man who called him as 'Hink' or 'Hinki'. Hink returned my beret saying you think I steal your hat, no? - or words to that effect - and asked where my friend was.
- Er musste gehen. Ich auch. Very bad German for 'He had to go. Me too.'
- No, no you stay. Drink, smoke, party, ha-ha-ha.
So the jaws closed. More schnapps arrived. I felt alone, a lamb to the slaughter, exposed, impotent to exercise my will in any way. Hink and his weasel friend, whom he introduced to me formally as Herr Schniedelwutz (a name which I reconstructed conjecturally after deep conversations with German friends many years later: Schniedelwutz means, and has the same infantile overtones as, 'willy' or 'John Thomas') plied me with drink, smiles and assurances that the English were everyone's friends now. Eventually they asked if I had a girlfriend.
There were various documents in my rucksack. I kept my passport out of harms' way at the very bottom, just above The Penguin Book of German Romantic Verse - and what bloody use was that now? - but at the top, just beneath the fastening, there was a thick octavo notebook in which I kept a journal, which accounts for much of the detail in this narrative. Between the pages there were my return ferry ticket, a letter of introduction to an address in Vienna, my photo of Adèle and banknotes totalling about 40 Deutschmarks, which was all the money I had apart from some change in my pocket.
There was no easier meat in Cologne that Sunday morning. I flipped through the pages looking for Adèle, exposing as I did so my modest wad of banknotes. I found her: Hinki took the entire book; said she was beautiful; very beautiful; so very beautiful that he had to show his friends; shambled off, leaving me with Herr Schniedelwutz.
This stoat-like little man said nothing but drummed his fingers on the table. I offered him a cigarette, which he took gracelessly, without thanks. Presently, after four or five minutes, I ventured to ask what had happened to Hinki. Herr Schiedelwutz said komm, gehen wir ihn zu finden (come, let us go and find him). I shouldered my rucksack and followed him. He led me across the concourse. I looked about for George, but I couldn't see him anywhere. Steps led down to the toilets. No one was about. Were Hinki and his friends really down here? Herr Schniedelwutz led me towards the cubicles.
- We buy you drinks, he said. Now you pay.


text:
It often takes a full day to fly from the United States to India, counting layover time, and that brings you just to the nearest large city. To reach Dhodlamitta, a village in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, you'll spend several more hours on the road.
This summer, a team of filmmakers, plus ChildFund staff members from India and the U.S., traveled to Dhodlamitta for an unusual purpose: to create a 360-degree video that will give viewers the experience of visiting the village. Using the 360 GoPro camera and other elaborate gear, the crew takes us to homes, a school and fields where people labor under the sun every day.
Annapoorna is our narrator. She's a former sponsored child who is now a teacher, a wife and a mother. When she was growing up, child marriage was very common where she lives — and it still is in nearby villages. Sponsorship and ChildFund's programs helped Annapoorna continue her education and finish university. She also is in a happy marriage that was her choice, and her daughter is thriving.
We hope you'll take a look at the 5-minute video — and share it. Not everyone has the opportunity to fly across continents and oceans to Dhodlamitta, but we can offer you the next-best thing: an immersive virtual reality experience. You can also read more about Annapoorna and the making of the video.
Photo and reporting by Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
In parts of India, ChildFund and our partners have focused on building literacy rates and, more significantly, a deeper culture of reading. This is hard to do in communities where many households have no books and where adults never learned to read. Some homes don't even have electrical power, limiting story time to daylight hours.
As you may have read in previous stories about the Books, my Friends project, ChildFund has distributed more than 40,000 book bags full of fun books, so children have exposure to more than just school textbooks and can start building a library at home. Some are written in their native dialects, and others are in English, which helps them learn to read a new language. We've also distributed solar-powered lamps to households without electricity, and now, we have begun sending mobile libraries out to rural and remote areas.
Today is International Literacy Day. Let's take the advice of Anna Dewdney, the late author of the Llama Llama series of children's books, and read to (or with) a child.
"When we read with a child, we are doing so much more than teaching him to read or instilling in her a love of language," Dewdney wrote. "We are doing something that I believe is just as powerful, and it is something that we are losing as a culture: by reading with a child, we are teaching that child to be human. When we open a book, and share our voice and imagination with a child, that child learns to see the world through someone else's eyes."
If you're thinking of becoming a sponsor, don't take it from us. Take it from former sponsored children: You matter. We hear from many young adults who are involved in careers, higher education and leadership roles that they never expected to achieve before someone sponsored them as children. Your consistent support and encouragement help them pursue many kinds of dreams and even pass on your generosity to future generations. Here are just a few examples.
Paul, a teacher in Uganda: "My sponsor used to inspire me through the letters he sent. I used to wait so eagerly for his response whenever I wrote to him. He always reminded me to work hard at school."
Makeshwar, a community leader in India: "We will always remain indebted to ChildFund and our sponsors. We have taken a vow, and we will continue to serve underprivileged children and help them live with dignity."
Lidiane, a business owner in Brazil: "Today I am a warrior, a hardworking and brave woman, fighting for my goals and dreams, and you are part of this. I wish I could say more to you, but I can write a thousand words here and still would not demonstrate what you represent in my life story."
Else, a nursing student in Indonesia: "I want to help cure people. My favorite subject is pediatric nursing. I love taking care of young children. Soon, I will be working in a hospital helping young children in need."
Photos and Reporting by Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
World Water Day is next Tuesday, so let's take a look at how Indian children have benefited from access to clean running water in their communities and schools. First, we see a group of schoolchildren from Udaipur, a city in western India.
One of the students, Kuldeep, says, "Before and after eating, we clean our hands and plates properly to stay healthy." In the picture above, three boys — Mukesh, Lalu and Harish — wash dishes before lunch at school.
Next, girls from Orissa, a state on India's eastern coast, talk about how a water pump provided by ChildFund supporters has changed their lives.
"It's our daily routine to walk to the hand pump, which ChildFund has provided through the gift catalog, to get water," one girl says. "Otherwise, we had to walk for several kilometers to fetch water."
One out of 10 people in the world do not have reliable access to clean water. That's more than 663 million people, or twice the population of the United States! Astounding, right? That's why we should do what we can to spread the word about providing everyone access to clean water. This World Water Day, share information with friends — and lead by example however you can. ChildFund has several options for you to make a difference for children and their family members who don't have easy access to clean water.
By Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
Samaypur Badli, an urban village in North Delhi where ChildFund India recently started a youth employment training project, suffered a terrible fire Dec. 18 that gutted dozens of homes, displacing more than 100 families. No casualties were reported, but the fire was a significant setback for the residents.
Firefighters doused the flames, which were caused by a short circuit, according to media reports. ChildFund India staff members, along with our local partner Al Noor Charitable Society, took action a few days later to help the fire victims, which numbered 300 people, including 200 children. Homes in this area are set very close together, so the fire spread quickly.
After a quick assessment of conditions and needs, ChildFund India gave woolen clothes to 200 children to ward off the freezing weather in Delhi. The 100 school-aged children received education kits, and families also were given personal hygiene materials and kitchen utensils to replace belongings lost in the fire.
In partnership with Al Noor Charitable Society, ChildFund India recently initiated the Youth United for Voluntary Action program to provide vocational and livelihood training to help young adults in this community find better jobs. Despite several industrial businesses in this region, many people live in poverty.
"We will enhance our support and intervention to ensure that these families come out of this tragedy and that their lives bounce back to normalcy as soon as possible," says Neelam Makhijani, ChildFund India's national director.
By Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
Heavy rainfall in November and December caused massive flooding in India's Tamil Nadu state, especially in the region around Chennai. As many as 470 people lost their lives, while thousands more lost their homes and all their belongings. ChildFund India has responded by distributing tarpaulins, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and blankets to 183 families, as well as providing activities for children while schools were closed. We recently spoke with Subramani, a 43-year-old man who had a work-related accident a decade ago and is wheelchair-bound. He was caught in the flood and was unable to leave his home.
Subramani lives alone in a small hut with a straw thatched roof. When the heavy rains began, his roof started leaking, and the area surrounding his home became waterlogged. But because his village is next to a small lake, the residents are used to minor flooding.
Assuming this would be a similar scenario, Subramani was relaxed and didn't take any precautions. "I never expected this much water," he says. "Every year, if it rains a little heavily, the lake overflows and water enters our area. The flooding is never more than a foot, and that water stays only for a couple of days and eventually recedes. But this time, it was unprecedented."
To everyone's shock, within a couple of hours the entire village was swamped by three to five feet of fast-moving water that entered all the houses, damaging the structures and the belongings inside. Everything happened so fast that no one could cope; all they could do was to run for their lives. They could see everything they had floating away in front of them but could do nothing.
Because Subramani cannot walk or even stand up on his own, he got stuck in his flooded house. He called for help while struggling to climb to safety. Everything he owned was underwater, including his small TV and his mobile phone. "My life was at stake. There was no time to think about these things," Subramani says.
Finally, by 10 p.m., his neighbors and friends managed to enter his house and carry him outside. Along with other community members, Subramani stayed on the platforms of a nearby railway station for several days. Flood victims received water, food and other support items from their local church and other groups, but while Subramani was sleeping on the platform, someone stole these things from him.
After the water receded, Subramani managed to get back to his home. It was filthy from the mud brought in by the flood, but he was glad his tricycle cart was still there.
Somehow, with the help of his friends, he has been able to clean his home and has managed to get back to a normal routine. But pools of stagnant water still sit near Subramani's home, putting him at risk of mosquito bites. As a result, he was sick after returning home.
But Subramani has now received blankets, tarps and mosquito nets from ChildFund, a welcome bit of respite. Before, he wasn't sure how he'd afford these necessities.
"After the flood, we were in real need of blankets, tarpaulins and especially mosquito nets," he says. "ChildFund's timely support is really helpful. It's like a surprise New Year gift for us. I'm really touched by the thoughtfulness of ChildFund, which reached us with help."
By Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
In parts of India, literacy rates are very low for a variety of reasons. One problem is a lack of electricity. When you are in the dark at home, it's not easy to read.
In June, ChildFund India distributed nearly 40,000 solar-powered lamps to children in homes without electricity, as phase two of a national literacy campaign called Books, My Friends. In December 2014, our India staff members, with the help of local partner organizations and others, distributed 40,000 tote bags full of age-appropriate books in several languages. About 115,000 children have benefited from the program, which aims to make reading fun and also help them improve their literacy skills.
According to India's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) for 2014, many children are behind grade level in their reading skills. Among eighth-graders, about 75 percent can read at second-grade level, and 32.5 percent of second-graders can't even recognize letters.
We used to use wax or kerosene candles. With the slightest blow of wind, the candles would go out.
In this campaign phase, called Toward a Brighter Future, children have received solar-powered lamps that allow them to read, do homework or other activities after the sun goes down.
"For me, my education is very important," says Aarathi, who got a lamp. "I don't like missing school even for a single day. Now that I have my own solar lamp, I can study anytime and anywhere. It's so convenient and easy to use these solar lamps. We also use these lamps for doing group studies outside our houses."
Although the lamps' primary purpose is to help children study after dark, they also make it easier for family members to do household chores. "Earlier we used to use wax or kerosene candles," recalls Jayamma. "With the slightest blow of wind, the candles would go out. We also used to feel hot while using them. Having a solar lamp is great. We don't face any of those problems with this. My mother finds it very convenient to cook using this lamp."
And for some, the solar lamp has a totally different benefit. "Now we can also play after dark outside our houses using these lamps," say Prathibha and Swathi.
After the successful implementation of this second phase, ChildFund India plans to open two solar-powered model schools, more than 100 libraries in rural schools in 14 states and introduce mobile libraries, which will provide access to high-quality reading material and dedicated reading space for children and other community members.
By ChildFund India staff
Oct. 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child, a day set aside by the United Nations to recognize girls' rights and the special challenges they face. This year's theme for the day is The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030, so ChildFund's blog will focus this week on girls who are working to achieve great things now and in the future.
In India, the country with the most child brides worldwide, an estimated 47 percent of girls are married before age 18, putting their physical, emotional and mental health at risk. Although it is illegal in India for girls under 18 and boys under 21 to marry, the tradition remains entrenched.
For a long time, ChildFund has worked with adults and youth in the state of Madhya Pradesh, where the practice is particularly prevalent, to end this harmful tradition. For many in this fight, the stakes are personal.
When 17-year-old Sonam's parents insisted that she get married, she protested, and together with her youth club members who had taken an oath to become role models for others by not becoming the victims of early marriage, she spoke with her parents. She shared that she did not want to get married before reaching the legal age and also wanted to study further to achieve her dreams.
At the launch of a 100-day child marriage awareness campaign in 75 villages earlier this year, Sonam was recognized for addressing the issue of early marriage and for standing up against her own marriage. Anmol Jeevan, the campaign, drew great support from the community, including village leaders and parents. Thousands of people attended the event where Sonam and other youth members received awards.
"ChildFund has changed my life — it came as a ray of hope in my life and has given me courage to dream about my future," she said while accepting the award.
Sonam has been with ChildFund India since the beginning of the project, for more than six years. She has actively participated in several of ChildFund's programs, awareness camps and meetings on early marriage. She also encourages mothers to get their children immunized and provide nutritious food. She also has promoted literacy in her village by doing door-to-door counseling and getting children of her village enrolled in school. With Sonam's and her youth club members' persistent efforts, more than 62 community members have learned to read — out of the 142 illiterate village members they had identified.
After a lot of persuasion, Sonam's parents were convinced that she should remain unmarried. With their support, she is now preparing for exams, with plans to become an engineer and help her village.
"If convinced properly," says Sonam, "parents will support their daughters' wishes to study instead of getting them married at an early age."
And when they do, those girls will be able to make enormous contributions within their own communities — as Sonam has.
Photos from ChildFund's offices in Bolivia, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico and Timor-Leste
In the lobby of ChildFund's international headquarters, we don't have your typical office décor. Instead, we have a sparsely furnished Kenyan classroom, a world map mural with paper dolls holding hands, and homemade toys collected from around the world. A lot of the toys are made with what some people might call trash: used plastic bottles, twine and bits of rubber and metal. But the toys themselves are not junk and are often prized by the children who made and played with them.
In these pictures below, you'll see the ingenuity and creativity of children who play with what they have — animals, traditional games and toys made from available materials.
By Rashmi Kulkarni, ChildFund India
Raimani lives with her family in Tangiri, a small village in India. She has three sisters and one brother, and is in the 8th grade. Not long ago, she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep going to school. She used to walk more than four miles every day to get to class, often alone, which wasn't very safe. Sometimes she was late, or she just didn't make it to school at all. Her grades suffered, and, because her parents couldn't afford transportation for her, she considered dropping out altogether.
But thanks to ChildFund's Dream Bike program, things have improved for Raimani. Now, she regularly attends school, arriving on time and with plenty of energy, and her performance has dramatically improved. She no longer has to walk to school, which allows her time to invest in her studies. Her siblings are also attending school more regularly because Raimani gives them rides on her bike, too. Having a bike also enables Raimani to participate in club meetings and other events organized by ChildFund and our local partner organization in Tangiri.
"I am very happy my daughter received a bicycle," Raimani's mother says. "It has turned out to be very useful as my other children can also use it to go to school. The gift of a bicycle has ensured that Raimani can continue her education. We are very thankful to ChildFund."
If you would like to make a girl's dream of an education come true, consider giving the gift of a Dream Bike today.


text: In the midst of all the excitement about Romo, I think that the way the rest of the team played is being over looked just a bit. What are the defensive stats for this game and this team in regards to the rest of the league? If they're anything close to what I think they are, I'm going to have a hard time finding any reason not to believe that this team can make it to the, at the very least, NFC championship. We beat the Colts last weak. You gotta credit some of that to the defense. Not to mention they looked great today. The way this team is coming together is everything I hoped for. This is the year, and we're a team on the rise!


text:
Very friendly dog, found wandering the aisles of McDades grocery store checking out options and asking people for a handout. A friendly neighbor brought him to us and he has never had to ask for a meal again. He is outgoing and smart. Loves to run and play in the yard and loves meeting people
Cooper, Shepherd & German Shepherd Dog Mix has been shared from Shelter Exchange.
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