Benjamins Yarn

Poor credit doesn’t mean you have to lose money on high rates or fees. By being informed about what are reasonable terms, you can sift through the scams and unscrupulous companies. By watching out for the following three items, you can be sure to find an affordable home equity loan, even with a bad credit history.

1. High Rates

Watch out for high rates. Just because you have poor credit, doesn’t mean you have to pay outrageous rates. You can expect to pay a couple of interest points higher on a subprime loan compared to a conventional loan.

Before you rush out to apply with a subprime lender, check with a conventional lender first. For one, your credit score may be higher than you think. And two, more and more conventional lenders are offer financing to those with adverse credit.

2. Large Fees

Another way lenders try to get you is with large upfront fees. They may post a low interest rate, but require you to pay a couple of points at closing, on top of other fees.

Trying to compare rates and fees is complicated, so the federal government requires lenders to disclose their annual percentage rate (APR), which includes both fees and rates. It makes comparison shopping a lot easier.

3. Unfavorable Terms

Also, look out for unfavorable terms, such as early payment fees. Since most people sell their home in less than seven years, you may get caught on this clause. Sometimes this can be waived for a fee.

One scam to look out for is immediate foreclosure on a loan if a payment is late or missed. You also don’t want to sign over your home’s deed for a loan either. Careful review of your loan’s terms will prevent you from these situations.

Shopping for a loan with bad credit is just like shopping with good credit. You have to be smart in comparing lenders and their terms to be sure you are getting the best financing for your situation. Taking the time to look at lenders’ sites will save you money and headaches in the future.

To view our recommended companies for poor credit home equity loan lenders,
visit this page:
Recommended
Poor Credit Home Equity Lenders.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan
Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.

In twenty years back it was difficult to think about the internet and its usage. Especially in Asian country it was a big dream. To know about the other countries and access certain knowledge in these countries was a distinct dream. Most of the people depend upon others or books or print media. Therefore the information’s are half truth and fairly of any use. Nobody can ever thing of doing the business with other countries while living in the same country. Connecting the people of other countries was a distinct dream too. Only postal service was one option, but it was so slow that it took months to communicate.

However In the recent year’s internet has come as great option. Day by day its usage is seeing an upward trend. For some of Asian countries likes India and China it has come as bless. People of these countries are able to show their talent to the world. Internet which started as secret weapon of American army is known changing the life of many. The internet has given us some of popular tools one of which is e-mail. E-mails have provided us with unique opportunity to always remain in contact. It provides us with permanent address on net. It remains same wherever we go. We can use it from any country we live.

It not only helps us to send plain message, but even photos and music files. This service is provided mostly free by lot popular mail sites like rediffmail.com and yahoo.com which are some of hit names. However thousand of free e-mail services can be searched on net. Second exciting and hit service is chatting. It is very popular among young generation. It provides them opportunity to make friends across the world and share views among each other. Chatting is not only popular among young generation; however it is becoming popular among olds also. It provides us with the opportunity sharing our thoughts instantly without thinking about the distant divide.

Third important and recent addition to this internet story is blogs or weblogs. This is the new gem in internet crown. Blogs provide the individual opportunity to air its thoughts to the world. Any body from a small child to old man can use them. It provides us with a platform to know others and tell them about us. There are many hit blog stories. Forth impotent use of internet is accessibility of information. Only with the help of search engines like Google and MSN we now have access to hundred pages of information available to us. Now we do not require going to others or reading lengthy book. A click can do this for us. Now with the help of internet we have same information available to us which is available to people of America or England. Internet is also helping in removing the divides made the different boundaries. While remaining in one country we can now work for the organization of other countries. In the coming years internet is going to change our life faster than what be expected.

http://thoughts-of-a-ordinary-man.blogspot.com
http://www.geocities.com/katochhelp

http://www.geocities.com/arvindkatoch1

Your home will likely be the largest investment you ever make, so it is critical that you keep this investment safe. This is where home owners insurance comes into play. You will be glad you are properly insured especially in the event of some sort of loss such as a fire or home burglary. When compare to auto insurance or health insurance, home owner insurance is relatively cheap but worth every penny. There are some very important aspects of insurance you need to know. There are tips to reduce your insurance costs, where to get home insurance and ways to decrease your insurance rate.

You are now ready to buy that new home you have saved for over the past several years. Many people wonder if they can actually own a home without home owners insurance. The answer is yes and no. If you have a mortgage on your home, the lender will likely require you to carry homeowners insurance so that they are protected in the event the home is destroyed. If you own your home outright, no one will insist you have home insurance coverage, we do however recommend that you maintain coverage so that you don’t lose everything you have worked so hard for.

Why you need home owners insurance:

Homeowners insurance is the safety net you require to protect your family against the loss of your home and your belonging. With the proper insurance policy, you will be covered for damage to your property as well as liability in the event you or your family injures or damages someone or their property.

When talking to your insurance agent, ensure your home or mobile home insurance policy covers the structure of your home, personal belongings, liability protection and living expenses should your ever have to live away from your home because of fire or other damage.

Shopping for home insurance:

Home owners insurance is available from local insurance agents in your community as well as insurance companies that sell coverage over the internet. You can often request a free online home insurance quote. Other excellent resources include your friends and family who are happy with their current home insurance provider. You can also find an extensive list of companies in your local yellow pages.

Home insurance rates:

The rate you will pay for your homeowners insurance will largely depend on the following:

• Size of your home and additional buildings such as garages or guest houses

• Nearest fire hydrant and fire station

• Actual building costs in your community

• Crime rate in your neighborhood

• Occurrence of natural disasters including hurricanes, tornados and hail storms

• Home’s construction materials and unique features

• Age and condition for plumbing, electrical and heating systems

An agent will be able to give you an accurate home insurance quote based on the factors above. To help them, have this information readily available.

Tips for reducing your home insurance rates from 5% - 25%:

1. Homeowners insurance is a competitive business so be prepared to shop around to save money on your rates.

2. Raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can save you as much as 25% on your premium. The higher the deductible, the lower your rate. We recommend a deductible no smaller than $500 to start with.

3. Use the same insurance company for all your insurance requirements including auto insurance, boat insurance, home insurance and travel insurance. This alone can reduce your rates by 5%-15%.

4. Securing your home with smoke detectors, security alarm systems and dead bolts can drastically reduce your home insurance rates.

5. Stay with the same insurance company long term. This will definitely help when you asked for any other discounts they are offering.

We hope that this information will help you when shopping to insure your most valuable asset, your home.

Golf core exercises. You hear that phrase quite often on the television by the commentators referring to the area a lot of the touring pros focus on to improve their power output and prevent low back injuries.

Vijay Singh for example uses weighted medicine balls to work his golf core muscles throughout the whole week of the tournament. In fact his caddie is his rainier. How convenient! The best of both worlds!

But hearing the phrase golf core exercises and knowing what your core is are two different things entirely. As a fitness professional it’s easy for me to throw out that phrase often to impress would-be clients or customers to my golf fitness training products.

But that’s not the case. Understanding what your core is and how it plays a critical role in producing maximum power; injury prevention and even stability is very important. Once you know… you’ll soon realize this may be your missing link to a great game.

This area (core) starts roughly at your belly button and goes up to the bottom of your sternum. It is the engine of your body and awareness of your core affects golf the most. Think of it as the link in the chain that needs to be the strongest, not the weakest.

Two simple golf core exercises that will quickly strengthen your core is ab crunches and back extensions. These would be your initial exercises to give you the strength to move onto rotational exercises that put a little more stress on your spine if the muscles aren’t conditioned enough.

Once you’ve accomplished the above exercises, you can move on to a crunch with a twist and a back extension with a twist. This will hit your rotational strength right away…which will quickly equate to greater power output and distance.

You can then progress up to standing on your feet doing several different variations of rotational movements with a single dumbbell, standing upright and also in your golf posture.

Now that you have a basic understanding of golf core exercises…you hopefully will see how important it is in your overall golf improvement plan.

So next time you hear the phrase on the television…you’ll know what golf core exercises are.

About the Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide - http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Visit his new golf training site at http://www.performbettergolf.com

Source: www.isnare.com

It is an unfortunate reality that society has inadvertently categorized the natural abilities associated with bio-etheric energy as a form of entertainment.

Classifying skills such as precognitive event recognition alongside amusement attractions such as stage illusion have undermined the acknowledgement of etheric energy itself, impeding the acceptance of a wide spectrum of very natural, very real capabilities.

Why, then, are etheric-related abilities seemingly so rare? The answer is multidimensional.

Identifying Your Etheric Energy

All human beings have the ability to recognize, embrace, and utilize their bio-etheric energy, or the energy produced and emitted by all living organisms. Once harnessed, bio-etheric energy can allow a being to:

* Gain a broader, deeper perception of physical and/or emotional surroundings

* Achieve greater use of the brain’s traditional and extra-sensory functions

* Increase knowledge absorption by participating in conscious bio-etheric energy exchange

* Attain a working knowledge of etheric-related capabilities such as precognitive event recognition

The easiest analogy to recognizing etheric energy is that of electricity. Had mankind never harnessed the natural phenomena of electrical current, entire civilizations would have evolved in the absence of telephones, computers, televisions, and an array of other technologies that now seem second nature in our daily lives.

Though a closely integrated element of both individual and collective existence, bio-etheric energy and its uses have only begun to be identified and embraced by society. As we seek to become fully acquainted with this energy type, a new, yet common understanding of etheric energy and its properties has presented itself: the energy exists, and the ultimate question is how to make complete use of it.

Harnessing the Intangible

In seeking to gain a working comprehension of bio-etheric energy, one must be willing to adapt a new dimension of faith, both in self and in the Universe. Faith is a plain transition between the physical, and the etheric; the tangible, and intangible. In bridging the gap between science and the unexplained, faith allows for confident progression into new endeavors to gain additional understanding of the mind and body.

Because mastering the properties of bio-etheric energy includes the development of abilities or metaphysical advantages often regarded by society as paranormal, spontaneous occurrences of precognitive event recognition, remote viewing, telepathy, or other etheric-related abilities are commonly dismissed as subconscious “noise.” This misnomer can be attributed to the school of psychology, whereas the science of bio-etheric energy and its related properties are based in the field of physics.

From a physics perspective, bio-etheric energy can participate in the transfer or exchange of particle energy with other bio-etheric bearing life forms through an exchange of nanophotons, or energy particles smaller than that of ordinary photons.

In theory, nanophotons have the capacity to pass through solid matter and travel at speeds significantly greater than the speed of light, and are capable of transportation between predefined destinations through the fabric of space-time. The smallest building blocks of existence, nanophotons allow for the exchange of “information” between beings capable of utilizing the neural receptors responsible for decoding bio-etheric energy.

Brain Training

Harnessing bio-etheric energy and related abilities requires a focused effort to flex and exercise the frontal lobes, or the region of the brain associated with bio-etheric activity and interpretation. This “training” is similar to the efforts necessary to acquire control over equilibrium and motor functions when learning to walk. Later in life, frontal lobe development is analogous to learning to write with the opposite hand. Although a challenging task requiring determined effort, exercising the frontal lobes is necessary to stimulate the neural receptors responsible for interpreting bio-etheric energy.

There are a number of exercises designed for frontal lobe development, both basic and advanced, many of which are available on the Internet or in related texts. While most of these activities can be performed anywhere with little preparation, a quiet, comfortable atmosphere will provide the maximum result from each training session.

Frontal lobe exercises, such as meditation and memory retention activities, and even simplistic biochemical enhancements such as brainwave stimulators or incense will effectively stimulate the synaptic pathways and neural regions associated with etheric energy interpretation.

What to Expect

Increased stimulation of the frontal lobes will promote spontaneous etheric response. Contrary to preconceived opinion held by some individuals who have yet to achieve a strong working knowledge of the energy, increased etheric control will compliment, rather than complicate, traditional thought processes and mental activities, both voluntarily and involuntarily.

A few results of increased etheric control include:

* Knowledge is retrieved with greater accuracy and speed, with less effort

* Increased empathic ability, allowing for more precise interpretation of others’ emotions, intentions and honesty

* Advanced sense of self (right and wrong, patience, will power)

* Expanded problem-solving abilities, creativity, and cognitive comprehension skills

Recognizing the emotional and physical responses associated with controlled etheric activity will allow for increased control of bio-etheric abilities, long-term. Interpretation of etheric information has a distinct, unique flavor as compared to internal dialogue or imagination. Differentiation between these independent streams of neurological feedback will improve as focus on etheric activity improves.

It is important to note that abilities and skills associated of increased etheric control are not limited to more commonly discussed processes such as precognitive event recognition, remote viewing, or even telepathy. Just as advances in modern technology resulted from an increased understanding of the application of electricity, advanced etheric control will present new applications of the control to existing functions.

As you begin a program for increasing bio-etheric control, write down your etheric-related experiences as they become evident to you. Your abilities and their accuracy will notably increase over time. Recording your progress will provide tangible benchmarks for charting progressive development.

Advanced Techniques

Those with an existing or advanced comprehension of etheric energy will benefit most from direct employment of related abilities to maximize and increase identified potential. Recommended exercises for individuals with developed or expanded bio-etheric control include:

* Target- or beacon-based Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) sessions

* Precognitive forecasting activities, such as previewing playing card colors, suits, and numbers

* Precognitive event recognition

* Telepathy between parties with equal or greater skill

Both independently and as a collective, as we begin to explore and cultivate a complete understanding of bio-etheric energy, the potential for application of this energy to civilization is virtually limitless. Like any skill, development of etheric energy control requires a disciplined, focused effort to achieve notable results. Accomplishment of a thorough familiarity with bio-etheric energy and its purposes may enrich mankind in ways yet to be considered.

Jim D. Ray is a parapsychologist with a diverse background in multiple subject concentrations, including business, psychology and parapsychology, physics, criminal justice, philosophy, education, internet technology, and vocal performance arts.

Jim can be reached by e-mail at: jray@web-presence.net

1. What is an escrow?

Escrow is defined as a process where parties deposit instructions and funds with a “disinterested” third party until conditions of the instructions are met. This applies whether the purchase is real estate or an expensive Ebay item. In a real estate escrow, a title insurance company, escrow company or attorney will traditionally serve as the third party. They will oversee completion of the instructions (or purchase contract), ensure funds are paid to the seller and the title to the property is transferred to the buyer. In a refinance, your escrow closer will ensure that your previous mortgage company is paid off with the new loan proceeds.

2. How is an escrow started?

If you are working with a real estate agent, your agent will “open escrow” for you by depositing your earnest money check and the purchase contract with an escrow/title company or attorney. If you are purchasing a property without the help of a real estate expert, you will have to open the escrow yourself. For a refinance, ask your loan originator for assistance.

3. How will you hold title to the property?

Ways of holding title (such as sole and separate, joint tenancy, community property with right of suvivorship) vary by state. Most escrow/title companies can provide information on what applies for your state, but you may want to consult an attorney for legal advice for your particular situation. This is a decision you should make immediately along with exactly how you want your name to appear on all documents. Provide this information to your escrow expert as soon as possible as it allows them to prepare the documents correctly. If you decide later to change how you want to hold title or how your name should appear, these changes may delay your escrow closing.

4. What is title insurance?

Title insurance protects your investment by insuring you are the only one with a valid claim to that property. During the escrow period, a title company, abstractor or attorney will research historical records that pertain to the property you are buying or refinancing. After examining those records, a commitment for title insurance will be issued, indicating any items that must be cleared prior to closing. The commitment will be sent for your review. Contact your escrow/title officer or attorney if you have any questions about the commitment. You will receive your title insurance policy after the closing.

5. How is the escrow closed?

The escrow officer or attorney will make sure all contract instructions are met. They will monitor deadlines and compliance (such as for home inspection, loan approval, termite report, hazard insurance) and request payoff information for existing loans against the property. If you are the seller, you will sign documents to transfer the property to the buyer. If you are the buyer, you will bring required funds to the closing appointment, and sign loan documents and other legal papers. The seller’s existing mortgages or other obligations will be paid off, the seller will receive any remaining proceeds, and the transfer of title to the buyer will be recorded at the courthouse. The escrow is then closed.

About the Author:
Sharon Hassler was a successful loan officer and real estate agent in Southern California, then served as Communications Manager for First American Title-Arizona for 11 years. She is President of Go Get Experts, LLC, owner and operator of GoGetEscrow.com, a web page directory for escrow officers, closers and attorneys, along with GoGetLoan.com, GoGetNotary.com and GoGetHome.com.

Copyright © 2005, Go Get Experts, for GoGetEscrow.com. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is reproduced in its entirety, without editing, including author’s information. When using this article in magazines or newsletters or online publications, please include the full URL or a hyperlink to http://www.gogetescrow.com

Do you ever hire or put work teams together? Are you ever developing relationships with clients, advisors, supervisors, or your staff? Do you ever have to make career choice decisions? Are you ever in position to decide about a new product and what quantities to produce, distribute, or acquire? Do you have to stay ahead or at least up with the trends? If you answered yes, then you may want to read on and explore how you can tap your deepest and strongest levels of wisdom…

An executive buyer for a national retail chain of full service department stores played a “hunch” and created huge profits and national recognition for her stores. She had learned her job over several years and understood her customers but when it came to predicting the fashion trends she was still more guessing than using statistical analysis. Her intuition told her that an overlooked style would be a “hit” and proceeded to order the dress in certain fabrics and in large quantities. The manufacturer, being an honorable business associate, tried to dissuade her knowing that every other major buyer had overlooked or discounted this particular style. The buyer being strong willed and very strong on this “gut feeling” maintained her large order. A large promotional campaign was launched and to everyone’s surprise, except the buyer, the dress sold out rapidly causing every other major store chain to demand this product. Thousands of this dress style were sold and the buyer’s reputation was elevated by this business decision. Though it seemed to go against logic and current reasoning, this bold act sent this retail market spinning in a new and profitable direction. This buyer developed many unexplainable projects in her successful career and she still considers her intuition responsible for much of the recognition that brought her to the very top of her profession.

Recently an increasing number of reports are pouring in, unexplainable situations of great decision making that appear to be “lucky guesses.” Executives who did not play the “odds” and chose instead untested teams of people or products that overnight created huge growth and huge profits for the developers and investors. Some new technologies are so “cutting-edge” that no one can accurately predict the direction and outcomes of these activities. This includes investing in high-tech, foreign markets, trends of the national market, world political trends, and the needs for NEW products and services. Who could have predicted that that within the past ten years products and services like: cellular phones, pagers, E-mail, faxing, the internet, bio-technology, even Dilbert, would be the necessities of business executives competing for world business. Trends are evolving but being ahead of the trends takes, guts, fortitude, and a deep insight that accurately can feel the “right” directions for the future.

The story about the buyer has been repeated in every industry. The “gut feeling” decisions that have lead to success seem to be increasing with the advent of new technologies and the “uncharted” arenas that must be negotiated. With no “track record” many business decisions must be made quickly and without historical support. Executives with good instincts are driving the explosion of instant millionaires that many industries, particularly “high tech” businesses, in the past decade.

Have you ever experienced ultimate satisfaction in a business activity or decision? Have you ever “played a hunch” and had it come out better than your expectations? Have you ever experienced being totally “connected” or “in synch” with your client or team and had profound results? Were you ever “in the groove” with your sales and marketing activities? Most importantly, did you ever have a “Gut Feeling” about a decision that was so powerful it could even override prevailing thought or certain statistical facts, and achieve great results? Did you ever “know in your Gut” that you had chosen the “right” people for the project even though they were relatively new, inexperienced, or had never worked together before, they just developed the “Right chemistry” to make “it” happen?

Sometimes, for a not fully explained reason, an executive will make great decisions that far exceed expectations. For some managers this happens only rarely, and their track record may show that they are careful and do not take risks. This has been a successful strategy for some managers. But increasingly, business is moving into new areas, perhaps uncharted territory, and the smaller companies who play the “hunches” may wind up winning, creating large payoffs in these new arenas. Some executives have the reputation for “big wins” and develop a track record that make their hard work and great “guesses” produce big leads over their competition. These “guesses”, “hunches,” and “gut feelings” separate the innovators from the managers that follow the leaders. “You can make dust or eat it!”

Customer service also can rely on special qualities where salespeople, managers, or executives can “connect” in a special way with their customers and create a relationship of trust and rapport that develops special loyalty and long term success. People who are “good” with people as managers or in providing customer service produce good returns on the company’s bottomline.

Many executives when in training, in teaching, or in business activities use metaphors from sports. They play aggressively. They “have their head in the game.” They are “in the groove,” “hitting on all cylinders,” and sometimes totally in the “zone.” Athletes describe “being in the zone” where their perceptions are so sharp that time seems to slow down. Their decisions are so clear and precise that they can surgically pick apart the other team’s defense and score in the almost impossible ways. Examples of this abound, where a quarterback, or point guard, or sales executive, intuitively knows what his teammate/client will do, and in a split second delivers the “ball” to the perfect position for it to be received, “in stride,” to complete the drive for a score! This “state of being” is a rare pleasure to experience under any circumstance. When you feel this on the field or in business, it adds to the satisfaction of the experience. In its way it has addicting qualities that brings you back time and time again. This can motivate an executive, letting him/her feel that they are at the very “top.”

Too often we wait for these situations to manifest. We are not proactive in creating the proper emotional, mental, and physical environment to perform at this level and with this satisfaction. Some experienced veterans can pull these qualities out in key situations and use them with great aplomb. Some younger, creative executives seem to have these abilities and can “hit a homerun” early-on. But this is an experience that is an emotional skill that can not happen upon command, consistently, without proper training and nurturing of this skill.

Every competitive company and executive leader wants every advantage that they can develop. Consultants and trainers showcase the latest business techniques. Most business management techniques can be taught through normal teaching methods in classes or through verbal instructions. The “Gut Feelings” of a clear intuitional decision is derived in an entirely different way. It comes through a special “connection” or “feeling” that can not be taught in normal teaching methods. The experience must be provided, guided, enhanced, supported, and nurtured for its full development in a consistent trustworthy “feel-set” (skill-set with feeling.)

Major disruptions to intuition and focus occur in the presence of stress and fear! Controlling fears, insecurities, and your stress response is the first step to preparing for the connection with your intuitive insights. In other words, you must control the background noise and distraction that we most often feel when we are not “in the present moment” and not “in our bodies” in a healthy way. Much has been written about stress management for business and optimum performance can be achieved for athletes or business people through the focus of relaxation and then the special visualizations of success and “peak performance” programming.

The next steps involve immersion through ritual and developed exercises that reconnect you with certain quiet parts of yourself. Physical and emotional blocks need to be circumvented through awareness, acceptance, and then re-channeling of consciousness. A sensitivity to these feelings must be established and then honed to gain the “clarity” that will make this more consistent, trustworthy, and predictable. This phase is not the easiest. It requires diligence and practice. The skill of being able to “let go” physically and emotionally takes some time. It takes mastery of fear to trust that the unconscious forces can give special protection and then guidance. Then the levels of self-awareness and acceptance lead to self-confidence in the special way that successful, creative producers have achieved (for consistent success.)

The phase of balance and grace is a rewarding and beneficial achievement. No matter what the activity you participate within, these levels of focus and of being centered, create the proper internal environment for success. These attributes are not just for business but for all life activities and pursuits. Most people never take the time to achieve these states and never find the deeper satisfaction with their lives. Relationships, families, health and business can suffer from the lack of balance and grace. At a universal level, the world would have more peace, less crime, and fewer environmentally stupid occurrences if balance and grace were honored and cultivated.

© L. John Mason, 1996

7 Steps to Intuitive Power

Public Commitment and Image

Members of the Royal Household share scores of private appointments year on year, right away through Great Britain as officially recorded in the Court Circular, to pay tribute, encourage and discover the achievements or endeavours of people foundations and enterprises in an assortment of areas of life. As representatives of the Queen, they frequently connect with the community in commemorating historical times, vacations, celebratory & heartbreaking episodes and typically she also funds or joins in selected charitable, intellectual & public activities.

Their trips overseas on behalf of the United Kingdom (called State Appointments when the Queen publicly visits other government bodies) attracts public attention to great interactions within & between the Commonwealth and other nations, to British produce & trade, and to Britain as a historical, vacation, and holiday destination. Their existing duties & usual; tasks adds up to the peak of an up-to-the-minute “royal court,” and offer a clearly British & historical pomp to royal procedures (Like that of the Trooping the Colour) & flavour to public occasions (For example, Summer Parties, Ascot).

All through their lives they draw a massive amount of public exposure in the form of picture, written and radio commentary on their activities, family contact, means of passage, traits, costumes, manners, & public assignments. For details about the Royal Family History, visit the Enjoy England website.

Royal Money

Capital that help out the Monarch in the function of her duties as the ruler of state of the United Kingdom comes from the Civil List. This is a return of a miniature section of the profits from the Crown Lands that are surrendered by the monarch to parliament at the swearing in of each reign; all Crown Land being controlled by The Crown Estates, an organisation that is solely liable to parliament. In the two thousand and three-four economical year, the sum amount endowed was ?176 million, where the Queen’s costs totalled thirty six million pounds. The Queen’s payments does not encompass the expenditure of guards.

After a day of blogging, surfing and trawling the web, I find myself at Xiawu fandian (restaurant), the small eatery, barely a stone’s throw from the compound where teachers’ residences are located.

The warm spring breeze that nature mercifully blessed us with on Valentine’s Day is now gone. It’s been replaced by the chilly wind that blows in from different directions, but mostly the North.

I zip my jacket all the way up and snuggle in its feathery warmth as I wait for a table. The restaurant is full and I ask for a chair to brought out where I can sit and gaze at the passersby and, hopefully, share a smile and hello with some. I ask for a small helping of baijiu to keep me company and warm my body while I wait.

Huainan is not a firendly city. Hellos are hard to come by and smiles are a rarity. Sometimes, one’s very own students prefer to pass by without so much as a cursory glance or a greeting out of courtesy. Respect for teachers is a tradition in China. Imports are out of the ambit, I think, as I watch a student eye me, then try to look through me and then, on afterthought, cross the street to save herself the bother of a hello. I smile to myself to make up for a lost hello.

I sit, my back to the restaurant, facing the street. It’s wide enough and as dirty as some Indian streets. The sidewalk is mined. Tiles are coming loose and every time an unwary passerby steps on the wrong one, he is splashed with little jets of dirty, brown-black water onto the shoes and sometimes the ends of trousers. I walk gingery, carefully choosing the tiles on which to step. I have learnt through my share of the mines. Now, I am like a war-weary veteran!

After a day of blogging, surfing and trawling the web, I find myself at Xiawu fandian (restaurant), the small eatery, barely a stone’s throw from the compound where teachers’ residences are located.

The warm spring breeze that nature mercifully blessed us with on Valentine’s Day is now gone. It’s been replaced by the chilly wind that blows in from different directions, but mostly the North.

I zip my jacket all the way up and snuggle in its feathery warmth as I wait for a table. The restaurant is full and I ask for a chair to brought out where I can sit and gaze at the passersby and, hopefully, share a smile and hello with some. I ask for a small helping of baijiu to keep me company and warm my body while I wait.

Huainan is not a firendly city. Hellos are hard to come by and smiles are a rarity. Sometimes, one’s very own students prefer to pass by without so much as a cursory glance or a greeting out of courtesy. Respect for teachers is a tradition in China. Imports are out of the ambit, I think, as I watch a student eye me, then try to look through me and then, on afterthought, cross the street to save herself the bother of a hello. I smile to myself to make up for a lost hello.

I sit, my back to the restaurant, facing the street. It’s wide enough and as dirty as some Indian streets. The sidewalk is mined. Tiles are coming loose and every time an unwary passerby steps on the wrong one, he is splashed with little jets of dirty, brown-black water onto the shoes and sometimes the ends of trousers. I wonder if crafty businesses have a hand in that. I walk gingerly, carefully choosing the tiles on which to step. I have learnt through my share of the mines. Now, I am like a war-weary veteran!

Lily passes by, on her way back from a bath, looking very clean and fresh. Her husband follows a respectful step behind. Lily teaches at my university. She is young and pretty and a little fatter than she was a couple of years ago when I first saw her. Her husband works in Hefei. Like Lily and I, he is also a teacher, an English teacher. I am glad for their hellos and smiles. The Chinese bathe in the evening or night and rarely in the morning. I find that intriguing. Perhaps, they like to be fresh in bed and that’s a good enough reason.

More intriguing than the night-time bath is the place where they bathe. Most people bathe in bath-houses. I ask Lily why that is so. ‘It’s cold,’ she answers. I don’t ask how that’s different. I know. Most homes, in the past, did not have a bath. At best, they had dry lavatories, without running water. Residents would fill water in tubs and then splash some down after the deed was done. Many still live in such houses. Newly-built houses and apartments, however, are better equipped and come with all modern amenities, including hot-and-cold baths or showers.

Many bath houses serve a purpose other than just cleanse bodies. Or well, they cleanse bodies both on the outside and the inside. Many offer a massage - a genuine massage - and some offer a massage for pleasure, too! I don’t know if these services are exclusively for men or sometimes for women, too. There are pedestrian bath-houses for those on a budget and there are swanky five-star bath-houses, with lobbies and interiors done up in a style to put first-rate hotels to shame. Rates for a no-frills bath can vary from liang kuai (two yuan) to, well, who knows the upper limit! At least, I don’t.

My apartment has hot and cold shower facilities and I have never felt the need to use the public bath-houses. In any case, certainly not for a shower!

I turn to Lily to ask if she knows how bath-houses came to be more than just. But, Lily is turning white and I don’t want to embarrass her, not as she shivers in the chilly wind after a warm bath.

Rajesh Kanoi (Jack) is a published writer, now living and working in China. Many of his short-stories, poems and articles have been published, including a book of short-stories, ‘From China With Love’ (Lipstick Publishing).

http://www.writingup.com/oneinabillion/public_bath_houses_and_private_massage

http://o3.indiatimes.com/kjack/archive/2006/02/18/484326.aspx

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