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Prague: Great Free Pocket Travel Guide by Flashbooking Online Booking
Flashbooking is a growing cheap hostel Prague and hotels directory specializing in budget accommodation for independent travellers, students, adventurous backpackers, international volunteers, families and all the ones that travel on a budget.
Those who love travelling light, those with a sense for adventure, those who love flexibility in their trips, those who like meeting locals and travelling slow and low. . . those are Flashbooking happy travellers!
Flashbooking accommodation database is easily available online and comes completed with all relevant information about youth hostel and hotel location and map, description, services, hostel contacts, customer ratings, six pictures and updated prices inclusive of taxes and services together with instant real availability.
Having the reservation final price is also convenient as it does give the transparency our users pretend while booking. Having the final total amount of your booking means you do not have to worry about other extra surprises! Flashbooking cheap lodging solutions are all available for online bookings and divided by Countries.
Travellers have free access to the updated list of Europe hostels and budget hotels, North and South America hostels, Caribbean and Central America hostels as well as for Asia cheap accommodations, Oceania youth hostels and Africa hostels. Flashbooking’s happy travellers can book their rooms and beds not only in cheap hotels or youth hostels but also consider other budget accommodations in Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouses, Campsites, apartments, farm houses and much more.
Flashbooking chose to provide backpackers, students and families with a list of budget selected and independent accommodations worldwide, mostly run by locals, in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.
For this and other reasons Flashbooking is becoming a recognized source of information and services for who loves creating a trip by him/herself and book bed nights securely online. In fact, thanks to a secure server certified SSL provided by Thawte (the global certificate authority) www. flashbooking. com is able to guarantee instantly confirmed and secure online reservations.
Thawte is a system which encrypts all the processed data and guarantees that this will not be read, used or modified by other parties. Confirmed online bookings mean that your holiday is just a click away, that you can get all the information needed to book online, that you can save time and money!
Recently added a new free customer service online at travellers disposal to suggest the perfect accommodation for their trip and voyages. The Skype account ‘Flashbooking Customercare’ gives more assistance also in the booking process for all our travellers and backpackers needs.
Other reasons to chose Flashbooking? Flashbooking helps you saving money with a special promotion that allows travellers to earn money and credits of 1,5 euros by inviting other friends to subscribe and receive the monthly newsletter, rich of information about hostel and hotel deals. For each friend that sings up, our travellers get 1,50 euros: it is possible to earn up to 40 euros! These credits are immediately registered in the user’s personal online account ‘My Booking’ and at the reach of 40 euros they are automatically deducted to pay your online hostel reservations !
With the monthly newsletter, Flashbooking puts at travellers’ and partner hostels’ free disposal some useful information tools as pocket travel guides of the top world cities: the Amsterdam City guide, the London City guide, the Barcelona City guide, the Paris City guide, the Rome City guide, the Florence City guide, and the freshly issued Prague City guide!
In general, these guides have been written for giving the essential information about the most visited cities in the world and in particular for any traveller or first-time visitor. For a short visit, a week-end, a city break, these free pocket guides are useful printable and downloadable tools available online.
The free City pocket guide of the Czech Capital contains, in just 9 printable pages, all the essential information and very good suggestions divided by areas: Prague New City and Prague Old city, the Jewish quarter (Josephov), the Malastrana district and the Castle. Prague is renown for wooden toys, crystal products, flea markets and Christmas markets, Wenceslas Square and museums, Art Galleries, breweries and beers and cheap lodgings, classic itineraries in the Boemian countryside and a lot more to make a visit worth wise. Free for anyone who wish to book and go and rich of colour pictures, the Prague Travel Pocket Guide is at backpackers disposal in Flashbooking. com! For Flashbooking users and travellers that might have a personal website or a travel blog, or even manage a youth hostel or a hotel accommodation, and are interested in the travel city guides, the pocket guides can be collected and put at your visitors’ disposal.
In the Prague City guide students, families and backpackers can get a large selection of cheap or low cost accommodation with plenty of low cost solutions in budget youth hostels, Prague bed and breakfast, guesthouses, cheap hotel deals.
Our travellers are also our good partners as they help us either giving their ratings of some accommodations, lodgings, BandB, youth hostels and budget small hotels where they personally stayed, either enlarging the hostel offer by reporting some new contacts.
Flashbooking policy tends to privilege small and family-run hotels in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.
So mates, we are looking forward to finding you THE budget accommodation that meets your needs and pocket for your next trip!
Looking Back – 2008 Data Breaches
Hurray, another end of the year list. This one though (from Bank Info Security) is not reviewing the top movies, songs, celebrities but, the miserable failures in data security of 2008. With nine more days until the end of 2008, this post could be pre-mature. Data breach threats show no regard for end of the year holiday parties and frivolities. The data breach incidents of 2008 include the old stand-bys of lost tapes and data due to mistake and theft but also reveals an increased use of break in technologies to steal information from data bases. Numerous “hacking” incidences and infected computer systems not only resulted in millions of dollars in cost to businesses but exposed large numbers of consumers to fraud. Stolen data has to go some where and can be held in reserve for use at a later time, possibly changing hands often before reaching a perpetrator. Data is a commodity. After all, identity theft is a business – suppliers, middle men and end users are the norm, just like in any business. At least one of these breaches began in 2007 and continued into 2008 due to law enforcement action. Last year’s breaches while not lacking of hacking incidents, were focused more on missing data. For comparison purposes, below the top 10 list find links to stories looking back on 2007 and a link to a comprehensive multi-year listing. APRPEH is currently taking predictions of data loss stories for the end of 2009. For accuracy purposes, it is important to recognize the difference between lost back up tapes or disks and stolen computers, hard drives or data devices and must be further differentiated from data lost due to hacking, viruses, malware – any active invasion of data storage systems for the purpose of stealing information. It is this last category with its obviously pernicious intent to steal data (vis a vis hardware) which represents a greater threat equation for consumers. The ‘how was it stolen’ question makes a huge difference in predicting whether or not consumers are likely or unlikely to become victims of identity theft. Top 10 Security Breaches of 2008 – Bank Info SecurityGhost of Christmas Past (TJX) Still Casts Specter on Present and FutureLinda McGlasson, Managing EditorDecember 22, 2008From Hannaford to Countrywide to the Bank of New York Mellon, 2008 has been a year of high-profile security breaches in or impacting the financial services industry. Here’s our list of the top 10 – and lessons that should be learned, so we aren’t back revisiting these issues in ‘09. 1. TJX Case Winds Up, Arrests Made Earlier this year, The TJX Companies (parent of retailer TJ Maxx) settled in federal court and paid out millions to its federal regulator, the Federal Trade Commission, banking institutions, credit card companies and consumers to bring to a close the court cases that had threatened to overwhelm the company. The August arrest of 11 alleged hackers accused of stealing more than 40 million credit and debit cards brings law enforcement closer to closing what is still the largest hack ever. The U. S. Department of Justice brought charges against 11 alleged hackers from around the globe. Some of the hacking gang were nabbed and brought to the U. S. to face trial alongside three U. S. -based defendants. Two of the defendants, Christopher Scott and Damon Patrick Toey, have already pled guilty in the case. Others including the ringleader, Alberto Gonzalez, await trial. Lesson Learned: The wide-range of the perpetrators brings to light something that those in the cyber intelligence realm have known for some time: Criminal hackers are part of a very mature and multi-billion dollar industry that reaches around the world. No organization is immune to the threat. 2. Bank of New York Mellon An unencrypted backup tape with 4. 5 million customers of the Bank of New York Mellon went missing on Feb. 27, after it was sent to a storage facility. The missing tape contains social security numbers and bank account information on 4. 5 million customers – including several hundred thousand depositors and investors of People’s United Bank of Connecticut, which had given Bank of New York Mellon the information so it could offer those consumers an investment opportunity. Lesson Learned: For Bank of New York Mellon, know that when data is released to a third-party that their security is as good or better than yours. Encryption isn’t just something that is good for the data held at an institution; it’s also something to consider for data that leaves the institution. 3. Hannaford Data Breach In March, the Maine-based Hannaford Brothers grocery store chain announced that 4. 2 million customer card transactions had been compromised by the hackers. More than 1800 credit card numbers were immediately used for fraudulent transactions. The affected banks and credit unions were forced to reissue the credit and debit cards. Within two days of the breach announcement, two class action suits had been filed on behalf of customers against the retailer. The retailer claims its systems were PCI-compliant and had passed a PCI assessment shortly before the hack was discovered. Lesson Learned: The case is still open, and forensic reports by security investigators brought in by Hannaford have not been made public. The PCI Security Council has pledged that if the PCI requirements are found to be wanting in light of the report, they will make changes to tighten the requirements. Cases such as Hannaford may be the impetus behind legislation to require prompt notification of a data security breach. 4. Countrywide Insider Theft In August, a former Countrywide Financial Corp. senior financial analyst, Rene Rebollo, was arrested and charged by the FBI for stealing and selling sensitive personal information of an estimated 2 million mortgage loan applicants. How he did it over a two-year period was to download about 20,000 customer profiles each week onto flash drives, working on Sunday nights, when no one else was in the office. Rebollo then took the excel spreadsheets to business center stores to email to buyers. Countrywide, now owned by Bank of America, was already facing money and reputation issues because of the subprime loan meltdown before it faced the insider threat of Rebollo. Lesson Learned: While Countrywide and Bank of America now know firsthand what a rogue insider can do, other institutions need to do a better job of monitoring their employees and creating asset controls. As the economy continues to produce layoffs, this threat may become even more so, as fearful employees look to cash in on their trusted status and take data just in case they face unemployment. 5. GE Money Backup Tape Goes AWOL Early in January, Iron Mountain said it could not find a backup tape that belonged to GE Money, containing information on J. C. Penney customers and 100 other retailers. The tape was stored in an Iron Mountain vault, says an Iron Mountain statement issued about the loss, and had been requested by GE Money in October 2007. The tape contained the personal information of about 650,000 J. C. Penney customers and the other 100 retailers. GE Money processes credit cards for those retailers. As a records and archive company that specializes in records management, Iron Mountain was at a loss to explain the tape’s whereabouts. Iron Mountain said it was an unfortunate case of a misplaced tape, but asserts that there was no evidence that the information was obtained and used by unauthorized persons. The missing tape also included about 150,000 social security numbers. Lesson Learned: While GE Money paid for credit monitoring for the 650,000 credit card holders, Iron Mountain may have learned to better monitor where media is located. For the rest of companies that hold information of a personally identifiable nature, there is another reason to keep it safe from prying eyes. The cost of an average data breach can hit a company’s bottom line. According to a study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, an independent information security and privacy research group, data breaches are costing businesses an average of $197 per customer record, up from $182 in 2006. 6. RSA Report: Half-Million Banking ID’s Stolen In November, security vendor RSA said it found a single Trojan that had taken more than 500,000 online banking accounts credentials, credit cards and other resources. The company’s Fraud Action Research Team added that the hacking gang behind the Trojan may have been operating for as long as three years. The compromised data came from hundreds of financial institutions around the world. Lesson Learned: The Trojan Sinowal is so tricky that the average institution or customer would not even know that they are infected with it. Taking a professional, defense-in-depth approach to protecting a network and customers is the best remedy. 7. Compass Bank Hard Drive Stolen, 1 Million Accounts Taken At the sentencing of a former bank programmer at Compass Bank in Birmingham, AL. in March, it was revealed that the accused had stolen a hard drive with 1 million customer records and used it to commit debit-card fraud. James Kevin Real is now serving a 42-month sentence and was ordered to pay back the more than $32,000 that he and an accomplice withdrew from Compass Bank customer accounts. The bank claimed that the customer records contained limited information, but Real was able to create 250 counterfeit debit cards. He used 45 of them to access and withdraw cash before being arrested. At the time of Real’s sentencing, Alabama was one of 11 states that didn’t require companies to automatically notify customers of data breaches. Lesson Learned: Compass Bank dodged a bullet in terms of cost on this breach. It would have had to notify all 1 million customers of the compromise of their data had the hard drive theft been in a state that requires notification. Other than the 250 customers that Real took money from, no other customers were notified of the data loss. That means that 999,750 of the other 1 million customers weren’t notified of the potential risk. 8. Ski Resort Okemo Suffers Hannaford-Like Data Breach In an attack similar to what hit Hannaford Brothers in March, the Okemo Ski Resort in Vermont said in April it had been hit by hackers that installed malicious software to capture credit card data as it was being processed at the resort. Law enforcement officials at the time said they were investigating as many as 50 other similar incidents in the Northeast. Lesson Learned: PCI compliance is like a driver’s license — it may mean that a retailer has passed the test for compliance, but doesn’t necessarily mean it is in compliance. 9. Retailer Montgomery Ward Six months after a breach happened at the parent company of the Montgomery Ward website, the company Direct Marketing Services finally began notifying customers that their credit card information was stolen in the hack. At least 51,000 records were stolen out of a database in December, 2007. Direct Marketing said it had promptly contacted its payment processor and Visa and MasterCard, and it also notified the U. S. Secret Service. Lesson Learned: Direct Marketing Services was forced into contacting the customers after the company CardCops, an investigative firm that tracks credit card thefts for the financial services industry, found more than 200,000 payment cards being offered for sale on an Internet chat room often visited by card thieves. Better to take the public relations role and confess the breach than possibly face data breach notification lawsuits by consumers and state attorney generals. 10. More Than $5 Million Taken By ATM Capers The Automatic Teller Machine capers are hitting everywhere. In June, two men were charged with making hundreds of withdrawals from New York City ATMs, grabbing $750,000 in the process, using stolen information from a previous computer intrusion into a Citibank server that processes ATM withdrawals. One of the same accused also allegedly took $5 million in withdrawals from iWire prepaid MasterCard accounts. Lesson Learned: While Citibank denied the indictment’s charge that their server had been breached and blames a third-party transaction processor for the compromise, it still meant it had to notify and reissue new debit cards to those customers that the bank believed were exposed to increased risk. The Top 10 Data Breaches of 2007 – CSO Online
Rhodes Island Greece. Travel Tips and Tid Bits
Prior planning is always helpful in making a journey more relaxing and enjoyable.
Dress code in the Greek Islands is very casual, for men shorts and T-shirts is the norm, and for ladies, light summer dresses or similar to men. If you are coming in Spring or Autumn you should bring some warmer clothes just in case it gets a bit cold in the night. Even for those who want to dress formally, smart casual is the norm, which would be a pair of trousers and a shirt.
In restaurants. The island of Rhodes can satisfy every gourmet because it produces various products of excellent qualities and the local cuisine is a real delight for the senses. Fresh fishes and a big variety of seafood’s, big choice of “mezes” (Mediterranean snacks), meat on grill, mousaka (the famous dish with potatoes, aubergines, cheese and béchamel) are some of the many Rhodian specialties.
The wines of Rhodes are famous for their great taste and quality since ancient times because the wineries and distilleries of the island produce delicious wines from the island’s vineyards which are beneficing from the fertility of the soil and the constant sun. The most famous wine labels of Rhodes are the dry wines “Ilios”, “2400″, “Villare”, and “Grand Maitre” and the dry red wine “Chevalier de Rhodes”.
Booking a Taxi There are strict regulations regarding the number of passengers per taxi. Up to 4 passengers are allowed per car so bear this in mind when making a booking for a taxi. Make sure your luggage fits into a regular-sized car trunk, otherwise you’ll have to hire a second taxi for any excessive luggage. When requesting a taxi make sure you are at the pick-up point without delay since a taxi will be there within minutes.
Internet Cafes. There is one right in the harbor, one in the Old Town, and several others in the New Town and the villages of Rhodes Island. There are also internet cafes open to the public at the most hotels.
Maps. There are a number of maps of the island on the market and most of them are provided free of charge by Hotels, and Travel Agents.
Newspapers and magazines. Most western European newspapers and magazines arrive in Rhodes on a daily basis and they are available everywhere.
Catholic Church. The Catholic church of Santa Maria, located at the corner of Kathopouli and Dragoumi Streets, holds Mass services from April to October at 7 a. m. on weekdays and at 8 a. m. , 11 a. m. and 7 p. m. on Sundays. The St. Francisco church located on Dimokratias Street, celebrates Mass from April to October at 8. 30 a. m. on weekdays and 10 a. m. on Sundays. During the winter months, both churches hold Masses only on Sundays.
A Golf course is available at Afandou (17 kilometers south-east of Rhodes City) and Mini Golf courts can be found in all the large hotels and in all the touristy resorts.
Casino. As all cosmopolitan places Rhodes has its own casino. The dress code is strict for men but for the women a dress is enough.
Signs denoting post offices are usually bright yellow, as are post-boxes. If you need to send a letter there are stamp vending machines and post-boxes outside all central post offices. There is also a post-box right in the harbor few meters from the pier.
OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organization) offices are the cheapest way to make local or international calls. Rhodes is equipped with a very advanced telecommunications system. You can dial directly anywhere in the world without the involvement of the telephone operator. The blue telephone boxes found all over the island can be used either for local or for long distance calls. They all use phone cards that can easily be found in every kiosk or shops with the “Phone cards Sold Here” sign. You can get them also right in the harbor, or in the Airport.
Beaches. The big attraction of Rhodes is the beautiful beaches that surround the entire island. Entrance to all the beaches is free, but you will have to pay only if you rent a sun bed (about 6 euro). The beaches on the east coast are ideal for swimming since the sea is extremely calm, while on the west coast is generally windy and it is best offered for windsurfing and other water sports. This does not in any way means that you can not swim on the west coast. As a matter of fact, many people prefer the big waves of the west coast than the calm and smooth sea of the east coast. . .
Police. All the main resorts areas have branches of the Tourist Police, whose duties include the inspection of hotels, restaurants etc. . And service to make sure that services to tourists are of acceptable standards. Tourist Police officers who speak languages bear the flag of the country in which the language is spoken on their uniforms.
Health. Rhodes has plenty of doctors of all practices. The State Hospital is open 24 hours a day for emergency cases. There are also plenty of pharmacies and chemists.
Banks and ATM machines. There are many Greek and International banks that are licensed to do business in Rhodes. All of them offer exchange services within the town of Rhodes as well as in other popular resort areas. Banks are open Monday to Friday, 8 a. m. to 2 p. m. During the period from April to October, some of them are open in the evenings as well (5 p. m. , to 7. 30 p. m. ) and on Saturday mornings, but only for the exchange purposes. In order to exchange cash or traveler’s checks, you need to have your passport with you. In addition, almost all hotels have exchange offices on their front desks. Visa, Master Card and other well known credit cards are also accepted by the majority of shops, and hotels. And you won’t need your entire wallet only some cash, you may prefer to use ATM machines when you need cash. ATMs are everywhere. Cash sometimes gets you a better price than a charge card.
Shopping. Rhodes is an interesting place to shop. Rhodes has at least 2000 years of manufacturing unique and skilful handicraft gold jewellery. Many shops sell classic and modern gold and silver jewellery as well as antique reproduction jewellery, in 14k and 18k with diamonds and precious stones. Antique carpets and hand made silk on silk rugs, furniture, paintings and porcelain can also be found. Rhodes also famous for the leather and fur, bottles, leather coats, fur coats, and mink. Other kinds of goods such as souvenirs, sponges, clothes, shoes, books, and more can be found in the many shops of Rhodes Island. And the traditional art workshops for the world famous hand made Rhodian pottery’s-ceramics.
In restaurants tipping is customary and on average is around 15% above the bill, in some establishments it is already added but not in all.
Holidays and Feasts. The following is a list of official holidays, during which all departments of public services are closed.
January 1- New Year’s Day
January 6 – Epiphany.
First day of Lent (movable) – in Greek is known as ‘Clean Monday’
March 7 – anniversary of the reunion of the Dodecanese Islands with the rest of Greece
March 25 – anniversary of the revolution for freedom against the Turkish invaders.
Good Friday (movable)
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (movable)
May 1- May Day
Of the Holy Spirit (movable)
August 15 – Dormition of Virgin Mary
October 28 – anniversary of Greece’s refusal to submit to the Italians in 1940
December 25 – Christmas Day
For a further and more in depth view of our beautiful island and the discovery of it please follow us. . http://www. rhodesprivatetours. com
Today’s Child
‘They are always mean to me and I didn’t even do anything wrong. ’ As the tears welled up in his eyes, the words came from a broken six-year-old boy named Jaxon. He had spent a week of his school holidays with his Grand parents and came home to his mother with a shattered heart. His expectations of having an amazing time with the Grandparents he frequents only once a year turned into a nightmare. This beautiful boy is one of the new breed of children being gifted to us at this time to assist with the awakening of our planet. Throughout the recent years, with the work I offer, I have had many awakening experiences to these amazing souls. They are hypersensitive and extremely free-spirited. They are aware and feel all of their own emotions as well as everyone else’s on an extremely deep level. I distinctly remember the first time I experienced how in tune with others these children can be. It was when I came home from hospital with my second child and after a thoroughly sleep deprived night, an early morning and a touch of the blues, I was standing at the kitchen sink in despair, trying to console myself. I had purposefully turned away from my children in order to hide my overwhelming state and my tears. My three-year-old son walked up behind me and asked, ‘Mummy why are you crying?’ I was astounded. One of his favourite sayings at present is ‘I can do it any way I want,’ which can become very frustrating to say the least. It is not in a vindictive or manipulative way, he simply knows, he can do it however he chooses, not how we think is right for him. When my husband and I are trying to show him something new or explain how something works, he throws that comment back at us quite frequently and our reply is always the same – ‘we are only trying to help you. ’ But are we actually helping him or hindering him against making his own choices? We had an awakening to this when he received a tee-ball set for Christmas. My husband and I have had no shortage of athletic experience in our lives, so we took it upon ourselves to show him our expertise in this area and explain the best technique to hit the ball. The whole time his attention was absent from the conversation and his frustration was evident as we picked him up on his shortfalls when he mis-hit the ball. The hits he produced were probably as good as any five-year-old learning, but we were determined he could hit the ball a whole lot better with our help. Even though we encouraged him the whole time by telling him how well he was doing while continuing to tweak his technique here and there, he didn’t want a bar of it! We all ended up walking away frustrated and not achieving the desired result of having fun as a family. I guess we thought if he could hit the ball further, he would enjoy himself more. That afternoon we were relaxing around the pool and mid conversation, I looked up to see him not only playing tee-ball again, he was hitting the ball out of the park, and with a huge smile on his face, having a ball. He was playing however he wanted and allowing his natural ability to flow freely producing amazing results. We looked at each other and realised we had tried to impress upon him what we thought was right. Just because it may have been right for us, does not mean it was the best way for or son. So then our conversation lead to how easily we had adopted what other people assumed was right for us when we were children and took on their beliefs for our own and then tried to pass them on to our son. And so the cycle goes. We had to then turn around and ask ourselves ‘was it right for us in the first place?’ Teachers, care givers, parents and the like have the best of intentions when guiding us through life, however many of us growing up, were always shown the right way to do things. They were always intent on guiding us ‘how to’ not make mistakes by enforcing what they knew to be right. How do we find our way if we don’t make mistakes? In past generations there was not much consideration for the child’s input or feedback on any subject and that was accepted as just the way it was. This is exactly what happened in the case of Jaxon with his grandparents. The children of old became accustomed to being told what to do and not to back answer. There was no consideration of the child’s thoughts or feelings and the loss of speaking up for oneself, a diminished spirit and lack of self-esteem has been the result. And this is why the new generation of children are being gifted to us now. They are teaching us to raise them in love and not from a place of punishment and fear. They speak up for themselves against what doesn’t feel right to them. They will only tolerate what they know in their hearts to be true for them. They have the inner strength to speak up against anything other than light and love. Today’s child is multi-dimensional, totally individual and has a strong sense of knowing. They are our greatest teachers, but only some of us are listening. The days of children being seen and not heard is changing in a major way and it is our children guiding us parents through it. Their mission is to raise the vibration of our planet, so open your ears and your heart and listen. While his relatives had Jaxon, they deduced his free spirit, boundless energy and love for life as bad behaviour because their belief is one that says children should not behave in that manner. They enforced strict rules with unwavering determination which from the perception of a six-year-old meant no fun at all. The more his so-called negative behaviour was focussed upon, the more he would do it. Here is a prime example the law of attraction in action. He was honouring how he felt inside and was trying to stand up for himself against what didn’t feel good to him. He was finding his voice the best way he knew how against being controlled, and his rebelling against the rules was his form of self-expression. His grandparents viewed him as a naughty little boy that needed controlling into shape by punishment. Any time we need to control another’s behaviour in order to make us feel better, whether it is a child or another adult, we are headed for failure. There will always be another person who’s behaviour doesn’t please you. I believe children need positive discipline and in fact I have found most children feel more secure with firm boundaries in place. Because we are not handed over the magical manual of raising children when they are born, I took it upon myself to ask many experts in the field (many of them parents of course) their best methods for parenting. Every one has varied ideas and techniques because all children are different to one another, however there were common factors that kept coming to my attention. The new generation of children are born with wisdom beyond their years, and often beyond ours. They bring knowledge forth from other dimensions and remember home before they came to our planet. This knowledge until now has been untapped. Amazing healing abilities and telepathic communication are common practices to them. These children are extremely generous, loving, compassionate and forgiving. It is second nature for them to be in contact with spirit beings (invisible friends) including ET’s, angels, masters, spirit guides and deceased loved ones. They understand there is no difference between themselves and their etheric friends. The truth is their highest priority and can sniff out a lie by the vibration. Sitting and playing in water is a favourite pastime, as is being out in nature; they understand the natural healing nature provides. Remembering their experiences between lives and past lives is common, as is how electronic devices are affected by their presence. Our land feels foreign to them and they don’t comprehend why people lie to them and why they hurt each other so much. As they can perceive the emotions of all those around, they can become overwhelmed and need down time alone to shake off the energy from the day. From one touch they instantly experience every emotion we have ever felt and because of the hurt, fear and pain we carry, they can become intimidated and overcome. Many of these little angels are not affectionate and cannot tolerate being touched because of this. They are extremely intuitive and can pick up all of our beliefs and wonder why we have them. Their great sensitivity to the earth, the environment and to the feelings of others can leave them feeling responsible for outside events or even the actions of others. These children may be accused of being lazy, when in fact they are exponentially intelligent and simply can’t be bothered with today’s educational system. The curriculum is outdated for their level of intellect and not stimulating enough. Because of the vast amounts of information they can take in, what they learnt in school at the start of the week and tested on at the end of the week seems so old to them because they have absorbed a lifetime of data in between. With multi-dimensional capabilities, these heavenly children are tapped into many dimensions at once. As they are receive and process incredible amounts of from varied sources simultaneously, their attention can appear scattered and they may be labeled as disruptive, defective and naughty. The attention they are given is not nurturing and encouraging, rather it is demeaning and humiliating causing great damage to their self-esteem. They have difficulty focussing on one thing for any period of time and don’t always finish the task at hand before starting another. So sadly many of these delicate beings are misdiagnosed as having ADD and ADHD and drugged to calm them down. Their behaviour may be more sedate and the care of them may appear more manageable, but their spirits are broken. These drugs shut down all their special gifts and they are left a mere shell of the beautiful energy they once embodied. The label of dysfunction is so freely giving to them and so they then feel the pressure of being controlled from outsiders into what society accepts as ‘normal. ’ Society’s normal is so far from what they represent that these children find themselves feeling crushed into sometimes submissiveness and sometimes rebellion. If they choose to be submissive, they may grow up to be invisible to the world and this is the way the like it so no one will try to change them. Although by now they have probably already been controlled to learned how to behave so much that they don’t even recognise who they truly are. The ones who rebel against society may grow up to get lost in the world of alcohol, drugs, addictions and crime to hide their true feelings. Any of these choices are because they have not been honoured for who they are and their self-worthiness has diminished. When we understand and learn to care for these exquisite beings in the way that empowers them, they flourish and live the purpose they have come here for. Because their purpose is to raise the vibration of our planet to one of Love, they come to us with their mind and hearts and open, but if we don’t listen to them or ridicule their wisdom, these precious gems will shut down. Their powerful, yet vulnerable persona will not be subjected to any environment of anger, impatience, frustration, yelling, smacking or punishment of any kind before feeling exposed, unprotected, insecure and totally unsafe. The result will be devastating for human kind if we reject and shut down the extraordinary gifts we are being offered. I have come to learn with my own children that positive encouragement toward their gifts is paramount. Their discipline needs to be positive and respectful, allowing them to have choices and the freedom to make mistakes. I also realise that just because they are children, does not mean they don’t have an opinion that shows more validity and wisdom than mine. When I become overwhelmed and my frustration seeps through, I am quickly reminded I am not acting out of love and integrity with either a look of distaste, a quick comment thrown back at me about how it hurts or right before my eyes I can see them shrivel into a corner and shut down. Guide, nurture and most importantly be honest with them; open and honest communication is vital for their well being. These children need you to listen to them intently. Don’t just disregard their comments with a fleeting ‘oh that’s nice’ as you are rushing through the room to attend to the next thing on your ‘to do’ list. Just because we live such busy lives doesn’t make it ok to give just enough to pacify them for now, choose to stop and listen with your heart. Honor their accomplishment no matter how big or small, respect their feelings and emotions, knowing they feel them to the very core. Use your intuition in regard to disciplining these children for what is appropriate for each incident and never discipline from a place of fear, they will know! Treat them as you wish to be treated and love them unconditionally. Their wisdom is a vital step toward creating our heaven on Earth. They are the teachers of today coming forth for us to acknowledge and embrace. With increasing love and support from those of us who chose to understand, these incredible children will blossom and embody the phenomenal masters they are and lead our world into a place of love never seen before. The hardest part for a parent and others is stepping through the idea that something needs to be fixed in their child. The moment we accept these beloved children just as they are, we are able to see who they truly are and what they have to offer us. With this understanding comes relief and parenting becomes easier. I know there are many unanswered questions from parents out there because I have asked exactly the same questions. I have available more suggestions and tips for parenting these glorious beings, so for any questions, inquiries or words of wisdom you may have please contact myself at healer8@bigpond. net. au or a colleague of mine Bec Furraway who specialises in empowering children and their parents at divinemagic@bigpond. com Further enlightening information on these insightful beings can be found in the book ‘The Children of Now’ by Meg Blackburn Losey Msc. D. , PH. D.
I Love Sightseeing Tours of Italy – Winter Attractions and Events in Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy is internationally known for its fine cuisine that many claim is the finest in Italy. On the other hand, this region is not known for its mild winters. But you can still have a fine winter holiday there. You may want to start in the Savigno Sagra del Tartufo (Savigno Truffle Festival) which is held on the first three Sundays in November or a similar festival held the first weekend of November in Sasso Marconi. The regional capital of Bologna hosts a Jazz Festival for about a week in early November. The third weekend of every month the city of Ravenna offers an antique market. The following weekend is Modena’s turn. Why not go to both and compare these two offerings?There are lots and lots of Christmas markets in Emilia-Romagna during the month of December. Make sure to check the dates carefully. Given the region’s reputation, it should come as no surprise that many of this Christmas markets focus on gastronomy as well as handicrafts. As an extra added attraction, many of these Christmas markets are held in mountain huts. Bologna’s basilica consists of several interconnected churches. The oldest existing building is the Santi Vitale e Agricola that displays a Fourteenth Century Nativity Scene. The seaside city of Cesenatico hosts a very unusual floating nativity scene in the harbor which was designed by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. Make sure to see it at night. Bologna traditionally celebrates New Year’s Eve with the Fiera del Bue Grasso (fat ox fair); an ox is festooned with flowers and ribbons from its horns to its tail. Church bells peal, people light candles, and enjoy the fireworks. The celebration ends with a lottery whose winner gets to keep the ox. The seaside city of Rimini holds a huge New Year’s Eve festival in Piazzale Fellini. There’s music, dancing, and entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display but ox lovers will have to go to Bologna. The end of January Bologna celebrates Arte Fiera, which is a large international contemporary art Fair. This great event is followed by the month long Bologna Art First in which the old town celebrates modern art at over a dozen locations. In February 2010 Cesenatico will host the Tug of War World Indoor Championships. This annual event changes location so if you miss the 2010 competition you’ll have to go elsewhere.
Victoria Harbor – A Charming Spot in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is an eclectic destination, situated on the Pearl River Delta’s eastern side, with Guangdong province and the South China Sea to the south, east, and west. A special administrative region of China, Hong Kong consists of three main areas such as the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories and Outlying Areas.
Hong Kong was once a colony of the British and now presents a diverse range of attractions, all of which are a vibrant mix of scenic natural attractions, incredible temples, soaring skyscrapers, most modern architecture, well-maintained parks, and beautiful gardens. Just few among many of the attractions in Hong Kong are the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Kowloon Walled City Park, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Disneyland Park, Happy Valley Racecourse, Clock Tower, Space Museum, Jardine House, St John’s Cathedral, Water World, Tiger Balms Gardens, Water World, the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas, the Hong Kong Science Museum, and Kam Tin Walled Village.
Aside aforesaid attractions, Hong Kong is also much famed for its Victoria Harbor, which is one of the most charming spots in Hong Kong. The main harbor in Hong Kong, Victoria is stunningly set against the backdrop of extraordinary mountainous hills and attractive natural scenery.
Victoria Harbor is simply the stretch of water that is located between the Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. Sprawling over an area of about more than 42 square kilometers, the Victoria Harbor is the one of the world’s busiest deepwater ports, and has now become one of the most sought after tourist spots in Hong Kong, with its breathtaking views, excellent transportation network, bustling sea port, and more than a century old ferry services.
The charm and beauty of the harbor is double-folded during night, with the Symphony of Lights, a light and laser show in which building found on either sides of the harbor are incredibly illuminated. The Symphony of Lights is accompanied by fireworks during special holidays. Further, the harbor becomes the focal point of Hong Kong during the second night of the lunar New Year when spectacular fireworks are displayed.
Apart from these, a large number of maritime vessels including fishing boats, container ships, ferries, junks, barges, motorboats, and cruise liners can be seen here. You can also see locals engaged in fishing from the waterfront. One of the most favorite activities among both locals and holidaymakers touring the harbor is to take a ride in the most scenic as well as the most inexpensive mode of transportation, namely, Star Ferry.
With a history dating back to more than 100 years, Star Ferry stands as a symbol of the long interesting history of Hong Kong. The Star Ferry mainly runs on four routes such as between Hung Hom and Wanchai, Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, and Central and Hung Hom. By taking a ride in Star Ferry, you could be free from the hustles and bustles of the city life and could enjoy the picturesque views of the surroundings as well as savor the gentle breeze from the sea.
One could enjoy the breathtaking views of the harbor from the Victoria Peak or the Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a great urbanized area packed with museums, upscale hotels, shopping malls, and sightseeing options. Above all, the area becomes more vibrant and colorful during Christmas when the both sides of the harbor are elegantly decorated. Nearby the harbor is the Avenue of Stars, located in Tsim Sha Tsui, along the waterfront of the Victoria Harbor. Modeled in the form of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Avenue of Stars has been erected to honor the legendary actors in the Hong Kong Film Industry. Among the highlights of the Avenue of Stars are the Museum of Art, Culture Center, Clock Tower, and Space Museum.
With scores of attractions and activities to do, it is not a wonder why Hong Kong is visited year round by people from every nook and corner of the world. Many of them boast of such a location that renders commanding views of the Victoria Harbor. When comes to comforts, majority of them attached with top end facilities and amenities. Further, mostly these hotels are within easy reach of the airport and city center as well as shopping districts.
Prague, Eastern Europes Jewel
Weather is still cold in Prague. It is good time for short, calm and romantic walks around this beautiful city. If you are cold, go inside some gallery or exhibition hall or just have a coffee in some cafe, tea room, bar or restaurant and watch the city behind the window.
At night you could visit an opera, listen some classical music concert or see some black light theatre performance.
Czech cuisine is typically central European, with German, Austrian, Polish and Hungarian influences.
The standard meal, offered in just about every restaurant is knedlo, vepro, zelo.
It is bread dumpling, sauerkraut and roast pork. You should taste it while you are there.
Pedestrianised Staru Measto is a safe bet, though. Feel free to crane your neck while walking around its blackened Gothic churches, pubs and townhouses.
The only thing likely to flatten you here is a pack of beautiful young things headed off for a night of clubbing. In few other places in the world, except possibly Russia, are the newly on the go so eager to snap up status items and then put them on public display.
Invariably good for a laugh, You may swear you have just stumbled into a fashion shoot for Cosmopolitan or GQ when you run into one of these impossibly good looking bon vivants.
Fortunately the city`s signature architecture is not yielding so quickly to the more livable and efficient glass and steel shopping malls and offices.
Theyre popping up, of course, but the old centre of town, with its timeless, even melancholy feel, will probably never surrender fully to the free market.
Or, as one hack recently put it , and it was one who actually produces books, rather than just tossing concepts about in pubs with the rest of us, the citys not really so tragic. There are many that have suffered far worse fates from centuries of occupation in this part of Europe.
Rather, Prague has a gravity. Readers of Kafka would certainly agree to that.
While attractions across much of the Czech Republic are closed or keep limited hours outside the summer season, Prague caters for visitors all year round.
Periods when the tourist crush is especially oppressive include the Easter and Christmas New Year holidays, as well as May and June.
Many Czechs go on holiday in July and August, during which time the supply of bottom end accommodation actually increases, as student hostels are opened to visitors.
If you can put up with the cold and the periodic smog alerts during weather inversions, hotel space is plentiful in winter outside Christmas & New Year and Prague is gorgeous under a mantle of snow.
