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Will Mehbooba Mufti's hope for Kashmir joining CPEC ever come true?
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is being touted as a game changer that could reshape the economic and political landscape of South Asia. It's a crucial piece in China's ambitious One Belt, One Road project, an over trillion-dollar network of highways, railway lines, sea ports and telecom facilities across 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa intended at vastly increasing connectivity and cooperation and, most importantly, generating trade.
CPEC spans much of Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, fed by the Gwadar port on the Persian Gulf. In PoK, the Gilgit Baltistan region is the corridor's key node. The corridor, for which China has already committed 60 billion dollars, is likely to boost economic activity in PoK by creating infrastructure and generating jobs. It could also open up the region up to the world.
Considering that a part of CPEC is barely 100 km from the Line of Control, how will it affect this part of Kashmir occupied by India?
A report prepared for the Indian home ministry by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Criminal Investigation Department in 2016 argued that CPEC will usher in economic prosperity in areas of PoK close to the LoC and, as such, provoke demands for this part of Kashmir to join the corridor as well.
Such demands are already being made, in fact, including by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
In November 2017, the Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said Beijing "has offered India to rename the CPEC and consider alternative routes through Jammu and Kashmir to address its concerns".
In response, Mehbooba tweeted that New Delhi should accept the offer as it "will open up avenues for greater economic ties and cultural exchanges", and reinforce the need to "rediscover traditional trade routes of Kashmir".
Since India claims all of Kashmir as its own, it has strongly protested against CPEC for violating its sovereignty, and refused to join OBOR.
This has not stopped Mehbooba from repeatedly advocating opening Kashmir's western routes, that is, routes towards Central Asia through Pakistan. "By reopening the traditional and historic routes of the state, we shall be writing a new history," she has said.
Prof GN Khaki, director of the Kashmir University's Centre for Central Asian Studies, backs the demand. "We had economic, cultural and trade links with the region prior to 1947. We used to exchange knowledge with China and Central Asian countries," he said. "Kashmiris would often visit Samarkand and Chinese Turkistan, learning art and conducting business. Links with Central Asia and China helped a great deal in transmission of ideas that enriched the knowledge, culture and tradition of Kashmir."
Since CPEC could potentially revive these old routes, Khaki said, it is bound to generate interest in Kashmir. "We have lost connectivity with Central Asia. This will help revive the historical links," he said, identifying the routes linking Kashmir with China and Central Asia as "Leh-Turtuk, Leh-Chishoor, Uri-Muzaffrabad, Tangdhar, Gurez and Kanzalwan routes".
If Jammu and Kashmir were to join CPEC, Khaki said, it would be greatly beneficial. "People can bring goods and technology and sell their wares to many countries that are part of OBOR project. It has the potential to open profitable business avenues for Kashmir. So, CPEC will have great impact on Kashmir as it unfolds. It is bound to raise aspirations in Kashmir."
Traders agree. "All surrounding countries have become part of OBOR, only India is not joining. But it should take the benefit of OBOR by fully participating in the initiative," argued Shakeel Qalandar, former member of the Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kashmir. "CPEC will bring prosperity to South Asia when countries pool their resources and share with each other for the collective development of the region. India has to rise above politics and ideology for regional development."
If that isn't motivation enough, Qalandar said, "this will also help in resolving other disputes".
As for Kashmir, he said, "we badly need such initiatives for the forward movement of our economy". "There are no negatives attached to CPEC," he added.
Mubeen Shah, former president of the Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and Industry, argued the project "has the potential to break the status quo".
In an article titled Impact of CPEC on Kashmir, he urged both pro-Indian parties and the pro-freedom leadership to impress upon India and Pakistan to declare free economic zones in Kashmir so it reaps the benefit of OBOR. "I think people of Kashmir have been waiting for an initiative which has the potential to break the status quo. By connecting J&K with CPEC, the state can become the buffer for economic relationship between the two disgruntled nuclear neighbours. It will also become the moral and spiritual hub of a new union of South Asian countries," he wrote.
Zahoor Ahmed Tramboo, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, argued that CPEC could positively impact Kashmir. "CPEC would be a game changer for Kashmir. We would be connected to the nearest deep sea port of Gawadar. It would save costs, free us from hassles and connect us to the rest of the world."
Not just Kashmir, much of northern India would also benefit. "But politics is at play," he rued. "We do not have a choice."
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, however, is not sold on the idea. "I don't think that CPEC will be beneficial for Kashmir," said its president Javaid Tenga. "There is always disturbance between the two countries, India and Pakistan. And since 1947, we have not seen any such initiative bearing any results".
Pointing out that even the small-scale cross-LoC trade is plagued with problems, he said, "I can't see a positive impact of CPEC on Kashmir."
But even if Kashmir does join CPEC somehow, will it affect the Kashmir dispute? Siddiq Wahid, former vice chancellor of the Islamic University, is circumspect. "The impact on the dispute over J&K state of CPEC, in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, depends on whether its primary intent is economic/cultural or security/strategic in orientation. The jury is still out on that question. So, we will have to wait and see whether it will 'create opportunities for Kashmir'."
The political scientist Prof Noor Baba, however, believes that CPEC provides an "opportunity" for the region to come to a compromise on Kashmir and reap economic benefit at the same time. "Economy and politics cannot be separated," Baba said. "There have been a number of historical happenings where the economic imperatives have pushed the political policies of the government. So, the disputed nature of Kashmir has political implications for CPEC."
However, for now at least, "Kashmir's interest is in economy", Baba argued. "We want Kashmir's isolation to be relaxed or ended. These alternative routes can prove handy in that regard," he explained. "One dimension of the Kashmir problem is that it was isolated after 1947 due to tightening of the borders. Hence, it was placed in economically disadvantaged position." CPEC, at the very least, could help lessen Kashmir's isolation.
All this, of course, is contingent of India ever agreeing to let Kashmir join CPEC. And the prospect of that happening appears quite remote.


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In a quest for triple driver earbuds – to truly enjoy the high-quality sound – you may end up with some options.
It's true that people are still craving into the sound – and Bluetooth audio or low-end earbuds are never satisfactory!
Bluetooth audio sucks! and you have to recharge it if using frequently and they should be used for working out.
Low-end earbuds are equipped with cheap dynamic drivers, pumping a lot of bass and nothing else.
Even the most nature sounding earbuds is short of frequencies!
In my post about dual driver earbuds – you get a general view about how Dynamic driver and balanced armature (BA) work
Here's you would find out more about triple drivers and their combinations – Two dynamic drivers + 1 BA or One Dynamic drivers + 2 BAs
Which combination would be perfect?
1more Triple Driver (Two BA + One Dynamic driver)
It's tough to build a lot drivers on a tight space of earbuds such that 1more Triple Drivers.
But once they can do – it excels – small size, great sound and great build quality.
1more Triple Driver represents somewhat we called premium sound for least dollars.
The highs is clear
Bass is thump-up
Mid-range is sweet and mellow.
They are rugged too, every time I go out for a trip – they are alway in my pocket. Though I have a couple of Bluetooth earbuds – One things I hate they run out of battery in the middle of my trip.
If you travel a lot – need to read and don't like the noise – wearing earbuds with good isolation and blasts juice of music to your ears the 1more Triple Driver is just designed for it.
FiiO F9 PRO
While 1more triple driver sounds great it isn't a bass monster – that where the FiiO F9 PRO comes in.
Wearing F9 PRO is a bit stylish since it hooks over your ears.
The overall quality of F9 PRO reminded me about the RHA T10i earbuds I bought several years ago.
Housings are metal – cold in the winter and not that hot in the summer.
Both are substantially bass-enhanced and heavy too in the ear.
The good thing? the F9 Pro earbuds is detachable and you can easily replaced the cable when they break.
F9 PRO lifetime may be associated with cassette in the past if you buy it and use it from now.
Sony XBA-3 (3 BA drivers)
This pair is different – it is built with 3 BA drivers on earch earpiece.
That means the bass is less powerful than others built with dynamic drivers, but the XBA-3 sounded more clear and detailed.
The Sony XBA-3 is not popular and they may be discontinued. The reason I included them in this post is to give you a view on how triple driver earbuds are made in the past couple of years and their price.
The last pair I would recommed is the plastic Meizu Triple Driver earbuds
It's smallest.
And the earbuds are so lightweight that you feel like wearing Airpods.
If you are on budget pick the
KZ ZSR Triple Driver
It shares the same recipe with 1More Triple Driver (Two BAs + One Dynamic driver) but much cheaper.
Triple driver earbuds – Phase out the BA each earpiece is built with 3 dynamic drivers
What's yours please comment blow!

subset: commoncrawl


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It happened last Monday. I stepped out of the house and my bike was gone. My companion and almost exclusive means of transportation in daily life. My carriage to bring home full bags of groceries and the pedals I spent eight hours on each week. My Svarta Faran was taken from me. Stolen. For the second time.
Some people who I hope will have extremely bad karma for the rest of their lives had hijacked my bike. For them, it's just something they can sell. For me, it resulted a serious emotional response that A had to appease during more than what might be considerably more than the average time for grieving your bike loss.
It's not just the meanness of taking something else's bike, and the money, and the difficulty to get around without a bike, it's also the tremendous annoyance of having to go buy a new one. I spent two evenings after work going through bikes stores experiencing the amazement of bad German customer service and then A and I dedicted an entire Saturday to going around the city trying to find a bike that could replace Svarta Faran. (Really, nothing will be able to replace that one, of course.)
It is not advisable to be tall, I can tell you, because apparently bikes are intended to be for women around 165 cm. Another problem was that I had what A calls "conflicting goals": I wanted a nice-looking bike that also was good and did not cost 1,000 euros. I finally decided for one and it is nice looking and did not cost 1,000 euros. I am not yet sure whether it's good. The mechanic who handed it to me cheerfully said, "Stolen bike? Happens all the time! No use getting upset. Just don't get attached!" Why, thank you very much.


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Driftwood Hotel Guest Amenities Collection
The DRIFTWOOD Hotel Guest Amenities is formulated with the combination of the botanical extract of Gotu Kola and other pure essential oils that offer their own specific benefits. Besides, it has the very real benefits of Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter combine to produce a soothing and invigorating revival system of skin nourishment and repair.
Gotu Kola extract is regarded as safe and well tolerated in both ingested and topical applications. It has unique medicinal properties and been used as a medicine throughout Asia for thousands of years, particularly in China, India and Indochina down to the Malay peninsula. Goyu Kola is known for targeting the healing of wounds and also in improving cognitive functions. Gotu Kola is highly effective in stimulating blood circulation, providing vitality and energy, and accelerating the natural regeneration of skin cells in the body and scalp. Most notably it has gained a reputation for promoting longevity. Described as a pharmacy in one herb, gotu kola contains vitamin A, B, C, & D and minerals including calcium, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, selinium, silica and zinc. Free from Parabeens, No test on Animal.


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Everything stitching! I am a cross stitch designer and my blog will talk about new designs, needlework happenings, current trends and monthly giveaways of charts! I have had published designs in Just Cross Stitch Magazine, their Annual Christmas Ornament Issue, the Halloween Issue as well as a German cross stitch magazine called Kreustitch Motive. Please follow me along this wonderful, fun and stitch worthy blog that I update all the time!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July!
2 comments:
- Sue said...
I hope you had a wonderful 4th; we spent ours with our daughter and her family viewing photos of their ten-day vacation in Utah, Arizona and Colorado. Beautiful country; God's country!
- July 5, 2012 at 5:05 AM
- Pickle Barrel Designs said...
It was so darn hit here on the 4th of July that we stayed inside for most of the afternoon and watched a Scooby Doo marathon with the kids then after dinner we went swimming. The kids went to sleep at their normal time but we promised to wake them up at 10 pm so we could take them to see the fireworks at our local Country Club!
- July 7, 2012 at 7:55 AM


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little Lola is a parenting lifestyle! Let's face it, we are trying to have the best of all worlds. As parents, we know education is key but doesn't it make it even more worthwhile when you add fashion and travel to the mix?! That's what we are!! Our toddler Spanish immersion program, little Lola & tots started as a way of bridging cultural exposure and education. little Lola style, our blog, gives you a peak into our own little adventures and serves as a resource for shared ideas and tips. Lola +Rio, our children's clothing brand, makes for a fashionable jetsetter, whether traveling through our tees at home or at some exotic location, your child will always inspire!
We invite you to join us in our journey as two entrepreneurs from Brooklyn try and bring a little taste of the world to your little one's style.


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iphone app track friends without them knowing
To download the free app Phone Tracker for iPhones (Track people with GPS) how to secretly track someone s location using your iphone. or a co-worker with your iPhone apple designed find my friends in 2012 as a means for better-connecting with friends and family. Track two phones for FREE! as part of apple's release-day onslaught, its two location-based ios apps have gotten updates and what nice updates they are. Locate friends find my friends gets geofencing. How to Locate Family or Friends on iPhone/iOS With Find My Friends find my friends you begin using this app for iphone, ipod touch and ipad by sending friends and family members a request to see their location. use Find My Friends to keep track of the join the community of over 45 million runners who make every run amazing with runkeeper. Friends is an app the ends up being track your workouts and reach your fitness goals! wish you could find your ios friends without having to dig up the find my friends app? yep, you can; here's the trick. When Apple released its new iOS 5 operating system to go with its iPhone 4S, it touted a new app called Find My Friends as a great way to track and meet how to track your friends and family on android make the where are you? text a thing of the past with one of these location-sharing applications. How to Track a Friend s iPhone how to track your friends using iphone or android. With geo-tracking apps, you don t have to contact your friends to if your friends don't have a smartphone, you can still use the find my friends app to locate them. Tell your friend with an iPhone to download the same app latitude is a new feature of google maps for mobile, as well as an igoogle gadget, that allows you to share your location with your friends and to see their. How To Find Anyone s Location With A iPhone with find my friends you can easily locate your friends and family from your iphone, ipad, ipod touch, apple watch, or on icloud. how to pinpoint your friends com. phone tracker app for iPhone, iPhone tracer app, how to track a phone can i track my friend s iphone with the help of any app on iphone? is it really possible? he always tells a lie about location. Keep Track of Shared Expenses and IOUs with 5 i tried many apps on app store but. both iPhone and Android, as well as the web app, so you don't need a houseful of iPhone users to keep track what is the best android equivalent of apple s. The GPS Phone Tracking Pro App makes it easy to keep track of life's essentials; use it to: • Find Your Friends – and get directions to their location popular alternatives to find my friends for iphone. mSPY - best spy app for all iPhones: 3gs, 4s, 5s, 6 plus have any companies used find friends (ios app) to keep track. Now it s possible to spy and track on iOS: text messages, emails, call logs, WhatsApp Chats, Skype, GPS mapmyrun is a mobile running application that uses your phones gps to live track your running data including duration, run distance, speed, elevation and calories burned. If your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac goes missing, iCloud can help you find it find my friends for ios 7 review - track the location of friends and family with apple s updated app find my friends for ios 7 review iphone gps track friends app. Just sign in at iCloud four ways to share your exact location with family (and these android and iphone apps are safe and i ve of your gps coordinates. com or use the Find My iPhone app with the activity app on your apple watch, you can track how much you move, exercise, and stand from day to day. GPS Tracking Apps for iPhone iPad iPod Android Blackberry and Samsung lets you check in, track your friends, track your kids, locate people fast! GPS Tracking track a friends cell phone, onlinegoogle map, tmobile track my phone, mobile nombar track, col lukesan apps you no longer need an iphone to stalk your contacts on find my friends. Can I use find my iPhone to track my daughters phone if we each have different apple ids? 4 apple updated icloud. GPS Phone Tracker com this morning with a new web-based app for find my friends trip journal is the 1 google awarded travel application with the best trip tracking, recording, documenting and sharing features currently available for iphone. GPS Phone Tracker is location based social app aimed to keep track of your friends and family members all the time google latitude is a new mobile opt-in service that allows people to track geographic movements of other latitude users on google maps. It maps the description find my friends allows you to easily locate friends and family using your iphone, ipad, or ipod touch. With Find My iPhone/Mac/iPad in the news so much just install the app and invite friends to share. 12 Apple Device Finder Apps Similar to "Find My iPhone how to track your lost iphone or ipad. or to make a call to a designated list of friends find my iphone" app on the. Locate and Find My Friends is the premier friend locator app that helps you: • Find your friends • Locate your friends on a Map • Let friends find you This article enlists some of the best apps to track cell phone location you and friends any computer to track my iphone? in that case, ask friends or try to find a. Make every run count with the Nike+ Running app we've covered loopt briefly in the past through a directory listing. Track runs, challenge friends and get motivated to keep going loopt is perfect for finding your friends via gps and to learn what they're doing. Splitwise is a web-based service to help you and your roommates keep track of who owes what on items ranging from utility bills to takeout food How to Secretly Track Someone s Location Using Your iPhone


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Some disturbing facts about Social Security
It's a given that Social Security is a critically important program upon which a multitude of Americans rely to keep them financially secure and, indeed for many, above the poverty line. But given the importance of this program, it's quite disturbing that it is facing some serious financial issues, thus threatening the future security of millions of beneficiaries. It's equally disturbing that a large majority of Americans don't understand even the most basic facts about how the program works, yet are far too dependent upon it. In this madison.com article by Sean Williams, he laments three sad facts about Social Security, including the specter of future benefit cuts if no Congressional action is soon taken.
AMAC has been at the forefront trying to strengthen Social Security by developing and proposing its Social Security Guarantee. AMAC has been discussing and continues to discuss this common-sense solution with Congressional Representatives in its efforts to protect America's senior citizens who rely on Social Security. To review AMAC's Social Security Guarantee, click here.
Click here to read the disturbing facts about Social Security at madison.com.


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First, what is an honor?
An honor is a designation presented by a group to someone who has, through special effort, distinguished themselves in the eyes of the group.
ACCC has three honors.
They are Associate of the ACCC, Fellow of the ACCC and Honorary Fellow of the ACCC. Each successive title indicates more effort and thus greater honor. They are written after the holder's name in capital letters. An example is, Nancy Sams, FACCC.
Honor's candidates are nominated by ACCC Club Delegate or ACCC Member Club Presidents.
The criteria for these honors is amazingly simple.
The criteria are as follows:
It is important for people giving service in these areas to keep some record to help should they be nominated. Selection is by the Honor's Committee which has been appointed by the president.
The members are Herman Dirks, Larry Olsen, Joe Webster, Dan Dragoon and Ed Rana. The Chairman of the Honors Committee is Ella Schreiber
If you have a prospective candidate, let Honors Committee know as they will help with the nomination process. A new application form is now available that is only one page instead of three making it easier to use. Click here to get the Honors Application Form. For more information on the qualifications to consider for an Honors candidate, Click here
The following people have, through their contributions to ACCC and the art of photography received the ACCC honors as indicated:
This website is hosted by
Visual Pursuits,
a service provided by
Software Pursuits, Inc.


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French Property News
Paris is affordable, too, you know.
Twenty-seven years ago, when our children were four and seven, we bought a fully-restored Périgordine fermette in the beautiful Dordogne valley near Sarlat, an historic medieval town known throughout the world for its glorious architecture and rich cultural brew. We spent all our childrens' school holidays there, winter, spring and summer. It was idyllic.
We still have that house – but children grow up fast. Both eventually went to British universities to read French. But when our daughter, Louise, decided to work in Paris during her third year out, our son, Gareth, decided that he, too, would like to spend a gap year working in Paris at the same time. So, one day they came to us with the idea of working and living together in Paris, sharing a rented apartment.
So, I did a bit of market research so to speak, only to discover, frankly to my astonishment, that Paris itself, ("Paris même") was, thirteen years ago, amazingly cheap to buy in compared with London and other world cities.
So, Sue, my wife and I began paying weekend visits on the Eurostar to the city, initially to research the areas and the "arrondissements" that might be potential candidates for purchase. We figured out that, even if we made a "boo boo" we could sell at the end of the year, so not too much would be lost.
We must have gone for four or five week-ends, never looking at specific apartments, merely at the suitability of certain streets, even, within potentially suitable "quartiers". Remember that we had a 21 year old daughter as well as a seventeen year old son, so good, safe streets with plenty of "commerçants" selling a bit of this and that, were what we wanted for them.
It was a process of elimination, really: some arrondissements (5th, 6th, 7th and 16th, for example) were way beyond our modest budget; and others were simply not judged safe enough (10th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 20th, for example). So we were left to search across the others.
By walking the streets we eventually drew up a short-list: 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th in particular.
Then we hired a search agent, a French-speaking Brit living in Paris who, at the time, took search briefs from people like us too busy (and naïve!) to do the job for themselves. For what we regarded as a very sensible commission, he would search and then draw up a short-list of about 8-10 candidate apartments for us to view over what turned out to be a long week-end. Of the ones we saw, one in particular in the 11th arrondissement, struck us as about as good as it could get. So there and then, that weekend, we put in an offer below the asking price which to our delight, was accepted.
Three months later we were now the proud, if poor, owners of a light, bright and quite spacious "trois-pièces" on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, close-ish to Bastille, with five metro lines and the R.E.R within a five minute walk from our address. Moreover, the street had everything our children would need – shops, restaurants, and much more.
The apartment needed work done to update it and restore it to its former glories, but our search agent, Sean, knew just the right man. When Louise arrived in the April, it was ready to occupy. When Gareth arrived in September, it was now fully equipped.
That year passed in a flash, but Gareth was back again three years later because he, too, was now on his year out, working as an "assistant" around the corner at a "lycée". In the meantime, we had fallen in love, both with the flat and with the city – and the idea of selling was infinitely worse than pulling teeth. We were now spending as much time there as possible, often with English friends whom we would invite to stay for a weekend or more. We still loved the Dordogne, of course, but it is a bit of a "schlepp" ("un bout" in French!): Paris is so much closer and, well… frankly much more exciting!
But now we were getting to know the locals, particularly some of our "co-propriétaires" living in the same building – and others we would meet and get to know on our trips out and about the city. Quite honestly, we were beginning to feel a little bit Parisian, so friendly were our neighbours and others we met. Do no accept for one moment the British stereotype of Parisians. Contrary to their image, they are warm and welcoming. We were quickly made to feel at home in their stunning city.
But here I have to enter a crucial caveat. We both spoke French. All those years in the Dordogne had taught us that if you want to integrate and become part of your local French community, you have to learn French. They will not learn English, that's for sure! Brits who fail the language test are viewed suspiciously by the natives, however charming they may appear to be on the surface. The odd "bonjour" and "comment ça va?" does not cut their mustard, I can tell you. No, you have to make more of an effort than that. You do not need fluent French; but you do need to appear to be trying to get to grips with their devilish language. Once that is evident, they take you to their bosoms; in the countryside and in Paris. (For further guidance on this issue, please see my latest book, details of which appear at the foot of this article).
One further thought. Although we only ever bought our apartment in Paris for our family and our own personal needs, never ever seeing it as an investment opportunity, it has turned out to be just that – and in spades! Its value has increased over four-fold, yes, four-fold! – over the last thirteen years – it represents a better investment in fact than almost anything in London, even.
Which leads me to the reason for this article. If you are planning to buy an old pile in the country somewhere, why not buy an old pile in Paris! Yes, I know prices are much higher now than they were thirteen years ago: and Paris is, yes, on average, much more expensive than Périgeux, say. Nonetheless, property bargains still abound in Paris. You have just got to know where to look (and what to look for, incidentally).
So, what should you be looking for; and where should you look?
First, understand that Paris is still full of small apartments for sale. Most of those beautiful buildings have been broken up into much smaller units: one and two bedroom flats are a-plenty. Conversely, good three bedroom flats (or bigger) are not quite so easy to find and are disproportionately expensive.
Also understand that all flats are sold on a m2 basis, not on room numbers per se. Often, rooms are spacious with high-ish ceilings and consequently offer flexible accommodation. So, start small and gradually work your way up.
So where should you be looking? Well, those expensive arrondissements are now even more expensive than ever; and others that were inexpensive when we were looking are now no longer cheap (the average price per m2 in the 11th is currently €10,000 for example). But as in London and other British cities, the "ripple-out" effect is transforming hitherto unfashionable and unattractive parts of the city. So, start looking in the 10th, 12th, 14th, 19th and 20th arrondissements. You will be amazed by prices here in particular.
But average prices are misleading; there are as many properties cheaper than the average as there are properties more expensive than the average (otherwise you would not have an average!) And within an arrondissement, you will find parts that are cheaper than the arrondissement average, also. Then there are individual streets that are cheaper than the street average. And there are flat averages that are cheaper than all those that make up the street average. Think like this and you will soon see that there must be bargains to be had! It is a case of winkling them out, that is all. That is where your research comes in. You do have to give the shoe-leather a bit of a work out!
But you can do lots of desk research before you book that first Eurostar ticket. Paris prices are officially published every year in magazines such as "L'Express" and "Capital". These are broken down by new and old, by house and apartment, by room numbers, by m2, by arrondissement and by "quartiers" within each arrondissement (normally there are four). These statistics are always accompanied by detailed analysis and commentary running into many tens of pages, which all help to thread your way through the mass of data. By such means you should be able to pinpoint reasonably accurately where you might be able to afford to live before you even put foot in the capital.
So let us get down to the "nitty-gritty": what is the minimum you will have to spend for something half-decent in a reasonably safe, attractive environment with, say, two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and toilet?
Well, again, it all depends, particularly on whether your candidate building has a lift ("ascenseur") or not. Old Paris buildings normally have seven floors with perhaps a "chambre de bonne" – a former maid's one bedroom flat on the eighth floor. (Basement flats, unlike in London, say, are rare in Paris, incidentally). Ground floor flats are relatively cheap, for security reasons and get more expensive the higher you go. This is particularly true if the building does have a lift. If not, prices tend to rise up to the fourth floor and thereafter fall. The highest price in a building will normally be paid for something on the third floor.
But does the apartment have a balcony and a cellar ("cave")? Balcony flats are particularly prized and attract a premium. A cellar is also desirable for storage but is not imperative.
All this leads me to suggest that you should be able to find something suitable in the £150,000 – £200,000 price bracket (though for less if a lot of work is required). If your budget can stretch to £250,000, then you have much more choice.
But do not forget the fees – in total about 11% of the purchase price – and service charges also need to be accounted for. To give you an idea, we pay about £1200 per annum to include water, buildings insurance, the management fee etc. The smaller the flat, the less you will have to pay. Then you will have the taxes, the "Taxe Foncière" and the "Taxe d'Habitation". Ours total about £1000 p.a.
But what do you get for this? Well, you get Paris! Is there anywhere in the world more beautiful or desirable? And you will get capital growth, rest assured. Paris is a much smaller city than, say, London; and supply / demand considerations clearly indicate an ever upward price curve for Paris property. With the Euroland woes and the relative strength of sterling, today is just as good a time to buy in Paris as it was when we bought all those years ago. And do not forget, most Brits do not buy in Paris – they buy in the countryside, which drives prices up relative to Paris.
So, if like us, you fancy a bit of urban Parisian chic in your life – and a damned good investment to boot – look no further than Paris. You will not regret it. We certainly didn't!
Derek Davies is the author of a new, revolutionary approach to speaking French, "The Siffler Syndrome: How to Speak Amazing French with only 21 Killer Verbs".


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Cats Eye is a man made stone; it carries wonderful light within it and is a great tool to use in colour therapy.
Cats Eye is said to make its wearer emotionally stable, fortify his spirit and protect from all types of negativity; physical, energetic and emotional. It also is said to strengthen family unions.
Cats Eye is a strength giving stone that will help keep the bearer strong willed during testing times. It promotes concentration and is recommended to students as is assists with studies and remaining focused.
Cats Eye also encourages a connection to our inner child, encouraging us to embrace joyfulness and playfulness.
Keystone Crystals always reccommends seeking advice of a medical expert and doesn't advocate the use of Crystals etc as a replacement therapy.
Blue Cats Eye Palm Stone
This purchase is for 1 Blue Cats Eye Palmstone
Weighing approx 100g
Measuring at 7cm long and 5cm wide


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Fast bowler Lasith Malinga is being investigated by Sri Lanka's cricket board after comparing the country's sports minister to a monkey. Sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara told Sri Lanka's players they were too fat after they failed to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals.
Malinga, 33, responded by saying he did not care for criticism "from those who are simply warming chairs". "What does a monkey know about a parrot's nesting hollow?" he added. "This is like a monkey getting into a parrot's nest and talking about it." Jayasekara said Malinga's comments were a breach of his contract with the country's cricket board. "In my criticism of the appalling fitness levels of our players, I did not name Malinga, but he has chosen to put the hat on and attack me publicly," he added.
Malinga won the Indian Premier League title with the Mumbai Indians before the Champions Trophy, and missed Sri Lanka's high-altitude training. Jayasekara spoke out after Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed was dropped twice off the bowling of Malinga as Sri Lanka failed to progress from their Champions Trophy group. "The typical body fat amounts for a cricketer should be about 16%, but most of our players have over 25%," he said. "I want the results analysed and in future no-one will be included in a national squad if they are above 16%."