Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for September, 2009

With an estimated 2.5million inhabitants, as of 2008, Amman is the capital city of Jordan, the administrative centre and the commercial hub of Jordan. It is situated in a hilly region of northwest Jordan and covers more than 19 hills. Generally, Jordan experiences a hot climate, all year round, but Amman enjoys four seasons of pleasant weather, ranging from as low as −5°C (23.0°F) during winter up to 30°C (86°F) in summer.

Being the hub of medical tourism, education, transportation, communications, education and investment, Amman continues to develop as a skyline city. Some of its major buildings include the Queen Alia International Airport, home of the international carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines and the Housing Bank Commercial Building, as well as other high-rise residential developments.

Amman also has a handful of tourist sites, reflecting a history that dates back to the Stone Age. It also has a history of wars and invasions by Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians, which continued for hundreds of years. Fortresses and towers from those times can still be seen today and are preserved by the Amman government to further promote tourism in the country.

Air travel for UK and US tourists is not a problem, since a variety of airlines offer direct flights and other packages for passengers. UK tourists can fly to Amman via British Airways, Air France and Royal Jordanian, while US visitors can fly to the city by Delta, US Airways, Northwest Airlines or Royal Jordanian.

There are several kinds of Visa UK, which can make an applying foreign national confused. So, here’s a quick guide to the different types of visa available.

The Tier 1 visa (General) is designed to allow non-EU foreigners who will contribute to the economy to immigrate to the UK. The granting of this visa is based on the applicant’s success in achieving a point threshold of 75. Sponsors are not needed when applying for a Tier 1 visa.

British companies wishing to sponsor an overseas employee to come to the UK should apply for a Tier 2 Work Permit.

The Entrepreneur visa permits experienced business clients to live and work in the country, as well as invest capital and start a business in the UK.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa, allows business clients to go to the UK to invest in the British economy or to relocate to the country armed with pioneering ideas under the UK innovator visa.

These visas allow for permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain in the UK to be applied for.

To obtain a study permit in the country, a foreign individual must apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa, which allows foreign students to attend college or university in the UK.

If a foreign student wishes to stay in the UK for a little longer, in order to work, they can apply for a Post Study Work visa.

A UK Marriage Visa enables a husband, wife or a civil partner of a person who is already present and settled in the UK to enter the country.

The UK Fiancé Visa permits a person who is already settled and a permanent resident in the UK to bring his fiancé into the country.

Looking for a place to experience culture and diversity? The city of Manchester offers a wide range of choices to discover and explore the many facets of culture.

This dynamism is very much exemplified by the various activities that await you on your flight to Manchester. The city’s shopping destinations are sure to delight the senses of bargain seekers and haute couture lovers. If you are looking for retail therapy, Head to King Street, Vivienne Westwood or the Arndale Centre.

Manchester also has many museums and galleries for you to visit. They include Daniel Libeskind’s Imperial War Museum North, the Museum of Science and Industry and Manchester Art Gallery.

The cityscape also attests to the continuous evolution of Manchester. It has become a significant combination of the historic and the contemporary. The city also houses the largest municipal library in the world, the Central Library.

Visit the theatre and attend concert performances before taking your flight from Manchester. Three of the best-known venues are the Royal Exchange, The MEN Arena and the Lowry. The city’s contribution to industrial heritage is also undeniable as the Manchester Ship Canal continues to operate to this day. It was once the premiere carrier of the world’s industrial era in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Dining is one of the city’s most rewarding pleasures for visitors. Four of the best restaurants are Dukes 93/2, Gallery Café, Cloud 23 Bar and the Trof Bar.

Manchester exemplifies a dynamic lifestyle and culture that keeps travellers coming back for more.

Travelling to Cairo is a great way to explore Egypt’s historical landmarks and experience its diverse cultural life. Flights to Cairo land at Cairo International Airport (CAI) and some of the carriers that offer flights to Cairo from the UK are British Airways, BMI, TAP, Northwest and Emirates.

Travelling from the airport to the city centre takes around 45 minutes. There is an airport shuttle that takes you to and from the city along the Pyramids Road. Airport taxis operate according to flat fees, which are around US$5 plus an airport exit fee. You can also choose from buses, air-conditioned coaches or car rentals, which are available from Avis, Europcar, Budget and Hertz.

Antiquities and museums are the major tourist attractions in Cairo and the surrounding area. The Egyptian Museum houses antique coins, papyrus, amulets, household items, Tutankhamen’s treasures and monuments dating back to pre-dynasty and Middle Kingdom eras. The world-famous Tutankhamen Collection comprises jewellery, statues, sculptures and perfume. The museum also has a special hall housing 11 royal mummies.

The Pharaonic Village is a recreation of ancient Egypt. Dr. Hassan Ragab created this living museum with the goal of bringing the past civilisation to a contemporary audience, while showcasing endangered plants. The Pharaonic Village is surrounded by structures that recreate ancient architecture and civilisation, with actors dressed in ancient costumes portraying ancient life and culture.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is the largest of its kind in Egypt. Located on the Giza Plateau, near Cairo, the structure is named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, owing to its size, impressive architectural detail, and the tremendous amount of labour spent on its construction.

The concept of “European philosophy” is as broad a concept as world philosophy in general. As part of the umbrella concept of Western thought, European philosophy is rooted in ancient Greek philosophy and is interdependent with Christianity. Early European beginnings can be traced to the civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, known as the Greco-Roman world. The thinking of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and other ancient philosophers laid the foundations for the advent of Christendom, which spanned Europe by the early Middle Ages, following the demise of the Holy Roman Empire. The Renaissance, from the 14th to 17th centuries, through to the Enlightenment in the 18th century, served as landmark philosophical periods, upon which modern European culture is drawn. Without question, the works of Descartes and Locke are viewed as great influences upon modern European thought.

Religious philosophy has had a changing face in Europe in recent years. Demographic studies have shown that while Christian belief and the belief in a god were once powerful philosophical bases in Europe, much has changed. Theism has given way to atheism as a new liberal secularism has taken root. Democracy, with its foundations in Ancient Greece, remains a prominent style of government, as is reflected in the European Union’s criterion that member states must have democratic governments. Communism, once the thorn in the side of much of Eastern Europe, has since crumbled to form a kind of social democracy, with liberalism, secularism, and humanism the new battle-cry.

If you were to fly to Europe in expectation of encountering “European culture,” you will find a diverse number of sub-cultures. For European culture is not easy to define. England, for example, has a large number of practising Christians, is an English-speaking democracy, and has fish and chips as its national dish.

Travelling eastward to continental Europe, we find the countries of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, etc, all very different in many ways. While much of Europe speaks Indo-European languages, this category can be broken down into scores of related languages, ranging from Russian to Slavic, Italian to French, Germanic to Latin. Europeans speaking these languages do not share a common linguistic understanding.

In terms of government, while the European Union maintains its criterion of member states having to have a democratic government, this is not the case throughout all of Europe. While Western and Central European governments have democracies – such as Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands – this is not the case in Eastern Europe and Balkan countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, and Serbia.

Religion in Europe is also diverse in character. Russia contains a significant number of practising Russian Orthodox faithful; France has a growing number of Muslim adherents, owing to immigration from Islamic countries; Turkey is primarily a Sunni-Muslim country; and countries such as Austria and Poland have large numbers of practising Catholics. Religion in Europe is as diverse as it is throughout the whole of the rest of the world.

Europe’s cuisine, similarly, covers a diverse range of foods. While potatoes, bread, and eggs are staple fare in Russia, the Maltese love patizzi, the Italians eat pasta, the Hungarians eat goulash, and the Bulgarians eat a lot of yoghurt.

Businessmen who have a proven track record can immigrate to Australia by applying for an investor visa. This type of Australia visa offers an initial four-year residency, which can lead to immigrant status. You should be aware that this Australia visa often takes from 9 to12 months to be approved.

As with other types of Australia visa, the investor visa imposes the following minimum requirements on applicants:

•    They must be no more than 45 years of age at the time of application for the Australia visa.
•    Have at least AUS$2,250,000 in net assets, personal and business, which can be transferred overseas in two years.
•    A minimum of three years experience in directly managing at least 10% of the total assets of a business gained within the last five years from the date of visa application. Alternatively they have maintained direct participation in overseeing investments worth $1,500,000 or more.
•    Own a designated investment, such as a bond issued by state and local governments of Australia, worth AUS$1,500,000 or more.
•    Have managed one or more qualifying businesses or investments for at least three years.
•    Must be able to financially support themselves on moving to Australia.
•    Have taken and passed a chest x-ray and other medical tests conducted by doctors appointed by the Australian government.
•    Not have a criminal record in all countries of residence for the past 10 years, counting from the date of visa application.
•    Must have informed the Australian government of their business plans.

European cuisine is a collective term referring to foods commonly eaten in European countries; it is also known as Western cuisine or Continental (i.e. the continent of Europe) cuisine.

While it actually entails a culturally diverse grouping of foods, it is very distinguishable from, say, Asian cuisine or Middle-Eastern cuisine. Europe itself, as a continent of over 50 nations with peoples speaking scores of different languages and practising different religions, is a culturally diverse grouping of countries that differ greatly one from the other in many ways; they also share much in common.

European cuisine can be divided into four sub-groups: Western European – of which Belgian, French, German, and Swiss are a part; Central and Eastern European cuisines – including Hungarian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian; Northern European cuisines – of which Danish, Irish, and British, are a part; and Southern European cuisines – including Greek, Italian, and Spanish.

In general, beef or other red meats are a common food across Europe. Wheat-flour is a common base for starchy foods, as is the humble potato. In addition, dairy products are used in abundance in European countries. Apart from these similarities, European cuisine ranges in style, depending on the country, region, or nationality. In France, they prefer “nouvelle cuisine,” which entails brief cooking times for meat, fish, and green vegetables, as well as short, uncomplicated menus with dishes being presented in an artistic format. This is in contrast to the lavish banquets so common to France of yesteryear. In Hungary, they favour meat stews or goulash, as well as soups and pastries. In Denmark, traditional fare entails barley, potatoes, rye, and beetroot, while in Turkey, common foods would include kebabs and corn.

South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation because of the various races living in the country. Most of the population is made up of different ethnic groups living in the urban areas. Having different races has led to the development of various South African cultures and forms of etiquette.

South Africa’s customs and forms of etiquette are divided into three parts: meeting, gift giving, and dining. Meeting covers several greeting styles, depending on the person’s ethnic heritage. South African men tend to shake hands with foreigners while maintaining a smile and eye contact to show courtesy. If a man knows a woman very well, he may kiss her as a replacement for a handshake.

Most South Africans celebrate Christmas and birthdays by giving gifts. When a person turns 21 and 40, it is celebrated by having a large party where a lot of gifts are given. In this event, it is common for friends to share in the purchasing of the gifts to help cut the cost. Flowers, chocolates, and a bottle of South African wine are recommended as gifts if you are invited to a house. Your courtesy will be appreciated if you make an extra effort to wrap the gift nicely.

South Africans are a time-conscious people, so it’s better to arrive on time when you are invited to a house. You should contact the host to determine if you should bring a dish. Most of the people in this country appreciate casual clothing when having dinner with friends.

Visiting South Africa is easy and it’s culture is rich, with many customs and forms of etiquette that can be appreciated by other countries. The diversity of races in the country further developed the culture, making it easier for foreigners to adapt.

Translators are tasked to transfer a language (usually their native tongue) to another language, whilst ensuring that the source language matches the target language as accurately as possible. Translators may use high-quality translation software, the Internet and reference books to assist their work. And as translators, they may work on business reports, legal documents, books, advertisements, games software, educational materials, website content, instruction manuals and DVD or film subtitles.

Translators commonly work freelance, and their work load is often irregular. In addition, some translators fuse the role of translating with other jobs, like proofreading or teaching. Their fees varies from £50 – £120 every 1,000 words, depending on the language and subject being translated.

There are also certain requirements on how one can become a translator, including fluency in their native tongue (written); proficiency in at least a single other language; knowledge in law, healthcare or business; broad knowledge of the countries’ culture where the translator’s language are spoken; IT and research skills; accuracy; and an ability to meet deadlines. The United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), translation agencies, large companies and some government departments also offer full-time jobs to translators.

Holding a degree in translation or languages could be a great advantage for a translator. Some starters even opt to take a degree in a different subject first, and subsequently take a postgraduate translation course. Doing some volunteer translation work is also a good way to attain experience. Employers also often look for translators who are members of at least one professional association, like ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting).

Building relationships through experience and reputation are considered by freelance translators to be a good underpinning. However, in-house translators often change jobs to improve their skills and broaden their responsibilities, as many translation companies are small.