by Gail S. Bernstein, Ph.D.
When Diana sat down with her friends at their college reunion, she heard all about their careers. One was a lawyer, one owned a business, one was a computer systems analyst. Diana left feeling frustrated and disillusioned. She chose to be a probation officer so she could help people. However, the problems she faces are overwhelming, and the rewards are few and far between.
If you work in one of the human services, you probably want to help people. That's a good reason for choosing the work you do, but it's not very specific. It's important to know what makes you want to come to work every day, especially for people in human services. We often get mixed messages from the world at large about the worth of what we do. Most of us have been told, "That must be so rewarding," or "you must have so much patience." Those comments usually mean "I don't understand why you want to work so hard for so little money," or "It must be so awful to spend your days with people who are down and out."
People who work as helpers need to be able to identify the nonmonetary rewards they get from their work. That's important because monetary rewards will always be in short supply. However, sometimes people in human services feel guilty about wanting to get self-satisfaction from their work.
Those guilty feelings are unfortunate because there's nothing wrong with wanting to like the work you do. There are many different ways to help, and some people are not equally well-suited for all of them. It makes sense to look for work that is both satisfying personally and helpful to others.
Every career has both advantages and disadvantages. Some of what you do will be rewarding, and some will be unpleasant. Each of us is unique in terms of what we find rewarding and how much reinforcement we need to feel self-satisfaction from our work. That's why it's important to know yourself well enough to pick a job that is a good fit.
One useful exercise is to make a two-column list. On one side, list all the rewards you get from your current work. On the other side, list all the disadvantages and drawbacks. Then ask yourself whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. When you do this, remember to be honest with yourself.
Remember it's okay to have selfish motives as well as unselfish ones, and it's okay to have fun while you work. It is also okay to have unselfish motives such as making people's lives a little easier. On the other hand, it is not okay to do human services because you think you should find it rewarding, or because you believe people will think you are a good person. Whatever you do, do it because you want to, not because someone else wants you to.
Remember, people who genuinely like their work and find it rewarding usually do a better job than people who do not like what they do.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Flush With Cash, More Asian Tourists Flock to Japan
SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK, Japan — Once prohibitively expensive, Japan is suddenly drawing soaring numbers of Asian tourists who splurge at the nation’s department stores, lounge in its hot spring resorts or explore remote corners, like this stretch of pristine mountains and forests on Japan’s northernmost tip.
While a boon for Japan’s faltering tourism industry, the new tourists are also a sign of larger economic changes in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Japan itself was once known for its free-spending tourists, who flocked to boutiques from Hong Kong to Fifth Avenue. But as Japan’s economy stalled for the last dozen or so years, rapid development in countries like China and South Korea raised living standards there.
Those countries are now catching up with slow-growing Japan, long the region’s dominant economic power. Indeed, Japan’s dwindling, but still potent, lead in technology is a major draw for Asian tourists, who are as likely to visit a Toyota car factory as a Zen temple.
At the same time, there has been a decline in the number of people going abroad from Japan. The number of Japanese traveling abroad has fallen 3 percent from the peak in 2000 of 17.8 million, the government-run Japan National Tourist Organization said.
The decline was particularly pronounced among Japanese in their 20s, whose trips abroad fell to 2.8 million last year, down 40 percent from a decade ago. Officials from the tourist group attributed the drop among the young Japanese to falling wages and more modest lifestyles.
By contrast, the number of visitors to Japan from South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong almost doubled last year from five years earlier, to 5.36 million, according to the tourist group. Those four regions alone accounted for nearly two-thirds of all foreign visitors to Japan last year, the organization said.
But far from being concerned about yet another sign of their nation’s declining status, many Japanese seem to embrace this change. The government helped open the gates five years ago by waiving visa requirements for tourists from Taiwan and South Korea.
Asian visitors are now regarded by a growing number of Japanese as a financial shot in the arm for Japan, whose vitality has been sapped by economic maturity and an aging population.
“Asia has closed the gap in economic power,” said Yukiko Fukagawa, an economics and politics professor at Waseda University in Tokyo. “And Japan is slowly realizing that maybe this is not such a bad thing.”
In the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo, the excitement these days is all about the large numbers of rich Asian tourists, most from China. This has pushed stores to begin hiring Chinese-speaking clerks and keep stacks of Chinese bills by cash registers.
At the marble-columned Mitsukoshi department store, one of Tokyo’s fanciest stores, wealthy Chinese buy Japanese and European-brand clothes and handbags by the dozen, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, apparently on a whim, for a watch or painting in the store, said Shoji Saito, manager of overseas-related business.
Mr. Saito said the store had not experienced such big-spending shoppers since Japan’s own go-go era in the 1980s.
“Asian tourists are our new growth market,” he said.
Many Asian tourists interviewed said they liked to shop here because Japan has the latest fashions first, and at prices way below those in many other Asian countries, where tariffs are steep. They also said they liked visiting Japan because it was close, safe and cleaner than much of the rest of Asia.
But many also say they are drawn by a deep fascination for Japan. Now that they can afford to come, they say they want to see the country that has long been the region’s front-runner in high technology, fashion and other realms of popular culture. They said they felt envy and respect for Japan as the region’s only fully developed nation, even if they did not always see eye to eye on matters like the events of World War II.
“We feel very close to the Japanese culturally, but they are also still ahead,” said Kao Yu-jeng, a 50-year-old schoolteacher who was part of a Taiwanese tour group visiting Shiretoko park, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. “We want to know more about what makes them tick.”
According to the Taiwanese government’s Tourism Bureau, Japan passed Macao last year to become the second-most-popular overseas destination for Taiwanese going abroad, after Hong Kong.
“Japan used to be a very distant presence,” said Hsu Ya-shan, assistant director in the Tokyo office of the Taiwan Visitors Association, a Taiwanese government-run tourism promotion agency. “Now, it feels a lot closer.”
Officials at the Japan National Tourist Organization called the surge in Asian visitors an unexpected result of their Visit Japan program, a 2003 advertising campaign whose goal was to double foreign visitors to 10 million by 2010. While they initially envisioned planeloads of arriving Westerners, it was Asians who actually showed up, officials said.
Skip to next paragraph
During the 1980s, Americans were the largest group of overseas visitors to Japan, but have now fallen to fourth behind South Korea, Taiwan and China.
“Japan always had this huge, unnatural imbalance of sending out far more tourists than it took in,” said Daisuke Tonai, a senior assistant manager at the tourist group. “The situation is finally becoming more normal.”
Mr. Tonai said surveys also showed Asian tourists came to Japan for different reasons than Westerners. While Americans said they came to see cultural attractions like temples, Asians cited shopping, followed by hot springs and nature. Visits to factories are also popular, he said.
Recently, a top draw for Asian tourists is Hokkaido, Japan’s least developed major island, with open spaces and picturesque farms reminiscent of the American Midwest.
Mr. Kao, the Taiwanese teacher, called Hokkaido’s natural beauty a welcome change from pollution-choked cities in Taiwan, and China, where he has visited.
As the group’s bus wound along Shiretoko’s rugged coastline, the tour guide, Yu Li-fang, warned the travelers of the dangers of entering a true wilderness area.
“What do you do if you see a bear?” she said.
“Run,” one voice said.
“Kill it,” said another.
“Do you know how to kill a bear?” Ms. Yu asked, only half jokingly.
While the group did not encounter a bear, many members did experience a different kind of shock at a gift store, where the prices were far higher than in Taiwan.
“Taiwan is getting closer, but Japan is still ahead when it comes to prices,” Lin Hsiao-ching, a 44-year-old homemaker, said with a laugh. “We still have to keep an eye on every bill.”
While a boon for Japan’s faltering tourism industry, the new tourists are also a sign of larger economic changes in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Japan itself was once known for its free-spending tourists, who flocked to boutiques from Hong Kong to Fifth Avenue. But as Japan’s economy stalled for the last dozen or so years, rapid development in countries like China and South Korea raised living standards there.
Those countries are now catching up with slow-growing Japan, long the region’s dominant economic power. Indeed, Japan’s dwindling, but still potent, lead in technology is a major draw for Asian tourists, who are as likely to visit a Toyota car factory as a Zen temple.
At the same time, there has been a decline in the number of people going abroad from Japan. The number of Japanese traveling abroad has fallen 3 percent from the peak in 2000 of 17.8 million, the government-run Japan National Tourist Organization said.
The decline was particularly pronounced among Japanese in their 20s, whose trips abroad fell to 2.8 million last year, down 40 percent from a decade ago. Officials from the tourist group attributed the drop among the young Japanese to falling wages and more modest lifestyles.
By contrast, the number of visitors to Japan from South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong almost doubled last year from five years earlier, to 5.36 million, according to the tourist group. Those four regions alone accounted for nearly two-thirds of all foreign visitors to Japan last year, the organization said.
But far from being concerned about yet another sign of their nation’s declining status, many Japanese seem to embrace this change. The government helped open the gates five years ago by waiving visa requirements for tourists from Taiwan and South Korea.
Asian visitors are now regarded by a growing number of Japanese as a financial shot in the arm for Japan, whose vitality has been sapped by economic maturity and an aging population.
“Asia has closed the gap in economic power,” said Yukiko Fukagawa, an economics and politics professor at Waseda University in Tokyo. “And Japan is slowly realizing that maybe this is not such a bad thing.”
In the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo, the excitement these days is all about the large numbers of rich Asian tourists, most from China. This has pushed stores to begin hiring Chinese-speaking clerks and keep stacks of Chinese bills by cash registers.
At the marble-columned Mitsukoshi department store, one of Tokyo’s fanciest stores, wealthy Chinese buy Japanese and European-brand clothes and handbags by the dozen, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, apparently on a whim, for a watch or painting in the store, said Shoji Saito, manager of overseas-related business.
Mr. Saito said the store had not experienced such big-spending shoppers since Japan’s own go-go era in the 1980s.
“Asian tourists are our new growth market,” he said.
Many Asian tourists interviewed said they liked to shop here because Japan has the latest fashions first, and at prices way below those in many other Asian countries, where tariffs are steep. They also said they liked visiting Japan because it was close, safe and cleaner than much of the rest of Asia.
But many also say they are drawn by a deep fascination for Japan. Now that they can afford to come, they say they want to see the country that has long been the region’s front-runner in high technology, fashion and other realms of popular culture. They said they felt envy and respect for Japan as the region’s only fully developed nation, even if they did not always see eye to eye on matters like the events of World War II.
“We feel very close to the Japanese culturally, but they are also still ahead,” said Kao Yu-jeng, a 50-year-old schoolteacher who was part of a Taiwanese tour group visiting Shiretoko park, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. “We want to know more about what makes them tick.”
According to the Taiwanese government’s Tourism Bureau, Japan passed Macao last year to become the second-most-popular overseas destination for Taiwanese going abroad, after Hong Kong.
“Japan used to be a very distant presence,” said Hsu Ya-shan, assistant director in the Tokyo office of the Taiwan Visitors Association, a Taiwanese government-run tourism promotion agency. “Now, it feels a lot closer.”
Officials at the Japan National Tourist Organization called the surge in Asian visitors an unexpected result of their Visit Japan program, a 2003 advertising campaign whose goal was to double foreign visitors to 10 million by 2010. While they initially envisioned planeloads of arriving Westerners, it was Asians who actually showed up, officials said.
Skip to next paragraph
During the 1980s, Americans were the largest group of overseas visitors to Japan, but have now fallen to fourth behind South Korea, Taiwan and China.
“Japan always had this huge, unnatural imbalance of sending out far more tourists than it took in,” said Daisuke Tonai, a senior assistant manager at the tourist group. “The situation is finally becoming more normal.”
Mr. Tonai said surveys also showed Asian tourists came to Japan for different reasons than Westerners. While Americans said they came to see cultural attractions like temples, Asians cited shopping, followed by hot springs and nature. Visits to factories are also popular, he said.
Recently, a top draw for Asian tourists is Hokkaido, Japan’s least developed major island, with open spaces and picturesque farms reminiscent of the American Midwest.
Mr. Kao, the Taiwanese teacher, called Hokkaido’s natural beauty a welcome change from pollution-choked cities in Taiwan, and China, where he has visited.
As the group’s bus wound along Shiretoko’s rugged coastline, the tour guide, Yu Li-fang, warned the travelers of the dangers of entering a true wilderness area.
“What do you do if you see a bear?” she said.
“Run,” one voice said.
“Kill it,” said another.
“Do you know how to kill a bear?” Ms. Yu asked, only half jokingly.
While the group did not encounter a bear, many members did experience a different kind of shock at a gift store, where the prices were far higher than in Taiwan.
“Taiwan is getting closer, but Japan is still ahead when it comes to prices,” Lin Hsiao-ching, a 44-year-old homemaker, said with a laugh. “We still have to keep an eye on every bill.”
Britain 'Heading For Recession'
The British economy is heading into recession, according to a member of the Bank of England committee which sets interest rates.
David Blanchflower, who sits on the Monetary Policy Committee, also warned that recent job losses could be "the tip of the iceberg".
In an interview in the Guardian newspaper, he said: "I think we are going into recession and we are probably in one right now."
He added: "We will probably have three or four quarters of negative growth, but the risks are to the downside.
"It's not too late to stop it, but we have to act right now. Monetary policy has been far too tight for too long. We can't just sit and do nothing as we have done for too long."
Mr Blanchflower, who lives in the US, was the sole committee member calling for a cut in interest rates in May and June.
But the Bank of England has held interest rates at 5% for the last three months after cutting them in April.
Minutes of this month's meeting will be published on Wednesday, but the academic economist seems certain to have repeated his call for lower rates.
Sky's business correspondent Joel Hills said: "If his forecasts are true, it would mean this recession, if it is one, would turn out to be worst than the five full-blown post-war recessions that we have seen, the last being in 1991.
Hills added: "This is all pretty gloomy stuff. However, bear in mind that he has been a lone voice on the panel for some time.
"He has been at odds with the prevailing consensus of the committee, which has been that the big problem isn't the slowing economy, it's rising prices."
Mr Blanchflower also said that house prices in Britain could fall by as much as a third and that the British economy could be facing a worse ride than even the US.
David Blanchflower, who sits on the Monetary Policy Committee, also warned that recent job losses could be "the tip of the iceberg".
In an interview in the Guardian newspaper, he said: "I think we are going into recession and we are probably in one right now."
He added: "We will probably have three or four quarters of negative growth, but the risks are to the downside.
"It's not too late to stop it, but we have to act right now. Monetary policy has been far too tight for too long. We can't just sit and do nothing as we have done for too long."
Mr Blanchflower, who lives in the US, was the sole committee member calling for a cut in interest rates in May and June.
But the Bank of England has held interest rates at 5% for the last three months after cutting them in April.
Minutes of this month's meeting will be published on Wednesday, but the academic economist seems certain to have repeated his call for lower rates.
Sky's business correspondent Joel Hills said: "If his forecasts are true, it would mean this recession, if it is one, would turn out to be worst than the five full-blown post-war recessions that we have seen, the last being in 1991.
Hills added: "This is all pretty gloomy stuff. However, bear in mind that he has been a lone voice on the panel for some time.
"He has been at odds with the prevailing consensus of the committee, which has been that the big problem isn't the slowing economy, it's rising prices."
Mr Blanchflower also said that house prices in Britain could fall by as much as a third and that the British economy could be facing a worse ride than even the US.
Friday, 25 July 2008
BPI v ISPs - who's won on music piracy?
Just two days ago BskyB signed a deal with Universal to set up an online music service and I asked whether the fast-growing broadband provider would be doing anything in return to crack down on filesharing. Well now I've got my answer. Sky is one of six major ISPs to sign a memorandum of understanding with the music industry to reduce the ilegal swapping of music online.
The deal was brokered by the government and is being unveiled on Thursday morning. Among those companies to have signed up is Carphone Warehouse, whose boss Charles Dunstone sent the music industry away with a flea in its ear a few months back, insisting it wasn't his job to act as an internet policeman.
So victory to the BPI, the music industry trade body which has fought long and hard to get the ISPs to to recognise their duty to cooperate in the campaign against piracy? Err, not quite.
All the ISPs have promised to do is to send letters to those customers identified by the BPI as persistent filesharers. And these letters are described as "Informative", designed to let people know that what they are doing is illegal, but not to threaten them with anything - much like the letters that Virgin Media has been sending to some of its customers. What the BPI wants - and it's been telling anyone that would listen that it had the government's backing on this - is a "three strikes and you're out" policy, which would see customers who ignored repeated warnings disconnected by their broadband providers. I've spoken to two ISPs in the last few hours and both have made it clear that they certainly will not be threatening customers with any such thing.
Now these letters may have an effect on some who receive them, particularly parents who are informed that the teenagers are upstairs sharing their music with the world. Indeed I'm told that a trial shows they work in around 70% of cases. The trouble is that the other 30%, what you might call the hardcore filesharers, will not be deterred. That issue - dealing with the repeat offenders - will now be discussed by the two sides with the media regulator Ofcom.
I've also heard that the business minister Baroness Vadera has spent many hours on the phone to ISP bosses, urging them to sign up to this deal. Whatever the BPI may say about the threat of legislation if the ISPs don't play ball, it's clear the government wants to avoid that at all cost. After all, any kind of voluntary "pact on piracy" sounds a lot better than framing complex laws designed to turn millions of internet users and the companies who supply them into criminals.
Oh, and that story running in one newspaper about the government favouring a £30 tax to download music seems to be wide of the mark. It sounds like the "iPod tax" idea floated by some parts of the music industry - and even they admit that it is now a non-starter.
The BPI has a carrot-and-stick approach in its dealings with the ISPs - you crack down on pirates, and you can have a stake in what is still a pretty lucrative business. So far, the ISPs seem to be grabbing the carrot - while avoiding the stick.
The deal was brokered by the government and is being unveiled on Thursday morning. Among those companies to have signed up is Carphone Warehouse, whose boss Charles Dunstone sent the music industry away with a flea in its ear a few months back, insisting it wasn't his job to act as an internet policeman.
So victory to the BPI, the music industry trade body which has fought long and hard to get the ISPs to to recognise their duty to cooperate in the campaign against piracy? Err, not quite.
All the ISPs have promised to do is to send letters to those customers identified by the BPI as persistent filesharers. And these letters are described as "Informative", designed to let people know that what they are doing is illegal, but not to threaten them with anything - much like the letters that Virgin Media has been sending to some of its customers. What the BPI wants - and it's been telling anyone that would listen that it had the government's backing on this - is a "three strikes and you're out" policy, which would see customers who ignored repeated warnings disconnected by their broadband providers. I've spoken to two ISPs in the last few hours and both have made it clear that they certainly will not be threatening customers with any such thing.
Now these letters may have an effect on some who receive them, particularly parents who are informed that the teenagers are upstairs sharing their music with the world. Indeed I'm told that a trial shows they work in around 70% of cases. The trouble is that the other 30%, what you might call the hardcore filesharers, will not be deterred. That issue - dealing with the repeat offenders - will now be discussed by the two sides with the media regulator Ofcom.
I've also heard that the business minister Baroness Vadera has spent many hours on the phone to ISP bosses, urging them to sign up to this deal. Whatever the BPI may say about the threat of legislation if the ISPs don't play ball, it's clear the government wants to avoid that at all cost. After all, any kind of voluntary "pact on piracy" sounds a lot better than framing complex laws designed to turn millions of internet users and the companies who supply them into criminals.
Oh, and that story running in one newspaper about the government favouring a £30 tax to download music seems to be wide of the mark. It sounds like the "iPod tax" idea floated by some parts of the music industry - and even they admit that it is now a non-starter.
The BPI has a carrot-and-stick approach in its dealings with the ISPs - you crack down on pirates, and you can have a stake in what is still a pretty lucrative business. So far, the ISPs seem to be grabbing the carrot - while avoiding the stick.
Apple's future without Steve Jobs
The rather inelegant question of who will lead Apple when Steve Jobs "goes" is being bandied about virtually everywhere at the moment. Speculation about his health has prompted the rumour mill to go into overdrive with Apple seemingly doing a poor job to dampen down the feverish speculation.
It all started last month when a gaunt Mr Jobs appeared at the company's developer conference in San Francisco. There was an almost audible gasp in the auditorium when he took to the stage in jeans that were practically hanging off his thin frame. But for a short while the issue faded as the crowd went nuts over his announcement about the new 3G iPhone.
Afterwards, spokespeople at Apple said Mr Jobs was recovering from a common bug. It was no secret that he had pancreatic cancer and four years ago underwent surgery which was hailed a success.
But the topic took centre stage again this week when analysts were involved in a conference call following the company's quarterly results. Chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said that Mr Jobs served as CEO "at the pleasure of Apple's board and has no plans to leave Apple".
Not sure if that line was borrowed from the West Wing script where the characters were constantly intoning how they "served at the pleasure of the president".
Arguably the matter might just have withered on the vine if Mr Oppenheimer had left the issue there, but he added that Mr Jobs' health was "a private matter".
That got people Twittering like mad and now the big question being asked is just how much investors and analysts should know about a top exec's health. Especially, they are suggesting, one like Steve Jobs who is such a visionary for Apple and whose success seems to be closely bound together.
You might well think that this is a lot of brouhaha for nothing, but in the world of commerce this is a big deal. Reuters news agency reports that one investor was considering adding to his $2bn fund but was hestitant because of all the talk about the Apple guru's health.
There are now reports that the "common bug" that led to the weight loss was due to a "surgical procedure" Steve Jobs had earlier in the year. And also being highlighted and bandied about by unnamed sources and unnamed friends is the story that "in recent weeks, Mr Jobs has reassured several people that he is doing well and that four years after a successful operation to treat a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he is cancer-free".
You might wonder how Apple ended up handling this bit of public relations so badly? They are, after all, regarded as masters of the art when it comes to hyping their products and controlling the "message". But it does seem they have been wrong-footed.
The debate all just underlines the $64,000 question of who really will eventually follow in Steve Jobs' footsteps? And can or should any one person be allowed to be bigger than the company he or she runs?
It all started last month when a gaunt Mr Jobs appeared at the company's developer conference in San Francisco. There was an almost audible gasp in the auditorium when he took to the stage in jeans that were practically hanging off his thin frame. But for a short while the issue faded as the crowd went nuts over his announcement about the new 3G iPhone.
Afterwards, spokespeople at Apple said Mr Jobs was recovering from a common bug. It was no secret that he had pancreatic cancer and four years ago underwent surgery which was hailed a success.
But the topic took centre stage again this week when analysts were involved in a conference call following the company's quarterly results. Chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said that Mr Jobs served as CEO "at the pleasure of Apple's board and has no plans to leave Apple".
Not sure if that line was borrowed from the West Wing script where the characters were constantly intoning how they "served at the pleasure of the president".
Arguably the matter might just have withered on the vine if Mr Oppenheimer had left the issue there, but he added that Mr Jobs' health was "a private matter".
That got people Twittering like mad and now the big question being asked is just how much investors and analysts should know about a top exec's health. Especially, they are suggesting, one like Steve Jobs who is such a visionary for Apple and whose success seems to be closely bound together.
You might well think that this is a lot of brouhaha for nothing, but in the world of commerce this is a big deal. Reuters news agency reports that one investor was considering adding to his $2bn fund but was hestitant because of all the talk about the Apple guru's health.
There are now reports that the "common bug" that led to the weight loss was due to a "surgical procedure" Steve Jobs had earlier in the year. And also being highlighted and bandied about by unnamed sources and unnamed friends is the story that "in recent weeks, Mr Jobs has reassured several people that he is doing well and that four years after a successful operation to treat a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he is cancer-free".
You might wonder how Apple ended up handling this bit of public relations so badly? They are, after all, regarded as masters of the art when it comes to hyping their products and controlling the "message". But it does seem they have been wrong-footed.
The debate all just underlines the $64,000 question of who really will eventually follow in Steve Jobs' footsteps? And can or should any one person be allowed to be bigger than the company he or she runs?
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
China Seals Border, Gorkha Folks Hit
THT OnlineGorkha, July 22
The Chinese government's decision to seal its border with Nepal earlier this year has affected thousands of families in Chhekapar and Samagaun VDCs of Gorkha district who have been traditionally using the routes of Bhuila and Ghyala passes located on Nepal-China border to reach the markets of Jonga and Kongdang in District Kirong of the Tibet Autonomous region of China to carry out trans-border business and trade.These Nepalis have been fulfilling their daily needs such as clothes, foodgrains, oil and salt through this traditional trans border business and trade. However in February this year the Chinese government sealed its border by deploying army and police personnel in that area and restricted the entry of Nepalese nationals.According to the locals owing to decision they have been facing severe shortage of various goods thereby affecting their normal life. Though Nepal's government has taken up the issue with Beijing for allowing the Nepalese nationals residing along the Nepal-China border to move freely, nothing has been done fo far, the locals claimed.At the same time the Chinese government has been unusually harsh in pressurising the Nepalese to crush any perceived signs of Tibetan resistance in Nepal. This is despite the fact that the Nepal Baudha Mahasangha has appealed to the government of Nepal to allow the Buddhists in Nepal to freely practice their religion and not link them unnecessarily with the ongoing protests by the Tibetan community.Meanwhile, the Nepalese Supreme Court directed (July 7) the government to free three detained Tibetan protesters, viz Tashi Dolma, Nawang Sangmo and Kalsan Chung who had been arrested earlier on charges of indulging in anti-China activities. Reacting to the development, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal has lodged a strongly-worded protest with the Nepalese Foreign Secretary.
The Chinese government's decision to seal its border with Nepal earlier this year has affected thousands of families in Chhekapar and Samagaun VDCs of Gorkha district who have been traditionally using the routes of Bhuila and Ghyala passes located on Nepal-China border to reach the markets of Jonga and Kongdang in District Kirong of the Tibet Autonomous region of China to carry out trans-border business and trade.These Nepalis have been fulfilling their daily needs such as clothes, foodgrains, oil and salt through this traditional trans border business and trade. However in February this year the Chinese government sealed its border by deploying army and police personnel in that area and restricted the entry of Nepalese nationals.According to the locals owing to decision they have been facing severe shortage of various goods thereby affecting their normal life. Though Nepal's government has taken up the issue with Beijing for allowing the Nepalese nationals residing along the Nepal-China border to move freely, nothing has been done fo far, the locals claimed.At the same time the Chinese government has been unusually harsh in pressurising the Nepalese to crush any perceived signs of Tibetan resistance in Nepal. This is despite the fact that the Nepal Baudha Mahasangha has appealed to the government of Nepal to allow the Buddhists in Nepal to freely practice their religion and not link them unnecessarily with the ongoing protests by the Tibetan community.Meanwhile, the Nepalese Supreme Court directed (July 7) the government to free three detained Tibetan protesters, viz Tashi Dolma, Nawang Sangmo and Kalsan Chung who had been arrested earlier on charges of indulging in anti-China activities. Reacting to the development, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal has lodged a strongly-worded protest with the Nepalese Foreign Secretary.
Thursday, 17 July 2008
How to Make Quick Money and Keep it - The Best of Two Worlds
Do you feel that you are you going the route of the rags-to-riches-to-rags story? This is an exaggeration, admittedly. However, it seems that regardless of how often you heed the guides on how to make quick money, you still find yourself in the familiar territory of financial quicksand.
Maybe you know how to make quick money, but do not know how to keep it! Indeed, making quick money share similarities with spending money, quick. It feels like you have holes in your pockets such that as soon as you put in money in them, the money just slides down into the holes.
Here is how to make quick money, and actually keep and save it.
Ideas to Make Money
You can have a job, first and foremost. Or, make that "jobs." Most jobs will provide you with regular income and employee benefits, plus an assurance that retirement benefits can be had in the future.
You can engage in a home business. You can either quit being an employee and instead become an employer, or be the one-man show of your fledging business. You can also engage in your home business while holding down your job. It all depends on your financial capability, risk tolerance, goals, and personality, among other factors.
You can capitalize on your passions and hobbies or on your talents and skills, and throw in capital and determination. Admittedly, having a home business might not be the best guide on how to make quick money per se, but it definitely can be a big-time money earner.
As to your home business, there are many opportunities over the Internet that you can take advantage of. There are data entry jobs, article writing projects, web design and development, blogging, and selling stuff online, to name a few business opportunities.
Ideas to Keep (And Save) Quick Money
Now that you have ideas how to make quick money, it is time for ideas on how to keep quick money. You need not fall into the vicious cycle of quick money in, quick money out at the click of your fingers (or more like, at the click of the mouse in these web-driven times).
First, change your psychological approach towards quick money. Always remember that your quick money is still your money, which means that squandering it will be fooling yourself. If the source for your quick money is a secondary job, then you can save this money as your primary job should cover your regular expenses. If it is your exclusive source of income, then saving is all the more necessary.
Second, be a diligent saver. As soon as you get your quick money, set aside a fixed percentage or a fixed amount as savings. Do not make an exception since you might make savings procrastination as recurring habit.
Third, stop using your estimated quick money as buffers for future expenses and debts. Unlike a regular job with regular wages, quick money from businesses can suffer from cyclical variations. If you use this quick money to guarantee debts, you might just find yourself in debt (and deep) trouble.
Fourth, follow all other advice on how to save money like never use your credit cards unless necessary, set savings goals within an attainable time frame, and stay within budget.
Ultimately, you decide how to make the most and the best out of religiously following guides on how to make quick money. Just remember, quick is as quick can.
Maybe you know how to make quick money, but do not know how to keep it! Indeed, making quick money share similarities with spending money, quick. It feels like you have holes in your pockets such that as soon as you put in money in them, the money just slides down into the holes.
Here is how to make quick money, and actually keep and save it.
Ideas to Make Money
You can have a job, first and foremost. Or, make that "jobs." Most jobs will provide you with regular income and employee benefits, plus an assurance that retirement benefits can be had in the future.
You can engage in a home business. You can either quit being an employee and instead become an employer, or be the one-man show of your fledging business. You can also engage in your home business while holding down your job. It all depends on your financial capability, risk tolerance, goals, and personality, among other factors.
You can capitalize on your passions and hobbies or on your talents and skills, and throw in capital and determination. Admittedly, having a home business might not be the best guide on how to make quick money per se, but it definitely can be a big-time money earner.
As to your home business, there are many opportunities over the Internet that you can take advantage of. There are data entry jobs, article writing projects, web design and development, blogging, and selling stuff online, to name a few business opportunities.
Ideas to Keep (And Save) Quick Money
Now that you have ideas how to make quick money, it is time for ideas on how to keep quick money. You need not fall into the vicious cycle of quick money in, quick money out at the click of your fingers (or more like, at the click of the mouse in these web-driven times).
First, change your psychological approach towards quick money. Always remember that your quick money is still your money, which means that squandering it will be fooling yourself. If the source for your quick money is a secondary job, then you can save this money as your primary job should cover your regular expenses. If it is your exclusive source of income, then saving is all the more necessary.
Second, be a diligent saver. As soon as you get your quick money, set aside a fixed percentage or a fixed amount as savings. Do not make an exception since you might make savings procrastination as recurring habit.
Third, stop using your estimated quick money as buffers for future expenses and debts. Unlike a regular job with regular wages, quick money from businesses can suffer from cyclical variations. If you use this quick money to guarantee debts, you might just find yourself in debt (and deep) trouble.
Fourth, follow all other advice on how to save money like never use your credit cards unless necessary, set savings goals within an attainable time frame, and stay within budget.
Ultimately, you decide how to make the most and the best out of religiously following guides on how to make quick money. Just remember, quick is as quick can.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Some ways to find potential partners: by MANPREETKAPOOR
The best marketers receive a multitude of requests to do joint ventures regularly. You must either create a new approach or have a unique selling proposition to get to the head of group.
I find that working at building relationships with potential joint venture partner's works best. You will need to make a connection based on mutual possibilities. You will have a better chance of gaining what you want if you proceed with integrity and offer to help them in some way.
Some ways to find potential partners:
1. Search on search engines for the niche you are targeting for sites. Review the results. You will get more sites to look at than you can possibly want to review.
2. Visit websites you already know in the niche and look for testimonials. Contact the people leaving those testimonials. Testimonials are provided by happy customers. 3. Ask your current partners, clients and friends for referrals. 4. Research the events going on - speakers at the events make great potential joint venture partners. 5. Research the social sites for possible groups to join.
There are multitudes of ways to approach joint venture partners. Send an email; follow it up with a request for a phone talk works well. Use your subject line in your email to your advantage. If you have anyone referring you, indicate it in your email.
You must expect rejection. If you do not receive a reply to your email, you have the opportunity to decide if you chose to move forward. Make an effort to review your potential partner's website prior to contacting them. Find a reason that makes sense for the initial contact. Showing your knowledge of their efforts and/or expertise will help open the door for discussion.
If you make a good approach and it just isn't going to work, leave the door open for later contact. Building relationships takes time!
I find that working at building relationships with potential joint venture partner's works best. You will need to make a connection based on mutual possibilities. You will have a better chance of gaining what you want if you proceed with integrity and offer to help them in some way.
Some ways to find potential partners:
1. Search on search engines for the niche you are targeting for sites. Review the results. You will get more sites to look at than you can possibly want to review.
2. Visit websites you already know in the niche and look for testimonials. Contact the people leaving those testimonials. Testimonials are provided by happy customers. 3. Ask your current partners, clients and friends for referrals. 4. Research the events going on - speakers at the events make great potential joint venture partners. 5. Research the social sites for possible groups to join.
There are multitudes of ways to approach joint venture partners. Send an email; follow it up with a request for a phone talk works well. Use your subject line in your email to your advantage. If you have anyone referring you, indicate it in your email.
You must expect rejection. If you do not receive a reply to your email, you have the opportunity to decide if you chose to move forward. Make an effort to review your potential partner's website prior to contacting them. Find a reason that makes sense for the initial contact. Showing your knowledge of their efforts and/or expertise will help open the door for discussion.
If you make a good approach and it just isn't going to work, leave the door open for later contact. Building relationships takes time!
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
London is a major tourist destination with four world heritage sites, several royal parks, and numerous iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. Other attractions include institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery, along with a multitude of shopping, nightlife, and entertainment venues. London's main geographical feature is the River Thames, which runs through the city from the south-west to the east.
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