Romania and its beauty

It's been quite a while, if not a whole life now, I heard and I kept hearing how beautiful is Romania.
Yes, indeed. It is beautiful, rich and the people here ale welcoming, but is this enough?
Foreign tourists coming here need roads, good guides, good hotels and last but not least safety. Nobody will ever come back again unless you convince, if you do not sell your product.
Watching this might get a tourist interested in coming to Romania and spending his or her holiday?



Romania - The Land Of Choice
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Coming back

It's been quite a while since I wrote last on the blog. Quite uneasy days lately but it's been a pleasure to overpass some aspects which seemed more or less long lasting.

Romanian modern family

It has been a couple of days since I came across a very interesting statistics on the most valued elements of the modern Romanian society. Not surprisingly, the family qualified in top 5 when it came to choosing between various institutions which were considered in this poll. The Church and the army are the first two most appreciated establishments by those who expressed their opinions.
Traditionally the Romanian family consists of husband and wife and one to three children, but this number may depend on region and local traditions. Yet no matter the region where they live, the couple first goes to the town hall to register their marriage and after that both of them with relatives and friends go together to the church to symbolically unify their destiny in front of God and the community. This being done the wedding party can begin.
The links and connections between relatives and the members of the family are very strong in Romania. The grandparents play a vital role in raising the children, the aunts, uncles, cousins and some other distant relatives usually help each other in order to achieve the common goal of prosperity and happiness. For example in case of a close relative’s death most members of a family – both elders and youngsters - come together and prepare everything and support each other. This is an unfortunate occasion, however life is easier when there is somebody there to listen to you and offer a little help when you need it.
Of course besides milk and honey there are also some clouds that might bring sorrow to the Promised Land of the Romanian family. Some of the guys who get married are not quite ready to consider their new responsibility as fathers, loving husbands and all in all “pater familias”. Some of them start drinking and cannot stop anymore. Their wives and children fall victim to their frustration and low self esteem. In this case the state must help and protect. That is the case of abused women who can get any necessary assistance from specialized state organizations and personnel, NGO’s and the Church.
All in all family is still the most reliable institution in Romania. As a matter of fact most of those who went abroad to work or study come back home after a longer or shorter period they spent working in a foreign country. Some of them actually have left just to save some money and return home to buy a house and get married.

Goran Bregovic - Mesecina

Another unplugged masterpiece of Goran Bregovic and his south-eastern band. Brass and drums join together to provide a vivid framework for the wonderful voices of the backing vocals and Goran himself. Note the special tones and sounds specific to the music of the Balkans. This is common to all the cultures in this particular area.

Nema vise sunca
Nema vise meseca
Nema tebe, nema mene
Niceg vise, nema joj.
Pokriva nas ratna tama
Pokriva nas tama joj.
A ja se pitam moja draga
Sta ce biti sa nama?
Mesecina, mesecina,
joj, joj, joj, joj
Sunce sija ponoc bije,
joj, joj, joj, joj
Sa nebesa, zaproklija
Niko ne zna, niko ne zna
Niko ne zna, niko ne zna
Niko ne zna sta to sija

The Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman occupies the south eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula - 300,000 sq. km boasting some 1,700 km of coastline stretching along the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. It is the second largest country in Arabia, and has the most diverse landscape including fjord-like rugged mountains in the far north, magnificent tracts of desert and a lush south.
Oman's history can be traced back to 12,000 BC. The country is strategically located on the crossroads of several trade routes that linked the ancient world. It became a centre of power in the 17th century with Omani rule extending from Zanzibar in East Africa to parts of Persia and Pakistan.
Evidence of a glorious ancient past is spread all over the country which boasts more than 500 forts, castles, and towers. Their diversity and numbers reflect the high standards achieved by Omanis in architecture.
Oman enjoys many unique features including an unspoiled culture and lifestyle traditional in almost every aspect. The people are friendly and offer incomparable hospitality. A rich variety of flora and fauna abound, together with panoramic beauty witnessed in its mountain ranges, deserts and sand dunes.
Today, His Majesty Said Bin Sultan Qaboos rules the country and Oman is considered a safe and secure destination with many modern amenities and facilities

Climate: The hottest months are June through August when temperatures are in the 40’s. However, modern AC and sea breezes make this more than bearable. The most pleasant months to visit Oman are mid October through March when daytime temperatures fall into the lower 30s and below.

Dress: The dress code is fairly liberal in Muscat, although decency is still expected. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts or trousers. Men are required to wear trousers and shirts with sleeves. Swimwear should be restricted to the beach or pools.

Language: Arabic, English and Swahili are widely spoken.

Time Zone Difference: Oman is GMT+4

Currency: The unit of currency is the Rial Omani (RO) consisting of 1,000 baizas. ($1USD = 0.384 OMR 22.5.06)

Children who give birth to children: Teen Pregnancy

Babies born in the U.S.A. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers themselves are also at risk for these problems.

Teenage pregnancy is usually a crisis for the pregnant girl and her family. Common reactions include anger, guilt, and denial. If the father is young and involved, similar reactions can occur in his family.

Adolescents who become pregnant may not seek proper medical care during their pregnancy, leading to an increased risk for medical complications. Pregnant teenagers require special understanding, medical care, and education--particularly about nutrition, infections, substance abuse, and complications of pregnancy. They also need to learn that using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, can damage the developing fetus. All pregnant teenagers should have medical care beginning early in their pregnancy.

Pregnant teens can have many different emotional reactions:

* some may not want their babies
* some may want them for idealized and unrealistic ways
* others may view the creation of a child as an achievement and not recognize the serious responsibilities
* some may keep a child to please another family member
* some may want a baby to have someone to love, but not recognize the amount of care the baby needs
* depression is also common among pregnant teens
* many do not anticipate that their adorable baby can also be demanding and sometimes irritating
* some become overwhelmed by guilt, anxiety, and fears about the future
* depression is also common among pregnant teens

There may be times when the pregnant teenager's emotional reactions and mental state will require referral to a qualified mental health professional.

Babies born to teenagers are at risk for neglect and abuse because their young mothers are uncertain about their roles and may be frustrated by the constant demands of caretaking. Adult parents can help prevent teenage pregnancy through open communication and by providing guidance to their children about sexuality, contraception, and the risks and responsibilities of intimate relationships and pregnancy. Some teenage girls drop out of school to have their babies and don't return. In this way, pregnant teens lose the opportunity to learn skills necessary for employment and self survival as adults. School classes in family life and sexual education, as well as clinics providing reproductive information and birth control to young people, can also help to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

If pregnancy occurs, teenagers and their families deserve honest and sensitive counseling about options available to them, from abortion to adoption. Special support systems, including consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist when needed, should be available to help the teenager throughout the pregnancy, the birth, and the decision about whether to keep the infant or give it up for adoption.

A Typical British Meal

A traditional English breakfast is a very big meal – sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms... But nowadays many people just have cereal with milk and sugar, or toast with marmalade, jam or honey. Marmalade and jam are not the same! Marmalade is made from oranges and jam is made from other fruit. The traditional breakfast drink is tea, which people have with cold milk. Some people have coffee, instant coffee, which is made with just hot water. Many visitors to Britain find this coffee disgusting!

For many people lunch is a quick meal. In cities there are a lot of sandwich bars, where office workers can choose the kind of bread they want – brown, white, or a roll and then all sorts of salad and meat or fish to go in the sandwich. Pubs often serve good, cheap, food, both hot and cold. School-children can have a hot meal at school, but many just take a snack from home – a sandwich, a drink, some fruit, and perhaps some crisps.

'Tea' means two things. It is a drink and a meal! Some people have afternoon tea, with sandwiches cakes, and, of course, a cup of tea. Cream teas are popular. You have scones (a kind of cake) with cream and jam.

The evening meal is the main meal of the day for many people. They usually have it quite early, between 6.00 and 8.00, and often the whole family eats together.

On Sundays many families have a traditional lunch. They have roast meat, either beef, lamb, chicken, or pork, with potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Gravy is a sauce made from the meat juices.

The British like food from other countries, too, especially Italian, French, Chinese and Indian. People often get take-away meals – you buy the food at the restaurant and then brin it home to eat. Eating in Britain is quite international!

Canada Day - 1st of July

Background

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty's (queen Victoria) loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1^st.

The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

There is no record of organized ceremonies after this first anniversary, except for the 50^th anniversary of Confederation in 1917, at which time the new Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, under construction, was dedicated as a memorial to the Fathers of Confederation and to the valour of Canadians fighting in the First World War in Europe.

The next celebration was held in 1927 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. It was highlighted by the laying of the cornerstone by the Governor General of the Confederation Building on Wellington Street and the inauguration of the Carillon in the Peace Tower.

Since 1958, the government has arranged for an annual observance of Canada's national day with the Secretary of State of Canada in charge of the coordination. The format provided for a Trooping the Colours ceremony on the lawn of Parliament Hill in the afternoon, a sunset ceremony in the evening followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display.

Another highlight was Canada's Centennial in 1967 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations with Parliament Hill again being the backdrop for a large scale official ceremony.

The format changed in 1968 with the addition of multicultural and professional concerts held on Parliament Hill including a nationally televised show. Up until 1975, the focus of the celebrations, under the name "Festival Canada", was held in the National Capital Region during the whole month of July and involved numerous cultural, artistic and sport activities, as well as municipalities and voluntary organizations. The celebration was cancelled in 1976 but was reactivated in 1977.

A new formula was developed in 1980 whereby the National Committee (the federal government organization charged with planning Canada's Birthday celebrations) stressed and sponsored the development of local celebrations all across Canada. "Seed money" was distributed to promote popular and amateur activities organized by volunteer groups in hundreds of local communities. The same approach was also followed for the 1981 celebrations with the addition of fireworks displays in 15 major cities across the nation.

On October 27, 1982, July 1^st which was known as "Dominion Day" became "Canada Day".

Since 1985, Canada Day Committees are established in each province and territory to plan, organize and coordinate the Canada Day celebrations locally. Grants are provided by the Department to those committees.

(source here)

The Norman Conquest - 1066. General Considerations.

Generally speaking the history of the British Isles is up to a certain moment the story of repeated waves of migrations and invasions, the story of successive waves of invaders and immigrants from the mainland Europe which gloriously closed with the Norman Conquest in 1066. The most significant aspect for the understanding of Britain’s evolution throughout time is the fact that it is an island. The south-eastern part of the archipelago situated in North Atlantic was the most suitable way of access and at the same time the guarantee of security and a favourable land for civilization. Here lay the inviting routes for invasions which, many times over, seem to have run much the same predestined course. Those who came to Britain would conquer or drive before them the previous occupants of the land, imposing each time something new on them. The Normans were to be the last of the conquerors and at the same time the most influential.
However much dispute there may be concerning the detail of the Norman impact on England, there can be no doubt whatever concerning the general importance of the coming of the Normans. Long centuries of different changes and influences made nothing more than to prepare the country for the most spectacular revolution in its history. Until 1066 England has undergone civil war, invasion and change of dynasty, but never before a change like that wrought by the Normans. Yet it is utterly misleading to ascribe to the Normans all the credit for the fine flowering of the civilization in the post-Conquest centuries or to neglect the contribution of the natives to the whole process and the fact that they were deeply rooted in the Western world. As a consequence many of the most striking achievements after 1066 were e rather cosmopolitan in character.
Till the 11^th century all invaders seem to have followed much the same objective. They were seeking to get away from the forests; they wanted room, land, dry gazing and good water. The late 11^th century would give to the act of conquering and invading a new dimension: the extortion of the resources of the country for the benefit of a hand of new foreign rulers.
The natural resources and the mild climate attracted many different people who came here as immigrants or as conquerors. We might say that British history until the Norman Conquest in 1066, was determined by two important migrations – the Celts (800 BC) and the Anglo-Saxons (410 AD) - and by one major conquest – the Romans (55 B.C.). The interposition of these historical phenomena of invasion and of conquest gives to the British history a chess board like aspect.
The insularity offered to the different pretenders an opportunity and at the same time it raised many problems concerning the efficient rule of these islands. Only twice has it ever been conquered, once in 55 BC, by the Romans and again in 1066 by the Normans. A fact which we should mention here is that the conquerors always had to have a dialogue with the pre-existing inhabitants, producing sooner or later a mixed society with elements from both.

Business Ethics.

Being honest, being correct and having integrity are ethical terms. They represent a principle for the people who are convinced they are right. These concepts represent in fact our moral standards. They can vary from an individual to individual because the values they are based on are different. Ethical issues represent real dilemmas for the managing staff because they stand for conflicts between the economical performance of the company (income-costs-profit) and the social evolution (expressed in terms of personal duties within the organization as well as outside). The origin of these duties can be open to some interpretation, but most of us agree that they include to a certain extent elements related to protecting the loyalty of the employees, to maintaining market competitiveness, providing useful and safe products and services. Fortunately the management dilemma relates to the costs of these obligations both for the company – assessed through financial standards – and for the managers – expressed through financial reports and audits. It is highly desirable for most of the managing staff in various companies to bring in people who have a clear vision of what means ‘honest’, “correct” and “integrity”. Thus any employee can be required not to act against the interest of the firm, not to offend other people and not to disclose any negative aspects about that particular company.

Sites for Teachers

A lot of teachers of EFL and not only worldwide look for sites and free online teaching resources and sometimes it is not quiet an easy task.
Here there are some sites that I have found and I considered to be useful. I really use these sites.
http://www.ego4u.com/
http://www.onestopenglish.com/
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/
http://free.ed.gov/
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/
http://www.teachit.co.uk/
Personally I try to use the free printable worksheets as often as possible. Anyway one can easily find any resources they need or can him or herself upload and share materials on one of these websites.