education http://www.trifter.com/tags/education New posts about education Five Reasons to Move To Sweden http://www.trifter.com/Europe/Five-Reasons-to-Move-Sweden.91738 I was born in Turkey and I've lived in Turkey all my life.As usual,I always liked my country and did not think to live in another country. However,one of my friends changed my mind when he told me about Sweden. He had never thought to live in Sweden until he was accepted by a Swedish University for master degree. I contacted him by phone and Internet and gathered information about Sweden. He biased me to move Sweden.

I have searched and surveyed about moving to Sweden so far.I've asked Swedish people about Sweden,life in Sweden and life conditions in Sweden.These are the results of my quick survey:

  1. There is no war or possibility of war in Sweden.All Swedish people live in peace in their land.
  2. There is a big opportunity for taking good education especially in engineering and natural sciences. Uppsala University,Lund University and Chalmers University of Technology are popular universities in Sweden and Europe.They all give good education.



  3. There is a big opportunity for finding good job.Technology and Science is developed in Sweden.Sweden needs youth population.Rate of youth population in Sweden is very low.


  4. There are very beautiful places to see in Sweden like Stan Island,famous war ship Vasa,Royal Palace,Theatre Building,Kunqsrad Park,Fjallgatan Hill,Residance Museum,Masthugget Church,Amelienborg Palace,Statue of Little Mermaid,Statue of Poseidon,Karl Johans Street and National Theatre Building.


  5. Beautiful blonde girls of Sweden with blue eyes.


]]> Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:07:42 PST Prince George: The Spruce Capital http://www.trifter.com/USA-&-Canada/British-Columbia/Prince-George-The-Spruce-Capital.45175 Half way between the Pacific Ocean, to the West, and the province of Alberta, to the East, and mid way between the Yukon Territories, to the North, and the State of Washington, in the U.S. of A., to the South, is a cairn that marks the geographical center of B.C. (British Columbia).

Approximately fifty kilometers to the East of said cairn is the city of Prince George.

In the early 1800's, Simon Fraser, a partner in the North West Company, thinking he was on the Columbia River, followed the river, which now bears his name. In 1807, on the West bank of said river, just South of where it is joined by the Nechako River, he erected a trading post. Mr. Fraser, in honour of King George III, named the post, Fort George.

Now known as Prince George, this city is, literally, the heart of B.C. Located amongst millions of hectares of spruce trees it is known as the Spruce Capital of the World because of its economic base in the logging, and pulping, of spruce.

Small, in comparison to most cities, its population ranges from eighty thousand to one hundred twenty thousand, depending on the economy. It is the commercial hub for the Northern half of the province and people move out, when times are lean, as fast as they moved in, when work was plentiful.

Currently, the economy is on the rise as the new container port in Prince Rupert begins development. As level land is scarce between the steep mountains of the West Coast, containers, once they are unloaded from the ships, will move, from Prince Rupert, by train, to be sorted in Prince George.

The, current, ten hour, drive from Vancouver to Prince George will probably become a, twelve hour, commute with the increase in truck traffic.

Prince George is noted as a summer and winter playground: twenty minutes from downtown will see you; swimming in the summer, hunting in the fall, skiing in the winter, or fishing, any time of the year.

This summer while visiting friends in PG, we were discussing work. My friend had just started driving taxi and one of her first fares had time to kill before catching a flight, the next day. “What is there to do, what is there to see?”, they asked her. She was stumped. She has lived in PG for over thirty years. I had lived there for ten years and I was just as stumped, even though I had, also, driven taxi for a while.

What do Prince Georgians do? Like everyone else they work, they eat, they sleep. For those who live downtown they breath an atmosphere that is not all that pleasant. When visitors ask, they reply, “Ah, that! That is the smell of money!” The perfume from the pulp mills, a byproduct of the chlorine, acid, bleaching process tends to drift down the valley into the bowl.

Prince George is located in the bottom of a bowl. It is often referred to as a giant beach looking for an ocean. The entire area is sand. Consequently the Fraser river turns a dark colour and when it gets to Vancouver the environmentalists blame the logging industry for polluting the river. In truth it is only discolouration, courtesy of Mother Nature.

Gold can be found in the sand, in too small a quantity to be profitable to pan. The loose sand also makes it difficult to build, particularly near the edge of the bowl. The construction of the new university was an engineers' nightmare. Rumours continue to claim that, soon, students won't have to commute to the top of the hill, as the university is gong to slide down to the bottom of the bowl.

`Ones man's garbage is another man's gold', as the saying goes. While the sand may cause problems for some, it provides pleasure for others. The Sand Banks, along the North Nechako River provide skiers one last kick at the cat, come spring. When they have worn out their skis on the two local ski hills, Mt. Tabor, and Purden Mountain, they tune them up for the `Sand Blast'. A yearly event when mayhem overcomes common sense and the skiers fly down the steep sand banks and try to stop before they stumble across the road, into the river.

NIGHTLIFE:

Several neighbourhood pubs, some with live music, several nightclubs, a few with live bands. Live theatre, cinematic theatres, hockey, PG is the home of the Prince George Spruce Kings, the host team for the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup, a casino or two, bingo, and my all time favourite, roller skating. Although that will soon come to pass. The fad has worn off over the years and the building is now doomed.

Along with the neighbouring Golf and Curling club, the land has been sold to a developer. Over the next few years the PG Golf and Curling Club will move to a new location along the Nechako River. In its place will be a new hotel and residential subdivision. And lets not forget the newest addition to the PG nightlife, a drive in theatre, which is also home to; a mini golf, and a go cart track.

DAYTIME:

4X4ing, art galleries, bicycling, bowling, curling, fishing, golfing, at least 5 golf courses, hang gliding, hunting, museums, parks, shopping, ski-dooing, skiing, swimming, tennis, touring the pulp mills, wildlife viewing. Wow! Prince George has all the attractions of a major city, without the commuter hassle, plus all the benefits of a small town.

Oh, did I mention the higher average wage, compared to the city, and the lower average cost of rent, or home purchase.

Excuse me, this narrative will now pause while the narrator packs his bags and moves out of the din of traffic in the big city to the peace and quiet of the Cariboo Valley.

SHOPPING:

Prince George is home to one major shopping plaza and two major malls, in the bowl. Other shopping centers can be found on the North, and the West rims of the bowl. Several super, destination, stores; Canadian Tire, Home Depot, London Drugs, Real Canadian Superstore, Staples, Wal-Mart, etc. can be found; downtown, at the foot of Peden Hill, and near the entrance to College Heights.

College heights, a residential district in the South West corner of the city has, over the past few years, expanded further to the West as the city enjoys an increase in property values as construction expands.

Prince George Shopping

EDUCATION:

Prince George hosts four colleges and a University. CNC, the College of New Caledonia, has branch colleges in many of the towns in Northern B. C. UNBC, the university of Northern B. C., is a satellite of UBC, the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.

MEALTIME:

Restaurants of most ethnicities, abound, as do smצrgוsbords (Buffets to Americans). Culinary delights for all tastes, and budgets.

Though I can no longer do justice to a smצrgוsbord, smצrgוsbords in Prince George used to close their doors when they saw me coming, I still enjoy the variety of choice that is offered. One of my favourites is The Caribou Steak and Seafood Restaurant. Always a great selection of; roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, pirogies, etc. a great salad bar, desert bar, pleasant atmosphere, and great service. I invariably meet friends there whenever I visit Prince George.

One of my favourites was the Hart Wheel Inn truck stop on the Hart Highway. In the late 80's there were four, really good, Chinese, smorgs, daily. Each of them had a nice selection at noon, a larger selection in the evening, and, on weekends, would add a roast of beef, or ham, or a turkey; and some Canadian style potatoes, and salad.

I haven't been up to the Hart in a while as my friend, Chung, the owner, has opened new and larger premises, The Great Wall Restaurant, near the Fraser River bridge on Hwy 97. This has a much larger selection in its daily smorg.

Another favourite culinary experience was on Sunday mornings. I would phone all my friends, who were generally nursing hangovers, and coax them out of bed to one of the four big breakfast smorgs. I believe the only one left is at Ester's inn. But it is still worth going. Table after table of culinary delights.

A new establishment has opened, next to the Cariboo, `The Waddling Duck'. Their menu offers; air dried bison steak, venison sirloin, nori wrapped ahi tuna, as well as other culinary delights.

One of my all time favourites is Franco's Steak and Spaghetti, 251 George St. Home of the Panzeroti. A panzeroti is, basically, a pizza, folded over, with the edges joined, but they don't use pizza dough, or bread dough, as some restaurants do.

One of my mother's favourite sayings, if something tasted good, was, `That tasted like more'. The first time I had a panzeroti the waitress asked me how it was. I replied, “That tasted like more”. She took me seriously, looked at me startled, and said, “If you can eat another one of those, I'll pay for it”. She paid for it.

GETTING AROUND:

Prince George is too spread out to walk to most locations. However it does offer a city bus system.

PARKS:

There are several parks throughout the city. Fort George Park, on the banks of the Fraser River, is the largest, at 65 acres, and is home to the Fraser Fort George Regional Museum, `The Exploration Place', Prince George's Science Center and Museum.

A replica of the old fort has been constructed in the Park. Also, in the park, one can ride on a miniature train, or walk along the bank of the Fraser River.

The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum is located adjacent to Cottonwood Island Park. There is an 1914 Grand Trunk station and a large array of rolling stock, such as; a 1913 100 ton steam crane, a 1903 Russell Snowplow, and a 1913 first-class Nechako Car. In the forestry part of the museum is a large selection of 1800's machinery.

Cottonwood Island Park offers a pleasant stroll along the bank of the N. Nechako River. The park is open all year and offers; a boat, and canoe, launch, picnic shelter, toilets, and an eleven Km. paved, trail, suitable for; walking, biking, in-line skating, or running, that goes under the bridges and connects to Fort George Park.

Another place to walk or picnic, is Connaught Hill Park. While I was in Prince this summer I discovered, or is that re-discovered, Connaught Hill Park. I have been to the park, more than once, over the years, but have never really noticed it. Just a quick drive through.

When I lived in Prince I was into dogs. I have always been good with cats and dogs and having relayed a story of approaching a strange dog a young lady dared me to try and approach her's.

I followed her to Connaught Hill Park where she; parked her VW bug, instructed her German Shepard to Guard it, then walked away. A while later I approached the car, spoke to the dog, through the closed windows, walked around the car, still talking, then entered the drivers's door. When she returned to the car I was lying across the front seats, the dog licking my face.

This year I took the time to smell the roses. Connaught hill is a wonderful place for; a stroll, a picnic, some picnic tables have their own parking area, or to smell roses, or other flowers, and offers a splendid view of the city.

ACCOMMODATION:

There are several hotels in the city, four of which represent major chains; Coast, Days Inn, Holiday Inn, and Ramada. The city, and area, also abounds with motels; Economy, Travelodge, Camelot, Carmel, and many others. As well there are numerous BandB's.

CLIMATE:

Prince George has always been noted for short, hot, dry summers and long, cold winters. Over the last few years, due to the increase in surface area of lakes that have been enlarged for hydro electricity production, and global warming, the climate has moderated. Though they still get the odd day of forty below in the winter they no longer get the week after week of fifty below, with the odd day that would reach a high of thirty-five below. Nor do they get the continuous, deep, snowfalls, that they once did.

For some this is a good thing; the elderly don't have huge snowfalls to contend with, the city saves a lot of money on snow removal, and people from the South are more inclined to move in.

However, the down side is less winter employment and a basic industry of the province that is in danger of disappearing.

Because the area around Prince is fairly soft, logging was much easier in the winter when the ground was frozen solid. IE: trucks and equipment could move, off road, without getting stuck. Seasonal employment is a common thing in Canada and nowhere more so than in the Cariboo.

Winter time would see the population of towns, such as Prince, double. Logging companies from other towns, that had work in the summer when the ground was dry, but too steep to log in winter would come to the North during the winter.

As the North is notorious for its cold winters so it was notorious for fly-by-night companies. Quick-buck artists would come to town in the fall and leave, just a quickly, in the spring, owing their suppliers money. They would stay in motels, make arrangements for fuel, tires, employees, etc., and leave town, owing everyone.

Such companies are great for seasonal employees such as myself and they are educators for youngsters who have no experience.

One such company came to Prince, one winter and I drove a logging truck for them. At the end of the season I went to work one morning to find, nothing. No one. Gone. I enquired at the motel where they had been staying. The manager said they had left during the night. All except the logging truck that I had been driving. He was keeping it until they paid their bill.

Sometime later the truck disappeared from his parking lot. I doubt that he ever got paid. I know I never saw my last cheque.

Years later I had a similar experience with a chop stick factory. A man came form overseas, started up a factory to supply the orient with chopsticks made from Alder wood. I started up a logging company to supply him with clear, white alder.

The day after he received a multi million dollar grant from Ottawa he returned to his homeland. None of the workers in the factory received their last paycheque and none of the logging companies were paid for the logs lying in the yard.

I stated earlier that a basic industry of the province is in danger of disappearing. Cypress; elm, fir, pine, and spruce, beetles kill trees. The beetles bore through the bark and mine the phloem - the layer between the bark and the trunk of a tree. They burrow even deeper into the tree to lay their eggs. They live in the summer and hibernate in the winter. Actually what they do is die in the winter. If it is cold enough. To survive they hide under the bark of a tree. It takes many days for cold to penetrate the bark of a tree and many more days for the cold to kill the beetles. Thirty to forty below, for a period of six weeks, will kill the beetles, and their eggs.

It has been many years since the temperatures have stayed that cold for that long a period. Consequently the beetle population is out of control. The forest that the tree huggers of the `90s managed to save from the forest industry have now been lost to nature. Along with many millions of hectares more. The latest maps from the B. C. Forestry show that over half of B. C.'s forests are infested and will be dead within the next few years.

GETTING THERE:

Passenger train service from East to West, Prince Rupert to Jasper, is offered by Via Rail. Greyhound service is offered in all direction as is airline service. The airport in Prince George hosts; Horizon, Jazz, and West Jet, as well as several smaller airlines and helicopter services. There are several flights a day, to and from, major centers in Western Canada, as well as non stop flights to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

]]> Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:01:18 PST Tabbutaha Reef http://www.trifter.com/Asia-&-Pacific/Philippines/Tabbutaha-Reef.43877 Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is the ultimate destination, no scuba diver would want to miss. The park's two coral atolls, South Reef and North Reef, with their respective islet, is scattered with a vast array of unique animals. Despite the small triangular-shaped South Reef and the oblong-shaped continuous North Reef platform, the expanses of Tubbataha are punctuated with 96,824 hectares of territory of which around 10,000 hectares is beautiful coral. The sheer beauty and diversity of sea life as well as vegetation is second to none, stimulating your diving and recreational pleasures.

Location

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is located in the Middle of the Central Sulu Sea, southwest of the Philippines, 98 nautical miles and 181 kilometres southeast of Puerto Pincesa City, Palawan Province, in the Municipality of Cagayancillo.

The latitude and Longitude of Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is 8°45'N, 9°00'N', 119°04'E, 120°04'E.

Climate

Tubbataha is constantly exposed to the ferocious south-west and north-east monsoons. Ro1ugh, stormy seas

are experienced from July to October and December to March during the north-east monsoons.

Generally the warmest months are March, April and May with an average temperature of 28, 32 degrees. Generally the warmest months are March, April and May with an average temperature of 28, 32°C. The cooler months occur in November, December, January and February, accompanied by torrential rain. Water temperatures range from 25, 27°C. It is recommended that you take a wide-brimmed hat, short sleeved garments, sandals, sport shoes and raincoats.

How to Get There

The most efficient route to Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is via plane and boat. Your journey commences the second you board on our national airline, Philippines Airline, where you will be entertained by the leading service of air. Once in Manila, transmit on the many domestic flights to Puerto Princesa via Coron or El Nido, where you will embark on a live-aboard boat to reach Tubbataha Marine Park. The park is open all year but the seas are calmer between March and June. An entrance fee of $25 is applicable for locals and $50 for foreigners. It is compulsory to apply for a permit before entering the park.

Characteristics of the Site

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is classified as a natural site, a rich ecosystem comprising of a diverse range of rare and unique flora and fauna. The pristine fringing coral reefs, vast deep lagoons carved with underwater cave harbours almost five hundred species of fish and almost four hundred species of corals, most of them being endangered.

Tubbataha has it all;from the almighty Whale Sharks to the Phytoplankton abundant in Anemone Crabs, Turkey Fish, Butterfly Fish, Banded Sea Snakes and the extraordinarily rare Fox-faced Rabbit fish. The two islets, separated by an eight kilometer channel, are a vital convergence site for the many endangered bird species of South East Asia, such as Boobies and Crested Terns to just name a few, last breeding sanctuary, further justifying Tubbataha's natural importance. As a result of

the unprecedented naturalism, UNESCO has found it worthy to honour the park with a World Heritage status, in 1993.

Tubbataha is regarded as one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. The biodiversity is equal or even greater than that of any reef of its size in the entire world. It is the Philippine's oldest ecosystem and is thought to be formed around 15 million years ago with the eruption of the chain volcanoes along the Cagayan Ridge.

Importance of World Heritage Listing

Tubbataha must be preserved for our future generations to save its spectacular reefs.

The World Heritage Site managers foster awareness of the value and importance of Tubbataha through education. Locals gain national pride, encouraging them to support the conservation and protection of the park's stunning reefs, lagoons and the rare wildlife that these areas are flourished with.

Moreover, Songco (2007) believes that “being part of the WH network…has lead to improved management” of the park. “Palawan Council for Sustainable Development” states about the importance for the sustenance of fisheries without over fishing. Tubbataha's World Heritage status also elevates their chance of seeking interested stakeholders to sponsor a mooring buoy project that seeks to eliminate normal anchors that harm the fragile coral.

The inclusion of Tubbataha Reefs as a World Heritage Site is a very positive aspect in marketing tourists, aided by the Government's funding and investment. Profits generated through tourism by entrance fees and other spending boosts the local economy.

Site Management

Tubbataha is a major tourist attraction, but humans also play a significant role in the destruction of the marine park. To manage and reduce these acts, rules are enforced

  • Educational campaigns to encourage tourists not to dispose rubbish
  • Hotel accommodations are positioned safely away from the national park
  • Touching or taking of wildlife is strictly prohibited, “no-take policy” (signs)
  • Limited numbers of people are allowed to visit the park
  • Patrols prevent accidental introduction of exotic species that disrupt the ecosystem
  • Catches of marine life are constantly measured and regulated daily
  • Blast fishing, using explosives is outlawed
  • Specific fishing locations are determined
  • All water engineering projects are assessed for any potential threats

Tubbataha's rules are stipulated by “Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board” (TPAMB).

Rangers from the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and Tubbataha Management Office are permanently situated all year on the national park. These groups accomplish frequent patrols around the park boundaries to prevent illegal fishing and poaching.

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