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One of Ireland's most delightful towns, Kilkenny stands on a bend in the River Nore. It is packed with history (in summer, with tourist traffic too), and aspects of its medieval history are particularly well preserved. Discerning visitors are duly catered for with high-quality craft studios and good restaurants.

The most striking building is the castle, a stronghold of the prominent Butler family until the 20th century.

Originally a Norman fortress, it gradually became more domesticated through the centuries. It saw conflict again, however, when anti-Treatyites occupied it briefly during the Civil War in 1922. After a massive restoration programme, the castle is once again on show. The well-proportioned 18th-century buildings opposite the castle have now been converted into an imaginative enterprise called the Kilkenny Design Centre, where local artists produce high-quality crafts. A large retail outlet fronting the street supplies some of the best goods on sale in Ireland.

Kilkenny's historical importance formerly rivalled Dublin's, and several significant political events took place here. Interesting buildings are scattered through the old town, including St Canice's Cathedral, one of the finest 13th-century buildings in Ireland (although Oliver Cromwell used it to stable his horses in 1650).

The monuments of the black limestone known as Kilkenny marble are particularly impressive - one female statue wears a traditional Irish cloak. Next to the cathedral are a round rower, which can be climbed for splendid town views, and St Cancie's Library, containing a valuable collection of rare early volumes. Other medieval churches include the Black Abbey. The Tholsel (town hall) and the court-house date from the 18th century.

On tours of Ireland try and have a wee look at wont be disappointed......


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Are You Satisfied with Your Technology Alliances?

Steven A. Zoller
Steven A. Zoller

By Steven A. Zoller, project leader for two alliance projects at Procter & Gamble. This throwback article was first published in Research-Technology Management (RTM) in the March-April issue, 1999.

Strategic alliances have become commonplace in business, academia and government. Most people believe alliances are essential in today’s fast-paced, highly complex, and extremely competitive global business environment. However, are you really satisfied with the way your alliances operate and with their output?

Continue reading

Innovation Engines

By Jim Euchner, RTM Editor-in-Chief and VP, Global Innovation, Goodyear

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

—Steve Jobs

Successful growth companies are powered by effective innovation engines. Each of these has its own logic and its own sources of competitive advantage. P&G, for example, is well known for its Connect + Develop open innovation program. What makes the innovation model successful for P&G, however, is not just open innovation, but its fit with the overall profit engine of the corporation. Continue reading

Seventy-five years ago today…

By Ed Bernstein, President, Industrial Research Institute

SevCelebrate Impact Envision, IRIenty-five years ago today, the National Research Council (NRC) steering committee, led by Maurice Holland, Director, NRC’s Division of Engineering and Industrial Research, formed an association of companies to be called the Industrial Research Institute (IRI). It was the start of something great. Something that would change the industry – and the world that we live in – forever.

Continue reading

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You know the saying “it takes a village”, well the class, the study buddies, the information available on the site, and the knowledge base in your TaxMama® group, has been invaluable in helping me gain knowledge and direction for my tax business. From the tips to your past experiences and passing that on to us. It is a great education. Thanks again this has been the best money I have ever spent on my business.”

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Win a romantic dinner giveaway for a couple from Thiptara
I’ve been writing on Thailand in my last few posts and I can only say that I’ve never been so inspired on my travels as I have been on this trip. Apart from writing travel posts loaded with images and food thoughts, I wanted to continue this brilliant journey with my readers in Dubai. I just mentioned this once to The Palace Downtown and they immediately organised this romantic dinner giveaway for a couple from Thiptara, the beautiful Thai restaurant serving the most delicious and the most beautiful Thai food. Beautiful is perhaps not the usual adjective used for food. But in Thiptara, there is no other adjective that can be used! Thiptara has been shortlisted as one of the ‘most romantic restaurant’ in Dubai in Time Out Restaurant Awards 2013. It has also won the Time Out Restaurant Awards for the ‘best Thai restaurant’ in 2013, while it had been the winner of the ‘best restaurant’ in 2012. It had also been the first winner of What’s On Awards for the ‘favourite Thai restaurant’ in 2012. To enter the Blog giveaway from such a restaurant, all you got to do, is to read through the post!

Chef’s Table at Thiptara
According to Wiki, a chef’s table is a table located in the kitchen of a restaurant, reserved for VIPs and special guests. Patrons are served a themed tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. Reserved for VIPs… ahem! I am not a VIP but my companion was definitely a diva – fellow food blogger, FooDiva and the treatment that we were met with while dining at the chef’s table at Thiptara was no less than any VIP treatment. As FooDiva writes about it – A glass-fronted door opens into the kitchen and a cosy chef’s table seating four people, or less if you like. You’re really in the hub of the kitchen here with woks sizzling away, yet the chefs working ever so quietly away at their stations. And if you nab the seat I did, you can even glimpse the magical fountain lake show…worth noting, this is the only restaurant whose sound system is inter-connected to the musical score. Opt for à la carte where you are encouraged to highlight any special requests and dietary restrictions, or just let the chef recommend a Thai feast which is what we did. Here’s what I ate, a rather divine black pepper lobster included, with fellow food blogger Ishita Unblogged.

The magic at Thiptara
Thiptara means ‘Magic at the Water’. That magic definitely lends itself into the kitchen as well. I am a great fan of Thai Cuisine and every time I visit Thiptara, it manages to touch a soft spot in my food radar. Each dish is created as if it’s a work of art – fragrant, aromatic and bursting with Thai flavours. Combining that with brilliant presentation, a trip to the restaurant can only be defined as an ‘experience’. With the majestic dancing fountains and the Burj Khalifa forming a brilliant backdrop to the wall to wall glass windows of the restaurant, the dining room seems to be right there on the water. The bronze artifacts in bronze shining in the glowing torches and the reflections of the fountain on the lake, Thiptara’s ambiance is purely magical. With so many accolades raising one’s dining expectations, its a nice feeling when the expectations are met. Dining inside the kitchen of Thiptara is again a very different experience altogether – it’s like fine dining meeting warm hospitality of a home invitation! The regular menu designed by Chef Chaiwat Kawikitpraphat (above left) can be customised further according to an individual’s taste and liking. The day we were at the chef’s table, Chef Chaiwat was off and the sous chef –  Chef Thani (below) pampered us in a matronly way, personally serving each and every dish to us – almost like a Thai Mama hovering over us. She had prepared a few signature dishes and hoped that ‘we would like it’. Like it? As FooDiva and I tweeted later, almost simultaneously without each others knowledge – the evening surpassed all our expectations and imagination.

The food at the chef’s table
We started off with a Starters Basket consisting of Thod Maan Pla or Thai fish Cakes that have been deep fried and served with a sweet Chilli Sauce; Gai Hor Bai Toey or the deep fried marinated chicken wrapped in Pandan leaves and served with Ginger Soy Sauce; Satay Gai or the grilled Chicken Satay marinated in a yellow curry; Ko Noum Jeehp Song Sagai or the steamed lobster and scallops stuffed in wanton and served with Sesame Soy Sauce. Interestingly, each starter was paired with a different dip. The Starter Basket also had the Som Tum Talay or the popular spicy Green Papaya salad made with fresh seafood, long beans and tomatoes. Next, we had the Tom Yum Goong. This is perhaps the most famous soup, internationally. Made traditionally with prawns that have been flavoured with Thai herbs, lime juice and mushroom (FooDiva’s came without the mushroom as per her liking), the soup had all the spices and the perfect combination of sweet and sour taste that was needed to heighten the food drama of the evening. And the drama was calmed down by the home made lemon sorbet to cleanse our palettes before the next round of Thai dishes engulfed us.

Talking of Tom Yums, I’ve just come back from Krabi province in South Thailand, where the Tom Yum has originated… so I’m now officially an expert Tom Yum taster, having tasted the original Tom Yum in the land of Tom Yum!

Following on the footsteps of the Starters, the Main Course too, was stunning. The Geang Kiew Wan Gai (second pic below) or the Chicken green curry with baby eggplants and sweet basil leaves, is one of the signature dishes of Thiptara. Along with this, the Ped Nam Ma Kam (below) or the barbequed Duck Breast cooked in a sour chilli sauce and served with crispy fried onion rings, is another signature dish that I’ve tasted before at Thiptara. Our quota of greens was diligently met with the Pad Pak Ruam Mit – a delicious dish prepared with seasonal mixed vegetables cooked in Oyster sauce and fried garlic. But the show-stealer was definitely the Goong Mung Korn Pad Grappao or the Black Pepper Lobster (above) – an exquisite presentation combined with an amazing taste. The sweet sign off came with a Dessert platter consisting of fresh fruits – Mangoes, Rambutans, Pineapples, Watermelons and some traditional Thai desserts like the Sang kha ya or the Thai Custard Cake, the Foi Thong which is a dessert made with egg yolk and the Khanom chan  made with Pandan-flavoured sticky rice flour mixed with coconut milk.

Thiptara in The Palace Downtown – Thai fine-dining restaurant
Tel: +9714 888 3444 or Email:
For more info: Facebook; Twitter or the restaurant Page in the hotel website

For the Chef’s table, the price is Dhs 1500/couple with a full set menu (starter, soup, main course and dessert)
including 1 bottle of house wine (red/white), water and soft drinks. Or, the guest may choose from the a la carté menu or can request the chef to customise a special menu.

Click here to enter the Blog Giveaway

A couple can win an invite for a romantic dinner in Thiptara (inclusive of soft beverages only). Friends on referral who join the contest must mention you (referrals could get you an extra point!). The contest closes Friday, 14th June, 2103. Facebook likes, follows on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest earn you points. If you are already following me, there are other ways to earn points (for example leaving comments on this blogpost as well as my other blogposts on Thailand). Please don’t un-follow me and then follow me again just to earn points – it really hurts me – after all, I do take a lot of effort in my blog just so that you have a good time reading my blog. And also, I do have a list of all my readers with me already!

My other posts on Thailand:
• Ruen Mai Restaurant In Krabi | A Tantalising First Experience Of Thai Food In Thailand!
• Koh Klang in Krabi, Thailand | A Photo Essay of An Island Life
• Baan Ma-Yhing Restaurant In The Fishermen’s Village | Recipe of Thai Red Curry As We Cook ‘fresh catch’ Baramundi!
• Kotung Restaurant in Krabi Town | A Taste of Thai Chinese
• Kayaking, Caves, Krabi Sightseeing… And Finally A Thai Spa!
• Island Hopping And Then Hong Island… Here I Witnessed God!

Recently, I had visited the Krabi region in Thailand on an invite from Tourism Authorities of Thailand Middle East. I was joined by bloggers and media personnel from different countries in Europe. I have been sharing about my experiences through Twitter, Instagram and a lot of write ups. I would love to know which Thailand post of mine has been your favourite? Do leave a comment on the post as well as this post (yes, it earns you points). Hoping that this blog giveaway and my blog posts will provide you with as much inspiration as I have got, while you continue to travel with me in my blogging journey!

Unblogging it all… Ishita

Disclaimer: The opinions stated here are my own and are independent of the dinner giveaway, kind courtesy of The Palace Downtown. Neither is there any collaboration between The Palace Downtown and the Tourism Authorities of Thailand Middle East. I hope you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals. Please do not use any material from this post. You can see more pictures of my travel and food journey here.

66 Comments on “Chef’s Table At Thiptara | And A Romantic Dinner Invite From The Palace Downtown!

  1. Having being following your trip to Thailand via your FB posts and was extremely envious 🙂 🙂 Thank you for the most fantastic giveaways…love your blog…looking forward to many more culinary journey’s with you Ishita..all the best 🙂

  2. Hi Ishita, can you tell me are you self hosted or on domain? Trying to add a competition package to my blog, but doesn’t support it. Do you monetise your blog? Am based in Dubai, Arabian Ranches, would love to meet up if poss? Thanks Monica

    • Hi Monica, thanks for dropping in! My domain is from and I haven’t monetised my blog. So probably I wouldn’t be able to help you much:)

  3. Hi Ishita!….Loved the detailed description of the Thai dishes which you sampled at Thiptara. Your scintillating comments evoke the smell of Kaffir leaves and makes me want to book a table for a romantic dinner with the Husband when he comes over next 🙂

    • Thanks Tina for entering! Honestly, I would have sent you an email if you hadn’t. This is a brilliant giveaway honestly – something that the foodie couple that both of you are, would absolutely love:)

  4. Hubby and I went to Thiptara for the Taste of Dubai sampling and it was delicious! We longingly looked at the Chef’s table on our way out and thought, would be nice to do that some time… we will hopefully soon! Love how you tempt all of us into trying it out! 🙂

    • Thank you Nina for dropping by! Exactly the same time FooDiva and I had been ogling at the Chef’s table… so there goes the history behind the post:)

  5. Loved this post. Thiptara is so pretty, have had an excellent time there whenever we’ve been.

  6. OMG” so jealous of all the fun your having!! Well done! So much in awe of you!! Love reading through your posts..its like experiencing it all just by sitting at my desk

    • Awwwee Dina! Thank you so much for the warm comment… well I do try to put in as much as I can, glad that it’s pulling off nicely:)

  7. Sounds wonderful! Have only heard fantastic things about the place, so will definitely look to check it out 🙂

    • Thanks Chirag for dropping by! Best part of Thiptara is that we’ve never been disappointed so far. Food is beautiful:)

  8. wow its cool , i m in touch usually on FB with u , but shall be touch here on this blog 🙂 wiish to be lucky

  9. Your blog takes me to places and long to be there also. You describe the food and the place so vividly that I can actually picture it in my imagination. Your passion for food is really amazing. I am not very good in cooking but I love food so much :-). I wish someday I could learn a little bit of cooking that my friends and family will truly enjoy.

  10. What more to ask for when one gets an ideal mix of great yummilicious food and a jaw dropping ambience. Particular this cuisine – reading about it transports you to the krabi islands of Thailand. Setting sun, lapping wave kissing the shore, the caves and islands just mesmerise you and the food transports you to the eclectic world of food lovers. Knowing that sane experience is now in Dubai makes is lucrative to the innocent tongue which simply longs to taste good food. Kudos to the chef and the team for giving this to the people of Dubai. It’s time – when one residing in the desert land can simply taste Thailand by just dropping in to this fabulous restaurant. Thanks chef !

    • Thanks Debanjana for dropping by! And the best part is Thiptara does keep up to all the accolades. It’s probably got the best view of the fountain as well – so you get both Thailand and Dubai in one shot:)

  11. Love the photos that accompany the posts, really gives you a sense of things 🙂

  12. Nice one. Absolutely loved the post. The pictures are so tempting.

  13. It’s always interesting to read your blog. Keep up the good work!

  14. Yey!Finally reading your post in a big screen. 🙂 Reading your post is like dining with you and your family, always a yummy read.

    • Really love this! ‘Reading your post is like dining with you and your family’ – what greater compliment can I wish for Abigail? Thanks very much:)

  15. i have always wanted to try out this restaurant since i have heard crazy raves about it from the food to the ambience.It could not get any more romantic.definitely a win win situation.a gastronomical feast for me and my hubby while we take in the lovely surroundings

  16. Thai food is my favourite food. Pictures and its discription including this one and thailand visit makes me feel and experience it at my desk. You are a beautiful writter !! Kudos to you and all chefs doing their jobs wonderfully.

    • I’m so glad that you entered Ashwini… I remember you telling me that you love Thai food. Well, then right now Thiptara is definitely the ‘best Thai’ restaurant in Dubai. Good wishes:)

  17. Loving your blog/unblog Ishita! Your reviews and conversations are colourful, interesting and I love them. You should write a book! Recipes and such would be a lovely read. Do love the technology but a book with your pictures and thoughts, memories and anecdotes really do make fantastic reading. x

    • Thank you Kate for dropping by! Do appreciate my Breeteeshhh friends to give me feedbacks as well. I do intend to write one – but right now I guess it’s important that I travel the world, meet people and learn from all these journeys. And share what I learn along the way. Good wishes to you!

    • Probably a break from some financial advising is needed too. Didn’t delete this comment with the hope that you’ve genuinely left your comment.

  18. This looks like a great place and it would be even better to with the prize too. Great site, keep up the good work. Thanks

  19. Hey Ishita, read your blog and its awesome and exciting just like you 🙂 many congratulations to you!!

    • Thanks Nicky for dropping in! Always a pleasure to find friends’ leaving their sweet comments… hope to see you dropping in again:)

  20. Hi Ishita,

    Just wanted to say you write so well! As a reader I can almost taste the food and feel its texture. Your writing has a way of actively involving the reader in your culinary experience.

    • Thank you Neda… blushing but all smiles… I’m so happy that you feel that I can involve my readers in my culinary experiences… Mission accomplished ‘a bit’!

  21. Was at the Palace Hotel’s Terrace outlet recently for a corporate event and it would be lovely to take the wife to that near sybaritic setting. You write from the heart and your ‘tongue’ speaks sincerely. Lovely posts to relish at leisure.

    • I’m sure it would be – after all the restaurant does look lovely with the Dubai fountains in the background. Good luck with the randomiser!

  22. Thank you for sharing your wonderful culinary experience at Thiptara. Your delicious food descriptions and beautiful pictures makes me want to experience the amazing cuisine at Thiptara. I have put it on my list of restaurants to try.

  23. Ishita, another beautifully written piece about a beautiful restaurant. I could almost taste the dishes!

    • Darryl! Thank you for dropping by… and thank you for leaving such a lovely comment. I’m glad that you entered the contest – you are one of the ‘foodie’ friends that I love having around. Good luck with the randomiser!

  24. Had booked marked this post…and now had a good read…wow a fabulous experience indeed to be dining at a chefs table at Thiptara..Infact all the Thailand posts are amazing and I’m almost contemplating packing by bags to visit Thailand…perhaps in the winter this year…Look forward to reading your posts as always;))

    • Thank you Shy! I love having you around as a blogger friend – you’ve always been so encouraging. Thanks for being there:)

  25. Pingback: UNESCO World Heritage Sites That I’ve Visited | Tracking My Foot Prints |

  26. Pingback: Arabian Pilgrimage Food Tour With Frying Pan Adventures |

  27. Hi Ishita, lovely write up and gorgeous pictures! But cannot imagine spending that much for a dinner for two even if I could afford it!! Keep writing and sharing your exotic experiences 🙂

    • Thank you Sangita for your feedback. Yes, the Chef’s table is expensive – but then it’s the exclusivity that you are paying for. It’s much more romantic when you sit in the regular dining area, listening to the music and being surrounded by the elegant decor. But if one is a foodie and likes the noise of pots and pans, then there is atleast an option via an expensive option.

  28. Pingback: A Connoisseur’s Guide To Eating Out In Dubai |

  29. Pingback: Dining Concepts | Dining Around Dubai With Foodiva | IshitaUnblogged

  30. Pingback: Countdown To 2015 | Gobbling Up Some Of The Best Views In Dubai | IshitaUnblogged

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A lot is happening:

Exciting times are afoot at Isibani … No, we are not closing and we are not moving overseas. Read on to find out what is actually happening with Isibani and in particular with the current site.

Isibani opened the doors to the community centre in 2008 and since then we have served many hundreds of people with varying needs. Our aim has always been to help to bridge the gap between the services needed by the community and the services the government is able to offer. In order to serve our community effectively we have to respond to changing community needs and avoid duplication of effort. We also have to work alongside and partner with Government as we ultimately serve the same people.

We were blessed in 2007 to be allowed the use of the Old Celimfundo school site and since that time the site has been used for many different projects and events. The role of Isibani has grown and evolved since 2008 and as a team we feel it is time for the next season to begin … we are planning to move our core operations to a site located in Khetani. We want to be more accessible to the people we serve and to offer more door to door holistic care and forming better relationships with our clients is our main focus.

This move has been on our hearts for at least 12 months and now in God’s timing we have not only identified a suitable site in Khetani to operate from but are able to offer many buildings making up our current site back to Celimfundo Primary School who are massively overcrowded with 1100 children attending school there.

Our plan is that the school will take over the buildings at the rear of the site and that the front buildings will be used as clinic by Isibani in conjunction with the Department of Health. The mobile clinic visits Isibani once each week and once we have restructured we hope to be able to extend the clinic hours and subject to funding, pray that one day we can have a full time nurse and permanent clinic on site saving people lengthy and expensive trips to Emmaus.

As part of our “shake up” we have also looked again at how we provide food support and together with the Matthew 25 committee are transitioning this service into the next level. We have conducted many home visits and identified who we believe to be the poorest of the poor, we are able to visit these families regularly and provide pre cooked meals and basic supplies as and when they are needed rather than handing out generic food parcels each month.

The next stage in our feeding programme is to open a soup kitchen, we hope that this will operate from the newly built and equipped kitchen at Celimfundo Primary School (this was funded by a generous donation from US donors). Children at the primary school receive one cooked meal per day and we would aim to provide a subsequent nutritional filled meal for those in need as well as home work support, counselling, spiritual support and an opportunity for us to address other social problems.

We are working closely with the Department of Health and taking more responsibility for malnourished children in Khetani and will have access to dietary supplements as needed. In our experience a malnourished child will lead to us to a family with many other problems and as part of our holistic approach we hope to identify these families and offer support as needed.

We have also been working closely with the Department of Social Development and intend to employ a dedicated social worker to assist with the many social problems in the area. This person together with our auxiliary workers will be accessible to the community and will also work alongside our feeding programme running from the school.

We are very excited about all these changes which we believe will uplift the community.

New Volunteer

Since a few weeks Bridie is already part of the Isibani family. At the moment you will find her mostly at the place of safety.
Get to know her here -> Bridie

I decided I wanted to come to South Africa last June. I have always wanted to volunteer with children, to make a difference in another country and to challenge myself. I am here for 6 months before returning back to England. I originally trained as a chef but decided that it wasn’t for me so I went back to college and did a course in childcare. This involved being at college for 1 day a week and 3 days working in a day nursery. Once I qualified as an ECD teacher. I got a job working in a Day nursery where I worked for 1 and a half years. I started working with the 3-5 year olds before being moved to working with the babies. I enjoyed working with the babies much more.

I have known Sofi all my life as she is a family friend and that is how I came to be a volunteer here. I arrived in Winterton in February and live with Sofi and her family and I volunteer at the Place of Safety. I work closely with the house mums and one of the German volunteers (Nora). We got a new member of staff at the place of safety at the beginning of March and I mostly work with her as we both cover the day shift together.

There are currently 14 children at the Place of Safety including 4 young children who don’t go to school or pre-school. I usually work Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4.p.m. I spend my time looking after the babies and I help out as a house mum when needed. We have a 10 month old, two 19 month olds and one who is almost 3. I help with keeping them stimulated throughout the day and encourage them to do activities. They can get very messy! I made gloop using corn flour and water and they loved it, making lots of mess. Another activity I did with them was to fill a plastic bath tub with some water and bubbles, give each of them a cloth and get them to clean a plastic doll. They had a great time. One of the babies just held the doll and spent about half an hour cleaning it. They got rather wet.

When I first started at the POS I went to the old crèche at Isibani and collected all the old bits of card board and plastic and tubes so that we could use them to make things. Junk modelling is a great way to get the kids to make toys and get them creative. We made shakers using seeds and plastic yoghurt pots. I also got them painting egg boxes.

I wrote a feeding chart for the younger children. I wrote what they should be eating, how much they should be eating and when they should be eating up to the age of 18 months. This was to help the house mums and so that everyone is on the same page. It is now a big poster on the wall. I have recently done a poster about road safety. The kids at the Place of Safety have no clue about road safety so I am hoping that I can help to change that. I like to think that in the time they are at the Place of safety we can make a difference in their lives and we can influence them for the better.

I hope I am making a difference in their lives and that I continue to do so.

Thank you

Easter Holiday at the Place of Safety

During the last few days, around the Easter Weekend, all the schools were closed and that meant that all the children at the place of safety were at home all day. We didn’t want the children to have boring holidays and to just sit at home the whole time so we made a plan lots of activities for the children to get involved in.

On the first day of the holidays, Sandra took some of the kids out to the Waffle Hut and they really enjoyed sitting in the restaurant and eating a delicious waffle. On the following Friday everyone went to Church in the morning and after coming back, we painted Easter Eggs and made some Easter Biscuits. The children liked the biscuits that much that they had all been eaten within just a few minutes.

One of the most exciting days was the next Sunday. Everyone went to Sofi’s house where we played games, ate a delicious lunch together and had a good time all round. The best thing about the day was that we rented a Jumping Castle! The children were jumping on it almost the whole day and in the evening everyone fell asleep right away.

After going to the Church on Sunday in the morning, the children went to search for Easter Eggs in the afternoon and everyone of them got a little surprise. The day ended with a little sleepover-Party. We put all the mattresses in the living room and while we were eating popcorn and fruit we were also watching Tom and Jerry. The children were very excited about a night together with all children sleeping in the same room so they stayed awake for a very long time!

Monday the 06th of April was the Sports Day at the Place of Safety. The group got divided in three little groups, which were competing against each other in ten different games. At the end of the competition, the group with the most points got a little prize. But even though there was just one winning group, all the groups really enjoyed playing the games and everyone participated and they were all very motivated and energetic.

The group got divided in the older and the younger children again on Tuesday. While the younger children went to play games and to have a picnic at the playground at the Lutheran Church, the older girls learnt how to crochet with Sandra as their teacher.
The younger kids went on the next day to the Valley Bakery to have lunch there and all the kids were also making Money Boxes to save their Pocket Money in future.

On the next day, Thursday the big challenge was to work together as a team. The Group faced ten challenges which they could only complete in if they would work together as a group. Because of their great work together, they got a little prize in the afternoon.
The last day of the holidays was Friday the 10th. As a good end of the holiday programme we all went out to Pig n Plough to have a nice time at the playground, to have some slush puppies and to jump on the trampoline.

We want to say thank you to all the helpers who made all these activities for the children possible and who helped us so much. The children really enjoyed these holidays and had an amazing time. We really appreciate your support.

Just a few success stories

Every day we meet people and behind all the people we meet there is a story to find! Here is just a small selection of the stories we have come to know and we are happy to share them with you:

Jacobs* Story: Jacob, who is confined to a wheel chair due to a stroke, was suffering from a urinary tract infection. He and his wife, who is also his daily care giver, received help and ongoing support through home visits made by our Home Based carers.  We were also able to provide transport assistance to the hospital and back again. Now, after one month the infection has cleared and he is doing very well..

Place of safety update:  Even after children leave the Place of Safety we like to do follow up visits and calls to see how their placement is working out and how the children are doing.  This helps us to find out if the placement is still suitable. During follow ups on one particular family of 3 siblings we found that the placement with extended family was not working out and the children were again at risk. For now the children are back in our care until a better place can be found for them.

Report from the social welfare Department:
This month we had 40 walk in clients who have been counseled, 45 Home visits were made. Ncami saw 820 children from Grade 2 to Grade 7 where she delivered an awareness training on rape, sexual abuse, harassment and human trafficking at Celimfundo Primary.

What are the social welfare ladies (Xoli, Ncami, Thandi) doing?

  • Designing Awareness for local schools about sexual abuse, rape and HIV/AIDS
  • One on One Counseling Session days at High Schools
  • Home Visits to clients in the community
  • Participating in Government driven awareness campaigns
  • Maintaining records of all cases, checking and updating client files
  • Assisting with feeding scheme program running from Isibani
  • Play Group with children
  • Follow ups and referrals to Social Workers through phone calls
  • Organizing children’s Camps and articipating in Camps
  • Research

Sbongile’s* story: The mother came to Isibani for advice about a problem she had with her children (4 in total!) who were not doing their duties at home. She came to ask for assistance in this matter. We had a meeting with them and made a few suggestions. A bit later in the following week the mother reported the change that had taken place since the meeting. The family had made a duty roster detailing who will do what and on which day. The mother was very happy about the support she had received and the change she was seeing in her children.

Mthethwa* children: The children from this family last attended school in 2013 and did not attend at all during the 2014 year. The mother came and asked if we could assist her to get the children back to school. We spoke to the children and then we also spoke to the Headmaster of a local school. Through this we managed to get one child back to school.

Expect the unexpected! Last month we had a naked lady running around early in the morning in Khethani. Xoli found her and assisted her to get away from the street. She seemed a bit confused and did not know what she was doing. We met up with her again on the way to another home visit a week or so later and she said THANK YOU for helping her that day. She is now recovered and promised not to run around naked anymore.

Sbo*: One of our “street kids” is accepted for a Rehabilitation Programme. Sbo is 14 years old has not been to school for the last two years. During the day you will normally find him at the local supermarket begging for money or food. The money he gets, he uses to buy glue to sniff or smoke. The government social worker has been informed about this case but has not attended to it so far.  Through love and trust and ongoing invitations to Isibani community centre we managed to create a relationship with him. He often comes to get a breakfast and also brings friends who are also not going to school. The families of children with these sorts of challenges over despair and give up on the children. We recently started facilitating family meetings with Sbo and his mother and we have also been trying to get him back to school. He did attend on some days but often skipped days. He asked us to help him to go to a Rehab because he can not stop the glue sniffing by himself.  We were able to take him for an drug assessment in Pietermaritzburg and they referred his results to a Rehab centre where he been accepted.

*The names of the people in this stories has been changed by us.

A letter to Isibani

Miriam and Lisa 2011 during their Volunteers year at Isibani with Sindy and Sbo

Lisa was a Volunteer at Isibani from August 2010 till August 2011. Now after three and a half years she came back for three weeks to visit us and our Community Centre. Sadly she left again, but today we received a letter from her to tell us about her time and impressions she had while being here with us:

Three and a half years. That’s about 1300 days. 30660 hours. Countless moments…
One thing I did learn during my time as a volunteer in South Africa is that life never stops, not even for a second. Even if we don’t want things to change, they do with every breath, every step we take. So when I planned my trip to visit South Africa after all this time, I tried very hard to keep that in mind. To remind myself, prepare myself that things and people are going to be different, changed. I am certainly not the same person who left SA in 2011 after one year of volunteering with Isibani. And all the people who left their mark in my character and my heart during this time are neither. Too many defining moments and changes have occurred since then in our lives that we missed out on or shared with other people in completely different worlds.

When it comes to Winterton and Isibani quite a lot of defining changes have happened. First and foremost the Place of Safety comes to my mind. It was a mere idea when Miriam and I left. Seeing that it is now up and running, giving shelter to endangered children who have nowhere else to go, is pretty amazing.
But also the everyday routine of Isibani has changed. The work has shifted towards being more community-based instead of center-based – sometimes leaving the Isibani site strangely quiet. Of course there has been a change of staff too. Even though it was awesome to see that some of the people I got to work with remained with Isibani throughout the years, it was a great pleasure to meet all the new staff members and to learn about the work they do within the community. I guess in a way the challenges are still the same and so is the way Isibani tries to face them – with immense love for the people, patience, hard work and trust in god.

For me coming back to SA was as much about catching up with everyone who made my year as beautiful as it was as to see if I could contribute something to this work by using the skills I had to offer.
Visiting the different crèches with Julia and Terry that are now operating in Khethani was just so very nice and fulfilling. It made me think of my days in the Baby Day Care – even though it was at different places filled with new care takers and children. I so enjoyed to support the care giving when some of the care takers were sick and delighted to watch the lessons and to see how quickly children pick up things.

The greatest Isibani-experience of my stay though was the basic first aid course that I conducted for community workers. When I first started planning I was not even sure if there was any interest or demand for it. Therefore I was quite overwhelmed finding out that 22 community workers were participating. In Germany I am part of a group that organizes first aid courses for med students. Doing it alone for „normal“ people was quite a challenge as I find that breaking things down to the basic and most important things is always hard. It was also difficult to adapt the course to South African circumstances. When an emergency occurs in Germany you call an ambulance and you can be sure that it will show within about 10 minutes – there is even a law that demands it. In SA on the contrary you might also have to consider organizing a lift to hospital yourself. This might interfere even with the best first aid. So what to tell people? That there is no point in starting CPR when you already know that the ambulance will only get there in 2 hours?
To me first aid is not only important for the person in need for aid but also for the first aider himself. The worst thing within a crisis is to feel like not being able to do anything. Enabling people to give sufficient help is important. Even if it turns out to be not successful. Besides there is always that percentage of people that can be saved by sufficient first aid. And this percentage (even though it might be lower in SA than it is in Germany) represents real people with a real life, real dreams and real loved ones – people who deserve that every first aider tries his or her best.
This theory was met by the participants by one hundred percent. They were more than keen on learning and practicing the different techniques, which focused on recovery position, cardiopulmonary reanimation, first aid in case of burns, heavy bleeding, choking and shock. In a course especially held for the Place of Safety mums we also dealt with special techniques for children.
It was such a pleasure to see all participants get more and more confident with their actions throughout the course. And to witness how they would correct and support each others during the practices. Teamwork – a very important part of first aid – came quite natural to everybody.
Of course you cannot learn first aid in one course. Even for me it is a challenge to remember everything correctly in case of emergency. It will not stick unless you practice. But what a course like this can do is to give people the confidence to approach a person in need and to at least try to help. To do something, even if it is just calling for help or comforting the person.
I just hope that the participants learned as much from me as I learned from them for all my future work in first aid courses.

Not only this first aid course but every moment that I got to share with an Isibani-member or a member of the community they work for and with made me feel very thankful and blessed. For being able to experiencing it, being part of the Isibani team again, feeling welcomed and accepted and just right where I was. All the changes set aside the „Isibani-spirit“has remained pretty much the same throughout the last three and a half years.

The Dutch philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once said: Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards. And now that I’ve returned to Germany looking back at three and a half weeks in South Africa I understand one thing very well: Some bonds with people or even with certain places act like bridges stretching over all the steps of change that we take in between two encounters. And in these rare, lucky cases you do not have to fear the change, the differences between now and then. You can easily meet them with an open and interested mind, look at them curiously, and even appreciate them. And you can bring your own without feeling the need to conceal them or being afraid of not fitting in. Then you can just start again where you have left it.

New Team member

TerryIn February Terry moved to Winterton to work in our Community to work in our early childhood development department! Have a look what is happening around her since she started at Isibani -> Here

Terry is working very close with our Volunteer Julia together, and whenever we are looking for them we either find them in their office where they create new ideas what to craft and play with the children or even more often in the creche rolling around the grass, covered with lots of children and surrounded by laughter =)

note: Terry is very shy of a photo, but we promise to bring it soon! The same as Julia 😉

What’s happening in the ECD Department?

My family and I have been here in Winterton for three weeks and every day is an adventure that I look forward to with great anticipation.  I work in Khethani with the community and my goal is to identify their needs with regard to Early Childhood Development.  I assist, mentor, teach and uplift those with a calling to educate young children.  When I arrived the community had already started a creche from a building in Khethani and we had quite a few challenges to face.  After much appreciated assistance the grass was cut (it was up to my thighs when I arrived), the long drop made a tiny bit more sanitary; long drop!!!!!  Yes, there was a family living in the toilets!!!!!!  This little hurdle was crossed and the building was scrubbed clean.  Any day now the toilets themselves will be repaired and or replaced.  Water was another challenge.  The only tap was not working and the Jojo tank had long since met its fate.  Once again with much appreciated assistance the pipe was repaired, tap replaced and running water restored.
So where do we go from here?  Basins need to be put into the toilets so that proper hygiene can be taught.  There are repairs and maintenance to the building that urgently need to be done.  The children need a jungle gym. Currently we have the babies, toddlers and preschoolers in the same area, separated by a curtain.  Not ideal at all.  Another classroom for the babies would be wonderful.  A small kitchen is on the list.  The sand pit is ready and waiting for sand, kindly donated to us.  We need an awning to cover it as well as a cover for the sand pit itself.  The fence around the property needs to be repaired to keep the marauding goats out.  A vegetable garden has been made – once again my sincere gratitude to the people who made this possible.  Once the fence is repaired we, the teachers, volunteer, children and I will plant vegetables which the children will get to enjoy as part of their daily diet.
Over and above Khethani Creche I have identified other wonderful people taking care of young children in their homes.  Each one has children she looks after every day.  What are their needs:
  • Toys – puzzles, cars, building blocks etc.
  • Balls
  • Jungle Gym
  • Swing
  • Sand Pit
  • Blankets and small mattresses
  • Books aimed at very young children
  • Paints
  • Crayons
  • Paper – recycled is great (we only need one side)
  • Old magazines for practicing cutting
So this is my story and I would love it if you would follow it regularly and travel the road with me.  Should you at any time feel you would like to be more involved there is plenty of room.  I promise it will be an adventure well worth your time!
Hamba kahle


text:
Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy Book 1) by Devney Perry is Coming Soon!!

This is one of my most anticipated books and it’s coming on October 29, 2019.

Devney Perry is one of my favorite authors and her books are amazing. If you haven’t read her books you should start with her Jamison Valley Series. It’s so beautiful.

If you love Alpha Males and strong heroines, you should definitely read Devney’s books.

Her new series Tin Gypsy is coming next month and I’m so excited for this.

The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.

As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.

Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.

Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.

One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.

👉 Goodreads:

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text:
Give It Up

Chords  Used: A, F#m, D, E7

(1st Verse):
I got a sickness,
say that you're that prescription
Got problems,
F#m                               D
you're the only one that listens,
D       E7x2
to me~

Never told her that she was that one,
So she went and then she got that gun
D                             E7
and aimed it straight at my heart~
And your body's like a hour glass,
And I can't stop in time
So baby don't be mad,
Because I gave it all I had
And your kiss is like a "Summer Breeze",
It puts my pain at ease
So baby don't hold back,
E7 (One strum)
A simple kiss I'll kiss you back

A             F#m
I can't hold back all this love,
("Give it up girl, Give it to me")
D               E7
Cause it's bad for your heart
("Give it up girl, give it to me" )

(2nd Verse): [Repeat chords from 1st verse]
Now did I mention baby, you're that fix
Two shots baby does the trick,
I feel it in my soul~
And now she wanna be my lover,
And now we're dancin' under the covers
And then we're sharin' the night~
And baby I can't help it,
The way you make me feel
Cause your loves in full attack,
Rollin' with the wall against my back
And if you were to take my heart~
Girl the way we're makin' love,
I swear we'll never be apart~

"Give it up!"

(CHORUS): [repeat]

A        #m   D
So show me~ What's it all about?
What's it all about?
(CHORUS): [repeat]

"Give it up!"

Published by kyharada

From the Islands of Hawaii, just a girl connecting with her passion.

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text:
Search Issue Tracker

Fixed in 2018.3

Fixed in 2019.1

Found in

Issue ID

The draw call count changes after moving the mouse into Game View when a Camera is rendering to a RenderTexture

Graphics - General

Repro steps:
1. Open attached project "FrameDebuggerTest"
2. Open scene "Sample Scene"
3. Enter Play Mode
4. Main Menu -> Window -> Analysis -> Frame Debugger
5. Click "Enable" in the Frame Debugger's window
6. Move the mouse to the Game View
7. Observe the Frame Debugger Window

Actual: The draw call count changes until you press something in the Frame Debugger Window

Reproducible with: 2017.2.5f1, 2017.3.0a6, 2017.4.17f1, 2018.2.19f1, 2018.3.0f2, 2019.1.0a12

- This kind of behavior can also be observed when moving the slider which is at the top of Frame Debugger Window to the far left

Fixed in: 2019.2.0a1
Backported to: 2018.3.3f1, 2019.1.0a14

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View bugs we have successfully reproduced, and vote for the bugs you want to see fixed most urgently.


text:
Principale A Guide to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules

A Guide to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules

, ,
The first version of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules was endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1976. Now considered one of UNCITRAL’s greatest successes, the rules have had an extraordinary impact on international arbitration as both instruments in their own right and as guides for others. The Iran-US Claims Tribunal, for example, employs a barely modified version of the rules for all claims, and many multilateral and bilateral foreign investment treaties adopt the UNCITRAL Rules as an arbitral procedure. The Rules are so pervasive and the consequences of the new version potentially so significant that they cannot be ignored. This commentary on the Rules brings the official documents together in one volume and includes the insights and experiences of the Working Group that are not included in the official reports.
Casa editrice:
Cambridge University Press
540 / 546
ISBN 10:
ISBN 13:
PDF, 2,90 MB
Scaricare (pdf, 2,90 MB)

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text:
Quick Answer: What Is A Good Cheap Daily Driver?

Can a Bentley be a daily driver?

With a starting price of $235,000, it’s not what you’d typically consider a “daily driver,” but as we find out, this Bentley is indeed a car you could happily live with every single day..

What are good daily drivers?

10 Sporty Sedans That Make Practical Daily Drivers1 Volvo S60. The Volvo S60, undeniably one of the sleekest and most luxurious cars on this list, also packs a punch when it comes to handling, power, and overall performance.2 Alfa Romeo Giulia. … 3 Mazda6. … 4 Kia Stinger. … 5 BMW 3 Series. … 6 Tesla Model 3. … 7 Audi S4. … 8 Subaru WRX. … More items…•

Can a Ferrari be a daily driver?

You can daily drive a Ferrari now, yes. As a successor to the 612 Scaglietti, the FF needs to be an absolute daily-capable Ferrari. The 612 is really good as a daily car. However, it’s not as good as a wagon or a hatchback and it’s not 4 wheel drive so you can’t drive it on dodgy conditions.

What is the best daily driver supercar?

The Best Entry-Level Supercars For 2020Audi R8 ($169,900) If there is a quintessential entry-level supercar, it has to be the Audi R8. … Acura NSX ($157,500) … Nissan GT-R ($113,540) … McLaren 570S ($192,500) … Lotus Evora GT ($96,950) … Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 ($58,900) … Mercedes AMG GT ($115,900) … 992 Porsche 911 Turbo ($203,500)More items…

What used cars NOT to buy?

30 Used Cars Consumer Reports Gave the ‘Never Buy’ LabelChrysler Town & Country. Chrysler’s new minivan will hopefully rate better than Town & Country. … BMW X5. 2012 BMW X5 | BMW. … Ford Fiesta. Compact cars by Ford had a bad run between 2011 and 2014 | Ford. … Ram 1500. 2015 Ram 1500 | Ram. … Volkswagen Jetta. VW Jetta | Volkswagen. … Cadillac Escalade. … Audi Q7. … Fiat 500.More items…•

What is the fastest most reliable car?

The Most Reliable American Sports CarsFord Mustang. Percentage of vehicles with 150,000+ miles: 2.30% … Chevrolet Corvette. Percentage of vehicles with 150,000+ miles: 0.70% … Chevrolet Camaro. Percentage of vehicles with 150,000+ miles: 0.60% … Dodge Challenger. … Audi TT. … Mazda MX-5 Miata.

What is the slowest car in the world?

Peel P50The slowest car in the world is the Peel P50, manufactured by Peel Engineering. It’s so slow that it has become a part of the history. Holding the Guinness World Records for the smallest car that has been ever made, it also crowns the title of being the slowest. It’s also the smallest car in the world.

Which supercar is most reliable?

Most Reliable SupercarsPorsche 911 Turbo. We know this is going to be a controversial one, but bear with us. … Ford GT. Either version of the contemporary Ford GT is a great choice for the enthusiast in search of a reliable supercar, and it’s easy to see why. … Saleen S7. … Acura NSX. … Vector W8. … Koenigsegg Agera. … Hennessey Venom GT. … Lexus LFA.More items…•

What car has the least amount of problems?

Dodge Challenger (Top-rated midsize sporty car) … Hyundai Tucson (Top-rated small SUV) … Kia Rio (Top-rated small car) … Lexus ES 350 (Top-rated compact premium car) … 2015 Chevrolet Malibu (Top-rated midsize car) … 2015 Lexus GS (Top-rated midsize premium car) … Lexus CT 200h (Top-rated small premium car)More items…•

What is the fastest car for the money?

10 Fastest Cars for the Money in 2018Ford Mustang GT Fastback.Chevrolet Corvette Z06.Dodge Challenger Demon.Nissan 370Z Coupe.Honda Civic Type R.Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400.Audi RS3.Subaru WRX.More items…

What is high mileage for a Lamborghini?

302,556km.The world’s highest-mileage Lamborghini Huracan is for sale, having travelled a staggering 302,556km. Having been built in 2015, that means this high-powered piece of Italian exotica has travelled on average 60,000km each year since it rolled from the production line in Sant’Agata.

Are Ferraris high maintenance?

Ferraris are notorious for being very expensive to maintain. As a general rule, older, more expensive models tend to incur the highest maintenance costs. Other cost averages: Belts – $4,000 every 15,000 miles.

What is the most fun sports car to drive?

10 Most Fun Cars To Drive2017 Ford Mustang GT.2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata.2016 Volvo V60 Polestar.2016 Jeep Wrangler.2016 Dodge Charger.2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road.2016 Subaru BRZ.2016 Porsche Cayman S.More items…

What is a daily driver?

daily driver (plural daily drivers) (automotive) A personally-owned automobile driven on a frequent basis for standard and mundane tasks. (technology) The primary phone, computer, or other device that one uses on a frequent basis, especially compared to other devices of the same type.

What is a good cheap fast car?

2020 Subaru WRX. $27,495 | 268 hp | USN Performance Score: 7.7/10. … 2020 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec. $23,350 | 201 hp | USN Performance Score: 8.1/10. … 2020 Kia Stinger GT-Line. … 2020 Mini Cooper S. … 2020 Honda Civic Type R. … 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. … 2020 Volkswagen GTI. … 2020 BMW 230i Coupe.More items…•

What cars should I not buy used?

2007 Chevrolet Colorado. U.S. News Overall Score: 5.5/10 | Predicted Reliability Score: 2/5. … 2008 Dodge Avenger. U.S. News Overall Score: 5.5/10 | Predicted Reliability Score: 2/5. … 2019 Dodge Journey. … 2019 Fiat 500X. … 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage. … 2007 Dodge Caravan. … 2008 GMC Canyon. … 2014 Jeep Patriot.More items…•

Can you daily drive a Lamborghini?

My answer would be ‘NO’, you cannot use a Lamborghini as your daily driver. … Secondly Lamborghini suggests you to get your car serviced at their showroom for every 5000 miles, and each service also come with a tire change option that would set you back at least 6000 to 10000$.

What are the cheapest most reliable cars?

10 Cheap Reliable CarsHonda Fit.Kia Soul.Chevrolet Sonic.Nissan Kicks.Ford Fiesta.Subaru Impreza.Toyota Corolla.Volkswagen Jetta.More items…•


text:
Interest Rates & Yields

2017 opened with expectations of continuing in the trajectory of falling interest rates. However, RBI took the markets by surprise by shifting the monetary policy stance from accommodative to neutral in early February. The reserve bank has reiterated and reinforced this stance ever since. The interest rate was cut only once by 0.25% during the October policy on account of persisting low inflation.

The 10-year Government Security had a roller-coaster ride this year. Yields rose sharply when the policy stance moved to neutral. On the contrary, there was barely any movement, when interest rates were lowered in October. The yield has been on a steady rise from August this year. The rise has been supported by the RBI’s OMO operations, neutral policy, and rising interest rates in the United States.

Demonetization & Inflation

This year witnessed the after-effects of demonetization, manifested in the form of excess liquidity. The RBI has worked consistently to absorb the excess liquidity. Currency in circulation has been restored to its pre-demonetization levels. Improving GDP and industrial production numbers in the last two quarters has allayed slowdown concerns.

Inflation appears to be the lynchpin. Monetary policy actions hinge on the movement of inflation rates. The CPI index reached a concerning low of 1.54% in June this year. Over the past few months, inflation has climbed due to rising food and fuel prices, geopolitics, and increasing global liquidity.

US Bond Markets

This year, the Fed has raised rates by 25 basis points each in March, June, and December. The interest rate now lies in the band of 1.25% to 1.50%. Falling unemployment and improving economic growth in the US have supported these rate hikes. The overall expectation is that the Fed will continue to raise interest rates in the coming year as well. The passing of the tax reforms will speed up this process. Jerome Powell is set to replace Janet Yellen as the Fed Chair in 2018.
Market Outlook

2017 favoured Indian equities. To such an extent that money meant for debt flowed into equity, mostly in the form of balanced funds promising regular payouts. This is not a healthy trend for financial markets.

A rate hike is more probable than a rate cut in the current scenario. Keeping this along with neutral policy in mind, it is important to maintain quality in the investment portfolio. As the fixed income space has a return ceiling, it is important to align to high-quality accrual funds that can ride through volatility and protect the portfolio from downsides.

Recent Posts

Fixed Income Outlook – January 2021

Posted on January 5, 2021

The 2021 Challenge

Posted on January 2, 2021
Open chat


text:
A Brief Reply to ‘A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design’ by Bret Victor

‘Vision Matters’

Victor’s right. About a lot of things. But first about that Microsoft ‘Future Vision’ video at the top of his brief rant. It’s not all that visionary. It’s a design exploration at best. And a huge waste of money on motion graphics at worst.

(Although, actually this was probably a marketing piece much more so than any indication of what Microsoft R&D is working on, Future Vision-wise. It was probably designed by art directors in the marketing department and not user interface or user experience professionals. Which makes the video’s relevancy moot. But, at least, it’s provided us with a really interesting place to start thinking about what we want from our tools [cue: echo SFX] of the Future. )

If movies are any indication, than futuristic has always meant simpler. And simpler has meant flatter and sleeker. As if everyone designing the future has a limited palate of ideas to work with. Eventually everything is pressed into one thin sheet of glass and then that vanishes altogether and we’re left with some sort of floating projection to swat at. At one time these hardware and UI designs were visionary. But now you’ve been communicating with one of these visions for years.

Maybe it’s time to rethink simplicity. Is opening a jar simple? Yeah it is. Of course…that’s opening a jar and not sending an email or color grading an image or sequencing music. But the idea translates: it’s simple and it’s a specific interaction to get a task accomplished and it’s no where close to swiping a screen with a finger.

Giving Us The Finger

Victor makes the observation that almost all of these interactions have been reduced to the use of a finger. And really, just the tip of a finger.

“Hands feel things, and hands manipulate things.”

Why is this when our bodies are so capable? We have an amazing ability to sense and decode feedback from the word around us. Weight, thickness, friction, density, balance, temperature, texture, etc. These are the world’s ways of transferring information.

This Proverbial Wallets Project from the MIT Media Lab is a great example of using dynamic object properties to convey information about the world. It might seem odd or just an interesting exercise, but from Victor’s perspective, an inflatable wallet is way more of a window into the future than the flat pieces of glass we’re used to.


text:
P-Comp Lab: Servos & Speakers

Self Servo

Servos are small motors with a 180º angle of movement. They can be precisely controlled. Or so I’m told.

My servo circuit worked. Sort of. If I turned to control too fast or as it reached the end of its range of movement it started to wobble like a fat man on a kayak.

I’m not exactly sure why this happened. Although I can poisit the potentiometer was the culprit from the Serial communication  feedback I was getting. At the high end of the potentiometer’s range (which was mapped to the high end of the servo’s range of movement) the numbers were jumping back and forth in a seemingly random pattern.

I’ll need to try this same set up with a more robust potentiometer and see what happens.

 Bringing the Noise

My little baby Arduino starter kit didn’t come with a speaker. So I went to the venerable Junk Shelf to see what I could find. (Spoiler alert: I found treasure.)  Photo Sep 23, 2 40 29 PM

I can’t tell you exactly where on the Junk Shelf I found this windfall. That would break the promise I made to the wizard who showed me the way. I can tell you what I found: a wireless phone handset.

Photo Sep 23, 2 40 57 PM

And tucked in the murky plastic shallows just beneath the outer layer I discovered a small speaker with clearly marked Power and Ground wires. Joy of joys! So I ripped it out, leaving a plastic carcass behind for the hands of fate/other ITPers to decide it’s ultimate destiny.

Photo Sep 23, 2 41 18 PM

The lab itself was fairly straight forward. I hooked up a circuit and followed the instructions to write a program that told the speaker to emit a series of short tones.

Photo Sep 20, 11 52 35 PM Next I implemented two photodetectors as “controls.” After a little tweaking and much flailing I did find that using only one of the photodetectors gave a more consistent sound from the speaker.

Photo Sep 21, 12 01 21 AM
what a shitty picture

At that point I also realized it was past 12:30am and whatever was emanating from my apartment must have sounded like I was trying to make love to an am radio. So that’s where I ended this lab.


text:
“one more person” – Nayana Nair

the one thing i can’t be
is honest.

though there are many other adjectives
that stare at me
from their balconies at midnight
as i walk and crawl through the dirt road,
through the pool of lights,
crying and shouting and breaking dreams
in every home that i pass by.
i hear them shaking their heads
with disapproval and hopelessness.
i look at their hazy shadows
and try to hate them in equal measures
but i don’t
because they are so easy to forget.

but this honesty,
this honesty that people expect
vexes me.
this expectation
makes me want to hide, run, run over their hearts
all because it is so simple.
all because the ones who ask me of this
through their tears
are not mere observers
but are the ones struggling to stay close to me
fighting the unnecessary sandstorm i create everyday.
they are the ones who deserve honesty.
they are the ones i don’t deserve.

but my dishonesty is not only for this world.
it is the only thing i can offer to myself as well.
so again, i wake up in their arms
with another lie ready on my lips.
i hug them with with my true love and my false heart.

i don’t try to make it right
when they are in shambles again
because there is no fancy way to put it,
there is no beauty in what i do,
there is no promise i would keep.
there are only people who i leave.
even when i can’t bear to miss one more person again.

“What I Remember (21)” – Nayana Nair

I prod and push the glass slowly, carefully
to the edge of the table,
where your glass stands.
At the edge where you place your suitcase,
where you always tie your laces once again
just to be sure.

That is the place you tell me to love
when you think I might lend something of me
to keep such place alive,
to keep you warm while you keep the door open
like the way the you like them to be.

This is the place you tell me to forget
when the color of my skin doesn’t match the color of your new sky,
when your new birds keep singing songs
of ‘soulmates’ with better specification
when it becomes your new caller tune,
when you think of the best version of your life.
You think of that too often, quite loudly
for me to really forget anything.

This is all I remember of you:

i never thought you were weak enough to need anyone or anything.”
i thought you were wise enough, i thought you were better than your gender.
call me. meet me. i am feeling down.
call me. meet me. listen to me, no one else does. only you have ever cared.
call me. meet me. i want us to end.
you are too much for me. you are too little in the eyes of anyone in this world.
you are so close to having my fickle demanding unfair love, why do you ruin everything by being yourself.
i would have loved you for 2 more years, if you were not messed up.

When I think of the glasses, of my life, of everything
that I dangerously left at the edges
just to be your equal, just to make sense of you-
I am glad I have claimed back my madness
instead of trying to understand yours.
I am glad I do not have to live my life
compensating for your weakness, calling it love.

“Reply Button” – Nayana Nair

This where my moment of collapse,
where my undoing starts.
Me, sitting in front of something that I used to love,
something that used to carry a part of me.
Me, in front of bookshelves,
looking at the list of movies that broke open my heart,
moving my hands over the quotes
that I took pains to scribble
on everything I own,
half-hiding behind the high dining tables,
not really eating,
not really listening,
making cracks on my glass skin
with the fork that has forgotten how food feels,
hesitating to touch that reply button,
hesitating to hold his hand.
“i am empty, i can’t find in myself the will
to love anything in this world”, I want to say.
But it would be so unfair
to break another’s heart, only because I have lost mine.
But won’t it be equally unfair
to give someone hope with my meaningless smiles.

“What I Remember(4)” – Nayana Nair

I tell myself that I have nothing worth saying and that no one wants to listen.
I know this because I have tried to speak my mind
and in best cases I have been told that my mind is not that right,
that the experience that I speak from doesn’t exist for them,
so they will unanimously refuse to acknowledge my narrative.
Or they will smile at me and look down at me.
But I am not their adorable kid who had got her alphabets mixed up.
I am a person equal to them,
and my level of ignorance is equal to them
even if it is not about same things.

I am a person equal to them.
I am a person equal to them
I am a person equal to them…
I have to keep repeating it
or else I might just forget.
Maybe I have already started to forget
because these days I speak in small sentences, waiting for affirmative nods.
I find myself reading everything that they will approve of.
I find myself voicing what they want to hear.
I see myself calling myself stupid before they call me one.
I see myself nod understandingly at everything I disagree with.
I hear the arguments inside me against the favorite opinions of everyone
and they stay inside me,
and everyone is happy.

“You are too young to know better, to know reality.
You are too girlish to see the world for what it is.
You are too sentimental to speak logically.”
I know the wall of judgement I will run into
if I let myself speak.

So you may actually want to listen
and you might not be like others.
But I can’t bring myself to speak about what matters to me.
Cause either I will be wounded at my weakest spot
or I will end up hating you just for being like everyone else
when you ridicule me, interrupt me to correct me
and try to tell me what I should be feeling instead.
I won’t give you a chance
because I can’t take chances with our friendship.
I won’t speak up
because I don’t want to feel more inferior than I already do.

“Who seem to know a lot” – Nayana Nair

Nothing scares me more than people
who seem to know a lot about world,
who seem to know every answer
to every problem.
Especially when the answer
is that the weight and blame of this
collapsing world
only lies on shoulder of few.
And answers mostly revolve about how
not every one is equal.
I urge those people to make their homes in these
boxes of labels that they use as weapon
against people who were just living their own life
and live their life avoiding any thing
that might break their illusion of self-righteousness.
For that is all they have.
Nothing scares me more
than a person who thinks
what he thinks is best for the world,
who thinks that emotions and lives
are disposable things,
in front of the grand plan he has
for himself and this world that only he supposedly owns.

“Must feel the same” – Nayana Nair

All sorrows don’t have the same weight.
And sometime its weight
is not related to the reason of the sorrow,
but on the person who endures it.
And there is always something worse
that could happen in everyone’s life.
Our sufferings may not be equal.
Our tears may not be of same hue.
a heart that hurts
must feel the same.
A mind that’s lost,
the whispers of blame
must feel the same.

When you don’t belong to earth
and the sky doesn’t want you
and you know not where to go.
Come to me.
I will hear you.
I will hear all you worries
that seem too childish to be spoken out.
I will hear the sound
of your deep breaths in the music of your sobs.
I will let you live your grief.
Grief to have lost.
Grief to have found .
Grief to simply exist.
Whatever it may be
and you don’t have to explain why it hurts.


text:
Amber, Red Jade and Turquoise remind me of a beautiful sunrise..

Amber, Red Jade and Turquoise remind me of a beautiful sunrise..

I’ve always been drawn inexplicably to stones. Sometimes I will look up why this particular stone has a certain attraction for me and I will find that it is exactly what I was needing at the time. I feel many times the stone chooses me! Many ancient cultures believe certain stones have healing properties and certain traditions go back centuries.

I love the feel of them against my skin and sometimes I feel certain energies from different stones. There is nothing I enjoy more than putting together a necklace for someone that I’m very fond of. It’s truly a labour of love. Ultimately my selection relies on my intuition and heart.

For me there is nothing more sensuous than amber and soft gold together.

For me there is nothing more sensuous than amber and soft gold together.

I’m very drawn to amber and amethyst for some reason and enjoy working with these particular stones very much.The ancient Roman writer and scientist Pliny the Elder (23-79 BC) stressed in his work Natural History that amber is not just adornment, but it is also the cure. Amber jewelry (they have to touch the body) provides energy, will and determination.
Perhaps I’m intuitively drawn to it for the romantic myths attached to amber. A Lithuanian amber myth tells about the story of lost love. Perkunas, God of Thunder, was the father God and his daughter was Jurate, a mermaid who lived in an amber palace in the Baltic. One day a fisherman named Kastytis would cast his nets to catch fish from Jurate’s kingdom. The goddess sent her mermaids to warn him to stop fishing in her domain. He did not stop, so Jurate went herself to demand he stop. Once she saw him she fell in love and brought him back to her amber palace. Perkunas, knowing Jurate was promised to Patrimpas, God of Water, was angered to find his daughter in love with a mortal. Perkunas destroyed the amber palace with a bolt of lightening to kill her mortal lover. Her palace was destroyed and Jurate was chained to the ruins for eternity. When storms in the Baltic stir the sea, fragments from the amber palace wash up on shore. Pieces in the shape of tears are particularly treasured, as they are the tears from the grieving goddess, as she weeps tears of amber for her tragic love.

Because I am such a romantic I love mixing it with turquoise and for me amber is reminiscent of the sun in the sky. It also has been said to hold the healing properties from the tree essence, whichever tree it is made up of.

So until my heart changes direction…. I remain pretty in amber.

Pretty in Amber....

Pretty in Amber….

copyright Es-tee Miller

“Pretty in amber to observe the forms of hairs, or straws, or dirt, or grubs, or worms! The things, we know, are neither rich or rare, But wonder how the devil they got there.”
— Alexander Pope, Poet (1688-1744)

About redcontroversy

I'm a stargazing,skywatching,storm loving, sungazing addict. Environmentalist, political blogger, professional photographer, writer, favourite quote is: "If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive". ~ Eleonora Duse ~ soul is definitely alive.
This entry was posted in love and poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to LOVE STONES

  1. Jules C. says:

    Beautiful! amber is one of my favourite stones and did not know about the healing aspects!

  2. Karin Schmidt says:

    Estee, your amber works are beautiful!

  3. tazzzzzzzzz says:

    For me, your jewellery has always reflected your spirit and beauty. x

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text:
Fergie’s long awaited return is over with new single “L.A. Love (La La)”

It’s hard to believe the last solo album Fergie released was in 2006. Listening to this new single it seems like Fergie hasn’t lost it and I’m thinking she has another hit on her hands.

Produced by DJ Mustard ( Trey Songz’ “Na Na” ,Tinashe’s “2 On”, Jeremih’s Don’t Tell Em, and a lot more), Fergie feels like shes completely in her element rapping on  Mustard’s infectious beat while singing a catchy chorus schooling us on the cities around the world (Always trying to keep us educated). Fergie’s flow has always been nice but it feels like she turned the swag up a couple levels for this track, makes me think of what would happen if Tyga and Iggy Azalea voices were combined on a track. Even though the beat is very similar to songs DJ Mustard has produced in the past (YG “Who Do You Love”), I’m glad Fergie evolved to what’s hot now while staying true to her style as an artist.

“L.A. Love (La La)” is the type of track you put out after an 8 year hitaus. The beat is dope, I can already hear people trying to rap along to it like song of the summer Fancy (I-G-G-Y). Fergie is coming back with a BANG excited to hear  what else she has planned for this era!

What do you think of “L.A. Love (La La)? Let me know in the comments!

“L.A. Love (La La)” impacts radio Monday / Buy on iTunes Tuesday (Sep. 30) !

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text:
Mar 27 2020

Brave New World: The Year of the Covid-19

Category: MiscellaneousIuliana @ 21:59

A few weeks ago our life was still somewhat normal and the Wuhan tragedy was thousands of miles away. It was a distant world hit by a tragedy and it was just a story for us, one of those things that we were mildly curious and sad about. I was reading the news while preparing to fly to Romania for three weeks and I could not imagine I will not be able to do it.

But now it has become our reality and in a desperate try to slow the spread and protect our most vulnerable members of our society we have isolated ourselves in our houses and we are risking our mental health in doing so. And that is what this entry is about, mostly, how to manage your own mind and keep from going crazy while locked in your home and worried about a billion things.

Start by making a list of friends and family members and video call at least one of them daily. If you are not going crazy because you are a loner and used to being by yourself, most people are not. And they might be crazy with worry themselves and not even know how to deal with it. So be a decent human being and be there for people that do not even know they need you.

Be especially careful with your children. When humans develop they need routine, routine means security. Having a fixed routine helps them feel somewhat in control of their life, while learning to live in our society and helps them become confident. This pandemic has disrupted their routine so it is up to you, the parent, to enforce a new one. The initial disruption in routine will make them do crazy things. On the inside they are probably scared, they know something bad is happening, they might even feel your anxiety about this new situation and they will react to it in ways that will surprise you. This is the time to have that serious chat about feelings with your children. It is time to tell them that it is ok to be sad, it is ok to be angry and restless, but lashing out and breaking things will not help and it will not change things. It’s ok to cry, it’s ok to get a pillow and kick it until your knuckles bleed, but hurting the ones closer to you is not ok. Also, keep reminding them them that is not forever and help them cope by helping them to keep in contact with friends and relatives as well. Keep them busy, but also allow them to be alone from time to time. If it looks like they are out of control just punish them by sending them to their room for 30 minutes. Maybe they will box that pillow, maybe they will cry, but they will have time to think and hopefully they will get out of the room when they feel like it and maybe realize the craziness of their behaviour. Of course this works with kids that are over four years old, for smaller ones … you are doomed. But hopefully you are a good parent and you made it this far, so trust yourself that you will make it without scarring your children for life. (How do I know so much about kids? Simple, I never really grew up. :D)

Keep busy. Obviously if you have kids, that part is settled. :D Take advantage of this period being locked inside your home to get to know yourself. Although the TV, and/or Netflix, or Amazon Prime, etc offer a lot of distractions, they also offer a lot of noise. This noise keeps you from thinking and acknowledging the situation you are in. You are locked between four walls. And you probably are in fear for your job and salary. Think very well what you want to do about this. If the company asks to accept reduced pay, you might want to take it. If you are happy with the company you work for, you want to help keep it alive, so you will have a job after this disaster has passed. If you know that the company you work for is danger of shutting down, you have to think fast. Do you have savings? How long will you be able to go on living almost normally until they end? Could you get another job? What else are you good at that you could make money of? If you have garden, it is time to become an expert gardener. Being able to grow your own food is an invaluable skill.

And acknowledge the novelty of this situation. There will be people who will have it worse then you. Help those who you know are worth it and buy a baseball bat to defend yourself from those who will not ask for help in a … friendly way. It’s scary, but you can only start solving a problem once you acknowledge it. So let’s acknowledge the fact that we really, really do not know how long this will go on. Most governments never expected for our civilized society to deal with a pandemic of such magnitude, and they will not always make the best decisions. They will not be able to save, protect and help all of us. So let’s acknowledge that if we do not help ourselves, it is quite possible nobody will. We are all in this together and we will deal with it in different ways. And unfortunately when survival is at stake, being a decent human being is no longer a priority for most people. So acknowledge that too and decide what you are willing to do if worse comes to worst.

I do not want to scare you more then you already are. But most of us have been sleeping comfortably on the pillow of civility, in our decent communities for so long we forgot that for some people laws are just guidelines. Most societies remain civilized not because their member are unable of doing uncivilized things, but because they choose not to. In an uncertain situation, when resources are limited being civilized is no longer a priority.

I really hope for a miracle, and I hope in three months we will have a vaccine or the virus will just mutate into an innovensive form. And I really hope we as a society will become better because of it. But … hope is just a thought. And thoughts are just thoughts. Only actions shape reality.

Stay safe, stay healty and stay sane!

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text:
Masturbation. There, I said it out loud.

Posted on July 24, 2012

Buttons gives the talk

Welcome to this week’s instalment of WTF Wednesday, where advice is just an opinion you didn’t ask for.

This week’s question was sent to us via Twitter by WannabeAStayAtHomeDad, who tweets as @WannabeSAHDad and has a blog called, surprisingly, Wannabe Stay At Home Dad.  He writes,

Dear Barmy,

How do I teach my 8 year-old son when/where it’s appropriate to touch himself you know where?

Well, like everything in parenting, it’s really about what seems right for your family.

Hahahahahahahahaha! That’s funny: “what seems right for your family.” Hahahahaha!

OK, let’s get serious: this wouldn’t be an advice blog if I didn’t point out that the only options you have are those that I present for you. And I present you with 2:

Option 1: The heart-to-heart.

The father-son talk. Man to man. Or as they say in German, “Mano y mano.” (bilinguisticalism is an important skill for advice-giving experts).

At 8 years old, your son is ready for this conversation (Although the strip club where you plan to take him for your little chat may think otherwise). It involves face-to-face communication, lots of eye contact and several stiff drinks (For you, not him. You want him to remember the talk; you, on the other hand, will certainly want to forget it.)

I haven’t given this talk as I chose option 2 below, but here’s how it worked in my family when I was growing up:

Dad spontaneously, yet with an oddly nervous tone, invites you for a nice dinner—just you and him for some bonding time.

You reluctantly put down the Atari game you’re playing (look it up, kids) and head out with dad.

You sit down, review the menu and order.

You wait for the food, each staring at the TV behind the other. Dad says, “Whoa, did you see that play?” You say, “I’m watching baseball and the game hasn’t started yet.” Dad nods but you don’t see it because you’re watching TV.

Fifteen minutes later, the food arrives. Conversation during dinner is a fascinating mix of “Pass the ketchup,” and “How’s the burger, son?

When the check arrives, dad pulls out his credit card, hands it to the waiter and you both watch TV until the waiter returns. The baseball game has finally started.

Dad signs the receipt, puts his wallet back in his pocket and says, “So, son,” as he stands up from the table. “Masturbation,” he pauses, maybe for affect but more likely from hearing that word out loud for the first time.  Then, “It’s OK.”

You look down from the TV and realize that he just said something, then stand up as well when you realize he’s ready to go.

As he holds the door open for you, he places his hand on your shoulder and says, “Good talk.”

Option 2: The most efficient and arguably more effective method.

Giving the talk on the Internet

Problem solved! You’re welcome.

Posted in: Advice (bad)


text:
Lessons from the master: A short film from canoeist Bill Mason illustrates the joy and poetry of paddling solo.  All the basic strokes used to control the canoe are rendered with perfect clarity through animated lines. Like what you see?  Share it with your friends on Facebook or let us know about your favourite paddling

According to the Marine Conservation Society, Scotland has the highest average litter levels in the UK of six out of the seven sewage-related debris items: condoms, cotton bud sticks, nappies, tampons/tampon applicators, toilet fresheners, and sanitary towels/pantyliners/backing strips. What’s more, last year’s Beachwatch Big Weekend revealed that litter levels on Scottish beaches increased by 24%,

Did the headline grab your attention?  Good. Having recently attended an event in Edinburgh (the SYHA Youth Residential Experiences Conference, which was very good I have to say), I was wowed by some stats that Gavin Howat (Inspector, Health & Safety Executive, Scotland) offered in a presentation he gave, about taking the fear factor out

On the 7th October 2011, Boots N Paddles’ staff, Mike and Calum will head off to Nepal to attempt one of its highest trekking peaks; Mera Peak [6476m/ 21,246ft].  In the year of their 40th birthdays (yes, they’re that old!), here was a great excuse to take on this adventure after some lengthy negotiations with


text:
Chris & Alice – Adelaide, South Australia

This was the last wedding for us before COVID19 changed the world and changed the wedding industry forever.

Chris & Alice held their wedding mid-March in Adelaide, right before the Australian government reduced wedding sizes to 5 people maximum indoors. We were able to do this when the ruling was at 100 or less indoors.

A vintage inspired pre-wedding shoot for the couple and their 2 lovely children to invoke the nostalgic ways of luxury travel in Asia decades ago, set the tone for what was to come on the wedding day itself.

But there was a sense of uncertainty throughout the day, a feeling of apprehension yet mixed with happiness and joy for the couple. With some relatives even flying over from Asia whilst it was still legal to do so. But formalities such as hand shaking were replaced with elbow bumps and bows, it was indeed a strange time and feeling for all of us coming together.

Despite it all, it was a beautiful day for all who witnessed it, and even more so for the groomsmen who all received a pair of Nike Jordans as their presents on the morning of the wedding, you don’t see that every day!

Well done Chris & Alice for managing to hold your special day before the world changed, and we were all glad to have experienced it with both of you.

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text:
Tough As Daisy Skirt

New hand drawn "Tough As Daisy" graphic, designed and drawn by designer Julia Harris. I gave Julia the freedom to come up with something that she thinks holds hands with the JackLeg aesthetic. I love what she did don't you?! Julia's design makes the perfect pockets!

Daisy Harris was one of the original tough gals! She loved to meet her buddies at  the local fishing holes crossing many barbed wire fences to catch her dinner. Too many stories to tell for this small space but she was a little spit fire! I'm fortunate enough to have inherited her little humble farmhouse.

Thank you, Julia, for capturing the heart and soul of JackLeg!

extra small: 28” waist, 29” length

small: 32" waist, 29" length

medium: 36" waist, 29" length

large: 40" waist, 29" length

Care: as with all JackLeg pieces, I recommend washing gently in cold water and hanging garment to dry. Hem is raw by design and will occasionally need trimming especially after first few washes

All fabric has been pre washed in ALL detergent and dried with Bounce dryer sheet.