A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

I am sure that you know very well the story A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens. It is, in fact, the story of the uprisings in France. Beginning with a man named Jerry Cruncher who is chasing a mail coach holding, he delivers a letter to Lorry telling him that he needs to wait in the city he is traveling to (Dover) for a young woman. He meets the young woman, named Lucie Manette, which tells him that her father (thought dead) has been found in Paris. Lorry brings Lucie to Paris, traveling first to a city called Saint Antoine where they meet the Defarge's. They are the leaders of a group called the "Jacques" who are the revolutionaries that are also housing Lucie's father (in such agony after his imprisonment in the Bastille for eighteen years). The family is reunited, but Dr. Manette (Lucie's Father) is still distressed.

In 1780 a man named Charles Darnay is on trial for treason. Two british spies are trying to frame the innocent Darnay for their own profit, but in the court room Darnay is saved from the death penalty. Charles becomes very fond of Lucie Manette, starting to fall in love. After the French government discovers the things of Charles past and his true identity, the best of times turns into the worst. The Defarge's lead an attack on The Bastille were Dr. Manette was held prisoner, as a revolt against the French aristocracy. Mister Defarge discovers the the letter in Dr. Manette's jail cell that will change someone's life forever. Will Lucie and Charles remain together? Will be Dr. Manette sent back to the place that he suffered so long ago? Will France ever be able to find its peace?

In a few words this was the plot synopsis. If you didn’t have the book around, you can search pdf files in order to download it for free. I personally enjoyed reading this story. There were many things in this book that I found extraordinary: the way that Dickens is able to connect all of the characters to each other, or the descriptive level of the book, Dickens being sure that doesn't miss any detail, making possible for the reader to picture out the entire image.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book because you will be able to learn a lot from it. There is a lot of suspense and it is hard to tell what is going to happen next. If you like history then you will like for sure this book. After you’ve started it, is very hard to put it down and I guarantee that you will want to read more and more until you will be able to find out how it ends.

Nightlife in Athens

Nightlife in Athens

It is said that the nightlife of Athens rivals with that of New York, London and Paris and maybe surpass those cities. Even though the recent events may question seriously your decision of visiting or not this city, one thing is for certain: you won't find more restaurants, bars, and clubs in a smaller area than you will in Athens with the majority of the nightlife being in central areas. Below I will select some of the best locations in this city in order to have them in mind when you are looking for dance clubs, live Greek music, or bars & lounges.

DANCE CLUBS:

Akrotiri. A summer spent in Athens is not complete without a visit to this club located on the coast. Here, the cosmopolitan ambience and the pulsing music, bring clubbing to a whole other level.

Ammos Beach. This well-known summer spot is situated directly on the water and hosts dance parties with DJs from all over the world.

Island. Just as the name suggests, breezy island surroundings and exceptional sea views offer a laid-back atmosphere. But as the night goes, the lounge tunes make way for beats on which you will dance all night long.

Venue. One of the leading dance clubs in Athens boasting three dance floors and a calendar of exclusive dance parties.

LIVE GREEK MUSIC:

Ammos. Here you can find a great mix of modern, mainstream and more established Greek music.

Athinion Arena. Here, the live Greek music program is more like a Vegas show, featuring dancers and acrobats. A unique twist to the average bouzouki night.

Thea. This live show features some young Greek singers that are sure to lighten up the mood and get you on the dance floor.

Mostrou. In other words, traditional Greek music presented in a tavern-style atmosphere in the heart of Athens.

BARS & LOUNGES:

Balthazar. This lounge is a tropical paradise in the centre of Athens with breezy décor and posh clientele. It is definitely a place to see and be seen.

Baraonda. It is an exclusive outdoor bar and restaurant offering great cuisine and a swanky garden atmosphere that attracts a fashionably cool crowd.

Istioploikos. A well-known café-bar overlooking the port of Mikrolimano provides a laid-back atmosphere to enjoy drinks with your friends.

Soul. This eclectic bar is separated into three areas whit different DJs and it is sure it will please a wide range of musical preferences.

An Invitation to Inspiration from Peugeot

An Invitation to Inspiration from Peugeot

Peugeot has enjoyed a special relationship with the French people for 200 years, establishing this automobile as a marker of their emotions. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Peugeot’s industrial adventure, the company invites all Internet users across the Europe to express the emotions inspired by the car of tomorrow and post their feelings on this virtual wall on their recently launched website, from 6th of May till 5th of October 2010.

Using photos, texts and videos, you can choose your own way of expressing the view of the automobile as a true space for living, sharing and feeling. The best entries will win prizes including preview road tests of the 508 or VIP week-ends at the Le Mans 24 hour race. All your desires can be expressed through six emotionally expressive themes: performance (by sharing the strongest sporting moments), environment (presenting the most beautiful feelings inspired by the natural world), emotions (describing memorable emotions inspired by creative design), movement (catching and communicating the vibrations of the city), connectivity (showing how the outside world and its technologies have taken up residence in the car) and vision (bringing on the wall some unusual holiday incidents, or hilarious moments).

Scuba Diving Destinations

Scuba Diving Destinations

Scuba diving is an excellent way to see some beautiful sites. The tropical coral diving sites with their colorful sea life are the most famous, but other attractions can be mentioned here including rocky reefs, shipwrecks, caverns or caves. Let’s find out together some of the major dive destinations in the world:

The Island of Cozumel, Mexico. The island is surrounded by gorgeous reefs and pristine clear water; perfect for scuba diving. On a good day visibility can be up to 200 feet. Gentle currents running parallel to the reef are a drift diver's dream. There are 19 popular scuba diving reef areas, including dramatic swim-through teeming with marine life. Cozumel is a friendly place for the foreign tourists, having affordable accommodation and buzzing night life. Cave divers will enjoy a trip to the mainland to scuba dive the cenotes (freshwater caves).

Seven Brothers Islands, Djibouti. Djibouti has a unique ecosystem where the mix of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean results in an abundance of marine life. Between the months of September and January, Djibouti is home to resting migrating whale sharks. It is common to see many whale sharks, including juveniles, which tend to stay close to the coast during their visit. Seven Brothers Islands is the major attraction to Djibouti waters. This breathtaking reef system comprises of seven islands covering a vast area. Monumental drop-offs with stunning soft corals carpeting the walls, schooling fish and big pelagic can all be expected.

Fiji Islands, South Pacific. Fiji offers an incredible scuba diving experience. It is the "Soft Coral Capital of the World", the home of the "Great White Wall", the "Yellow Tunnel" and other famous underwater beautiful places. Scuba diving conditions and visibility are unrivalled all over the year. Because of its clear water and dazzling coral, Fiji is a favorite hangout for professional underwater photographers.

Heron Island, Australia. Heron Island is literally a coral island rising above the famous Great Barrier Reef. With excellent scuba diving places, just a few steps from the shore, you can strap on a snorkel and stay under 20 feet for hours. Heron is a quiet island, devoid of industry or day trippers, which is ideal for the scuba diver who wants to bask in a relaxed casual lifestyle during surface intervals.

Koh Tao Island, Thailand. It is a tourist-friendly resort island that caters especially to scuba divers. Surrounded on all sides by colorful reefs, the island is also well known for opportunities for close-encounters with elusive whale sharks and grey reef sharks. The scuba diving is excellent, but despite desperate marine conservation efforts shark hunting is offered as a tourist diversion and many people travel to Koh Tao just to kill the local fauna.

Tired of Searching for the Right Phone System?

Tired of Searching for the Right Phone System?

Even if you have a small or a large business, your office phone system is very important for your business as it allows you to communicate with your staff and your clients, easily and efficiently. Unless you have a very small number of staff, you will have to search for a sophisticated phone system that can improve productivity and enhance customer service. Below, I will try to present you some helpful tips to be used when searching for phone systems for your office.

Choose the quality. Avoid the temptation to save some costs by under investing in a system. Despite the wide use of the Internet, telephone services continue to be an essential business communication tool. Make sure you invest in a known brand, a reliable system that's going to be able to support your business as it grows.

Use the existing equipment. A great way to save money on installation costs is to choose a telephone system that is compatible with or can make use of telephone handsets or outlets that you already have.

Make a list of the features you need. The features which I’m referring on this point include: call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call return, call blocking or call trace.

Choose the right dealer. Choosing a reputable dealer with positive customer testimonials is vital. When researching your prospective dealers, find out how long they have been in the business, whether they've done jobs for companies or businesses similar in size to yours, and what skills, qualifications or experience the technicians have. Don't be afraid to ask them for information about their customer service track record so you can get an idea of how the company would handle the situation if you had a telephone or equipment emergency.

Consider also the budget. Because the installation costs of a new office phone system can be relatively high, be sure to ask your system dealer about any leasing or financing options that may be available if your business's current cash flow is limited. Keep in mind that interest may apply to leasing arrangements, so it may be more cost effective to pay up front. Also, find out if your dealer is willing to take away the existing phone system and give you a discount on the new one.

The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge is the first novel written by Julie Orringer. Published in May 2010, it is a marvelous achievement. The author of the novel has that rare talent that makes a 600-page story very readable, even at its grimmest. Building vivid worlds in effortless phrases, she takes us in 1930s Budapest just as a young Hungarian Jew, Andras Lévi, departs for the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris. He hones his talent for design, works backstage in a theater, and allies with other Jewish students in defiance of rising Nazi influence. And then he meets Klara, a captivating Hungarian ballet instructor nine years his senior with a painful past and a willful teenage daughter. Against Klara's better judgment, love engulfs them, drowning out the rumblings of war for a time. But inevitably, Nazi aggression drives them back to Hungary, where life for the Jews goes from hardship to horror.

The World War II and the Holocaust have been covered so extensively in many formats, and yet there are so many under represented stories. This book takes up one of these side stories, the story of Jews in Hungary, and brings the day-to-day realities of the war to life just to touch you in the way, only a personal story can.

The brilliance of Orringer's novel is the tender and poignant testimony of the human spirit, the fragile structure of a human being standing against the barbaric forces of history. As I said before, it is a touching story of the power of love, the foundation of life which withstands the horror and tragedy, grief and despair of war.

Buying Pearls for Your Special Someone

Buying Pearls for Your Special Someone

Buying pearls for your special someone (your wife or your girlfriend) is one of the most thoughtful, meaningful and romantic gestures you can ever make. Items like rings, necklaces, bracelets or ear rings made from pearls will always express your lasting love and devotion. The magic, mystique and enduring appeal of a pearl jewelry make it a natural gift for that special occasion in your life.

But, most guys know as much about buying pearl jewelry as about brain surgery or rocket science. The good news is that buying fine jewelry for your special someone does not have to become a very hard task. When you know some basic things about pearls, you can set your mind at ease and select the perfect jewelry that will stun and amaze your loved one.

Since pearls come in a variety of shapes, colors and overtones they are the versatile, perfect choice to support any woman’s look, style and personality. Below I will present two of the most beautiful types of pearls that you should have in mind when you want to buy such gift:

Southsea Pearls. Available in an array of colors from the palest moonlight to molten gold, the southsea pearls display a satiny luster that begs to be touched. Celebrated by collectors everywhere for their amazing sizes, your loved one will feel very sophisticated when wearing these pearls.

Freshwater Pearls. These are the latest best-kept secret. The freshwater pearls that look very similar to the ones presented above in size and luster are the affordable alternative to the most expensive ones. With uniformly round shapes, exceptional luster, shimmering orient, and an array of natural colors such as peach, lavender and white, these pearls are sure to charm and surprise your more modern and contemporary girlfriend or spouse.

Now that you received a little crash course in pearl selection, you are ready to venture out and buy some amazing pearl jewelry for the woman you love. To this end, you can consider also online stores like Pure Pearls which offers pearls from the most popular types to the rare ones, both cultured and wild collected from all over the world. At the end of the day, I guarantee that she will treasure this gift for a lifetime!

Advantages of Living on a Farm

Advantages of Living on a Farm

Everyone has their own idea of what living on a farm is like and what are the advantages. And if I would want to name just a few of them, I will definitely speak about: peace and quiet, lower stress, and fresher air.

The life on a farm starts early, in most cases before the dawn. Depending on the size of the farm and the work that it does, the farmer might be getting up by 4 a.m. to get started on a day that lasts well past dusk. There are crops to tend to, livestock to feed and water and other chores that need to be done, often in a race against the heat of the day. The farmer must keep one step ahead of his animals, his crops and his machinery, because letting anything slide for even one day can lead to a complete disaster.

But living on a farm is not all work and no fun. Many farms have ponds to swim and fish in, or trees to climb. Farms with livestock can be very educational as young ones are born. There is nothing sweeter than a newly born lamb, horse, cow or even pig. Of course, if the farm is in the business of raising animals for meat for personal use or for profit, then the children should be made aware of that from the very start.

Asking what it is like to live on a farm might actually be the same as asking what it is like to live in a mansion, or a shack. You live your life, eating, sleeping and trying to make a living just like anybody else. Your office is just out in the barn and your commute may be from the seat of a big tractor. You are the boss, the animals or the crops are your employees as you all pull together to accomplish your end goals. Meetings are held at dawn, and vacation is during the off season. And at the end of the day, living on a farm is simply living!

A History of Cuban Music

A History of Cuban Music

Since music and dance have always been a way of life in Cuba, all styles and their evolution would fill an entire book. For example, in the urban centers, contradanza, based on the French, salon style contredanse, evolved into the still popular danzon. Urban street music, influenced by African religious rituals, Christian religious carnivals and Caribbean carnival music similar to Brazil’s samba mixed together and gave birth to rumba and conga.

The music of the countryside, known collectively as musica campensina, gave rise to guajira, the lyrical, sweet musical form that extols the virtues of the land and Cuba’s beauty. The trova, another rural style of music from the eastern part of the island, dispersed news and gossip, often through satire. The Cuban bolero, evolving from the trova, is the epitome of the romantic love song. And finally, reflecting influences of all of these earlier musical styles is the heart of Cuban music, the son. As waves of immigrants migrated north to the U.S., Cuban music fused with other musical formats in the urban centers. In the mid-twentieth century, new, popular musical styles were born from this fusion giving us the mambo, cha cha and salsa. In order to download music just for having a little taste of these marvelous styles, you can search for artists like Celia Cruz, Arsenio Rodriguez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo or Compay Segundo.

Today, it’s difficult to say who invented some of the popular Cuban musical forms: for example, does salsa come from Cuba or from New York? But not this answer is important here. What really matters is the fact that Latin music continues to evolve and to reflect a global heartbeat.

Make Sushi at Home

Make Sushi at Home

Sushi is a food that is eaten worldwide in both casual and formal settings. If you don’t have the ability or experience to eat sushi in a high class or formal experience you can make your own sushi at home and it can taste just as good as when the chef made it.

But first of all, you must understand exactly what sushi is: a roll of fish or other sea food wrapped up with rice. These ingredients are placed inside of seaweed, also known as nori. There are two different types of sushi: simpler (contains only one type of filling which can be fish, seafood, or just a simple vegetable) and futomaki, also known as fat maki (contains two or more fillings for a fuller type of sushi).

Sushi can be rolled or folded in different ways. Hand made sushi, known also as nigri sushi, is the most common type and includes pressed rice along with some toppings. Another type is known as maki sushi which is rolled up, the seaweed being wrapped around rice and a filling.

In order to make sushi a few basic ingredients are required: seaweed, short grained rice, seasonings (i.e. ginger root, wasabi, or soy sauce), raw fish or vegetables like avocado, cucumber, carrots, or asparagus. If you want to include seafood shrimps, eel, or salmon will be a good idea.

Now that you have the ingredients, the actual process of making the sushi follows: place the seaweed on a bamboo mat in order to be filled and after that spread a very thin layer of rice on top of the seaweed. At this time, any ingredients you wish to be placed inside the sushi are now placed in the middle of the nori. Now it is time to roll the sushi. Hold the bamboo mat edge and roll it. Be sure that the roll is tight but not tight enough that the fillings seep out of the edges. After the roll is complete the bamboo can be separated and the roll is left intact. The entire sushi is now ready to be sliced into sections. Depending upon the size you want each roll to be, cut it into sections.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ingredients and combinations. You never know with what kind of creation you will come up.

Sources: 1

Special Use for Sunglasses in Various Sports

Special Use for Sunglasses in Various Sports

Sunglasses have to meet special requirements when worn for sports, needing shatterproof and impact-resistant lenses. Also, in order to keep the glasses in place during sporting activities, a strap or other fixing is typically used in this respect.

For water sports, the so-called water sunglasses (or water eye wear) are specially adapted for use in turbulent water, in the case of sports such as surf. In addition to these features, water sunglasses can have increased buoyancy to stop them from sinking should they come off, and they can have a vent or other method to eliminate fogging. These sunglasses are used in water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, kayaking, jet skiing, and water skiing.

Mountain climbing or traveling across glaciers or snowfields requires eye protection because the sunlight (including ultraviolet radiation) is more intense in higher altitudes, and snow and ice reflect additional light. The most popular glasses for this purpose are the so- called glacier glasses or glacier goggles. They typically have very dark round lenses and leather blinders at the sides, which protect the eyes by blocking the sun's rays around the edges of the lenses.

Wine Gifts for a Special Occasion

Wine Gifts for a Special Occasion

If you are looking for a gift to give on any occasion, you can always go for wine kits to delight your friends. You can choose from a range of wine making supplies and equipment. Wine making equipment gift is sure to delight and surprise your special one, representing a gift that will be cherished and remembered for years.

Since gift-giving means also expressing emotions like love, affection, happiness and/or forgiveness, it is good to offer wine making kits instead of wine bottles. Today, wine gifts have become very popular and there are a variety of kits available in the market. Giving such gifts became also a passion and these days whether it’s a birthday party, wedding, or corporate event commemorating wine and gift is a part of the celebration. Wine gifts are distributed as a token of thanks to the guest and are considered as a gesture of appreciation, making also the event memorable. The significance and importance of the event is increased with wine gifts as they will remind them of the celebrations and the beautiful experience.

Wine making is a very easy and exciting process, all you need is little creativity and imagination. But, if you do not have an inventive bent then what you can do is learn how to make wine at home from the instructions available with the wine kits mentioned above, kits that allow you to make varieties such as: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay or even Cabernet.

Feng Shui Products

Feng Shui Products

When it comes to feng shui products, the options to choose from are overwhelming: you can find items for love and romance, wealth and prosperity, luck and success, health and peace of mind, and many others. Moreover, you can find charms for your home, garden, office, or car. All of the available amulets are meant to create a balanced living and to enhance every aspect of life. Below, you will find a few words about the most popular talismans for enhancing the different aspects of life using the ancient notion of feng shui.

Love and romance. The feng shui products for enhancing love, always need to come in two pieces whichever love item you choose. Some of the most popular charms for enhancing romantic relationships and marriage are Koi carps, mandarin ducks, orange trees, and pictures of happy couples. These amulets need to be placed in the bedroom or the feng shui love corner, which is the southwest of any room.

Wealth and prosperity. The feng shui products for boosting wealth come in a number of forms: gold-colored items, Chinese coins, and specific talismans. The most commonly used and the most powerful amulets for boosting prosperity are: Gold Ingots, the magic scepter Ru Yi, Money Trees, Three Legged Money Toads, and Wealth Gods. It’s best to choose the charms that you like personally and to place them in the southeast corner of your room.

Luck and success. Any amulet can bring luck and success to its owner, as long as it is placed in the zone that you want to boost (money, health, love, creativity, etc.). However, there are specific charms that can boost your overall luck: Chi Lin, Kuan Kung, or Chinese dragons. Chi Lin is a protective animal similar to a unicorn, having horns, blue and green scaly skin, hooves, tail, and the head of a dragon. Kuan Kung is a military commander, who protects the home and brings luck. Chinese dragons are magical beings that also bring luck and protect homes.

Health and peace of mind. The most potent feng shui products for boosting health are salt water cures, which capture the negative energy in your premises. Both, health and peace of mind can be boosted using crystal singing bowls, fountains, and wind chimes. These talismans need to be placed in the east corner of any room.

You can also find items for business and career, health and peace of mind, reputation and fame, children and creativity, or self-cultivation and knowledge. The most important thing is to evaluate your life in order to determine the parts that need to be boosted, and then to pick up the specific charm that will help in your life improvement.

Shopping for Safety Glasses

Shopping for Safety Glasses

Safety glasses are a necessity for a lot of activities: whether you're mixing chemicals in a lab or sawing construction materials in a workshop. In other words, safety glasses can help protect your eyes from all kinds of harmful materials. Many outdoor sporting activities such as motocross or snowboarding also require some form of protective eyewear.

If you plan to go shopping for safety glasses, there are a few basic differences in design and style that you should consider. And to ease your job, please find below a few tips you should have in mind in the selection process.

Select eye glasses made from shatter-proof plastic or polycarbonate material, as this material wraps around your head, protecting your eyes from any projectiles that may come at an angle.

In order to prevent fogging within your safety glasses, purchase a pair that has ventilation slits along the side. Condensation can be a problem if you have to wear your goggles for extended periods of time. To eliminate this problem shop for a pair of glasses that offer reliable air flow.

Use oversized safety glasses in conjunction with any prescription eyewear you may have to wear. While it's possible to find safety glasses that can be customized with prescription lenses, it's not really necessary: larger glasses can be made to fit over your existing ones.

Shop for safety glasses by visiting the websites of the most popular brands, like starlite safety glasses or jackson safety glasses. The mentioned manufacturers offer various styles of safety glasses that are popular for professionals. Starlite glasses come in a variety of shades in the original or narrower SM design. All Starlite safety glasses provide impact resistance against debris. On the other hand, Jackson makes a wide selection of stylish safety glasses in many shapes and colors, so there is something that will appeal to everyone.

The Hand That First Held Mine

The Hand That First Held Mine

In the novel The Hand That First Held Mine (published on April 12, 2010), Maggie O'Farrell interweaves two seemingly unconnected stories: that of Lexie Sinclair, living in post-WWII London, and Elina Vilkuna, a denizen of present-day London.

The story develops when Alexandra Sinclair (renamed Lexie by the love of her life, Innes Kent) leaves her traditional family and moves to London. The setting is bohemian post war London in the 1950's when most women lived with their families or boarding houses for women only. Lexie is unconventional: she is ahead of her time, independent, and passionate and wants to carve a niche for herself. With the help and high powered love of Innes, she becomes knowledgeable about art and turns herself into a credible reporter. She works hard and is rewarded with like-minded friends. Tragedy befalls her and eventually she ends up an "unwed" mother out of choice. Throughout her travails, she holds onto her passion for Innes and confidence in herself as a mother and journalist.

Decades later, another woman in London, has a near death experience giving birth to her son, Jonah. Elina is also not married but is a loyal, bright companion to Ted, the father of her child. She is also an artist and has a solid understanding of contemporary art and its value. Ted, who is nearly paralyzed by nearly losing Elina during labor, begins to recover lost memories. These memories traumatize him and he experiences deep loss.

O'Farrell alternates these plots artfully, always keeping the incorrigible Lexie in forward motion, while letting Ted and Elina wade further back in time. Inevitably, the two stories collide, and the result is a remarkably taut and unsentimental whole that embraces the unpredictable, both in love and in life.