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Everdred's "10 Days in Laos" Trip Report
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Everdred's "10 Days in Laos" Trip Report
During my trip in Laos, I stopped in the rural mountainous town of Vang Vieng, which used to have an infamous reputation as a party town, and I also stopped in the Lao capital, Vientiane. In southeast Asia, there are three countries that I think are very similar - Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. If Cambodia is Thailand's little brother, then Laos must be Thailand's little sister. I live in Bangkok, Thailand now, and I've been to Cambodia twice in the past. I had never been to Laos before this trip. Disappointingly, I would consider Laos my least favorite of the three countries.
Vang Vieng
My first stop in Laos was Vang Vieng, which is a three to five hour bus ride from Vientiane. I must say Vang Vieng has undergone a dramatic transformation. This is what Vang Vieng used to be like:
Vang Vieng, Laos: the world's most unlikely party town
However, Vang Vieng is nothing like that these days. Apparently the authorities have done a pretty good job of cleaning the town up. During my four days there, I didn't see any wild parties or chaotic backpackers. The whole town was rather peaceful and calm. Depending upon what you're in Vang Vieng for, that could be either a good or bad thing. I was happy for the changes.
Vang Vieng is very beautiful, and the mountains spreading across the landscape make it a very picturesque little town. I would say landscape of the town is very comparable to Guilin, Guangxi, China. If you love nature and activities like canoeing, tubing, cave exploring, and/or trekking, then you'll love Vang Vieng. I personally don't care too much for those activities, so I found myself quite bored after about 2 days.
There are countless little restaurant/bars around the town that serve food, fruit shakes, alcohol, and they also play endless reruns of Friends, Family Guy, South Park, and/or The Simpsons. Almost all of these little restaurants are identical to the others. They all serve the same food for practically the same prices. Almost all of them have free wi-fi as well. Just pick your favorite one and stick to it the entire time you're in Vang Vieng.
One of the good things about Vang Vieng is it's so small that you can walk pretty much anywhere. There are also many rental bicycles and motorcycles that you can rent for a half day or an entire day. I rented a bicycle for $2 USD/day almost everyday I was there. There's really no point at all in taking the local tuk-tuks unless you're going to one of the faraway caves or something like that. Another thing I liked about Vang Vieng is that even though it's a tourist town, none of the locals really hassle you much to buy something or to take you on a paid tour. That's the complete opposite of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia, where you're continuously pestered by aggressive touts anywhere and everywhere you go.
The weather in Vang Vieng was excellent. The entire time I was there, there was a cool breeze throughout the day and night. If you're cold-natured, you might even need to wear a light jacket. But during the daytime it was extremely sunny. Not hot, just sunny. I had to wear sunscreen to prevent myself from getting badly sunburned. Regardless, it was a nice change in climate from the typical year-round blazing hot weather of Bangkok.
On the downside, other than just being bored, I found it really hard to discover the local culture of Vang Vieng. Any interactions with the locals was strictly business, and there were far more restaurants serving foreign food than local Lao cuisine. Foreign tourists strongly outnumber the locals, so you really can only converse with other tourists. There were quite a few hippyish Western tourists as expected, but there were also tons of South Korean tourists. That surprised me a little. There was also a sprinkle of Chinese tourists. Anyways, my point is, if you're going to Vang Vieng for the cultural experience, you'll likely be disappointed, but if you're going to enjoy the scenery and chill out, then you'll be fine for just a few days. Vang Vieng is not the kind of place I'd want to stay for long.
Another downside is that Vang Vieng is quite expensive (from a developing-world perspective), considering it's dynamics and location. Practically everything was more expensive than in Vientiane, and in many cases it was even more expensive than Bangkok. Usually 2-3X higher! Considering Bangkok is a mega-city with tens of millions of people, I'd expect it to be more expensive than Vang Vieng, a rural town in the middle of nowhere in Laos. For example, fried rice in Bangkok is about $1 a plate, but in Vang Vieng it was about $2-3 USD a plate. The only food that was a real bargain were the baguette sandwiches for about $1.50 USD each. You could get egg, chicken, ham, or many other variations of the sandwich, and they were always really delicious. The sandwiches can be found at any one of the hundreds of street stalls that sell pancakes, sandwiches, and burgers. Other than the baguette sandwiches, I didn't like much of the food in Vang Vieng. I'm not fussy at all about food, but I really found the food to be quite bland there.
On the other hand, accommodation was rather cheap. There are countless bungalows you can rent at about $5/night. I was staying at a $15/night guesthouse, which is actually quite expensive by Vang Vieng standards, and I had an awesome view of the river and mountains from my balcony (see the top picture). My room was also spotlessly clean, and had pretty decent cable TV, free wi-fi, and a few free computers to use in the lobby.
All in all, if you're going to Laos, I'd say it's worth staying in Vang Vieng for at least 2-3 days, but don't stay too much longer, or you might find yourself quite bored. Bring a camera, because the whole town is very photogenic. And if you like swimming or boating, bring some swimming trunks. Excluding accommodation, $15 USD/day is more than enough the to cover the expenses each day you're there.
Vientiane is right along the Lao-Thai border in central Laos, so it's more than likely the first place you'll stop if you're coming from Thailand. I intentionally went to Vang Vieng first, and Vientiane second. Even though Vientiane is the capital and largest city in Laos, it's quite small. I would say it's no bigger than a small city back in the United States. According to Wikipedia, Vientiane only has a population of about 750,000 people. It honestly seems much lower than that, and Vientiane doesn't feel crowded at all. A huge change considering I was coming from Bangkok, which feels severely overcrowded. Traffic is also very reasonable, and the drivers aren't aggressive at all. Just like in Vang Vieng, I rented a bicycle almost every day I was Vientiane. The city is small enough that you can easily see everything by riding a bicycle. You can walk many places too, but some places are just a little bit too far to walk to. Just like in Vang Vieng, there are no aggressive touts in Vientiane either. Some tuk-tuk drivers will ask if you need a ride, but as soon as you say no, they go away.
Vientiane claims the title of "the most laid back Asian capital," and I find it very hard to disagree with that. Read this article to understand more:
Vientiane: Asia's most laid-back capital city
People are very slow-paced in everything they do. For example, anytime I ordered food in either Vang Vieng or Vientiane, it would take nearly thirty minutes to be ready. That sounds normal, but the thing is most of the time I was the only customer in the entire restaurant, and all I ordered was maybe some fried rice. I'm a pretty patient person, but thirty minutes to cook some fried rice seemed a little ridiculous to me. If going to Laos, try to be as patient as you can, because nothing is fast in Laos. Laotians walk really slow too (just like the Thais).
The language barrier is also somewhat strong in Laos. Laotians speak kinda crappy English - maybe better than the Thais, but far worse than the Filipinos. I'd say their English level is comparable to the Cambodians. Sometimes I would say something simple like "no sugar" or "mango shake," and the person taking my order would have a look of deep confusion on their face. That's somewhat understandable, but I was at places that cater mostly to foreign tourists, so it's seems like they should at least be able to speak pidgin English. On the other hand, practically anyone in Vang Vieng and Vientiane can speak reasonable Thai. If you can speak any Thai at all, I recommend speaking it over English.
Just like Vang Vieng, I found it extremely hard to discover the local culture and try the local food. Lao culture is extremely timid to say the least. The Laotians don't seem to flaunt their culture like the Thais or many other Asian nationalities. It seems like everywhere you go, all you see is Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, or French-run businesses and restaurants. You have to specifically go out of your way to find Laotian culture and things. Another example is there are hardly any Laotian TV stations or product brands. Turn on the TV and all you see are Thai and Western TV stations. Go to the supermarket, and all you see are Thai and Chinese brands.
I was in Vientiane a total of six days, and I was bored out of my skull by the third day or so. There really is nothing to do in Vientiane. You can easily cover all the tourists sites in only a day or two, and besides the tourist hot spots, all there is to do is eat at restaurants, or sit along the not-so-beautiful riverside. There's almost no places to shop, only a handful of bars to drink at during the night, not much food to try, and the tourist sites are minimal. On the plus side, all the tourist spots are dirt cheap with entrance fees almost never exceeding $2 USD. I think three days are more than enough to explore Vientiane.
Surprisingly, Vientiane is cheaper than Vang Vieng, but it's still more expensive than Bangkok, with the exception of accommodation. I stayed in a really nice and clean guesthouse for only about $18 USD/night. Food and toiletries were much cheaper in Vientiane than Vang Vieng, but still not cheap enough. Expect to pay roughly double for everything in Vientiane than you would in Bangkok. There's really no shopping to be had in Vientiane, with the exception of the rather small Talat Sao shopping mall. And all of the little tourist shops seemed unreasonably expensive. Many of them had some really nice clothes and fabrics made from silk, but most of them were $50+ USD, so I didn't even think twice about purchasing any.
Some of the architecture in Vientiane was pretty cool, but it was all almost identical to the Thai and Cambodian style. Some of the buildings had a French look to them, due to the fact that Laos was once part of French Indochina. I had a pretty good time riding around the city on my bicycle and snapping photos, but it got boring after a short while. The one place you've got to have your photo taken is in front of the cool-looking, but rather small Great Sacred Stupa, which is a national symbol of Laos.
All in all, just like Vang Vieng, Vientiane is worth stopping at for at least a few days, but any longer than that, you'll get bored really quick. If you've never been to Southeast Asia - particularly Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos - I strongly recommend going to Laos first. Why? Because Laos is the least exciting and the most the tame of the three, so it's best to start with the least best, then move on to the bigger and better places. I'd go to Laos first, then Cambodia, and then finally Thailand. The city of Vientiane is somewhat comparable to Phnom Penh, but I actually like Phnom Penh quite a bit more (other than the aggressive touts). It really just depends on what you're looking for. If you're wanting a really relaxed trip to chill out and spend very little money, then Laos should be okay. If you're wanting a very cultural experience with lots of good food and places to see, then Laos certainly won't be that. Just like Vang Vieng, $15 USD/day (excluding accommodation) is more than enough to cover each day's expenses in Vientiane.
Laotian Women
Now I'm sure you're all wondering about Laotian women. Well, I should start by saying I spent my entire 10 days in Laos with my significant other, so I really didn't interact too much with the local women. There were quite a few times where I went out on my own, but I didn't notice much attention or interest from the local ladies. For the most part, like I said earlier, Laotians don't interact too much with foreigners unless it's business-related.
Laotian women as a whole weren't all that attractive to me. Sure, there were many cute girls, and they're certainly more attractive than the average American woman, but they really weren't that good-looking to me. Many of them look similar to Thai women or Chinese women from Guangxi province, but much more countryside-ish. One good thing is that many Laotian women wore traditional-style dresses, which is nice, but even then they're not all that appealing to the eyes. Every now and then I would spot a "stunner," but they really weren't that common at all. I also saw very very few fat Laotian women, so that's a plus.
There were a handful of bars in Vientiane that had bar girls you could take back to your hotel room, and some of them looked decent, but none of them looked that great to me. It's also worth mentioning that there was almost no pay-for-play whatsoever in Laos, with the exception of a few bar girls in a handful of bars. So if that's your thing, then there's no point in going to Laos. There's far more of that to be had in Bangkok and Phnom Penh. The bottom line is, I didn't interact that much with Laotian women, but I didn't find myself that attracted to them in the first place. They still looked better than the average American woman nonetheless.
So, I doubt I'll be going back to Laos for the next five to ten years. There's really not much of interest there for me. I never went to Luang Prabang, which I imagine could be decent, but I doubt it's good enough to go all the way back to Laos for. If you're living in southeast Asia, it might be worth taking a week long trip to Laos, but if you're living all the way over in the United States or Europe, it's certainly not worth flying all the way across the world just to see Laos. Unless of course you're also going to Cambodia, Thailand, and/or another Asian country during your trip.
Two words to describe Laos: dull and humble.
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Excellent trip report - really gave me a feel for the place. I've been to Nong Khai in Thailand, just over the river from Vientiane, and my Thai gf said it wasn't terribly interesting and there may have been some visa hassles so we didn't go across the bridge.
If you want to sample Laos women in Thailand you can do so in Udon Thani - the Laos hookers there go for 300Bt a pop if you know where to go. I'm sure I read that in Laos itself there's a law that prohibits any foreigner from sleeping with a Laos girl?
"As long as you make an identity for yourself out of the pain, you cannot become free of it." Eckhart Tolle
Nice report!
Stuff in Asia seems quite expensive. Everyone told me China would be really cheap. Well it is for food, hotels or apartments, but general stuff wasn't that cheap. In fact I think Chinese made shoes are cheaper in the UK, I don't know how that works.
I did try advertising my dating site in Laos, but there are so few Internet connected people there that I didn't have much luck. The population of Laos could fit into one small Chinese city.
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Thanks for the trip report Everdred.
Sorry to hear that you didn't like Laos. I'm a big fan of that country and have already been there twice. Am thinking of going again sometime in the near future.
Nightlife: Vang Vieng used to be off the chain, but you're right, they totally cracked down on that - too many deaths - and now the scene is quite different. Plenty of gorgeous places there though. LP: I spent Christmas there a couple years ago, and it was thumping. Good times all around. Most of the people out at night are foreigners, but there are some Laotians thrown into the mix as well.
Laos is about relaxing and being at one with nature. No pulsing metropolises, and that's probably a good thing. But hey, different strokes for different folks, right?
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Manu Ntoh is a incredibly talented Muay Thai fighter and martial arts artist. He is a six time world champion: WMTC ('96), IMF ('96), World Drakka ('98, '99), ISKA (2000), IKKC ('02, '06), IKF Full Rules Muay Thai (2008) and also was a professional boxer. Manu was a top ranked former NABA, NABO and IBA contender.
As a muay thai fighter he is feared most for his legs. Manu used both legs to dominate and destroy his opponent by KO, a rare skill among Thai fighters. This earned him the name –"Little Golden Legs" after his mentor Pud Pad Noy.
Manu rapidly entered in the circle of the greats, like Rob Kaman, Ramon Dekker and Danny Bill. Most of his fights were televised earning him international recognition. He now owns and runs a school in Atlanta where he teaches Muay Thai to future generations.


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- I finished my written test around 4.00 pm and I had the speaking session on the same day, and I am grateful that it was on the same day, I can't have afforded another leave at work. By the way, right after my written test the chats were posted on the notice board for the speaking sessions, with examiners name, time and room number, and we were asked to check the notice board. I had my test in room 3 (which was sponsored by British Airways) with Mr. Peter Gordon and it was about at 4:45pm so I hardly had time to think a while over it, I hadn't had eaten anything since morning and I was starving like anything and the heat was adding to the worse, just got myself a sandwich and some juice. And it did help me a lot, by this time I was too much tired, and my self-confidence was shaking a bit, had gases problem due to starving since morning, I suppose.
Well I was waiting outside the room for my turn, (I was 20 minutes earlier) I have seen other candidates taking the test in other room, and they were almost sweating and almost everyone coming out of the rooms were taking a long breath. This just added to some nervousness, I did asked them how the test was, few of them (whom I suppose was able to use English efficiently) said its nothing but few general questions from environment questions to sports, and few others (whom I suppose were that good English users) were apprehensive over the questions asked, swearing "what kind of a questions is how to control pollution?" well I was apprehensive over all of it by this time, but just decided to be positive and optimist, whatever happens, happens. I just needed to be cool, and as it happened I was just thinking about all of it, suddenly one of the organiser (some staff at the British council) asked me "are you nervous?" and I just replied "nah.." and gave a huge smile I don't know what made me answer that, but I did felt confident.
Well it was my turn… the examiner called me inside, he was sitting on a chair and there was a table before him, few papers and few files… and a tape recorder which I suppose is of 1980's as I happens to have a look at the counter on the tape recorder which were used in 1980's well the examiner I knew his name as I saw it at the notice board, was I suppose in his 40's or 50's, but absolutely British, with looks and English accent. We stood from his seat shook hand with me and introduced himself and the tape recorded was "pause" by this time, and now he started recording, The first question he asked me is, "I can see your name here, Mr. Ahmed Imran (surname was first in the list) what can I call you" I just replied "Imran" he underlined Imran on his list.
Peter: Well Imran can I see your identity please
Imran: Sure… hold on a second… (Took out my work permit, and handled over him… I don't think he got even a word of it, as not a single word on it is in English he just returned it back saying thank you)
Peter: so from where are you Imran?
Imran: India
Peter: which part of India?
Imran: Hyderabad, in the south…
Peter: ooh.. Hyderabad… so Imran what do you do?
Imran: Pardon…
Peter: I mean do you work or study?
Imran: I work… full time
Peter: ooh I see… what do you work as?
Imran: Import & Export Manager
Peter: ooh… so you are a manager (smiles)… and what does your job involves?
Imran: It's about importing and exporting the goods, it involves various aspects of purchasing and selling but in an international market… from checking the prices, currency values, warehouse stocks, quality, customs, tracking shipments beside others.
Peter: what sector is it?
Imran: Automotive
Peter: ooh… and what do you like most about your job?
Imran: I think it's the responsibility… I think I like bossing around people... (smiles) but overall I like the commitment and seriousness involved.
Peter: and what do you dislike about your job?
Imran: the amount of work… on many occasions I have to work 12 hours and day… and in peak seasons I have to work 7 days a week…
Peter: What do you do in your free time?
Imran: to be honest I don't get any free time… I would just be busy with work or other activities…
Peter: if you get free time what will you do?
Imran: I would prefer to go to a movie… or watch TV… or hang out with friends… or just stay at home and read a novel… but earlier when I was in India I use to participate in games and sports.
Peter: what kind of sports?
Imran: I use to play Cricket, Volleyball or table tennis… or snooker, I use to play snooker a lot though… but I think I am an active athlete…
(I think I forgot couple of questions between here, as I don't remember how to talk lead to movies)
Peter: I know you can't see movies a lot in Saudi Arabia… but in India, what do you think people would prefer to go to cinema (British word for movie theater is cinema) or watch movies at home?
Imran: I think cinema…
Peter: why?
Imran: Well I didn't say that they completely watch all the movies at cinema, but I think they prefer movies in cinema than at home… it would be like going out… and watch with friends… at home they do watch often, I suppose.
Peter: If you were given a chance to act in movies? Will you? (I think he asked this to consider weather to give me cue card to think of him as some university professor and to make me ask him questions)
Imran: No (smile)
Peter: Why?
Imran: I think I can't do well in role playing, (smiles) I can't pretend to be someone I am not.
Peter: (I don't remember his exact question here but he was asking me about the entertainment available in India for adults and children)
Imran: I don't remember my answer either; but I just came to quick conclusion that, they have to watch what is shown, there isn't much of a choice to watch, both for adults or children.
(I think I am missing couple of questions here)
Peter: (he gave me a card) here you have questions and you have to talk for about 1 to 2 minutes on this, you will have one minute to think about your answers, you can make points and write them on a paper, here is a paper and a pencil.
(The tape recorder was stopped)
Imran: (I took card it had three questions, 1. What is your favorite TV program? 2. Who should watch that TV program? 3. What is your opinion on that TV program?) I don't need to write down points I can go right away (smiles)
Peter: ah… (smiles) (he was organising the papers on his table by this time) well wait I have to put down this papers in the files, as they are very confidential I have to take care of them. (he is finished and he switch the recorder on)
Imran: Well my favorite TV program is called "Friends" is a type of comedy series; it was running for about 5 years or more now… (peter looking at me with smiles) well its about few high school friends who are in their 30's now, it's a mix of comedy, humor, emotions and it about how friends cope with each others individual personalities… here each one of them have different personalities, it shows how they still can be friends when one is dumb and one is always teasing and making fun of others…
Peter: (still looking at me with smiles…)
Imran: (looking at the card) And about the second question… emm… who should watch that TV program… Well I think everyone who loves comedy and humor and everyone out there who have friends, maybe I watch it more because I love my relationship with my friends… and now I think I am watching it more maybe cause I miss them and just to remind me that I do have friends back home…
Peter: how often do you watch it?
Imran: pardon (I didn't clearly hear him… I was busy talking… or I think I didn't expect him to say anything… or I think I was getting off track… so he just asked me that to bring sense to my talk)
Peter: how often do you watch it? (I think he repeated the question)
Imran: well in India I use to watch once a week…
Peter: in India? (I think he was surprised)
Imran: yeah we have cable networks there…
Peter: ooh
Imran: and now I watch it almost daily…
Peter: I see
Imran: And about my opinion on it… I think it's very well portrayed, the screenplay is fine… you are still in with the actual theme of the story even if every episode differs in the subject… acting is good…. And the humor is just perfect… overall I think it's the best.
Peter: Who is your favorite character? (I think this was just a casual question, as his head was bend down, and wasn't looking at me, or might have been writing something)
Imran: Monica (with a smile)
Peter: (with a smile) Why?
Imran: I think its just a personal preference… and I think a bit as I see my fiancйe in her… with looks and habits (smiles)
Peter: well mine is Fiebie (smiles) (not sure about the Febie spelling here… Febie is another character in the program) (well he made me clear that his question was more casual, and I did well in answering causally to his casual question)
Peter: (don't remember exact words of his question but he was asking about should children be shown TV, he wanted me to talk about the effects of children watching TV)
Imran: well… yes… in my personally opinion… children should be shown TV only with choice… and monitoring what they actually watch… it effect their personality… as what they watch… is what that influence them and what they think about… and what they want to be… (I don't think I answered well to this questions, as well as I think I could have, I was hesitating a bit, I don't know why maybe I wasn't prepared)
Peter: One last question Imran, what you think about the critics about watching TV, many are critical about watching TV of weather people should watch TV or not.
Imran: Well yeah… like I mentioned before… as it effects a child's personality it is often a subject of criticism, and other than that, I think the reasons vary… and one of them being religious.
Peter: thank you Imran…
Imran: Thank you sir.
(He switched off the tape recorder)
I left the room, and I suppose I gave the exam in only under 10 minutes, there weren't any more questions I think was left to be asked. I wasn't that nervous during the test as much as I was at the beginning, I think I was nervous in the beginning of the test as I was unaware of the environment inside, but once I was in I felt better, he was a very nice personality and helping me, not to get nervous, asking me casual question making sure of weather he should ask this question or not, and smiling between. On my way back I realized that all of the other examiners were doing the same, I peaked though a window into another room… and I think they are trained for that… and my personal opinion… they are the best. There isn't any reason to be nervous about the speaking session, as they are not going to eat you, but would be always helping you in your test, and it doesn't matter in which accent you talk to them. Regards, Imran Ahmed.
- Let me explain my experiece in the speaking test. Initially I had been asked to explain about myself, native place and the place where I am settled currently. Then the topic progressed to things of interest in that place. Of course, you will be asked about what is your general opinion about the place. It may take some 4-5 minutes for this session.
(Interestingly, the examiner is curious enough to observe your hands as your explanations progress. Probably he may be observing your body language. The examiner will switch on the tape recorder and will make sure that it is functioning normal. One more point about the examiner, he was not a foreigner. His accent is similar to mine. Absolutely no problem in understanding the questions.)
Next phase of the test; he asked me about my shopping practices. Who in your house is doing it. Do you enjoy that etc. This may take 2-3 minutes.
After this I have been asked about the animals' common to my place, their uses and stuffs related with that. 3-4 minutes for this session too.
Final session. I have been given a card that contains the following question. Describe equipment which you bought recently and found to be very useful. I have been given 1 minute to think about this topic, also provided with a paper and pencil to scribble the points. I described about and MP3 player, which I bought very recently. Discussions pertaining to this topic progressed to technological advances of our society, future trends in technology and finally he asked me about my opinion about the future of technological advance after 50 years. I feel I have answered all these questions quite well. Duration - 4-5 minutes
(Please note that, all these questions are based on a question paper the examiner possess. He will refer to that very frequently. Moreover, he is very specific about the time. I suppose, the entire session lasted about 15 minutes. )
And I scored just 7 in this session.
Hope I have explained too much about the exam. Sometimes I feel that as my problem with exams. I am obsessed, and that can spoil the show. So my advice is; be confident, but don't be over confident. Speak very fluently and practice to speak spontaneously. Practicing with some of your friends or participate in debates will certainly improve your skills. I feel this will help you not in IELTS alone, but in your real life also.
- About the speaking section it depands on the person luck but its to check ur fluency n how improvised u r bcoz u have to speak none shop even though u r lil bit deviating from path. but nothing to worry bcoz its just general Qns like:
They ask bout ur town??
What do u love in ur town??
What is that u dont love in ur town??
Desctibe friendship?
who is ur best friend?
Why is he ur best friend??
When did u meet him n how long u have been ??
Ok what kind of people u like to be friend with ??
What kind of people u dont like to be with??
Whom would u choose best friend or family??
Thats it n no needs to be tensed hope u dont have anyother doubts....
- Speaking : Small Introduction About Pets in my
country.What type of work being got done from them? Do u agree or not
Transportation system in your city. How would you like to improve.
Cue Card: Describe any type of song or piece of music?when your
heard it.what was it about and why you liked it?
Elicitation:Were you exposed to music in childhood?What is difference in fast music and traditional / cultural music? Should the traditional / cultural music be preserved? Where does the pop / fast music come from? What is the effect on young generation? Should they be exposed to traditional / cultural music?
- Нам назначили на 15:10. Что тут сказать. Мило поболтали в течение 14 минут. Мне попалась тема «Опишите какого-нибудь знакомого ребенка». Жене – «What seasons are there in your country».
- (принимала молодая дружелюбно настроенная native, все вопросы строго по бумажке, никаких монологов и домашних заготовок - ответы только по теме, одно-два предложения; все время отмечала что то на бумажке под столом)
1. как зовут, откуда, какая основная промышленность, где в основном живут люди в городах или сельской местности
2. карточка "Talk about recent travel you have made:
- where did you travel
- what kind of transport did you use
- why do you remember it
3. в продожение темы говорили о транспорте (какой самый популярный, почему, как отличаются теперешние путешествия от того что было раньше, перспективы развития, как влияет транспорт на экологию, что правительство делает для ее улучшения)
- Speaking: любимая песня (музыка), нац. музыка, что любит молодежь и тд.


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When I was in Paris in September, I needed to be near the train station to make a quick entry from Charles de Gaulle, a quick exit to The Hague, and a quick re-entry back to Paris so I could get home to DC via Reykjavik, Iceland. That was a lot of unpacking and repacking.
During my five days in Paris, I experienced the transitions in the 10ème in more ways than one.
Paris has 20 districts known as arrondissements. Each is assigned a number and may appear with a suffix of -e, -er, or -ème. Arrondissement is sometimes abbreviated as Arr.
The 10ème has two train stations (Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est) making it convenient for day trips and for getting to Paris attractions in minutes via the Metro.
This once gritty and overlooked part of Paris has gotten a makeover over the years and is exploding with restaurants, bars, and sites that beg to be noticed.
Want to stay close to everything yet don't want to spend a lot? Want an area where cultures from all over interweave?
Consider the 10ème.
Here are the top five things I experienced during my stay:
1. Walk: Visit the Canal Saint-Martin. The waterway connects to the Seine and offers soothing walkways for picnics and people watching.
2. Eat: Steps from my hotel was an intimate Italian restaurant called Da Giacomo on the Rue du Château Landon. Had your fill of croissants and pâté? Stop by and enjoy the friendly service at this non-hurried restaurant. They have great pizza that you can take back to your apartment or hotel.
3. Browse: Visit Coin Canal for some nostalgia. The store on Rue de Marseille sells high-quality, streamlined mid-century-to-70s-style furniture.
4. Gaze: Stop by Le Balto for an espresso or Jupiler and take advantage of its covered outdoor seating. Watch the people and traffic as everything collides at the intersections of Rue de Maubeuge, Boulevard de Magenta, Rue de Dunkerque, and Rue Saint-Vincent de Paul.
5. Get Out: Use the easy access of Gare du Nord to your advantage. Hop on a Eurostar train for quick access to Lille, Brussels, and London, to name a few.
The 10ème is no longer the gray and gritty neighborhood of Paris it once was. It offers a vibrant spirit, sets trends, and gives you a launchpad for easy access to other destinations in Europe.
Interested in snaps from Paris? Visit the photo gallery.


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Posts Tagged 'Carr'
March 8th, 2011 No comments
I just read .. sorry listened (great those audio books for in the car on the way home) to the latest book of Nicholas Carr: The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. A year ago I already read his other book, see my review here. Below the product description of Amazon: […]
August 17th, 2009 No comments
During my summer holiday i made a trip to Italy where i had time enough to read some books which lay on my bookshelf ready to read. The first book I read was the big switch of nicolass Car, Who also was the author of "IT doesn't matter". In this new book he takes his […]
Categories: Books, Cloud computing big switch, book, Carr, Cloud computing


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10 SPOTS: My favorite places by Kathy G This was a hard assignment because there are so many wonderful places to dine in Birmingham. In fact, I think we have the very best "culinary scene" in the South. I love to support the local restaurants and am so proud of their connection of farm to… Read More
Posts Tagged 'Highlands Bar and Grill'
10 Spots: My Favorite PlacesThursday, January 3rd, 2013
Highlands Bar and Grill: 30 Years and CountingThursday, November 1st, 2012
Highlands Bar and Grill celebrates 30th Anniversary.
Welcome back to Pepper PlaceTuesday, May 1st, 2012
One of our favorite signs of Spring is the return of the Pepper Place Saturday Market. It's downtown's friendliest meeting place and it's filled with the freshest produce, the prettiest flowers and the most colorful people you'll ever want to run into. Join us for a lemonade and a little music. Written by Sarah O'Donnell Photography by Virginia Jones This… Read More


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Pest Info
About Us
Choose Wildlife
Flying Sq.
Professional Wildlife Removal Company Servicing Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Wildlife Animal Control
If you are having a problem with wildlife in your Fort Worth home, your best option is to hire a company that specializes in Texas wildlife removal only. This is a specialty business, and regular pest control companies do not use the proper techniques to solve animal problems. I have spent many years reviewing Fort Worth, and I recommend the following:
Wildlife X Team
Cell Phone:
NOTE: If you have a dog or cat problem, call Tarrant County Animal Services: 817-392-1234
Wildlife X Team specializes primarily in removing animals from attics of homes and buildings - this includes squirrels in attics, raccoons, and rats or mice in homes. Texas also has a documented problem with bats in buildings, and Wildlife X Team is specially trained in bat removal. They also perform general wildlife trapping services, such as the capture and removal of skunks or opossums on the property. Call
to discuss your critter problem and schedule a same-day or next-day appointment.
When hiring a company to solve your wild animal problem, you want these features:
- Specializes in wildlife removal, not pest control
- Fully Texas and Tarrant County licensed and insured
- Works 7 days per week (critters don't take weekends off)
- Performs full building inspections: enters and inspects attic
- Performs exclusion repairs, with guarantee against animal re-entry
- Offers cleanup of biohazardous wildlife waste
Wildlife X Team is a full-service Fort Worth wildlife removal company. This is very different from a regular Fort Worth pest control company. The pest control companies spray poison to kill insects. This is not at all similar to wildlife removal. Wildlife X Team performs a full inspection of the home or property, and determines why the animal(s) are there, and if inside a building, how the animals got inside. All animals (including rodents) are trapped and removed, or if possible, removed from the building using special exclusion devices. Once the animals are gone, preventative repairs are essential, and cleanup is sometimes recommended.
Fort Worth wildlife trapping - it's not as simple as it may seem. It's illegal in Texas to trap without a license. Trap type is very important and there are many different types, bait is somewhat relevant, trap placement is vital, and there are dozens of small things that are very important to know. Safety is a concern. Then once the animal is trapped, it must be removed and dealt with in the proper manner according to Texas law. We offer Fort Worth raccoon removal. Read more about
how to get rid of raccoons
Animals in attics - this is our specialty at Wildlife X Team. Many types of animals like to live in attics. This includes squirrels, raccoons, rats, mice, bats, birds, and even possums. Critters like to go into attics for a safe place to live and raise their young. Removing animals from attics is very complex work, partly because of the presence of baby animals. If you need Fort Worth squirrel removal, we can remove all the squirrels from your attic, and seal out any future ones. Read more about
how to get rid of squirrels
Rodent control must be done in a very specific way. First off, the most important thing is that all the openings that rats and mice can use to enter a house be sealed. Then all the rodents must be physically trapped and removed. Never, ever use poison! Most Fort Worth exterminators will just use this lazy poison technique to kill rodents, and it causes more harm than good - dead stinky rats, and it doesn't solve the problem. Call us for correct Fort Worth rat removal. Read more about
how to get rid of rats
Bat removal is a highly specialized task. Texas is known to have colonizing bats who often live in buildings. Bats love attics. If not removed, the colony can grow to a very large size over the years. The bat droppings are often corrosive and cause health risks. The same goes for bird droppings on or in buildings. We perform Fort Worth pigeon removal and bird control. But our specialty is Fort Worth bat removal. We remove 100% of the bat colony and seal the building so that it's totally bat-proof. Read more about
how to get rid of bats
If you have animals inside a house, no job is complete without proper exclusion repairs. If you simply hire a Fort Worth trapper who only removes the critters, then the problem will return. You need to hire a Fort Worth wildlife control company that identifies 100% of the animal entry points into your building, and seals them shut with professional repairs. In addition, in many cases animals have left waste or contamination behind, and you'll want a company that can provide professional cleaning services. Wildlife X Team does both.
The above are just some of the services offered by Wildlife X Team. We also trap and remove animals that destroy lawns, such as moles, or digging animals. Sometimes animals like opossums will live under buildings, steal pet food, raid garbage cans, etc. Read about
how to get rid of opossums
. Skunks commonly live under sheds or decks, and set up a den. We can trap and remove them without them spraying. Read about
how to get rid of skunks
. Wildlife X Team also provides dead animal removal in Fort Worth. If you need help with any other wildlife conflict, from a fox, beaver, groundhog, or any other critter, we can solve it. We also do Fort Worth snake removal - most of the snakes in Texas are not venomous, but call us if you want safe removal, or read about
how to get rid of snakes
in Fort Worth. And remember, we are a private business, not Tarrant County Animal Control Services, so if you have a dog or cat problem, call the County at 817-392-1234. Tarrant County animal services does not handle any wildlife issues.
Wildlife X Team
Cell Phone:
Fort Worth Wildlife Tip #1:
What to do when there is a skunk in your garbage at night - Skunks are not ferocious creatures, and chances are, if you discover one in your trash at night you can just flip on your lights and the critter will flee. What's most important about finding a skunk in your garbage is that you've been given an effective warning about your trash protocols. While a lot of people like to put their trash out the night before, you should always put it in cans with lids. This will hold in any tempting odors. Putting bags out to the curb is just inviting wild animals. Proper garbage care is one of the vital steps to keeping skunks away. In addition to keeping your garbage inside until the day of pick-up, you should be very aware about any vegetable gardens or compost piles in your yard. Any time you have edible items outside, skunks will be tempted to come investigate. Another big no-no is leaving out pet food. Skunks love meat-based items, and that's one of the main ingredients in dog and cat kibble.
Fort Worth Wildlife Tip #2:
Skunk break into house - A skunk won't break into a house if that building is fortified as a home should be. Fortifying your home isn't about installing bars or fencing around the perimeter. All it takes to keep a skunk out of the home is regular preventative maintenance. This is the most important thing you can do as a homeowner. Cracks need to be repaired. Siding needs to be fixed and replaced. You can't leave screens torn and windows broken. Doing these things only invites a wild animal inside. If a skunk comes into your home, probably during the night, it did so because it found the task easy, and because there was something drawing it inside. That "something" was most likely food of some sort. People forget that cat and dog food is real food and contains real meat and vegetable protein. A skunk will love this kind of easy meal. If you have pets, you should pick up their bowls once they have walked away-unless your home is secure. If the skunk is inside and you're not sure what to do with the animal, chances are it is just as afraid of you as you are of it. You can't spray it with a putrid odor, but the you share a mutual ddesire for the animal to get outside. Open a few doors and wait patiently. The skunk will find its way out. If not, call a wildlife removal company.
Texas Wildlife Information:
Texas State bird: Northern mockingbird
State mammal: Nine-banded armadillo, Texas longhorn, Mexican free-tailed bat
State reptile: Texas horned lizard
State amphibian: Texas Toad
State fish: Guadalupe bass
State insect: Monarch butterfly
Texas, the second largest state in the United States, has multiple climate regions, and thus very unpredictable weather patterns. Not only can Texas have tornados, it can be hit with devastating hurricanes or extended periods of drought. West Texas often sees snow, whereas East Texas is almost always hot and dry. Some areas receive ample rain; some areas receive none. All of this variability means any animals living in Texas need to be ready for just about anything.
The regions in Texas where vegetation is scarce and the sun beats down are the prime locations for the many different lizard species living in the state. Of those, the Texas horned lizard spends its days eating the ample supply of ants which also thrive in the dry environment. The desert tortoise also likes to spend time out in the sun, eating prickly pear fruit. Unfortunately, these critters who love to be out in the open are often prey to one of Texas's largest nuisance animals, the coyote. More a bane to farmers, coyotes are opportunistic creatures, smart enough to evade capture and devious enough to break through inadequate fencing. Other large Texas predators, like the cougar and the bobcat, tend to be leery of people, spending most of their time in the scrub forests surrounding rivers like the Rio Grande.
A lack of large predators does not give the state any break from nuisance animals, however. Just like other, smaller states, Texas has significant issues with rodent infestations, including that of rats, mice, and squirrels. Another small animal pest, though not a rodent, is the Mexican free-tail bat, a common creature in the Texas skies at dusk. Bats love to take up residence in attics around the region, and because most areas in Texas are mild during the winter months, the bats will remain all year.
Armadillos also make their presence known in yards around the state. Texas is naturally dry, and a lush yard, which is likely irrigated, will hold a much more enticing amount of bugs for the armored critter. An armadillo can do serious damage to a yard in just one night. If that's not enough, Texas has a good number of both venomous and non-venomous snakes, all of which will be drawn to places with water supplies; aka: pools and ponds.
You can always call Wildlife X Team, any time of day, at 817-776-4970, for a price quote for Fort Worth wildlife control services. I am confident that this is the best choice amongst wildlife removal companies in Fort Worth, TX.
© 2004-2019
Website content & photos by Trapper David
Feel free to email me with questions:


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White Americana Chairs
White Americana Chairs
Unavailable $37.00
The White Americana Chair with a padded seat is one of our top selling chairs. It is the go-to chair for event organisers and wedding planners due to its lightweight and practical design. If you need an affordable folding chair for any indoor or outdoor event, then look no further.
NOW IN STOCK - PERTH warehouse
Brisbane - Sold out - New stock Arriving Mid April 2020
Minimum order is 4 chairs (1 Box) - $148inc gst
Please add 4 to your cart to purchase 1 box
AFRDI Certified Quality
***If you get a better quote call or message us to see if we can match it*****
AUSTRALIA wide Delivery or pick up from 2 Brisbane locations - South or North Brisbane
Don't hesitate to call with any questions or freight questions please call - Bron 0414 863 444
Easy To Move and Store
Setting up the White Americana Chair is a breeze. To set up all you need to do is unfold and you are ready to go. These chairs are made from 100% resin (no metal inserts) which makes them very light weight but still able to hold substantial weight. Due to their lightweight structure they are super easy to transport. When the party is over and it is time to pack up they are very compact to store. These chairs have a unique interlocking system so they can be stacked up and stored for the next event even if you have limited space.
White Americana Chairs
We have a large stock of chairs both white Americana chairs and other Americana chairs styles in stock. Feel free to call us about our range, stock and shipping rates. 0414 863 444
All Weather Chairs
The White Americana chairs are truly all weather chairs. Thanks to the UV stabilising ingredient added to the plastic your Resin Folding Chair will maintain its colour even after being out in the sun for prolonged periods of time. This will keep your chairs looking great even after the event. If you get surprised by the weather and it starts to rain you won't have to worry about the furniture. T
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TKO Products White Americana Chairs have been through rigorous testing and has been determined to be of the highest quality. For example this chair can carry a weight of up to 250kgs! If the unlikely event happens and you do have any problems with your chair please contact us directly.
NOW IN STOCK - Available for delivery and Pick up in Perth
Brisbane sold out new stock arrving Mid April 2020
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*Please contact us for a customised shipping quote if required
*Minimum 4 chair per order (one box)
If you have any further questions please call us on
Bron 0414 863 444


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Gen Image Media is a production company based in Barcelona since 2012 specialized in creation, production, distribution and commercialization of audio-visual products for television, cinema and other formats.
It starts with the project 'Barça Dreams' and similar future productions with the contribution of recognized professionals in the cinema production industry, such as the Gen Image Media founder, partner and consultant for audiovisual projects, Xavier Echeverría; and the producer and director Jordi Llompart.
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On the 7th of December, 1923, on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, there took place the final of a series of Board of Trade meetings, which then issued its Wreck Report for the steamship Trevessa. This report described the events leading up to the sinking of this ship, belonging to the well-known shipping company Hain, of St Ives in Cornwall, and what happened afterwards. It took place in Mauritius because it was on this island, and its neighbour Rodriguez Island that the two open lifeboats of the Trevessa had arrived after over three weeks of an astonishing voyage of 1728 miles across a large part of the Indian Ocean after their ship sank, and it was generally believed that they had been lost.
SS Trevessa, acquired by the Hain Line in 1920 (photo courtesy of Shipwrecks of Mauritius)
Once the news of the voyage and that 34 out of a crew of 44 had survived was heard, it became international news, with headlines around the world. The survivors were brought home and Captain Cecil Foster in particular became a great celebrity. He was summoned to an audience with George V and was impressed with the King's practical knowledge of seamanship and navigation. He received many gifts including the Lloyd's Silver Medal for Saving Life at Sea, also awarded to his First Officer. In 1924 Foster wrote a book about the adventure, using the short notes he and the First Officer had managed to keep in such difficult conditions and it rapidly became a best seller.
Foster had been at sea since he was 12 and was only 33 at the time, a young captain, but was modest and much of his short book praises the conduct of the crew. In his book he said that he had never given up hope and that the crew in his own boat were a 'wonderful crowd' only too willing to trust him. This is an understatement as it is so clear that their trust was entirely appropriate.
The sinking of the Trevessa could not be blamed on any individual. Hain's ships, and those from other companies, had for some time carried cargos of zinc concentrates from south Australia to many world destinations and the general practice was to pack oakum into any cracks or crevices below the bulk concentrate so that water would not get into the bilges, even if it could soak through the bulk zinc, which was unlikely, as it had been poured into the ship's holds and was fairly solid. There had been no notable disasters using this method. However, leaving Australia, the Trevessa ran into heavy gales, with many big seas crashing over her decks, eventually damaging two out of the four wooden lifeboats. On the night of June 3rd, the ship was hove-to in big seas and water was heard swishing about in the forward hold but when the pumps were put on, there was no water below the tanks to be pumped but water was pouring in through the bulkhead. It became obvious that the ship was tipping down by the head and at 0100, Foster ordered an SOS sent, and told the crew to abandon ship, using the two undamaged starboard lifeboats. It was a black night, a strong wind and very heavy seas of 20 to 30 feet so it was far from easy to drop the boats and get the crew and their lifebelts into them. There was very little time.
It was now that Foster's experience and decision-making proved life saving. The traditional food to put into lifeboats for emergencies had always included quantities of tinned meat, but Foster had already been in a dangerous lifeboat situation during the first world war and had decided from this experience that salted meat was useless. He had previously trained the Chief Steward so that he and the other stewards immediately went aft, hauled boxes of biscuits and condensed milk up perpendicular ladders and struggled back with them on the tilting deck, through storm waves washing over them, to divide them between the two lifeboats. These already had stores of water, and some biscuits and some tobacco and cigarettes were quickly found to add to them. There was no time for a second trip. In the final minutes, Foster had got to the bridge, measured the distance to the nearest land on the chart, and then sent the chart and sextants to the boats, then following himself. With a huge effort the crew used oars to get clear of the sinking ship and watched the Trevessa disappear, head down, with her lights on.
The two boats were identical but the single sail on the Captain's boat was a little larger than that in the First Officer's boat making the former faster in a good wind although even a good wind provided only a few miles an hour. At first they stayed together, with 20 in the Captain's boat and 24 in the other, but, having agreed to make for Mauritius, using the wind behind them and a westerly current, they parted, the Captain's faster boat going on ahead. Reading Captain Foster's small book is a revelation. He had little paper or cardboard on which to write, and it was almost impossible to keep anything dry. His crew included some east Asians, men from the Bristol Channel and West Cornwall region and ranged in age from 19 or younger, to 62. He quickly divided them into their familiar 'watches', with different tasks when not sleeping, such as baling out, rowing (if seas calm enough), managing the sail, doing repairs and watching out for other ships. Tobacco became a reward for a period of work done and food and drink were shared out at fixed intervals, in such a way that all could see that shares were exactly equal. There is no doubt that this prompt resumption of 'normality' was a strong factor in keeping up the morale of the crew and their willingness to obey the Captain.
He had no books, charts or chronometer in his boat – they had gone to the First Officer's boat; all he could do was calculate latitude when weather permitted, and having looked up the latitude of Mauritius before abandoning ship, he had to get the boat to that latitude as soon as possible and then head west, using the sun and stars to navigate. The Captain took care to nod and smile to himself as he noted each day's reading, reassuring all the anxious faces watching him that all was well and they were on course. He also taught one or two others how to navigate like this, in case he did not survive himself.
He had tried to work out the approximate number of days it might take to reach the islands and then divided the rations accordingly. These would be very small, with water the main problem. The cigarettes they had brought were in tins of 50 and the tin lids were used to measure out one third of a lid of water per day for each, about three tablespoons. Slightly more milk was allowed and one biscuit a day; the latter were very hard and towards the end of the voyage, many men could no longer chew or swallow them. When they finally made landfall, there were still enough stores of milk and biscuits to have taken them to Madagascar if they had missed the small islands in the immensity of the ocean – the Captain had kept them back on purpose, just in case, and it is remarkable that he never had to try to use force to prevent the starving crew from seizing the remains of the food at any time – they accepted his word as to what was necessary.
Apart from the great need for water, helped very occasionally by rain and the various ways which the crew invented in order to catch some, the main problem they all faced was the overcrowding. Men and stores were packed in tightly, with many seasick or becoming delirious. To lie down to sleep was very difficult and to move around at all was almost impossible, for example to haul the sail up or down, to open store boxes or do repairs and by the end, most had hugely swollen feet and had virtually lost the use of their legs. The frequently wet and windy weather made everyone constantly cold. Two men died and were buried at sea. However, the boat did not miss its destination, finding at last on June 26th the tiny island of Rodriguez where they were greeted with astonishment and well looked after, before being sent home. Four days later, the First Officer's boat arrived at Mauritius.
The Captain's boat itself was sent to an exhibition in London, being used as a collecting point for the RNLI. It then appeared on Hove sea front for several years, but has now vanished, the site of its display being covered by the new Leisure Centre. Mauritius remembers the men of Trevessa at an annual Day of the Seafarer every June. The grave of Captain Foster can be found at Barry, and a display of the Hain Steamship Company's ships is in the St Ives Museum. At Lelant church, there is a memorial and window to the young apprentice Harry Sparks, who was sadly one of the few who did not survive the long voyage in an open boat.
Highly recommended is Captain Foster's own book The Loss of the Trevessa, a second edition of which is in the Morrab Library, Penzance.
Note: the is a bit of a mystery about the Trevessa in so far as the website Tyne Built Ships says she was built by Redheads in 1899 and was sold by Hains in 1920 and renamed Miramar, wrecked in a storm in Valpariso in 1926. The Shipwrecks of Mauritius Blog has Trevessa as a Turm Hansa class cargo vessel built in Flensburg in 1909, though it does record the correct date for the wreck and the correct captain and owner. Wrecksite.eu agrees with the Flensburg construction and adds that Trevessa had been originally named SS Imkenturm and was ceded to Britain after WW1 when she was acquired by Hains. It seems likely that the original Trevessa was sold and replaced by the Imkenturm which was renamed Trevessa and thus became a rarity in the Hain fleet in that she was not built by Redheads.


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FP&A Manager (HealthTech)
|Job Title:
|FP&A Manager (HealthTech)
|Contract Type:
|£50000.00 - £60000.00 per annum + bonus
|Contact Name:
|Sam McCarthy
|Contact Email:
|Job Published:
|May 20, 2019 17:29
Job Description
As an organisation that are planning to go through an IPO next year, having established themselves as one of the UKs fastest growth businesses in 2015 and gone from strength to strength since. This role is truly an opportunity to make something your own as it will facilitate lots of development alongside company success.
The role will start out taking responsibility for creation of a commercial business unit, away from the central reporting teams. The position will be looking at KPI dashboarding, pricing, budgets and forecasts as well as the developing strategic focus, looking at investment valuations, due diligence etc supporting the CFO and other senior stakeholders
The organisation are in a truly fascinating industry sector and this opportunity will give someone the opportunity to move their skill set into an area normally difficult to get into.
Your new role
Production of annual budgets and forecasts
Business partnering with operational budget holders
Data analysis
Financial planning
Pricing and contract work
Working with CFO to look at yearly strategic review and increasing awareness across the organisation
On going Project work
What you'll need to succeed
Qualified CIMA
Experience in an analyst function
Business partnering exposure
Strong communications
Modelling capability
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call Sam McCarthy on 02034650012.
If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
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Your Wealth Management Should Represent Your Best Interests–Not Your Advisor's
There are plenty of wealth advisors out there.
Why work with one who uses specific products or managers because of an incentivized allegiance? We're not paid by the managers we choose, unlike advisors in the brokerage world, so we truly work in your best interests. When it comes to investment strategies, it's important to understand the drivers behind the advice you're getting.
What Makes Lake Street Advisors Truly Independent When It Comes to Wealth Management?
We don't maintain ties to any specific products or managers that would drive our investment decisions
We don't accept commissions
We don't hold back from changing direction or making hard decisions on your behalf
We don't let any bias impact doing what's best for your financial future


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!! History Commons Alert, Exciting News
A screenshot from the Hutchinson, Kansas, Patriot Freedom Alliance Web site comparing President Obama to a skunk. The photo and accompanying text was quickly removed after it was reported in a local newspaper. [Source: Hutchinson News]Thomas Hymer, the leader of the Hutchinson, Kansas, Patriot Freedom Alliance (PFA), also known as the Hutchinson Tea Party, places a picture of a skunk on the PFA's Web site and says it should supplant the bald eagle as the symbol for President Obama. The Web site explains why a skunk should represent Obama, stating, "It is half black, half white, and almost everything it does, stinks." Hymer calls the picture "satire in a politically incorrect form," but Hutchinson NAACP leader Darrell Pope says it is "a blatant statement of racism… intended to be malicious." Pope says that tea party organizations like Hymer's can pretend to support Herman Cain, a black Republican presidential candidate, all they like, but the skunk posting is "a statement of what they're all about." Local tea party activist Chuck Sankey agrees with Hymer, saying: "It just makes a point that we're in trouble and what's happening doesn't smell right. That's what it means to me." As for the half-black, half-white reference, Sankey asks: "Isn't that the truth? What's wrong with the truth?… It may be offensive to some, of course, but in humor there is always an element of truth." Sankey, who denies he is a racist, says if people are offended, then "Don't look at it." Sankey adds that the graphic is justified because former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R-AK) has been the target of worse insults. After the article about the skunk graphic is posted to the Hutchinson News Web site, Hymer or another Hutchinson Tea Party member removes the graphic from the site. A Web post by The New Civil Rights Movement says another anti-Obama Web site, ObamaForwards.com, displayed the same photo and text accompaniment in July 2010. A commenter on the article says the Hutchinson Tea Party sported a Confederate flag on its float in a recent Christmas parade. [Hutchinson News, 12/10/2011; TPM Muckraker, 12/12/2011; David Badash, 12/12/2011]
Entity Tags: Herman Cain, Barack Obama, Chuck Sankey, Darrell Pope, Patriot Freedom Alliance, Thomas Hymer, Hutchinson News
Timeline Tags: Domestic Propaganda
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Upgrading a node module that wraps C code
Today I wanted to get this ultra-thin LED matrix working with Raspberry Pi in NodeJS as part of my work on my new ST4i workshop. The SeeedStudio Ultrathin Red LED matrix. It's such a nice bright matrix, I really love … There's more
Lunar Trails comes to Brussels
Right in the middle of the PixelPyros tour, I'm taking a minor detour to Belgium where I'll be installing Lunar Trails at the Bozar Night 2013. There'll be several other digital installations and performances, check it out if you're in … There's more
Live coding examples from Beyond Tellerand
Sorry this one's taken a little while to post! At Marc Thiele's excellent conference Beyond Tellerand a couple of weeks ago, I live coded some snow and other things in JavaScript, and here's the code. Keep an eye on the … There's more
PixelPhones – a huge display made with smartphones
Whew! It's been a massively intense few weeks getting my PixelPhones project ready in time for my presentation at FOTB. I've been coding day and night for months, and I was up until 4am the night before making sure that … There's more
Smooth JS animation on iOS – tutorial on CreativeJS.com
Two tutorials in two weeks!? I know, it's crazy but I'm getting through a bit of a backlog here 🙂 I've now posted a guide to making super smooth running games within the browser on iOS. You can wrap it … There's more
Three.js tutorial now on CreativeJS.com
Our very first tutorial has gone live on CreativeJS.com. Getting up and running with three.js can be tricky, but hopefully this will make it very easy! I've refactored it since it launched last week – let me know if you … There's more
Launch traffic takes down CreativeJS server
CreativeJS.com is the brand new place to go for all the very best examples of JavaScript and HTML5 projects, libraries and tutorials from across the globe. It launched today at 4pm, and 10,000 visitors brought the site down. Oops. Well … There's more
CreativeJS comes home to Brighton
[UPDATE] SOLD OUT! In just a few days. Sign up to be the first to hear about the next one. [UPDATE] Early bird tickets sold out in 10 minutes! 3 tickets left! It's with a heavy heart that I leave … There's more
WebGL and Molehill : an overview of in-browser GPU 3D
The Edge magazine recently asked for my thoughts on hardware accelerated graphics within the browser, and I gave them a fairly comprehensive run down. They published excerpts but here is my response in full with some updates, hopefully you'll find … There's more
New CreativeJS dates – NYC, Kansas and UK
New York – SOLD OUT Kansas City – SOLD OUT! UK dates coming soon – August I'm into my second week here in Manhattan and it's been pretty exciting so far! Last week I had a tour of Big Spaceship … There's more


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Pg. 40
on January 11, 2018
Chapter: 01
I heard a saying once about making friends. You can't shake a hand if your fist is clenched, or something like that.
Working on some Patreon rewards! As I get them finished, feel free to check them out by clicking the Patron page.


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If you send out an SMS message from your database with the help of Database
user of Ozeki NG SMS Gateway you need to insert a record into the database.
The database user checks the database and it sends out the SMS text message to
the SMS center (SMSC). From the SMSC you will receive a report about the fact
that the message arrives at the SMSC. This report contains the callback ID of
the message. When the report is received the Database user updates the message
status to Sent and insert the callback ID into Reference column
of the database. This is the usual process of sending SMS from a database
(Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Sending SMS from a database with Database user
But if the user did not received the message after some time for any reason
(for example the handset is off), then it is possible to cancel the message
from the SMSC with the help of cancel_sm service. It can be the proper solution
if the message has been expired after a definite time.
To cancel the message from the SMSC, insert a record into the database:
Message type: SMS:CANCEL
Recipient: the original recipient of the message
Message: the received callback ID
So if you insert the record above into the database, the Database user will poll
out it and send a cancel indication to the SMSC and the SMSC will return a
confirmation if the message has been canceled (Figure 2).
Figure 1 - Canceling SMS with cancel_sm
First start Ozeki NG SMS Gateway and go to Database user
configuration pane. In SQL Settings menu select SQL for sending
tab. Click on Sent tab and type reference='$callbackid' after
"status='sent'," (Figure 3).
Figure 3 - Type reference='$callbackid'
In our example I send out a test message to demonstrate the
solution (Figure 4).
Recipient: +06205460691
Message: Hello World!
Status: send
Figure 4 - Send out a message
On Figure 5 you can see that the message is accepted for
delivery and the callback ID is also defined in this report.
Figure 5 - Callback ID
With SELECT * FROM ozekimessageout; statement you can
query the messages from ozekimessageout table. After clicking on Execute
you can see the message data that contain the callback ID among others (Figure
Figure 6 - Query ozekimessageout table
Now I insert a record to be sent out into the database where
Recipient: is the same as in the original message (+06205460691)
Message type: SMS:CANCEL
Status: send (Figure 7).
Figure 7 - Insert a record to send out
In SMPP service provider the following PDUs will be seen: the
first row is the cancel indication for canceling the message. The second row is
the confirmation about the fact that the message has been canceled (Figure 8).
Figure 8 - PDUs for canceling
Dig deeper!
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SMPP connection
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Optional SMPP parameters


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building my business, I identified a need for specific services and pioneered a turnkey one-stop shopping for companies engaged in private equity fundraising, M&A or the IPO process.
As a result I know a little bit about working with tight deadlines, speaker preparation, and motivating and training busy executives to focus, deliver and engage a skeptical investor who may be half-listening in the midst of a chattering hostile market.
After hundreds of assignments across diverse industries such as semiconductor, software, venture capital, legal, security, gaming, agriculture, retail, cleantech and medical device, I continue to work with my clients to improve their individual delivery skills to move, inform and motivate an audience.
Sometimes all that's required is a review and clean up of an existing slide presentation or providing coaching and video feedback for an individual speaker to brush up and dust off rusty delivery skills. But more often the assignment is a start-from-scratch, complete package that includes slide concept and design as well as personal delivery skills coaching and Q&A training for the management team.
Whatever the speaking engagement, I'm always focused on clarity and consistency in design and pitch. And if the presentation includes visuals, I take care to ensure that the visuals enhance the spoken word and never compete with it.
Visuals are powerful and will steal the spotlight if a speaker hasn't been taught the power of an image and the importance of crafting a message to work with it. Presentation graphics should support the speaker's unique story, engage the audience, and not override, dilute or blur the message.


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Category: Uncategorized
Calling for Home
The sun was bright today
The world was cold
My hopes were taken in a sunny chilly wind.
Sad as winter's darkness, bright as new beginning.
The spring turns the season as I turn the page.
Home I look for
In the help I'll seek
I'll find it dancing in my song
Singing in the movement of my feet
Waving in the breezes and the colors of a dawning
And the laughter of the clouds that greet the warming afternoon.
My evening will not come
Until I'm ready.
I Understand
Rain on Winter's Final Snows
For the Unforgiven
She was beautiful
Take me back again
I was 60+ with an open heart, Windows down and and my silver car.
The world was young and I was dumb.
and she was beautiful . . .
Without Struggle, There Can Be No Progress
Frederick Douglass Used these words to remove the blinders of "liberals" and abolitionists alike from the notion that a government unrepresentative of the oppressed could possibly liberate by legislation or some other easy way out.
Just like Douglass, and so many others throughout history, I intend to write in this space with a single end in mind: We are not alone and it is Us that need to formulate our destiny. We cannot gain human liberation through the voices not our own, through the interests not our own, through the actions not our own.
It may seem to you that my personal journeys seem unrelated to this theme. The purpose of a new liberatory future is the wholeness of our world and, therefore, the wholeness of each one of us. Seeking to find my way is not unrelated to us finding our way.
Make no mistake, the "our" referred here are the voices, the interests, the actions of people seeking to benefit from the wealth that we all create but that is aggregated into the hands and coffers of the so very few who largely benefit from the work of others and not their own; the voices, interests, and actions of women, whose oppression is the root of all oppression that has resulted from the development of class society; the voices, interests, and actions of the the vast majority of different colors, ethniciites, and oppressed nations whose social oppression is perpetrated in the interests of a capitalist class created over the course of history to serve as a repository for the theft of material wealth and the maintenance of beliefs that we live in this "best of possible worlds".
My voice is one among many. My interests are many and reflect the interests and questions that I believe every human being (including the oppressors among us) should undertake to understand. The actions I take will always be to root us out from the notion that any of us–no matter how different or abled, no matter how ill-educated we are at any one point–deserves nothing less than all that is possible for every person, every element of sentience, every view of life.


text:
Show Less
Research Handbook on the Economics of Labor and Employment Law
Edited by Cynthia L. Estlund and Michael L. Wachter
This Research Handbook assembles the original work of leading legal and economic scholars, working in a variety of traditions and methodologies, on the economic analysis of labor and employment law. In addition to surveying the current state of the art on the economics of labor markets and employment relations, the volume's 16 chapters assess aspects of traditional labor law and union organizing, the law governing the employment contract and termination of employment, employment discrimination and other employer mandates, restrictions on employee mobility, and the forum and remedies for labor and employment claims.
Show Summary Details


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72 Hours in The Exciting City of Hong Kong
The vibrant, densely populated city of Hong Kong is an exciting place to visit! The urban centre is a major port and global financial hub with a skyline dominated by huge sky scrapers, for example the I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower.
This is where people come to experience the bustling city's vibrant culture, delicious food and of course shopping! The Temple Street Night Market is particularly popular amongst visitors, but there are so many more great spots to discover. And we will help you find them!
So pack your bags, and get ready for another 72 hour adventure, this time to Southeastern China, Hong Kong!
Day 1:
We all know one of the funnest things to do when traveling is checking in to your vacation hotel! This is the place you'll return to every day and reminisce about your wonderful experiences. This next hotel is the perfect place to do just that. The Mira Hong Kong is located in Tsim She Tsui which is the heart of Hong Kong's commercial, shopping, dining and entertainment district, overlooking the lush Kowloon Park few minutes walk from the Star Ferry. It is perfectly located close to all the action, and the hotel is chic and stylish, so you'll live in class while spending your time in Hong Kong.
Following your check in, it is time to go explore some of the great shopping in Hong Kong. As a little contrast to some of the major busy markets where you can hardly move, Stanley Market is one of the very best alternatives. This is a must-go place where you will find an array of little shops selling silk garments, art, jewelry and of course great souvenirs. And if you're hungry for some lunch their many restaurants are extremely popular amongst all the locals!
Following a good day of shopping head to The Madhouse Taproom. Located in the heart of Mong Kok, Kowloon city district. You can go here to find new and unique craft beer and craft cider. With 20 draft taps and a bottled section from around the world you are bound to find a delicious drink to enjoy while chilling in a cool setting. What better way to start off your vacay!
If you want to feel a little adrenaline this first day in Hong Kong you could also head to Hong Kong's Happy Valley Racecourse. This is a great spot to have some fun and win some cash. Make sure to hop over on a Wednesday for themed entertainment featuring the thrill of live horse racing while enjoying some talented live bands and various performers and a boatload of games. Beer Garden, as it is aptly named, is an awesome area by the trackside to enjoy the festivities all night long with tons of beers alongside international and local dishes. Happy Wednesday, as it is known is the perfect place to spend some hours doing something different in the city centre!
Dinner time, and we weren't lying when we said you'll get some delicious food in Hong Kong! Start your dining experience with Wooloomooloo. You can choose either Wooloomooloo Prime or Wooloomooloo Steak house. Both are fantastic! The Steakhouse is occupying the 31st Floor and rooftop of The Hennessy, and it encompasses an exclusive 270-degree view of Happy Valley, Victoria Harbor and the Wan Chai metropolitan district. This is a spectacular place to eat in an open-air rooftop or in the dining room downstairs. The food is magical too! If you would rather visit Wooloomooloo Prime (although we suggest you make time for both on your trip) it is located in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui's commercial district on the top floor of The ONE shopping mall with a wonderful view of the streets below and a stunning backdrop of the island skyline.
Day 2:
Your second day in Hong Kong has begun. And how about starting it with a lovely swim at the SCAA Swimming Pool? Open all days of the week they have a heated ten 50m lanes swimming pool, a heated 25m lames training pool and also an outdoor diving pool. The area has multiple other club house facilities, so it could be a fun, different and not to mention active way to start your second day in the city.
After a swim, time for a filling, tasty meal, head to Rummin' Tings. This is a super cool Caribbean inspired bar and restaurant right in the heart of central Hong Kong. The food is an interpretation of Caribbean style street food and home cooking inspired from Jamaica and Trinidad as well as other West Indian islands. Their lunch is just delicious, and you can eat while sipping on their signature cocktails also inspired by exotic island flavours.
Perfect after a delicious meal is a delicious speciality coffee. To find that go to Café Sausalito. Here you get an opportunity to relax, learn and socialize amongst a global community. Every single cup of coffee is brewed with love and passion. On the weekends they often have live music, so this is absolutely a place to hang on your Hong Kong vacation.
It is time for dinner already! And tonight you are in for an incredible dining experience at Belon. Recently this restaurant earned a place on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and the chef Daniel Calvert earned the title as Hong Kong Tatler's "Best New Chef" award in 2018. This place is a neo-Parisian restaurant which is showcasing French-rooted, yet locally influenced, cooking. The food is simply divine, and the restaurant is a chic place to dine. This will be one of your Hong Kong highlights!
Let's finish this splendid second day in Hong Kong with some awesome live music at The Wanch. This is a historic, international and completely unpretentious Music City with the best quality service and a wide range of excellent free live music. This is the perfect spot for a casual night of good music! They also host events like the H2 Music festival which is a 7 days music extravaganza, so make sure you try to time your visit in Hong Kong with this festival!
You might be wanting to try a different spot to sleep in Hong Kong as there are so many excellent hotels in town. Two spectacular ones to choose from is Hilton Garden Inn or Conrad Hong Kong. Hilton Garden Inn Hong Kong Mongkok is located in Kowloon's shopping district right near the exciting night life and street bazars so it is an easy walk home after a night out. You can choose between beautiful garden or harbour view rooms. Conrad Hong Kong is another incredible hotel in town with first class service and located perfectly close to everything you need and want to see while in Hong Kong. The spectacular rooms have everything you need for a high-class stay and with 6 restaurants you also have plenty of meal options in the comfort of your hotel.
Day 3:
Continuing this third and last day in Hong Kong with lots of walking around the city as well as continuing some great shopping. While you wander around to different shops and markets to bring home cool gifts for yourself and friends, also do a stop at Bleak House Books. This is a cool indie bookshop that specializes in new and used English language books. But it is not just a book store, it is also a community place where book lovers and thinkers can take refugee from the bustling Hong Kong city!
For lunch today you're in for another delicious treat. Find your way to Brass Spoon. They serve some awesome authentic Vietnamese street food that will make your day! It is a super casual place, so no reservations needed, just walk here and get ready to indulge. They even have two locations in town.
For another casual and local experience go to Drunkerland next. This is a really cool international bar in Tin Hau. They serve great local craft beer, but they also have beer from all over the world. And you can even get some pub food on the side. It is an excellent spot to hang with the locals in Hong Kong!
Tonight, head out for a fun and unique experience at Test Kitchen. You can choose to either go here to dine or go here to cook. At Test Kitchen, it is almost like a cooking community. They want to bring a great experience and opportunity to the chefs and diners where their goal is to discover talented chefs with a passion to cook food they love, and then give them a stage to share it with diners. Check out their website to book your perfect dining experience.
After this magical last evening at Test Kitchen continue the magic by heading to Bar de Luxe. This is the ideal last stop on your vacation. Bar de Luxe is a Japanese style cocktail bar with changing special drinks often based on seasonal fruits and ingredients. The bartender team is amazing, and the cocktails are just divine! It is a great spot to soak in the last vibrant atmosphere of the great Hong Kong.
This final evening has come to an end, and let's really end it in style! For your last evening, maybe even longer, book a room at Madera Hollywood. This is a fantastic art hotel in Hong Kong with walls dominated by cool colours and paintings of familiar famous faces. Madera Hollywood has 38 one bedroom suites, all vibrant in colour and absolutely beautiful and comfortable. This is a truly stylish place to spend your nights in Hong Kong for sure!
Oh no, these 72 hours in Hong Kong are over, and we know you could have stayed forever! There is much more to do and see, and absolutely more to eat and drink, so do make sure this isn't your last time visiting wonderful Hong Kong!


text:
- Description
DetailsThe always popular Christmas tune, "Merry Christmas From The Family", now available as a Christmas card! There are 12 cards and envelops per set.
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw the breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Silent Night, Oh Holy Night
Halelluja everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Fam-O-Lee!
- Reviews


text:
Eric Jaffe
Eric Jaffe is the former New York bureau chief for CityLab. He is the author of A Curious Madness and The King's Best Highway.
One argument against government rail subsidies is that public transportation should pay for its own costs through fares. Setting aside the fact that road users don't pay their own costs either, cities should certainly strive for user-pay transit systems with high farebox recovery rates. At the same time, many benefits of rail travel come from reducing road externalities — things like pollution or safety hazards — that are harder to calculate in strict financial terms.
Recent work from a research team led by economist Rafael Lalive of the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland, addresses this grey area with a creative study of German rail subsidies. In the mid-1990s, Germany implemented a policy reform that increased competition on certain passenger rail lines, resulting in a 28 percent increase in service. Using data from 551 lines, together with data on major road externalities (e.g. car emissions and severe accidents), Lalive and colleagues analyzed the connection between better service and public benefits.
What they found is that increasing rail service frequency by 10 percent reduced road accidents by 4.6 percent. Higher frequency rail service significantly cut down on certain nitrogen emissions too. The source of the savings seemed to be people who got off the roads and onto the rails: increased passenger rail service reduced car and motorcycle use by nearly 3 percent on commutes and leisure trips alike.
"These findings indicate that people indeed substitute from cars to trains if passenger service frequency increases," Lalive and colleagues wrote last week on Vox, an economic policy site. (The Vox write-up summarized research presented in a longer discussion paper from February 2012 [PDF].)
They then tried to monetize these rail benefits. They estimated the value of road collision prevention at about 1.2 billion euros (75,000 fewer crashes at 16,000 euros apiece) and priced lower nitrogen emissions at about half a billion euros. Together the road externalities eliminated by rail upgrades were worth roughly 1.75 billion euros — just about what the German government had paid in rail subsidies in the first place:
Our estimates indicate that these monetary benefits are in the same order of magnitude as the costs. While we do not have any precise figures on the additional subsidies required to finance this growth, it appears unlikely that these additional funds are much higher than the corresponding monetary benefits.
In other words, Germany recouped its public investment in rail through environmental and public health savings alone. That's before considering farebox revenue, and without even factoring in the time and money saved from reduced congestion. Simply put, the research underscores the fact that there are many ways to justify the public value of a transit project.
Writing about this research at his New York Times blog, Paul Krugman notes the "huge costs" that rush-hour drivers impose on everyone else in the city. The best response to these "huge market failures," in Krugman's mind and the minds of other economically minded experts, is to charge road fares during peak hours. But since American policy-makers have shied away from this approach, the second-best response is to build mass transit, he argues.
"[T]his is a totally obvious case for government intervention that's staring us in the face every time we hit the road," he writes.
This is the sort of economic case study that transportation officials in American cities would be wise to gather as the country moves toward an era of increased local transportation funding. As more and more costs fall to states and cities, sound justification for transit spending will become more and more important. While the findings reported by Lalive and company seem intuitive, there remain skeptics who still question the environmental benefits of transit. Solid research that not only makes these externalities clear but also puts a price on them is invaluable for the local policy debates that are certain to come.
Top image: A regional train travels along snow-covered rails near Essen in Germany. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)
Some renters and homeowners are getting financial assistance during the economic disruption from the coronavirus pandemic. What about landlords?
Will COVID-19 change how cities are designed? Michele Acuto of the Connected Cities Lab talks about density, urbanization and pandemic preparation.
To move Covid-19 patients from the hardest-hit areas, authorities in France turned one of the nation's famous TGV trains into a very fast ambulance.
Urban resilience expert Michael Berkowitz shares ideas about how U.S. cities can come back stronger from the social and economic disruption of coronavirus.
There's a fatal history behind the claim that African Americans are more resistant to diseases like Covid-19 or yellow fever.