text:
You are here: Home > Things to do > Areas > Highgate with kids
Family day out in Highgate
Nell Heshram of the Pigeon Pair and Me
Views of the London skyline from Hampstead Heath. Image courtesy of Shuttershock.
Away from the bustle of central London, Highgate is a breath of fresh air. Children will love the slower pace there and the chance to just potter.
Highgate is less than 20 minutes from central London on the Northern line.
There's a creative magic about the place, and it has been a breeding ground for some of the most ardent creatives to ever come out of the city. Peter Sellers, Christina Rossetti and George Michael are just a few in a very long list of distinguished Highgate residents. After a day experiencing the gentle enchantment of the place, perhaps some of it might rub off on the growing minds of your youngsters!
Here are some suggestions for what to do in Highgate, based on our own family days out there.
9am: Breakfast at The Pavilion Cafe
Austin and Gwen having fun in Highgate Wood's playground. Image courtesy of Nell Heshram.
Set in the depths of Highgate Wood, The Pavilion Cafe is a good place to fuel any picky eaters in your family. It's open until late afternoon, but it does a mean breakfast and brunch. As well as regular staples, including a full English breakfast and scrambled eggs on toast, signature dishes include avocado on freshly baked sourdough and homemade falafel salad. The falafel is so scrummy, I'd order it any time of day – morning, noon or night.
After breakfast on the terrace, head to Highgate Wood's excellent children's playground.
10.30am: Take a stroll in Highgate Wood
After you're done with climbing, sliding and swinging in the playground, explore the rest of the 28-hectare (69-acre) Highgate Wood. It's a perfect spot for some family den building. The wood was part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
At its outermost edges, loud birdsong replaces the sounds of urban life, and in the middle of the wood, it's hard to believe you're in a city.
If you visit from late April to the end of May, don't forget to check out the swathes of bluebells that carpet large sections of the wood. They're marked on maps at the entrances and are a spectacular sight.
11.30am: Elevenses
Freshly baked goods at Gail's. Image courtesy of Seven Dials PR.
Highgate High Street is the area's main drag, where you'll find some good cafes for elevenses, like The Highgate Pantry or Gail's, whose scrumptious offerings include takeaway chocolate sourdough during Easter.
On a fine day, you can have a picnic at Waterlow Park, which has lakes, tennis courts and play areas.
If the weather's not on your side, treat the youngsters to a little child-friendly shopping; hunt for gourmet chocolate in Le Chocolatier, or spot bargain kids' books and clothes in one of the area's fine charity shops. Mary's Living and Giving Shop is a good place to begin.
12.30pm: Have lunch in a gastropub
Highgate's excellent gastropubs are generally very child-friendly. If you choose The Flask, which has a walled beer garden, your youngsters may well end up mingling with the children of celebrity locals, who often pop into this famed establishment. Previous regulars include Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats. Legend has it that highwayman Dick Turpin even hid from the law in the pub's cellar.
There are plenty of other eateries to choose from including The Angel Inn, which does a delicious Sunday roast. Monty Python's Graham Chapman used to drink there, and any child-generated noise is drowned by the cosy hubbub around the pub's open fires.
2pm: Wander round Highgate Cemetery
When I first moved to London, Highgate Cemetery was a favourite spot, filled with the graves of the rich and famous, including Karl Marx, George Eliot, Michael Faraday and Douglas Adams.
Revisiting with children brings a new dimension. My two like to ramble around the atmospheric place, spotting angels and squealing to each other about some of the terribly old-fashioned names on the headstones. Some of them date back as far as 1839.
3.30pm: Go on a blue plaque treasure hunt and stroll down to Hampstead Heath
Blue Plaque outside a house that Charles Dickens stayed in. Image courtesy of Nell Heshram.
If your children are interested in history or literature, they might like to see the blue plaques on houses around Highgate, which show that famous people lived there. We spotted blue plaques on places where Sir John Betjeman, Charles Dickens and Peter Sellers had stayed. A walk down South Grove and Highgate West Hill takes you to Hampstead Heath.
If you have your bathing kit with you and fancy a dip, Highgate Ponds are the first point of call. Depending on the make up of your family, there's a mixed pond, or single-sex ones for just women or men. If you'd rather not swim alfresco, you can cross the green to Hampstead Village, and continue the blue plaque treasure hunt there.
Evening: dinner and a show, or a live music gig
If you're lucky enough to have a babysitter, do take advantage of Highgate's low-key but eclectic choice of evening entertainment.
Try an early evening dinner at Kiplings Indian Restaurant. Then, head to community space Jacksons Lane, for some top-class fringe theatre, circus or comedy. Upstairs at the Gatehouse also features a fine selection of thought-provoking stage performances. But for a livelier time, you should try The Boogaloo on Archway Road.
Tickets, hotels and offers
Highgate village
Soho guide
The City of London
Take a tour of Wembley
Shrek's Adventure! London


The regesta of Charles IV are available in the editon by A. Huber from 1877 with an additamentum von 1889. Those regesta have been being digitized into a database and supplemented by evidence from deeds of this ruler in the since then published literature by the Berlin division in cooperation with the local division of the MGH-Constitutiones since 1994. The extensive source material on the constitutions of Charles IV for the time from 1357 until 1378 which had been assembled by the editors in Berlin from various German and foreign archives has also been incorporated. Thus a database has been created, which features more than 9300 Charles-deeds and hence 2000 more than the old Charles regesta, which additionally have frequently been corrected and freed from doublets. As a work-progress this database shall in cooperation with MGH-Constitutiones be expanded and standardized in future. On this basis a compilation is available within the framework of the work-in-progress text collection of the Regesta Imperii here.


text:
Hospital Sketches
by Louisa May Alcott
A collection of letters written when Alcott was a Civil War army nurse, they garnered Alcott's first critical recognition for her observations and humour.
Publish Date: October 25th 2005 by Dodo Press
What People Think about "Hospital Sketches"
In much the same way the sketches of The Pickwick Papers led to Dickens development of Oliver Twist, Alcott's hospital sketches paved her way toward Little Women.
I like this because reading about Alcotts firsthand experiences being a nurse during the Civil War is just plain interesting. Secondly, I like it because you et a grip on Alcotts personality. It is not a wow book, even if I am glad to have read it. I didnt like her narration at all. ************************* Interested in other nurse memoirs?
Ms. Alcott's experiences during her own time as a Union nurse helps to give this book a very realistic feel.
Most people know Louisa May Alcott's name for Little Women. I also would have preferred if Alcott hadn't made it a fictionalized story - certainly her experiences in those six weeks alone would have been for an interesting read, but it is what it is. Interesting to note that the role of women as nurses in hospitals during the Civil War was not to assist the surgeons in their operations - in fact, women weren't often allowed in to witness the operations unless they specifically asked to be a part of it.
While this work isn't a great piece of writing, it's an important contribution to the history of the war and life in the hospitals at that time for the patients and the people who cared for them.
Allow me to clarify: The nursing was a labor of love while the writing of the sketches was not. Experience Alcott show her readers the rude awakening she experiences in a poorly run hospital where she as nursing supervisor strives to provide the first first-time medical care for her patients. Descriptions Alcott describes the return to civilian life and the (glossed over) dying process, the visit of family members, the disorganization of this particular hospital, and the decorum of dying men. She also reveals her respect for black people, gathering in her arms a small black girl visiting/working in the kitchen and stating a desire to work in a hospital that serves black soldiers.
Dont care what, teach, sew, act, write, anything to help the family; and Ill be rich and famous and happy before I die, see if I wont!" Confronting a society that offered little opportunity to women seeking employment, Louisa determined "...I will make a battering-ram of my head and make my way through this rough and tumble world." Whether as a teacher, seamstress, governess, or household servant, for many years Louisa did any work she could find. A milestone along her literary path was Hospital Sketches (1863) based on the letters she had written home from her post as a nurse in Washington, DC as a nurse during the Civil War. When Louisa was 35 years old, her publisher Thomas Niles in Boston asked her to write "a book for girls." Little Women was written at Orchard House from May to July 1868.
Jo's Boys
Bantam Classics Synopsis
A Modern Mephistopheles
This chilling tale of lust, deception and greed, first published anonymously in 1877, allowed Alcott the chance to exercise "the lurid style" she believed was her "natural ambition". A novel of psychological complexity that touches on the controversial subjects of sexuality and drug use, A Modern Mephistopheles is a penetrating and powerful study of human evil and its appalling consequences.
A Long Fatal Love Chase
"I'd gladly sell my soul to Satan for a year of freedom," cries Rosamond Vivian to her callous grandfather. A brooding stranger seduces her from the remote island onto his yacht. Trapped in a web of intrigue, cruelty, and deceit, she flees to Italy, France, Germany, from Paris garret to mental asylum, from convent to chateau - stalked by obsessed Phillip Tempest.Two years before Little Women, serialized in a magazine under the alias A.M. Barnard in 1866, this was buried among the author's papers over a century.
A Garland for Girls
Alcott's concerns about social justice, women's work, domesticity, and community lie at the heart of this provocative novel.In this story of a woman's search for a meaningful life, Alcott moves outside the family setting of her best known works.
Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcotts most popular and enduring novel, Little Women.
Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life.
An Old-Fashioned Girl
For the finished product, however, Alcott continued the story from the chapter "Six Years Afterwards" and so it ended up with nineteen chapters in all.
The book revolves around Polly Milton, the old-fashioned girl who titles the story.
When best friends, Jack and Jill, tumble off their sled, their injuries cause them to be bedridden for many months. Their parents fill their days with the joys of Christmas preparations, a theatrical production and many other imaginative events.
The Inheritance
Now, after nearly one hundred fifty years spent among archived family documents, Louisa May Alcott's debut novel finally reaches its eager public.
Set in an English country manor, the story follows the turbulent fortunes of Edith Adelon, an impoverished Italian orphan whose loyalty and beauty win her the patronage of wealthy friends until a jealous rival contrives to rob her of her position.
But an even greater truth lies hidden in Edith's heart - her deep reverence for the kind and noble Lord Percy, the only friend who can save her from the deceitful, envious machinations of Lady Ida. Reminiscent of Jane Austen in its charms, this chaste but stirringly passionate novel affirms the conquering power of both love and courtesy.Written by Louisa in 1849, when she was only 17, this book demonstrates virtue and values in a beautiful way.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There is a possibility of air remaining in the ABS brake system.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a very handy and a common safety feature that you'd find in many modern motorcycles. Yes, it saves lives by magically preventing wheel lockups under panic or heavy braking. Like many other advanced technologies, ABS, too, has evolved, however, its basic working principle remains the same.
So it's clear that ABS is a basic and essential safety feature and we've got quite dependent on it. So what if it fails? Well, there's a possibility that it might in case of these 3 models of Indian Motorcycle which explains the issued recall.
As per the reports, 2017-19 Indian Scout, Indian Scout Sixty, and Indian Scout Bobber models have been affected by a potential faulty ABS unit which may not have been filled with fluids to the correct standard. There is a possibility of air remaining in the ABS brake system following manufacture, which could lead to the degradation of brake performance over time. This could be one of the reasons why your brake pedal or lever became spongy.
Polaris, Indian Motorcycle's parent company, has said that if that's the case then the bike should not be operated until the brake system has undergone the required repairs. It is advised that you should contact your nearest Indian dealership and get your motorcycle checked before taking it out for a sprint.
As of now, the recall stays put in the USA and there's no sign of it occurring here in the Middle East. If you own any of the aforementioned models in the UAE, do let us know if you're facing any braking issues.
Next articleDakar 2020 in Saudi Arabia?


The SSDBM international conference will bring together scientific domain experts, database researchers, practitioners and developer for the presentation and exchange of current research on concepts, tools and techniques for scientific and statistical database applications. The 24th SSDBM will provide a forum for original research contributions and practical system design, implementation and evaluation. The rich program of the research track will be supplemented with invited talks and panel sessions, as well as illustrated demonstrations of research prototypes and industrial systems.
SSDBM 2012 will continue the tradition of past SSDBM meetings in providing a stimulating environment to encourage discussion, fellowship and exchange of ideas in all aspects of research related to scientific and statistical database management in beautiful Chania, Crete.
We solicit poster papers describing original work relevant to the management of scientific and statistical data and not published or under review elsewhere. These can also be vision papers, or papers describing interesting work-in-progress.
SSDBM poster paper submissions can be up to 6 pages LNCS style. Authors of accepted poster papers will be invited to bring a poster to the conference, and, depending on time availability, may also be invited to give a lightning talk about their work. Accepted poster papers will also be included in the proceedings of the conference.
Please click here to submit poster papers (Choose poster track).


text:
Der Hennepin-Island-Tunnel war ein 2500 Fuß (etwa 760 m) langer Tunnel in Saint Anthony (heute Teil von Minneapolis), der zwischen 1868 und 1869 unter dem Flussbett des Mississippi Rivers gegraben wurde, um einen Abflusskanal zur Wasserkraftgewinnung für Säge- und Getreidemühlen zu schaffen, die oberhalb der Saint-Anthony-Fälle angesiedelt waren. Der Tunnel lief von Nicollet Island flussabwärts unter Hennepin Island hindurch und hatte seinen Ausgang unterhalb der Wasserfälle.

Während des Tunnelbaus brach der Fluss am 5. Oktober 1869 durch die dünne Decke aus Kalkstein, die das Flussbett vom Tunnel trennte. Der Fluss durchspülte den Tunnel, höhlte Teile von Hennepin Island aus und verursachte den Zusammenbruch des unterstützenden Erdreiches auf der stromaufwärts gelegenen Seite der Wasserfälle. Es gab ernsthafte Befürchtungen, dass das Flussbett zerbröckeln und die Saint-Anthony-Fälle zu einer langen Reihe von Stromschnellen umgewandelt würden. Innerhalb weniger Wochen wurden Dämme gebaut, um den Fluss abzuhalten und damit das Wegspülen der Fälle zu stoppen. Die Maßnahme war allerdings nur temporär, weil die Frühjahrsfluten 1870 einige der neuen Staudämme beschädigten und noch größere Teile von Hennepin Island wegspülten. Bis zum Herbst 1870 wurden Flussbett und Ufer weiter stabilisiert und ein hölzernes Wehr oberhalb der Wasserfälle errichtet. Als direkte Folge des Einsturzes haben die Saint-Anthony-Fälle schließlich das Betonwehr erhalten, die einen künstlichen Wasserfall schufen, den einzigen größeren Wasserfall am Mississippi River.

Der frühere Tunnel liegt etwa 1650 Meter stromaufwärts von der im Jahre 2007 eingestürzten Interstate-35W-Mississippi-River-Brücke.

Geschichte

Hennepin Island war nach dem Entdecker, katholischen Priester und Franziskaner Louis Hennepin (* 12. Mai 1626; † etwa 1705) benannt worden. Die Unternehmer William W. Eastman und John L. Merriam hatten 1865 die benachbarte Insel, Nicollet Island, gekauft, weil sie die Idee hatten, einen Tunnel von Nicollet Island aus unter den Saint-Anthony-Fällen hindurch zu graben, um zur Gewinnerzielung den verschiedenen Getreidemühlen und Sägewerken, die oberhalb der Wasserfälle angesiedelt waren, einen Mühlkanal zur Verfügung zu stellen. Der Tunnel sollte ein Teil eines Systems von wasserbaulichen Einrichtungen werden, zugunsten der Industriebetriebe, von denen das Wachstum Minneapolis' abhängig war. Das Projekt war dazu bestimmt, durch die Wasserkraft die Ansiedlung weiterer Industriebetriebe auf Nicollet Island zu ermöglichen.

Die Saint-Anthony-Fälle bestehen aus einer harten Kalkstein-Kappe, die auf weichem Sandstein sitzt. Noch vor 10.000 Jahren befanden sich die Wasserfälle dort, wo sich heute Fort Snelling befindet, an der Mündung in den glazialen River Warren. Während der darauffolgenden Jahrtausende hat der Fluss den Sandstein erodiert und dadurch den daraufsitzenden Kalkstein untergraben, wodurch die Wasserfälle langsam flussaufwärts gewandert sind, bis sie an ihrer jetzigen Lage anlangten.

Die Arbeiter begannen 1868, einen 2500 Fuß langen Tunnel unter dem Flussbett zu graben, der von Nicollet Island flussabwärts unter Hennepin Island hindurch führte und unterhalb der Wasserfälle wieder zum Vorschein kommen sollte. Für die Dauer eines Jahres gruben die Arbeiter sich durch den weichen Sandstein, der unter der dünnen Kalksteinschicht liegt, durch die das Flussbett gebildet wird. Dann, im Oktober 1869, begann das Wasser von oben in den Tunnel zu sickern.

Am 5. Oktober 1869 brach der Fluss durch die dünne Kalksteinschicht. Der rauschende Strom durchspülte den Tunnel, brachte Teile von Hennepin Island zum Nachgeben und verursachte den Einbruch des Erdreiches, das die Saint-Anthony-Fälle einbettete. Es gab unmittelbar Befürchtungen, dass das Flussbett zerbröckeln könnte und dadurch die Wasserfälle in eine lange Reihe von Stromschnellen verwandelt würden. Ein Zeitzeuge erinnert sich,"Ladeneigentümer hasteten zu den Wasserfällen, nahmen ihre Verkäufer mit sich; die Bäcker verließen ihre Öfen, die Holzarbeiter wurden von den Mühlen geschickt, die Friseure ließen ihre Kunden unrasiert; Handwerker ließen ihre Werkzeuge fallen; die Anwälte schlossen ihre Bücher und hörten auf, Eingaben am Gericht zu machen; die Ärzte verließen ihre Praxen. In den Straßen sah man Hunderte auf ihrem Weg zu den Wasserfällen eilend."

Augenblicklich begannen die Arbeiten, um den Tunnel zu verstopfen und Hunderte von Freiwilligen verwendeten Holz und Steine dafür. Der Fluss spülte diese aber ohne Probleme weg. Nach einigen Wochen verbesserte sich die Situation und Dämme wurden gebaut, um den Fluss abzuleiten und das Wegspülen der Wasserfälle zu verhindern. Die Reparatur war nur zeitweilig, denn die Frühjahrsfluten 1870 rissen einige der neuen Dämme auf und spülten noch mehr Erdreich von Hennepin Island weg. Außerdem brach das Erdreich unter der Summit-Getreidemühle, Moultons mechanischem Hobel und einem Kornhaus ein und diese Gebäude stürzten in den Fluss.

Bis zum Herbst 1870 waren das Flussbett und die Uferbänke jedoch stabilisiert und ein hölzernes Wehr schützte die gebeutelten Saint-Anthony-Fälle gegen die weitere rückschreitende Erosion. Das Wehr bedeckte die zerklüfteten Felsen der Fälle und zähmte das tänzelnde Wasser.

Folgen

Der umfassende Schaden, der durch den Einbruch des Hennepin-Island-Tunnel verursacht wurde, brachte Rechtsstreitigkeiten und den Ruf nach politischen Veränderungen mit sich. Eine zentrale Frage hierbei war damals, ob der örtliche Steuerzahler für Reparaturmaßnahmen aufzukommen habe, die lediglich die Unternehmer am Flussufer begünstigten. Der Kollaps des Tunnels war letztlich einer der Faktoren, der 1872 den Zusammenschluss von St. Anthony und Minneapolis bewirkte. Zur Erleichterung der örtlichen Bevölkerung führte das United States Army Corps of Engineers die Reparaturarbeiten unter der Annahme durch, dass damit die Schiffbarkeit auf dem Fluss sichergestellt werde und verwendete Bundesmittel dazu. Sieben Jahre nach dem Tunneleinsturz, 1876, waren die Wasserfälle mit einem unterirdischen Damm und weiteren niedrigen Dämmen gesichert, die noch heute oberhalb der Stone Arch Bridge vorhanden sind. Bis 1880 hatte das Army Corps of Engineers noch ein Betonwehr eingebaut und damit die heutigen künstlichen Wasserfälle erschaffen. Die Bundesregierung gab 615.000 US-Dollar für diese Bemühungen aus, die beiden Städte St. Anthony und Minneapolis bezahlten 334.500 US-Dollar der Kosten.

Siehe auch
Hennepin Avenue Bridge
Hennepin Island Hydroelectric Plant
Mill Ruins Park
Pillsbury A Mill
Washburn A Mill

Einzelnachweise

Literatur
 Lucile M. Kane: The waterfall that built a city. The Falls of St. Anthony in Minneapolis. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul MN 1966.

Bauwerk in Minneapolis
Aufgegebener Tunnel
Stauanlagenunfall
Ruine in den Vereinigten Staaten

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


At the recent Montrose Small Press Month workshop, I announced that I will do web fulfillment for local authors. By local I mean Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, and Ouray Counties. I'll do it simply, too.
2. I will place information about your book into our "Extended Catalog" at list price, along with a PayPal "Buy Now" button.
7. If I sell out, please get additional copies to me promptly—PayPal will refuse to sell if the inventory drops to zero.
I reserve the usual rights to refuse anything for any reason. If you are interested, please use the "Contact Us" page or the comment form below.
This entry was posted in Author Services, Mt. Sneffels Press, Our Extended Authors. Bookmark the permalink.


You have just added a CD-ROM drive (/dev/hdd) to your system and have added it to your fstab.Typically you can use which of the following commands to mount media in that drive to /mnt/cdrom?
這題答案是 a 還是 b 呢?
give only the device, or only the mount point.
若上面兩個條件不確定, 那 d 是 best !


We provides cheap international calling rates to call from Fiji Isl. to another locations. Also our phone cards has got cheapest rates for Fiji Isl. domestic calls. Select your desired destination or you can use our cheap calling rates search form.


text:
Kellogg's unveils raft of NPD for summer
Kellogg's has announced a raft of summer innovations for its cereal brands.
New Special K Protein Crunch (rsp: £2.99 per 390g), which is made up of crunchy clusters made from six wholegrains, contains 7.7g of protein per 45g serving.
In addition, All-Bran is being brought into the muesli category with the launch of All-Bran High Fibre Muesli. The new product will be available in two varieties, Fruit & Nut with Banana, Coconut, Sultanas & Hazelnuts, and Cranberry & Sultanas with Pumpkin Seeds (rsp: £2.99 for 550g).
Next in line is Special K Super Porridge, available in three variants: Apricot, Linseed & Pumpkin Seed; Raspberry, Pomegranate & Pumpkin Seed and Almond, Pecan & Sunflower Seed. The new porridge is available in pots and sachets priced at £1.99 per 5 x 30g sachets.
Another porridge innovation is Crunchy Nut Porridge, aimed at male consumers. The porridge, which contains real nuts, is available in pots and sachets (rsp: £1.99 for 6 x 30g sachets).
Commercial marketing director Jane Ghosh, said: "Young men haven't traditionally been big consumers of porridge, but if any product is going to change that then this is the one."
Kellogg's is also extending its Granola range with the addition of Granola Chocolate & Hazelnut (rrp £2.99 per 450g bag).
Also launching soon is a cereal based on a recipe by Strictly Come Dancing presenter, Tess Daly. The blend of Special K with red apple, almond and vanilla, has an rrp of £2.99 for 360g.
The final addition to the summer portfolio is Cereal Bars Big Packs, a 10-bar pack of Coco Pops cereal bars, Rice Krispies cereal bars and Special K Red Berry cereal bars.
Kellogg's launches premium fruit and granola snacks
Kellogg's is launching two new premium snack bars in January 2016.
Red Bull capitalises on England's Cricket World Cup success
Red Bull is celebrating the success of its 'Be More Pro' summer campaign, featuring cricketer Ben Stokes as one of the brand's key athletes, after England's win at the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final.
Evolution Foods, the dried fruit, nuts and seeds producer, has launched a snacking range made with 100% plastic-free packaging.
UK juice company Plenish has released a trio of juice shots, designed to offer consumers a convenient way to boost their daily intake of fruit, vitamins and minerals.
Bloody Drinks is launching a range of three, premium Bloody Mary beverages in a can format.
Field Fare taps into demand for meat-free in the freezer
Premium frozen food company Field Fare is continuing to expand its meat-free offer with vegan pasties, quinoa burgers and a vegetarian savoury snack.


Guess Who Is Directing The Movie on The 1983 World Cup Win?
A movie on the Indian Men's Cricket Team's historic World Cup win in 1983 is about to get the celluloid treatment. Kabir Khan has been roped in to direct it.
Surprised? Well, it is true. A movie on the Indian Men's Cricket Team's historic World Cup win in 1983 is about to get the celluloid treatment.
The fine folks at Phantom Films, you know, some guy called Anurag Kashyap and his pals. Yeah, the one who are known for churning out quality cinema (Not looking at you Bombay Velvet and Shandaar) have got the rights for the movie from the members of the winning team.
And Kabir Khan has been roped in to direct the movie.
Yes, the guy behind Bajrangi Bhaijaan will be helming the movie. To be honest, Khan is an accomplished director who has been churning out some of the most successful movies of Hindi cinema for the past couple of years (Not looking at you Phantom). This is indeed a welcome move.
Khan will begin pre-production and research on the movie one he completes his work on Tubelight that stars Salman 'Bhai' Khan.
A humble request to Mr. Khan (the director). Please don't rope in Mr. Khan (the star) as Kapil Dev. We've had enough accents as a Haryanvi from the latter for this lifetime.


text:
Album released this week in… 2009: Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
by Andrew Noel · Published May 31, 2015 · Updated May 31, 2015
BEFORE Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, who exactly were Phoenix? After dissolving his punk rock band Darlin' with the members of what would become Daft Punk, Laurent Brancowitz joined Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy and Chris Mazzalai in their band to create garage rock music. Two years after playing together, the group took the name Phoenix and began releasing music. The band released three studio albums from 2000 through to 2006 with varying levels of underground success. Come 2009, however, they released an album that would change everything for them.
Thomas Mars described the name Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix as 'childish', comparing it to drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa. Indeed, there's a certain contrasting element to this album; on one hand you have the names of some of these songs. 'Lisztomania', 'Rome', '1901', 'Armistice'. It all feels very classic European. But when you listen to the album itself, you're greeted with a flurry of upbeat, energetic pop music. It's a wonderful contrast that lets Phoenix bring that 19th century feel into the 21st.
Not only that, but this record is packed with hits. Opening with 'Lisztomania', an excellent four minutes of chirpy alt rock packed with synth and pace, the album pauses for breath before diving into '1901'. Before Birdy got her hands on it, '1901' was a sentimental piece about Thomas Mars' expectations of love. There are warnings of over indulgence and there are declarations of adoration, but all seem wonderful when backed by a pounding drum beat. Like the track title, it feels rather childish. Things mellow out in the next track, 'Fences', which glides gracefully though three and a half minutes of indie pop goodness.
The next two tracks, 'Love Like A Sunset', Parts One and Two are my least favourite on the album. Gritty syths and chipped, Foals-like guitar make for an interesting instrumental, and the 'drop' at the end of part one is impressive. Compared to the single-worthy tracks on the rest of the album, however, it's disappointing. Things swiftly get back to business with 'Lasso' and perhaps the best bass line on this album. Mars' vocals and the beat interlock excellently, and it's a similar situation on follow up track 'Rome', where Mars' vocal hook will send shivers of recognition down the spines of any listener.
Then we get into the final stretch. While 'Countdown' and 'Armistice' are both very sweet tracks, neither compare to 'Girlfriend', one of the best songs on this album. From the opening keyboard riff, it's clear what kind of song this is. Perhaps an even better love song than '1901', 'Girlfriend' speaks of longing and reassurance, camaraderie and ambition. It's a wonderfully peppy number that even manages to get the listeners' feet moving.
No, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix isn't a perfect album, but my God it's enjoyable. It's easily Phoenix's best album to date and somehow manages to make almost every track a hit. There's something incredibly likeable about this album; it's very easy to listen to, it's easy to dance to and it's hard to point out anything particularly bad about it. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix won't be advancing pop music anytime soon, but it'll keep on entertaining us.
Tags: 1901fencesgirlfriendlisztomaniaphoenixwolfgang amadues phoenix
Foo Fighters' new release fails to impress
by Andrew Noel · Published November 21, 2014
Album released this week in… 1988: Pixies – Surfer Rosa
Film soundtracks from the 2010s; some of the best – part 2
by The SCM Team · Published June 30, 2015
Next story Sons of the Silent Age: The mesh and montage of Battleship Potemkin
Previous story Only in the 70s: The Wiz (1978)


BOSTON — The Coast Guard and partner agencies are searching for a missing swimmer Tuesday near Biddeford Pool, Maine after he was reported to have entered the water from the shore and not re-emerge.
The Coast Guard was notified at approximately 3:45 p.m. by a bystander who witnessed a man in a red bathing suit enter the water and swim for about 15 minutes before going missing.
Coast Guard small boat crews from Coast Guard Station South Portland and Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team South Portland responded to search the area.
A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew also launched to assist in the search.
Other agencies responding include the Maine Marine Patrol, the Biddeford Fire Department, and the Saco Fire Department.
Anyone with information regarding the missing swimmer should contact the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England's command center at 207-767-0303.


text:
Bertrand Marc Jestaz (* 2. Februar 1939 in Fontainebleau, Département Seine-et-Marne) ist ein französischer Kunsthistoriker, der sich mit Kunst der Renaissance und französischem Klassizismus befasst.

Jestaz studierte an der École nationale des chartes, wo er 1962 seinen Abschluss als Archivist und Paläograph machte mit einer Arbeit über Jules Hardouin-Mansart, und an der École du Louvre. Danach war er nach erfolgreichem Bestehen des landesweiten Wettbewerbs für die französischen Museen an der École française de Rome (später war er Mitautor eines kunstgeschichtlichen Buchs über den Palazzo Farnese, in der die Schule sitzt). Er wurde Konservator am Louvre, an dem er unter anderem Ausstellungen über französische Juwelierskunst, Giulio Romano (und seine Gobelins, Grand Palais 1978) und die Schule von Fontainebleau (Grand Palais 1972/73 mit Jacques Thirion) mit organisierte. 1978 wurde er als Nachfolger von André Chastel Professor für Kunst der Renaissance an der École pratique des hautes études (Sektion 4). Er war auch Professor an der Ècole du Louvre und der Ècole des chartes. 2003 ging er in Pension.

Neben Gesamtdarstellungen der italienischen Renaissance, Skulptur und Architektur der Renaissance verfasste er Spezialstudien insbesondere zu Bronzen der Renaissance (wie Benvenuto Cellini in Frankreich, Riccio, Desiderio da Firenze, Severo da Ravenna, Katalog der Bronzeplaketten im Museum von Belluno), zu Geschichte von Sammlungen in Venedig, Mantua, Padua und Rom.

Schriften
 L'Art de la Renaissance, Paris : Mazenod, 1984, 2. Auflage 2007 (das Buch erhielt 2007 den Prix du Livre d'Art du Syndicat National des Antiquaires)
Deutsche Ausgabe: Die Kunst der Renaissance, Ars Antiqua – Große Epochen der Weltkunst, Herder Verlag, 1985
mit anderen L'Italie de la Renaissance, Fayard 1990
 Le Voyage d'Italie de Robert de Cotte, Paris : De Boccard, 1966
 mit anderen: Le Palais Farnèse, Rom: École française de Rome, 1977–1994 (unter anderem über das Inventar des Palazzo Farnese 1994)
 L'Hôtel et l'Église des Invalides, Paris: CNMHS-Picard, 1990
 La Renaissance de l'architecture: de Brunelleschi à Palladio, Reihe Découvertes Gallimard (nº 242), Paris: Gallimard, 1995
Englische Übersetzung: Architecture of the Renaissance: From Brunelleschi to Palladio, New York: Abrams Books & London: Thames & Hudson, 1996
 Herausgeber: Art et artistes en France, de la Renaissance à la Révolution, Bibliothèque de l'École des Chartes, Band 161, Heft 1, Januar–Juni 2003, S. 1–407 (Festschrift, darin von Jestaz: Benvenuto Cellini et la cour de France (1540–1545))
 Jules Hardouin-Mansart, 2 Bände, Paris: Picard, 2008
La chapelle Zen à Saint-Marc de Venise : d'Antonio à Tullio Lombardo, Stuttgart: Steiner 1986
Le livre journal de la fabrique de la chapelle Salviati à Saint-Marc de Florence, 1579–1594, Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, 1995.
mit Alain Erlande-Brandenburg Le château de Vincennes, Picard 1989

Weblinks
Biografie anlässlich des Erhalts des Prix SNA 2007 für sein Buch über die Kunst der Renaissance

Kunsthistoriker
Geboren 1939
Franzose
Mann


text:
Abstract for TER90029
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/ter90029abs
Developmental Toxicity of 2 Ethylhexanol in CD-1 Swiss Mice
Chemical Formula: C8H18O
Report Date: May 15, 1991
The following abstract presents results of a study conducted by a contract laboratory for the National Toxicology Program. The findings may not have been peer reviewed and were not evaluated in accordance with the levels of evidence criteria established by NTP in March 2009. For more information, see the Explanation of Levels of Evidence for Developmental Toxicity. The findings and conclusions for this study should not be construed to represent the views of NTP or the U.S. Government.
Mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and 2-ethylhexanol are metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a widely used phthalate ester plasticizer. In order to determine their contribution to DEHP's developmental toxicity, MEHP (NTP, 1990) and 2-EH (this study) were evaluated under conditions comparable to those in a previous study of DEHP (Tyl et al., 1988).
Microencapsulated 2-EH (0%, 0.009%, 0.03%, or 0.09% in feed) was provided on gestational days (gd) 0 to 17 ad libitum to timed-mated CD-1 mice (28/group). At sacrifice (gd 17),the number of ovarian corpora lutea and uterine implantation sites, including resorptions, and dead or live fetuses, were recorded. Live and dead fetuses were weighed. Live fetuses were sexed and examined for external, visceral and skeletal malformations and variations.
No dams died, delivered early or were removed from study. Pregnancy rate was high (93-96%) and equivalent across all groups. One litter at 0% was fully resorbed; all other pregnant animals had live litters at scheduled necropsy. The numbers of live litters evaluated were 27 at 0.009 and 0.03% and 26 at 0 and 0.09% 2-EH. There was no treatment-related maternal toxicity observed in this study. Maternal body weights, weight gains (absolute or corrected for gravid uterine weight), gravid uterine weight and liver weight (absolute or relative to body weight) were unaffected. Food consumption (g/kg/day and g/day) was significantly increased for gd 0-3 at 0.09% and unaffected for all other time points evaluated. The calculated consumption of 2-EH, based on gestational food consumption was 0 (0 mmol/kg), 17 (0.13 mmol/kg), 59 (0.46 mmol/kg) and 191 mg/kg/day (1.49 mmol/kg), for the 0, 0.009, 0.03 and 0.090% groups, respectively.
There were no effects of exposure to dietary 2-EH on any gestational parameters. The number of corpora lutea, uterine implantation sites (live, dead, resorbed), pre- and postimplantation loss, sex ratio (%, males) and live fetal body weight per litter (all fetuses or separately by sex) were all equivalent across all groups. There were also no treatment-related changes in the incidence of individual, external, visceral, skeletal or total malformations or variations.
In conclusion, there were no maternal or developmental toxic effects of 2-EH dietary exposure throughout gestation at any concentration tested, in contrast to the qualitatively similar maternal and developmental toxicity previously reported for DEHP (Tyl et al., 1988) and MEHP (NTP, 1990) at approximately equimolar doses administered under comparable experimental conditions. The present study therefore indicates that 2-EH plays essentially no role in the expression of DEHP-induced maternal and developmental toxicity.
Web page last updated onLast updated Nov. 27, 2017


text:
Chronologiczna lista

Bibliografia
 Rulers.org
 Worldstatesmen.org

Prezydenci Polinezji Francuskiej
Polityka Polinezji Francuskiej


The Russian permanent envoy to the European Union has argued that attempts to put restrictions on the operator of the planned South Stream natural gas pipeline that are prescribed by the EU Third Energy Package Rules are unlawful.
"Intergovernmental agreements with the six EU countries through whose territory South Stream will pass were signed before the Third Energy Package came into force. It is a fundamental principle of international law that no law may be retroactive, and so attempts to apply [the Third Energy package] to South Stream are legally untenable," Vladimir Chizhov told reporters.
He mentioned that Russia had launched a legal process at the World Trade Organization, insisting on a ban on making "any of the cross-border trunk oil and gas pipelines governable by the Third Energy Package because they are nor internal European pipelines."
He also addressed the Ukrainian aspect of the South Stream project.
"I won't argue with those who see the South Steam project as a way of bypassing Ukraine in a bid to deprive Ukraine of its monopoly transit country status," he said.
"However, this definitely doesn't mean that the gas that will flow through South Stream is the same gas that today flows through Ukrainian territory. In principle, all development trends in Europe provide evidence that gas consumption by its countries will grow in volume. Other evidence of this is that last year Russian gas exports grew in volume despite all the lamentations in Europe."


Clean the litter box. Maybe the stray went poo in his box and so he does not want to use it for fear the stray will be upset about it and fight him. Check your house to make sure the stray cat did not leave a mess somewhere, and the odor is telling your cat he can use that to relieve himself too. If so you will need to clean the mess before your cat will return to the box. Lastly, you could try retraining your cat. Put him in a small room with just his food and his litter box, and don't let him have the run of the house until he starts using his box again.


I used to be a regular at Quiznos, to grab a medium veggie sub. They have better quality bread when comparing with Subway.
But now I don't feel like going there any more. Why? well they demote my spirit of vegetarianism by charging almost $7 for a medium veggie sub, while only $5 for a large meat sub. It feels like I am being stiffed for being a vegetarian. There is no way on Earth meat could be cheaper than vegetables. But Quiznos wants to compete with Subway, so they dropped their meat sub prices.
A healthy and responsible society should promote vegetarians to have a natural harmony with environment. If you are wondering what has nature to do with being a vegetarian. Well, a lot. The meat industry produces a 5th of all green house emissions. Forest is cleared to produce the fodder for the cattle and then there is methane. Methane is a by product of decaying cattle feces. Methane is 26 times more green house effective than carbon di oxide.
A veggie sub should never be more expensive than a meat sub, at least not in Florida. If I was living in South pole with the penguins, where the only option was meat, then it would make sense. I am boycotting Quiznos for their discriminating attitude towards vegetarians.
I discovered this yesterday! The only thing that kept me from throwing a fit in the store was the fact that I know the employees have nothing to do with it. And with the franchise setup, I'm not sure who to complain to.
It's outrageous, I know! I went to their corporate web site, and they do not have a customer feedback section? I am thinking of contacting BBB.
Agreed – this is the single reason I've stopped going to Quizno's. I told the manager of the store I go to that this is B/S and he started arguing with me that olives, cheese are expensive. Nonsense – anyone who has shopped at a supermarket knows the relative price of meat and veggies. I'm done with Quiznos.
Quiznos is no longer in business. They made good subs, but had a bad business model and their leaders were short sighted.
Although I feel sorry for the people who worked for them, but their leaders led the company to failure. They were ignoring and angering a large section of their customers.


The city of brotherly love is also a great place for craft beer.
While cities like San Francisco, Denver and Portland squabble over the "best beer city in America" crown, Philadelphians sit back with a pint or six and chuckle. Superlatives are sweet and all, but anyone who's spent a night drinking around the city — ideally with a high-tolerance tour guide — can speak to the city's distinct craft-beer prowess. It's not just the region's wealth of nationally recognized local breweries, or capstone events like Philly Beer Week, the annual brew lovers' bacchanal that happens every June. It's the bars themselves. The personalities behind them and what they're pouring — deep publican relationships with breweries, both in the states and abroad, means the city gets kegs no one else gets. (Check out Philly Tap Finder, an invaluable tool for those looking to maximize their glass-draining.) Here are 15 of the dozens of Philly beer bars worth a long session.
Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing Co. brings a taste of the Jersey Shore to the Philly suburbs.
Marc Vetri's bar in North Philly features graf, pork and a diverse beer selection.
South Philly bar Fountain Porter has $5 burgers to go along with a 20-tap selection of brews.


Maersk Alabama shown at the Kenyan coastal sea port of Mombasa, Apr. 15, 2009.
JOHANNESBURG — You know the Somali pirate season is in full swing when the same ship gets attacked twice in a single year.
The US-flagged Maersk Alabama – most recently attacked by pirates seven months ago, and rescued by US Navy Seals – was attacked today by Somali pirates using automatic weapons 350 miles east of the Somali coast. Guards posted on board repelled the attack, and European Union naval patrols swung into action to locate the pirates.
A European Union Naval Force spokesman said that it was not unusual for ships to be attacked twice in the waters off the Somali coast, and credited the presence of armed guards for preventing the pirates from taking control of the ship. "At least this time they had a vessel protection detachment on board who were able to repel the attack," Captain John Harbour told the Associated Press.
Pirate attacks have been on the upswing for more than a month, now that the monsoon storm season in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea has ended. Just this week, pirates have attacked and boarded a North Korean-flagged freight ship, and pirates released a Spanish fishing trawler after payment of a reported $3.3 million.
Piracy has been a major problem along the Somali coast for nearly 20 years, since the fall of that country's last functioning government in 1991, and its descent into anarchy. But as ransoms became more profitable, pirates have gotten more sophisticated, using mother ships and GPS devices to venture as far as the Seychelles Islands to carry out their attacks.
The Maersk Alabama is not the first commercial ship to use armed guards to repel pirate attacks. The Italian flagged MSC Melody – a cruise ship with 1,500 passengers en route from Durban, South Africa to Genoa, Italy – repelled a pirate attack in April 180 miles north of the Seychelles Islands. A skiff with six apparently Somali pirates fired some 200 rounds at the Melody. A team of Israeli armed guards fired into the air, while ship crew members used fire hoses against the pirates attempting to climb aboard the ship.
Some owners have resisted putting armed guards on ships, arguing that pirates will always be better armed and are likely to continue using their weapons on board, increasing the likelihood that crew members will be injured or killed.
In most cases, pirates leave the crew members of hijacked ships unharmed, experts on Somali piracy say, but their tactics could become more brutal if commercial ships start fighting back.


text:
Wisteria from Seed
Still Available on Amazon
Jeremy Cantor began writing poetry shortly before retiring from a career in laboratory chemistry. He has cleared tables and washed dishes, made and tested detergents, pharmaceuticals and engine oil additives, driven a forklift, spent time in a full-body acid-proof hazmat suit, tried to keep his fingers working in a walk-in freezer at -40°F, and worked behind radiation shielding. He prefers writing.
His poem, "The Nietzsche Contrapositive," won the Grey Sparrow Journal's 2014 Flash & Poetry Competition. A Leaflet edition of his haiku and senryu, The Owl at Sunset, is forthcoming from Leaf Press, Vancouver, Canada. Jeremy's work has appeared in The Naugatuck River Review, Printer's Devil Review, Pirene's Fountain, Glassworks, The Bicycle Review, Prospectus, and other publications.
Jeremy was born and raised in Connecticut, attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and now lives with his wife in a small town on a tidal strait connecting the Sacramento River with San Francisco Bay. Summer evenings he goes fishing downtown from the pier at the foot of First Street while the sun sets behind the bridge and the sea lions dive for salmon.
Publisher: Kelsay Books/Alabaster Leaves Publishing (December 4, 2014)


ELEGANT COMFORT...STYLISH DESIGN...UPDATES GALORE...This 4 Bedroom, 2.5 BathBrick Home has all that and much more! From Professional Landscaping to New Updates to aSpacious Interior and Exterior, Quality and Care are evidenced throughout. Enter along a WellManicured, Picturesque Lawn via a Roomy Covered Front Porch into a Spacious, BeautifulFoyer, flanked on one side by a Music Room/Office and a Large, Comfortable Living Roomleading into the Formal Dining Room on the other side. The Kitchen is beautifully appointed andfeatures a newer Refrigerator, an Island, an Enormous Walk-In Pantry, and a Family DiningArea. The Family Room boasts a Gas Fireplace and Built-In Cabinetry and Shelving. NewerDouble Patio Doors open to a Magnificent Private Oasis.


Cooper Energy Ltd. is an oil and gas exploration and development company. The company's exploration tenements include Cooper basin, Otway basin and Gippsland basin located in Australia; South Sumatra basin located in Indonesia; and Pelagian basin located in Tunisia. Cooper Energy is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia.


text:
Seychelles receives honor of hosting FINA CNSG Open Water World Series 2019
The excitement was palpable at Beau Vallon Beach on Saturday, April 13, 2019, almost a month before the Seychelles hosts for the second consecutive year the FINA CNSG Open Water World Series 2019.
This year's event is being held in collaboration with Chinese based company CNSG and Seychelles is once again the second leg in the series of eight.
The organizing committee's partners including the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), officials and local swimmers gathered at Beau Vallon Beach where a trial run was organized to test out the facilities, the technical requirements and of course, the local swimming talents.
Principal Secretary for Sports, Fabien Palmyre present at the trial run mentioned his satisfaction to see that the FINA CNSG Open Water World Series 2019 is materializing with the support of all local partners.
"I am excited to again, be part of such an event. I am proud of all our young swimmers who have made an effort to be present today. I am grateful to all the partners and volunteers and I am definitely looking forward to this year's event," said PS Palmyre.
15 swimmers competed in the Beau Vallon waters in three main races, 2.5 km, 5 km and 7.5 km. According to the Seychelles Swimming Association (SSA) officials, the reasoning behind the distances selected is to enable the swimmers to test out their abilities to see which category would suit them best for the May 11, 2019 event, which will be opened for the public and other swimming enthusiasts.
The 2019 Mass Open Water event will take place on Saturday May 11, one day prior to the Elite event.
The May 11 Mass event will comprise of four distances, Group A (500 m), Group B (1 km), Group C (3 km) and Group D (5 km). The only age restriction will be for Group A where students aged 13 years and under can participate. The others will be open to all ages and there will be two races, a male and a female race for each distance.
"Mass participation is crucial in making the Mass event a success and the Seychelles Swimming Association is calling on all swimmers to register for the event," said David Vidot, SSA Chairperson.
Mr. Vidot indicated that the forms for registration are available on the SSA Facebook page and website. The deadline to return the registration form to the Swimming Association is May 1, 2019.
The Seychelles is honored this year to have four Seychellois swimmers qualified to take part in the Elite 10 km race, which will take place on Sunday May 12, 2019.
Joining the 2018 swimmers, brothers Bertrand and Damien Payet, will be Matthew Bachmann and Alain Vidot, both of whom completed the 7.5 km race finishing second and third consecutively behind Damien who crossed the finishing line on Saturday first.
The Elite event which is broadcast to a global audience via the FINA network, exposes Seychelles in another light, similar to that of the annual Eco-Marathon event, which strengthens Seychelles' potential as a Sports Tourism destination.
"It is such a privilege to be hosting the event again on our shores; as announced earlier this year, STB is committed to promote Seychelles as an ideal sports destination. Our collaboration with Seychelles Swimming Association and other partners for FINA CNSG Open Water World Series 2019 is an ideal platform for us to showcase our beautiful destination and its pristine waters," said Mrs. Sherin Francis, Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive.
In May 2018, open water swimming made its debut in Seychelles, as the small island nation became the second host in the FINA World Cup Series 2018. The iconic Beau Vallon beach was the chosen venue to launch Seychelles in the open water swimming world, making it the first country in Africa to host an event of this caliber.
As part of the FINA mandate, the host country is required to host a mass event alongside the elite 10k m event, in order to encourage and mobilize the local community to appreciate and take part in the sport.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, announced, annual, April, association, audience, B, based, beach, beau vallon, beau vallon beach, beautiful, best, board, Breaking Travel News, broadcast, c, Category, chairperson, chief, chief executive, Chinese, chosen, CNSG, collaboration, Committee, community, company, completed, country, course, day, deadline, debut, Destination, distance, earlier, effort, eight, elite, enthusiasts, event, executive, Facebook, facilities, female, FINA, FINA CNSG, first, form, forms, Forward, Francis, Global, Group, held, honor, honored, host, hosting, hosts, iconic, in, including, island, IT, joining, km, launch, light, line, local, looking, M, Main, Male, marathon, mass, May, month, Mr, Mrs, nation, network, News articles, officials, only, open, opened, order, organizing, out, page, participate, participation, partners, Place, platform, potential, present, promote, proud, public, qualified, race, races, registration, requirements, restriction, return, s, said, satisfaction, second, Secretary, see, selected, series, Seychelles, Seychelles tourism, Seychelles Tourism Board, Seychelles travel news, Seychellois, Seychellois swimmers, showcase, small, sport, sports, Sports news, sports tourism, sports tourism destination, STB, students, success, suit, support, swimmers, swimming, Swimming Association, Technical, test, The Seychelles, to, TO BE, today, tourism, tourism board, Tourism Destination, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, trial, US, Vallon, venue, volunteers, water, waters, website, WHO, World, World Cup, World Series, year, years, young
India's tea gardens beckon tourists
India, one of the top tea producers in the world, is experimenting with tea tourism in view of the growing interest shown by tourists to visit tea plantations and tea factories. Ambling through a sprawling tea plantation with greenery all around in the early hours of the day watching a group of local women plucking two leaves and a bud at a fast pace with their nimble hands and collecting them into baskets slung on their shoulders is a winning sight for tourists. India now leads to give tea-buffs and tourists a closer understanding of tea by organizing tea tourism at places like Assam, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Nilgiris belt in Tamil Nadu, and a few pockets in Kerala and Karnataka.
Tea tourism is defined as tourism that is motivated by an interest in the history, culture, traditions and consumption of tea. Estate bungalows amidst sweeping acres of manicured tea plantations have now been converted into tourist accommodations. Not just staying in the midst of tea gardens, tea tourists are taken to a tea factory, where they get to experience how the fresh green leaves are brought into the tea factory for withering to the rolling, drying and shifting stages, grading and packaging and followed by a tea-tasting session where they could sip some of the finest tea that is grown in that area.
A view of Tea plucking in a tea garden of Assam
Assam in the lead for tea tourism
The first name that crops up in mind for tea tourism is Assam, the largest tea producing region in India. The Assam Tea Tourism Festival held at Jorhat every year is a big hit with tourists. Staying in a rustic colonial-era planter's bungalow has its own charm. Home to more than 800 tea estates in the state, where amidst luxury and serenity one can drift back in time to days of that elegant colonial aristocracy. The B & A Limited operates through seven quality Tea Estates in the India's largest tea growing region of Assam. The Guwahati Tea Action Centre, one of the busiest tea trading facilities in the world, is a place not to be missed. Others include Corramore Tea Estate, Teloijan Tea Estate and Khongea Tea Estate besides a host of others.
Another major development which is currently in progress is the tourist-friendly makeover of world's oldest and biggest tea research center at Tocklai (Assam), with edifices that each have a story to tell. A.K. Barooah, director of the Tea Research Association, said recently that the Tocklai Guest House, a heritage building, was home to British tea planters A tea museum will be built with suitable dioramas, models and displays. He said Tocklai can tie-up with other tea tourism enterprises like Kaziranga Golf Resort (Bura Sahib bungalow), Banyan Grove and Thengal Manor bungalow in Jorhat district, the Mancotta chang bungalow and Chowkidingee chang bungalow situated in the heart of Dibrugarh town."
West Bengal is also fast catching up with Assam in promoting tea tourism. Its Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last month mentioned that her government will consider tea tourism to benefit tea plantations in the state.
She said, "We have allocated more than Rs. 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers since 2011. Tea tourism is also under our consideration."
The WB state government permits one acre of tea estates to be used for tourism purposes. Currently there are 87 operational tea gardens in Darjeeling district covering an aggregated area of about 19,000 hectares under tea plantation. Darjeeling surrounded by tea orchards that produce the famous light-colored and aromatic Darjeeling Tea has the right ingredients for tea tourism. Makaibari Tea Estate and Homestay in Kurseong, 37 kms from Darjeeling, is one of the top tea producing gardens in the world. In the vicinity of Darjeeling is the Happy valley Tea Estate, one of the highest tea gardens in the world. Raj-era estates located in some of the most scenic destinations in India — the rolling Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling and Dooars beckon tourists. Some famous estates include Glenburn Tea Estate, Sourenee Tea Estate, Singtom Tea Estate and Resort, Ambootia Tea Garden, Barnesbeg Tea Estate and Castleton Tea Estate among others. Goodricke Group Ltd. is offering tourism opportunities in one of its tea estates in Darjeeling where it has five gardens.
South India also catching up fast
Besides the Northeast belt, in south it is Tamil Nadu which is home to some of the largest tea-growing belts in the country. Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu is the largest tea producing district in South India, and its tea is renowned for its aroma and flavor. With Tamil Nadu producing 65% of tea in South India spanning an area of 65,000 hectares, the Nilgiris area offers great scope for tea tourism. Valparai, a quaint hill station located about 100 km from Coimbatore, is teeming with tea plantations. Billimalai Tea Estate at Glendale, about 10 kilometers from Coonoor, is a perfect place to experience how tea is processed.
Munnar in Kerala is rustic belle of hill stations where acres and acres of tea plantations feast one's eyes. A visit to country's first Tea Museum at Nallathanni Estate is highly recommended at it narrates the history of tea production in the region. The Kundala Tea Plantation in Munnar offers tourists the tea making process in great detail. Tea Sanctuary here is home to refurbished vintage colonial style bungalows amidst misty tea plantations. Considered the highest altitude tea plantation in the world, Kolukkumalai, near Munnar, is known for preserving the British heritage in tea-making at the factory here. Wayanad in Kalpatta district produces substantial amount of tea whose lush green tea gardens are a feast for the sore eyes. The Wayanad Tea County in the midst of the picturesque 395 acre estate, many vantage viewpoints, and trekking routes is a better option.
In Karnataka, Coorg, and the Baba Budan Hills in Chickmagalur are tea-producing regions, but tea tourism is yet to catch here.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, area, Assam, Assam Tea, association, B, benefit, Bengal, better, big, biggest, Breaking Travel News, British, building, built, bungalows, busiest, caption, catch, center, Centre, charm, chief, colonial, consumption, Coorg, country, County, Cultural Travel News, culture, currently, Darjeeling, Darjeeling Tea, day, Days, Destinations, development, director, District, early, elegant, estate, experience, facilities, famous, feast, Festival, first, flavor, followed, Food Travel News, Fresh, friendly, Garden, gardens, golf, government, grading, green, greenery, Group, Growing, heart, held, heritage, highest, hill station, Hills, history, hit, home, homestay, host, hours, house, ID, in, India, India Travel News, interest, IT, just, Karnataka, Kerala, kilometers, km, known, largest, last, lead, leads, light, like, Limited, local, Luxury, major, makeover, mind, minister, month, most, museum, name, News articles, northeast, offering, offers, operational, opportunities, option, organizing, permits, Place, places, plantation, pockets, production, progress, promoting, quality, refurbished, region, regions, research, research center, resort, right, routes, Rs, rustic, s, Sahib, said, sanctuary, scenic, seven, sight, South, State, state government, Station, stations, story, Style, Tamil Nadu, tasting, Tea, Tea Estates, tea tourism, tea tourists, The Region, The World, through, TIE, time, to, TO BE, top, tourism, tourism enterprises, tourism festival, tourist, tourist-friendly, tourists, tourists India, town, trading, traditions, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, Trekking, up, used, valley, view, visit, WB, WB state, We, West, West Bengal, women, workers, World, world's oldest, year
Pope Francis appoints Tanzanian prelate to represent the Vatican in New Zealand
Pope Francis has appointed the Tanzanian born prelate, Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, as Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand and Apostolic Delegate to the countries of the Pacific Ocean.
The Pontiff had appointed Archbishop Rugambwa a few days ago to represent the Holy See in New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean countries after serving Sao Tome and Principe, Angola, and Tagaria – all in Africa.
Ranking takes place among African nationals serving the Holy See in different capacities.
Archbishop Rugambwa was born in Western Tanzania in 1957 then ordained a priest in 1986 and Archbishop in 2010.
He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1991 and has served in Nunciatures in Panama, Republic of Congo, Pakistan, New Zealand, Indonesia, Angola, and Honduras.
For a period of time, he was also Under Secretary of the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
Archbishop Rugambwa has diplomatic experience in Panama, the Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Indonesia and he previously served as secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio in Wellington, New Zealand. He holds a degree in Canon Law.
He replaces the previous nuncio Archbishop Martin Krebs who last year was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Uruguay.
President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop Patrick Dunn, said: "We're delighted with the appointment of Archbishop Rugambwa and warmly welcome him back to our shores in his new role. Our prayers are with him as he prepares for his move and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead."
Archbishop Rugambwa entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in July 1991 and then served in the Pontifical diplomatic missions in Panama, Republic of Congo, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
He was named Sub-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants in June 2007, then elected Titular Archbishop of Tagaria, and at the same time named Apostolic Nuncio to São Tomé and Príncipe in February 2010, the position he served before moving to New Zealand.
The Catholic Church has been among key partners in tourism, playing a pivotal role to attract visitors from other parts of the world to visit Africa in different missions.
The Church in collaboration with other churches are promoting and organizing pilgrimage trips to Holy places mostly in Israel, Spain, Rome, and North Africa.
Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran missionaries are counted the first travelers who entered Africa then opened routes to the modern tourist industry which African countries are working hard to develop.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, Angola, Apostolic, appointed, appointment, appoints, attract, bishop, Bishops, Breaking Travel News, Catholic, catholic church, church, churches, collaboration, conference, Congo, council, counted, countries, Cultural Travel News, Days, different, diplomatic, elected, experience, first, Forward, Francis, holy, Holy See, Honduras, in, In February, Indonesia, Industry, Israel, itinerant, June, last, law, Martin, migrants, modern, move, moving, named, nationals, New, New Zealand, News articles, North, North Africa, nuncio, ocean, opened, organizing, Pacific, Pacific Ocean, Pakistan, Panama, partners, People, period, Pilgrimage, Place, places, Pope, Pope Francis, position, prelate, president, promoting, ranking, represent, republic, Republic of Congo, role, Rome, routes, s, said, São, Secretary, see, service, serving, Spain, Sub, Tanzania, Tanzania travel news, Tanzanian, Tanzanian prelate, The World, time, to, tourism, tourist, tourist industry, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, trips, Uruguay, Vatican, visit, visitors, We, welcome, Western, western Tanzania, WHO, working, World, year, years, Zealand
Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics coming with new agreement
March 30, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease
Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group has announced a cooperation on a new hotel project at Shougang Park in Beijing. This is a strategic venture to develop an international luxury hotel at the Shougang industrial site. The hotel will be designated as the Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and it will host the Olympic event reception.
The hotel project is located in the central area of Shougang Park and is closely connected to the grand ski ramp of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the training center of the National Teams, known as the "Four Ices," for ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling. It is scheduled for completion and operations at the end of 2021.
Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group Signing on Shougang Park Hotel Project Cooperation (left to right: Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Wang Shizhong, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Ke Yongguo, Deputy Chief of Shijingshan District Government; Guo Huaigang; Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games; Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group; Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group; Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau; Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group; Paw Chuen Kee, Executive Vice President – Operations, North China.
Attending the signing ceremony were Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group, Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group, Guo Huaigang, Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau, and Ke Yongguo Deputy Head of Shijingshan District Government. The hotel management agreement was signed between Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group and Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: amp, and, announced, area, Beijing, Breaking Travel News, bureau, caption, center, Central, ceremony, Chairman, chief, chief executive, chief executive officer, China, China Travel News, coming, Committee, Completion, cooperation, culture, deputy, Deputy Head, director, District, end, event, executive, Executive Vice President, games, general, general manager, government, Grand, Group, head, Hospitality News, host, hotel, hotel management, Hotel Travel News, ice, ID, in, industrial, International, IT, LA, Luxury, luxury hotel, management, manager, national, New, new hotel, News articles, North, officer, official, Official Hotel, Olympic, Olympics, operations, organizing, park, president, project, reception, right, scheduled, Shangri-La, Shougang Park, signed, Signing, site, ski, Sports news, strategic, teams, The National, to, tourism, tourism bureau, training, training center, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, venture, vice president, were, winter, Winter Olympics
Zanzibar sets for second, Grand Tourism Show in September
After a successful and the first international tourism show held in Zanzibar last year, now the Indian Ocean Island is organizing a second premier exhibition that is scheduled to take place in September this year.
An organizing committee that will oversee the preparations of the second Zanzibar Tourism Show, scheduled to take place between September 26 and 28 this year has been formed.
Zanzibar Tourism Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said when launching the committee that the exhibition was expected to be bigger this year than the previous one held in October last year and which had attracted over 4 000 visitors, 150 tourism companies and 100 international buyers from 17 countries.
He said that the organizing committee he had launched would ensure that the exhibition was successful. The committee would also be involved in advertising the exhibition both locally and internationally, to motivate tourists to visit the island, now the fast growing tourist destination in East Africa.
The show is part of the Zanzibar government's strategy to promote tourism in Zanzibar, which is famous for beach and marine tourism.
The Zanzibar Tourism Show is the leading tourism business platform that showcases current tourism offers, first-hand expert knowledge from industry players and significant networking opportunity to all participants.
Zanzibar is aiming to increase the number of international tourists annually, from the current 376,000 to 500,000 by 2020, as tourism accounts for more than 80 percent of the Island's foreign revenue collections.
The Island strides well in tourism sector after the government embarked on economic reforms and transformation, thus shifting from mono-crop economy to more diverse economies.
"The Zanzibar Tourism Show is part of promotional strategies in tourism sector initiated by the government of Zanzibar in collaboration with the private sector to promote Zanzibar destination in its sustainable positioning in global market", Mr. Kombo said.
He said that the contribution of tourism to economic well-being of the Island is immense. Zanzibar depends on the quality of services provided to international class tourists and the scale of promotion of its tourist products and services to global holidaymakers.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, aviation-website, beach, bigger, Breaking Travel News, Business, buyers, class, collaboration, Committee, companies, contribution, countries, current, Destination, East, East Africa, economic, economies, Economy, exhibition, expected, expert, famous, first, First-hand, foreign, Global, global market, government, Grand, hand, held, holidaymakers, in, increase, Indian, Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean Island, Industry, International, international tourism, international tourism show, international tourists, internationally, island, knowledge, last, launched, launching, leading, locally, marine, marine tourism, Market, meetings.travel, MICE Industry News, minister, Mr, nbsp, networking, News articles, number, ocean, October, offers, opportunity, organizing, over, oversee, participants, percent, Place, platform, players, premier, preparations, private, private sector, products, promote, promotion, quality, reforms, Revenue, s, said, scale, scheduled, second, second Zanzibar, second Zanzibar Tourism Show, sector, September, services, sets, show, significant, strategies, strategy, successful, sustainable, Tanzania travel news, The Island, to, TO BE, tourism, tourism business, tourism companies, tourists, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, year, Zanzibar, Zanzibar tourism, Zanzibar Tourism Show
Uganda travel and trafficking
Sub-Saharan Africa has enormous tourism potential: leopards lounging in acacia trees, elephant herds drifting across vast savannah plains, gorillas and chimps rioting in deep forests, the earliest traces of human beings and their works. But according to the World Bank, the region receives a mere 3% of global tourism arrivals.
What scares tourists off may have something to do with an unfair, continent-wide reputation for lawlessness. There is a way around this. During the 1970s, entrepreneurs created the idea of eco-tourism as an alternative to the sun and sand package tours that wreaked havoc on the environment and local communities. Perhaps the eco-tourism concept could be expanded to encompass human rights more broadly, focusing not just on the ethical conduct of companies but on governments as well. Thus, travelers could be assured that their fees, taxes and entertainment dollars aren't being used to support regimes engaged in grand corruption, human rights abuses, wildlife trafficking and the persecution of minorities.
Uganda's new tourism push is a case in point. The government hopes to welcome four million visitors in 2020, more than double the current number. The Uganda Investment Authority is expediting bids from eco-tourism companies to develop ten sites in the nation's national parks, including Queen Elizabeth, Masindi and Kidepo Valley. The World Bank has lent Uganda $25 million dollars to build a new hotel and tourism school, purchase equipment such as buses, game drive trucks, boats and binoculars and hire public relations firms to market Uganda in US, Europe, the Middle East and China. In October, Kanye West boosted the publicity effort by recording a music video in one of Uganda's fine resorts and also visited Statehouse where he presented President Yoweri Museveni with a pair of his patented sneakers. Then in January, Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda launched a beauty contest to identify Miss "Curvy" Uganda, whose zaftig figure will appear in tourism brochures.
The downside of Uganda's tourism campaign is that every safari-goer it attracts will pay fees to government agencies such as the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which is currently engaged in a program of violent evictions that have left thousands of people in northern Uganda's Acholi region destitute, and has also been implicated in trafficking in ivory, pangolin scales and other illegal wildlife products, both inside Uganda and in neighboring countries.
Since 2010, thousands of huts in Apaa, northern Uganda have been burned to the ground, and animals and belongings stolen by UWA officials and members of other security agencies. The government claims the area is gazetted for a game reserve, but residents say their families have lived in the area for generations and have nowhere else to go. Sixteen people have been killed and thousands, mainly women and children are now homeless. Some of the raids appear to have been carried out by members of the neighboring Madi ethnic group, and government officials have characterized them as ethnically motivated. However, the Madi and Acholi have lived in peace for generations and some suspect that senior government officials may be inciting the attackers.
Meanwhile, CITES, the international body that tracks endangered species has named Uganda as a global hub for the illegal wildlife trade. After damning reports about the scale of poaching in Kenya and Tanzania revealed that elephant populations were plummeting in both countries, stricter laws and better enforcement resulted in a nearly 80 percent decline in poaching in Kenya since 2013. Tougher enforcement has also resulted in steep declines in poaching in Tanzania. But between 2009 and 2016 an estimated 20 tons of ivory were trafficked via Uganda, along with over 3000 kilograms of pangolin scales.
The trade in wildlife products appears to be organized by senior officers of the army and UWA. Ivory traffickers working along the Uganda-Congo border told Belgian political scientist Kristof Titeca that much of their loot came from Congo and the Central African Republic, where the Ugandan Army, with US support, unsuccessfully tried to track down the notorious warlord Joseph Kony between 2012 and 2017. Thus, US taxpayers may have inadvertently facilitated Uganda's wildlife crimes.
Uganda's recently established Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court, which is supposed to deal with trafficking crimes has begun prosecuting and convicting low level traffickers—the men who transport the goods to Kampala for export – but as yet there have been no prosecutions of those suspected of organizing the trade. When 1.35 metric tons of confiscated ivory disappeared from a Uganda Wildlife Authority storehouse in 2014, the director was suspended for two months and then reinstated. According to a 2017 Enough Project report, two senior Uganda Wildlife Authority officials quit the force in despair after apprehending traffickers and then being ordered by officials in President Yoweri Museveni's office to drop the cases.
Uganda's own elephants have largely been spared, and their numbers may even have increased in recent years. But other animals have not been so lucky. In 2014, the UWA granted a local company a license to collect thousands of pounds of scales from the shy, aardvark-like creatures known as pangolins. While officials claimed that the intention was to purchase the scales from people who'd collected them from animals who had died of natural causes, there's little doubt that huge numbers of pangolins were killed as a result.
Unfortunately, the World Bank's assistance to Uganda could be making things worse. It's $25 million Tourism Sector Competitiveness and Labor Force Development loan, approved in 2013, is part of a larger $100 million Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project which, according to project documents, allocates 21% – or $21 million, to government agencies, including the Uganda Wildlife Authority. World Bank spokespersons declined say how much of that will go to the UWA, and what the money will spent on, other than "systems strengthening and procuring tourism assets."
Before the World Bank launches any project, it commissions an environmental impact assessment, as well as a review of safeguards to protect habitats and indigenous people who might be affected by it. In this case, the safeguards and Impact Assessment documents don't consider the risk that Ugandan security agencies, including the army and UWA, might use funds raised from the project to engage in human rights abuses and trafficking.
This matters because countless development groups, including the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the Red Cross and the World Bank itself– have seen millions of dollars in funding sink into Uganda's swamp of corruption. Billions more have been siphoned out of the Treasury and the workers' pension fund and or in inflated bids for infrastructure projects such as roads and dams.
In power for 33 years, Uganda's leader Yoweri Museveni has hung on in part by spending funds looted from various development projects on voter bribery and harsh repression. In 2017, he sent Special Forces troops into Parliament to beat up MPs who were trying to block debate about a bill that would enable him to rule for life. One of the victims, MP Betty Nambooze, may never walk unaided again. Then in August, the same Special Forces arrested and tortured four other MPs and dozens of their supporters, including the famous pop star-politician Bobi Wine
Some of Museveni's opposition-politician-victims, if allowed to govern, might – like the leaders of Tanzania and Kenya–do a better job of protecting Uganda's people and its wildlife than he has. But as long as the World Bank and other donors keep allowing Museveni's government to get away with corruption, human rights abuses and wildlife trafficking, these activities will only continue. While the World Bank continues to ignore this reality, Uganda's prospective investors and tourists should steer their dollars towards less odious regimes.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, animals, approved, area, Army, arrested, arrivals, assessment, assets, assistance, attackers, August, authority, bank, beat up, beauty, beauty contest, Belgian, better, bids, bill, billions, block, boats, body, border, Breaking Travel News, brochures, build, buses, campaign, case, causes, Central, children, China, CITES, claims, collect, commissions, communities, companies, company, competitiveness, concept, Congo, contest, continent, continue, continues, corruption, countries, court, created, crimes, current, currently, deal, debate, decline, declined, declines, development, died, director, disappeared, documents, dollars, double, doubt, down, drive, drop, East, Eco Tourism, effort, elephant, elephants, endangered, endangered species, enforcement, enterprise, entertainment, entrepreneurs, environment, environmental, environmental impact, equipment, ethical, Europe, even, evictions, expanded, export, families, famous, Feature, fees, fine, firms, force, Forces, fund, funding, funds, game, game reserve, generations, Global, global alliance, global hub, global tourism, GO!, goods, gorillas, government, government officials, governments, Grand, ground, Group, groups, habitats, harsh, havoc, hire, homeless, hopes, hotel, hub, human rights, human rights abuses, Human Rights news, ignore, illegal, impact, in, including, increased, indigenous, infrastructure, inside, intention, International, Investment, investors, IT, Ivory, January, job, just, Kampala, keep, Kenya, Kidepo, killed, labor, launched, launches, lawlessness, laws, leader, leaders, less, license, life, like, Loan, local, low, Malaria, Market, May, members, men, Middle, Middle East, million, million visitors, millions, millions of dollars, minister, miss, money, months, MP, MPs, Museveni, music, music video, named, nation, national, national parks, natural, nearly, neighboring, neighboring countries, New, new hotel, new tourism, News articles, Northern, Northern Uganda, number, numbers, October, office, officers, officials, only, opposition, organizing, out, over, package, pangolin, pangolin scales, Pangolins, parks, parliament, pay, peace, pension, People, percent, Plains, plummeting, poaching, political, potential, power, president, products, program, project, projects, protect, protecting, public, Public Relations, publicity, purchase, push, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, quit, raised, reality, recent, Red, Red Cross, region, relations, report, reports, republic, reputation, reserve, residents, resorts, resulted, revealed, review, rights, rioting, Risk, Roads, rule, s, safari, sand, Savannah, scales, scares, school, sector, Security, senior, sink, sites, spared, Special, special forces, species, spending, standards, Star, stolen, Sub, sub-Saharan, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sun, support, suspended, Tanzania, taxes, taxpayers, TB, The Region, The Sun, The Treasury, The World, things, thousands, to, TO BE, TO DO, tourism, tourism arrivals, tourism assets, tourism campaign, tourism companies, tourism minister, tourism potential, tourism school, tourism sector, tourists, Tours, Trade, trafficking, transport, Travel, Travel Destination News, travelers, Travelwire News, trees, tried, troops, trying, Uganda, Uganda travel, Uganda travel news, Uganda wildlife, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Ugandan, Ugandas, up, US, use, used, UWA, Vaccines, valley, victims, video, violent, visited, visitors, way, welcome, were, West, WHO, wildlife, Wildlife Authority, wildlife trafficking, wine, women, workers, working, works, World, World Bank, years, Yoweri Museveni
Reimagining tourism for the future
In the last decade or so, tourism has positioned itself as a critical variable in the development planning space and the development discourse globally. Today businesses, governments, international organizations as well as NGOs have established, or are establishing programs, initiatives and programs to facilitate tourism for development. Academic institutions have also been introducing, organizing or reorganizing 'tourism' as an important element of their curriculum. The University of the West Indies is no exception. Through its many courses, centers and institutes, the UWI has been preparing our Caribbean nationals for the expanding opportunities and benefits being presented by the growth of the tourism sector. But we have much more to do.
Tourism and Development
According to the UNTWO, WTTC, CTO, PATA and several other regional and global institutions, tourism has been recognized as that force, which accelerates human development, social and economic inclusiveness, increased entrepreneurship and self-employment, the generation of decent work, environmental sustainability and also support regional integration.
Indeed, the contribution of tourism to both national and regional development continues to be enormous and I dare say unmatched. Firstly, tourism is linked to the notion of a sustainable economy in several ways. The economic indicators show that Caribbean is the most-tourism dependent in the world, tourism is the main economic sector in 16 out of 28 Caribbean states and the total contribution of tourism to employment in the Caribbean is estimated at 2.4 million jobs according to the World Travel and Tourism Annual Report for 2018. In Jamaica tourism employs one in every four persons.
Beyond direct employment tourism and hospitality there are vast indirect opportunities for supplying inputs to tourism enterprises catering to the visitor experience in areas such as accommodations, food and beverage, cultural and creative arts, entertainment and recreation, agriculture, manufacturing, banking and finance and foreign exchange.
Tourism is also linked to the preservation of heritage and culture through the concept of experiential tourism. Most tourists travel to have authentic experiences that require that they partake in activities and consume and acquire products/goods that are indigenous to the countries they travel. Tourism thus helps to preserve natural and cultural resources while generating revenues and incomes for local populations.
To unlock the potential of tourism to contribute to inclusive growth and development our main focus at the Ministry of Tourism is to find innovate ways to reduce economic leakage in the tourism sector and to improve retention. This mandate is already being executed through our Linkages Network which has been coordinating policies and strategies designed to strengthen linkages with other sectors of the economy particularly the agricultural and manufacturing sector, strengthen the benefits derived from the industry by local residents and communities and promote broader participation by nationals.
We however recognize that the competitiveness 0f the Caribbean destinations will significantly rely on how well we prepare our people for the emerging opportunities. If Caribbean destinations are to remain globally-competitive and increase their share of the global tourist market, we must find ways to unlock new sources of competitiveness and comparative advantage.
Traditionally the tourism sector has enjoyed one of the highest rates of labor mobility of any segment of the economy. However, many of the opportunities taken up by our citizens are those that require low skill and offer limited prospect for economic mobility. This fact is largely attributable to the fact that the majority of the tourism-related jobs are deemed to require low to medium-level technical skills. The global tourism market is however becoming increasingly differentiated and segmented. Consequently, the continued growth of Travel & Tourism in the region will depend on the right people with the right skills being available to meet this demand for additional human capital. And we at the MOT have been working to create a paradigm shift in the local tourism space which will see our citizens accessing more substantive jobs and I will discuss this some more in a minute.
Many trends are impacting the skills needed to perform competently in tourism-related jobs such as digitalization and virtualization, the need for sustainable behaviors & practices, the growth of non-traditional segments, the changing demographics of international travelers (more youthful, more specific), changing lifestyles and consumer demands and the need for data-driven policies. Technology has had a significant impact on tourism-related employment as well as supporting and changing how services are delivered. While technology has downgraded certain skills in the tourism sector it has upgraded other skills, particularly in the areas of marketing, information and communication. Caribbean destinations must recognize the differing preferences of a new generation of younger travelers and the growing importance of online services and marketing, especially through mobile internet. The future of tourism lies in the manipulation and exploitation of ICT capabilities such as big data, big data analytics, machine learning, blockchain technologies, the Internet of Things, robotics etc. We thus need to urgently capitalize on the opportunities for high-skilled employment that are being generated in the ICT-related fields in tourism.
The growth of non-traditional markets in Europe, Asia and Central America will require increased focus on cultural studies and the development of competencies in various foreign languages. The increased focus on data-driven policies to better understand the emerging needs of markets, to analyze trends and to predict future patterns means that tourism development strategy must increasingly emphasize research-based skills. The evolving tourism market will require modern managerial skills that can drive performance improvements in the sector by raising productivity through better staff planning and scheduling, employing new technology and improving employee motivation, thereby reducing staff turnover. Most importantly , we must equip our citizens with the competitive business management and marketing skills that are required to operate successful tourism enterprises in this globalized era.
In the current dispensation, the hospitality sector has to contend with negative perceptions of low wages and the lack of career opportunities beyond entry-level jobs. Studies have found that many university students have a peripheral view of tourism. There is oftentimes scarce information and misconceptions about the skills required as well as the opportunities for career development. National governments must take a lead in developing a long-term workforce development strategy. Ideally, such a strategy would be developed within the broader context of improving the industry's competitiveness and sustainability, since the increasing demand for skilled labor will continue to present a major challenge in all countries. It is highly recommended that strategies and their implementation should be carried out with the private and education sectors and embrace agreed-upon commitments from the industry.
A robust institutional framework is needed to determine the education and training policies and programs that will support a more attractive labor market and business environment in tourism which will allow the industry to maintain a sufficient and highly-qualified workforce and hence support the enhancement of productivity in the industry. My view is that while formal qualifications are not always required in tourism, their existence, and a widely available opportunity to obtain qualifications and competency development in tourism may contribute to raising the prestige of the occupation and the sector in general.
A study by the WTTC revealed that Travel & Tourism's human capital challenges are significantly higher than those faced in other sectors with most countries in study projecting to face a talent 'deficit' or 'shortage' in Travel & Tourism over the next ten years. Talent development will also prevent many high-skilled positions from being filled by migrant workers. Both public and private sector are thus encouraged to act now to address the anticipated talent shortage.
Given the robust nature of UWI's tourism portfolio which was recently expanded with the recent launch of the region's first Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, here at UWI, changes in the tourism space, new instruction technologies, the ever diversifying nature of tourism, it is time for the UWI to reimagine its tourism portfolio and consolidate its programs, courses, institutes, centers, etc. under one roof here in one of the Caribbean's mecca of tourism (Montego Bay) with the establishment of a school or a faculty of Tourism.
Indeed, UWIs global recognition as a powerful intellectual institution will position the UWI to make an even more substantive contribution to the development of the region through such a Faculty or School. Certainly, this effort would have my support, and, although I cannot speak for my Caribbean counterparts, I am more than certain it would also have the support of the government of the region. More specifically, in keeping with the mandate of the administration that I am apart of, I reiterate my commitment to promoting a sustainable tourism product that advances the well-being of local communities and that incorporates more local talent in the delivery of tourism services.
Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: and, annual, areas, Arts, Asia, attractive, authentic, based, Bay, behaviors, benefits, better, beverage, big, big data, Breaking Travel News, Business, businesses, capital, capitalize, Career, career opportunities, Caribbean, Caribbean destinations, catering, Centers, Central, Central America, Centre, challenge, challenges, changes, citizens, commitment, Communication, communities, competitive, competitiveness, concept, consolidate, continue, continued, continued growth, continues, contribution, countries, courses, create, creative, Crisis, Crisis Management Centre, critical, CTO, cultural, culture, current, Data, data analytics, decade, deficit, delivered, delivery, demand, demands, demographics, designed, Destinations, development, development strategy, direct, Discuss, drive, economic, Economy, Education, effort, Element, embrace, emerging, employee, employment, encouraged, entertainment, entrepreneurship, entry, environment, environmental, establishment, etc, Europe, even, exchange, expanded, expanding, experience, experiences, exploitation, face, Feature, Finance, find, first, food, force, foreign, foreign exchange, foreign languages, found, framework, free, future, future of tourism, general, Global, global tourism, Global Tourism Resilience, global tourist, globally, goods, government, Government Affairs, governments, growing importance, Growth, helps, heritage, high, highest, hospitality, Hospitality News, hospitality sector, human development, ict, impact, impact on tourism, implementation, importance, important, improve, improvements, in, inclusive, increase, increased, increasing, increasing demand, indigenous, Industry, information, information and communication, initiatives, institution, instruction, integration, International, International Travel News, international travelers, Internet, IT, Jamaica, Jamaica tourism, Jamaica travel news, Jobs, labor, lack, languages, last, launch, lead, learning, lies, Limited, linkages, linked, local, low, maintain, Make, management, manipulation, Market, Marketing, markets, May, Mecca, Medium, meet, million, ministry, Ministry of Tourism, mobile, modern, Montego, Montego Bay, most, MOT, national, nationals, natural, nature, need, needed, needs, negative, negative perceptions, network, New, new generation, News articles, Non, occupation, offer, online, online services, operate, opportunity, organizations, organizing, out, over, participation, PATA, People, People in Travel, perform, performance, planning, policies, portfolio, position, positions, potential, practices, preferences, present, preservation, preserve, private, private sector, product, productivity, products, programs, promote, promoting, prospect, public, qualified, rates, recent, recognition, recognize, recreation, reduce, region, regional, report, require, research, residents, resilience, resources, Responsible Tourism News, revealed, revenues, right, roof, s, school, sector, sectors, see, segments, services, Share, shift, shortage, show, significant, significantly, skills, social, sources, space, speak, staff, states, strategies, strategy, students, studies, study, successful, sufficient, support, supporting, Sustainability, sustainable, sustainable tourism, talent, Technical, Technology, term, the Caribbean, The Ministry, The Region, The World, things, through, time, to, TO BE, TO DO, today, total, tourism, tourism and hospitality, Tourism Development, tourism enterprises, Tourism Market, tourism product, tourism resilience, tourism sector, tourism services, tourist, tourist market, tourists, traditional, traditionally, training, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, travel and tourism, travelers, Travelwire News, Trends, university, untwo, up, UWI, view, visitor, visitor experience, wages, ways, We, West, west indies, work, workers, workforce, working, World, World News, world travel, world travel and tourism, WTTC, years