A Fountain in the Night

This fountain located in the front of Cipanas Palace (West Java, Indonesia), one of Indonesia Presidential Palaces.Watery Wednesday

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The Sixth Day in Surabaya

Today is my sixth day in Surabaya (East Java, Indonesia). I’ve been very busy for the past few days. My father needed my help to prepare all his matters that related to his pilgrimage. This Monday, my father, brother and SILs have gathered in the hajj dormitory in the city. Tomorrow Tuesday, they will leave the country by Saudi Arabian airline. Hope every thing is going well there. I really wish my father will be back from his pilgrimage in better health condition. Who knows; miracles can happen! My husband and I plan to go back home this next Thursday. For my late Blue Monday post, I’ll share the plane that we rode in last week and one quick shot of my father and brother in their hajj uniform.

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Camera Critters: A Monkey

Right now I'm still out of town, visiting my father in my brother's home in Surabaya, Indonesia). I saw this monkey two nights ago; while my husband and I were buying things at the store nearby. He was trained to do some different tricks. I felt pity for this monkey.

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Investing in Colombian Hotels

Colombia is seeing a boom in the construction of hotels, like no other country in the world in 2011. It seems strange a country that has a reputation of being dangerous and corrupt is seeing so much investment. The northern end of Colombia is full of white sandy beaches, perfect for relatively low-cost holidays, excellent weather all year round, and is a short distance from the United States and Europe.

Backpackers who are on party holidays have always been attracted to Colombia. Now we are seeing a more mature and sophisticated traveller, as the better hotels and better services are being built. Flights to Colombia are numerous, and the country has a high number of airports. Here is a look at some of the main issues to consider, and the recent improvements in relation to investing in hotels in Colombia.

· Evaluation. Evaluation of any real estate and predicting realistic returns is not easy to do. The use of sophisticated property valuation software and hotel valuation software with the functions and features to incorporate local conditions is essential for correct calculations. The professionals who can analyse this from their experience are also essential.

· Independent Legal Support. Not unlike any foreign country, and particularly in Colombia, having your own independent and legal support is mandatory. The last thing you want to be using is the seller’s attorney. You need your own legal support to communicate with tax advisors in Colombia. You need to work with real estate agents with a reputation for excellence and openness.

· English Translation. It can be difficult to find an English translator and interpreter to handle the legal issues you will confront. While there are a growing number of younger Colombians, who do have excellent English ability, at this level of business, you are going to need an outside professional. The available information on taxes, rules, laws and residency permits can be difficult to find in English.

· Ground Work. You should expect considerable more ground-work than compared with other similar ‘gringo’ locations. There just has not been the investment in the past for those facilities to be available in your language.

· Visas. Colombia is known for complicated and outdated visa practices. This is starting to change, and visa application processes are being simplified. Visas are not as complicated as they once were, and the chance of bribing your way to a visa is also being diminished. Long-term visas are easily obtainable for investors in business and real estate alike.

· Locations. Colombia is still a country torn from many years of internal conflict. Knowing where to go, and not where to go, is extremely important.

Buying real estate and the buying of hotel real estate is a pretty straight-forward process as long as you have your own independent support. The local economy is not waiting around for anyone, and you will see a large number of hotels and other accommodation already well into construction.

The Sheraton has invested in two towers in the beach town of Cartajena, when their original plan was to build one. The fact that you will have little in the way of language and international support without bringing your own shows how open the market is. If all that support was already there, that would mean you are too late.

/image: canstockphoto.com/

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How to Build Stronger Family Relationships

Do you wish you had a stronger relationship with your family? Particularly when you do not live close by, or you lead very busy lives, keeping that close contact and support can be very difficult. Maybe you have never been very close with your family, maybe even estranged, but are hoping to re-establish a bond. Here are some ideas that will help you build and strengthen your family relationships.

1. Establish Regular Contact.Whether it is a weekly phone call every Sunday night at 7pm, or even better, a weekly or fortnightly dinner (face to face contact is of course preferable), having a routine makes it easier to keep in touch.

Make sure the responsibility to keep up regular contact is shared equally between all family members so that none of you fall out of the habit. Take turns hosting the dinners or initiating the phone calls so you know everyone is taking it just as seriously.

2. Try New Experiences.Particularly if you aren’t very close, or do not feel you have a lot in common with some of your family members, trying something new together can be a great way to bond and break the ice.

It means family outings will be less awkward as there will be something different that you can also focus on or be distracted by. If you are already a tight family, new experiences will serve to strengthen that bond further, and create great photo opportunities for the family album!

3. Be on Call for Help and Advice.Make it very clear to your siblings, your parents or other relatives that you are there to help in anyway you can.

Whether it’s cooking your parent’s dinner if they are particularly busy one week, offering your services as a babysitter so your brother and his wife can have a night off, or even offering business advice such as recommending a debt collection agency if they are struggling to get money back from an employee.

Paying attention, offering advice and simply being helpful in anyway you feel able will mean you will hopefully soon be able to lean on them to do the same.

4. Show How Much You Care.Not just at Birthdays, Christmas or other such special occasions – but throughout the entire year.

Of course these occasions are important for a reason, but that doesn’t mean that they should be the only time you display affection or caring. Unexpected kind gestures go a long way and mean much more than you think.

It can be as simple as sending them a parcel with their favourite chocolate the next time you happen upon it in the supermarket. Think of how thrilled you feel when you receive something unexpected and pleasant in the mail – why not share that feeling around?

5. Don’t Force It.
If you try all these ideas and you still struggle to establish or strengthen the bond…remember it’s okay. After all, we do not choose our family. Turn to friends instead and spend that energy with those who truly care about you.

This doesn’t mean to give up if it is something that is really important to you, but it does pay to bear in mind that “family” doesn’t always have to mean blood relation.

Make sure to protect yourself: if your dad only ever seems to talk to you to borrow money, let him know you will look into debt recovery services if you do not get the money back. Think carefully about whether they are a positive of negative influence in your life. You might find, in the end, you would be happier if you let them go.

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How to Create Shade in Your Garden

Having a shaded garden will not only improve the look of your property but it will give you somewhere cool to be outside during the summer. It can also help shade your home, keeping it cooler too and reducing the need for you to use your air conditioning. Create a shaded entertainment area by having a veranda or retractable awning over outdoor pavers and your barbecue and this will give you the equivalent of an extra room on your house.

Trees
Planting trees that will produce a lot of shade is the most obvious way to create shade within your garden. Before you go to the nursery make sure you have all the information gathered regarding what your property is like. Things like soil type, whether certain areas get more sun or if your soil is well drained or prone to being wet are all things you should tell the sales assistant at the nursery so they can help you get the right plants for your property. They will also consider the climate of your location. You will find there will be a wide variety of trees to suit your property and from there you only need to decide on which ones you like the best.

Veranda
A veranda is a great way to create shade in your garden. It also has the added benefit of creating a shaded place for an entertainment area, making a great spot for the kids to play when it is too hot or when it is raining. Having a veranda around your home will also help keep the interior of your home cooler as the sun can not come in through the windows of your home and it will also keep your bricks cool, which will reduce the temperature inside your house.

Retractable Awning
A retractable awning works a little bit like a veranda with the added bonus that you can fold it away when you want to. A retractable awning will create a shaded area for your garden alongside your home and can be used to cover a paved area. The awning can shade the windows of your home during summer and throughout winter you can keep the retractable awnings closed so that the sun can warm the side of your house and come in through your windows.

Pergola
A pergola is a structure that is built within a garden. You can use it as an area where you can set up outdoor furniture if you wish and it is great to grow plants and vines over it to create a lovely leafy shaded area.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas look fantastic set up on a timber decking and will give you a shaded area to sit and enjoy your breakfast or lunch. A large umbrella set up on your lawn makes a great shaded area for kids to play on a hot day.

Shade Cloth
Shade cloth can be set up draped between poles to cast shade over a decking or paved area, put up over plants that need more shelter from the sun, or be put over a sand pit or play equipment for the kids.

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How to Furnish Your Home on a Budget

It is possible to furnish your home on a budget. If you have just moved away from your parents or if you are a young couple just starting out it can be difficult to buy furniture. Often you get a lot of hand me downs from friends and family, which is great, but often you do find that you need to go and buy furniture. As well as doing the rounds of the bigger furniture chain stores jump online and have a look around if you can get a better price. You may also find that if you pay cash for appliances, such as a Westinghouse fridge, that you might get a better deal. Whatever you do make sure that you have contents insurance. You would hate to get your home all fitted out and then lose the lot in a fire.

Look out for deals
Keep an eye on the junk mail that lands in your letter box, rather than just tossing it straight in the bin. There are a few furniture stores that have regular sales and deals where you can buy a few pieces of furniture to fit out a whole room at remarkable prices. You will also see advertisements on television for the same thing. It may not be the hand made quality of furniture that you are one day hoping to own, but it is a start and will see you through until you can afford the good stuff.

In store
There are a few bigger chain stores that sell furniture that offer great deals. Ikea is one place to visit, and if you can manage to find your way out of there, you should go home with quite a few pieces to make a start on filling your home. With this sort of furniture, however, make sure you don't lose the instructions on how to assemble it. You might also find that you might be able to get a better deal if you buy several items at once. For example often when you buy white goods you can get a decent discount if you buy your fridge, dishwasher and washing machine at the same time.

Online
Shopping online is becoming more and more common and you can buy furniture and appliances this way. You can also get some great deals so do your research. It is also an easy way to compare prices without having to trudge all over the city going from shop to shop. You might also choose to get some bargains by bidding for furniture on places like eBay.

Pay cash
Some stores will also do better deals if you offer to pay cash. This tends to happen a lot when it comes to buying appliances.

Opportunity shops and antique stores
Rather than buying new furniture you can find some great things that are pre-loved at opportunity shops and antique stores. Antiques may be a little dearer, but not always. Whether you choose antique furniture will usually depend on your style of home, but sometimes having an interesting piece of furniture makes for a good conversation piece. If you are really on a budget buying furniture from an opportunity shop means you can furnish your home so it is comfortable, then later on you can gradually replace it for items you really want.

/image:fotosearch.com/

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