The Winter Sport Of Skiing

On October 15, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Skiing is a very efficient way of travelling over long distances of snow and individuals have been using it as such for thousands of years. In fact, the first known instance of skiing was found in Norland, Norway and it has been dated back to 5000 BC. Skiing has been used for rapid travel, hunting and warfare ever since then and almost certainly before.

However, there are basically three kinds of skiing, namely, Nordic, Telemark and Alpine skiing. Skiing was made popular for the international market by Sondre Norheim in the late Nineteenth Century, which coincided with Europeans becoming more adventurous in their choice of foreign vacations – well, for the rich at any rate.

Telemark skiing was developed in the Nineteen-Seventies from his ideas on skiing. However, the development of skiing techniques did not quit there. The Austrians, Mathias Zdarsky and Hannes Schneider were instrumental in developing techniques further, although one cannot help thinking that the skiers of seven thousand years ago knew most of those techniques way back then too.

As skiing has become more and more popular over the last sixty or seventy years, so more and more skiing locations have sprung up. There are skiing resorts all over the world, but the most well-known and well-liked are in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and mainland Europe.

There are skiing resorts in the Pyrenees on the border of Spain and France, in Croatia and in Italy, but the most famous resorts are in the Swiss and French Alps, which are in point of fact adjoining. There are even skiing resorts in Scotland.

However, there are also equally good skiing resorts in the United States, Canada and Asia. Wherever, you go skiing, there are things that a skier needs to get in order to be able to ski. a skier needs warm clothing and skiing apparatus. If you are a frequent skier, then you can buy your own clothing and your own equipment, but for most skiers, renting is good enough. At least, if you rent apparatus you do not have to carry lumpy gear around with you.

Resorts have ski runs of different skill levels, but you can also ‘go off piste’, which means ski the wild, untended slopes. This is a great deal more dangerous as these slopes are not tended, cleared or manned, so there is more risk of an accident and less opportunity that you will be discovered if you be into trouble. Avalanches are also less well investigated for off piste ski slopes.

Skiing is something that anyone can learn, but it is not easy to learn. The earlier that someone starts the better. Skiers take falls and older bones break more easily than younger ones. Novices fall more often than experts, so it makes sense to learn how to ski when you are young.

However, do not let that put you off, it is only a warning to be sensible. If you have always wanted to learn to ski, then go for it, but please do yourself a favour and learn the safety rules of skiing too.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several subjects, but is now concerned with short ski breaks. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Ski Package Holidays.

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Which Are The Styles Of Garden Furniture

On October 14, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

If you want to get some new garden furniture, the first thing to do is think about the styles of garden furniture that would suit your garden and your requirements. If you already have an idea of what you would like, you are already half way there, otherwise you will have to do some investigation on the various styles of garden furniture

This research can be done on line quite easily by typing ‘garden furniture’ into Google, but if you would prefer more information on the furniture, you could get a few magazines on gardening and landscaping. If you rather a more hands-on approach, you can go around the home improvement stores and the garden centres.

In fact, you will have to go to the shops sooner or later anyway unless you intend buying on line too. I personally like to do some exploration on the Internet first and then use the knowledge that I gleaned from there to make informed decisions in the shop. I do not really trust the photos. I want to see and touch the garden furniture and check the joints and finish.

Once you get to the garden centre, you will come across different styles of garden furniture including: farmhouse or rustic, contemporary or modern, resort or poolside and these can be made from hardwood, softwood, plastic or metal.

Hardwood is by far the most popular material for garden furniture and most people prefer the farmhouse style, although there are some fantastic modern styles too.

No matter which style you prefer or what it is manufactured of the number one best piece of advice is to get the best quality that you can afford. This is true of most items you can buy, but I think that it is especially true of garden furniture because it will have a very hard life. Just imagine it: snow, rain, heat; temperatures varying from -5c to + 35c and varying humidity.

Cheap plastic cannot put up with those conditions. I used to buy cheap plastic and had to replace it every eighteen months. Then I bought expensive plastic and I still have some of that but in essence it only lasted three years. I have seen metal garden furniture and it always rusts, even if it is plastic coated, enamelled or painted. Softwood lasts well, but it will rot after approximately five years even if it is quite well taken care of.

The only garden furniture that I have ever had or seen at friends’ houses that lasts and looks good all that time is hardwood. There is a broad selection of hardwoods. There are native hardwoods like oak, cherry, walnut, maple and beech and foreign hardwoods like mahogany and teak. These hardwoods can also be stained to practically any colour although most people prefer the natural look.

Hardwood garden furniture is simple to maintain as well: just rub it over with linseed oil once or twice a year. If you carry out this simple maintenance procedure the timber will not dry out and it will resist the elements for twenty years or more ensuring that you get maximum value for money from this, the finest of all the styles of garden furniture.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with farmhouse dining tables. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Solid Oak Dining Tables.

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North Eastern Thailand

On July 25, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

I met my wife while on vacation in Pattaya, which is about 45 minutes south of the new international airport by taxi and the airport is around halfway to Bangkok. I met her on the first day I arrived on a double date with a friend who was already there. Within a couple of weeks she took me back to meet her family in what I later found to be north-eastern Thailand.

Isaan is known as north-eastern Thailand as well, which is actually confusing because where we are is further north but not so far east. Anyway, most people who call Isaan the north east live in Bangkok and Pattaya, the two big hang-outs for foreigners (called farang or falang in Thai), and we are all north-east from there.

One look at the map and you will see what I mean. If you travel north out of Bangkok, eventually you will come to Phitchit, which is officially the beginning of the north and the northern people as they call themselves.

Then comes Phitsanulok, at one time a capital of Thailand. Another 40 kilometres north is Sukhotai and Sri Satchenali, Thailand’s first capital and the spiritual home of Thailand. The original city is still there, uninhabited and largely restored.

I live in the next province to the east called Uttaradit, which borders on Laos to the east and the old mountain kingdom of Nan to the north. About 10% of the population of Nan are of the various Hill Tribes. One of these, the Mlabri, are nomadic hunter gatherers who live in temporary shelters fashioned from branches and leaves. Until very recently, they were living a stone-age life and their language had never been heard by Westerners before 1978 as far as we know.

This is 250 km north-east from where I live. Sukhotai is about 30 km east. So much difference within 300 km. This area was part of the old kingdom of Lanna, which translates as ‘ a million rice fields’ or even ‘millions of rice fields’. Phichai or Fort Phichai, 12 km away, used to be the capital of Uttaradit province. Phraya Phichai Dap Hak (Phichai of the two-handed swords) fought here in the late 18th Century. He is Thailand’s most esteemed and well-known warrior.

Anyway, I live in amongst all this lot. Unfortunately, I do not speak Thai well enough for anyone to give details of it to me and nobody that I know speaks English well enough to do it either. Even my wife. I wish I knew more about this intriguing area where very very few foreigners ever venture.

There are five of us here at the moment in a 20 km radius. An English teacher, a Canadian teacher, a retired Dutchman and a retired Englishman and me. Often there is an Irishman and another Canadian, but they have gone home for a spell. I normally do not see a foreigner or hold a full conversation for weeks on end. And I love it here.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is now involved with Khao Phansa – The Candle Festival. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Package Holidays to Thailand.

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The US Virgin Islands

On May 10, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

The US Virgin Islands came into America’s possession in 1917 after Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to it for $25m in gold. At the time, the USA was worried that the Germans would gain control of the islands and use them as a base from which to launch attacks on America.

The status of the US Virgin Islands is one of an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. This means the residents of the US Virgin Islands are US citizens, but cannot vote in US presidential elections. Therefore, US citizens do not need a passport to visit the US Virgin Islands.

The US Virgin Islands are part virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward islands of the Lesser Antilles along with the British Virgin Islands. The three main islands of this American territory are called Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas. There is also a much smaller island called Water Island. All together, there are about 60 islands with a total surface area of 133.73 square miles, although most of the islands are uninhabited.

The four main islands of the US Virgin Islands are known to their residents by nicknames. These are ‘Twin City’ (St. Croix); ‘Rock City’ (St. Thomas); ‘Love City’ (St. John) and ‘Small City’ (Water Island) and their total population was 108,612 in the 2000 census.

Since the 1960′s, the islands turned their focus from agriculture to heavy industry and tourism and the US Virgin Islands are a very popular destination for American tourists and honeymooners. It is very easy for Americans to get there because a passport is not required, the islands are only 1,730 miles east south-east of Miami, the currency is the US dollar and everybody speaks English.

The islands enjoy an arid, pleasant climate. The average temperature in the capital, Charlotte Amelie, is 33c in the summer and 30c in the winter. September to November are the wettest months and February and March are the driest. The USVI are subject to hurricanes. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was particularly devastating, but the islands were also hit in 1998, 1999 and 2008.

Tourism is the industry that most of the islanders are engaged in and about 2,000,000 people visit every year, many of them on cruise liners. St Thomas and St Croix are the best equipped to deal with tourists offering hotels and resorts along with lovely beaches and fine restaurants. Water sports are the main activity, although tourists can also hire horses or jeeps to discover the interior of the US Virgin Islands.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

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How To Treat Oaken Hardwood Garden Furniture

On November 1, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

If you are going to buy garden furniture, it is a good idea to buy the best quality that you can afford and if you have the money then hardwood garden furniture is the best. There are many kinds of hardwood, naturally, but one of the most popular kinds of hardwood, especially in the UK and northern Europe, is oak. It will endure any kind of weather and if it is taken care of, it will last for several decades.

Oaken hardwood garden furniture is not cheap to buy, that is true, but if you consider the joy that oak furniture will give and the fact that it will last for thirty years if you oil it or varnish it once or twice a year, it is quite cheap really.

In contrast, cheap plastic garden furniture may last two or three years, but then it will need to be replaced. So you can sit on plastic chairs and have to replace them every few years or you can buy expensive oak and take pleasure in it for the rest of your life.

Hardwood is heavily sought after, which leads unscrupulous traders to log it unlawfully. Therefore, if you want to assuage your conscience, try to make sure that you buy your hardwood garden furniture from a renewable source.

What is more, if you buy from a reputable dealer, you will be given instructions on how to maintain it, which will enable you to double or even treble its lifespan.

If your oaken hardwood garden furniture is supplied stained or oiled, you should asked the dealer how you should treat the timber. I think that it is best to buy oak furniture oiled or just stained so that you can make up your own mind how to treat it. Varnished wood has to be varnished again or rubbed down.

If you live in an area where the weather can be extreme in the winter or the summer, you might consider buying covers for your furniture, particularly if you know that you are not going to use it for a few days.

Sunlight is practically as damaging to dead wood as the cold, which is why we stain, varnish, oil and preserve it. Fortunately, this is not an onerous chore and a treatment once or twice a year will keep your oaken hardwood garden furniture in tip-top condition for numerous years.

There are numerous different types of wood treatment, so ultimately, you should abide by the directions on the tin, but I always like to apply a coat of stain without varnish first and perhaps even a second one to bring out the patterns in the wood’s grain, then I apply oil, say, linseed oil until the timber is completely protected.

However, take note, this method can go wrong. The wood can only absorb so much oil so do not put on more than it can soak up otherwise you will not be able to sit on your oaken hardwood garden furniture for a long time.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a range of subjects, but is now involved with large dining tables. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Solid Oak Dining Tables.

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Using Self Tanning Sprays

On September 22, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

The tanned appearance is both popular and trendy more now than at any time for decades; people like the brownish glow of their skin as it makes them feel cool and self-confident. However, at the same time, sun bathing is less and less advisable because of the increase in the quantity of skin cancer injuries. Therefore, substitutes to it have and still are being developed. Artificial tanning using tanning beds or sunless tanning by artificial methods such as body lotions, creams, gels or self tanning spray are generally obtainable.

Although the most advanced method of getting a tan is the use of a tanning bed or tanning booth, not everybody can afford to buy their own machine or go to a salon four times a month in order to have their tan refreshened, so the do-it-yourself solutions have become more and more prevalent.

A self tanning spray is a cosmetic product frequently containing DHA that can be employed at home as a sunless tanning solution. DHA is a chemical that causes a reaction with the skin’s amino acids, which in turn causes the turning of the top layer of skin a brownish colour. The outcome of a self tanning spray lasts for about six or eight days, if you are wise not to take too long in the shower, if you shun using too a harsh soap and if you do not rub yourself too hard with the towel.

Self tanning presents several challenges and so, while it is less expensive than treatment in a commercial tanning salon, it is also more difficult to get a satisfactory result. It is more difficult to achieve an even tan when using a self tanning spray. The coloring solution needs to be atomized in a thin film with great care not to overlap too much. Overlapping leads to darker tan shades on certain body areas.

Therefore, another drawback of the self tanning spray is that you may require another person’s help for the process. The back for instance is very hard to spray unless there is someone to assist you. The same problem presents itself for the back of the legs, the nape of the neck and the bottom. If you ask a friend to assist you with the tanning, it will make the process a lot easier.

You must be particularly cautious to safeguard your eyes, your lips, ears and other delicate body parts. It is also possible to stain your nails and palms when using a self tanning spray. You could remove this problem by using gloves or wet wipes whenever necessary so as not to allow the tanning agent to dry on the palms or your hands or your nails.

Then, last but not least, do not spray too much fluid on your body, because the consequence may be an unnatural orange glow or a rather uneven tan. Although many people frequently use these cans of self tanning spray in its various forms, there is no question about it that they are a lower quality resolution when compared to the superior, but more highly-priced tanning bed or tanning booth.

Do you need to discover more about commercial tanning beds? If you do, please visit our website on Tanning Bed Bulbs

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Saint Croix: One Of The US Virgin Islands

On August 28, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Saint Croix is the biggest of the US Virgin Islands although the capital city, Charlotte Amelie, is located on St Thomas. Saint Croix itself has two towns Frederiksted (pop. 830) and Christiansted (pop. 3,000). The name of the island derives from the original Spanish name given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 – Santa Cruz or ‘Holy Cross’. As Santa Cruz, Saint Croix gets a lot of mention in swashbuckling stories of pirates and buccaneers sailing on the Spanish Main.

The populace before the Europeans arrived was Arawak and Carib and they had probably been there since about 5000 BC. After 1493 the population of the Caribbean became embroiled in a 100 years war with the Spanish and the kind of people living on the island changed forever.

Saint Croix has been owned and therefore predominantly occupied by the Spanish, The British, the French, the Dutch, the Maltese and the Danish all of whom had slaves and plantations

The slaves were manumitted in 1848, but many chose to stay on Saint Croix. Descendants of slaves still live on the island. The total populace of the island is now roughly 60,000.

English is the official language and is the most commonly spoken, although there is also some Spanish, French Creole and Virgin islands Creole, better known as Crucian, which is spoken by most inhabitants in informal situations.

This Hispanic segment of the Crucian populace is mostly of Puerto Rican lineage. The US bought Vieques from Puerto Rico during the Second World War and evicted its inhabitants. Many moved to St Croix because of its similarity to Vieques. These people have integrated well, but also kept a few of their old customs. They usually speak a mixture of Spanish and Crucian English in a distinctive form of Spanglish.

Continental Americans make up about 13% of the population and mostly live on the eastern side of St Croix. Arab Palestinians are also a sizeable minority owning most of the petrol stations and supermarkets on St Croix. Other modern immigrants have come from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines.

There has been some tension between immigrants and those calling themselves ‘real Crucians’, but it has largely evaporated due to intermarriage. There have been attempts to define a ‘real Crucian’.

The issue seems to have been sorted out when in 2009, the proposed U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution voted by the Fifth Constitutional Convention laid down three definitions of U.S. Virgin Islanders: “Ancestral Native Virgin Islander”, who have ancestral ties (and their descendants); “Native Virgin Islander”, who were born on the island (and their descendants); and “Virgin Islander”, who are any United States citizen who has lived in the region for five years.

Christianity, in the guise of Protestantism is the main religion, although the Hispanic community is Roman Catholic. There are also small groups of Jews and followers of Rastafari, Islam.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

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