South Africa is an amazing country.  It has a rich and complicated history, and has been witness to some of the most remarkable revolutions of the past century.  There are magnificent museums dedicated to the history of apartheid and the liberation of South Africa, as well as museums celebrating the best in African and international art.  It is a land with great natural wonders, exquisite beaches, and a wine country that is worth writing home about.  It has seen the birth of many fascinating intellectuals and artists, and continues to attract some of the most creative minds in the world.  It also has some of the world’s best hotels.  South Africa is a delightful place for the discerning world traveler, and our hotels are designed to offer a hospitality that is like none other on the planet.

After a gorgeous rest in our gorgeous rooms, you’ll feel a sense of rejuvenation that is the perfect state of being in which to experience this marvelous place.  Whatever city you happen to be staying, there are multitudes of attractions that will appeal to guests of all ages.  One of the most exciting things about South Africa in recent years is the new evolutions in world music.  It has a beat that truly cannot stand still, and sees rich talents from all walks of life.  You may not have heard of Colbert Mukwevho before, but once you do, he’s difficult to forget.  He’s a reggae performer from South Africa who is a cultural icon and hero to many of the young people here.

He sings in Tshivenda, Tsonga, and English and is one of many talents to rise from the villages in South Africa.  He counts his inspirations in the teachings and lessons of his musical family, which continues with his talented son Percy.  His story is a fascinating and harrowing one, coming from a town in Transvaal province, and seeing his family torn apart in the worst days of apartheid.  His voice has often been compared to Bob Marley, and the message is very much the same.  He has released over 20 albums, and recently recorded for the TVEP, the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program which deals with domestic violence and AIDS issues in South Africa today.   His music has the same liberatory potential as some of the best Jamaican reggae, and the still relatively young Mukwevho has an important role to play in the career that still lies largely ahead of him.

I suppose it is not surprising why so many homes are now installing hot tubs and spas. Seems like I am hearing about more and more friends, relatives and family putting in hot tubs and spas; taking advantage of the relaxing and wrathful benefits of their use.

Hydrotherapy has many beneficial effect on the body and mind. The hot water in and of its self is very relaxing, it increases your bloods circulation that alone has many benefits. The hot water also helps loosen stiff and tense muscles releasing stress and abating pain caused by the tension. The deep relaxation that can be achieved assists in relieving insomnia, many people report falling a sleep faster and longer after soaking in a hot tub or spa before going to bed. The awake more rested and ready for their day.

Hot tubs and spas are now available in so many styles, sizes and types that just about any situation or budget could be accommodated for installation. If you have limited space and do not have the appropriate electrically and plumbing hook ups and not wanting to do so there are portable styles of tubs and spas. Not only are these units easy to set up they are self contained with a filtering system and heater like a conventional hot tub, with the advantage of portability. If permanent installation is not a problem for you and where you live the varieties are endless. From 1 and 2 person tubs up to 10 and 12 person tubs. They are made in a variety of styles to accommodate various tastes and styles. Spas and hot tubs can be added to existing landscapes and easily incorporated to make a look as if they have been there for a long time.

With the flexibility of permanent installation or portable and the variety of sizes available the popularity of home hot tubs and spas will only increase.

Bankers are always asking how to practice due-diligence and file a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) and not subject their bank and the directors to a lawsuit by disclosing confidential customer information. This, of course, is not new, but due to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), this is very serious business. The privacy of a customers financial records is a hot topic and worth checking over the rules and the required balance between the customers interests and law enforcement concerns.

In 2000, the SAR form was revised and is easily downloaded from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. New Changes incorporate information concerning computer intrusions and there are more ‘check boxes’ for a more accurate completion.  Figuring out when to file a SAR, is a financial institutions priority. Always file when there is a discovery of Insider abuse no matter what the amount; violations aggregating $5,000 or more when a suspect can be identified, or aggregating $25,000 even if there is no substantial basis for identifying a suspect, any transactions aggregating $5,000 or more that involves a potential money laundering or the violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and any computer intrusion.

The SAR filing requirements cover situations that financial institutions may suspect , know or has reason to suspect a transaction has occurred and involves receiving funds from illegal activities, such as evading BSA regulations by structuring transactions to involve less than the $10,000 currency threshold that requires filing a Currency Transaction Report, or a particular customer is doing business that is not the sort of in which they would normally be expected to engage. If $10,000 is exceeded, both the CTR and a SAR must be filed no later than 30 days after the initial detection of any of the above violations. But, a report can be delayed up to 60 days in order to identify a suspect.

Traveling in Ibiza is all it’s reputed to be.  Even if you’re not planning on setting foot near the clubs, there are many wonderful things to do here that will live in your memory for years to come.  A rich island with a fascinating history, there are beaches to enjoy and a city to explore.  Settled in the heart of the Spanish Mediterranean, your in a perfect place to relax and let the worries melt away.  For accommodations, we’re pleased to present the best hotels Ibiza has to offer, with a generous combination of old-fashioned hospitality and all the conveniences of modern life.

It’s easy to stay connected to the world at large while you’re here, but you may not want to.  The call of the sea, and the thought of blending into a perfect moment on a perfect day are always options, and there are worse things that could happen than enjoying yourself for awhile.  If you happen to find yourself being lulled by the muffled sounds of electronic beats from a club nearby, and you have an interest in following the sounds, then you will very likely be pleasantly surprised.  It’s no secret that Ibiza is a prime spot for hearing techno in lavishly designed clubs, but some of the developments in the business are pretty fascinating.

At the International Music Summit in May of 2009, there were plenty of live shows to keep the hungry crowds satiated and thrilled.  The conferences and discussions behind the music reveal some interesting trends.  From Andrew Keen’s  review of the summit, there’s been a lot of discussion about the viability of the music industry, faced with the rapid changes brought on by file-sharing and open source internet music.  It turns out that in electronica, the money is in the djs, who perform week after week, and this live experience builds a respect in the fans, who are more likely to pay for their music than other listeners in the world.  While the electronica revolution marches on, it seems to be dancing to some pretty remarkable beats in the hearts of the music fans.  It’s as good a reason as any to check out those sounds down the beach.

Dubai is in a gorgeous position in the city’s history.  It’s one of the hottest spots for travelers, attracted by the lively night life, the splendid shopping malls, and the stunning beaches.  It is a most remarkable place with a fascinating and complicated history.  Presently, it is also in the middle of a creative boom, and art is absolutely flourishing here.  Not necessarily for the artists, but certainly for the public, where new work is abundant, and short-term projects for art expos have turned into standards in the international art calendars.  It’s a place that is accustomed to providing generous hospitality to visitors, and if you happen to be looking for a perfect 5-star Dubai hotel, then this is your lucky day.  We’ve selected some of the finest offerings so that you can be sure you are staying where there is a superior record of style and comfort.

You’ll be given the star treatment here, where stunning meals served by world-class chefs, state of the art exercise facilities, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff are here to help you find your favorite things in Dubai.  This is your adventure after all.  When the first days’ people watching and shopping are getting familiar, it’s a great time to start venturing into the cultural life of Dubai.  If you’re looking at the local galleries, you might come across the work of Sarah Ayoub Agha.  Her work is seen here and in the U.K., and is a great demonstration of some of the more bold works being created in Dubai.

Her subject is women, and particularly the representations and expectations that are placed upon women in the contemporary world.  Her work explores all the various roles that women are expected to play, and interrogates these notions with some very determined brush strokes. Educated here in Dubai, in Sharjah, and in London, Sarah Ayoub Agha is creating an impressive body of work.  While asking important social questions about gender, she is also developing a style of painting that falls away from realistic representations of women, and creates a new language with her paint.

One of the best things an active person in today’s busy world can do for themselves is to invest in a personal hot tub for their backyard. Relaxing in front of the powerful jet streams that are directed toward neck, shoulders, upper and lower back as well as thighs and calves has an amazing power to eliminate the cumulative effect of the day’s stress and its consequence on one’s mind and body.  Choosehottubsdirect.com is well aware of the personal benefits of hot tub use and is an excellent resource for directing consumers to the perfect model of home spa for them.

Installing a hot tub in the backyard is often considered to be an investment in home or property value and elements of entertainment and personal pleasure can be factored in. However, the actual health and well being aspects of a home spa are oftentimes overlooked, and they account for perhaps the greatest value and investment aspect in a hot tub purchase. It is well known that stress is a leading cause of health related issues, and in today’s competitive business and professional world, it is nearly impossible to avoid. By ensuring a dependable stress relief element in one’s life helps to reduce the possible health consequences stress can contribute to.

Mental stress and worries is not the only health benefit offered by hot tubs. It is an excellent way to relax overworked and tired muscles and to rejuvenate the body. Many people enjoy a quick dip in the hot tub before they begin their day and report that this helps them to remain calm throughout the afternoon. Others look forward to a pleasant and relaxing evening in the tub and use it to release the tensions of the day. Of course there are others who climb into the tub both day and night for the maximum relaxation and tension release possible.

Who knew there was hand printing museum in Jaipur? Well. neither did I, which is why we did not know to ask at the Jaipur hotels. We had to go to Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, why not? Beverly is a library conservator who works for a university in Oregon. When I asked her about it when really wanted to go. I thought maybe she had had enough with books and wanted to get away from the business for a while while we traveled about India, but she insisted what I quietly thought to myself as a busman’s holiday, so to speak and so we planned to go there. It would be hard though, Jainpur is a beautiful place, and it would be hard to overlook a small printing museum in place of the Amber Palace, for instance. The name slowly became more clear as it turns out it is named for the chain of boutiques in India. the textiles here then reflect the cloth printing traditions of  India and a beautiful way to celebrate them and preserve them, and we saw a print artist on hand who gave a a demonstration of her art and technique. We had to find the Biharji Temple to find the place, and it is a hidden diamond in the rough. Here we took in the various traditions and could observe many of the hand tools and implements. The museum has stimulated the local hand block printing that once thrived here, and sits in a four hundred year old house called a vaveli, and is removed and quiet away from the city. There is also a place to purchase the works of the artisans as well as house wares, so it is easy to get your credit card out and treats yourself to the lovely works of these Jainpur artisans.

Joint pain from arthritis.  Migraine headaches.   Diabetes.  High blood pressure.  Sleepless nights.  These are all ailments that affect one’s quality of life.  And they are ailments that can be relieved to a great extent by hydrotherapy.  Three aspects of water therapy include massage, buoyancy and heat.  When brought together in a home spa or jacuzzi, the result is both healthy treatment and relaxation.  Water can do incredible things, and when it comes to healing these sorts of illnesses or afflictions, miraculous results are possible.

Many times throughout the busy work week, one may thing that if they could just get home and soak in a hot bath, they will feel less stressed out, they will have time to relax.  And it is true.  The stress and the headaches of the day are simply washed away while soaking in warm water, and add to that the jets and the bubbles of a home spa, and the muscle tension will ease and sleep will not be far away.  There are many options when considering hot tub spas, and those are outlined perfectly at the web site choosehottubsdirect.com.   The health benefits from soaking in this manner, provide relief from many of life’s stresses, as well as many diagnosed cases of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Just soaking in a spa has been shown to release endorphins in one’s body.  When endorphins are released, stress dissipates.  The warmer water dilates the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the instances of headaches.  For those with trouble sleeping at night, a good long soak will help that transition, in not only allowing one to fall to sleep, but to experience a deeper more restorative kind of sleep.  The increased circulation due to the dilated blood vessels, has been a huge draw for athletes or for anyone with stiff muscles and joints.  Hydrotherapy has become a popular kind of physical therapy for many of today’s top athletes, as well as for those who participate in any sort of exercise program.

Thinking a head we will need to make some decisions once the renovations and build out on our commercial property downtown are complete. We will have space for nearly 50 percent more tenants. Between the size of the property and the number of tenants we will now need to get some other management company engaged in getting the spaces occupied timely and managing to the tenant needs and collecting unpaid rents. It just won’t be possible for us to keep up with all this once the enlargement is complete. My partner has been doing research and feels he has found an amiable solution to our needs in a company, Transglobe property management, he suggesting I follow on Twitter to catch their updates and get a feel for the company.

The renovations and expansion haven’t gone quite a quickly as we had hoped, but I can not say it has been as bad assume projects we have taken on have been. Looking back perhaps we should have taken the step of contracting some one like Transglobe property management before. Well hide site is 20/20 can not go back now, so thinking forward this is going to be a good move. Just making sure the fit is right is my concern. Time for some delegation of these responsibilities and allowing for some time to get new project going.

Tomorrow my partner and I will meet and make some final decisions to how and where we want to take everything going forward. Looking at the reasoning behind his proposal I think he is right and do not see any solid reasons why this would not be the right time to make this move.

I spent almost 3 hours in the Uffizi, that was way too much, I had enough, well at least my stomach thought so. I ran out of bottled water and was so thirsty, so I went outside in search of food and water. I found a nice cafe and ordered a sandwich and a drink, plus water. After lunch, I went to Santa Croce, it was a huge marble front church, which contained the remains of not only Michelangelo, but Galileo. But, what was even better was just down the street was the best gelato in all of Italy, so naturally, I just had to try it. I ordered the peanut and chocolate mousse, and as a bonus, I got a free upsize. Since I was on vacation…after I finished the peanut and chocolate mousse, I ordered the rice flavor. That’s how good the gelato is.

I walked back to the Palazzo Vecchio and decided to check out the courtyard. It really wasn’t all that great, or worth waiting in line due to the security checkstand. There really wasn’t much there but a bunch of offices. What’s so exciting about that? So, I decided to head back to hotel Florence and check my email again. I stopped by a market on the way and noticed pretty much saw that all the stalls sold the same things: silk ties, leather jackets, scarves and the touristy tacky souvenirs of David in various sizes.

Back at my hotel, I ran into Jack, this very handsome Italian, in the lobby. He told me he paid 10 Euros to get into the gardens of the Pitti Palace and spent the whole day wandering around. Hmm…I would’ve liked to wander around with him. I asked him for some site worth seeing and he recommended the Palazzo Michelangelo where there stood another replica of David. He already had other plans, probably with some hot girl, so he couldn’t join me. When I arrived, it was on top of a hill that had a spectacular view over Florence. All the way from the Duomo to the red roof buildings of the Ponte Vecchio and Arno River. It was so beautiful, the sun was setting, and all I could think of was Jack and how I’d like to be in his arms right now watching the sunset together.

When you are planning your trip to Malaga, Spain, hotel accommodations are certainly going to be a big part of the preparation.  The hotel is the center of the journey, and the place to always return to.  It should be extremely comfortable, luxurious, and sumptuous.  We’ve chosen our hotels for their consistent ability to meet or exceed the highest standards in service and style, so that you don’t have to do all the painstaking research.  Our hotels are influenced by the exquisite tastes of the people of southern Spain, so you can be sure they have a strong sense of old world charm.  But of course, they also have their fair share of contemporary pizazz, being on the cutting edge of design and fashion.  Here, you will have a fantastic dream of a perfect place in Spain, except come true to life, and just for you.

Malaga is a gorgeous place, being right on the southern coast, and deep in the heart of one of the warmest countries on the planet.  Literally, it does have the warmest winters in all of Europe, and its subtropical climate means a lot of days of sunshine.  This would suggest that one of the places to see while you’re here is the beach.  It’s certainly a huge attraction, but you’ll be rathe pleasantly stunned when you see the city.  Malaga is one of the largest cities in Spain, not unmanageable, but certainly bustling with activity.  You can easily lose a day shopping and people watching, and you might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of its most favorite sons, Antonio Banderas.

Banderas doesn’t get back to his hometown as often as he likes, but he does spend part of his year here, with his wife Melanie Griffith and Alexander and Dakota, their children.  He grew up here, spending his formative years playing soccer until an injury at age 14.  Then the young Banderas pursued his passion for acting with a vengeance.  He worked at street theatre, performing in Brecht plays, and sometimes getting arrested for violating Franco’s policies of censoring questionable material.  This certainly added a nice feather to his cap, giving him a glimpse of the power of art.  Then he met up with the legendary filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, and their work together has been as substantial as the director’s work with Penelope Cruz.  He went on to star in some of the most memorable roles of our time, including Zorro, Siquieros, and the swashbuckling cat in Shrek.

My friend just got back from India. he has gone to school here and lived here for nearly 20 years. Got his PhD and works in the scientific laboratories at Cornell U. He had gone home to India to see his parents he had not been back since he had left nearly 20 years ago. i was surprised to learn his returning to the US was being held up due to needing approval of his visa. This was surprising to me as I thought he should be able to come and go like anyone else with his residency and job. But apparently it is not the case. Luckily he was able to spend the extra time there in India in Delhi luxury making the pain of having to stay longer than he wanted to a little less biting. Daily inquiries made to the embassy indicted the visa application was in process. I suppose they have a lot to process, I jut had no idea how the process goes. While there he expressed his frustration with the situation, having no control over the bureaucrat making the decision. Just waiting, being told his app was in process, no idea of status or any clue as to when a decision positive or negative would be decided. Fortunately and happily one morning I was on line and got a note that the visa was approved and going to be sent by courier to him the next Monday. What a relief to be able to now book a flight and get back to the routine of working and a normal life. Fortunately the job was understanding and he is so specialized replacing him would be difficult but to think these bureaucrats had so much control over one person and to have no ability to get the situation moved along. A victim of the system resigned to waiting it out.

For many years, I have been thinking of India as a place to discover and perhaps, some day, even work and live there. I’ve heard accounts from friends and peers about the energy level as being high. Fast growing companies are growing at a frenzied rate. I’ve read books that helped me develop some assumptions, which I now need to check out first hand. Mainly around how there is a scarcity of leadership and managerial skills with all the younger, successful businesses.

My boyfriend from Colorado invited me to participate with a diversity workshop at a well know computer business and my part was to do some on-site preparatory work for him in Goa. He had already my reservations for me at one of the four star hotels Goa has beginning next month. Now, I don’t need any more prompting than that, a room already waiting for me. This was a perfect motive for me going there to do my own networking. When I got to Goa, I found out that the workshop was cancelled due to the main facilitator having a family emergency. But, since the room was already paid for, my boyfriend told me it was no problem staying there. I discovered Goa and began networking with those fast growing businesses from scratch proved to be challenging. I was hoping to piggy-back off the workshop. I made the decision to tackle my challenges and dive right in. I set up meetings with people I’ve never even met and initiated my own personal network and accesses to the market for my set of skills and my expert services.

Relying on a few ex-colleagues and wonderful friends to introduce me to their contacts, I began, on my own, to reach out over email and phone calls. So, when my time was up in Goa, despite difficulties getting peers to mindshare from afar, a handful had agreed to meet me over email! This was better than I’d hoped for. So, even though I had to go back to the States, I made some first contacts, which is a good beginning.

New York City is the place where, Lou Reed once took a walk on the wild side. It’s an interesting piece of music trivia to realize that while many tourists staying in one of the small hotels New York are familiar with both the New York streets and city dynamics, and are also likely very aware of Lou Reed’s famous song, they probably are not familiar with the details of the associations between the song’s main characters and themes, to a particular period in New York’s history and culture.

Reed himself was born in Brooklyn New York in 1942 and was well aware of his city’s changes, statuses and major cultural situations and dynamics. Much of his musical career was spent at the main songwriter and singer for the legendary rock band The Velvet Underground. The major hit Walk on the Wild Side was recorded after he began his long solo career, which started in 1971. He has been associated with performance artists and fellow musician Laurie Anderson for many years and they were married in 2008.

Wild Side was a short chronology of a particular scene in New York’s culture. It was based on some associations of Andy Warhol and his studio, The Factory. Some of the key actors and personalities associated with the eclectic community became the lead characters of the song. These are Holly Woodlawn who is a transsexual and appeared in many of Warhol’s films, Candy Darling who was also a transsexual actor for Warhol and was well regarding for her beauty, Joe Dallesandro who was often considered to be the sexiest male actor in underground films, and of course, Jackie Curtis the dynamic personality, performer and writer who easily navigated the gender spectrum.

When it comes to luxury hotels, Cape Town has cornered the market for hospitality and style.  There is a veritable feast of choices when it comes to planning your stay in Cape Town, and that’s why we’ve carefully selected hotels that meet extremely high standards in service and design.  There is a delicious mixture of the best of the old world and new world here, so that the charm of yesterday merges with the technology and convenience of today.  You’ll be well-connected to the world at large, but certainly tempted to melt into the luxuries here and just get away from it all.

After a splendid sleep and a meal served by one of our world-class chefs, it’s a good time to enjoy Cape Town.  Any time is a good time, in fact.  Cape Town is an extremely lively urban center, with a number of attractions that will appeal to visitors of all ages.  There are plenty of activities for kids, with museums, zoos, lots of wildlife parks nearby, beaches, and an aviary.  For adults looking for a vibrant night scene, you can certainly find that here as well.  It’s one of the most cosmopolitan centers of the country, and the music scene has been in a state of continual evolution for years (for thousands of years, technically speaking).  As a result, some of the hottest clubs in the world are here, and there are many exciting live music acts one can see on any given night.  The electronic music scene is also at a fever pitch here, and one DJ to watch these days is Protoculture.

He’s scarcely this side of thirty, and already making a splendid name for himself internationally.  Born Nate Raubenheimer, Protoculture is marked as one of the best djs in the country, and this is no small feat in a place where music is taken very seriously.  In the clubs, all the seriousness will wash away when his pounding psy trance rhythms start to work their way into your pores.  You’ll find yourself moving with the local culture, and enjoying rhythms that have been all over the world, including Brazil, Japan, and the U.K.  It’s a splendid way to get to know Cape Town.

I was introduced to a great women’s tour company called Women on Tour. It’s a UK based company and it’s for women only and run by women only. They had a great tour package for Barcelona. The tour would include meditation workshops, drawing, and creative writing. But what I liked the most was the walking tour through out Barcelona and some of Spain.
 
I’d be staying at one of the top Barcelona hotels and would be totally taken care of by my travel guide. I liked the idea of the possiblities of exploring new avenues in a friendly and safe company. I choose to travel alone which is what they specialize in, because they are aware that incompatible diaries of others or the need of independent travel or the simple freedom of not having to fall in with other people’s preferences could hinder ones tour. They totally understand fthe pulled between the need for adventure and exploration and the need for security and companionship.
 
For me, as a women travelling alone, the prospect of having to wine and dine in the hotel every night of my stay or of feeling, at times, uncomfortable in unfamiliar circumstances, I could feel dampened and stop all my other plans. So, this company is here to help facilitate a safe and relaxed environment for me to enjoy new experiences, to explore, whether its an inward journey or an outward journey or both; whether I’m travelling alone or accompainied.
 
I think for the first time, I’m going to thoroughly enjoy my travels to Barcelona, worry free. This Women of Tour company will provide me the opportunity to also meet up with other women travelling alone from all over the world. I’ll be able to exchange knowledge and expand my horizon at the same time.

The anti-money laundering efforts, along with the fight against terrorism in Tanzania took a hit during the month.  During a meeting of the finance ministers, the government split when trying to come to an agreement about whether or not to allow a report to be approved, a report that confirmed the state of affairs for the country in regards to the corruption, which is not good.  They prevented the approval of that report, which disregarded the efforts of the fight.

The reports had been approved previously by the regional officials, who were organizing the fight against terrorism and they were expected to be approved on the Ministerial level, while South Africa submitted the reports, the region of Tanzania did not. The Financial Action Task force from France, was part of the inter-governmental organization over-seeing the council meeting and the postponement of the submission by Tanzania was a surprise stated the president, Paul Vlaanderen.

This has not only an effect on the fight against the corruption but may have serious implications for the banks, as now this too looks suspicious, and foreign banks may not want to continue having dealings with the unknown, the unknown being just how bad are the money laundering cases in Tanzania.   One of the reasons for this is that when a high percentage of a banks transactions involve cash, those transactions become hard to keep track off.

Tanzania is a developing country, and the norm in those countries is to deal more with cash than in countries that are developed.  As the global recession ()continues the people begin to lose confidence in banks and the financial institutions, this too causes more and more people to just deal with cash.  It is a cycle that is becoming hard to break.  It was shown in the report from Tanzania that on the island of Zanzibar the laws regarding anti-money laundering have not yet been implemented, and some of the officials are just turning a blind eye to the situation.  The finance minister of Tanzania stated that it was not what was in the report that caused them to postpone the approval, but that the report itself needed to be worked on, and rescheduled the meeting to so for this coming December.

Singapore is a pretty boring place. Let me explain, it’s boring because there are no school massacres, no corruption or scandals, not gang warfare and not much crime. The elections are low key and not exciting and are a pretty predictable fair. Even the private banks of Singapore are doing well with all the global economy in the tank. But, lately, Singaporeans have been treated to a bit of excitement. People are all a buzz about it and it’s getting wide coverage by the local media. The Internet is humming with all kinds of opinions and because it has a little bit of a religious element to it, this is why I’m discussing it in my blog.

It’s only today that I will address this, so don’t worry or stress out, because I will return to my usual subject tomorrow. There’s an organization called AWARE which has promoted women’s rights for over 26 years. Like everything you’d expect from a modern progressive women’s advocacy group. Well, last month, AWARE had their annual meeting and a large group of members who has only joined the organization last month, voted out all the old members and over took the running of the organization. What was more astonishing was that six of the eleven new officers all just happen to be members of the same religious organization. If you’ve been living in Singapore even just today, you will know which organized religious over took AWARE. I will not mention them and give them credit.

The new AWARE committee have publicly stated that they did not know each other previous to their election and that they haven’t yet decided whether there will be a new policy on gender issues and that they intend to keep their religious views in the background. After that announcement, my Singaporeans reported seeing pigs fly. I’ve heard rumors that the ousted committee has planned to do the same thing, become underhanded, dubious and even immoral in order to win back the organization. Now, stay tuned, tomorrow, I’ll be writing about my normal stuff, even though it’s not as exciting.

I grew up in Perth, Australia. As a child and then an adolescence, I was overshadowed by the religion with which my parents projected on me. I was raised with very rigid rules and regulations which gave me no choice but to conform and to adopt my parents beliefs that were constantly being programmed into me. This impacted tremendously me as I grew up. As a result of me not being able to express my own opinions, emotions and having very little opportunities to develop socially, my entire well being suffered. I has so much difficulty making friends at all my schools, and I felt I didn’t fit in anywhere or with anyone. Even at the age of 19, I developed a belief that I was incapable of having a girlfriend.

But, one night, all of that changed for me when I had a spiritual awakening in 99′. For the first time of my life, I connected deeply within. I felt the presents of a higher self. Grace entered my life and I experienced the oneness of all things. I felt the presence of an energy and love that was always within myself and it’s beyond anything I can put into words or anything I couldn’ve ever imagined. From that night on, I knew that there was a greater truth for me to explore and experience. I left the church where I grew up, left Australia and became world traveler seeking others who have had the spiritual awakening as I have had. My excitement and energy has never waned. My journey around the world was intentional were I wanted a more global perspective of the world, I wanted to find out if my truth was the same as others truth.

My trip, my long journey was amazing and very enlightening. I learned so much about humanity, different ways of life, cultures, I made many many friends from all over the globe. But, more important, I learned about myself. About 2 and a half years into my travelling, my intuition told be to come back home. I made reservations at one of the Perth boutique hotels, near where my folks live. I didn’t want to hurt them more than I already have, but I did want to thank them and let them know just how much I love them, even though I know I’ve disappointed them, but I want to let them know that they have not disappointed me, but mostly, I want to introduce them to my wife.

Today’s mission is awareness. Awareness of me, how I feel, what I think and how I react to the encounters I have in the world today. Today from my best Madrid hotel I sit on the balcony and feel the warm morning sun on my face. Aware of its warmth and its increasing as I sat with face pointed sun ward. Awareness is a chore. With all the distractions in the mind and from the outside world awareness is generally fleeting at best. Remaining focused on awareness requires work, focus and most of all awareness. breathing I feel the air pass over my upper lip and flow into my nostrils cool and dry filling my chest and belly. At he top of my breath I begin to release it slowly feeling the warm moist air pass out of my nostrils and over my upper lip and back into the ocean of air we are all connected to. The breathing continues rolling in and out like waves on the ocean drawing in from the seemingly limitless ocean of air into my lungs and the releasing it back to that same ocean that we all are breathing from. Aware that I am one of billions of creatures currently connected to this ocean of air. All dependant on the same ocean and involved in the same rhythm of drawing in and releasing back into the same ocean of air. I continue on for a few more moments when this awareness is changed to the awareness that my stomach is growling. This brings in the awareness that things are ever changing and it is time to get something to eat. Yet the food preparation, and the eating process are act of awareness in themselves. Awareness of colors, shapes, textures, smells and flavors. The input to the senses is great, the awareness of all the input can be difficult and therefore sometimes easier to wander off into the world of distractions. After eating breakfast with awareness I continued throughout my day with this same intention and desire to be aware!

For me, the idea of South Africa medicine or traditional healing is covered in a fog of mystery and magical rituals. But, while I was visiting a dear friend of mine while I was staying at one of the luxury hotels Johannesburg has to offer, she corrected me and proceeded to tell me the reality of the healing arts.

The secrets of an enormous variety of natural and medicinal plants and other natural processes that have been through the test of time. She took me to a healer with who she has been going to ever since she was a little girl. She told me that many generations have experienced the value of South African remedies, both for medicinal and for spiritual reasons.

The healer she took me to told me that the techniques may appear strange, and even nonsensical, but the foundations, which the are based on, are sound. They display a certain sensitivity and understanding of natural laws and the biological principals that govern the human body in its affinity to plants and an array of other life forms.

I found that the people of South Africa have an instinctive knowledge, which they are given as children, of natures and are governed by natures laws  and it’s expressly for this reason the traditional herbalist is an important person in the community. The herbalist spends a good amount of their life acquiring the knowledge of herb lore so that they may deal with ailments of not only human patients, but livestock as well.

So, my good friend gave me a reality check when it comes to mysticism and thinking everything is magical and easy to come by. I learned that to become a healer and herbalist, one needs to work with the natural law.

When one has questions about legal matters one speaks with a lawyer, anything about the car a mechanic.  Questions surrounding the recent scandals in New Jersey and New York are best answered by members of an anti-money laundering agency or an anti-corruption agency.  What many criminals do not know about, or perhaps do not consider a concept important to follow through with, but what many of those working to catch those criminals do, is the concept of due diligence.

Due diligence refers to the steps and the procedures in which one takes to know exactly with whom one is doing business.  This just involves taking measures and following steps that those in with we come into contact with and whom with we choose to do business, are trustworthy.  If the men involved in the scams had partners that were trustworthy, they would not have been captured.  One of the key witnesses in breaking the case, as well as the one who will testify is Solomon Dwek.

Dwek was arrested in 2006 by the FBI, in a case of fraud that totaled upwards of a couple million dollars.  His case is not resolved, but he had been wearing a wire when helping the resolution of the ten year investigation into the racketeering and the fraud involved in Brooklyn and New Jersey.  Any person considering Dwek’s credibility would have noticed something was amiss, and considered as well as sufficiently research the idea that he might have turned state’s witness, might have gone to the side of the lawmen in order save himself, given the status of his case at that time.  But none of them did.  Not even the highest of the criminals, the one in charge thought to have Dwek checked out.

One of the first clues was upon their first meeting when Dwek suggested that he be the consultant on the heist.  Now, one in the know may either think that the man either did not have enough experience to suggest that someone else take this tedious role, one in which is notable to law enforcement agencies, or they would maybe have considered the fact that he was working undercover in order to save his own skin.  These men that were arrested a few months ago will be spending a lot of time in jail, and one of the reasons for that is that they did not investigate the people with whom they were doing business.

While in my Kuala Lumpur hotelof Malaysia, I had a chance to see the some of their National Monument there.  Built in 1966, the monument commemorates the people who fought against Communism.  It is a great recognition of one of the nation’s most difficult times in history.  Felix de Wheldon, the same guy who also was the architect of Washington DC’s Iwo Jima monument constructed it for Malaysia.  It consists of seven people sculpted from bronze on a squarish foundation also made of bronze.  The number is significant.  Each person is symbolic of the seven traits that Malaysia thinks were important and a part of the people who fought and died to keep the country free.  Leadership, strength, unity, and courage are among the qualities.

The tallest person of the grouping possesses the country’s flag while two other people, equipped soldiers, stand next to him on either side.  They carry a rifle, a bayonet, and a machine gun as their weapons. Below them and under their guard are fellow soldiers wounded and dead.
Almost right next to it is the Asean Sculpture Garden, a beautiful place to visit after the somberness of the National Monument, which had its own kind of beauty.  Filled with modern art sculptures that are actually quite striking and not at all pretentious, the garden is very green with spindly, skinny trees that reach up far in the sky, but not blotting out the sun completely.  It is an absolute must see for anyone visiting, even those who are more city than nature people.  It is also a great example of the kind of principles Asian naturists and gardeners and landscapers pride themselves on.  Mostly green and without much color from flowers, it provides a peaceful sight to the eyes and makes for a great spot to meditate in.  If anything, it provides a nice spot away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was created in 1988 by officials from thirty three countries, including members of the United States Congress, in an attempt to bring an end to corruption, bribery, and extortion on the international business level, focusing on the financial institutions of the world. For many years official and military personnel had been extracting payments from foreign companies in exchange for securing business opportunities. This created not only corruption on the level of business but on the local level as well, for while these officials gained wealth and power in the acts of extortion, the economy and the people of their countries suffered greatly. One of the challenges of dealing with foreign cultures, is that they have different perceptions of what actually constitutes a bribe. Many counties practice gift giving in the form of favors or presents as a part of their customs.

However, in the United States this too is considered bribery. It is the act of giving one preferential treatment and opportunity over another, at the personal gain of the one extorting the favor, the gift or the payment. The regulations of the FCPA have served to take the weight of offending a foreign official off of the American officials and the financial institutions. The federal law of the United States is such that these forms of payment in exchange for opportunity are illegal and subject to fines and prosecution. By taking this out of the hands of those conducting business affairs it serves to not only ensure that no laws are being violated, but that the companies and those in the middle of the situation have a valid reason for not partaking in such actions. Since the years of the inception of the Act, authorities have prosecuted many criminals who were committing crimes of extortion, money laundering and terrorist funding. This is not only serving to make the world a safer place, but a more ethical one as well.

The crush of humanity out side my 4 star hotels Delhi is not for anyone, especially the claustrophobic,or faint of heart. The masses of people can be very overwhelming for those not use to it, and in all reality if you are from outside Asia you probably do not experience this where you live. The numbers of people that beg and are vying for getting your attention is daunting every step tat you take beings you into the encounter of another person wanting something from you. However the history, particularly the spiritual history can make it all worth while if your able to get connected to them. The tradition of spiritually goes back many centuries BCE, before the common era, and were well developed long before the advent of Christianity. Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism are the main three traditions. All stress non violence in the world and focus on self understanding for spiritual development. None of these look to an external god for answers to personal issues and questions. Instead practitioners look inside for the true nature of reality. Through meditation, repetition of mantras with malas , pilgrimage and more methods are employed to get in touch with the devin within. The deep history has lead to many dichotomy in India. great poverty and much enlightenment. Many learned gurus are there who spend much of their time in meditation. Their realization that material things are not necessary for existence. That these material things hold us to a material worlds and hinder our development into spiritual beings. Here in India are temples everywhere. They celebrate, commemorate and mark important spots, times and events in the spiritual developments in this country. The temple are a great way to connect with the spirituality of an area. There you may encounter a guru, teacher, and have an nteresting interchange if your open to it.

What is the best course of action when faced with foreclosures?  Brooklyn residents have found that the best way do deal with the messages and letters from the mortgage lenders, is to contact them, to not continue to ignore the phone calls or the letters.  When people are faced with not being able to afford to make their payments, the tendency is to hide, to ignore the problem.  The thing is that there are counseling agencies out there to help, such as any of the organizations that are approved by HUD.

Many lenders will work with homeowners, and take every step possible to ensure that one does not loose their house.  Lenders would prefer to see people in their homes, and there are a variety of options that are set in place to help people through difficult and precarious financial moments.  Answer all phone calls, and open every letter.  The early letters will often times include the information that will detail the prevention of your house being lost to foreclosure.  The later letters may give significant details of legal actions that may be pending. 

It is best to find the loan papers and documents from the time the house was purchased, and to go over them thoroughly so as to have a total grasp on one’s rights, and in each state the foreclosure laws differ, so learning about the laws in one’s own state is most beneficial.  There are many sites on the Internet were one can go to learn about the prevention of foreclosure,  as well as to find a counselor located within one’s neighbor, as suggested by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  They are there to offer assistance to people in this current situation, and will help one to understand the laws, to organize personal spending and to find representation for one should it come down to a court case.  There are many options out there to help ensure that one does not lose their house and home.