In my international business class I have been looking in to the history of South African business. Right now my most interesting area of study is the South African real estate market because of the problem we have been having here in our country with the same thing. I know that from our other surveys of the African countries that the whole continent is quite volatile, but it seems to me that the only one I would consider looking at is the property for sale in South Africa.. It seems to me like they have taken a big look at the American way of doing this type of business and the private property rights we have established in our own laws and it really shows in how well that market has been doing over the past decade or so. Even after strife and the problems across the continent, it seems to me that South Africa really has it down right and they are actually appealing to the international housing market. I have looked through their listings of houses for sale myself and I really feel confident that I would be totally satisfied with and housing purchase I would make inside of the country. I mean any country has its bad points, even our own, but that does not negate the fact that there are some pretty amazing places where anyone on earth wouldn’t mind raising their children.

I have really been looking in to this ever since I changed my major to international business because I really feel like I would want t work as a businessman from America, but with the interests of Africa as my goal. I would love to be a part of the push to help all of those within the country, not just the businesses, pull themselves up to a point where they can actually control their own continent. I am not sure what type of business I would set up because I have really just started looking in to their country an I am not sure what type of business would help the most because it is the same kind of issue we have here in our country where it’s hard to keep profits from just going in to the pockets of the wealthy and trying to put some of it in to the hands of those who really need it.

Not so long ago, my family (we have a cat) has bought a very interesting object, which, at first, totally seemed strange to me. When I first looked at it, I thought that it was a big middle-eastern looking hat for someone in our family to participate in a certain contest, performance, or something of that sort. However, when I put it on my head, instead of the expected, “Oh, dear, that suits you so well!” or “you look so authentic in this hat”, I heard a thunder-resembling laughter from behind of my back and the next thing I saw was my sister crying – so much she was laughing! I was taken aback. All right, I have never been a very good actress, I guess (or I never really tried to be), but to accept such disrespect…! What I heard next, however, was a rather strange comment, “this is…you know…for our cat…” At first, I could not comprehend why a cat needed to participate in a performance that we were putting up at school, but then a lightning struck through me, and I realized that the strange-looking thing was not a hat, but a cat bed! I felt ashamed…really…I mean, how could I have made such a blunt, stupid mistake? Nevertheless, as soon as I put the “hat” down on the floor, our cat, with a very smart-looking face, slowly proceeded to the bed and proudly, almost in a queen-like manner, laid herself down on the “throne”. What was weird is that when I had the bed on my head (I know, sounds ridiculous), it was not that big at all, but for our cat, about twelve pounds of weight, it was just right! And I started thinking, well, if cats have their beds, then do dogs have their dog beds? All right, if I can imagine a cat, a creature that is rather calm and flexible in a cat bed, then how can I imagine a dog, such an agile and movement-liking pet, in a dog bed? The first image that came to mind is a dog that is supposed to spend a night in a bed, getting out of it, and the dog jumping to one side, and the dog bed flying to another…

Since getting back from my year studying abroad last year I have been spending all of my free time this year in between classes and studying, planning my next trip or eventual move. I am an architecture major and I have a huge interest in classical architecture so I decided when choosing a foreign country to study in that I would go to either Italy or Germany. After about six months of trying to decided I ended up eventually choosing Italy. The entire year there was just amazing. The schooling was very interesting and the people even more so. I loved going to all of the sites. I had never been outside fo the country so it was also a big culture shock at first to simply be away from most things that I have grown comfortable with in my life. Learning Italian was not too hard for me and I have retained a good deal of it so far but I don’t use it very much which I will have to change if I want to keep that skill. We got to tour the whole country over the course of the year. When we would have breaks from school we got the option of staying or going out to explore the country. I always chose the latter. On my first break I went and rented a week at a villa in Tuscany in the north. I went around a tried as many of the different wine varieties as I could and took as many walks around the huge orchards as I could. That was some of the most amazing countryside I have ever seen. Another one of the breaks I rented another villa in Sicily. This was a little different. My time was a bit less fun but I spent most of it at the beach or walking by the big lemon groves. Now that I am back I have take these two little juts out in to the unknown of Italy and tried to make myself comfortable with the idea of living in these places. I have been researching Sicily apartments and Tuscany apartments. tuscany villas and Sicily villas for several weeks now and I actually have found some that I would considering living in if I could find a job in the area right after college.

A couple of years ago, I have heard the “IP telephony” for the first time. Maybe, it existed a long time ago, before I have heard about it, but I really never tuned in into what it meant until recently. I have a lot of friends in Europe, and I know that very often they call me using the VoIP (which stands for the IP telephony), and the quality of sound and their voice has always been really good. I always kind of tried to pretend that I actually know what they were talking about when they have been mentioning IP telephony, but never really looked into it. When my friends would call, they would always praise the rising development of the pbx phone system (pbx stands for private branch exchange, apparently), and how voice over IP is much easier and faster to use. They would also say that these IP telephone systems, also called business telephone systems, have higher security. It makes sense since, as I understand, businesses need to communicate securely a lot of times, a benefit that is hard to attain using regular phone systems. Hence, the VoIP security is one of the assets that attracts business customers from all over the world. As I know now, all major software companies are providing the service of IP telephony. Hence, these IP telephones are called softphones, since they rely on software to function. I believe that one of the companies that actually provides the softphone service is called Unified Communications. I have been trying for figure out how to use the IP telephony systems, only that I keep having a hard time doing that… or, I keep having not enough time to figure that out. I am currently using Skype, an Instant Messenger and a system where, using the computer, I can call any landline and any cell phone in the world. It is very convenient, since, first of all, I do not have to actually use two devices to be able to connect to people, and, second of all, I do not have to use up minutes on my cell phone, since Skype has it all! I think thought that Skype really is not a soft phone. It has the features that one could acquire to be able to use Skype as a soft phone.

One person that I know is very much involved into flower exhibitions and flower exhibition design. At first, when I first learned about these flower fair stands, I started to think about how much a floral artist has to know and feel in order to be successful at decorating exhibition stands with flowers and flower-related items. At first, to me, a person that I believe has some sort of artistic vision, it seemed almost impossible to decorate all the exhibition stands beautifully, since I could not understand (and still do not really understand) how to combine flowers to make them look perfect and absolutely beautiful, not just so that they look “somehow” together. As I understand, flower stand construction takes a lot of artistic vision, as much as physical endurance to be able to patiently assemble all the trade show stands, as well as all the flowers, carefully and attentively. Usually, when I picture the typical (as I understand it) flower exhibition stand design, I see a white wooden wall, with white little holes in it to be able to attach flowers, not too big, maybe about 2 meters in height and about 2 meters in length, with all the various flower combinations on it. I guess it has to be white, so that the wall color does not interfere with the overall impression that the flower combination makes. Technically, as I see it, flower exhibition design is a rather subjective and personal, intimate thing, since the decoration of the exhibition, like the exhibition Germany that I have recently seen, depends on the view of the person who works with the flowers. Another thing that worries me (well, not really worries, but makes me wonder) when I start thinking about all these flower exhibitions is how to preserve flowers so that they stay fresh for long periods of time, to be available to exhibition goers for a rather lengthy period, like several days? It seems to me that flowers, even when put in water, start to fade in about three to four days…I guess that people who work on these exhibitions have their “secrets” to keep the flowers fresh and beautiful!

The ultimate solution to any quest is the Google. It is sometimes even scary to think about what could have the world looked like if it did not have Google. In relation to that, I recently saw somewhere an ad about business greeting cards, like business Christmas cards, and business birthday cards. When I typed in business greeting cards into Google, I saw a very large variety of all the possible cards that one could have ever possibly imagined…as I think…And I started to wonder, what is the difference between, say, business Christmas cards and general birthday cards. One of the differences, obviously, is that ones are for Christmas, and the other ones are for Birthday. Well, what I figured out is that the business cards are much more elegant, stylish, business-oriented, and conservative than regular cards, like thanksgiving cards. One card that I focused on was a holiday New Year’s card, targeted for corporations. While all the New Year’s cards that I remember for this year have had the themes of champagne, Christmas trees, candy, chocolate, and generally all the party-associated elements, this one was very strict, business-oriented, and rather conservative. It had the deep blue background, oriented horizontally, and bright, colorful air-filled balloons. The balloons are portrayed as slowly rising in the air, with a perspective such they are bigger in the front and smaller in the back – the observer is looking “through” the balloons. Each balloon is striped horizontally, with violet, white, yellow, red, and blue interchanging stripes. On the right from the rising balloons, there is a vertical inscription, saying “2008”. The overall impression that this business card makes is that the person giving this card to a, say, a business partner, or simply a coworker, is business-minded, very much to the point, quick, and rational. I do not know how that is achieved (excellent graphic designers!), but the impression that the card makes is that the person who gives it is also responsible, makes successful decisions quickly, and is always able to respond properly to any situation or action. And, very much irrelevant, but, just to conclude, is that I believe that these business cards have not been around for too long…

One of my first assignments at the Invitations shop was to compile wedding invitations for a couple that was getting married in a half a year. What the elegant wedding invitation was, it was a white box, in which there was a wedding announcement, all in sparkling white and a reply card with a creamy white ribbon on it. All the wedding stationery was decorated with white artificial flowers and an awesomely beautiful script. The process consisted of taking a box, opening it up, putting another layer of thin decorative creamy white paper inside of it, then sticking the middle portion of the thin paper to the box, so that it does not disengage. Then, I had to take a wedding announcement cards, fold it according to the directions, put it in a separate envelope, also decorated by flowers and little sparkling dots, and then put another card into that envelope, an attendance reply. The reply was in the shape of a flower itself, and when unfolded, represented a head of a tulip. The reply card was also creamy-yellowish white, sparkling. After that, we had to put all the wedding invitations into boxes and take them to the post office to mail. The entire process, with maybe around three hundred invitations, took us about six to seven hours to complete, but to me, those six hours seemed like an eternity, simply because I got so carried away by all the beauty around me that I was not even able to speak while I was working on the invitations. Without even trying, I found myself in the world of the couple that was getting married, I imagined how happy and light they felt when they were actually selecting the design of the invitations they were going to send out to their friends and relatives, and happy those friends and relatives would feel when they actually receive the wedding invitations. And in the middle of the couple-to-be-married and their invitees was I! I did every single invitation, with my own hands, and all of them looked awesome! I went home, totally relaxed, happy, and calmed.

Three Terms to Help Cut Through Loans Jargon

The world of loans can be confusing one to the regular layman. Having had no formal financial education, it’s up to you to find out what the various terms and jargon surrounding loans actually mean. Here’s three terms that can help give you a better understanding of this financial conundrum:

APR

Probably the most important thing to consider when arranging a loan, the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the amount of interest you will have to pay per year on your capital (loan amount). The lower the APR the less you pay. So, if you borrow £100 and the APR is 10%, you’ll pay £10 per year extra on the capital if you make one annual repayment.

Arrangement Fee

This is the upfront fee that you’ll have to pay on certain loan products. Be wary of this on personal loans, because not many carry an initial arrangement fee. You’ll most commonly pay this on mortgages or large loans.

Consolidation

This is where you use a loan at a lower APR then all of your other credit accounts to instantly pay off those accounts. So say you have a two credit cards, one with £6000 on it at 16% and the other with £4000 at 12.9%, you take out a £10,000 loan at 6.9% (As offered from Alliance and Leicester Loans) and pay off the two credit cards. Your monthly repayments will also be smaller so you’ll start saving on interest straight away.

For more UK Finance made simple, take a look at Money Made Clear, by the Financial Standards Authority.

Heavy Equipment Careers

When you think of jobs in the heavy equipment industry you think that they
are simple and that a career in this kind of industry is real easy to get your
hands on. However, this is not always true as these jobs also require you to
have certain skill sets and training which will help you to qualify for the
job.

This industry requires people who are specialized in their job that mainly
includes the maintenance, repair and service of heavy equipment. Their job involves
working in different climatic conditions and their work location constantly
varies and can at times be indoors as well. Their work is not always outside.
This is why you are required to have expertise not only in handling the machinery
within the varying locations, but also knowledge about the different machine
parts.

National Heavy
Equipment Operators School offers complete and fully accredited training
for entry-level heavy equipment operators. Students train in Florida for jobs
and careers on late model bulldozers, backhoes, wheel loaders, excavators, the
very popular and versatile compact BOBCAT® excavators and skid steer loaders.

For a career in the heavy equipment industry you need to know how to operate
the machines. Apart from this you will have to be very observant and possess
the ability to notice faults or damages. To be able to do this you will need
to possess a high level of reasoning and problem solving abilities. Having these
skills and abilities will help you to perform your work in the right manner
and will also enable you to identify problems and analyze the information that
is available. With experience, you need to know all the machines well and be
alert when something goes wrong and also when it is about to go wrong. On noticing
the problem with the machinery, you are expected to find ways to solve it and
also a future course of action. You will be expected to evaluate the cost of
making these rectifications as well.

Truck Driving School

TRUCKING LISTED AS 1 OF 10 SURPRISING CAREERS TO EARN $100,000
OR MORE A YEAR!

Truck Driver Training

Wages vary depending on location and seniority, but long haul truckers willing
to hit the road for weeks at a time can pull in $100,000 or more a year, plus
benefits.

Forbes.com

The most common place where the construction equipment operators are trained
is on the job. They acquire their skills when undergoing on the job
training. They are first trained in the use of light operating equipment
and then progress to the use of heavier equipment. All this is done under the
strict guidance of experienced operators. Nevertheless, there are many who believe
that the formal training helps to develop more comprehensive skill sets that
are required.

CDL Training

There is a formal training system provided to construction
equipment operators. The operating engineer apprenticeship program is administered
by the union- management committee of the International Union of Operating Engineers
and the Associated General Contractors of America. Here the workers have a chance
to operate on a wider range of machinery rather than the light weight equipment
in on the job training and also benefit from better job opportunities. This
apprenticeship program is usually for three months or 6000 hours of on the job
training and is accompanied by 144 hours of classroom instruction in a year.

Construction equipment companies generally hire graduates, but nowadays they
are also hiring non-graduates and training them to operate certain equipment.
Technological advancements have also increased the need for skilled operators
with technological and electronic skills to operate the new advanced machines.

There are various courses and training
that is now being made available to increase efficiency and productivity and
reduce mishaps.

I went to London just after Christmas for a week. It was so cool – so much to see and do! I’ve been to New York City and Washington D.C before, as well as some of the other big cities on the East side, but I reckon London was the best out of them. I just think some of the old buildings mixed in with the new stuff is really cool. When I first crossed the River Thames I was pretty amazed with the skyline. On one side you’ve got all the new buildings of the financial district including this cigar looking building, then places like St. Pauls cathedral and the Houses of Parliament mixed in with it. Slightly away from the river bank is the Tower of London, which is both one of the most typically English structures along with being just an all round cool building. Just think it’s been there in one form or another since the 11^th century – that’s four centuries before America even got discovered!

While I was out there I also met up with an old friend called Nathan Billiton, who’s living there at the moment. We went out in the city a couple of times. The first time we went to some jazz club in Soho, which was ok but not great - a little too dark and dinghy for my liking. I’d heard that the UK had a pretty crazy dance scene, so we went to Fabric. This place is one of Britain’s super clubs – pretty huge, and they had some great DJs playing. If you ever have the chance to go out in London, then Fabric comes as highly recommended.