Survival Skills - How To Build A Survival Fire

How To Build A Survival Fire

If you ever find yourself in a survival situation, especially in cold or wet weather, few things will be as important to your survival as the ability to make fire. Hypothermia can set in when your body temperature drops by as little as two degrees, and it goes without saying that fire could be what stands between you and freezing to death. Almost as important, a positive attitude is essential to being able to survive and make it home to your family, and a nice warm fire can be the difference between hope and despair. But knowing how to build a fire, especially if you have no matches or lighter, can be difficult at best. If you've never spent any time building these all-important skills, mastering them in moments of stress will be almost impossible.

So we'll explore the basics of how to build a fire in survival situations. Once you've got the head knowledge, it's imperative that you put that knowledge to work in a practical way. You have to practice, practice, practice, until the different ways of building a survival fire become a part of your muscle memory. Only then can you be sure that when it really matters, you'll be able to call your skills to mind. You can't save yourself, or anyone else, if your knowledge never makes it off the page.

Where To Build A Survival Fire: Location, location, location

As they say in real estate, it's all about the location. The same holds true for choosing a place to build your fire. There are several things to consider:

1. Where will your shelter be placed? If you've not already erected a shelter, choosing a location for your fire should be made in conjunction with a choice about shelter placement. If possible, choose an area below the canopy of a covering tree where limbs are over 10 feet high.

2. What direction is the wind coming from? This also applies to your shelter location. Selecting a fire site that is out of the wind will help in building the fire, maintaining the fire, staying out of the smoke, and controlling the fire, as well.

3. What are the ground conditions? On wet ground your fire will struggle, if you ever get it started at all. In wet areas, or snow, you may have to build up a base for your fire to sit on. Choose rocks or green bows to build something out of the wet to build a fire on.

4. Identify and protect against wildfire danger: Clear the area of debris and build a containment area. Fist size stones make a good fire ring, a trench or pit can also be used, anything to help ensure that your survival blaze doesn't become the spark that sets the world on fire.

Fuel To Start Your Survival Fire: Identifying Usable Material

You can't have a fire without fuel. Best case scenario you're in a wooded area full of dead, dry wood just waiting to be gathered up and turned into a roaring blaze. Standing dead timber makes the best firewood. If you aren't so lucky, remember that any items can be used to feed a fire. Dry dung will burn, if you can find it. Grasses, bundled and tied into knots, will burn longer than if it's loosely piled. Whatever you can find, get as much as you think you'll need, gathered to the place you've chosen for your fire, and then double it. Nobody ever gathers enough firewood.

Finding Dry Tinder: this can be a challenge in wet conditions. Tinder is the fine materials used to catch a spark, and the most basic part of any fire. If you were building a fire at home, in a fireplace, wadded newspaper would be your tinder. But in the wild, you'll have to carry in, find, or make tinder. A small pile of fire starting material is called a tinder nest. Knowing where to look for tinder can be the difference between getting a spark to catch, and going cold through the night. If you can, locate a fallen tree or limb. Even after days of rain, the underside of the tree can hide dry materials. If there isn't dry grass, twigs or leaves, take your knife and scrape up into the log, on the downward facing side, to create a bed of spongy dead wood. As long as you're using your knife, you can shave off the outer wet layer of a good sized stick, to reveal the drier wood underneath.

Making Tinder: Your clothing can also provide you with some usable tinder. Scrape the sharp blade of your knife along a flannel shirt, cotton t-shirt, or blue jeans to create a small pile of made-to-order lint. Use your knife to whittle a stick into a pile of shavings. The outside may be wet, but the wood inside will be much dryer. Cat tails and tree moss, if you can find them dry, also make great tinder for starting your fire. Cat tails go up fast, though, so have your other materials ready before you light it.

Bringing Your Own Tinder: To avoid having to hunt tinder in poor conditions, you could carry some on you. A good wilderness pack should always contain a fire starting kit that would include tinder, among other things. There are several great commercial fire starter kits that would be very handy to have on hand in a survival situation. In addition to your fire starter kit, here are several types of tinder that would be easy to find around the house and put in the bottom of your pack, to always have with you.

• Cotton balls covered in petroleum jelly (you'll want to put these inside a baggie to keep them from getting on everything else)

• Steel wool - super fine grade works best

• Lighter wood - pine wood chunks, soaked in pitch, usually from the stump of a tree

• Dryer lint - you make some every time you do a load of washing. Put a couple of loads worth in a Ziploc bag, put it down in the bottom of your carry bag, and forget it's there until you need it.

• Char cloth - heat cloth in a container until it quits smoking - it should be dark brown

Homemade Accelerant: If you have a tube of petroleum based chap stick, you can cut a corner off of your cotton or flannel shirt or jeans, rub it good with chap stick and use it as a base for your homemade dryer lint tinder. The chap stick cloth will act as a wick, pulling petroleum into the lint, encouraging your tinder to burn longer, giving you a better chance of getting your natural tinder to light and take off. This can be especially helpful if you're having trouble finding a dry area to start your tinder nest. There are other materials that can be used as an accelerant, if you can find them. Petroleum jelly, or petroleum based antibiotic from your first aid kit will burn, as will WD40, super glue, motor oil and a number of other household items that you likely wouldn't have in a survival situation, but who knows? Mixing these accelerants with your fine tinder or a bit of cloth will help them to burn even longer, giving your other materials a chance to dry out and catch.

How To Start Your Survival Fire: Tinder Nests

How to build a fire if you don't have matches or a bic lighter? Not a question you want to face for the first time in a life or death situation. There are many methods for building a fire without matches. An important thing to remember is that tinder burns quickly, so before setting the spark to your tinder, have the next step ready to go. You don't want to have to start three or four tinder nests, before you get your fire going.

Gather a bundle of twigs into a bunch, like you're picking wild flowers. Holding the thicker ends together firmly at the bottom, the narrower ends up. Pack the narrow ends full of tinder (this is tinder separate from your tinder nest), then stand the whole thing on its head, with the tinder now on the bottom. Adjust the bundle as necessary to make it stand up in your fire pit. Now you're ready to set a spark to your tinder nest, then push the lighted tinder into the bottom of the bundle, igniting the entire thing.

How To Start Your Survival Fire: Friction

There are already a number of great guides on how to build a fire with friction. You can learn the steps here from the Boy Scouts of America or here from Field and Stream Friction fires are more difficult to master, and certainly should be learned and practiced by anyone serious about their survival craft. But there are some easier, though less discussed, methods for starting a fire that we are going to focus on here.

Flint and Steel: This is the easiest of all the "survival" methods, and barely qualifies as "friction based fire." All that's required is a piece of flint and piece of high carbon steel, like your survival knife. A spark is formed through friction, by striking the steel against the flint. Place your tinder bundle to catch the sparks and gently blow the spark to life, once it catches in the tinder. If you haven't carried flint with you, you may be lucky enough to find some around. This YouTube video shows you how to identify flint.

How To Start Your Survival Fire: Lens

Standard Lens: this method is pretty straight forward. Most little boys have practiced this method on ants unfortunate enough to set up camp in their yard. The biggest downside to this method is that it only works on a sunny day.

• Find a lens - magnifying glass, binoculars, reading glasses, lens from a camera (you'd probably have to remove it), even the lens from the end of a flashlight, removed.

• Hold the lens up to the sun, tilting it to focus the sun into a fine point of light, hold the light steady on your tinder nest until it ignites. If you're using binoculars to focus your light, hold the wide end up to the sun, focusing the light out the narrow end.

• Steady! A steady hand is important, as is patience. A point of light that moves all over the place will never build up enough heat to light the tinder.

Less Common Lenses: Lenses can be created out of unusual items.

• Ice can be made into a lens, given the right circumstances. Absolutely clear water is necessary. With an approximately 2" thick piece of clear ice, use your survival knife to shape the ice into the rough shape of a lens. You can also use nearby stone to grind the ice into the right shape. Using the heat from your hand to smooth the edges of your ice lens, you should end up with a piece of ice that is much thicker in the middle than it is on the edges. Think "coke bottle glasses" kind of a lens. Then use the ice to focus the sunlight in the same way you would a traditional lens.

• Coke can lens - not exactly a lens, but another way to focus sunlight is to polish the aluminum on the bottom of a drink can to a high shine. You can use toothpaste, sand, or even chocolate to polish the aluminum to a high shine and then reflect the sun back onto the tinder nest.

• Water bottle - a preferably clear water bottle filled with water, can be transformed into a lens by removing the label and holding curved side of the bottle up to focus the sunlight onto your tinder nest.

• Bag of water - this method is about as simple as it sounds. Water in a clear plastic bag creates a bulging side that acts as a lens for focusing the heat of the sun and giving you fire.

One Additional Note: focusing your beam of light onto darker material is more successful in igniting than lighter material. Char cloth would be an ideal tinder for this scenario, but if all you have is natural tinder, focus your beam on the darkest you have in your nest. Once you get the tinder to smoke, continue to hold the beam of light in place until you have a genuine spark, then gently blow the spark into a flame and move your tinder nest into your kindling bundle.

The lesson with lens methods is to be creative. Don't give up. If you lack the means to start a fire with one method, look around to see what else you might have available that just may work. A never quit attitude will bring you home to your family.

How To Start Your Survival Fire: Other Methods

Batteries and Steel Wool: Hopefully you've carried in, or can find, something with batteries in it and some fine grade steel wool. This is one of the easiest methods of fire starting, short of having matches or a lighter. Even a battery as small as AA will work. Slightly shred a piece of the steel wool, and make it long enough to reach both ends of the battery. Be sure you don't break the continuity of the steel wool. Hold the steel wool to both ends of the battery and it will ignite, almost immediately.

Battery and aluminum gum wrapper: much like steel wool, this method is easy, but you have to move quick to make the most of the spark. The paper flashes and burns out just as fast. Shape the chewing gum wrapper into an hour glass shape, fat at both ends, narrow in the middle. This shape concentrates the flow of electricity in the middle, igniting the paper very quickly. But it goes out almost immediately, so your tinder will need to be very dry, and very close by.

With every method, once you get a spark in your tinder nest, blow it gently until you create a flame, and then move it to the bundle of kindling, to start your fire. Once your kindling is going good, add slightly larger pieces of wood, being careful not to smother your flame. Congratulations! You've started a fire!

Practice How To Build A Fire

All the head knowledge in the world will do you little good in an emergency situation if you can't call it to mind. Even skills that you can remember, but have never done, will be difficult to do for the very first time under stressful conditions. Take every opportunity to build a fire to use one of these non-traditional ways of doing so. Show your children or your friends how to build a fire without a match. They'll be impressed with you and closer to possessing this all-important life-saving skill themselves.

Kelli is the owner of http://www.EverydayCarryGear.com and publisher of "How To Build A Survival Fire", one of the many articles designed to educate and help you the reader be prepared and ready for action in whatever survival situation you could find yourself in. If you enjoyed this article, I recommend heading over to website for some more great reads.


 By Kelli Warner


Article Source: Survival Skills - How To Build A Survival Fire

Survival Tips - How To Build The Best EDC Kit

How To Build The Best EDC Kit

An Every Day Carry Kit, or EDC, is comprised of the everyday carry gear, including emergency items, that you might need to face challenges or dangers, that come between you and home. In the strictest sense, we all take an EDC kit with us each day. Our wallet or purse, keys, money, cell phone; these are the things we've decided we need each day to ensure that we can do what we need to do and get home safely. But is it everything you need?

Identifying Your Everyday Carry Gear Needs

If only we knew exactly what situations we would face on a given day, we would never leave our house unprepared. There are no warnings given for disasters. You have to try to anticipate your needs before they arrive. Your daily routine can give you some ideas about the types of situations for which you need to be prepared.

Where Do You Live? Do you live in an urban, suburban, or country community? Or do you live so far out in the boonies that, without a four-wheel-drive truck, you'd need a 72-hour pack to make it home alive?

Work Environment? You may live in a gated community but work in a dangerous part of town. Consider where you'll be spending time, especially outside of your car, as a part of determining likely risk.

Long Commute? People who commute long distances have a higher likelihood of certain challenges like car trouble, or dangers such as car accidents.

Responsible For Others? If you often have children with you, you may need to consider their needs as a part of your every day carry gear.

Unique Medical Needs? Do you suffer from a food allergy, bee allergy, asthma, high blood pressure or diabetes? Rescue medications like back up inhalers, epi-pens, blood pressure medicine, insulin, and needles would need to be a part of every kit you prepare.

Assessing What Challenges or Dangers You Are Likely to Face?

There are three types of scenarios for which you need to be prepared.

Challenges: common situations like a flat tire or a dark parking lot, a power outage; things that won't kill you, but a little preparation goes a long way toward making things easier.

Threats: a personal attack, car accident, injury, or an opportunity to help another person with one of these scenarios.

Catastrophes: Terrorist attack, natural disaster, rioting, getting lost or breaking down way out in the wilderness, anything that results in a major disruption to routine, or makes it necessary for you to survive on your own, at least for a time.

You know your routine. Only you can identify your unique needs and likely threats. It's important to be prepared, but if you try to prepare for every single emergency that could ever arise, you could end up with an EDC kit that's so enormous you never have it with you. The very best everyday carry gear is the gear you actually have on you when the need arises.

The Difference Between an EDC, a GHB, and a Bug Out Bag

If your initial instinct is to over-prepare, relax. At least you're on the right track. There are several types of emergency kits that are valuable to have around, and they all serve slightly different purposes. A Get Home Bag, or GHB, carries a little more equipment than you would want to carry on your person and is designed to do exactly what the name implies, get you home. Another type of emergency kit, called a Bug Out Bag, or BOB, and is as much as you can carry (within reason) and is designed to give you everything you need to survive up to a week. The weight limit recommendation for a Bug Out Bag is 1/3 of a man's body weight and 1/4 of a woman's.

Preparing for eventualities with all three of these types of kits in mind can allow you to prepare efficiently and give you ultimate peace of mind. You could think of it this way: Your everyday carry gear is designed to get you to your Get Home Bag. Your GHB is designed to get you to your Bug Out Bag. And your BOB is designed to support you through a minimum of a week in the wilderness, should the need arise. Best case scenario, you never need a GHB or a BOB, but it's nice to have them. An EDC kit, however, you are almost certain to need at least a couple of times a year.

What To Carry In Your Every Day Carry Kit

There are many recommended items that you might want to carry as a part of your EDC kit. Based on the risk assessment that you've already performed, you'll need to choose the items that best help you meet those needs.

Must Have Items:

Self Defense - a knife, box cutter, credit card knife, tactical pen - any item that you can use to defend yourself.

Fire - Lighter - windproof is best, waterproof matches, fire starting kit. Depending on the size of the kit you're creating, you can choose the size. But at a minimum, you should have at least one way to start a fire.

Light - Flashlight - You may end up with several different light sources, stored in different places, and in different kits. But you should always have some source of light on you at all times. If nothing else, a mini flashlight on your key chain is a must.

Compass - this could easily be incorporated with an analog watch, rather than as a separate piece of equipment. What you can't count as a compass is the GPS in your cell phone. In the event of infrastructure failure, one of the first things you'll lose is your cell service. You need an old fashioned, magnetic compass, either integrated into your analog watch, or by itself.

Cordage - a box of unflavored floss, a paracord bracelet, a bundle of paracord, or even replacing your shoelaces with paracord - too many situations will require some type of cordage. Don't be without it.

Shelter - Mylar blankets are the easiest and lightest choice for very small kits. As you develop larger, more advanced GHBs, or BOBs, you can incorporate better shelter. But a Mylar blanket or two will go a long way in a pinch.

First Aid Kit - This can be as simple as a few bandaids, a couple of alcohol pads, and some antibiotic, or as evolved as a full fledged First Aid Kit, complete with a defibrillator. Consider the other kits you're preparing, and carry what you think you'll need. First aid items you may want to consider, even for a small kit, include: band aids, bandages, alcohol, antibiotic, antacids, ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and certainly must include any personal rescue medications.

Food - or more correctly, a way to get food. At a minimum, a couple of fishing hooks in your daily wear hat, or folded into a piece of aluminum foil in your wallet, or a small medicine bottle full of supplies, you choose. These can be combined with your floss for fishing line.

Cash - You should always have at least some cash that is for emergency use only. It's probably a good idea to store it separately from your normal funds.

Should Have Items:

Items you should incorporate into your everyday carry gear, if you can. If necessary, use this list to begin putting together a Get Home Bag.

Small Pill Bottle of Vaseline - Vaseline (or any petroleum based jelly) has variety of uses including treating chapped lips and hands, cuts and scrapes, and for use as a fire accelerant

Cotton Balls - first aid uses and as tinder for starting a fire

Weatherproof Matches or Fire Striker

Battery - at least AA size. Maybe you already have one in your flashlight, but carry spares if at all possible. They come in handy for other things, too, like starting fires.

Small Wire Saw - This can be included as part of a credit card size multi-tool, to cut down on the amount of gear you have to carry.

Fishing Supplies - a couple of fishing hooks in your daily wear hat, or folded into a piece of aluminum foil in your wallet, or a small medicine bottle full of supplies, you choose.

Food - hard candies, a bullion cube, anything to give you calories and a morale boost. The more the better, within reason.

Water Purification - Whether tablets or a filtration system, something to get you clean water in a pinch. There are straw sized filtration systems.

Multi-Tool - either full sized, or a credit card multi-tool that you carry in your wallet.

Whistle - For signaling, scaring away wild animals, or human attackers

Super Glue - comes in mini tubes and can serve a variety of purposes, including minor repairs, first aid, and as a fire accelerant.

Nice to Have Items:

A few things that it would be nice to have, if you can fit it in. If it won't fit in your everyday carry gear, this could be the beginnings of a great Get Home Bag.

Small Address Book - in the event that you lose the use of your cell phone, you'll need the emergency contact information for those closest to you. Include in it, any other information you might have difficulty calling to mind under stressful situations.

Shoes - a spare pair, in case you have to walk a long way. Hiking boots would be preferable. This is especially important for women, who might be wearing heels when they discover the need to walk.

Larger Knife or Weapon - Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Bright Yellow Poncho - good for weather protection and easier to spot.

Stainless Steel Water Bottle or Thermos - This can also be used as your kit container, as a weapon, or just to keep some water in.

Food - One or more high calorie energy bars or protein bars, enough to get you through a few hours of stress, at least.

Finding The Right Container For Your EDC Kit

Once you've assessed your needs, and chosen the items you can and will carry on you every day, it's time to figure out how to carry it. There are a couple of ways to go. The typical method is to get a small container and fit your gear inside. You'll need to choose a container size based on how you'll be carrying your kit. If you have a briefcase or purse, you can accommodate a larger size. If it must go in your pocket, you'll have to use a smaller container and be more creative in the way you carry anything that doesn't fit.

Metal Box - If you can find something metal that fits your needs, a metal container is optimal. It will hold its shape and maintain a water tight seal better than some plastic containers. If necessary, you could also use it to cook with. Altoids tins are a popular choice, especially for an in-your-pocket EDC kit, though it is limiting in its size.

Plastic - The advantage of a plastic container is how easy it can be to find one in a size that fits your needs. Rubbermaid style containers come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive. The downside is the lid can sometimes be too easy to remove; you may have to seal it with some duct tape.

Organization Pack - Commercial EDC organizational packs are available in a number of sizes, designed specifically to help you organize your essential Every Day Carry Gear.

Wearing Your Gear - You can distribute your gear throughout your clothing, using cargo pants pockets, your hat, key ring, wallet, a chain or lanyard, etc. Women are at a distinct advantage because they are expected to carry a purse, and by simply carrying a slightly larger one they can accommodate many more items with little trouble. Men can improve their carrying abilities, depending on their work dress code, by wearing cargo pants with a number of pockets, or carrying a briefcase or small backpack with them to work. (Maybe now is the time to consider purchasing that ultra trendy man purse you've been secretly eyeing.)

Self-Contained Kit - Your container could also be a part of your kit. A thermos or metal container that can be used for cooking, etc. The only downside to this container is that you still have to figure out how to carry it with you every day.

The Best EDC Kit

There's what you should carry, and then there's what you will carry. The very best Every Day Carry kit is the one you have with you when you need it, and includes the knowledge to use the gear you've carried. All the preparation in the world doesn't do you any good, if you don't have your gear or don't know how to use it. So be realistic in your risk assessment, practical in your kit assembly (remember you can assemble a GHB and BOB, as well, you don't have to carry everything every minute), learn to use the items you've chosen, and be faithful in carrying your Every Day Carry Gear, every day!

Kelli is the owner of http://www.EverydayCarryGear.com and publisher of "How To Build The Best EDC Kit", one of the many articles designed to educate and help you the reader be prepared and ready for action in whatever survival situation you could find yourself in. If you enjoyed this article, I recommend heading over to website for some more great reads.


 By Kelli Warner


Article Source: Survival Tips - How To Build The Best EDC Kit

Where To Go For A Cruise According To The Best Reviews

Going for a cruise is something that should be on top of your list of things to do in your life. This is an adventure that all of us should venture towards at least once in a lifetime. Riding on a luxury cruise is worth any amount of money you spend specially if you choose the place of your adventure wisely. After doing thorough research we bring to you a list of the most sought after places when it comes to luxury cruises. Going for a cruise on one of these places will surely change your outlook on life. So get yourself some Asia Miles and fly to these places for the cruise of your life:

1. Cruise in the Nile
For those of you who do not know - Nile is the largest river in the world and runs in Egypt. Going on a cruise here will leave you refreshed and will give you an insight into Egyptian history like never before. This cruise is said to bring its dwellers quite an insight into the classic lifestyle of the people living in the Egyptian countryside wilderness. You can get them from a range of 7 days to a cruise lasting upto 15 days. And if you want a longer cruise you can start from here and go on a tour of the whole of middle east. Depending on your taste you get a lot of variety here.

2. Wind your way across the Scottish highlands
The scots are famous for their beautiful highlands and the feeling of serenity that they provide. You get to gaze on the amazing beaches, the vast and versatile wildlife of the area along with the beautiful scene when the sun sets to the west. You'll be enthralled by the beauty of a cruise in Scotland. It will make you want to stay there forever. And the best part of the cruise is that it won't be too heavy on your pocket especially if you fund your travels using Asia Miles.

3. Cruise the winds around the world
This cruise is more than an adventure. You need a lot more time and some more funding to undertake this adventure. But it is not impossible to do and it does not require as much capital investment as we would have thought. But this experience is going to change you for the better. Just think about it, you and the world and sea breeze and no other stress for at least two months.

Can you imagine how much fun this would be? You will get to see the major cities of the world and all the nooks and crannies of the most famous beaches around the world. This truly is the ultimate dream of any travel lover with wanderlust running in his/her veins.So start planning your trip, get some air travel deal using Asia Miles and have the time of your life.


 By Abuzar Mir


Article Source: Where To Go For A Cruise According To The Best Reviews

The Allure New York Holds For First Time Visitors

New York city is one of the most developed and the most sought after places in the world. This giant of a city has many things to offer to any visitors that comes through its doors.. It has also been featured many times in different movies and TV shows with the famous Empire State building in midst of all the action. If you are someone who likes to spend their vacation in the midst of action and hustle bustle then this place is a top location that you should include in your travels. Planning to go here for the first time can be a little tricky. The reason for this is that with so many places to choose from it can be a daunting prospect to make a choice between what to see and what not to see. Here are a few things that will definitely keep you entertained for your first visit to New York.

1. The Empire State Building
Whenever you get the chance to fly to New York on cheap international flight tickets, this is probably the first thing that will catch your eye. Rising to the clouds, this building was once known as the tallest building in the world. Now however, places such as the Burj -ul- Khalifa has stolen the title. That does not in any case mean that the Empire State Building has lost its appeal. In fact, the older it gets, the more people it charms with its ability and grace.

2. The Central Park
If you have been a fan of the 90's sitcom Friends, you're probably thing that the name has been spelled wrong. Actually the Central Perk in this TV show was inspired by New York's central park which is right in the middle of the city and is big enough to make you feel lost. Recently, central gained popularity again when famed photographer Brandon Stanton started photographing people going about their daily life in Central Park. He named these people the Humans of New York and started recording tidbits of his conversation with them. So this is something that you must visit on your first visit to New York.

3. Wall Street
It doesn't matter if you have an interest in economics or not, Wall street is something that you definitely have to go and see. Why you ask? Well don't you want to see the place that controls more than 50 % economy of the world? Personally, a lot of people have gone to visit this place after they saw Leonardo's performance in the Wolf of Wall Street. This place is a businessman's heaven. It has the ability to make or break your dreams and you won't even know it. Believe us when we say that this place the ability to charm the knickers out of you.

If you're convinced enough now then we suggest you pack your bags get yourself a   cheap international flight ticket and fly to New York today.


 By Nick S Curtis


Article Source: The Allure New York Holds For First Time Visitors

Touring The Largest Rivers Of The World

Water for us, is a necessity we can't afford to go without. It helps us survive the harsh environment of this world. Our plants thrive on it and it gives us aesthetic pleasure as well. Whether it be seas, river oceans or lakes, water in any of these forms is a source of pleasure and entertainment for all of us. This article is to give you a list of the grandest rivers in the world and some tips to help you go about touring them. Let's start by the tips you need to know before you travel. Here are the things you need to do before you go about touring the rivers.

1. Firstly, make sure you lather yourself with sunblock thoroughly. Most of these rivers are located in tropical regions that have a lot of sun. So if you're prone to sunburn then carry your sunblock with you at all times.

2. While making your travel arrangements look for ways that might help you save your money. One such way is to buy frequent flyer account online. This might help you save a lot on your travel expenses.

3. And make sure that you cover up nice. Rivers are usually habitats for all types of plants and animals.

Now that you know the basics of touring a river, here are the places you should go see.

The Amazon River
The Amazon River is the second largest river in the world. It flows through many countries which include Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and the Brazil after which it finishes off in the Atlantic ocean. It offers tourists from all around the world with a lot of entertainment including but not limited to daytime cruises, water sports and other extreme activities that make the river a lot more fun than we can imagine.

The Nile
Undoubtedly, the largest river in the world - The Nile has a lot of visitors all year round. Located in Egypt the Nile also has a lot of significance culturally as well as religiously for religions such as Judaism and Islam. Aside from this, the river Nile in all its splendour and glory will take your breath away specially if you like large water bodies.

The Yangtze River
This river in China is famous because of many things. Firstly, despite its long length this river still manages to flow in only one country - China. Also it is the third longest river of the world. With a wild array of freshwater fish and plants, this river can be a source of amazement for anyone who enjoys some solitude surrounded by water. How amazing would it be to go fishing here and going home with a great catch. So maybe you want to take a vacation from work and relieve the stress by going here.

If so, then save your travel money by looking for alternative methods to get airline ticket. One such method is getting   frequent flyer account online.


 By Abuzar Mir


Article Source: Touring The Largest Rivers Of The World

What to Look for With Beauty Classes

While it may sound fun to take part in beauty therapy courses, don't just dive into the first program you come across. It is important to be well informed and to look at what they offer. You want to engage in a program with excellent reviews and that is current. Otherwise, you may finish the course but your skills will be lacking.

Curriculum

Ask to see a copy of the curriculum that is offered for the beauty therapy courses. You should be able to obtain a list of the classes you need to take. You should be able to see what those classes will teach you. Most of them have the syllabus ready to go or there it a least a list of objectives for you to look over.

Reputation

What type of reputation does the program have? Do most of the students finish it? If it has a low completion rate for the beauty therapy courses, that is a red flag. It could mean the program is too difficult or it isn't challenging enough. It could mean that students don't find what they are looking for here so they move into another program elsewhere.

You don't want to waste your time or your money on any such program. You want it to be hassle free and you want to finish what you start. With that in mind, only enrol if they have a very good reputation and a high completion rate.

Length of the Course

How long will it take you to finish the program? Most of the beauty therapy courses have flexible options so you find a method that works best for your schedule. You may need to do some classes at home. You may be able to attend college part time or full time. Find out what they have available that works best with your other commitments.

Some programs move quickly and you are done in a matter of months. Others can be a year or longer. It is important to fully understand the commitment you are making. Don't get discouraged if it takes time to finish. That time is going to pass anyway, and you will have a great career path to show for it!

Cost

Always compare the pricing for any of the beauty therapy courses you wish to take. Some of them are very reasonable and others are going to charge you a ton of fees on top of high tuition costs. That really adds up and your goal should be to complete the program with the least amount of money. Of course you don't want to compromise the value of the program to save money.

Look for options that help you to pay for the beauty therapy courses. This can include work study, financial aid, and student loans. You may qualify for various grants or scholarships too. Look around to find out what you may qualify for and how to apply. Pay close attention to deadlines for such applications to be turned.

Schedule an Appointment

Take some time to schedule an appointment to talk with them in person if possible. If you will be taking the classes on the computer at home, set up a time to talk over the phone or with an online program such as Skype. It is important to ask your questions, get information about the program, and to make a good determination about your next steps.

If you like what you learn about the program, get everything in motion so you can get started. You may have to fill out an application, financial assistance, paperwork, and provide various types of documentation. Don't wait until the last minute or you may have to wait until later on for classes.

About Us: http://www.raycochrane.co.uk is your resource to learn about our private beauty school. If you are interested in an exciting and rewarding career, you need the right foundation to build on. Don't sabotage your future by signing up for a program that isn't diverse or cutting edge. You need to learn the basics, learn about trends, understand what customers want, and strive to provide every single client with care they need. This is how you build your business with loyal customers who return and also tell everyone else about you. We can help you get the skills you need in place so you can offer such services.


 By Eleonora Androva


Article Source: What to Look for With Beauty Classes

Slay the Scarcity Monsters

Every year just before the holidays, the Scarcity Monsters rear their ugly heads and send us scurrying for cover in every direction. They keep us up at night with worries about whether we'll have enough money to pay for gifts, family dinners, more presents, more dinners, the electricity bill, the gym membership, the car insurance, the mortgage, the rent, the cell phone and all that other fun stuff.

When the Scarcity Monsters are hovering, we feel grumpy and crabby and everything that the season is not about. Instead of generously opening our hands and hearts and wallets, we allow those pesky monsters to trick us into shutting ourselves down and going into hiding. The very idea of scarcity keeps us in a very small space of lack, want and need.

Well, those horrible SMs absolutely LOVE that! They are just like Voldemort's Dementors, hunting us at our most vulnerable moments, just waiting for their chance to pounce and suck the life out of us.

Sometimes, even a few of my clients who have not quite yet learned to value themselves and their work 100% are seduced by the Scarcity Monsters. They are frightened into thinking there's not enough money to continue investing in their creative businesses. They are cowed into doubting the worth of their talents. They are sometimes even completely scared off from sharing their talents with the world.

Fortunately, I know firsthand how that works, because those evil creatures succeeded with me for many years. But in the end, I won. I found my own protective Patronus and now I use it every time they come around.

That's right, I'm here to tell you one of the most important lessons I've ever learned in this lifetime, one I certainly didn't learn in school. Are you ready for this? Are you sitting down? Because this is BIG.

Newsflash: The Scarcity Monsters are FAKE.

True story! They are just a bunch of windbags! All just smoke and mirrors designed by your own subconscious to keep you in the Bermuda Triangle of fear, doubt and worry -- all in the name of "safety". The funny thing is, we all know that Triangle is not a very safe place to be stuck in. Amiright?

Problem is, our subconscious has not yet caught up with modern living conditions. We no longer have to fend off lions and tigers and bears in our very fortunate First World lives. We no longer have to hunt down and scavenge for our food in order to survive. There is an endless supply of everything we need right at our fingertips, right there for the asking, if only we just ask and receive. Including money!

Don't believe me? That's cool, if you want to hang with the SMs. But I can assure you that there's plenty of evidence to back up what I'm telling you. Just Google it and see for yourself.

Meanwhile, for those of you who DO believe me, how can you protect yourself from the SMs, especially at this very emotionally potent time of year? As I said, I've been working on this subject for several years, so now I have a few solid tips for slaying the detested Scarcity Monsters:

1) Put up your hand and just say NO

Your words have more power than you realize. Tell the Monsters to BACK the EFF OFF. Don't let them bully you.

2) Stop the madness

If you let your imagination run away with the idea of scarcity and lack, the SMs will swoop right in immediately. Take charge of your thoughts. Slam the door, bolt it and throw away the key to keep fear, doubt and worry from storming your castle.

3) Take immediate action

Whenever you start to feel like you are losing money, just stop, take a deep breath and start listing new and different ways you can make MORE money. There will always be new and different ways. Take that list and start taking action on it.

4) Surround yourself with positive people and ideas

Negative Nellies have ZERO place in your life when the SMs are on the prowl. Listen to MP3s, read books, watch TED talks -- do whatever it takes to soak your brain, heart, mind and soul in positive vibes. This is your Patronus spell! Don't eff it up.

5) Focus on abundance instead of dwelling on scarcity

Get yourself an abundance mantra, find an infographic to repeat to yourself, recite a prayer, CHANT if you have to. Don't let the feeling of lack get a grip on your throat. It will choke you toute suite.

6) Get thee to thy success journal and celebrate your wins

You've been keeping a success journal, right? Glad to hear it. Open it up and read all about your wins. Then celebrate them! Throw a dance party for one!! If you don't, no one else will.

7) Embrace your money like a lover

One of the weirdest yet most effective pieces of advice I ever found regarding improving my money mindset was to imagine my wealth as my lover. Put a face on it, talk to it, treat it well, etc. So weird, right?? But after finding similar advice in some of the most respected wealth building tomes, I gave it a whirl. Guess what? It works.

8) Find ways to be thankful for everything you already have and write it ALL down

Self explanatory. Gratitude is gold.

Try these protective measures. Don't let the monsters get you. Shine a light on their smoke and mirrors. Escape the Triangle of fear, doubt and worry. And by the way, if you need to follow someone with a flashlight and a map, I'm your gal!

Hey there! I'm Pamela C Wills, Ringleader of The Creative Revolution. I'm an award-winning Choreographer and published Author with a passion for business -- YOUR business. I teach up-and-coming performing Artists of all stripes just like you how to successfully embrace your inner BADASS with confidence, navigate opportunity with ease and take your talents to the next level. My popular programs and services help my clients level up and make ginormous leaps with the creative passions that they just can't live without.

Want to start leveling up? Join The Guild at http://www.pamelacwills.com/guild for the attention and support you crave for just $19 per month!

 By Pamela C Wills


Article Source: Slay the Scarcity Monsters

Don't Hold Back

The idea of things holding us back is on my mind. Holding back as in: to hinder progress or achievement; to restrain; to keep from advancing to the next stage, grade, or level; to keep oneself in check; to refrain from revealing or parting with something. Synonyms: clog, cramp, embarrass, encumber, fetter, handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hamper, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, short-circuit, stymie, tie up, trammel.

Sounds a lot like being shackled and stuck in a never-ending, inhibited, embarrassing comfort zone, doesn't it?...

Unfortunately, most of us end up in this beige waiting place of clog, cramp and fetter every once in a while. (You know I'm right.)

Sometimes we know we are holding ourselves back. Sometimes we blame it on others, on situations or circumstances.

Most of the time, with a little effort, we really can push through the obstructions. All it takes is a little awareness and a little... wait for it... courage.

Here are five of the major culprits that take any and every opportunity to hog-tie and hobble us (and some tips on how to escape them like Houdini):

1) The Self Critic

Spend time judging and criticizing yourself and I guarantee you will never get anywhere. If you want to stay stuck, complain about everyone judging you all the time and keep on judging yourself. However, if you want to move forward, put your AutoCritic on MUTE. And move it!

2) The Dream Doubter

If you don't believe in your own dreams, who the heck will?? Go ahead - keep telling yourself that you'll never make it as a musician or a dancer or an actor. Guess what will happen? You will end up being right.

3) The Passenger

If you don't take the driver's seat and keep your hands on the wheel, you are just going along for the ride. It's easy to let someone else take charge of your life. But what happens when you want to take it back?? If you hand over the keys, you also give up making decisions on the route and destination. Demand your keys back. Today!

4) The Trash Can

Ever notice how Negative Nellies, Debbie Downers and Donna Drama Queens tend to dump their crappy stuff on people all the time? Guess what that makes us?... Yep, the Trash Can. Don't put up with it another minute! Respect yourself and tell your dumper to dump somewhere else. Say goodbye if they won't, or tune them out if you can't. You will be much better off in the long run.

5) The Pessimistic Procrastinator

When you spend your time thinking about why you're not good enough, not smart enough, not fast enough, not whatever enough, it's easy to tell yourself that there's no point in doing anything ambitious. If you want to get things done, why not be nice to yourself? Why not give yourself a little credit for being enough? Don't waste time thinking about the negatives. It takes just as much energy to spin them positively instead. Thoughts become things, you've heard that, right? Why not choose good things?

Bonus: The Excuse Maker

Making excuses never made anyone a millionaire. Make excuses for staying stuck if you want to stay stuck. But, if you want to move ahead, ditch the excuses. Start looking for ways to JUST DO IT.

Hey there! I'm Pamela C Wills, Ringleader of The Creative Revolution. I'm an award-winning Choreographer and published Author with a passion for business -- YOUR business. I teach up-and-coming performing Artists of all stripes just like you how to successfully embrace your inner BADASS with confidence, navigate opportunity with ease and take your talents to the next level. My popular programs and services help my clients level up and make ginormous leaps with the creative passions that they just can't live without.

Want to start leveling up? Join The Guild at http://www.pamelacwills.com/ guild for the attention and support you crave for just $19 per month!


 By Pamela C Wills


Article Source: Don't Hold Back

How To Be A Well-Rounded Musician

A well-rounded musician is someone that embraces a variety of musical styles and skills in such a way that each musical style musical skill becomes a natural part of their performance identity. It is the aspiration of all teachers to be able to encourage their students to appreciate these various skills; this offers opportunities to each student to embody all of the elements to enrich their musical journey.

You might be asking yourself, "what are some of the skills associated with being a well-rounded musician?" The following list will offer some insight:

1. Playing in a variety of styles.

Learning to play in one particular style works for most students yet from time to time, students become antsy to learn new skills. A good music instructor will allow students to try out a variety of styles of music during their studies such as classical, pop, rock, jazz, country, improvisation, or writing original pieces. It is important to note that all students will have their own personal limitations of musical appreciation or physical ability. As such, not all students will embrace every style of music that is available to them. It is the job of the music instructor to appreciate the interests of the student and cater the lessons around the styles of music that will speak to the student. In all of the lessons that I teach, I encourage all students to learn at least one piece a year in a style that they might not otherwise wish to play: students that are studying jazz music must learn to play a piece of classical music and vice versa.

2. Reading music and playing by ear.

In the music studio of every teacher, we work with a variety of students that all have a variety of musical talents. Some students are strong readers, they can naturally see the music on the page and decipher the code to play the music on their instrument. Other students have a natural interest and talent for listening to the music that they play. These students listen well to the music that is around them and can naturally perform these sounds in a coherent way on their instrument.

In both cases, each student has mastered an important skill, yet these skills offer only a certain amount of success. In my personal journey, I have learned the steps that are necessary to amalgamate the skills of listening to my playing while reading the music on the page. This amalgamation creates not only a technically proficient performance, a sensitivity to the performance by listening to the music being created creates a further dimension that goes beyond what is written on the page.

3. Appreciation of working in a group setting vs. solo setting

Pianists are trained from the first lesson to work as soloists. Let's face it, the piano is an instrument that can hold its' own, it is a lone wolf. I remember in highschool having the opportunity to play music in a variety of group settings. I was a trombone player in my high school concert band, I was piano accompanist for my high school concert choir.

I also had summer jobs working as a pit musician for a local theater company playing keyboard 2 parts (synthesizers, strings sounds, etc). These activities were a lot of fun that required the same style of practicing that I completed on the piano. The outcome of a solo practice session on my trombone was different at home, I was playing only one melodic line. This activity (at times) was tedious, it was lonely. However, when all of the members of the concert band got together for rehearsal or for a performance, all of the parts came together to create beautiful music.

Encouraging students to join a band, work together in small ensembles, or to play duets offers a different series of opportunities and challenges that will enrich their learning environment. Each musician has the opportunity to enjoy working together in a group to collectively make music that is meaningful for each other. It is also a lot of fun!

Conclusion

It is my hope that all music instructors, music students, and parents embrace the various opportunities for making music in a meaningful way, your lives will be enriched as a result.

All musicians (students and professionals) should consider the following question during their musical journey: "How can I become a well-rounded musician?".

This article tackles this question with many ideas to consider.


 By Ian Green


Article Source: How To Be A Well-Rounded Musician

Advice to Successfully Practice Properly at Home

From time to time, all music students struggle with creating a successful practice routine at home. Spending many hours working at their music, the results may vary. The lists within this article have working within my piano studio to help students create a successful practice routine that will save time and also encourage fun experiences.

Suggestions for teachers to consider:

1. Practice means REPETITION, such as any physical action dictates.

2. If we play something enough times properly, the fingers learn to do the action automatically.

3. The fingers are the orchestra; as the teacher, we are the conductor telling the orchestra members what to do.

4. The experienced musician may be able to look at a piece of music and be able to read and interpret the many aspects of the material very quickly; with some practice of the challenging sections of the piece, it will be mastered quickly.

5. Beginner students are mostly interested in learning the notes properly; most of the suggestions of interpretation must come from the music teacher.

How can we encourage the student to practice?

1. Active portions of the lesson should be utilized to show how to practice portions of the piece; the teacher should remember what was assigned the week before.

2. Repetition must always be encouraged.

3. Challenges should be taught to be dealt with in isolation, one at a time.

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE = EFFICIENT PRACTICE

4. Practicing should be organized by the activity and not the amount of time spent on something.

5. Slow practice is important.

6. Use a practice planner so that there is clear communication between the teacher, the student, and the parent as to the weekly expectations.

7. Details should be included when necessary.

What learning environment will encourage a successful practice session?

1. A quiet space with plenty of light.

2. No electronic distractions, such as cell phones, t.v., or tablets should be present during home practice (unless an app on an electronic device has been assigned to be used by the music instructor)

3. Practice at a time of day that creates musical creativity. This will vary from student to student. Some students prefer to work at night, other students prefer to work during the day (morning or afternoon). Make sure to find the time of day that suits your schedule, this will allow the practice sessions to be fun and not "a chore".

Practicing at home is a very important process for any music student of any age. 80% of the learning occurs at home during home practice sessions. This article suggests successful tips that will create a positive and efficient practice routine that will create positive results.

 By Ian Green


Article Source: Advice to Successfully Practice Properly at Home

Introducing Students to New Pieces

The first look at a new piece is so important. As accomplished pianists/teachers, we automatically know to scan the piece to check the time signature, key signature, texture, composer, title, etc. before playing through a piece. Of course, we were trained to go through those steps before sightreading through a piece.

Before having students sightread, what do you say/do with them to introduce a new piece? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Here's some things I've tried:


Scan the piece before playing it. Ask the student what s/he notices about the piece. Together, look for key/time signature changes, places where the hand(s) move to other registers on the keyboard, etc. Ask the student specific questions: "Do you see anywhere else in this piece where this pattern/theme occurs?" or "Can you point to all the places where there is an interval of a fifth?"

Count and clap the rhythm of the piece, while singing the pitches (with your help). I've found this to be very helpful with young beginner students who are not yet accustomed to sight-reading. The rhythm practice is always beneficial - but interestingly enough, I've found that singing the pitches helps them learn how to "hear" the pitches in their head when looking at a sheet of music (thus it is an ear training exercise too). It also helps students get an idea of what the piece sounds like.

Discuss the piece's contextual background. This involves talking about the title/subject of the piece, the composer of the piece, and/or the historical background of the piece (i.e., what period of musical history was it written). This mostly applies to classical pieces, but it may also work well with pieces that have a historical subject or reference (e.g., a minuet).

Discuss the compositional techniques and composer's intentions. For example, if a piece is about a popcorn, we will discuss how we can create the right mood and energy level to create the effect of popcorn popping. We would also discuss how the composer used certain articulations, note values, dynamics, etc., to help create that effect. For another example: the Primer level of the Faber Piano Adventures has a piece called "Copy Cat." We first establish what it means to be a copycat, and then we look at the piece to find where the "copying" occurs. With beginner/elementary level pieces, I will often use the title/subject of the piece and its corresponding illustration as a launching point for discussing certain aspects of the piece.

Going through one or more steps such as these with the student helps establish good habits towards becoming a better sight reader. As a bonus, discussing with the student things like the contextual background and the compositional techniques of the piece may help them get excited about practicing the piece at home.

When learning a piece of music, there are many avenues to explore in order to be successful. Many tips and tricks have worked, some ideas have not worked. Based on experience, this article highlights many strategies that students can use to successfully learn a piece of music.


 By Ian Green


Article Source: Introducing Students to New Pieces

This Will Make You Blush

Recently, I was looking for books on actress and singer Eartha Kitt at my local library and discovered myself. You know, my birthday is soon and youthfulness really is in the head and in the spirit, not in great looks of the body. Age is just a number, and what others think of you cannot matter because before a certain age if they live that long, they do not even know what they are thinking themselves. Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding all died at twenty-seven years old. Some could say stuff like "that is life" and "wow, they were fortunate before thirty to have all that success and die good-looking", and that type of tripe.

Consider this, though, I actually agree more with Walter Russell, Charles Haanel and Napoleon Hill: If you do it right, all the good things start to happen after forty and into "old age". The best lives happen this way, you are a loser into your thirties and then one day success happens upon you almost like an executive in their fifties or sixties or Susan Boyle, and you cannot stop the momentum. On the other hand, you could be Donald Trump who did his best deals and stuff young, and has nowhere to go but sideways in the presidency. My point to this "humorous stuff" and this is my serious point: It is all perspective.

Look, if it was not perspective and all outer conditions determining everything: The Indian Hindu and European Medieval Feudal caste systems would not have given way in a sense to the American system and ideas of achieving your dream yourself that we now have here in America and is "infecting the world" in a positive way with the idea that one can get above ground when it comes to growth wherever they are.

So, in reality, okay, I admit it: Losers and winners are made by themselves through their efforts or lack of efforts in the right and wrong places. I know that is a blanket statement. Think deeply about it though. Some people "with it all" squander the opportunity, many with "nothing at all" use their disadvantages as advantages and create greatness for themselves and others, "with it all" live up to "it all", while many others with "nothing at all", resign themselves to "nothing at all". Either way, it is all perspective.

So, to sum up: We make ourselves wherever we are, and I use a quote from the last article I did to really sum up. I know it is a repeat, but we all need this repeat driven home, because without it, even the best of us resign ourselves to permanent failure and failure to look at things differently also. Oh, conjure that spirit of the Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt and the old American deal where we can conjure our own greatness, I am not even thinking of his cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt right now:

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."


My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker. I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.


 By Joshua Clayton

Article Source: This Will Make You Blush

The Lifestyle in Denver

It's Mostly sunny in Denver

Since Denver is located beneath the RMNP on high plains, the town has a climate with moderate temperatures, and low humidity. Moreover, the weather is warm most of the year. The sky is overcast for around 40 days each year.

The exposure to the sun for most of the year is a kind of health hazard. The reality is that the sunlight is a blessing for the lifestyle of the residents.

Denverites Stay Active

As far as physical activity goes, the residents of the city deserve a lot of praise. Almost all citizens of Denver are physically fit. Moreover, around 80% of the citizens perform tough workouts to stay fit.

They stay active because they have a lot of public options at their disposal, such as playgrounds, baseball diamonds, parks, recreational centers and tennis courts. Even the Americans don't have these facilities, which is what makes Denver different in a good way.

Overall quality of life

As far as quality of life goes, the metropolitan area of Denver is ranked among the top 10 cities. The credit goes to many housing options, low rents, low mortgage rates, low unemployment, decent commute times and so many other facilities.

Denver is green

In the US, Denver is on the list of the greenest cities. This is due to the improved air quality, municipal initiatives and lots of investment in the green technology. As a matter of fact, green cities play a great role in the social well-being and economic development. The reason is that clean landscape and infrastructure attracts more active residents and business.

The Beer

In Denver, they arrange a great bear festival known as the Great American Beer Festival. Recently, marijuana has been legalized in the city, which means that the citizens can freely pick their poison from a list. However, beer is still on top of the list as far as the favorite drink of the Denver citizens is concerned.

According to experts, beer can provide your body with a lot of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins if consumed in moderation. But you may agree or disagree with them.

The Health Statistics

In the USA, the obesity rate is the lowest in Denver. Aside from this, diabetes and inactivity are also at the lowest rate. Apart from this, Denverites have healthy weights, which is due to the well-funded parks of the city.

In short, the lifestyle of the Denverities is praiseworthy. If you want to stay active and fit, we suggest that you read up on the lifestyle tips of the citizens of Denver. You will see a considerable improvement in your physical fitness with time.

Lifestyle in Denver is exemplary. If you are looking to visit Denver in the near future, we hope you would find this article helpful.


 By Ryan Hein

Article Source: The Lifestyle in Denver

8 Things to See in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in north-central Colorado. The size of the area is around 266,714 acres and consists of 60% forests, 18% bare rock and 13% alpine tundra. According to statistics, about 11% of the site is 11,000 feet high. Here is a description of 8 things you should see in Rocky Mountains.

1. Roads/Trails

You can explore the roads and rails on a vehicle or horseback, but if you are fit, you can also visit the sights on foot. Trail Ridge Road is a long stretch in the park and offers a spectacular view at a height of 12,183.

2. Peaks

The Rocky Mountain has over 100 peaks at a height of over 11,000 feet. Moreover, in the North, you can see snow-covered Never Summer Mountains in addition to 17 other peaks. Aside from this, Longs Peak is 14,259 feet high and is one of the most favorite destinations for hikers and climbers.

3. Glaciers

While the glaciers are retreating because of the global warming and other temperature changes, you can still find the sky-high glaciers over there, such as Sprague, Moomaw, Mills and Andrews, just to name a few.

4. Alpine Visitor Center

At a height of 11,796 feet, you can see the Alpine Visitor Center, which runs along the popular Trail Ridge Road. This is one of the top rest stop in the Rocky Mountains.

5. Water Sites

In the Rocky Mountains, you can find a lot of waterfalls, rivers, lakes and streams. They are ideal for photography, rafting, kayaking, fishing and sightseeing. Once there, you can choose Bear Lake Road, The Lock Sky Pond or Glass Lake, for instance.

6. Plants

The many environmental zones of the park offer a host of flora and fauna. For instance, the park offers meadows with tall grass and amazing wildflowers, dense forests, wetlands and Roosevelt National Forest. On the other hand, the high zones offer subalpine fir trees, shrubs and wildflowers. These plants will steal your heart and you won't want to come back home.

7. Animals

The fauna section of the Rocky Mountains include larks, sparrows, ravens, finches, falcons, eagles, mule deer, elk, sheep, bighorn, black bears, coyotes, lions and so on. Aside from this, if you are at higher elevations, you can find beautiful pikas, marmots, rabbits, deer mice, ermine, bobcats and red foxes.

Besides, the park is home to some endangered species, such as cutthroat trout, yellow-billed cuckoo and the Canada lynx. In addition, you can find over 140 species of butterflies and tons of species of other insects.

8. People

Every year, over 3 million individuals from different corners of the world head for the Rocky Mountain National Park. Visiting the RMNP will be a multi-cultural experience for you. You can talk to other park visitors in order to find out about their languages and cultures.

So, if you are getting bored, we suggest that you choose the Rocky Mountain as your next tour destination. We bet this destination will take all your boredom away from you.

Is Rocky Mountains your next travel destination? If so, we hope that the information given in this article will make your trip more enjoyable.


 By Ryan Hein


Article Source: 8 Things to See in Rocky Mountain National Park

Translation and Interpretation Services - Two Sides of the Same Coin

If you have ever spoken to someone over a bad telephone line or a mobile phone connection ridden by static and ghost voices, you will know how exasperating it can be. Communication needs to be clear and comprehensible.

Imagine our world today, when air travel has shortened physical distances, and the internet has negated air travel altogether. Business, tourism, culture, education, entertainment, and diplomacy are no longer limited by physical boundaries. But they cannot thrive if language is a barrier. Not everyone can be a linguist. This is where translation and interpretation services come in.

The work of interpreters and translators are somewhat similar, but they work in different arenas.

Translation services
Basically, translators interpret written text.

Translators must be proficient in the language of origin of the text (the source language) and the culture of the country where the source originated. They must then render an accurate translation into the target language.

Linguistic and cultural expertise is essential. The ability to write well in the target language is no less so. The translation should flow smoothly and give the feel of having been written in the target language originally.

Translations of material that is scientific, medical, legal, etc. require subject matter expertise. In such fields, a translator will have to be a good researcher too.

Literary translations need a different view: the soul, as well as the body of the matter, needs to be translated or the work will have no flavour.

Interpreter services
Interpreting is an oral form of translation where the interpreter listens, grasps the content, and then re-words the matter into the target language. An interpreter should be able to translate in both directions immediately; the luxury of dictionaries or reference materials is unavailable to him/her.

Interpreter services have to be expert, and they understand that to be effective, it is necessary to convey the meaning and the words in the context in which they were used.

Interpreting can occur in a variety of settings from conferences, meetings, diplomatic outings and interactions, and even over the telephone.

Interpreting can be of two types:
Consecutive interpreting means the interpreter listens to portions of the speech and then renders that segment in the target language while the speaker remains silent for that duration.

Simultaneous interpreting requires equipment to aid interpreting as the speaker delivers the speech.

Since interpreting services do not have the luxury of rewinding and referencing, interpreters must be thorough in the subject matter and intimately familiar with both cultures. Their vocabulary in both languages should be extensive, and they must be able to express themselves lucidly. Consecutive interpreting needs the interpreter to have excellent note taking technique too.

Both translators and interpreters need to have a strong love of languages and deep knowledge of more than one language.

The similarities
Interpretation and translation work involves a source/original language and a target language.

In both kinds of work, either the source or the target language is usually the mother tongue.

Both these jobs envisage extracting a message from the source language and conveying it to the target audience correctly and faithfully in the target language.

Interpreters and translators are essentially linguists

Both the jobs require professionally qualified persons

The differences
The main difference is that a translator works with the written word whereas the interpreter's work is oral.

An interpreter's work requires him/her to bounce between both the languages. This is not true of translation services.

Interpretation services do not have the luxury of time. Translation services have to be timely, no doubt, but there is time for referencing, consulting and trying out more than one version of translation to arrive at the most optimum product.

Translators use dictionaries, computer aided tools, etc. An interpreter, on the other hand, may use headphones, a notepad and pen for taking notes, and a microphone. An interpreter must also have a deep well of memory to draw from and the gift of instant recall to be effective.

The complexity of life today makes interpretation and translation a complex skill. If communication has to be effective, whether, for business, pleasure or intellectual pursuit, it cannot be taken lightly. Translation and interpretation services are fields of expertise and need qualified, trained and experienced professionals.

I am an Expert in the medium of translation and language services. I have working knowledge in documents translation, Translate from English to German, and provide Multilingual   Interpreter Service.I am passionate in Localizing global brands to reach the target audience in the most efficient way.



 By Shreya Gupta


Article Source: Translation and Interpretation Services - Two Sides of the Same Coin

Translating Words With Multiple Meanings

You can crash an automobile, the Stock Market, a party you were not invited to or cymbals together to make a sound. You can describe a flowering plant as a noxious weed or a more-desirable garden flower. Maybe that plant is yellow, but your hair is blonde. You can create, but what do you mean when you use create? Are you building, constructing, erecting, composing or imagining? When you are using the word human, are you talking about a male, female, child, adult, bachelor, father mother, sister? Are you taking your money to the bank or sitting on the bank of a river? If you use the seemingly simple word "on," how shall you use it? Is it a preposition? Is it on top or on the table? Perhaps it's an adverb where you put your shoes on? Or an adjective when you are putting the game on in 20 minutes? The list is quite long for such a tiny word; you can be on call, on the roof, on cloud nine, on edge, on fire, on purpose or on the phone.

So many meanings, so little time, so many ways translation can go awry. You simply can't translate without pondering the meaning behind the words, the semantics. As we know well, translation based on one-to-one substitution is seldom acceptable and never acceptable in this instance. Here are a few issues that you may have come across in your work and some ways to resolve them.

Finding the Meaning

Meanings of words evolve over time as language evolves. The British word, treacle, now means molasses, yet it's definition was not always "a thick syrup produced by the refining of sugar." It's derived from the Ancient Greek word for the bite of a wild animal. Then, the meaning broadened to refer to any injury. From there, it morphed into the medicine used to treat injury. Then it evolved to refer to the sweet substance added to medicine to make it taste better. The most recent rendition is one such sweetener we all know-molasses. Seems like an odd path to follow, yet the word's previous meanings motivated its metamorphosis. Words develop and shift, gain meanings and lose them. What happens to a word in one language will not happen exactly the same way in another. This adds to translations complexity and difficulties.

When the Spanish talk about fish that are swimming around, they use pez, yet if they catch that fish and cook it for dinner, they call it pescado. In English fish is fish whether it is part of fish and chips or in our lakes and streams.

Translators face these dreaded multiple meanings all the time; which is why they need to have thorough knowledge of both languages and an ability to deal with differences in meaning that appear insignificant until you cross over to the other language, something no computer can do. It's job security for translators, really.

Paying attention to multiple meanings is especially important in marketing and advertising where word play is often used and multiple meanings abound. Take the word "power," a favorite with pharmaceutical marketers. Imagine a headline "The Power to change your life," accompanied by a photo of an electrical cord. In the headline, power is intended to indicate strength. But power also means electricity. Now consider other languages. The Spanish use the colloquial alternative to electricity, or "lights." Thus, the double meaning would be lost in translation if the original headline is used, unless, of course, your company is a lighting company with products so exceptional, they really do change people's lives.

Be specific... or Not

Multiple meanings must be handled using sematic criteria, both general and specific. Knowing the general topic points translators travel in the right direction, enabling them to choose how different words will be used in the target language. For example, the word "run" is generally known to indicate a pace faster than jogging. But what if a river ran dry, or someone is running a company, or a meeting ran long, or someone ran a man down. Did he run over him with a car, speak out against him or catch up with him? Thankfully, most words and phrases don't appear in isolation, so context clues can save the day.

Knowing if the topic is generalized or industry specific can meant the difference between calling a bus, a vehicle to transport multiple people from point A to point B or a computer component into which cards can be placed.

Consider the Context

Being sensitive to total context, your audience and important details such as regionalisms and culture is key. For example, 'thank you' in Japanese is dependent upon whether or not the person being thanked was obligated to perform the service and how much effort they put into the service. In English we can say 'thanks a lot' or 'thanks much,' but in Japan's immensely polite culture, those two words are much more intricate and convey many more meanings in different situations. It is something to keep in mind.

One example of how an insensitive translation can have serious repercussions is the Cold War remark made in 1956 by Nikita Khrushchev, head of the Soviet Union, who had been complaining about the United States. His off-handed remark was translated as "we will bury you." This remark left an indelible and infamous mark on the minds of all Americans. Believing Communism to be a superior system to Capitalism and predicting that Communism would outlast Capitalism, Khrushchev actually said something along the lines of "Whether you like it or not, we will be present at your burial." Assuming that the Russian word for "bury" could only be translated one way, as "we will bury you," unnecessarily raised tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union perhaps needlessly prolonging the Cold War.

So, you see, multiple meanings are ever-present and important. Know how to use them well and be prepared for any instance that comes your way. And stay tuned for next month when we discuss how multiple meanings are by far the most important reason why computer translations fail (and always will fail) when it comes to accurate language translation.


 By Ilona Knudson


Article Source: Translating Words With Multiple Meanings

Best Beaches in Casablanca

Dakhla, Essaouira and El Hoceima, visitors know about these famous beaches but not only are these the spots that can make you feel amazing. In Casa, there are many places and beaches that are second to none in their splendid sights.

The beautiful Mohammedia:
The Monica beach is 20km north from Casablanca where the environment is clean and overall less crowded. Traveling through the train, the time will be 20min and by using a big taxi, it will take 25min. If you take the train, you'll have to take again a small taxi to Monica beach as it's relatively distant from the train station.

There are numerous beaches, more and less crowded. Absolutely favorite is Monica beach for many tourists and it's not so congested and tourist-invaded. The beach is rough, some say it's not safe to go to wild beaches in Morocco as they are not protected. It's appreciable that the wild ones are calmer as they are unspoiled, passive and fresh. Favorable, nature is intact and lovely! Monica beach is full of rocks, its sand is soft and bright. There are also sandbanks where you can hike and see the ocean from above.

Tamaris:
The Tamaris beach is located 20 km south of Casablanca and some say it is also in Casablanca. For approaching the beach, it is preferable that you may own your car, as public carriage in Tamaris doesn't exist. You can effort also white shared taxi from near Morocco Mall but they will drop you off in the city Centre. No trains are available to go to Tamaris.

In history, Tamaris was a simple village some years ago but currently, it's a resort for the Caseous who want to adore their weekends and morocco holidays 2017 in their private villas by the coastline.

During the summer season beaches in Tamaris are relatively crowded than the other seasons. Babylon beach is the most well-known one but also many don't like it there.

There are about further places to chill out - any's preferred one is the cliff by the cafe. The beach is hidden behind the cliff so it's quite friendly and the cafe with swipes is just close.

The El Jadida beach:
The great beach of the great country is located just 100km south of Casablanca city. If you want to approach this beach then the Transport like train will take one hour, shared taxi from Route de Jadida or a car will take 30 or 45 minutes. Once you reach to Jadida using community transport, you'll have to take an insignificant taxi to Houzia beach.

Can you see this shards? That's the great and most beautiful Houzia beach in El Jadida.

The city is full of enjoyable spaces for sunbathing, but Houzia developed favorite cheers to its wild nature and the secretive Japanese wreckage from the old '70s.

The fact is that the beach is not protected and so not many people go there, but it is recommended it to you if you like nature and concord. It's the similar case as with Monica beach in Mohammedia - passive and hygienic, far from crowds, not the best place to stay alone at nightly in cheap morocco holidays. Many people say this for safety...


 By Eric W


Article Source: Best Beaches in Casablanca

Another Way to Enjoy Boracay

BORACAY DURING THE LEAN SEASON? WHY NOT!

Night parties, overflowing drinks, too much crowd, polluted shoreline, and so on are the prevailing comments we see (or hear) referring to the famous island of Boracay nowadays. This is not so surprising since the island has become one of the most, if not the top, prominent tourist destination in the country over the years. Just like any other now-commercialized tourist destination islands, Boracay was once a quiet and more picturesque island than it is today. I can definitely and personally attest to that owing to my first ever Boracay experience that can be dated back to 1999.

Roughly, fourteen years after my first visit. I took my wife, and I decided to have our 2nd honeymoon there to renew our vows. We were booked for a 4-days, 3-night stay on December 10-13, 2013. A month prior to our travel date, the Philippines was hit by super typhoon 'Yolanda' (Haiyan) where most of the Eastern Visayas Region was hit, including Boracay. Flights were cancelled and guests were stranded for a couple of days. Some of the guests scheduled after the typhoon up until those booked around December, foreign and local, intentionally cancelled their hotel bookings upon seeing how massive the damage was and expecting major rehabilitation and on-going relief operations. And so, I made sure that hotels and commercial establishments were up and running before we came. I kept on trying to recall the vivid memory I had in Boracay when I first came to visit. It's a bit hard but one thing's for sure: I cannot, in any way, remember any resorts and restaurants just right along the shore line. In a normal pace, December would have been a peak season in Boracay but because of the typhoon, we were lucky to have witnessed what Boracay is like during the lean season.

I was looking for the "crowded and polluted shoreline" side of Boracay which I had seen countless times in the news and in Facebook. I was, in a way, frustrated because I saw it myself that Boracay was not as exploited as how they portray it to be. There were only a few people and it was peaceful, and the water was so clear. The beach was still picturesque just the way I remembered it fourteen years ago.

After more than a year I had, once again, an opportunity to go to Boracay, this time together with my growing family. Around first week of April 2015 when my wife was four months pregnant, I had a chance to see Boracay on a peak season. So, again the beach was filled with a plethora of beach going vacationers. All frolicking on the white sand of the beach by day and partying in one of the many night clubs and bars at night.

Don't get me wrong I still had a blast with my family and friends but I can't help but yearn for the peace and quiet I enjoyed on my second visit back in 2013. So I guess visiting Boracay island during the lean season from the first week of June until the last week of October, might not be a bad idea.

To avail of affordable tour packages visit our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/BesTravelAd/


 By Jeffrey Baluyot

Article Source: Another Way to Enjoy Boracay

Bleeding Hearts

''Mummy, mummy, mummy come ooo, yellow anty is dragging broda Ezeashi's 'hand-brake' oooo. She say she would cut his 'lugi' off ooo, she is dragging it as if she wants to pull it off.''

Little Kelechukwu ran off towards the direction he had come from. I followed him immediately, my inner instinct told me that Eziashi Austine was at it again, but this time around I was going to give him a piece of my mind. The fact that he is the only boy in the family shouldn't be a yard stick for him to always misbehave. If he wasn't smoking Igbo in the toilet, he would be drinking Alomo in the kitchen, or sniffing papa's snuff in the wardrobe... in a house full of kids! haba na, it was getting too much, who knows what he has done this time around.

kelechukwu stopped in front of Austin's room, I paused too. My nose picked up a funny smell, something smelt like oiled cucumbers (not the Anambra type).

I peeped into the room with the intention of catching the rascal unaware. It seemed like he was engaged in a hot argument with somebody, quickly I opened the door to forestall any physical confrontation.

''walahi my moni must complete before I leave here... if not, heaven will receive one visitor without a third leg and Insah Allah, I know it wouldn't be me.

I opened my mouth in shock, I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. Standing menacingly close to Austin was a fair, tall, and very clean girl, as fresh as yellow pawpaw, she was dressed like one of those girls in playboy mansion, and by the gods! She had Austin's 'Hand brake ' in her slim, firm hands!

From the look of things, Austin wasn't enjoying the 'hand job'. His face was contorted like a mallam's 'yansh' when he is 'shitting' strong shit. His eyes looked pleadingly at me, begging me to come to his aid.

I rushed in quickly to separate the quarrelling duo.

"Ka chineke ne me si ugwu... what in God's name is happening here?

eeeeehhhh... young lady, do you want to kill my only brother for me..

Can somebody tell me what is going on here", I screamed.

Austin started mumbling incomprehensively amidst heavy panting.

'it's... this, this, were almajiri...

The girl cut him short immediately...

"Aunty, abeg tell this useless brother of yours to pay me my money ooo, let him pay me my 100 thousand before heavy kasala will break loose here today ooo... abi you think I am one of those small small girls you mess around with".

You know the part where they say 'Blood is thicker than water? Well, it's actually very true for even though Austin was wrong, the blood in me stirred me up to his defense.

"Abeg Abeg Abeg... who be your aunty? Heh, answer me! May Thunda divide the balls that produced the dirty mouth you just used in calling my brother useless... are you insane, please if you don't know how to talk just shut up and get out!

The young lady was caught unawares, she calmed down and tearfully explained what transpired the previous night... I was shocked beyond expression.

I paused, looked from one person to another, my mouth opened slowly as the situation of things began to unfold.

It seemed Austin had regained his strength, so I asked him to explain his own side of the 'Nigerian movie' that was unfolding before me...

"Aunty, don't mind this criminal oooo... I saw her on the street, toasted her ooo and she agreed to be my friend. We came home and 'helped each other' now she is asking for money. Me I told her that I 'liked it better for free', real men don't pay for sex, why should I? After all she enjoyed it too."

"Thunder fire that your dirty mouthy!... For free... eehhhh! He be like say you dey craze, who you toast, I be like your level to you? guy if u no pay me my money sharp sharp gbege go gas for here na na" the now very wild girl screamed.

Little kelechi started laughing... 'Uncle pay her money oooo... you no know say even touching body don add money for market?

Come on close that your dirty mouth dia, I shouted at him... the young child kept giggling while Austin ran to hide behind me. The young rascal, he lacked the courage of a man but was always doing things meant for strong men.

Nedu eeeee (I called him by his pet name) eeh... so this is what you now do? This is what you spend the small pocket money I give you on? you now bring home prostitutes eeh. Austin oooo, where did you learn this one from ooo...

"Ehhhn, abeg, abeg, abeg, I no be prostitute ooo I am a professional sex therapist please. I decline and refuse to be addressed as a prostitute abeg" retorted the fair girl.

'Ehhhh, chisos ooo.,wonders shall never end. So prostitution has now gone professional, chai... what will I not see in this country, I said as I crossed my arms over my 'pimple' of a breast.

I turned to my very frightened brother; So Austin, you now employ the services of 'sexual therapist? I asked the scared young man with my finger pointing at his 'hand brake'

'hmmmm... well since you enjoyed the services of this young lady, I think you should pay her sharply without any further delay because 'na where person dey work im dey chop'... so saying I closed the door on them and dragged kelechi away from a scene that was obviously going to get messy.

Two hours later, Austin came to the backyard with a swollen eye and without his golden wrist watch and necklace.

''chai aunty... walahi, Kano girls are mad people oooo, that girl almost killed me...

I looked at him expressionlessly, though he did the wrong thing, but I just couldn't bring myself to chide the young rascal. He was sweet and looked so innocent, besides being the only brother I had. I just wished I could change him to be the responsible young man father always wanted him to be...

As I was there staring at him, my mind went back to my younger days as a teenager. I was about the same age as Eziashi Austine when I first met Obinna, he was every woman's dream... tall, handsome ebony dark with a smile that could melt even the heart of Jessica korchia. I had fallen instantly for him.

Obinna would do stuffs most guys wouldn't dare do... he would cook me surprise meals, rinse my clothes while I washed them and even make me up every morning. His generosity knew no bounds both to me and my friends. I felt on top of the world... like Queen Elizabeth on mount Everest...

Everything went good and smooth between us until I missed my period... then I saw a whole new Obinna, a beast in prince Charming's flesh.


 By Wilson Don Lee Levi


Article Source:  Bleeding Hearts

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