Saturday, December 31, 2011

Learning Spanish Prepositions Other Than Por and Para

!: Learning Spanish Prepositions Other Than Por and Para

In this lesson we will cover the topic of learning Spanish prepositions other than por and para. Considering that there are so many prepositions and because they have so many rules, let's leave "por and para" for our next lesson. We will study all of the other Spanish prepositions in this lesson while paying attention to the examples.

A:

- Movimiento: We use "A" with verbs that indicate moving and destinations. For example: Viajar/Salir/Venir/Ir (To Travel/to go out/to come/to go)
"El viernes viajaré a Montevideo para asistir a una conferencia." (On Friday I will travel to Montevideo to attend a conference.)
• Indirect Object: Introduce "to who" in a sentence.
"Le lave las copas a mi madre." (I washed the cups for my mother.)
- Direct Object: Introduce the indirect object when the "qué" in a sentence is a person.
"Veo a Juan todos los días." (I see Juan every day.)
- Sometimes it is synonymous with "Para". When "para" is used as an objective, we can use "a".
"Vine a jugar con los niños." (I have come to play with the kids)
- Distancia: Mi casa está a 5 cuadras de aquí. (My house is 5 blocks away)

ANTE:

- Place: "Ante"is a preposition whose meaning is "in front of/before". But we can speak about a real position, presence or where we are in relation to a situation (I can see this situation).
"Habló ante 1.500 personas".(He spoke in front of 1.500 people)
"Ante un nuevo incidente laboral, su jefe decidió despedirlo".( Before a new work-related incident, his boss decided to fire him)
- "Ante todo": in first place. "Ante todo quiero decirles....." (First, let me tell you...)

BAJO:

- Inferior Position: As with "ante"we are speaking about a real position: "El boligrafo está bajo el libro" (The pen is under the book), or localized in a situation: "Estoy bajo las órdenes de mi jefe" (I am under orders from my boss).

CON:

- Using "Con" we are speaking about company.
"Vivo con mis padres" (I live with my parents), "Fui al cine con Ramón" (I went to the cinema with Ramón).
- Content: "Tengo una caja con fotos viejas" (I have a box with old photos).
- Instrument: "Lo escribió con lápiz" (She wrote it with a pencil).
- Mode: "Ella lo dijo con miedo" (She said it scared)

CONTRA:

- Versus: El domingo van a jugar un partido de fútbol River contra Boca. (On Sunday River will play against Boca in a football match. )
- Position: We use "contra"to indicate that something is against another thing. For example: "El sillón está contra la pared" (The couch is against the wall)

DE:

- Possession: "¿De quién es el gato? El gato es de Melina." (Who's cat is that? The cat is Melina's.)
- Origen: "¿De dónde son tus alumnos? Mis alumnos son de Oxford". (Where are your students from? My students are from Oxford) "La mesa es de China". (The table is from China)
- Material: "¿De qué material es la copa? La copa es de cristal" (What material is the cup? The cup is made of glass)
- De/a: "La clase es de 9 a 1, de lunes a viernes".( The class is from 9 to 1, from Monday to Friday)

DESDE:

- "Desde" is the starting point, in Time or Space.
"Estudio español desde 1998". (I have studied Spanish since 1998)
"He venido caminando desde mi casa". (I have come walking from my home)
- Desde/Hasta: "La clase es desde las 9 hasta la 1". "Desde el lunes hasta el viernes". ( The class is from 9 to 1, from Monday to Friday)

EN:

- Location: "El gato está en la cocina"(The cat is in the kitchen)
- Date: With "en"we can indicate a date. "Nos conocimos en 1998"(We met in 1998).
- Future: "Terminaré la facultad en 3 años". (I will finish university in 3 years)

ENTRE:

- Between: "Mi casa está en la calle Cabrera, entre Medrano y Figueroa" (My house is on Cabrera street, between Medrano y Figueroa).
- Cooperation: "Lo hicimos entre todos". (It was made by all)

HACIA:

- Direction: "Si vamos hacia el norte tenemos que llevar ropa de verano"( If we are going to the north we have to wear summer clothes)

HASTA:

- "Hasta" Is the Arriving Point in Space or Time: "Hay 10 minutos desde aquí hasta mi casa".( It is 10 minutes from here to my house).
- We use "hasta" frequently to say: see you tomorrow/later/ on Monday: " Hasta mañana/luego/el lunes."

SEGÚN:

- According to: "Según Freud los sueños son manifestaciones del inconsciente".( According to Freud dreams are manifestations of the unconscious)
- Depending: sometimes it is synonymous with "depends": "No sé si voy en auto o colectivo, según dónde sea"( I do not know if I will go by car or bus, it depends on where it is)

SIN:

- Without: "Tomo el café sin azúcar"(I drink coffee without sugar)

SOBRE:

- The topic: "Estamos hablando sobre la amistad entre el hombre y la mujer". (We're talking about friendship between man and woman)
- Place: "On". "El plato está sobre la mesa"( The dish is on the table)

TRAS:

- Behind: We are speaking about a position, or behind a situation.
"La policía se fue tras el ladrón".( The police went after the thief)
"Tras los robos, la policía decidió investigar".( After the robbery, the police decided to investigate)

For further help on this topic I recommend the book Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions by Dorothy Richmond. For conjugating Spanish verbs you may want to try the Verbarrator software. And for very a comprehensive book on Spanish grammar in general, try A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish by John Butt.


Learning Spanish Prepositions Other Than Por and Para

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

How To Understand Cross-Cultural Analysis

!: How To Understand Cross-Cultural Analysis

Cross-cultural analysis could be a very perplexing field to understand with many different viewpoints, aims and concepts. The origins of cross-cultural analysis in the 19th century world of colonialism was strongly grounded in the concept of cultural evolution, which claimed that all societies progress through an identical series of distinct evolutionary stages.

The origin of the word culture comes from the Latin verb colere = "tend, guard, cultivate, till". This concept is a human construct rather than a product of nature. The use of the English word in the sense of "cultivation through education" is first recorded in 1510. The use of the word to mean "the intellectual side of civilization" is from 1805; that of "collective customs and achievements of a people" is from 1867. The term Culture shock was first used in 1940.

How do we define culture?

There are literally hundreds of different definitions as writers have attempted to provide the all-encompassing definition.

Culture consists of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, ceremonies and symbols. It has played a crucial role in human evolution, allowing human beings to adapt the environment to their own purposes rather than depend solely on natural selection to achieve adaptive success. Every human society has its own particular culture, or sociocultural system. (Adapted from source: Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Generally culture can be seen as consisting of three elements:

Values - Values are ideas that tell what in life is considered important. Norms - Norms consists of expectations of how people should behave in different situations. Artefacts - Things or material culture - reflects the culture's values and norms but are tangible and manufactured by man.

Origins and evolution of Cross-cultural analysis
The first cross-cultural analyzes done in the West, were by anthropologists like Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis H Morgan in the 19th century. Anthropology and Social Anthropology have come a long way since the belief in a gradual climb from stages of lower savagery to civilization, epitomized by Victorian England. Nowadays the concept of "culture" is in part a reaction against such earlier Western concepts and anthropologists argue that culture is "human nature," and that all people have a capacity to classify experiences, encode classifications symbolically and communicate such abstractions to others.

Typically anthropologists and social scientists tend to study people and human behavior among exotic tribes and cultures living in far off places rather than do field work among white-collared literate adults in modern cities. Advances in communication and technology and socio-political changes started transforming the modern workplace yet there were no guidelines based on research to help people interact with other people from other cultures. To address this gap arose the discipline of cross-cultural analysis or cross-cultural communication. The main theories of cross-cultural communication draw from the fields of anthropology, sociology, communication and psychology and are based on value differences among cultures. Edward T. Hall, Geert Hofstede, Fons Trompenaars, Shalom Schwartz and Clifford Geertz are some of the major contributors in this field.

How the social sciences study and analyze culture

Cultural anthropologists focus on symbolic culture whereas archaeologists focus on material and tangible culture. Sociobiologists study instinctive behavior in trying to explain the similarities, rather than the differences between cultures. They believe that human behavior cannot be satisfactorily explained entirely by 'cultural', 'environmental' or 'ethnic' factors. Some sociobiologists try to understand the many aspects of culture in the light of the concept of the meme, first introduced by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. Dawkins suggests the existence of units of culture - memes - roughly analogous to genes in evolutionary biology. Although this view has gained some popular currency, other anthropologists generally reject it.

Different types of cross-cultural comparison methods

Nowadays there are many types of Cross-cultural comparisons. One method is comparison of case studies. Controlled comparison among variants of a common derivation is another form of comparison. Typically anthropologists and other social scientists favor the third type called Cross-cultural studies, which uses field data from many societies to examine the scope of human behaviour and to test hypotheses about human behavior and culture.

Controlled comparison examines similar characteristics of a few societies while cross-cultural studies uses a sufficiently large sample that statistical analysis can be made to show relationships or lack of relationships between certain traits in question. The anthropological method of holocultural analysis or worldwide cross-cultural analysis is designed to test or develop a proposition through the statistical analysis of data on a sample of ten or more non literate societies from three or more geographical regions of the world. In this approach, cultural traits are taken out of the context of the whole culture and are compared with cultural traits in widely diverse cultures to determine patterns of regularities and differences within the broad base of the study.

Aims of cross-cultural analysis

Cross-cultural communication or inter cultural communication looks at how people from different cultural backgrounds try to communicate. It also tries to produce some guidelines, which help people from different cultures to better communicate with each other.

Culture has an interpretative function for the members of a group, which share that particular culture. Although all members of a group or society might share their culture, expressions of culture-resultant behaviour are modified by the individuals' personality, upbringing and life-experience to a considerable degree. Cross-cultural analysis aims at harnessing this utilitarian function of culture as a tool for increasing human adaptation and improving communication.

Cross-cultural management is seen as a discipline of international management focusing on cultural encounters, which aims to discover tools to handle cultural differences seen as sources of conflict or miscommunication.

How laypersons see culture

It is a daunting challenge to convey the findings of research and field work and discuss cross-cultural issues in diverse contexts such as corporate culture, workplace culture and inter cultural competency as laypeople tend to use the word 'culture' to refer to something refined, artistic and exclusive to a certain group of "artists" who function in a separate sphere than ordinary people in the workplace. Some typical allusions to culture:


Culture is the section in the newspaper where they review theatre, dance performances or write book reviews etc.

Culture is what parents teach their kids and grandparents teach their grandchildren.

"You don't have any culture," is what people say to you when you put your feet on the table at lunchtime or spit in front of guests.

"They just have a different culture," people say about those whose behaviour they don't understand but have to tolerate.

Different models of cross-cultural analysis

There are many models of cross-cultural analysis currently valid. The 'Iceberg' and the 'Onion' models are widely known. The popular 'Iceberg model' of culture developed by Selfridge and Sokolik, 1975 and W.L. French and C.H. Bell in 1979, identifies a visible area consisting of behaviour or clothing or symbols and artifacts of some form and a level of values or an invisible level.

Trying to define as complex a phenomenon as culture with just two layers proved quite a challenge and the 'Onion' model arose. Geert Hofstede (1991) proposed a set of four layers, each of which includes the lower level or is a result of the lower level. According to this view, 'culture' is like an onion that can be peeled, layer-by layer to reveal the content. Hofstede sees culture as "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another."

Cross-cultural analysis often plots 'dimensions' such as orientation to time, space, communication, competitiveness, power etc., as complimentary pairs of attributes and different cultures are positioned in a continuum between these.

Hofstede dimensions to distinguish between cultures

The five dimensions Hofstede uses to distinguish between national cultures are:

Power distance, which measures the extent to which members of society accept how power is distributed unequally in that society. Individualism tells how people look after themselves and their immediate family only in contrast with Collectivism, where people belong to in-groups (families, clans or organizations) who look after them in exchange for loyalty. The dominant values of Masculinity, focussing on achievement and material success are contrasted with those of Femininity, which focus on caring for others and quality of life. Uncertainty avoidance measures the extent to which people feel threatened by uncertainty and ambiguity and try to avoid these situations. Confucian dynamism. This Long-term versus Short-term Orientation measured the fostering of virtues related to the past, i.e., respect for tradition, importance of keeping face and thrift.

Trompenaars dimensions to distinguish between cultures
Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) adopt a similar onion-like model of culture. However, their model expands the core level of the very basic two-layered model, rather than the outer level. In their view, culture is made up of basic assumptions at the core level. These 'basic assumptions' are somewhat similar to 'values' in the Hofstede model.

Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner use seven dimensions for their model of culture:

Universalism vs Particularism (what is more important - rules or relationships?) Individualism vs Communitarianism (do we function in a group or as an individual?) Neutral vs Emotional (do we display our emotions or keep them in check?) Specific vs Diffuse (how far do we get involved?) Achievement vs Ascription (do we have to prove ourselves to gain status or is it given to us just because we are a part of a structure?) Attitude to Time Past- / present- / future-orientatedness
Sequential time vs Synchronic time(do we do things one at a time or several things at once?)


Internal vs External Orientation (do we aim to control our environment or cooperate with it?)

Criticism of current models
One of the weaknesses of cross-cultural analysis has been the inability to transcend the tendency to equalize culture with the concept of the nation state. A nation state is a political unit consisting of an autonomous state inhabited predominantly by a people sharing a common culture, history, and language or languages. In real life, cultures do not have strict physical boundaries and borders like nation states. Its expression and even core beliefs can assume many permutations and combinations as we move across distances.

There is some criticism in the field that this approach is out of phase with global business today, with transnational companies facing the challenges of the management of global knowledge networks and multicultural project teams, interacting and collaborating across boundaries using new communication technologies.

Some writers like Nigel Holden (2001) suggest an alternative approach, which acknowledges the growing complexity of inter- and intra-organizational connections and identities, and offers theoretical concepts to think about organizations and multiple cultures in a globalizing business context.

In spite of all the shortcomings and criticisms faced by the Hofstede model, it is very much favoured by trainers and researchers. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it is a wonderful and easy to use tool to quantify cultural differences so that they can be discussed. Discussing and debating differences is after all the main method of training and learning. Secondly, Hofstede's research at IBM was conducted in the workplace, so Hofstede tools brings cross-cultural analysis closer to the business side of the workplace, away from anthropology, which is a matter for universities.

Bibliography and suggested reading:

Dawkins, Richard (1976). The Selfish Gene. Oxford University Press French, W.L. and C.H. Bell (1979). Organization development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Hofstede, Geert "Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind", 1997 Holden, Nigel 2001, Cross-Cultural Management: A Knowledge Management Perspective, Financial Times Management


How To Understand Cross-Cultural Analysis

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Monday, December 12, 2011

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Are Men's Designer Shoes Worth The Cost?

!: Are Men's Designer Shoes Worth The Cost?

Shoes tell a lot about a person. They are just as important as any other part of a well thought out wardrobe. A pair of poorly designed or cheap looking shoes will give the impression that the wearer has little regard for his appearance, even if he is wearing the latest fashion in clothing.

It is important to keep in mind that it is not wise to blindly follow the latest trends. Just try to find a stylish, comfortable pair of shoes that will compliment your already existing wardrobe. Choose something that appeals to your individual taste.

There are many benefits in choosing to invest in a quality pair of men's Italian designer shoes. Not just the fact that they will compliment a well thought out wardrobe. Designer shoes are a valuable investment because of the quality of the materials used in their design and the research that goes into making them functional and comfortable.

My father once told me, "A good pair of shoes is never cheap and a cheap pair of shoes is never good." I think that is good advice for anyone male or female.

The materials used are usually of the highest quality kid leather. This makes the shoes light and flexible yet sturdy. There are many extra features that are included in the design of the shoes. Among these features are specially designed heels to educe pressure on a man's heel, non-slip soles to provide safety, added room in the toe box for comfort and anti-sweat soles to reduce sweating and prevent foot odor.

Italian designer shoes are very popular for their well-crafted look and stylish presentation. There are many different styles of shoes, designed with different men in mind. It is very easy to find a shoe that will suit both your taste and your budget.

With many online stores available, choosing a quality pair of Italian Designer shoes that appeal anyone's taste has never been easier. You can shop from your own chair, in the privacy of your own home without going running all over town looking for good quality designer shoes. That is an advantage more now than ever with gas prices as high as they are.

A pair of designer shoes is well worth the investment. Since they provide quality, style and comfort, it is important to keep in mind that you only get what you pay for. If you want top quality then you must be willing to pay a little extra. Italian designer men's shoes should be part of any sophisticated man's wardrobe, are they in yours?


Are Men's Designer Shoes Worth The Cost?

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Graduation Gown's History And Attire For Your Graduation

!: Graduation Gown's History And Attire For Your Graduation

Each formal occasion has its own rules and conventions to follow and a graduation ceremony is no exception. The graduation traditions that we follow now were started since the middle ages.

The tradition of graduations started in the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking shape. They didn't have central heating then. Most classes were conducted in a church or nearby buildings. Historians suggest that universities were started by clerics themselves. Back in those days any scholar be it be a student or a teacher wore the dress of a cleric. There were very few exceptions. A medieval scholar normally would belong to at least some orders, made certain vows and may have been tonsured - so they wear long gowns with hoods to cover their bald heads. That got replaced only by the skull cap.

It wasn't until 1321 that a statue of University of Coimbra that all "Doctors, Licentiates, and Bachelors" wear gowns. By the second half of the 14th century in England there were statues of a couple of colleges that restricted 'excess in apparel' and decreed that the long gown be worn. In the late 15th and 16th centuries under the reign of Henry VIII, Oxford and Cambridge Universities started decreeing a definite academic dress. The universities even had control down to the minor details of clothing.

Later on, the graduation gown color was standardized largely because of contributions by Gardner Cotrell Leonard of Albany, New York in the late 19th century. Mr. Leonard designed graduation gowns for his class at Williams College in 1887 - they were made by Cotrell and Leonard - his family firm in Albany. He wrote an article about the academic dress in 1893 which got him invited to work with Intercollegiate Commission and led to having a standardized system of academic attire. This Commission met at Columbia University in 1895 and adopted the code for academic dress. They not only regulated the cut and style and materials of the graduation gowns, they also assigned the colors to each of the various academic disciplines.

That's how the traditions of graduation gowns got started. But what are YOU supposed to wear to your graduation ceremony apart from the graduation gown? The first thing to do is to check with your school or college for specific rules. A lot of colleges would already have rules and guide lines for the graduation or commencement ceremony.

Remember that your graduation would most likely fall between May and June so think light clothing. You can't get rid of the graduation gown but you can wear light and airy fabrics like cotton and linen.
Ladies should wear something easy and elegant like a simple dress or a skirt and blouse. If your graduation gown is white or yellow, make sure you wear a light color underneath - not only will it be cooler the outline won't show up in your graduation pictures!

The gentlemen might need to wear a tie depending on school customs. Even if your school is not forcing you to wear it, get one anyway - it just looks nice and formal. You can get a rep tie or a foulard and wear with with a neatly pressed shirt in white, blue or any other pale color. Either a spread collar or button down are fine. As far as the pants go, wear a neatly pressed casual khaki or olive drab trousers - dress trousers are not a necessity.

Your graduation shoes should be moderately dressy, either flats or pumps are fine but nothing that you'd go into the mosh pit to. Gentlemen graduates should wear either a loafer or dress shoe. At any time, please do not wear jeans or shorts, flip-flops, sandals, tennis shoes or bunny slippers - keep them in your bed room or dorm.

At your graduation ceremony do not affix a message out of masking tape letters to the top of the mortarboard or the back of the gowns. Now that you know the history of your gown and what you're supposed to wear, the only thing left is to enjoy your graduation because it is something that you've earned.

This article on graduation attire may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.


Graduation Gown's History And Attire For Your Graduation

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Batak Cloth and Clothing: A Dynamic Indonesian Tradition (Asia Collection)

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Casual Shoes to Wear With Jeans

!: Casual Shoes to Wear With Jeans

With spring just around the corner, it's time to pack away our winter staples and take out outfits suitable for upcoming hot days. Once again, being comfortable and practical are the key issues. While we may enjoy sporting sneakers with jeans in the bright and colorful spring weather, we don't need to restrict ourselves to just one style. Depending on which shoes we are teaming up with our favorite jeans, we can achieve various looks and styles.

Casual Shoes to Wear with Jeans

Below are some of the different casual shoes to go with the jeans for men and women:

Teaming up Men's Casual Shoes with Jeans:

Below are three different styles in men's casual shoes:

Tennis shoes or sneakers: While one can always play safe with the classic white color, fashion-forward men may also jazz up their look with retro or European-styled sneakers like Adidas X Vespa or Nike Air Jordan Retro III Flip.

Loafers: They can lend an extremely stylish yet laid back look to the wearer; ideal for having informal dinner in an upscale restaurant. Pair it up with crisp jeans, a long sleeve-shirt, patterned socks and finally a tipped belt for a smart and casual look.

Oxford shoes: In spite of being casual, denim jeans are an extremely versatile item of clothing. For a street-smart look, you may team up your white oxford shoes with straight-leg dark denim jeans and a smart leather jacket.

Teaming up Women's Casual Shoes with Jeans:

Three of the different casual shoes to go with jeans are:

Flat shoes: Converse ballet flats have a timeless, classic appeal. You can combine the flat shoes with skinny jeans, a loose tank top and a cardigan in complimentary color.

Emu shoes: Though not exactly for the spring, it can bring a contemporary and stylish touch to the wearer. The best way to show off is to tuck the jeans inside the Emu shoes and throw on a stylish lightweight jacket.

Mudd shoes: Mudd flats are ideal for working women, especially those which come with round toes. If you don't like flats, how about pairing up your denim jeans with pretty Marcie dress shoes by Mudd for a professional look? Mudd shoes are also perfect for taking a stroll in the park or visiting the local mall, if you so desire.

So, which pair you are going out in? Whichever style you select, it will certainly get heads turning!


Casual Shoes to Wear With Jeans

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Different Types of Cotton Clothing

!: Different Types of Cotton Clothing

Cotton clothing is a one of the best, popular and comfortable clothing material available today. It is comfortable in almost all the season and weather. A number of companies manufacture and many fashion designers stitch and produce variety of dress based on organic and non organic cotton. For the purpose of clothing different kinds of cotton are used.

Organic is fully natural. i.e. it is free from artificial or human made materials such as chemicals, harmful pesticides in any stage of the growth from planting, harvesting and up to the final product. During the manufacturing of organic clothing materials, utter most care is taken in order to avoid any exposure to harmful chemicals and materials. Hence it is the best material for clothing purpose especially for infants and children

Bamboo is another category. This type of clothing material is about 25 to 30% organic and is very much soft in nature. This is produced by mixing organic cotton with crushed bamboo. Since this contains materials from nature, its free from any type of chemicals and hence its very better to the skin and environment.

Twill is heavier than normal one. Hence it is more resistant to wear and tear and more durable compared to others. It's normally lightweight and water resistant. It is good for fall wear, because it is a bit lighter than canton cotton.

Canton is a type of heavier cotton. Its one amongst the most popular. It is very soft and difficult to pullout. It feels a little like flatter

Egyptian has longer, thinner fibers. This type can be used for creating strong wool and it makes pleasant and smooth fabrics.

There are lot of other types of materials are available for cotton clothing which includes Terry cotton, Honeycomb cotton, Oxford chambray etc


Different Types of Cotton Clothing

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Friday, April 15, 2011

The First Kiss

!: The First Kiss

The First Kiss

It was a few days after Christmas, 1969. I was loaded down with cash from grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who years before had given up trying to shape me out. I'm talking about tens of dollars and it was burning a big hole in my pocket.

Little did I know, this gift of cash would be the first domino to fall in a chain of dominos that would lead to the gift of euphoria.

I received a call from my close girl-type friend, Shirley, thoroughly out of the blue. She was going to Willowbrook Mall with a girlfriend, and wanted to know if I would like to join them. Reluctant at first, I felt that hole burning where the cash was pocketed. I wanted to buy the Crosby, Stills and Nash album released the prior June. After a dinky more thought, the first domino fell. I met them at the angle of Bloomfield and Ridgewood Avenues to pick up the bus that would drag us out to the Willowbrook Mall.

I didn't offer to drive them in the house car because I couldn't. I was only weeks from turning eighteen and I did not have my license yet. I was afflicted with Boring Oldest Brother Syndrome, Bobs), a disease that attacks the maturity system; for example rendering one to postpone getting one's driver's license for as long as one maybe can. It's quite crippling really.

Happily, I met them at the bus stop.

Shirley introduced me to Sue. It took, oh let's see, about 3.7 seconds. Nope, I think less. I'm pretty sure it was when I heard the "ue" sound of her name that I promptly felt something deep inside my chest, a ping right below the top of the rib cage, like an galvanic shock only it didn't hurt; it felt in fact goofy, in fact exhilarating.

She was beautiful. Her hair smelled like the freshest Breck shampoo for color treated hair I had ever laid nose on. And she was awash in Shalimar perfume, sending my olfactory glands into nasal nirvana.

During the bus ride to the mall, surprisingly I was overcome by an eerie belief that pushed me to new heights of flirtatious wit. I was on top of someone else's game and loving it! By the time we had arrived at the mall, I was hooked. Oh boy was I hooked. We had giggled our way into some kind of magic. And the very best part, as I would learn later from Shirley, who by then had been ordained the puppet master of Bob's love world, was that Sue didn't just like me, she 'Liked' me--as in capital letters--'Liked' me!

How fast one's fortunes turn when suddenly plunged into the throes of youthful romantic chase. We walked the long winding caverns formed by nameless boutiques and anchor stores, laughing and smiling and teasing and touching and laughing some more. To the casual observer, it was probably nauseating but I didn't care. I was dominoing into a fabulous new world. I bought the Cs&N album. The girls replenished their perfume stock. Before we knew what hit us, it was time to go.

As the bus pulled away, my mind was dancing in heaven. But by the time we arrived back and disembarked where the adventure had all begun, heaven had turned to hell. It was all too good to be true. Rejection was moments away. Such was the fragile nature of my life.

The bus sputtered away from our stop, dumping an ominous black cloud of monoxide in its wake. But all I could immerse myself in was Sue, who by now was wearing a dazzling array of seventeen fragrances she had tested on her delicate soft wrists for me to blushingly critique. The air about her was a gorgeous collage to the finely tuned nasal passages of a teen boy in fresh mushy pursuit. Unfortunately it was a wondrous occasion that could not last. It was time to be noble in the face of her pleasant rejection with an empty smile, and cherish the fond memory of the mall.

I took the lead step in the dance of disengagement.

"Well, I guess I have to get going." As clever a line as I had ever led with.

"Yeah, its evening meal time and my brother is picking me up at Shirley's in ten minutes."

"Hey Shirls, can you give me a call later after din?" I asked, trying not to tip my cards too much.

"Yeah, no problem. I think we have something to talk about." She was so obvious.

"Oh yeah? You think?" I coyly replied.

"Yeah, we need to talk too Shirls?" Sue added.

My heart sank at the foreboding possible of their pending conversation. I reached deep inside to assert the high road.

"All right then, I guess that's that! every person needs to talk! every person is talkin'!" Not a very good job. I probably needed to reach deeper.

Unfortunately my old friend panic had made himself at home in my thoughts. Was this going to be as good as it gets? Was my breath killing her? Was she just now realizing the lowliness of her affection?

I had to say something but what? What could I maybe say to rescue this sweet occasion from the clutches of rejection like all the others?

I found it
.
"Okay then ... Catcha!" My rescue skills needed work.

"It was in fact nice to meet you Bob. I had a in fact great time."

My inner voice wallowed, "Yeah right. And I have a nice personality too. Isn't that what you want to say? Go on. I can take it!"

"Me too, Sue. Take care." I answered. Oh well, I was noble.

I turned to Shirley.

"Hey Shirls, talk to ya later!"

With shoulders drooped, I started my trek home in emotional upheaval, feeling exuberance and dread simultaneously. The day's events played over and over in my head. I forced myself to think about something else, like hockey fights, but to no avail. The feel of her warm wrists kept interrupting. I was in bad shape.

I barely ate evening meal that night, which set off all kinds of alarms at home. Mom's inquisition began: was I feeling okay, did someone steal my money at the mall, was I depressed about school beginning in a few short days?

"Nope, I am just falling in love for the very first time. That's all. There is nothing that can be done. My heart must tour this journey alone. It will find its way--somehow. Thank you though for inquiring." I indulged my inner self.

I excused myself from the table to recession to my sanctuary, where I listened to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" about forty seven times, waiting for the puppet master's call. Finally, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"She in fact likes you." She got right to it, a trademark of her no nonsense style.

"Oh God! Really?"

"Yeah. She thinks you're in fact cute and funny."

Suddenly someone else voice.

"Oh my costly Bobby. My dinky lover boy."

Damn! It was my dinky brother Steve. He could come to be a real pitbull of pain if I didn't squelch this immediately.

"Hold on Shirls."

I located my hand over the phone.

"Hey Stevey hang up or I'll chop up your Gi Joe!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I didn't like playing the Gi Joe mutilation card but I was desperate to stop him in his tracks.

I listened into the receiver.

Click.

I removed my hand and continued.

"Sorry about that. So where were we? Oh yeah, 'cute'? Can't I ever be rugged or athletic or something?" I asked despondently.

To me 'cute' was a notch above 'nice personality'. 'Oh, he's so cute' as in 'he's so cute to like me but I could care less'--that kind of cute.

"Forget rugged. She said 'cute' and meant it in a good way."

"In a good way," I repeated.

"Yes in a good way. Look she Likes you!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just got off the phone with her! She wanted to know about your situation."

"What situation? I have no situation. I've never had a situation. I'm situation free!"

"That's what I told her--not in those words exactly. I smoothed it out for ya."

"Smoothed what out? I don't need smoothing."

"Don't make me laugh! You need plenty. I told her you were just coming around from a terrible break-up from over a year ago."

"Oh that's plane Shirls!"

"Yeah, I thought you might like it. She thinks you are sensitive and likes that."

I took a deep breath.

"Wow ... Now what?"

I was a fish out of water, pathetically incompetent in such matters. Maybe I could get guidance from my younger brothers. My mind was racing.

"Listen! There is a get-together tomorrow night at Shnooky's house. Sue is going and wants you to come over."

Shnooky lived in this weird world where her dad publicly called her "my dinky Shnooky"; hence the nickname. Visiting her house was like walking onto the set of Father Knows Best.

"Are you positive? Really? She wants me to go?"

"Yes! Don't you get it ... She Likes you."

"Are you going?"

"Yeah but not until later. Gotta baby-sit till 9:30."

"What should I do?"

"Well ... You could call her for starters and talk to her."

"Talk to her? What would I say?"

Shirley was losing patience with me.

"You know Bob ... I don't have time for this right now. Just go. Just be there."

"Just be ..."

"Gotta go. Catcha tomorrow night. Good Luck!"

Click. Dialtone.

My life line was gone in an instant. I was swirling in a sea of uneasiness. I wondered what should I do now?

I immediately ditched the idea of calling her, why take the chance of saying something wrong. So I went to bed counting the hours to Shnooky's instead.

After a long day of worry, 6 p.m. Ultimately rolled around and time to get ready for the big get-together. After showering with my English Leather soap-on-a-rope, I toweled off and sprayed my arm pits with Right Guard, enlarging the ozone hole over Antarctica by about fourteen square miles. Next the goods were crowbarred into two of my cleanest, tightest "fruit of the loom" briefs for precautionary purposes, as the night's activities could in fact trigger an embarrassing situation. After tucking the apparatus in real nice, I put on my popular faded jeans, held nicely in place by my cool surfer belt. I threw on an undershirt, my best blue long-sleeve oxford shirt, tag still attached, thick matching crew socks, desert boots, topping it all off with an old washed out navy blue crewneck sweater. The sweater served a few purposes. Primarily, I was under the delusion that it was a look. It also might make a beneficial cover up should the duplicate binding underpants fail to conceal things in the event of a situation.

Once dressed, I had to work on the face, no easy proposition. Apparently, during the prior night while sleeping, no less than four pimples showed up and five long wispy dark chin hairs. A quick buzz from my trusty rotary bladed Norelco and the chin hairs were history. A splash of British Sterling, well more like a dunking, and I was smelling pretty damn good. It was a skillful blend of the natural fruity notes from Prell, the woodsy undertones from the English Leather soap, the bold sporty scent from Right Guard, and the raw sexual power of British Sterling, coming together in a circus of sensuality as harmonious as a Schoenberg symphonic poem.

This odor thing was very prominent because it was going to have to mask the pungent stench emitted by the two pounds of Clearasil I was about to cake on the pimples.

With pimples buried, hair combed, and lips glistening in Chapstick, I was ready to go out and conquer the night. I managed to get to the evening meal table in time to down some grub, avoiding eye feel and transportation with Steve the entire time. Successfully accomplished, I raced upstairs, gargled, brush my teeth and popped some Sen-Sen for added fresh breath insurance. I was as ready as I could be.

At arrival, I greeted Mrs. Shnooky, and made my way downstairs to the closed basement.

There she was. We made eye feel immediately and I smiled a grin so big that I could feel the plaster-like Clearasil on my zits cracking. She looked so beautiful.

We sat close and talked awhile, staring into each other's eyes the entire time. I could smell her hair. I was melting. At one point she took my hand in her hand. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Her hand was warm and soft; her fingers silky plane to the touch. It wasn't just skin a felt. It was flesh; wonderful, living flesh. Instantly, alarms were set off from my brain to every nerve ending in my body. I began to shake uncontrollably. I had three thousand layers of clothing on and I was shivering like a chilled baby. I would learn later on in life that I got the shakes with every new hand I held.

"Hey are you okay?" she asked in the sweetest disarming voice I had ever heard. I inhaled her breath. Electricity promptly shot down to my toes.

"Yeah, I just have these shakes for some reason. I'm not even cold."

"That's weird."

"You're tellin' me?"

There was an awkward occasion of silence. Then she spoke in a whisper.

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something in private. Want to take a walk exterior in the snow?"

I stared blankly. I didn't hear a word she said.

"We could walk over to the country club. It'll be fun." She stopped talking and studied me for some kind of response. I needed to say something but what? I played the tape back over in my mind until I found some key words to play off of.

"You want to take a walk?" I nervously repeated.

Oh God the touch of her hand was so nice, I pleaded internally 'please don't let go ... Please don't let go ... Please, oh please, oh please, don't let go'.

"I mean sure. We can walk and talk. I mean you can talk while we walk or I can ..." she squeezed my hand, squinted at me with her attractive blue eyes, and saved me from myself.

"Come on ... Let's go." She said calmly, prominent me by the hand up the stairs.

We threw on our coats, gloves and hats, and exited out the back door. Once outside, she put her arm around my waste, and in a reflex reaction I put my arm around her shoulder. I had never hugged a girl before. I started to shake again. Even though it was about twenty degrees out, even though we were swollen from layers of thick heavy clothing, even though I was shaking spastically, and even though my Clearasil was flaking off in crusty chunks, I felt like we were one being.

We prolonged to make small talk, during which I was able to get her to laugh as we trudged through the snow, crossed the freshly plowed street and walked onto the country club golf course. I didn't want the occasion or feeling to end. It was in fact dark out, although the dry white snow brighten the way by reflecting what dinky light passed on by. It was hard to tell from the drifting snow but I think we were walking over a green when she suddenly stopped and turned to face me.

"You're shaking. Poor baby." She lifted her arms up and grabbed the collar of my coat. I located my arms around her waste.

"Remember, I wanted to talk to you in private," she whispered, her minted breath filling the crisp night air, dancing into my soul.

Here it comes, the 'nice personality' speech. I was so short on belief of any kind. I decided to gallantly cut her off at the pass.

"Yeah, I remember. Hey, look. You don't have to say ..." But before I could be gallant, her glossed lips puckered and headed my way. I instinctively closed my eyes before contact. Then, as if swallowed by the Earth, she stepped off the lip of a giant sand trap we unknowingly had been standing precariously above.

In my exertion to grab her as she slid down the slope, my feet went out from under me. I rolled down the hill in hot pursuit, crashing into her at the bottom, some eight feet below. We both began to laugh as she rolled over on top of me. And we laughed some more. Then we laughed a dinky less, and a dinky less until the only sounds one could hear were those of our silence and stare. And then she leaned down and kissed me.

What I remember most was that our teeth smacked into each other. I feared I had chipped one of her upper incisors. So I pulled back. She smiled. No blood. Nice whole teeth. Undaunted she tried again. This time we were fine.

For more hours than I wish to reveal, I have wrestled with capturing in words what I had felt at that literal, instant. After many awkward, empty attempts, I realized I have neither the vocabulary nor the quality to do so. But that's okay. I think what I was attempting to do is akin to capturing the majesty of the Grand Canyon in a picture taken by a cell phone camera. It can not be done. And for those who have tried either, they understand what I mean.

I will leave it at this--on Tuesday, December 30th, 1969 at 8:23 p.m. Life for me had changed.


The First Kiss

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Central Line Stations With traveler Attractions and Shopping Activities

!: Central Line Stations With traveler Attractions and Shopping Activities

The Central Line, the red line on London secret maps, runs over central London.

The line starts from Epping in the north-east and terminates at a) Ealing Broadway in the west and b) West Ruislip in the north-west. The Central line covers a distance of 74km (46 miles) and serves 49 tube stations.

Listed below are some of the 49 tube stations that most tourists are likely to use when they visit London.

Stratford hub is the stop where the Olympic community (London Olympics 2012) is located. You need to turn here for the Docklands Light Railway (Dlr) and stop at Pudding Mill Lane (1 stop from Stratford station) where the Olympic Stadium is located.

Liverpool road hub is one of the main railway stations in London. This is the hub where visitors take the train to Stanstead Airport.

Other attractions near Liverpool road hub consist of the Gherkin Building, Toynbee Hall and the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

Bank hub is close to several traveler attractions along with Mansion House (the official abode of the Lord Mayor of the City of London), the Bank of England, The Royal Exchange, Leadenhall shop and the Lloyd's Building.

Lloyds construction is the home of the guarnatee institution, Lloyds of London, the world's leading guarnatee market.

St Paul's hub is a short walk to St Paul's Cathedral, the second largest cathedral in the world after St Peter's Cathedral in Rome.

Other traveler attractions near St Paul's hub consist of the Museum of London, Millennium Pedestrian Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern. From the Tate contemporary you can take a relaxing walk along the river bank and enjoy the amazing sights and sounds of London.

Near Chancery Lane hub are the Inns of Court, the Royal Courts of Justice, the Yeomanry Museum and the London Silver Vaults (the home to the world's largest retail variety of fine old silver).

Stop at Holborn hub for Lincoln's Inn, the British Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, The Hunterian Museum, the London School of Economics and the Royal College of Surgeons.

During the year Law students are required to dine "in Hall" of Lincoln's Inn a sure number of times before they qualify to be "called to the Bar".

You get off at Tottenham Court Road hub if you are visiting the British Museum, the Dominion Theatre and the Central Ymca. Most of the West End theatres and London Chinatown are settled in the south of Tottenham Court Road station.

Tottenham Court Road shops are illustrious for the sale of electrical goods like televisions and Computers.

Oxford Circus hub is the centre of the busiest shopping district in London. This is where Oxford road (running in east-west direction) meets Regent road (running in north-south direction). Both Oxford road and Regent road are very busy shopping streets and that is why most citizen prefer to stop at Oxford Circus when they come to the West End to shop.

Bond road hub is one stop west of Oxford road station. Shops in Bond road stock elegant and expensive designer clothes and Accessories. Celebrities from all over the world are often seen shopping in Bond Street.

New Bond road and South Moulton Street, both streets illustrious for elegant and expensive jewellery and watches, are only a short distance away from Bond road station.

Selfridges group Store is just a incorporate of minutes walk from the station.

Marble Arch hub is settled at the west end of Oxford Street. Opposite Marble Arch hub is Park Lane, illustrious for its 5 star hotels such as the Dorchester Hotel, InterContinental Hotel and Hilton Park Lane. If you walk halfway down Park Lane, you will see the Animal in War Memorial. This memorial is to commemorate the contributions made by animals that serve alongside forces while the war.

Hyde Park is settled to the west of Marble Arch hub and the Speakers projection is only less than 5 minutes walk away.

Lancaster Gate hub is where you get off if you are visiting the Hyde Park Italian Gardens, the Serpentine, Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain and the Bayswater Road Artists Gallery.

Queensway hub is the stop if you are visiting Kensington Palace. You can also start your "Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Walk" from Kensington Gardens over the station. This is a 7 mile walk over 4 Royal Parks, 3 Royal Palaces and several popular London landmarks. You just effect the Diana Memorial Walk plaques that are embedded along the route.

Fashionable Notting Hill Gate is illustrious for the Notting Hill Gate Carnival. This event is held here annually while the August Bank Holiday and is organised by the Caribbean community. This is a very popular event and each year hundreds of thousands of citizen converge here to join in the celebrations.

Portobello Road shop is also internationally known and is busiest on Saturdays.

Holland Park is a lovely park with its illustrious Orangery, Kyoto organery and open air theatre.

Holland House, originally known as Cope Castle, is now a ruin, having been destroyed by bombs while World War Ii.

Next to Shepherd's Bush hub is the Westfield Shopping Centre with more than 300 shops under one roof and is currently the largest urban shopping complex in Europe.

White City station. Here you can visit the Bbc Television Centre and join its tours. Nearby is Loftus Road Stadium, home of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and the London Wasps Rugby Club.

Apart from Stratford hub (zone 3) and Holland Park, Shepherd's Bush and White City stations (zone 2), all the other Central line stations listed above are in zone 1. So if you are not planning to visit these stations, you only need to buy a 1-day Travelcard for zone 1. That will give you unlimited tour for a day in zone 1 by bus as well as by tube.


Central Line Stations With traveler Attractions and Shopping Activities

!: Black And Decker Electric Hedge Trimmer Coupon !: Hint Elmo Beach Towels !: Cheapest Nikon D80 Digital Slr

Friday, April 1, 2011

Fun Dishes For Easter

!: Fun Dishes For Easter

Easter time means that it is time to get with the family and bring lots of scrumptious dishes. Either you are having a brunch or dinner, there are abundance of fun dishes to be created. If you have a dish that you traditionally bring to this feast, think trying out a new recipe instead. Just make sure to don your wholesale apron and try it out on your own family beforehand to avoid any disasters!

To make a festive, color and unique dish for any meal on Easter, a Peeps sunflower cake is in order. Bake the cake mix (whatever type you want) in two round cake pans and spread chocolate frosting between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake. To make the sunflower petals, arrange almost twenty yellow Peeps around the outer edge of the top layer of cake. Neatly arrange chocolate chips in the middle of the Peeps to generate the seeds and you are finished! everyone will enjoy this adorable cake that looks like you spent tons of time creating.

If you are going to have brunch with the family, everyone will enjoy some peaches and cream French toast. Join brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small pan and cook until the sugar is dissolved. One of your white aprons should keep your clothes protected from any splatter that might happen. Poor this combination into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Next, plainly arrange a can of sliced peaches neatly on top. Layer some cubed cream cheese and day old French bread on top of the peaches. Mix together 12 eggs, some cream and vanilla and poor over the whole dish. This will need to be refrigerated overnight and then baked for about an hour just before meal time. This dish is super yummy and everyone will want seconds!

Hosting the Easter meal is as stressful as the cooking itself. If you will be having lots of kids running around the house you should have some fun activities to keep them busy. There are abundance of websites out there that you can find Easter pictures that you can print out to make a homemade coloring book. This is quick and easy and doesn't wish the use of bib aprons. Of policy you can't forget the tradition of hiding Easter eggs. They will all enjoy the task of finding those wee colorful eggs full of goodies. You can also have a table set up where they can dye hard boiled eggs. When they are accomplished you can whip up a quick plate of deviled eggs that will please everyone.


Fun Dishes For Easter

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