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Endless lines of vehicles wind their way along the broad avenues, filling the air with exhaust. Mexico City appears unconcerned. At first glance, visitors may be overwhelmed by Mexico City’s noise, dirt and chaos, but look again.

Mexico City is the largest metropolis on the American continent and it is still growing. Despite the problems that inevitably accompany unrestrained growth, there are superb architectural treasures hidden behind the rather dull facades of this huge city.

No other Latin American city boasts as many baroque churches, monasteries and colonial palaces. It also has a number of acclaimed modern buildings, some of which are decorated with monumental paintings by the famous Mexican muralists, and world-class museums house still more art and treasure.

The eagle, the snake and the cactus.
In 1325, the Aztecs, who called themselves the Mexica, migrated into what is now central Mexico, where they founded their capital city, Tenochtitlan. They had chosen the site well, with a little help. According to legend, the Aztecs received a vision that told them to wander until they found an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its talons.

In the Valley of Mexico at an elevation of more than 2,000 metres they came upon this very scene in a swampy area scattered with lakes and islands. From a strategic standpoint, the location was ideal. They colonized the islands in the middle of a shallow lake, which protected their settlement well. The wandering Mexica had finally settled down.

Later, they built dams and causeways between the islands, which developed into a complex hydraulic system with canals, drawbridges and sluices. Tenochtittan grew in size to cover more than 13 square kilometres. The Aztecs ultimately conquered the entire high valley by force of arms, and soon controlled nearly all of modern-day Mexico, as well as other parts of Central America.

Hernan Cortes and the Fall of the Empire
The precipitous fall of the Aztec Empire began in 1519 when Hernan Cortes landed on the Gulf Coast of Mexico with just a few men. What Cartes achieved is incredible. With a small force, a few horses and indomitable will, not to mention a good dose of brutality and recklessness, he subdued an entire empire. His total command consisted of 500 Spanish soldiers, 16 mounted fighters, 6 cannons and 400 Indian mercenaries. The Aztec population he confronted numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

On 8 November 1519 the Aztecs’ fate was sealed. The Aztec ruler Moctezuma II received Cortes unarmed, possibly because he thought Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl. This was an invitation to disaster. The Spaniards quickly took Moctezuma hostage and massacred the assembled priests and nobles.

The Aztecs were at first able to push back the interlopers and force them to retreat. Unfortunately, this only postponed their demise by a few years. In 1521, Cortes moved in with fresh troops, completely overwhelming the Aztec forces. The Spanish rulers then built their own city with churches and palaces on the foundations of the old one. Most of the lake was drained, as more and more land was needed. Tenochtitlan disappeared under a Spanish city. Parts of it, such as the Tempio Major, have since been excavated by archaeologists and are on view again after hundreds of years of obscurity.

Looking for cheap holidays, Australian holidays or even family holidays? Flight Centre is the holiday expert and can match your budget and holiday requirements to a great holiday package.

Have you ever looked at older photos of certain stars and wondered where their acne scars went - (Cameron, Brad, Britney)?
Our money’s on medical skin needling! Here’s why…

The only options available over the past few years have involved various laser machines or skin needling. Laser machine treatments that can leave the skin with post trauma issues - some skins become lighter in colour and more sun sensitive, while some
individuals are left with red, raw skin for a period of up to six months.

Since the downtime for skin needling is less than 24
hours, it’s most probable this has been the treatment of choice for Hollywood stars.

The Dermaroller is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and scarring; while simultaneously boosting collagen production for a toned, younger-looking skin.

The Dermaroller is a unique rolling device that significantly enhances the action of the delivery of transdermal agents.

Invented in 2000 and engineered in Germany, the Dermaroller is similar in appearance to a mini paint roller, but is embedded
with 192 ultra fine needles.

The Dermroller stimulates the skin to produce new collagen formation, thereby reducing dimpling, and improving skin texture. A roller with very fine needles is used to produce many microscopic channels in the skin, which stimulate your own body to produce new collagen.

These channels also improve the penetration of therapeutic active ingredients as well as multi-peptides, vitamins, or any other liposomal serums about 1000 times. Treatments stimulate skin renewal, thereby making the skin appear fresher and younger. Dermaroller is different from ultrasonic or Injectables because it affects your bodies own collagen activities so the effects are long lasting.

As the only TGA listed skin needling device on the Australian market, results include:

* Reduction of the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles
* Reduction of large pores
* Oil flow regulation
* Re-pigmentation - production of new melanin
* Smoother, more refined, younger looking skin

Think of the Dermaroller as a non-surgical facelift or having fractional laser without the downtime.

For more information about fat removal and skin needling, contact Image by Laser today.

Miami sometimes feels like a huge Hollywood set. The cliches about the city and its illustrious beach community, Miami Beach - nearly all of which are based in fact - are but a small part of Miami’s colourful mosaic.

International financial deals are not the only thing happening in Miami. The city’s concerts, theatre performances, gallery exhibits, ballet companies and museums offer plentiful cultural stimulation and world-class entertainment. Located in picturesque south Florida, Miami is a popular location for television and movie crews.

Fashion photographers from glossy magazines pose their models against the backdrop of the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the deep blue Atlantic Ocean. Looking at Miami’s striking skyline, home to corporate headquarters of hundreds of international financial institutions, it is hard to image that until recently southern Florida was a landscape dominated by mosquito-infested swamps. The first Spanish explorers of the region, arriving in 1513 with Ponce de Leon, declared it completely uninhabitable.

The real history of the city, which was founded on 28 July 1896, began with the advent of the railway. Freezing Canadians and New Yorkers climbed aboard to escape to beautiful, sunny Miami. In the 1920s, during the days of Prohibition, Miami was known as a city with legalized gambling and less than serious efforts to enforce the ban on alcohol. The result was a building boom. Little by little, starting with hotels and apartments, the Miami skyline began to rise.

Melting pot for Latin Americans.
After Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959, a stream of refugees poured into south Florida. The impact was enormous. Hoards of Cuban refugees arrived in Miami, settling in the neighbourhood called “Little Havana”. There, salsa music resounds in the streets, men play dominos and chess in the parks, and the air is thick with the aroma of coffee and cigar smoke.

A trip along the palm-tree-lined Ocean Drive, Miami Beach’s famous boulevard in the heart of its famous Art Deco district, offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, the beach and, of course, the rich and famous. With its uniquely “Miami Style” Art Deco architecture, the entire district is under historic protection today Rich with pastel colours and full of eclectic details, there is no other cityscape like it on Earth.

Unfortunately, the building boom of the 1920s also caused considerable damage to the natural environment. Over 120 hectares of the unique Everglades wetlands were drained to provide Miami with water and sewage facilities and dry land on which to build. Even today, south Florida draws millions of litre of water from the Everglades.

Interrupting the water cycle that supplies this magnificent natural landscape with moisture and nutrients diminishes the vitality of the biosphere. At present, national parks and wildlife preserves protect barely 20 per cent of the Everglades watershed.. The unique flora and fauna of the Everglades were added to the UNESCO List of World Natural Heritage Sites in 1979. Still, the environment was classified as endangered in 1993.

No stay in Miami would be complete without a short trip to Coral Gables, one of the first planned communities in the country. Distinguished by its beautiful Spanish colonial-style villas, Coral Gables also boasts elegant country clubs, world-class art galleries and the University of Miami.

For unbeatable deals from Cairns airport, Canberra airport or Adelaide airport, contact Flight Centre today.

Wellington, situated on the southern tip of New Zealand’s Northern Island is the southernmost capital city in the world. The harsh winds that blow persistently off Cook Straight have earned it the epithet “Windy City”.

Wedged between steep hills, Wellington’s limited space for expansion has forced the city to build high in order to accommodate increased demand for commercial and residential space. Victorian structures fell victim to new construction and modernization, giving Wellington the most modern skyline in the country.

The Maori people called the area around Wellington “the Head of Maui’s fish”, a reference to an incident in the Polynesian Maui Cycle when the hero, Maui, battled his brothers over a great fish, leading to the land being cut up both by the fish’s thrashing tail and by their knives.

When James Cook made a side trip here in 1773, the rough landscape of the bay was densely settled. Maori tribes fought one another constantly for the best coastal locations. This, along with the strong, unfavourable winds, may explain why Cook did not drop anchor and go ashore.

European settlement began with the landing of the warship Tory on 20 September 1839. In January of the following year, William Wakefield, commander of the first expedition of the New Zealand Company, “bought” the area from the Maoris for one hundred muskets. Wakefield therefore became the founder of Wellington. The city was named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and England’s national hero in the Napoleonic Wars. Wellington was named New Zealand’s capital on 26 July 1865.

Wellington is more than the political centre of the country; it has also made a name for itself as a city of culture. Wellington is the home of Te Papa, New Zealand’s pioneering, interactive national museum, as well as to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and such national treasures as the original Treaty of Waitangi.

New Zealand’s most famous writer, Katherine Mansfield, was born in Wellington and published her first short stories in a local literary magazine. New Zealand’s capital is remarkably diverse topographically, with mountains and hills embracing the compact city and its beautiful harbour.

At the summit of Mount Victoria, which can be reached by a cable tramway built in 1902, visitors can enjoy the beauties of Kelburn Hill and the Botanic Gardens. The gardens, established in 1869, now cover 26 hectares.

Beware the penguins
Wellington is almost certainly the only capital city in the world where penguins freely roam the streets. This encourages visitors to walk alongside them; the city centre is best experienced on foot. Visitors (and penguins) can wander through its shopping arcades, lovely cafes and, less happily, constant traffic.

Nowhere else in the country is urban life lived as intensely as in Wellington. Unique adventure tours are available along the Kapiti coast and hiking trails run all along the craggy coastline, just off the coast, the world famous bird sanctuary of Kapiti Island attracts visitors from afar.

The environs of Wellington are known for their luxurious country lifestyle. Many great estates lie inland, just over the hills. Directly north of Wellington is Hutt Valley, where visitors can arrange bush and coastal hikes, SUV trips, golfing, mountain biking and fishing.

For cheap flights and great deals from Melbourne airport, Sydney airport or Brisbane airport, contact Flight Centre today.

Non-invasive fat removal and body contouring called Liposound the revolutionary new way to slim down in five easy treatments. No surgery, no pills and no anesthetic - just an advanced system that fights the bulge with ultrasound technology. Because it’s a non surgical fat removal method, there’s no downtime.

If you’re a man or woman who can’t eliminate those stubborn bulges through healthy exercise and diet, and don’t want to undergo surgery, then this nonsurgical fat reduction technique may be for you.

Liposound is based on a high-tech way of destroying fat in the areas of the stomach, thighs, bottom, arms without the pain associated with other cosmetic treatments.

A revolutionary technology that through ultrasound waves focalized on low frequency produces microscopic bubbles that break the membranes of adipocytes (fat cells), without affecting other adjacent structures, respecting the integrity of circulatory and lymphatic system.

The released fat is then eliminated gradually by the body in two days thanks to the normal process of energy production. The results which can be obtained are obvious after very few sessions: accumulations of fat and cellulite are eliminated.

The treatment is best suited for the average to moderately overweight person who has a healthy lifestyle and exercises regularly.
This treatment can be used in conjunction with our skin tightening treatment for optimum results.

For fat removal and skin needling contact Image by Laser today.

The vast majority of people who buy things on eBay are customers. But as any successful eBay businessperson knows, they aren’t just customers. The customer is king, the key to maintaining a good feedback rating, and the key to repeat business that can keep an eBay sales effort afloat. Cultivating ongoing relationships with satisfied customers is the key to ongoing business.

To those who sell on eBay to benefit nonprofit causes, customers are even more special: they are donors. They’re people who keep you going and make your activities possible. As anyone who has participated in one of eBay’s community forums can tell you, the Internet is a great place to develop close relationships with individuals who share a common goal or interest—in other words, develop relationships with an online community.

On eBay and the web, caring for and feeding donors is as important as it is in the offline world. eBay gives you several ways to maintain good relations with other members. The most important is eBay’s well-known feedback system, which rewards trustworthiness and punishes dishonesty.

You can also volunteer information that helps your donors providing them with the URLs of web sites they might Iike to visit, on eBay or elsewhere, or answering questions on the message boards. At the very least, you’ll gain the respect of your donors by responding quickly to e-mail inquiries, and making payment and shipping easy.

Customer Support
If you’re affiliated with a nonprofit, you already know about cultivating your donor base. It boils down to being nice to your donors: inviting them, feeding them, praising them, and giving them special access and possibly other perks.

On the web (and by extension, on eBay), cultivating donors is the same as providing a high-Ievel of customer service. But customer service on the Web is different than in other venues.

Nonprofits, like other organizations that sell on eBay or online, need to take into account the special way online consumers behave. In the traditional offline world, customer service is a matter of answering questions and solving problems with orders. Customer service representatives make themselves available to field questions and problems as they arise.

Customer service on the Web isn’t a matter of publishing a phone number or e-mail address and waiting for consumers to send you questions. Such basics are important, but it’s more a matter of making information proactively available to consumers. The customer is in charge on the Web, not the seller. Customers choose to view your items for sale or visit your web site; they choose to make a bid or a donation, or go elsewhere with their money.

Many eBay sellers who receive questions from prospective bidders answer those questions quickly. But they go a step further, too. They also publish the questions and answers as additions to their sales descriptions. This reduces the number of similar questions you receive, which saves your volunteers some work; it also raises the level of customer support you provide, which makes prospective bidders more likely to purchase from you.

When you receive a question from a prospective buyer through eBay’s message system, you have the option of simply responding to the buyer privately, or adding the question and your response to the body of your sales description.

Goldstar Stationery is a great source of ideas for fundraising and fundraisers. For a variety of different and easy to manage school fundraising ideas visit http:/www.goldstar.net.au today.

According to official figures, 99 per cent of the residents of the small, once insular United Arab Emirates (UAE) reside in Dubai City. This makes the distinction between city and Emirate very small indeed.

Dubai is growing faster than any other city in the Persian Gulf region. New and luxurious hotel complexes, shopping centres and high-rise apartment buildings are being built daily. The face of this highly modern city with over a million inhabitants is constantly changing, yet always a bit eccentric. In addition to countless corporate headquarters, ultra-luxurious hotels and resorts, and high-end shopping malls, Dubai is also home to the largest indoor snow park in the world, fittingly called Ski Dubai, itself located inside a gargantuan shopping mall. Opened in December 2005, the temperature inside the facility at the edge of the Arabian Desert is a constant —1 °C, while the temperature outside soars to 40 °C under the merciless desert sun. It would seem that in the city of Dubai, anything is possible.

Oil — black gold of the Emirs.

Dubai has been governed for over 170 years by the Al-Maktoum clan. Under their leadership, and with substantial investment from Britain, the harbour of Dubai has become the most important commercial port in the Persian Gulf. The local inhabitants used to earn their living by diving for pearls. Their lifestyles changed drastically with the discovery of oil in 1966 and the economic boom that followed.

Persian Gulf tourist destination.

In addition to the oil industry, Dubai’s economy relies on tourism, banking and trade. Great efforts have been made to promote Dubai as a tourist destination. The most exclusive residential quarter of the Emirate now boasts a number of world-class luxury hotels, including the famous Burj At Arab, the “Arab Tower”. Designed to resemble the sail of a traditional Persian Gulf ship, the 54-storey hotel is 321 metres tall. It is the tallest, most expensive and most luxurious hotel in the world. Visitors can play tennis at a dizzying height on top of the “helipad” overlooking the Arabian Gulf 311 metres below. The Wild Wadi Water Park and Madinat Jumeirah shopping mall are located nearby in the suburb of Jumeirah. Then there are the Palm Islands, tear-shaped artificial land masses built in the shallow gulf waters. They provide additional land for vacation homes, villas and hotels. Several nearby Gulf islands await similar development.

The river that is not a river.

The wetlands known as Ras Al-Khor divide Dubai into northern and southern sections. Ras Al-Khor is not a river but a shallow inland bay. Small passenger ferries called abras carry people from one side to the other for a small fee, or traditional lateen sailboats can be rented for a more extensive tour. A protected national wildlife area, the Ras al-Khor is home to over 100 species of birds, including a resident population of 500 greater flamingos.

Tourism promotes restoration.

Most of the places of greatest interest to visitors in Dubai’s Old City are found along the Ras Al-Khor. Naturally, there are also many mosques in Islamic Dubai. The Great Mosque, built in 1998, is between the al-Fahidi Fort and Ras al-Khor. Al-Fahidi Fort was once the seat of the emirs of Dubai. Restored in 1970, it is now the National Museum. The Bastakia Quarter is one of the oldest parts of the city, making up the larger part of its historic centre. Having survived the twentieth-century building boom without sacrificing its ancient charm, the government now plans a complete restoration, including a museum, cultural centre, restaurants and art galleries. Houses in Bastakia are notable for their “wind towers”, a traditional means of air conditioning. Cool air currents are pulled into the centre of the house through vents and windows. The system is so cleverly designed that that even the smallest breeze circulates through the rooms below.

For unbeatable deals on Qantas, Virgin Blue and Singapore Airlines contact Flight Centre today.

Jerusalem is one of the oldest continuously populated cities on earth. The Canaanite Phoenician “city of peace”, Urushalim, became Jerusalem after it was invaded by King David around the year 1000 BCE.

Living in Jerusalem has always been a bit of a gamble. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Persians all cast greedy eyes on Jerusalem’s riches. In the seventh century, Moslems invaded the “Holy Land” along with its city sacred to three faiths.

During the Crusades, Jerusalem changed masters often. After the knights of the First Crusade succeeded in breaching Jerusalem’s walls, they massacred nearly everyone within them, regardless of religion, killing as many as 40,000.

Today, the Israeli and Palestinian states lay claim to parts of the city and Jerusalem’s bloody, violent history continues.

Since 1980, Jerusalem has been the home of the Israeli government, although all foreign diplomatic missions are based in Tel Aviv in accordance with a UN mandate.

Three major religions coexist in Jerusalem, which naturally leads to a multiplicity of points of view. Each religious group is split and subdivided into factions and sects. There are as many as a dozen different Christian splinter groups, the largest of which is the Greek Orthodox community. This diversity of belief should contribute to Jerusalem’s attraction, but, in reality, it too often leads to strife and bloodshed. The incredible concentration of sacred sites draw visitors, religious or not, from everywhere.

For Jews and Christians alike, Jerusalem is the Holy City and the birth place of their faiths. For Moslems, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. It was the destination of Mohammed’s miraculous trip to and from Mecca in a single night. Its Temple Mount is the place from which Mohammed ascended to, and returned from, heaven.

Three architectural styles
The Old City of Jerusalem was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It is split into four districts. The Armenian Quarter occupies the south-west, the Christian Quarter, the north-west, the Jewish Quarter, the south-east and the Moslem Quarter, the north-east.

The wall around the Old City was built on the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.

Jerusalem’s treasures are so numerous that only a few can be mentioned here. The most visited site is probably the Wailing Wall, a 400-metre-long section of the retaining wall of the terrace on top of the Temple Mount where Herod the Great built his great Jewish temple.

This temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Important pilgrimage sites for Christians include the Via Dolorosa, the name of the path Christ walked on his way to the crucifixion, and the fourth-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

One of the most grand Islamic monuments is the Dome of the Rock. Erected on the Temple Mount over the place from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven, the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque. The remarkable Al-Aqsa Congregational Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in the world, is located nearby, also on top of the terrace of the destroyed Jewish temple.

More than a lookout
The Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zetim) is a historical hill on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. The ridge of hills is within sight of the Old City. The Temple Mount is actually higher than the Mount of Olives, which is just 809 metres above sea level. The Mount of Olives has great significance for all three major religions.

According to the Jewish faith, the Messiah will cross the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem before the Last Judgment takes place in the Kidron Valley. Moslems also believe the Final Judgment will take place there. For Christians, the Mount of Olives is inextricably tied to the life and death of Jesus. Today it plays a more urbane role for many visitors, because its lookout deck affords an incredible view of Old Jerusalem.

For unbeatable deals on Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Singapore Airlines contact Flight Centre today.

Jerusalem is one of the oldest continuously populated cities on earth. The Canaanite Phoenician “city of peace”, Urushalim, became Jerusalem after it was invaded by King David around the year 1000 BCE.

Living in Jerusalem has always been a bit of a gamble. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Persians all cast greedy eyes on Jerusalem’s riches. In the seventh century, Moslems invaded the “Holy Land” along with its city sacred to three faiths.

During the Crusades, Jerusalem changed masters often. After the knights of the First Crusade succeeded in breaching Jerusalem’s walls, they massacred nearly everyone within them, regardless of religion, killing as many as 40,000.

Today, the Israeli and Palestinian states lay claim to parts of the city and Jerusalem’s bloody, violent history continues.

Since 1980, Jerusalem has been the home of the Israeli government, although all foreign diplomatic missions are based in Tel Aviv in accordance with a UN mandate.

Three major religions coexist in Jerusalem, which naturally leads to a multiplicity of points of view. Each religious group is split and subdivided into factions and sects. There are as many as a dozen different Christian splinter groups, the largest of which is the Greek Orthodox community. This diversity of belief should contribute to Jerusalem’s attraction, but, in reality, it too often leads to strife and bloodshed. The incredible concentration of sacred sites draw visitors, religious or not, from everywhere.

For Jews and Christians alike, Jerusalem is the Holy City and the birth place of their faiths. For Moslems, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. It was the destination of Mohammed’s miraculous trip to and from Mecca in a single night. Its Temple Mount is the place from which Mohammed ascended to, and returned from, heaven.

Three architectural styles
The Old City of Jerusalem was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It is split into four districts. The Armenian Quarter occupies the south-west, the Christian Quarter, the north-west, the Jewish Quarter, the south-east and the Moslem Quarter, the north-east.

The wall around the Old City was built on the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.

Jerusalem’s treasures are so numerous that only a few can be mentioned here. The most visited site is probably the Wailing Wall, a 400-metre-long section of the retaining wall of the terrace on top of the Temple Mount where Herod the Great built his great Jewish temple.

This temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Important pilgrimage sites for Christians include the Via Dolorosa, the name of the path Christ walked on his way to the crucifixion, and the fourth-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

One of the most grand Islamic monuments is the Dome of the Rock. Erected on the Temple Mount over the place from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven, the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque. The remarkable Al-Aqsa Congregational Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in the world, is located nearby, also on top of the terrace of the destroyed Jewish temple.

More than a lookout
The Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zetim) is a historical hill on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. The ridge of hills is within sight of the Old City. The Temple Mount is actually higher than the Mount of Olives, which is just 809 metres above sea level. The Mount of Olives has great significance for all three major religions.

According to the Jewish faith, the Messiah will cross the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem before the Last Judgment takes place in the Kidron Valley. Moslems also believe the Final Judgment will take place there. For Christians, the Mount of Olives is inextricably tied to the life and death of Jesus. Today it plays a more urbane role for many visitors, because its lookout deck affords an incredible view of Old Jerusalem.

For unbeatable deals on Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Singapore Airlines contact Flight Centre today.

Vegetables are necessary to the human diet. The latest recommendation from dieticians is a minimum of five serves of vegetables per day. The truth is we can get the majority of our daily vitamin and mineral content from vegetables.

We need to ensure that how we prepare them does not wash away vitamin contents and benefits of consumption.

Cooking vegetables can be complicated. Over cooking can make vegetables tasteless and mushy. My belief is that vegetables should not be boiled. Boiling not only robs us of vitamin content, it is the main culprit in turning vegetables to a lifeless, tasteless form.

If we cannot boil, what are the options?

Steaming vegetables is always a good choice. This will leave vegetables full of life and colour. They will be crisp and colorful. It will also not deplete the vegetables of their vitamin content.

It is a speedy way of cooking too. By rule of thumb, vegetables will only need a few minutes in the steam. In some cases you may be able to steam your vegetables on the table and immediately serve them up.

For those who do not have official vegetable steamers, an easy steamer can be fashioned out a of pot, a metal colander, and a pot lid.

Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a given pot. Fit the metal colander into the pot. Start to boil the water. You will begin the see the steam rise. Place your vegetables into the metal colander and place the pot lid over the metal colander and pot. This collection of kitchen items will allow you to steam vegetables as good as any fancy store bought steamer.

Another good option is to cook your vegetables in a wok. The secret to the wok is that it cooks quickly at a very high temperature. Vegetables retain their flavors, textures, and colors with very small amount of vitamin loss.

My favorite wok recipe for vegetables is to cook broccoli, carrots, bok choy, and snow peas in a very light garlic sauce. The vegetables remain crisp and the garlic adds just the right amount of flavoring. This combination can be served with any cut of meat including chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish.

I hope you will see that secret to cooking vegetables is not to over cook. Vegetables need to remain crisp and retain their texture. As you learn different tricks to bringing your vegetables to life, these will become the most requested dishes on your dinner table.

Looking for a food safety supervisor course? A food safety course is available through Southbank Institute of Technology. Search for food safety online on the SBIT web site.

A direct mail campaign is often the most cost effective way to reach many donors. Sending letters also is a simple way to raise money. There is no need to recruit, train, manage and motivate a large group of volunteers. A few talented individuals can run the entire operation. And you will find you will get a lot more volunteers to fold and stuff envelopes than to cold-call potential contributors. That’s not to say all one must do is write a letter, post or e-mail it, and wait for the returns.

What makes mail solicitations difficult is that they are one-sided. No allowance exists for a campaign worker to personally motivate prospects. The most enthusiastic letter simply cannot match the conversation between a skilled fundraiser and an open-minded potential donor. Lacking aggressive salesmanship, only minimum gifts can be expected, no matter how well written the solicitation letter and enclosures may be.

Here’s another angle to think about. Assume that I’m a small-donation prospect with some interest in your charity. There’s a good chance that I’ll donate generously to your appeal if you knock on my door or phone because your enthusiasm and presentation will be hard to resist. And how many other organisations will solicit me in these ways? Very few. But send me a solicitation letter and you place your request in the midst of enormous competition for my same gift dollar. And because it’s a letter, I have little problem withstanding its impersonal nature. If your organisation is not among my very favorites, you won’t receive a contribution of any consequence.

You see, although I think highly of your cause, I have a table covered with fundraising letters, from the best known national charities to all sorts of noteworthy regional and local groups. I am saturated with mail appeals. After sorting through them and making my top-ranked selections, I find my charitable budget is about depleted. But I still care about your cause, so here’s two dollars to show you my heart’s in the right place.

With these factors as a downside, letter solicitations produce highly profitable income derived from small-gifts for organizations that plan and carry out meticulous programs. However, first-class mailing programs get extremely involved, both creatively and from a marketing standpoint. There are six elements to understand before considering a direct mail campaign:

1. Mail solicitation is an ongoing component of annual fundraising programs. In capital campaigning, letter writing is a tool for wrapping up an appeal and giving thanks.

2. Ongoing mail appeals focus equally on retaining and upgrading present contributors while discovering and cultivating new prospects to make up for donors lost to attrition and to enlarge the donor pool. Present givers won’t always be an available source of funding.

3. Donors via mail don’t come free. Depending on the package, to obtain a new contributor, you can spend from $1.30 to $1.60 (or more) for each initial dollar raised from that person.

4. Mail programs are long-term propositions and instant financial rewards are very rare.

5. Be clear who you designate as a donor and who you label a prospect. Donors are people currently contributing to your charity. Someone who gave you a gift two years ago or a person who once contributed a painting to your auction are prospects, not donors. Get used to thinking of three distinct groups: current donors, past donor prospects, and new prospects.

6. Some prospects have more interest in and knowledge about your organisation than others. Cultivated potential donors are first approached because they represent the highest rate of return. For instance, a past donor prospect is a better bet to send you a new donation than someone who once came to a special event that you held. The person who came to the special event is more likely to fund you than someone who never heard of your group.

In planning a full scale mail campaign, don’t lose sight of the fundamental fundraising requirements. Make sure your project has compelling goals, high visibility, specific, attractive, and timely needs.

Additionally, make sure your group has start-up funds on hand for what can become a relatively large investment to get the program rolling. For example, depending on the scale of your operation, you might want to engage a letter shop or mail house to provide the many functions necessary to get your direct mail package to recipients. This is an expensive proposition.

Or you might opt to subscribe to an online software provider to help drive your mail program. Since the highest percentage of return comes from current contributors, they are the first group to target. If a goal is reachable by only contacting these people, expenses will be minimal and your problems will be solved. If that’s not realistic, additional prospects who might fund your project would need to be reached. That’s fine so long as you realize that their percentage of return will be far less than supporters.

If your group, school or club is looking for fundraising ideas and easy fundraisers, have a look at Goldstar Gifts and Stationary’s easy to manage ideas for fundraising.

Manila is the political and economic centre of the Philippines, and it serves as a honey-pot for people from all over the Philippines. For most visitors from North America or Europe, this metropolis does not seem to merit more than a few days visit, after which the tranquility of the provinces may seem all that much more attractive. Although a trip to Manila is taxing, it nevertheless gives the visitor important insights into the culture, history and politics of this island republic, insights that stem from its very wealth of contradictions.

In the sights of foreign conquerors
Natives who settled at the mouth of the Pasig River in Manila have seen a great many rulers come and go. The first to come were the Malaysians, who arrived in the Philippines during the pre-Christian era. Hindu and Buddhist rulers from Indonesia followed. Islam got to Manila at the end of the 15th century. The Muslim reign established in the mid-sixteenth century had been in existence for barely a decade when Spanish Catholic seafarers appeared on the horizon.

Colonial Manila
Miguel de Legaspi conquered Manila in 1571, declaring it to be the capital of the Spanish colony of the Philippines. Despite the ravages of World War II, when Manila was heavily bombed, traces of the citys colonial past are still in evidence, particularly in the Intramuros district. Intramuros, literally within the walls, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress. The city centre, with its partially restored wall , is the site of a number of sixteenth-century buildings including Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and the church of San Augustin, the oldest in the city.

At the centre of power
The heart of Manila is now elsewhere, in Makati, the modern commercial and banking quarter. Elegant high rises, gorgeous residential estates, super-modern shopping centres and numerous international hotels can be found there. The modern development of this quarter began in the mid-twentieth century. Like much of the development in Manila, Makati is closely connected to the politically powerful Zobel de Ayala family. The family name is found throughout the city, on streets, buildings and public monuments.

They come here not only to pray
Pasay City is located in the south-west of Manila across the superhighway from high-class Makati. On Wednesdays, Pasay is overrun with people. In Baclaran, the faithful crowd into Redemption Church, where weekly services are held in honour of the Virgin Mary. But one suspects that even more Manilans make their way to Pasay in order to patronize the neighbourhoods famous lech6n stands, known to be the best source of that quintessential Philippine specialty, roast suckling pig.

A bit of folk culture
Throughout Manila, a light rail station is never far away. If your stomach is complaining after a feast of suckling pig, a gentle ride on this elevated railway is highly recommended. The trip back to town can also be made by Jeepney, of course, though it will be slower and more crowded.

Jeepneys were originally former US Army surplus jeeps that had been converted into passenger vehicles with as many as fourteen covered seats. These days, however, most Jeepneys come new from the production line. Skillful painting and ornamentation are a prerequisite for genuine Jeepney status. Most have Catholic religious figures as their central theme, but they may include lighthearted comic strip images.

Many Jeepneys are so thoroughly covered in advertising that they resemble moving billboards, while others looks like temples on wheels. Whats important for visitors to remember, however, is that Jeepneys follow specific routes, just like buses. It is always best to inquire about the route before getting on board.

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Working from home is becoming more and more fashionable. I work from home and I love it. I don’t think I could ever toil at a factory again, but I must face the possibility that I may have to transfer my enterprise into commercial premises if it keeps growing like it has in the last few years. Even if parts of my business move out of home, I’ll try to stay there myself as much as I can.

Times are changing and working from home, particularly for the self-employed or contract employees is becoming more common. It is pointless paying rent for commercial premises if they are not necessary. Working from home has many advantages.

You can work back late without getting into strife with your family. You can “drop into the office” anytime you like. You can get up really early if the mood takes you and put in a few hours work then go back to bed. But as a massage therapist, there is one feature I really like, all the tax deductions!

You can claim some of your home-running expenses on your tax return. Based on the floor area used for business purposes, you can claim a portion of your mortgage interest, insurance, rates, water, electricity, maintenance and the bulk of your telephone bill as well as depreciation on the carpets, curtains, computer equipment and so on. At the end of the financial year you will be surprised by the list of deductions.

You will also save on travel costs, wear and tear on your car and more importantly wear and tear on you, having not to deal with peak hour or public transport. Not to mention picking up approximately an extra one to two hours per day of work when you don’t have to travel.

There is a downside to working from home. The first problem is family distractions. Kids home from school at three o’clock, a friend at the front door, phone calls for other members of the family.

You also may not have the perfect workspace, or space may be limited. Work space is vitally important, you must have an area set aside purely for business, nothing else, just business. I have found that it’s best also if you can close the door on the weekends and at the end of the day so you can “leave work”.

I think many of the perceptions of people that working from home is “unprofessional” have lapsed into history. The number of major companies that allow their workers to work from home via the internet has increased dramatically in recent times. “Outsourcing” has become a commonly used term and this has brought about a spate of self-employed former employees, most of them working from home.

The other problem that many people working from home suffer is motivation and discipline. You must start work everyday just as you would if you were working for someone else.

Want to work from home in your own home based business for women? You can learn more about starting your own profitable and flexible home business.

Unless you are considering keeping your old car and giving it to someone else, you will eventually need to sell it. There’s many ways to sell it, but first let’s consider the preparation of your vehicle prior to advertising or trading.

Presentation is the key factor
The first thing one should consider when selling an old vehicle is how you can sell it for more money. The technique, which most people seem to overlook, is to simply make it look absolutely beautiful!

This does not mean just washing and vacuuming it, although that’s a very good start. It is the overall preparation and detailing that gets a good price. This is a well-known secret of most used car dealers.

You would be surprised to see the condition of some of the vehicles they purchase, but after a few hours in the detailing shop you wouldn’t think it was the same car! The best advice to anyone selling his or her car, is to have a professional car detail carried out. This will cost you around the $200 mark and it will be money well spent.

It will, in effect, save you hours of hard work trying to do it yourself with nowhere near the same result. This alone will add hundreds of dollars to your vehicle, particularly when selling via the newspaper.

I know of people who have had their vehicle detailed and fallen back in love with their car deciding not to go ahead with the sale.

Once the detailing has been completed you should make sure any minor defects are repaired. It is also important that you have the service books and any relative mechanical history at the ready, as this is now becoming a major factor when buying or selling a used vehicle. If a service is due or near due, make sure you have it done prior to selling. This will give a prospective buyer a good idea of how well you have kept your vehicle.

What is your car worth?
Before you start selling your vehicle, either privately or to a dealer, you must know its market value. There is nothing worse than advertising your vehicle with a highly inflated price tag.

One way to find out the approximate price of your vehicle is by studying the used car section of your local newspapers, which will give you a reasonable guide. Another way is to look in dealership yards to see what price similar vehicles are being sold for, but you must remember these vehicles have margins built into them to cover the dealer’s operating costs and over-stock.

Alternatively, the web can provide a wealth of information on vehicle valuations. This is only web-based information and is generalised, so it does not give you accurate pricing on your own vehicle because of the specific condition and accessories fitted.

Sites where you can gather this type of information are the individual dealership web sites and vehicle pricing-guide sites such as www.redbook.com.au and www.glassguide.com.au

This data is only to assist you in making a qualified and rational decision when buying or selling your vehicle. Remember, these sites are to be used only as a guideline, they are not entirely accurate as they do not take into consideration the individual buying or selling parameters within the different states.

There are always variations to the rules about pricing, so you should follow your intuition when setting a price and be sure to leave room for negotiating in your asking price. Your starting price should be higher than the price for which you really want to sell your vehicle.

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