Stork and about the Cathedrale of Notre-Dame of Strasbourg

Speaking about storks, do you like storks?



In Hungary, Hungarians believe storks are birds which are associated with childbirth. This belief about the stork brings the kid has a positive association. The image of the stork sling held an infant in its beak, gives most people an impression like this. In the Alsace region of France, their region icon is the stork. So naturally, you can see at almost every corner, the sale of stork souvenirs in various forms: soft toys in varying sizes from miniatures of 3cm up to as big as the life size stork.

In Hungary, there were crazy news about the arrest of a Hungarian homebirth midwife called Agnes Gereb. The recent news of her being jailed drives a lot of people crazy. Despite many demonstrations held and petitions signed, this woman who devoted her life on improving birth practices is not spared. She has been judged to imprisonment for two years for two births of medical negligence. She has been banned from practicing for five years. Agnes Gereb had personally attended to the safe delivery of more than 9000 babies to date. What she had done was about standing up to the leading body of the Hungarian Obstetric and Gynecological profession. A disappointment on the eventual outcome of her plight. Here is an interesting article on Al Jazeera about Agnes Gereb.

Other than the Alsace region's stork, there is a famous gothic cathedral in Strasbourg that ought to be mentioned. It has a special majestic presence, immediately you can feel it some distance away. The uniqueness is of its material that is used to build it. Sandstone. It is perhaps the reddish colour of this exquisite architecture that makes it so stunning.

Walking within the cathedral brings another feeling. Medieval and it seemed like you have went back in time. The enigmatic chants that are echoed in your head as you walk deeper and deeper into the cathedral. Next is the chapel and still the chants is echoing in your head. Little tea lights are lit and visitors giving heir offerings generously at an area. Sitting there for a few minutes in silence, you can soak into the calm atmosphere within the chapel when is right at one of the corners. Lavish decorations adorned it, with beautiful wall architectural decorative elements.

Zsolt was at the other end of the cathedral. He was watching 'the show' of the famous astronomical clock of Cathedrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg.

It was a special clock as it dates from the time of the first French possession of the city in 1681 to 1970. Mainly, this clock displays the real position of the Moon and the Sun as well as the solar and lunar eclipses!

I was curious about 'the show' which seemed like a main attraction. I missed it when Zsolt was watching it, but on day two, I decided to go there and check it out.

I went there at 10:28am, so 'the show' started at 10:30am punctually.

Too much has been exaggerated by the tour guide next to me. She spoke in English and she said 'Everybody, you got to squeeze together, inorder to watch 'the show' and it will be on time!' It was indeed on time, but she repeated this same sentence thrice and finally it begins.

Honestly, I didn't feel it was really that amazing.

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Cost of living (Singapore vs Budapest) Part Three

It might be a surprise to some people that the cost of going to the gym or any fitness club is more expensive. The problem with exercising in the outdoor is not as pleasant due to the climate in Singapore. Too warm weather conditions as it averages 31ºC in the day. This temperature could be bad when the humidity is at 100%. Considering fresh air and natural outdoor exercises, Budapest definitely has more to offer. Besides the four seasons, there are many green nature parks, for hiking or walking trails.

To my observation, people who never like winter normally find Singapore a thrill. It may sound like a summer whole year through but be alerted that the humidity level is not as comfortable as it might seem. The summer in Singapore gets you perspire in five minutes after a short walk. In Budapest, it is dry heat as the humidity is about 50%. The last experience of the highest temperature in Budapest was 41ºC. Partly, Singapore has this kind of climate is because of it location which is so near to the equator, citing a temperature range of 30ºC to 34ºC is not an exaggeration. There is a rainy season from November onwards. It usually ends around January, so during these couple of months, you get to experience cooler and more pleasant climate. July and August are usually the hottest period during the entire year.

Recreational aspects such as going to the movies is slight more expensive. For an international release, you have to pay 9% more in Singapore. However, let's say you prefer to play tennis for recreation the cost of booking and renting a tennis court is 11% higher in Budapest.

 

A pair of Levis 501 jeans cost 55% more in Budapest, otherwise, everything else in the clothes and shoes department is cheaper. Chain stores such as H&M, Zara sells a summer dress at about US$50 only, this is just an example. The same item would cost US$88 in Singapore. A pair of Nike shoes is 55% cheaper and men's leather shoes are 60% cheaper.

If you are interested to find out more about the comparison between the rent, apartment price, salaries and financing information, please look out for the last part of this cost of living comparison. Part One, Part Two is available here.


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Cost of living (Singapore vs Budapest) Part Two

Recently in Budapest you can find the warning stickers everywhere in the city. There is a ban in smoking at tram and trolleys stops in Budapest.



So the fine is 50000 Hungarian forint and it is about 263.65 U.S. dollars. It is written there: Smoking is forbidden! Smokers may be fined up to 50.000 HUF!



In Singapore, it is already well known for it being a 'fine' city :) The first moment when I see these sticker warnings, I have a feeling soon Budapest will be a 'fine' city too. The next day on board the tram 4-6, a new sticker that indicated the fare, rules and some fines about eating and drinking on the tram are recently imposed as well. The warnings below are on the trolleys, as you can see, dogs can ride on the trolleys, trams, metros and buses in Budapest as long as they are leashed, (but unfortunately NOT in Singapore).



In Singapore, it is not allowed to smoke indoors of public places most of the time. It cost 60% more to purchase a packet of Marlboro cigarettes in Singapore than in Budapest. This is a clear signal to discourage the people to smoke. Large printed 'No Smoking' sign are on the packaging boxes and most places have 'No Smoking' stickers and signs as well. Offenders will be fined quite heavily if they are caught smoking at prohibited places. The nation takes a very serious outlook towards a healthy lifestyle and the public health concerns.



For the sake of tourism or even environmental hygiene, Singapore cares very much about its status as a 'Clean Garden City'. For the time being, Budapest prohibit people from smoking at public bus stops, trolley stops and tram stops. This is just an initial phase of slowly curbing the smoking habit.

Spitting is not allowed. Neither is throwing litters or chewing gums. Yes, NO CHEWING OF GUMS. One Norwegian guy was laughing so hard when he heard that I am from Singapore. He remarked with sarcasm asking 'why is it that even chewing of gums is a problem and forbidden?'

The smirk look he gave was as if Singapore is overly controlling.



In Hungary, at the present moment, all these three actions are allowed, people still have the freedom to exercise some littering. I wish to highlight though, that spitting is not a common habit of Singaporeans (it was mostly a mainland Chinese habit). In Singapore there is a big number of foreign workers from China.

Hygiene as you may think are small details, but expats who are choosing a place to work or moving their entire family together appreciates these aspects taken care in Singapore. This is over and above the business opportunities, social climates and safety measures of a livable place.



Another basic criteria which every family considers before the big move is the Utilities. Electricity, gas, water and garbage clearance and handling cost is about 11% more in Singapore. That amounts to about US$120 monthly.

The next item is also a necessity nowadays, the mobile tariff. One minute of prepaid mobile tariff is USD 0.21 which means it is 25% more than Budapest.

Internet rates are important unless you are retiring in Singapore. Most people who work may consider 4Mbps, a flat rate for cable or ADSL connection as a good base of comparison. In Budapest it is 12% more than Singapore, so you pay about US$28 which makes Singapore a friendlier place for businesses as well. The entire nation city is mostly connected online by now and even some older generations are net-savvy. I would not say entirely, but the senior citizens are taking up lessons so they can handle basic payment of bills and etc online. There are social workers helping them to fulfill these aspects if they cannot handle.

I've also written a Part One of this same topic, here is the link for your easy reference if you are curious about the cost of living comparison between Singapore vs Budapest.

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Cost of living (Singapore vs Budapest) Part One

Traveling to Slovenia and seeing their better standard of living in Ljubljana makes me want to make a comparison with Budapest once again.

However, I've only been living in Singapore, it is fairer to compare Budapest with it than Slovenia.

If you make a comparison for the cost of living between Budapest versus Singapore, you can see a relatively sharp difference. At first, you might find it hard to imagine living in Singapore as it is labeled everything at a high cost. In details, there are some surprises and this blog post is about the exploration of the possibilities of living in this two different parts of the world.

Seeing these information and data today, there are some items which are more important than the others to decide about the cost of living. For example, our friend Christopher thinks a lot about the inflation. Making some predictions about how the prices will inflate is fundamental and indeed he was right.

The very first aspect is food, and to most people, it is rather important for food quality versus the food variety.

Being a Singaporean, or even for foreigners and expats living in Singapore, they are almost spoilt for choices. Singapore is a food paradise and this is really true. As a Singaporean, I am very proud of the food quality of the Asian food available in Singapore. It is one of the most missed item about Singapore even for some exchange students who will be here for six months. It is highlighted and well-agreed upon unanimously.

Local or imported beer is cheap in Budapest. For some Australian students, it is an attraction. one litre of draught domestic beer cost about USD3.50. Milk and water are inexpensive as well. Personally, I love wine, so living in Budapest would mean there is an easy access to red wine and white wine. You use wine in some ice-cream, in cooking, in desserts, and also food pairing. Living in central eastern Europe, I've learn to enjoy wine drinking. During the winter that is absolutely cold in Budapest, you can even enjoy a home-made mulled wine (hot wine) that is the greatest comfort when watching the falling snow.

The cost of a car purchase in itself is a craze for Singapore. Honestly, I prefer the public transportation, though the truth is I do not drive. The taxi services are also more reliable in Singapore. In Budapest, there are some reasons why I think there are too many 'sharks' taxi service providers. Not just because they are taking advantage of tourists and foreigners, non-locals are easily brought around in the taxi in big circles.

It makes me appreciate the convenience of Singapore in this aspect. Dialing for a taxi (or in Singapore we called 'cab' as well), can be a problem due to its quota system and the road system. And conversely, calling a taxi here in Budapest is less expensive than stopping one on the roadside. In another view, it is better as you may select your preferred service provider which are more credible, thereby giving you more security.

Cost of living (Singapore vs Budapest) Part Two

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Ljubljana, Maribor - Our Travel from Budapest to Slovenia

First this country caught my attention because of a photo posted by Emma Costello on the Facebook about Lake Bled. Emma is an Australian student here for her exchange program, as well as some of the other girls who felt it was a real beautiful place to travel to. I thought for this trip we made from Zagreb, I would take the second day to explore the lake area as part of a day trip. 

However, I did not.

From Budapest, we went to Zagreb (Croatia) first and then from Zagreb it was about 1.5 hours drive to Ljubljana. It was altogether less than five hours drive. I guess too many people think that this country is small. Even their own local people kept describing themselves living in a 'very small' country in Europe, and to be more specific, in the heart of Europe.



I've always like to describe Singapore as a small dot on the map, as sometimes even the word 'Singapore' printed on the map is even way bigger than the island itself. This amazing Slovenia reminds me so many times how beautiful it is as a European country with everything you might want to explore and see. Besides the world heritage Lake Bled that is ever so famous, Slovenia is geographically privileged with its facing to the Pannonian plains. Lots of unspoiled natural environment, so serene and really a great place for relaxation - just pure relaxation. Other than the alpine lakes, rivers, ski slopes, there are exotic Karstic caves.

Day Two
I had a choice to see the old town again but instead, I decided to visit Maribor.

Infact, Maribor is much nearer to visit from Budapest as it is just one hour drive from the Hungarian borders. We came this way because we were making site visits to ŠENT (Slovenian Association for Mental Health) and Ozara. Overall, we are so impressed by their development and of what it has became today. With 2 million people for Slovenia, they have been ranked as a safe country since they declared independence in 1991.

 

Perhaps, their entrance to the EU in 2004 had been a great move. What we saw was their better standard of living than the other prominent eastern European cities which we have traveled to so far. And far more importantly, their people are happier and you can feel their warmth and friendliness. I like that most of them speaks good English. I supposed a stable GDP growth has some good impact in general.

At every stage of development for any country, there are bound to be challenges. Despite their competitive spirit, the economic crisis and inflation does not spare them either. Many are still adapting to the acceptance of Euro as the national currency (since 2006). Salaries are not increasing too much to handle these high inflations and worse when there is unemployment. The current unemployment rate for Slovenia is 7.8% (as of Jan 2011) while Hungary is 12.6%.

All thanks to the development of the Schengen agreement across Europe. The travel was so much simplified and thus Zsolt's European passport did not require any stamps.

For us, the highlights other than Drava River in Maribor, we also like the Ljubljanica River, the Old Town and Ljubljana is a place with a nice relaxing atmosphere with a strong Austro-Hungarian influence. I hope I will get to see Lake Bled for my next trip, til then!


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Just another sinner - Documentary on R. D. Laing

Ronald David Laing (7 October 1927 -- 23 August 1989), was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illness -- in particular, the experience of psychosis. Laing's views on the causes and treatment of serious mental dysfunction, greatly influenced by existential philosophy, ran counter to the psychiatric orthodoxy of the day by taking the expressed feelings of the individual patient or client as valid descriptions of lived experience rather than simply as symptoms of some separate or underlying disorder. Laing was associated with the anti-psychiatry movement although he rejected the label.

Just another sinner 1/5



Just another sinner 2/5



Just another sinner 3/5



Just another sinner 4/5



Just another sinner 5/5



Recommended books and DVDs in this topic:

Sonnets
R.D Laing andd the Paths of Anti-Psychiatry
Asylum: A Film by Peter Robinson (DVD)
Eros Love & Lies: R.D. Laing (VHS)
Sanity, Madness, and the family

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Croatia - Stari Grad

I have been searching for a place like this for soooo long. A place which is like candy to the eyes, to the nose and to the ears too, which is rather relaxing but full of life and which is not overcrowded but you don't feel yourself as Robinson on an island.

Though Croatia is just the next country to the south of Hungary, I have never been there. Ok I was once, working in the nothern part of the country but it was not the coast side. And I found a place which totally matches my recent mood:)

Stari Grad on the island Hvar in Croatia.



There are different type of vacations to me.

• The Ibizia-Corfu-Mallorca type. Beach, party, music, bikinis and coctails. Lot of fun, lot of people, nightlife.
• The sight-seeing type. Athens, Barcelona, Paris, Saint-Petersburg, Rome, Venice. Every corner a living history, a lot to see, museums and exhibitions, taking photos and getting a lot of impressions.
• The hiking, diving, climbing, rafting, jumping, icy, mountain, sporty adrenaline rushing vacation.
  
• The relaxing one. Renting an apartment in Florence, reading a book on the terrace watching the evening city life in a restaurant with a glass of wine. Mobile phone off, no internet, no television especially no news but you can feel the gentle wind on your face and this is the only stimulus which might bother you..but it doesn't.

Stari Grad belongs definitely to this last category. A little town in a hidden bay where the typical Dalmatian buildings are not museums but part of the recent life. Everything is so old here, and still everything is so real.



The history of Stari Grad:

Stari grad, the oldest town on the Hvar island and one of the first in Europe , was founded by the ancient Greeks in 385/384 BC as an independent polis of Pharos. At the time of the Roman colonisation it was called Pharis. From the formation of the Hvar commune in 1278, when Hvar (Civitas Nova) became the island's chief town, Stari Grad (Civitas Vetus) stagnated somewhat.
The medieval settlement grew up north of the Greek one and by the coast on the east. But there was nonetheless no change in the previously mentioned political and economic stagnation of the town in the 13th century. The architecture of the town, however, was not affected. Although the majority of the buildings were built in the 16th and 17th centuries, i.e. the Renaissance and baroque style are dominant in the city centre, there are many buildings with Romanesque and Gothic traces. (source)


Looking at the buildings and considering the entire atmosphere of the Dalmatian towns and cities the Venetian influence is the most obvious. I felt like just being in Italy though this is Croatia, an original Slavic community.



I guess due to the local policy...Stari Grad is a quiet or better to say 'noiseless' place. Not because its empty, plenty of tourists and local people are everywhere but somehow they try to keep that relaxing feature. There are no bars which try to be the most loud in the street. Only cafés and restaurants - some of them with a great style.



That's what I wanted. Finally being able to finish my books, forgetting about work and about the bills and about everything from my everyday life. Just three of us here...Zannnie and Momo and me. And this hidden paradise which respects so much my need for recreation this time.





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What it Means to See a Comment on my Post by Mr Adolf Ratzka

In January, I uploaded a post about the disability movement led by Ed Robert and Adolf Ratzka. There was a video about Mr Adolf Ratzka in the 1970's and another that Ed discusses about the future of independent living.

Adolf Ratzka Conference Speech and Seminar Discussion at ENIL. 

from Paul Darke on Vimeo.

Not just because I am interested in the research about Independent Living, I truly believe it is possible. I have worked with students with disabilities and they told me their dreams to be able to do several things independently. These things are usually taken for granted by people who do not have a disability. The inspiration which I have drawn from these amazing people is that they have this strong yet undaunted spirit in them which you do not usually find in most people.

To our surprise, Mr Adolf Ratzka wrote us a comment under that post on 4th March! :) Wow, that was such an honour! He wrote when and how he and Ed were since in contact, how he gained much help from people he is grateful to. It was yet another inspiring moment. All thanks to the great interview with English subtitles by filmmaker Werner Herzog that started these all. Most of all, I really appreciate both their efforts and contributions to the disability movement. 

In this day and age, to be able to see his comment in response to a post written was such an honour, this was how amazing it gets.


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Hussar Hat for Children

On 15 March, it is also a family outing day. Children are distributed with paper made Hussar Hat. Usually at the sights of Hussars on the horses, the children are always excited to take a ride on the horses, urging their parents to let them have a try.

Budapest or rather Hungary is dressed up in Red, White and Green. Every patriotic hungarian on the street wear a tricolour cockade which is a symbolic knot. Just that some girls wear it on their hair, men pin it on their lapel of their light spring coat. The cockade looks like this:



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Time travel with Me - Through Time and Space

My love made this video. It is reflecting the mood we had together at this beautiful destination in Croatia. 

Summer travel destinations near to Budapest are plenty. You can look in all the directions from the centralised Hungary, 360º! :) Of course, seaside, beaches and lakes are hot favorites amongst the Hungarians. Hungarian people travel to Croatia just by crossing the border. By drive, it is just 3 hours away. Large families rent the caravan and off they leave for a family vacation. Pure bliss!

Unlike seeing the Schönbrunn Palace, in Vienna which is graced and ornate with white stucco that reflects Baroque which some called it 'Rococo'. These designs of the architectures are totally beautiful. Imagining the lives of the Europeans, empress, queens and kings are just one way to enjoy the sights there. Spring or summer time are best to check out the imperial summer palaces' courtyard, parks which are preserved and by now they are mostly world heritages.

Besides, in the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), the glamour of the imperial ballroom, bedchambers, royal chapel and music room are amazing sights to behold. It always is a reminder of the transition of time. See their similarity in taste in those days when these kings and queens are sure to have at least one room of blue if not green porcelain that are housed as part of their entire China collections.

In Venice, you must definitely not miss the gothic palace, Doge's Palace. The northern Italy has such a reputation and in these unique colours. If you are interested in memoirs like me, the old prison where they kept Giacomo Casanova shall be an attraction for you as well. It is not funny but that curiosity aroused me. Including the fascinating 'Bridge of Sighs' which was made of limestone and windows made of stone bars. Now thinking back, even the name is mysterious yet inspiring.

 

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100 Trending Hot Blogging Topics 2011 Part 2

This is a continuation of the Part I....

It will still work just as perfectly if your writing skill is compelling. For example, if you are writing about animals, about pets, about your dog today. It could be effective since the online conversation is about Mark Zuckerberg's Hungarian Puli puppy and his white Puli puppy named 'beast' having a FB page with 20,000+ fans. Or, you will say this is tech related again since it is about a Hungarian Puli + Facebook. No escape.

The other place on the blogosphere where you can find hot topics is the 'Realtime' where people's tweets are shown in realtime. So tweets are shown in every second interval. In the mental health field, the hottest topic today is 'Charlie Sheen'.

Now the clues are really those words up there in bold without the 'not'. Tech, politics, pop, games, tips, design, business, and gadgets. On news.yahoo.com, you can easily see a list of trending topics that is happening now: charlie sheen, tiki barbar, lady gaga, sports, nba, miami heat, katy perry.

From the keyword 'Charlie Sheen', you will find many hot questions and hot issues that people are discussing right now online. People are even retweeting the interesting and noteworthy tweets which attached the images, podcast interviews, youtube videos, twitvideos or even Scribd articles. One that was recently discussed was the letter sent to Charlie Sheen from the lawyers of Warner Bros. You can read about his 'state of mind' written in words, his psychosis and what he exactly did that get him into trouble. It provides an insight within that 11-pages legal letter, the cost of fame and mental health.

Coming soon: Keep a look out for the Part III: 100 Trending Hot Blogging Topics 2011.

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100 Trending Hot Blogging Topics 2011 Part 1

As you are wondering what is the next blog topic for your blog, I have decided to blog about some interesting ways and techniques to come up with endless stream of blogging topics to blog about. Writing passionately is one of the key to be able to blog endlessly. Choose something you are passionate about. It sounded rather a common sense but many still are complaining they do not really know what to blog about. What are the good topics?

There is always something new that people share with one another. For example today, I found the 'wonder wheel' on the Google search tool bar. It works like a mind map and for those who know what mind-mapping techniques are, you know it is about how the brain works while you are brainstorming. So this new Google 'wonder wheel' provides an expandable list of possible topics under the word you key in. For example, if you enter 'blogging topics', it will return a map out list like this:

• blogging prompts

• personal blogging topics

• Photobucket (not sure why this is here yet)

• popular blogging topics

• blogging tips

• funny blogging topics

• fun blogging topics

• blogging ideas

So from this given list, if you are a fun and crazy person (like me :)), you will start to click onto the possible fun topics you think fun readers would be interested to read about from your blog. I think this will lead to an infinite list.

A good topic has to be something amongst the popular topics, but I also think this is debatable. What happen if you are writing something that is not tech, not politics, not pop, not games, not tips, not design, not business, not gadgets related?

Part II: 100 Trending Hot Blogging Topics 2011.


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Our Havanese Dog has a Wordpress blog and a FaceBook Page

Momo is our Bison Havanese dog and he turned three last month on the 4th of February. An affectionate dog like him deserves a blog and I have been secretly writing down all the observations I made about Momo since the day we brought him back from the Buda Hills. It was where he was born and breed.





Zsolt and I will never forget those first moments when Momo was brought down from the second floor of that family house. We could just hear barking of little puppies and then a black two kilograms Havanese was in the hands of the big Hungarian man. Upon reaching the living room, the breeder put him down onto the ground and Momo was hopping like a little black bunny and Zsolt was following after him. It was such a cute and sweet moment.


As you can imagine a tall Hungarian man like Zsolt bending down trying to grab Momo with several attempts. My first instinct was to check his eyes. To me, if the first sight when I looked into his eyes, we ought 'to click', we ought to have certain 'chemistry'. For the first seconds, we did and it was more. Momo is such an intelligent little puppy that he could charm anyone for the first sight. And he really had such a power.





You could describe Momo as a very friendly yet affectionate dog. He has very harmonious personality. Besides, you can feel his kindness, his generous loving nature and he has such a soul that can be sensitive to how you feel. Even when he is playful, he will not behave like a nuisance. He would just quietly move away if he senses that you prefer him to stop pestering you to play with him. And even when he is taking naps, he is always ready to play. He is always there for us and the nature of him really touches both of us deeply.


Momo is so close to us, that he sleeps together with us. Whenever we are watching TV or working, he just need to be near us by making a contact between the both of us. So if I am in the kitchen cooking the meals, while Zsolt is in the living room working on his computer, Momo will take the 'midpoint' distance (and he smartly calculate the distance) and will wait there patiently for me by lying down in a shape of an arrow. We named that classic posture of his 'the black arrow'. You are invited to see Momo's recent photographs and activities on Momo's Facebook Page here.





In Momo's blog, are posts about his experiences especially new ones like his first swimming experience, his first shedding of canine, his first tram ride in Budapest, his EU pet passport and travel habits. As a dog owner, I think it is good to share some dog care and knowledge about the Havanese breed and valuable information can be provided for future Bison Havanese pet owners as well. So just like the authorities expected a dog to even possess a pet passport, I think Momo a Bison Havanese deserves his Facebook page, a blog, just like your other family member.


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National holiday in Hungary: Remembering the Revolution and War of Independence

15th of March is one of the important national holiday in Hungary. This day is about the remembering of the Revolution and War of Independence of 1848 - 1849.

During this time, the most respected national figures in the Hungarian history are remembered. It marks the anniversary of the revolution's outbreak.

Bloodless. It was an approval by the new government about a sweeping reform package called 'March Laws'. That was also when Hungary created its autonomous national kingdom and made the Habsburg Emperor its King.

Before this day, the children in schools will prepare the Hussar hats during their art classes as part of their lesson plan that ties in with the Hungarian history. The Hungarian Hussar on horses are also seen at vicinity near the Heroes' Square. Almost like a family event with children, hungarian traditional food, hussars in smart uniforms, horses.

The other March event that is important is the farewell to the Winter. Early march is when the infamous carnival event is held. From 3rd to 8th March for 2011, this traditional folk custom turned into preserved tradition of the carnival event. Most tourists visited Mohács to see this spectacular event.

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Interview with Neville D. Christie

Neville D Christie is a professional business mentor running the www.nevillechristie.com. We made a short interview with him.

For your mentoring services, do you consider entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs are different in anyway(s)?

Armchair entrepreneurs are individuals who wish to start their own business.  And they may even have a specific idea for their business.  They often think about their StartUp.  They read books and articles, surf the web, talk to others about their idea, attend seminars. 

But for some reason they have yet to actually take the plunge and start their business.  So they’re an entrepreneur from their armchair.  But businesses aren’t created by mere thinking.  Or by sitting on our butt.

Their reasons why they yet to start their business are many.  They may lack the money, feel they don’t have the skills, they’re too young or old, may be talked out of it by parents, friends or colleagues…

But the real reason is often internal or psychological.  They fear the risk involved.  They may feel the idea is not good enough and they’re certain to fail.  They may even have a fear of success.

A well-experienced entrepreneur mentor, can help them overcome their internal roadblocks.  Assist them commit to plan and start their business.  Aid them to find the money and other resources they need.  Provide them with lots of practical guidance. And shortcut many of the road blocks and issues they will face.  All this takes the pain out, and removes the fear.

Entrepreneurs are individuals who have actually launched at least one business – and often many more businesses.  So here the mentor’s role is to anticipate the issues of growing their businesses they may not have thought about.  And to assist them learn through the issues they have thought about, or face, and don’t have a total solution, as yet.

Do you have a special quality characteristic which most of your clients appreciate about your services?

One characteristic many of my clients appreciate is that I’ve been there done that many times.  By initiating 15 tiny business ideas as an ‘apprentice entrepreneur’ and by starting and growing 44 of my own businesses, I’ve learnt heaps.  By making 41 of them successful in various ways, I’ve also learnt many things that I can pass on.  And by having three spectacular failures, I’ve also learnt many humbling and even humiliating lessons.  But these simply increase my determination to do better next time.  Most clients appreciate that I share with them my failures as well as successes.

Eminent pianist Arturo Rubenstein was once asked why he was such a great pianist.  He replied,  “The notes I play like anyone else.  But, ah, the gaps and the silences - that’s where my mastery lies.”

Most clients appreciate that I am a master at finding their gaps and silences.

How do you explain to business owners and entrepreneurs about the soul of their kind of business?

With some difficulty – because ‘soul’ is such an individual and personal thing.  We all sort of sense or feel what a soul-less corporation is. And I ask each individual how they describe such a beast. Well, for each of us, a soul-full business is the direct opposite.  It’s putting a positive where there is a negative.

For an individual person ‘soul’ equates to his psyche or personality.  For a business, ‘soul’ equates to the culture and the intangible essence of a business when we remove all its physical aspects – like buildings, computers, phones and the like.  It’s the ‘feel good about’ a business.

In a soul-less business we cannot bring our whole person to work.  But we have to leave important parts of us at home.  Hopefully in a business with soul we bring all of us to work – mind-body-spirit and soul.

A soul-less business may merely be money-obsessed, and do anything to their people, their clients, the broader community and our planet to make all the money they possibly can.  Businesses with soul still see revenues and Profit as vital, of course.  But they also see Purpose, People, Potential, Planet and Philanthropy to be of equal importance.

A soul-less business exists for a greedy or crassly materialistic Purpose.  A soul-full business has this as part of it.  But it also is founded on the meaningful life purpose of its Founder, who seeks to add value, do some good in the world, and ensure that work at SoulBiz has meaning.

A soul-less corporation can ‘harm’ people in many ways.  Whereas hopefully a SoulBiz incubates the human spirit, grows talent, and provides meaning and purpose to all associated with it.

In brief a soul-less business is one of the worse institutions devised by human kind, and a soul-full business, one of the best.

How much time do you research about their business before you start your mentoring services.

Like most things this depends on many factors.  Where I can I research the individual on both Facebook and LinkedIn.  And I review the company web site.

But a core factor in mentoring is telling, re-telling and changing four stories.  Both our individual stories.  And our business stories.

These four stories are:  Our past story – which explains who and why we are as we are. This story has explaining power for us.  Our present story – which tells us what capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, resources, ideas, talents we have to work with.  This story has resourcing power.  Our future story – which is about what we dream about and aspire to.  This has motivating power.  And our gap story – which is all about how we get from where we are now to where we want to be – both as a person and as an individual.

So I want to hear these 4 stories – both the personal story and the business story – face-to-face.  These stories provide the raw material for out mentoring.

Neville D Christie

Melbourne 4 March 2011.