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Biking around Amsterdam with half my family. BTW that's my mum on the right!!
Some of you may have noticed that I've been a very bad blogger of late. I apologise! However, in loo of blogging I've actually been traveling, eating copious amounts of food, gaining inspiration for the blog and enjoying some family time.
For the last six weeks I've had several family members visiting from Australia (my immediate family plus my aunty, uncle and two cousins). So as you could imagine, I've had a very full house — and full stomach.
To clarify, I don't actually live in a house. Like majority of people in Italy, I live in an apartment. A TWO bedroom apartment! So that was fun, trying to fit nine people in my average sized two bedder. Let's just say there were a lot of sprawled bodies across my living room floor. But it was all fun and games though right, family?
This trip had been in the works for a while, and given that I live in Italy, the planning fell to my lap. This was equal parts exciting and stressful considering there were nine of us altogether. Plus my English bulldog who even came on a few trips with us too!
Vernazza, Cinque Terre.
The biggest struggle I found was choosing countries and cities that none of us had been to before. My family are very fortunate enough to have travelled to Europe and Italy a couple of times previously, so all your typical Italian tourist hotspots like Rome, Florence and Venice had already been ticked off.
But once I knuckled down the itinerary, the rest of the planning fell into place and actually became quite fun. I should start charging for this stuff as I've actually become a pro at it now 😉 Travel agent and guide as a new career move?
Anyways, unlike Europeans or even Americans, when most Aussies holiday in Europe they tend to spend a lengthy amount of time over here to make the price of airfares and length of travel worth it. So my family thought this guide would come in handy for those down under thinking of embarking on a European adventure.
Snow fall in Cervinia, Valle d'Aosta.
Find a base or starting point
Living in Italy made things a lot easier in terms of getting around and logistics. It also saved my family a bundle of money, as when we weren't travelling we were staying at my house. So if you have any friends currently living in Europe, I would definitely recommend asking them if you can use their place as a base for your travels.
Not only does this make things easier in terms of flights, as you can book a return flight to and from the same city but also helps you to narrow down your itinerary and places you might like to visit.
As well as having a base, it is also a great excuse to road trip as opposed to flying or training. Most of our little getaways were road trips to countries and cities close by. That's the beauty of living in northern Italy I guess, drive three hours in any direction and you can be in several different countries or several amazing Italian cities.
Obviously, we don't all have friends and family living overseas so this might not apply to you but for those lucky enough, it definitely makes a difference. Alternatively, if you're still keen on the road tripping idea, simply choose a city to fly into and start working your way around from there. You could even come full circle and work your way back to your starting point. This might even help keep costs of hire cars down too!
Store fronts in Siena.
So where did we go?
Given the fact that my family arrived in Italy on Christmas Day, we opted to spend the first week at home, only doing day trips as opposed to over nighters. Here is the list of cities we visited during their entire stay.
- Padova, Italy
- Verona, Italy
- Lake Garda, Italy
- Venice, Italy
- Arqua Petrarca and Colli Euganei Hills, Italy
- Cinque Terre, Italy
- Siena, Italy
- Bologna, Italy
- Treviso, Italy
- Florence, Italy
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Zagreb, Croatia
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands (via plane)
- Brussels, Belgium
A grey and misty Venice.
Road trip route
Week 1
As mentioned, we only did day trips in our first week. We explored my home town of Padova for a couple of days. And also Venice, Verona, Lake Garda, Arqua Petrarca and the Colli Euganei Hills. Throw in a day or two celebrating Christmas and New Year's and a Juventus V Verona soccer game and we had a pretty full on week.
Other cities you might like to see close to Padova include:
- Vicenza
- Chioggia
- Treviso
- Bassano del Grappa
- Abano Terme and Montegrotto
- Cittadella
Juliet's balcony in Verona.
Week 2
In our second week I chose to do Slovenia and Croatia. I had never been to either of the capitals, always opting to spend my time in the coastal towns like Piran, Split and Dubrovnik, so it was a nice change to see the cities. None of my family had visited either countries, so these were a no brainer.
This was our route: Padova to Ljubljana, Slovenia for two nights, Ljubljana to Zagreb, Croatia for two and then back to Padova.
Other cities you might like to stop off at include:
- Trieste, Italy
- Lake Bled, Slovenia
- Piran and Portoroza, Slovenia
- Plitvice National Park, Croatia
Dolac Markets in Zagreb.
Week 3
One of the only requests from my family was a snow trip and boy did I deliver! Usually at Christmas time, my fiancé and I spend the week in the Dolomites, in northern Italy, but for whatever reason in the last three years we've never had snow.
So this year, I chose a town called Cervinia in Valle d'Aosta. It is one of the highest points in Italy and according to my numerous google searches, was guaranteed snow! It also neighbours with Matterhorn and Zermatt in Switzerland. In fact, you can even catch a ski lift to the Swiss alps from Cervinia.
We spent two nights in Cervinia, and one fun yet terrifying day where we were instructed to stay inside due to a category five avalanche warning. Oh and also the roads were closed in and out of the resort town so even if we wanted to flee, we couldn't. (Watch this space for a more detailed post about Cervinia later)
The amount of snow we had in Cervinia!
Other cities you might like to stop off at include:
- Milan, Italy
- Lake Como, Italy
- Brescia, Italy
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Matterhorn, Switzerland
The rest of week was spent in Amsterdam. This was the only getaway of the trip that we flew to. We spent three nights, four days there.
Bikes and canals in Amsterdam.
Week 4
This was the last week for half of my family who were leaving on the Friday. But this didn't mean I was going to give them a rest. We did a Tuscan road trip to some of Italy's prettiest towns and my personal favourite, Cinque Terre.
Our route was as follows: Padova to La Spezia (Cinque Terre) for a night, La Spezia to Siena for a night, followed by Bologna on our way home from Siena.
Other cities you might like to stop off at include:
- Florence, Italy
- Pisa, Italy
- San Gimignano, Italy
- Assisi, Italy
- Modena, Italy
- Parma, Italy
Riomaggiore in all its glory.
So there you have it! That was our nearly four week road trip around Italy and surrounding countries. Obviously, there were numerous other cities listed that we could have stopped off at but in the end we just ran out of time. My parents and younger brother stayed on for an extra two weeks and we also visited a number of other cities including Florence, Treviso and Brussels.
I hope this was helpful for everyone! And, if anyone has any questions or wants some help planning their own itinerary, I'd be more than happy to help.


text: Trine Pertou Mach leaves Nordic Built Trine Pertou Mach becomes part of the parliamentary group of the Danish Socialist People's Party (SF), where she replaces Villy Søvndal that before Christmas left the Parliament because of ill health. Published 17/01/2014 | Last updated 17/01/2014 Pertou Mach has been a senior innovation adviser at Nordic Innovation, where her main task was as project leader for Nordic Built.She has been the Chairwoman of Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke 2007-2013, a member of SF's Executive Committee and a parliamentary candidate for SF in Copenhagen.Two times, she has been deputy in the Danish Parliament for the current Minister of the Environment, Ida Auken. Pertou Mach holds a MA in Political Science from Aarhus University. Her colleagues at Nordic Innovation wish her the best of luck with her new challenges. Who to contact? At the same time, communications adviser Malin Kock goes on maternity leave. The new contact persons for Nordic Built will therefore be Hans Fridberg (general matters) and Bardur Gunnarsson (communication).

subset: commoncrawl


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The elevated uric acid signs include gout, kidney stones, etc. Know what causes it and how to deal with it here.MORE>>
When blood clots appear in the urine, it could be nothing but could also indicate life-threatening issues. Curious? Worried? We get all the answers!MORE>>
Blood in urine may be associated with different causes such as kidney stones, urinary stone and urinary tract infection. Be informed to get adequate treatment.MORE>>
Urine retention is a common problem affecting both men and women due to various reasons. Various home remedies can help deal with the condition.MORE>>
The urinary tract infection symptoms may be different based on parts of UTI and different groups. Know how to treat it no matter what the cause is.MORE>>
People who have severe kidney disease must learn more about dialysis because it may be the only treatment that can add years to their life. Learn the types and risks.MORE>>
Peeing a lot before bed is a common condition, particularly in the over-60s. You can minimize night-time urination through lifestyle changes, and see a doctor when necessary.MORE>>
Kidney disorders may develop as a result of injury, health conditions, etc. The best way to avoid them is to live healthy and get treatments early for symptoms.MORE>>
Symptoms kidney failure will be different depending on whether it's chronic or acute. Know them well to identify the failure and get treatments early.MORE>>


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HP has had a tough year. What would you have done differently?
– Download podcast: Via iTunes | Save to computer (Right click, Save As)
– Play it below:
Today I talk about the troubles at HP, and the interesting story around the Touchpad.
Listen to the podcast for the full story, but here are the highlights, grouped around articles:
8/18Â HP Kills TouchPad, Puts WebOS in Hibernation
A funny thing happened after HP killed the touchpad.
– They offered them at a fire sale price of $99
– This created huge demand
– It become a "must-have" item for geeks
– People were waiting in line, with even stories of suburban "stampeding"
– They got huge buzz on the internet
8/22 From HP to Amazon, the Tablet Dilemma: Go Big or Go Home
– Great story by Wired's Tim Carmody
– The Kindle has competed against the iPad. And the Book. But not much else.
– Leading to the quote: 'There is no tablet market, just an iPad market'
From blogger Justin Lowery
"Gizmodo published the stats yesterday to illustrate the fact. The iPad totally eclipses all other tablets in sales. Apple has made 281 times more profit from the iPad 1Â alone – in just three market quarters – than all other 'tablet' manufacturers have made from all their models, across all their brands, combined."
8/28 Wall Street Journal, Al Lewis
Let's say you were given 1 year to kill Hewlett-Packard. Here's how you do it.
Some tidbits:
– Fire well-performing CEO Mark Hurd over expense-report irregularities and a juicy sexual-harassment claim that you admit has no merit.
– Fire four board members, as publicly as possible.
– Foment a mass exodus of key executives who actually know how to run the giant computer company.
– Hire new a CEO from German competitor, SAP, which sells business software, not consumer products.
8/29 Modders Slap Popular Android Hack on HP's TouchPad
I knew it was a matter of time before we'd see modded Touchpads running Android
8/30 HP Resurrects TouchPad Tablet to Pacify Rabid Customers
Wha what???
The big question:
Best Buy reportedly had 200,000 units. If you were an entrepreneur with $15 million and they agreed to sell you all of them at once for $75 a pop, what kind of business could you create where you could leverage the touchpad (and double your money)?
– We got 85 comments on Wired Facebook page (Facebook.com/wired)
Our examples
– Car dealership
– Hospitals
– Factory
– Restaurants
– Schools
– Charity (One tablet per child)
Reader examples
Sophi Kravitz – use as a Garmin/GPS device
Joop Kaashoek – For Pics, Movies, Youtube in your home
Madonsela Vusi – Standardize the South African taxi industries
Conor Landsdale – Give to troops overseas
Anil Metla – Use for tourists with maps ($5 per use)
Mint Nopnirapath – Do a pre-sell BEFORE buying from best buy. Buy all from them then hire them to ship to the customers. no capital needed.
Jason Wetzel – Kiosks. Use them as the touch screen interface on vending machines, things like the RedBox video rentals. Also, Web access terminals on airports and malls. Airline cabins, etc
And my favorite:
Richard Feigin – I would hand them out as a goodie bag to people entering Superbowl arena 2012. In exchange everybody lifts the pads over their heads by the first touchdown of the game. The Pads are preinstalled with a giant pattern divided over all screens. The moving pattern is a live commercial for any brand interested in buying Superbowl airtime at 50% off TV price. The brand will have the worlds largest guerilla marketing stunt.
What would YOU do?
Hit me up at @HopkinsonReport on Twitter, or leave a comment below


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World Heritage Site
You can't come to Canterbury without exploring its UNESCO World Heritage Site! Awarded the status in 1988, it offers bags of history and heritage in three impressive locations.
Start in Canterbury Cathedral precincts and follow the route once taken by Queen Bertha of Kent. The imposing cathedral building, set in beautiful gardens, was built around 597AD. Whether you go on a guided tour or take things at your own pace, don't miss the shrine of Thomas Becket in the cathedral crypt and the fantastic stained glass collection dating back to the 12th century.
Next, explore the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, founded as a burial place for the Anglo-saxon kings of Kent; there's a museum and free audio tour, but you can't leave without experiencing the virtual reality tour, with headsets allowing you to step back in time to 1500s Canterbury.
Finish off your visit at St Martin's Church, the oldest in England still used as a parish church. It was here in 597AD that St Augustine and his companions came to worship, before King Ethelbert granted him the land for the world-famous abbey and cathedral, completing the World Heritage Site.


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Beef returns back
22 August 2017
Australian beef exports for June 2017 were valued at $684.68 million FOB, taking the 2016-17 fiscal year total to $7.1 billion – the third highest fiscal year on record (ABS).
The volume of Australian beef exports in 2016-17 edged below the one million tonne mark for the first time since 2011-12 (963,000 tonnes swt), declining 17% year-on-year, as a result of two years of drought-driven herd liquidation and increasing global competition. The subsequent impact is reflected in the decline of the total beef export value – 16% lower than the 2015-16 fiscal year ($8.5 billion).
The beef export unit value ($/kg) for 2016-17 averaged $7.18/kg, up 1% from year-ago levels and 27% higher than the five-year average ($5.64/kg). Chilled beef unit values increased marginally (2%) year-on-year, to $10.69/kg, while frozen unit values were unchanged at $5.85/kg.
The appreciation of the Australian dollar (predominantly against the US dollar) has also been a contributing factor in reducing the competitiveness of Australian product in the global market. In 2016-17, the A$ averaged 75.3US¢ – 4% higher than the 2015-16 fiscal year (72.8US¢). The A$ has since continued to strengthen – momentarily breaking 80US¢ in July.
Key Markets
In 2016-17, compared to the previous year, the value of Australian beef exports to the US totalled $1.5 billion, down 40% year-on-year. Export volumes decreased 37%, to 209,500 tonnes swt, with frozen product recording the greatest decline. As a result, there was a 43% decline in the value of frozen beef exports to the US for the year. Reduced availability of Australian grassfed beef, combined with an increase in US beef production and a weaker US dollar, underpinned the decline in export values.
Shipment values to Japan lifted 5%, to $1.9 billion, supported by a 4% increase in beef exports (278,799 tonnes swt), as Japan returned as Australia's largest beef export destination, on a value and volume basis. This rise was predominantly driven by demand for frozen beef, which totalled $810 million – 17% higher year-on-year. High Wagyu cattle prices in Japan and falling tariffs under the Japan Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) have supported growth in this market. The average export unit value to Japan increased 2%, to $6.98/kg.
The value of shipments to Korea eased 7%, to $1.2 billion – albeit from a high base the previous year as volumes to Korea reached record levels. Despite the modest decline, as a result of lower Australian production and growing US competition, 2016-17 export values to Korea were the second largest on record and the long term prospects remain strong.
Export values to China declined 14%, to $745 million, due to lower Australian production and competition from lower-value Brazilian product challenging Australian exports. However, the unit value to China averaged $7.17/kg, up 7% from 2015-16, as a result of robust demand for higher-valued grainfed product. Grainfed exports to China increased 11% year-on-year, to 26,000 tonnes swt.
In the face of growing global competition and industry forecasts for the A$ to trade in a range of 75¢-80US¢, Australian beef export returns will continue to be challenged in the short term. However, the forecast increase in domestic production, rising global demand for higher-value chilled product and the prospect of improving trade access with some of Australia's highest unit value markets (UK and Europe), will help to support the long term value growth for Australian beef exports.
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Film: Spyder
Rating: 2.5/5
Director: A.R. Murugadoss
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Rakul Preet Singh
Producer: R.B Choudary
Release Date: September 27, 2017
Mahesh Babu is back with his latest offering "Spyder" after disappointing his fans with "Brahmotsavam". This is the first-time Mahesh is doing a bilingual film in Telugu and Tamil languages. Mahesh Babu will be seen in the role of Indian spy, who tries to track down a psycho killer. Let's see how successful Mahesh Babu was in this new venture.
Shiva (Mahesh Babu), works for Intelligence bureau Hyderabad. He tries to track down antisocial activities through his software. One day, he comes across serial killings while tapping the phone and starts investigating that case. After going through the clues, his focus falls on a psycho named Bhairavudu (S. J. Surya)
Who is this Bhairavudu? What is his background? Why does he take the extreme step of carrying out murders? How will Shiva catch Bhairavudu and bring him to justice? Forms the rest of the story.
What's Good:
First half
What's Bad:
Second half
Nativity Issues
Lack of Twists
Director A.R Murugadoss's decade-long wish to direct Mahesh Babu had been finally fulfilled with Spyder, however did he utilize Mahesh Babu completely and delivered a good movie? The answer is no. The first teaser evoked lot of curiosity among the audience on how this spy thriller is going to mesmerize them, but with routine and regular story that was shown in the theaters had poured cold water on the audience hopes.
Mahesh Babu tried his best to excel in the role of a spy, however he could not save the movie in second half. Rakul Preet Singh is only used for songs and couple of comedy scenes. S.J Suryah impressed with his psychotic attitude and overshadowed Mahesh Babu at many places. Hero Bharat was present just to misguide the story. Priyadarshi and RJ Balaji got small roles as Mahesh colleagues at intelligence bureau. Santosh Sivan cinematography especially during songs picturization and Harris Jayaraj's background score turned out to be major plus for this film.
Murugadoss completely failed both as director and writer for this film. The story and narration does not have any merit at all. Mahesh helps all people who say HELP on their mobile phone, even if Rakul asks for a sex with blind date on her phone, Mahesh steps in and tries to unconditionally help her. Mahesh using five housewives to catch psycho Bhairavudu by making those women climb houses and buildings like Tom Cruise in Mission impossible shows director's brilliance. Poor vfx in Hospital collapse scene, Rolling rock scene and Roller coaster scenes make the movie look like an shady 90's video game. When something as big as hospital is getting destroyed, hero telling to police that he is going to take care of it single-handedly, comes as director's final masterstroke.
Even though first half was better with good screenplay that unfolded the main premise in an interesting way, second half had completely let down with monotonous and uninteresting narration. Director Murugadoss, who is very successful in Kollywood, is not able to deliver successful movies in Tollywood. He could not make use of two golden opportunities that were bestowed upon him by two Tollywood top stars, Chiranjeevi in 2006 film Stalin and now with Mahesh Babu in 2017 film Spyder.
Result: Spyder Bites the Dust


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Twilight�s wind
shook the song
of leaves and river sand
through Nidoba�s bones.
I felt the wolf�s spirit
run over my boots
as if water
were drifting in cool silver
toward the woodland shore
I found her lying
half-curled in death
like a moon
in winter�s shadow.
For weeks,
I nourished her,
my proud hands tending
wounds with dressings soft
as breath
that rose from the mountain�s voice.
She healed
and led me through the raw land
of rock and timber,
of field and hill
drum beating thunder
and footsteps dancing
behind a long shirt of clouds.
I came home
to my tribe whispering
low and ancient in the way
wood smoke hems the forest floor
while she faded
in to the color of birch trees.
Somewhere now
she sleeps
under grass and stone,
Her skeleton tilling
the earth
for tomorrow�s sun.
Top Life Home
Copyright �2001 by Wendy Howe. All rights reserved.
Wendy�s biography page


text:
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"Facebook" is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
Website is best viewed with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox
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text:
Admission tests and registration
All students seeking entry to the International Academy of Kuwait must sit an entrance test. For students in Foundation Years this will be oral, KS1 a mixture of oral and written, and for KS2, KS3 and KS4 a written test in Mathematics and English.
Information regarding testing can be collected from the registrar. Once a year group is full, then no further testing for that year will take place.
Admission tests will take place usually on Saturdays during March and April but can be specially requested as early as January.
School tours take place between 2:45pm and 3:30pm each school day and between 9:00am and 12:00pm on Saturdays
Year 12 registration:
Registration into year 12 is not an automatic process for IAK students. They must apply for entry into year 12 and will be in competition with students from other schools. Students can expect entry into year 12 only if they achieve:
- 5 A*- C IGCSE grades with at least B grades in the subjects they wish to study and
- only if they have demonstrated impeccable behaviour during their previous years at IAK or at other schools
Our year 12 students are role models for the rest of the school and we will only accept a relatively small number of high quality students into year 12. Application forms are available from the registrar.


text:
|Vincent Coppenolle (winner) and Geoffrey Marain (runner-up)
- Home
- WASPA top clubs
- WASPA in the world
- Philosophy and tournaments
- WASPA tournaments winners
- Euro 2016 project
- The best pictures of the WASPA blog
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Project "Brazil 2014"
- The popular tournament systems
- Interviews
- Wofür steht die WASPA?
- Ce qu'il faut savoir sur la WASPA
- "Tutto su WASPA" in Italiano
- WASPA Test Matches
- Youth in action project
- Russia 2018 project
- Best WASPA club jerseys
- Season 2015-2016
- Forthcoming events
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Coppenolle beat Marain in sudden death in Templeuve
There was a very small turnout of six players in Templeuve this saturday but there were many good games. The group stage was played in normal time (two halves of 15 minutes) and Geoffrey Marain won all his games while Vincent Coppenolle qualified for the final thanks to a better goal-difference to Renald Deloose. In the final, Marain took an early lead and dominated the first half. Coppenolle cut his nail and played a better subbuteo to equalize in the last five minutes. In the sudden death, Coppenolle scored the winning goal after three minutes to win his second consecutive tournament. Pol Verhaghe from SC Temploux won the final for the third place against Renald Deloose (4-3). Maxime Hoguet from France was fifth and Hatim Elmajd, a players who came back in the game after a long break of more than 15 years, finished sixth. He will for sure be a good recruit for the Templeuve United club.
Publié par Vincentcop à l'adresse 19:24
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If you're keen on playing car video games online, 'Crazy Taxi' is the perfect recreation for you! FCG is an app containing one hundred how-to-play instructions for creative, enjoyable, & challenging video games that want NO tools…NOT EVEN YOUR IPHONE! Stocked every day with new free games, including action video games, adventure video games, board & card video games, multiplayer video games, puzzle games, racing video games, talent games, sports activities video games, and extra addicting games. ABCya's award-profitable Preschool computer games and apps are conceived and realized under the direction of a certified know-how schooling teacher, and have been trusted by mother and father and teachers for ten years. Next time you are on the highway, attempt these easy video games – and watch the miles fly by the old school way. The XBox One version has been identified to suffer from bugs (audio) and low resolution. Once you develop into acquainted, you would really like these exciting ben 10 racing video games.
Play one in every of our most played games on the home web page or dive into your favourite category within the menu. Our educational games are easy to use and classroom pleasant, with a concentrate on the parts of speech, grammar, Spanish, fractions, multiplication and division, typing, geography, science, technique, puzzles and far more! Therefore, don't miss the thoughts blowing car games as these are one are the best supply of entertainment that are ever green. Published : May twentieth, 2013 Unity3DAnother of the fascinating 3D video games, the place this time you hunt dinosaurs. Embed your favorite free video games and play on your own website, together with blogs, Facebook, and beyond. The multiplayer mode permits for golf equipment and interaction with actual-life players by on-line races.
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Over 60 automobile makes have been confirmed so far, and race vehicles from main series such as FIA WEC, WTCC, BTCC, V8 Supercars, F1 and Formula E are also included in Forza 6. New tracks include COTA, Brands Hatch, Lime Rock Park, Daytona Speedway, Monza and Watkins Glen.


text:
Headaches in kids: Are classified as the Indications Distinct from In Adults?
About your five%-twelve% of school previous young children in the US suffer from migraines. How often improves all over teenage years, as well as highs about time forty four. With regards to something like 20% get the 1st episode before era a few. Typical symptoms consist of:
- Throbbing headache discomfort
- A feeling of sickness
- Tenderness to appear and lightweight
- Vomiting


text:
It's a Boy Baby Announcements
- Brand: Bag-of-Chips
You've been given your precious little miracle, so make an announcement about it! Send It's a Boy Baby Announcements to friends and family to let them know the details of your little boy.
These printable striped invitations, include a blue "It's a Boy" tie-on. With the tie-on attached, the invitation fits perfectly in the coordinating, included envelope. Share your joy!
- Length: 5"
- Width: 7"
Boy Die Cuts:
- Length: 4"
- Width: 6"
It's a Tag Cut-Outs:
- Length: 7/8"
- Width: 1 7/16"
- Length: 5 1/4"
- Width: 7 1/4"
Each package includes 10 announcements, envelopes, "It's a" tag cut-outs, "Boy" die-cuts, and blue ribbons.
Item not available in Hobby Lobby Stores.
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Stickers for tag virtual server hosting usaTags Manager »
VPS Hosting in USA – HostExplore
HostExplore offers one the of the best vps hosting in usa across the US at the most affordable prices. Log on to their website to know more about their services now!!
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text:
LONDON (Alliance News) – Legal & General Group PLC has said it would be excited acquire-and-sell-inexpensive-houses-for-profit by bidding for a GBP10.00 billion portion of fellow FTSE 100 insurer Prudential PLCs annuity portfolio, according to the Times.
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- Original article
- Open Access
Limiting professional trajectories: a dual narrative study in Chinese language education
- Robyn Moloney1Email authorView ORCID ID profile and
- Danping Wang2
© The Author(s) 2016
- Received: 25 October 2015
- Accepted: 30 January 2016
- Published: 14 April 2016
The globally expanding community of educators involved in the teaching of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) is being pushed to adapt to diverse educational contexts, engendering tension and dislocation. There has been limited success in efforts to modernise practice in the teaching of Chinese, with subsequent urgent calls for both a fresh approach to innovation, and for a better understanding of the nature of teacher experience in the professional community. This article reports a project which employed self-study to investigate, through analysis of reflective narratives, two career trajectories associated with Chinese as a foreign language.
The analysis of the narratives uncover issues of identity and power, in the shaping of the participants's practice and professional trajectories. The analysis provides illustration of how limitation in professional participation can result in limitation of innovative practice. The investigation identifies the formation of new independent decentralised professional communities for CFL.
The study offers recommendations to promote innovative practice which can support more effective teaching and learning.
- Teacher identity
- Narrative
- Professional trajectory
- Community of practice
- Chinese pedagogy
As a new and burgeoning professional field, the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language is seeking global dissemination and popularity similar to that established by English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) over the last century. In EFL/ESL, appropriate pedagogies and theoretical research paradigms have been established and accepted in diverse contexts, and are often referred to as guidelines for other foreign language teaching and research.
This study is wary of framing cultural comparisons which may produce essentialized assumptions about "Chinese pedagogy", and aware of the emerging critique (Dervin 2011) of studies and teaching practice (Cole and Meadows 2013) which perpetuate fixed understandings of culture, particularly in studies involving Chinese students. And yet, there can be thoughtful recognition of the East-West endeavour (Ma 2014), and the negotiation taking place, in East-West pedagogic and academic shift. That is, a shift from an alignment with Confucian traditional pedagogic values, to an alignment with the pedagogic practice of schools and universities in contexts like North America, Australia and Europe. This complex network of contrasting educational values and practice is being negotiated in sites such as teacher knowledge and beliefs, in the creation of teaching materials to suit different contexts, and in classrooms in diverse global settings. Stakeholders include teacher educators, teachers, learners, policy designers and textbook-writers, amongst others. Finding a professional trajectory in this complex and conflicted network is a challenging intercultural exercise for all concerned (Ma 2014; Moloney 2013; Moloney and Xu 2012). Issues of power and identity may be closely involved in the conflicted development of new practice, and the charting of professional trajectories. The role and impact of such trajectories is the focus of this article.
While change is inherent to the idea of a professional teaching and academic community (Lave and Wenger 2002), it has been suggested that the process of the modernization of Chinese pedagogy, in particular, may be "associated with confrontations and competition", and "education systems have to undergo a process of modification, adaptation and transformation in a particular socio-cultural context, creating hybrid kinds of pedagogy" (Deng 2011: 561). It has been identified that there is currently very limited success in the modernisation of pedagogical practice in CFL (Chiang 2010; Hu 2002; Orton 2008). Despite political rhetoric about the need for graduates with Chinese language skills, there is, for example, in Australia, a 96 % dropout amongst learners of Chinese, before the final year of secondary school. There is an identified urgent need to recognise and promote modernised innovative CFL teaching practice (Orton 2008; Moloney and Xu 2015).
For the expanding community of Chinese teaching professionals who are involved with innovative pedagogy, however, there remains a struggle for academic recognition of new practice and a problematic trajectory to legitimate professional participation and leadership. Thus, we believe that the examination of career trajectories within CFL education may cast light on productive change in the CFL community, encourage critique within the community, provide support in the negotiation towards effective CFL teaching and learning, so that more innovative practice may emerge. This qualitative project employed self-study methodology and analysis, to investigate, through analysis of reflective narratives, two career trajectories involved with CFL teaching, teacher training and research.
A considerable body of studies has used diverse theoretical approaches and methodologies to explore how individual language educator's beliefs, identity and experiences are related to their practice and their relationship with a professional community (Armour 2004; Canagarajah 2012). Despite the wealth of studies of teacher identity in TESOL and other language study areas, the study of Chinese language teacher identity has only recently emerged as a research priority (Sun 2012; Wang and Du 2014). To capture the function of societal issues in shaping teacher knowledge, qualitative interpretive modes of enquiry have been considered important research tools in the last twenty years (Ben-Peretz 2011). Indeed, according to Kleinsasser (2013) the most prevalent research theme in teacher education is currently that of narrative enquiry and identity. Thus, it is timely that this approach contributes more vigorously to the debates on identity construction involved in problematic trajectories in CFL professional participation (Zhang and Zhang 2015).
Literature review
The ideas in this study intersect a number of important research areas, including language teacher identity, narrative research and community of practice, in order to enrich the theoretical vigour of this research.
Understandings of identity have emanated from disciplines of anthropology and sociology but have gained acceptance in studies of education, and language teaching in particular. Varghese et al. (2005) have noted that there are three features of identity process, which have become commonly discussed and considered salient in such studies. Identity is firstly understood as multiple, fluid and often conflicted in nature (Hall 1990), and importantly includes the notion of agency to explain teacher choices and decisions. The second understanding is that identity is always related to social cultural and political contexts (Cummins 1996; Lave and Wenger 2002; Norton 2000). Finally, it is understood that identity is constructed and negotiated through language and ongoing interactions with others (Bucholtz and Hall 2004). Particular issues in studies of language teacher identity have included marginalisation, the position of non-native speaker teachers, and the nature of teacher knowledge.
For all teachers, teaching involves a substantial investment of the self (Goodson 2003). Language teachers in particular position themselves both personally and professionally between two or more languages and cultures (Kanno 2003). These observations and issues have created a diverse research field but, as Varghese et al. (2005) note, do not constitute a coherent theoretical approach. While we acknowledge critique of its limitations in this context (Varghese et al. 2005), discussed below, we have chosen to use Wenger's (1998) framework of the dual process of identity formation. This is described as the result of two processes, identification and negotiation of meaning. Identification comes from engagement (investing ourselves in our practice, as well as in relations with others), imagination (seeing our experience as part of a broader context- "images of the world that transcend engagement" Wenger 1998: 17) and alignment (connection to others when our practice is in line with a broader enterprise, involving power). Negotiation of meaning involves ownership of making meaning of experience, power processes, and, if the participant's contribution is continually denied, results in marginalisation.
Narrative research has been recognised to be of particular significance in capturing language teacher development (Barkhuizen et al. 2013; Golombek and Johnson 2004; Harbon and Moloney 2013). It is understood that language teaching and learning focus not only on acquisition of a language, but on the interaction and development of a holistic and intercultural identity (Scarino 2013). Gibb (2013) and Liang (2013), for example, have written language teacher narratives featuring the transformative, or 'identity-changing' effect of language learning in their lives, and as they also observe it changing lives in their classroom learners. In our use of narrative enquiry to examine our experiences and trajectories within the CFL community, we have, as noted, endeavoured to avoid essentialization of educational schema (Dervin 2009; 2011). Nevertheless, in individuals' stories, the tension between educational beliefs is noted, for example, between the models of teacher as authoritative source of knowledge (Leng 2005) and of the teacher as facilitator, helping the student to make their own discoveries in learning (Wilson 1996; Honebein 1996).
While the theoretical framework of this study of trajectories considers educator identity, it is relevant to also consider the nature of the community into which the professional trajectory is striving to enter, exit, or create. A Community of Practice is "a group of people who share an interest in a domain of human endeavour and engage in a process of collective learning that creates bonds between them" (Wenger 2001: 2). A Community of Practice involves three activities: mutual engagement (collaboration), joint enterprise (learning from each other) and shared repertoire (reflecting on common endeavour). Community of Practice importantly recognises that learning occurs in social relationships, 'concerns the whole person acting in the world' (Lave and Wenger 1991: 49), and considers what kind of community provides a context conducive to learning and change for individual members. Skyrme (2014), for example, has used Wenger's (1998) notions of community to analyse the experience of Chinese undergraduates studying in New Zealand, noting that the process of achieving membership of a community of practice must involve the construction of identities.
Chinese has emerged as a high-demand language within and beyond the Asia-Pacific region. To accommodate the rapidly increasing number of learners of Chinese globally (Chinese Ministry of Education 2006), many Chinese teacher education programmes were quickly developed both within and outside China in the last few years (Wang et al. 2013). These programs, focused largely on training in linguistics and syntax, together with research in Chinese linguistics, represent the central academic authority in international Chinese language teaching and research. They have given limited attention to creative classroom pedagogy, especially as expected in overseas contexts. They have also featured training in the materials of the International Curriculum for Chinese produced by Hanban (Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language). The suitability of these materials for overseas contexts has been critically questioned (Scrimgeour and Wilson 2009). There is, even within China, no proper Chinese language teacher certification system that meets international standards (Wang 2014). As a result, many young native-speaker Chinese teachers trained in academic programs within China have found it difficult to teach in a way that Western learners can relate to well (Orton 2011).
Meanwhile, a growing number of language teaching experts and language teacher educators, from English-speaking countries or with TESOL background, have been involved in teacher training programmes for CFL. It is suggested that their transferable expertise in language classroom pedagogies and experience in research are what CFL teachers need to learn and acquire. However, due to communication issues, gaps in intercultural understanding, incompatible research paradigms and the like, teachers and teacher educators from non-Chinese backgrounds may find it equally challenging to legitimate the professional role and contribution they can make.
Clearly, all stakeholders may experience dislocation from their original academic training, and struggle to construct a trajectory for themselves in the professional community. The unstable nature of professional trajectories is particularly impeding the sustainable development of Chinese language teaching, however, and thus, the learning outcomes for many young learners. To this end, this study asked two research questions: What can the examination of CFL teacher narratives reveal about teacher beliefs and experiences in the professional field? How do these experiences impact their teaching, research, and commitment to the professional community?
The paper will seek to understand the struggles and successes of one Chinese teacher and one language teacher educator, across a four-year collaboration, engaged in communication towards improving their legitimate professional participation.
Author one is currently involved in the tertiary teaching of pedagogical methodology to pre-service language teachers in an Australian university. Previously, she was a teacher of Japanese and French in secondary schools. She has studied Chinese at beginner levels. Author two is a native-speaker Chinese teacher, currently teaching Chinese in a tertiary institute in Hong Kong, who has obtained degrees in Chinese Linguistics studies and English Language Education in Beijing and Hong Kong.
The authors first got to know each other through a journal article of mutual interest. Over the past four years, they have worked collaboratively on two research papers, one conference workshop and developed research agendas on CFL teaching research. During this time, they have learned a great deal reciprocally about each other, and about each other's professional contexts. However, they have shared common concerns and frustrations in their professional participation in the community of global Chinese teaching and learning research. In early 2014, they decided to chart their career trajectories as a means of professional reflection and development, and more importantly, through cross-cultural academic activity, to contribute to East-west discourse development.
- (1)
Both researchers acted as narrative writers. They independently wrote texts of first person reflective narrative exploring their history and relationship with language and culture teaching and learning, and Chinese language teaching in particular. These texts are the data of the study.
- (2)
Each researcher individually and alone, read the other's narrative data carefully. This involved reading and making sense of the narrative data, coding for themes and recurring concepts, and writing up an interpretation.
- (3)
Using Skype and email communication, the researchers compared their thematic interpretations, engaged in dialogic negotiation, and developed a collaborative analysis. Through categorization and classification, particular instances of events in the data are linked to more general relevant concepts, and relationships can be identified between background influence, community membership and identity. The narratives have been placed within a third person framework of analysis and commentary.
With Armour (2004) we understand that the data are neutral, and it is the analysis, based on researchers' interpretations and perceptions, that reveals aspects of the narrators' identity construction and trajectory.
Analysis of data and findings
Analysis of Narrative A data
I can still recall how smart and proud he looked when he was typing English on a typewriter. Growing up in a "modern" family, I am not afraid of trying new things and new ideas, and I see learning English as a fun and life-changing experience.
… evoked my interest and enthusiasm in learning English, and taught me how to put language into use through engaging activities and authentic materials in life presentation, which has deeply shaped my perspective on teaching. I started to think about being a teacher in the future.
My goal was to be able to teach Chinese in the way that my NET teachers had done, which had motivated me in learning a foreign language.
My classmates constantly made me feel that I could never be as legitimate as they were as a teacher of Chinese. In their view, a good Chinese teacher must have a Chinese major and must be able to teach grammar like a living dictionary.
Her peers bring their practice and beliefs 'in line' with the broader institution, whereby the identity of an institution becomes the identity of its conforming participants. This alignment process involves power, which can be adversely exercised towards an outsider whose identity is not "in line". Varghese et al. (2005) suggest that in teaching contexts, issues of access, participation and social engagement are always reflections of larger institutional and national ideologies.
It soon became clear to me that I was stuck in a "Chinese-English" dilemma. On one hand, I was encouraged to see that my English ability was regarded as valuable asset in building up a good career path. On the other hand, I found that teachers with a non-Chinese major background were largely marginalized in the faculty because senior scholars deemed our knowledge of Chinese as "problematic and less solid" than Chinese major graduates.
I agonized a long time before I came to a conclusion that the career trajectory to reach full participation in a Chinese academic department was not exactly what I wanted. Even though the community had offered me a qualification to teach and a job in a university, I was not encouraged to offer new thoughts on teaching.
When I look back, I find I was only domesticating my foreign students to be Chinese! Through my doctoral program in Hong Kong, I learnt how to respect individual differences and value the quality of communication in the classroom. I realized I must become a human before I act like a teacher, as teaching is fundamentally a human behavior.
Just as she was negotiating her teacher 'self', and the human relationships involved in teaching, she reports that she started to see the importance of creating meaning, rather than just sentence structure, in her students' learning. Learner construction of meaning through language is a fundamental tenet of Western language education today (Kramsch 1993; 2014). Her pedagogy featured activities and tasks to engage her students in classroom learning and to ensure they could all use the language in the class. Her goal became for them to learn happily and to find learning Chinese meaningful to their personal life and career development.
It sounds promising as a bilingual teacher but most of the time I feel I'm trapped in a limbo. I belong to neither the English nor the Chinese community.
Narrator A writes that she is willing to learn and work hard to achieve full participation in a community that encourages alternative approaches and free expression of research interests. The academic community frustrated her trajectory, however, in not recognizing her to work in a way that engaged her knowledge and identity.
Nevertheless, Narrator A continues to seek a professional community aligned with her practice and identity outside the Chinese academic community. She has written papers in Chinese on problems in pedagogy, but these have attracted skepticism from the community of academic authorities, and positioned as marginal to 'serious' Chinese teaching and learning. In contrast, she has sent English language papers to English journals and they have been published quickly with good impact. This reinforces her perception that her identity and trajectory are exiting from the core CFL community, and heading out towards the international, as this is where they are valued and affirmed.
Narrator A has developed an intellectual independence, and confidence in the value of her innovative teaching philosophy. This has enabled her to understand the difficulty of her students in learning Chinese, and the importance of intercultural communication, not only in the classroom, but also in collaboration with teachers and researchers from diverse contexts. This has thrown critical light on her position in the community of Chinese teaching and research.
Analysis of Narrative B data
Narrator B describes herself as an Angloceltic Australian from a family in which she was the first person to study foreign languages at university. She graduated as a young teacher of French and German in the 1970s. She later took up study of Japanese and negotiated further shift in identity through acquiring her Japanese language self. Armour (2004) has presented an analysis of this dual role of learner-teacher in Narrator B's language learning experience.
I saw that learning Japanese particularly changed the sometimes insular outlook of Australian children and their families. A critical intercultural approach to life and language learning became important to me, both personally and professionally.
Hindsight may be rose-coloured, but I do not remember anxiety about using my fledgling language, which grew quite rapidly in confidence. I grew into a warm sense of belonging as a competent non-native speaker, with a sense of linguistic and professional agency.
It seems that without tension, Narrator B transferred her teaching style from the European languages to Japanese, albeit with some adaptations, creating activities, games, role-plays, ways of teaching the three scripts, for purposeful enjoyable learning. Japanese was successfully "brought in", integrated and adapted to the constructivist pedagogy of Australian schools. Rightly or wrongly, this model of adaptation served later as the template of her assumption that the same could be achieved in Chinese.
In my workshops I model the pedagogies of constructivist learning that I want the pre-service teachers to use in their own classes: active group tasks, enquiry learning, critical thinking about culture, games for meaningful language use. I expected, perhaps illogically, that the CFL pre-service teachers could make pedagogical adaptation as I had done in Japanese, even though they were working with a different education schema in their head.
However, the Chinese pre-service teachers communicated that they had great difficulty in understanding the Australian student, the style of pedagogy she was promoting, and the expected teacher role. With insufficient knowledge of the CFL pre-service teachers' different educational backgrounds, she had made assumptions, arising from her own Western education, as to the teachers' understanding. As she increased her background knowledge of China, she realised the gap between educational schema that made understanding difficult for her students. Narrator B felt dismayed by the findings of a national report on CFL in schools (Orton 2008) which had highlighted the alarming 96 % drop-out rate from CFL studies before the final year of secondary school. The report pointed to pedagogy as one factor in this poor outcome, and difficulties in China-educated teachers adapting to local Australian educational culture. In becoming more deeply involved in CFL teacher training and research, Narrator B had two purposes: as a teacher educator, she cared about the struggles that CFL teachers were experiencing and, as a former classroom teacher, she wanted Australian children to experience the same broadening experience learning Chinese, as she had witnessed in Japanese classrooms.
Together with wide reading and several trips to China, I have acquired beginner level Chinese language. I have achieved only patchy progress, but I love the excitement of a new fledgling language persona.
I would like to be, through my investment in CFL teacher training and my research, a peripheral contributor to the CFL community.
I have felt alienation, and discouragement through this exclusion. My hoped-for peripheral membership of the community seemed to be not welcome.
Perhaps simply by being there, however, it afforded both the community and myself an opportunity to reflect. At the second conference, at the beginning of my presentation session, I spent a few minutes explaining first my linguistic exclusion from the content of the conference, and second, my commitment to CFL teacher training in Australian schools. Following an introduction in Chinese by my research partner, I presented our paper about an intercultural learning task in CFL, which was well received. Some delegates later quietly offered to me their embarrassed realisation that organisers should make conferences (as a representation of their community) more linguistically inclusive.
Despite her negative experience of marginalisation, she still wants her research studies to contribute in the broader CFL teacher community. She continues to build relationships with CFL teachers, and to publish in the area.
Results and discussion
The two narratives illustrate the complexity involved in professional trajectories in CFL language education. Both narratives provide illustrations of the role that early experiences in language and culture play in shaping identity, beliefs, practice, assumptions and expectations.
In answering our two research questions, our analysis has demonstrated that the examination of CFL teacher narratives can reveal a great deal about the role of individual teacher beliefs and experiences, in the shaping of their trajectories and attitudes. Their beliefs, expectations, and experiences of professional inclusion and exclusion all greatly impact their teaching, their relationships with students, their research choices, and their commitment to the professional community.
Further to this, when we began this study, we believed ourselves to be frustrated, disempowered peripheral members of one large CFL academic community, from which our identities felt marginalised. Through the self-study process, we have come to a transformed understanding that we, like many other CFL practitioners globally, in fact do not have to see our identities as marginalised from one central authority. We represent empowered elements of an emerging diverse and de-centralised CFL teacher community, which is developing many authoritative centres of activity. These decentralised communities are vital to the future of more successful CFL learning. We hope that this small community of two, which in this study has participated in collaboration, joint enterprise, and shared endeavour, contributes to the voices of those centres.
Narrator A
Collaborating with Robyn is my first experience of working with a non- Chinese colleague on Chinese teaching and learning research. Through her, I have learned many useful skills and good attitude and most importantly, I have had a precious opportunity to understand how the two of us differently perceive Chinese teaching. Her comments prompted me to rethink many things that I took for granted, and her tolerant and caring personality makes me, a young teacher, feel respected about what I think. This is a fascinating experience of intercultural professional learning.
Narrator B
Working with Danping, over the long gestation of this project, has been important to me in "filling the gaps" in my understanding of CFL, in a number of ways. Firstly, it shifted stereotypes I had held, such as "all Chinese teachers think and teach this way", when clearly Danping refreshingly didn't think or teach that way at all! Secondly it revealed to me my arrogant assumptions, arising from my own unexamined educational background, as to how CFL teachers should be adapting to the Australian school context. I love the personal challenge, that in all intercultural work, the self becomes visible, and it isn't always comfortable. Just as I have been defined as an East-coast white Australian, by Aboriginal Western Australians, it sharpened my recognition of the shaping of my educational beliefs by my educational heritage. And finally it made me aware of the global potential for improving language teacher education, through individual interaction in international peer collaboration and research.
We are encouraged also by the rapid changes emerging in the last few years in the research literature. This is marked by studies of new pedagogy (Singh and Han 2014), studies of CFL teacher identities (e.g. Wang and Du 2014) and writing which represents critical enquiry into essentialized positions in Chinese studies (e.g., Dervin 2009; 2011). This study has illustrated the impact of the two individuals' identification and negotiation of meaning regarding their career trajectories in the CFL community. Assymetrical power relations have at times created identities of marginalisation. But through our collaboration, and the formation of new communities, we have increased our ownership of "meanings", our sense of agency, and our negotiation of our place.
Global changes affect both educational demand and academic life, and change the way teachers and teacher educators think about their identities, pedagogy and professional encounters (Hellstén and Goldstein-Kyaga 2011). This self-study project has similarly been pushed by the need for pedagogic critique in the internationalisation of Chinese language teaching and learning. While two case studies cannot be generalised, we suggest that the study has 'generative power' (Wardekker 2000). Narrative enquiry has the "power to enlighten people by making them really understand the narratives that were the object of the study" (p.266). With Wardekker (2000), we believe that this may lead to understanding of change processes in a specific situation, which creates a "potential for learning and change" (Wardekker 2000: 269).
The study suggests the potential for all CFL teachers to explore critical perceptions of changes in their identities and their pedagogies, and where their shifting identity may 'fit', in the shifting CFL teaching community. Self-study, interpreting each other's stories, and the extensive dialogue which has taken place around this writing, has offered us a creative space to change our perceptions of the tensions existing in the academic CFL community. Self-study has acted both as a methodology and a process in this work. These self-study narratives have confirmed for us the role of investigation of personal experience in the shaping of identity, values, attitudes and practice, in our professional development. They secondly offer insight through our own experiences, into struggles being played out in CFL teaching today. We have found ourselves able to challenge the supposed authority of a central CFL discipline, in our different capacities, and able to construct independent trajectories.
Our experience in this self-study is a microcosm of a larger phenomenon rapidly developing. In addition to the need for dispersed centres of innovative CFL practice, we also recognise that as more university students globally graduate with Chinese majors, there will be an increasing number of non-native CFL teachers, who will want a valid role and identity in their own innovative CFL communities. CFL teacher training needs to prepare the type of teachers who can deal educationally with transnational and local diversity (Luke 2004), with a range of adopted and adapted pedagogies to use. Just as it is accepted that TESOL practice has developed as a de-centralised transnational polyglot endeavour (Canagarajah 2006), we predict that multiple CFL communities are becoming autonomous, diverse, and flexible entities. The field is changing rapidly, with new practice as noted evolving on many fronts (Moloney and Xu 2015).
Constructing de-centralised communities places responsibility on us, as individual community members, as we consider the implications of our study for our practice in teacher education, and teaching, respectively. First, Author 1 intends to encourage in her CFL pre-service teachers, self-study critical examination of the East-west discourse, involving beliefs about culture, language and practice, adaptation in CFL pedagogies, and to support mentoring development with local teachers. In the case of teaching CFL, Author 2 recognises her leadership in pursuing and modelling independent innovative practice, to support and prioritise her students' learning. We look to contributing, whether it is provided live or online, to the creation of relevant local CFL professional development, to support innovation, and teacher confidence, and to pursue further research in tracking and linking the multiple new CFL centres of teacher development.
Finally, within a de-centralised community taking a post-modern turn, we look towards Hirst and Brown's (2008) suggestion that in communities of mature practice, there would be an acceptance and expectation that members' efforts undergo critical comment and that individuals communicate with each other as equals. It is to open this communication that we have offered our self-study, to contribute to the CFL teacher knowledge base. The communication is picking up pace, and we look towards its innovative output.
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
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ALMATY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's largest lender, Halyk Bank , expects to beat its own 2018 profit guidance of over 214 billion tenge ($586 million), Chief Executive Umut Shayakhmetova said on Tuesday.
"We see that we will most likely exceed our own full-year outlook," she told a briefing. (Reporting by Mariya Gordeyeva Writing by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Katya Golubkova)


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St Patrick's Day Number Games: 2 game cards in which children have to find pairs or trios of numbers which total 17 and find numbers in a line or row which create multiplication calculation. Two fabulous St Patrick's Day-themed maths problem solving activities.
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Flipkart : The Big Billion Days 2017 – Ab Mehengaai Giregi
September 19, 2017 Books,Fashion,Online Shopping
Ab Mehengaai Giregi
The Big Billion Days are back on Flipkart in 2017 between dates 20th and 24th September. BBD 2017 will be a mega Flipkart sale event with crazy deals on mobiles, laptops, cameras, TVs, appliances, clothing, accessories, furniture, etc.. Check out exciting offers like 10% instant discount on SBI debit and credit cards, No cost EMI, Bid and Win and also the exclusive products.
The Big Billion Days 2017- Biggest Flipkart Sale is back with the best offers
Flipkart's The Big billion days, the biggest online shopping sale, is here again to enable its customers to shop for all their favorite products at best prices. Along with great offers, it also has many easy pay options like No Cost EMIs, debit card EMIs, and many more. All customers have been eagerly waiting to know Flipkart's Big Billion Day, 2017 dates. Just like the BBD held in 2016, this year too it will last for a period of five days and this time, it starts on 20th September and will go on up till 24th September. Just as the promise made to curb rising prices with the slogan, 'Ab Mehengaai Giregi', by providing huge discounts, offers and deals across various categories, Flipkart is making sure to leave no stone unturned for enabling customers afford all that they want. Apart from discounts, we also have exclusive deals on a wide range of products including mobiles, large electric appliances, fashion products, furniture and many more.
Big Billion Days Sale 2017- Striking deals on Mobiles, Electronics, Fashion & More
When the whole country is worried about 'Mehengai', or the rising prices of goods, Flipkart will come as a savior on this Big Billion Day and leave you surprised by letting you buy online much more than what is on your shopping list. You have got to mark your calendars and be ready with your computers to get all crazy deals. Between 20th-24th September, a deluge of offers can be availed under the categories fashion, TV & appliances, home & furniture. Every day will bring fresh offers on different products. Check out the full Big Billon Days calender and don't miss out on the offers.
Under the fashion category, amazing offers tied to the best brands can be availed with men's and women's clothing, footwear, beauty & grooming products, fashion accessories, kids' essentials and more. Under large electric appliances, you can buy TVs, ACs, washing machines, refrigerators and other kitchen & home appliances under crazy deals. You can also use the No Cost EMI offer to purchase these items. Furniture items like sofas, beds, curtains and home entertainment items also come with deep discounts. Between 21st-24th September, best deals on mobiles, electronics and accessories will come your way.
From high-end smartphones to mid-range mobiles and more, the Big Billion Day, 2017 enables you get your hands on the device of your choice at prices lower than what you expected. Exclusive deals across specific brands of mobiles and electronics will let you buy them at affordable rates. Up to 80-90% off can also be availed on a huge number of products. With countless choices across categories and special payment offers like 10% instant discount on SBI Debit & Credit cards, 10% cashback on payments with Phone Pe, there's no reason for you to skip this mega sale event.
Big Billion Day Dates
|Big Billion Day Sale
|20th Sep-24th Sep 2017
|20th Sep-24th Sep 2017
|TV and Appliances
|20th Sep-24th Sep 2017
|Home and Furniture
|20th Sep-24th Sep 2017
|21st Sep-24th Sep 2017
|21st Sep-24th Sep 2017
|21st Sep-24th Sep 2017
For Other Major E-Commerce Platforms Amazon , Myntra , Jabong and Shopclues Mahabachat offer , please visit below :
Shopclues Maha Bharat Diwali Sale live on 20- 28th September 2017
Amazon Great Indian Festival 2017 : Best Offers and Deals
Myntra Celebrates The Big Billion Days: 50-80% OFF
Jabong Celebrates The Big Billion Days – Flat 50% to 80% off + Extra 10% off for SBI Users


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Posted on January 17, 2016 by Mick
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21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
Sumo deadlift high pull, 35kg (25kg)
Push press, 35kg (25kg)
One bar, one load.
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In North American Auto Show Lexus releases new RX
Recently, foreign media reports, Lexus plans to release in January 2015 at the North American Auto Show the new Lexus RX, the new car is not only design change, the power system is also expected to be upgraded. According to foreign media reports, the new Lexus RX will be used to re-design the shape, making the overall style is closer to the latest design brand family, but the official announcement about the new RX is not currently in the picture.
Power, the new Lexus RX may be upgraded, including the use of traditional fuel engine matched by a 6-speed gearbox will be upgraded to 8-speed, which for the fuel economy is helpful. Recently, Audi officially released the new RS 6 Avant Exclusive Tuning Parts (customized version) official figure, the new RS 6 compared to an ordinary car with a unique color and style. From the outside, the new RS 6 Avant Exclusive unique matte gray paint spraying, compared to the normal version of the model, the new car's front bumper spoiler and rear diffuser are made at the bottom of the carbon fiber materials for the building, while the Audi RS polished silver exterior mirrors also facelift iconic series carbon fiber material.
In addition, the new car also features a black double five-spoke sport wheels, so the visual effect is more sporty vehicle. Inside, the new Audi RS 6 Avant Exclusive interior styling overall consistent with the regular edition, but in the car on the material chosen black leather and carbon fiber materials for decoration, supplemented by yellow stitching, the visual effect is very eye-catching. Power, the new Audi RS 6 Avant Exclusive powered by a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 engine racing coilovers, maximum power 560 hp and peak torque of 700 N • m. Transmission, the engine is matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the car also comes standard with Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system known. The official said the new car's 0-100km / h acceleration time of just 3.9s, top speed of 305km / h.


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Fencing Solutions in Bristol
Juniper Landscapes Bristol offer a wide range of fences and fencing solutions for both domestic and commercial use in and around the Bristol area.
A fence is only as good as the way it was erected. Your satisfaction and recommendation is our business.
Fencing we offer
Overlap: The most popular panel due to its cost offers privacy at a very economical price.
Feather edging /Closeboard: Close board fencing (sometimes known as feather edge fencing) is among the longest lasting and popular of all fence types. Can be cut to any height up-to 6 feet.
Closeboard Panels: The strongest and heaviest panel, offers complete privacy and is ideal for perimeter fencing..
Pallisade / Picket: A traditional picket type fence which still gives visibility while offering security.
Trellis: Can be used on its own as open screen fencing or as a decorative panel.Note: All panels can be made to fit either concrete or wooden posts and available in 3, 4, 5, and 6 foot heights


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SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre
Gym, cycle studio, group fitness - it's all here!
World class pools and waterslides at the centre.
Hire one of our event spaces
Supervised creche for members while you workout.
Retail Store
Catch up with friends or get an energy hit.
Casual prices
Conditions of Entry
Work out in the gym, class or with a trainer.
Swimming for fun or fitness
Exercise physiology
Let us organise a fun party for your child.
Wibit, waterslides & more
Swimming Lessons
Schools & Sporting
Get expert advice on exercise and training.
Get the latest tips on healthy eating.
Articles, tips, recipes and more
Breakfast Seminars
General Manager's Breakfast
There is a membership to suit almost everyone.
Member Benefits
Refer a Friend
Membership Web Enquiry
Increase your muscular endurance, core strength and flexibility while improving your posture and breathing.
The Pilates Reformer machine consists of a bed with springs, a sliding carriage, ropes and pulleys. Pilates Reformers classes are more intense and more dynamic than mat based Pilates classes by adding resistance to the Pilates exercises with springs which form part of the machine.
You can adjust the level of intensity to suit your own needs and best of all the class sizes are small which allows the instructor to give you great feedback on your technique and movements.
Class times:
View them on the Group Fitness Timetable
45 minutes.
Class size:
Maximum 5 per class
FREE for members
Tickets opens 60 minutes prior to the class start time. Available at the Group Fitness Class Kiosks.
Wellness Room (L2)


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Course Summary:
Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET)
Many occupations require employee's to undertake Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. The training is designed to prepare students for the unlikely event of being in a helicopter accident on both dry land and over water.
After completing the theory students will practice a range of simulated emergencies which will include escaping from a helicopter that has;
- Made an emergency decent to dry land
- Made an emergency decent to water
- Vertical submersions in water
- Capsized submersions in water
Students will partake in a sea survival session where they will demonstrate various sea survival techniques.
Download the Information Sheet below for more details.
½ Day
What will you need?
- A Valid Medical (Refer to accepted medicals)
- Bathers and towel
- Lunch – there is a lunchbar within walking distance
- Enclosed Footwear and neat casual dress
- Passport photo
When and where is the course run?
The HUET course is run onsite Australasian Maritime Institute located at 61 Quill Way, Henderson WA. Please contact reception for course dates and availability.
Contact our reception for further information on 1300 684 116 or use the form below to make an enquiry.
Course and Pricing Schedule Download Information Sheet


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When Russell T. Davies brought Doctor Who back to our screens in 2005, no one could predict just how much of a success it would become. A series filled with brilliant episodes, thought-provoking plots, and fantastic performances from Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, ensured that this show was a force to be reckoned with once again. Just as we were getting to know the lovable Northern-accented Gallifreyan, he was gone, and we were launched into Series Two with a brand new Doctor. Here are my opinions on the series which garnered mixed opinions from me.
David Tennant was the man chosen to fill the Doctor's shoes after Eccleston sadly left, and even though Tennant is my favourite modern Doctor, series 2 had him at his weakest. Tennant certainly seemed at home with the role, stealing the show as soon as he stepped out of the TARDIS donning Nine's leather jacket. And he certainly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in The Christmas Invasion ("No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."), but what followed were a couple of average episodes that didn't really stick out to me. New Earth was fun, but nothing special, and Tooth And Claw was mostly forgettable. School Reunion saw the much anticipated return of classic Who companion Sarah Jane Smith, who was a great character in a mostly cheesy episode, sharing some genuinely heart-warming moments with the Tenth Doctor. The first stand-out episode comes in the form of Girl In The Fireplace, a heart-breaking yet subtle look into one of the romances this Doctor would become known for, all against a stunning score by Murray Gold.
You may not believe I'm saying this, but one of the problems I have with this series is actually Tennant himself (*gasp!*). Don't get me wrong, he's was a brilliant choice to play the Time Lord and I'm glad he did, but I felt he came off too over-enthusiastic in this series (It kind of makes sense though, as the character was only just forming the basis of his personality). His relationship with Rose gained mixed reception, as well. I don't mind it much but I do agree that it's an element the series spent too much time on. The great chemistry between the two is a plus, though. What I liked about the Tennant era was how his Doctor became a much darker character after Rose left, hence why I liked series 3 and loved series 4. It was a great way to develop the character and show how the loss of Rose affected him, even if I wasn't the biggest fan of their relationship. Basically, the character of Ten got better after Rose left.
The final half of the series is also a mixed bag for me. The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit is a tightly-written, tense two-parter which explored the horror side of Doctor Who perfectly. Then came Love And Monsters, the episode that polarises fans to this day. Personally, I really liked the episode up to the point where the Abzorbaloff turned up. It was fascinating to see how strangers' lives had been affected by the Doctor, and Elton made for a likeable, loveable protagonist. But then Peter Kay turns up and it all goes downhill from there, turning a creative episode into a horrifically camp one. What followed was Fear Her, my least favourite episode of the series. Boring, bland, and unimaginative, the series finale luckily ended this streak of poor episodes. Say what you want about Ten and Rose, but there's no denying that their final moments together are heart-breaking, and Tennant and Billie gave wonderful performances, making for one of the best finales of the modern show. It's a shame that the rest of series 2 couldn't hit that level more often.
Overall, Series 2 of Doctor Who was definitely a mixed bag for me. Tennant was great but left room for improvement, many of the episodes were bland and forgettable, and the cheesiness was ramped up to 11, but this series definitely hit many highs with some brilliant two-parters, an ever-wonderful Gold score, and great performances all round. Good, but not as great as the previous series.
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The Seattle Times reports on the opening of a new $20 million Tech Center at Lake Washington Technical College. The new facility contains 570 new computers and an 18,500 square-foot library, equipped with wireless internet access.
Tech center a dream come true for Lake Washington students
The Seattle Times
September 24th, 2004


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Modern Healthcare By Harris Meyer March 6, 2017 Under pressure from conservatives and the business community, House Republicans have released a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that ditches their previous proposal to tax high-value employer health plans. The 123-page bill, dubbed the American Health Care Act, was released Monday night. It… Read More
Trump's ACA executive order heightens insurance market jitters
MODERN HEALTHCARE By Harris Meyer | January 22, 2017 President Donald Trump's executive order Friday evening instructing federal agencies to go as far as they legally can to roll back the Affordable Care Act was not exactly surprising. He was expected to take some type of swift administrative action to signal his determination to repeal… Read More
UnitedHealth will drop out of most ACA exchanges
MODERN HEALTHCARE By Bob Herman April 19, 2016 UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley said Tuesday the health insurance and services conglomerate will pull out of most of its Affordable Care Act marketplaces. But the company won't bail on the exchanges completely and will sell individual plans in a "handful" of states. "We cannot broadly serve… Read More


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Sandy Gingras and her work has been featured in national magazines, literary journals and local and regional newspapers.
"Our New Old House" (June 2014)
Where Women Create: Inspiring work Spaces of Extraordinary Women: "Sandy Gingras: How to Live " ( Summer 2017)
Coastal Living (May/June 2000)
Crime Writer Association's Debut Dagger Award 2012
"How We Spend Our Days" (July 1, 2017)
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