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In 2007, the real estate market shifted to favor homebuyers. Gas prices went up and the value of the U.S. dollar fell, but the number of American travelers planning a vacation in 2008 has stayed strong.According to an article: Travel Trends: What’s Hot in 2008 by Beth Harpaz in the December 17, 2007 issue of USA Today “the Conference Board’s most recent consumer survey found 45.8 percent of Americans intend to take a vacation within six months.”Authorities throughout the travel industry seem to believe travelers in 2008 want to be practical, yet still enjoy amenities that make vacationing simpler and more relaxing.”In 2008, experts say, Americans may take shorter trips or choose destinations closer to home where their dollar goes further,” Harpaz continued.Family Comes First: Family Travel on the RiseIn our fast-paced American culture, two income households, sixty-hour work weeks, fast food and cell phones have become the norm – all to make life more convenient. However, the modern conveniences of our daily lives now seem to require a lot of attention and personal energy. In response to the stress modern life has developed over the last century, Americans are now returning to their roots. The importance of time with family and a healthy quality of life is moving up on the priority list.Luxury travel industry expert Karen Weiner Escalera and her Florida-based travel marketing firm, KWE Group, firmly believe that family travel is on the rise for 2008. In one of Escalera’s most recent articles on the Travel Industry Wire, Top Ten Luxury Travel and Lifestyle Trends for 2008, the number two trend is “Relationships with family and friends take center stage.” According to Escalera, “Accelerating since 9/11 and fueled by a backlash against a contemporary world dominated by 24/7-work schedules and dehumanizing technology, family travel is growing at a faster rate than all other sectors of leisure travel.”A recent survey of American Express travel agents also revealed a significant rise in luxury travel among families – 82 percent wanted high-end hotels with kids’ programs and 56 percent were traveling with nannies.”Parents, grandparents and friends are looking to travel as a way to reunite, and to celebrate life’s landmark events. Business trips with the whole family will become as common as tag-along spouses, while high-end business hotels and resorts will roll out the red carpets for families with special suites and villas,” Escalera added.Concierge Condo Rentals and Timeshares versus Second Home PurchasesThe modern traveler believes that there is no reason why the comforts of home cannot be available while on vacation. Vacation planning is greatly enhanced when you consider concierge condo rentals or timeshare options. Many families especially appreciate the opportunity to save time and money when cooking in a private kitchen or receiving tourist information and discounts from a personal travel concierge. These kinds of amenities allow travelers to spend more time relaxing and less time organizing, mapping and making decisions about travel plans. A timeshare can offer the benefits of owning a second home for vacations, without the headaches of year-round maintenance and cost.Recently, Howard C. Nusbaum, President of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) recounted his experience at the Travel Industry Association (TIA) Marketing Outlook Forum, an annual conference of travel and tourism professionals that highlights future industry trends. He describes how Peter Yesawich, Ph.D., CEO of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown and Russell, explained during the forum that the most recent Travel Monitor study completed by his company detailed large numbers of travelers interested in condominiums instead of traditional hotels.The Travel monitor study also showed an increasing number of travelers interested in vacation ownership products such as private residence clubs and timeshares. The impressive data from his (Yesawich) survey furthered the buzz that timeshares were no longer a niche product, but rather a staple of today’s diverse travel industry.In 2008, vacation ownership specialty products will provide stiff competition for second home sellers as traveling individuals, groups, and families opt for practical comfort and luxury while on vacation.

Payday loans are small loans advanced by lenders within short period of time and are provided with short time application. These are available to one and all. In case we urgently require for a cash, there are a lot of payday loan lenders available in the market that will provide us money with minimum paper works.The loan approval is simple. It only requires us to give elementary information. If we are employed for more than six months, the loan process becomes simpler.Payday loans act as a helping hand during our unexpected and unforeseen financial crisis. Basically, unexpected financial crisis may really affect financial balancing. Though, there are certain limitations, getting a payday loan will eventually become essential and necessary to manage and handle the situation.Moreover, having adequate knowledge as far as payday loans are concerned is integral for the instant and quick processing of the loan.Below are the essential and vital hints to help one and all about the details of payday loans.First, payday loans are short-term loans which have to be paid back usually when the day for the next payday comes. These loans do not require any collateral security or a good credit report.Secondly, the primary eligibility requirement for these loans is that, a borrower must be at least 18 years old and must have a checking account. Must be employed for more than six months.Third, be aware that most of the payday companies brag that they are not requiring any credentials or documents for the loan approval; however, they will give the amount only after strict scrutiny. In addition, most of them have somehow similar terms and rates, thus, we borrowers must have intensive research in identifying the most convenient payday loan deal.Fourth, payday companies have made the loan processing very simple and easy. If all the information we have provided in the application are satisfactory, the greater chance of obtaining the loan and meet the urgency of needs in an instant is achieve.Fifth, in the application, the necessary information includes address, contact numbers, payment details, bank name, active bank account number and check number. These things if provided well, shall definitely help us in moving the loan processing to become fast.Sixth hint, Though satisfactory information were provided in the application process, we should still be ready with additional things such as pay slips, social security card and blank checks. These are for some of the companies that require the credentials to be faxed to them. This is if in case we meet such company.Seventh thing is, The fact that these loans are short-term loans, before applying for these, we should make sure that we can repay the amount we ought to borrow on the next payday.Eight, By the procedure called roll over, if we cannot repay the amount completely on its due date, we can still manage the loan. We should try the roll over thus we can think about the possibility of it. Another thing is the loan extension which is also become very applicable for loan borrower.Second from the last hint is, Our goal in obtaining a payday loan aside from the fact that we need the loan for emergency is to build a good reputation with the lenders or in other words build a good track record of loan transaction. This is to help us initially in increasing our maximum limit of loan amount base on our track record.Finally, everybody should be aware of the extremely high interest rates charged by payday lenders. Payday loans are only advisable to be obtained if this would be the last option to prefer.May this article have made all of us aware of what payday loans are and later enjoy the hassle payday deal.

Classical Chinese gardens and fountains are more than collections of beautiful plants, trees and water. They are representations of nature, providing insight into the philosophical and spiritual mind of past Chinese artisans and high-ranking citizens.The principles of classical Chinese gardening can be useful and insightful to garden lovers living anywhere in the world. Chinese design objectives can inspire American home gardeners to try something new such as a garden fountain and encourage the expression of culture and philosophy through gardening.In the 2,000 years since the imperial family first set aside natural areas for hunting, traditional gardens in China have developed into an art form equal in rank to painting, calligraphy and poetry. Several of the finest gardens, built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912), have survived the ravages of time and politics.Suzhou, about 50 miles west of Shanghai, is known as “the city of gardens.” For generations, rich officials, merchants, landowners, scholars, garden designers and garden crafters settled in Suzhou to enhance its fame. The principles of classical Chinese gardens were well represented in their gardens. Visitors come to learn their secrets and experience their magic.These gardens provide insight into the traditional Chinese view of nature, which includes the role human’s play in the natural order. The gardens hold clues to the ancient Chinese mind through the winding paths, the use of symbolism and the selection of plants. In the traditional Chinese view of nature, humans were equals with everything in the natural world. As the philosopher Lao Tsu wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Man follows the earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Tao. Tao follows what is natural.” Traditionally, Chinese people assisted in the expression of nature but did not impose their will upon it.Chinese gardens were originally designed to symbolize a living entity: rocks formed the skeleton, water and fountains functioned as the blood, while plants provided the clothing. To portray the influence of human beings in nature, architectural constructions (bridges, pavilions, halls, courtyards, gateways, windows, doors and pavings) were integrated into a garden’s design. Their purpose was to illustrate the ideal interaction of humans with nature. Together, these elements made up all that is natural on Earth: vegetation, mountains, and bodies of water with gently flowing Chinese fountains as well as human influence. The way they were integrated into the garden expressed the relationships they have in nature.Gardeners in the West may be unable to mimic the grandeur with which the ancient Chinese gardeners represented nature, but they can include parts of each element. The goal is to create a sense of wholeness within the limitations of the site and to consider all these elements as integral parts of the garden.Just as a garden’s main elements are symbolic of the parts of a living whole, symbols that make up the culture’s beliefs are scattered throughout Chinese gardens and integrated in their design. For example, bad spirits were believed to travel in straight lines so pathways were seldom designed straight or flat. It was believed that the many changes in levels and directions made it difficult for these spirits to infect the people enjoying the garden. Dragons, symbols of strength, change and goodness, frequently adorn Chinese fountain walls and roofs of garden structures.Suitability — The most appropriate location for every feature of a garden must be found. Seasonal changes in weather and plants as well as the physical requirements of the garden site are considered. In addition to finding the most suitable site for each garden element (plants, rocks, water fountains and architectural constructions), details such as the size, shape, color and placement of railings, windows and doors in a building, for example, are also considered to ensure complete harmony of the surroundings.Taking Advantage – The Chinese garden designer attempts to use the garden’s surroundings, whether near or distant, to the best advantage. Sights, sounds, movement and stillness, the subtle and the obvious, are used as part of the scenes created within the garden. Many of the private gardens in China were small in size — no larger than the typical garden sites of single family homes in the United States. It is the challenge, then, of the garden designer to create the illusion of spaciousness by incorporating far-off sights and sounds into the garden’s ambiance.Refinement – To define what is refined in the garden design is a judgment rooted in culture. In Chinese gardens, this refinement has meant incorporating a tranquility, gracefulness, elegance, neatness and distinctness that is in accordance with nature. The expression of these characteristics is judged in China against culturally accepted historical standards. Outside of China, gardeners can define what is considered refined according to their own standards.Simplicity – To Ji Cheng, being simple means not being extravagant. Resources that are on site or nearby are considered the best materials to use in designing the garden. Rare or unusual objects and plants are considered extravagant.Changeability – This objective is prominent in traditional Chinese gardens because it expresses the natural law of constant change. A garden design can create a sense of change and unexpectedness with scene changes in every turn of a path, an unexpected or different view from each window and aesthetic changes with each season. Designs can include changes caused by clouds, sun, wind, rain, snow, insects, birds, plants and water.
A garden’s plants provide a link among all its elements, symbolizing harmony in nature. Plants are the garden’s dynamic, living component.In accordance with the Chinese view of gardens as representations of nature, the trees, shrubs and flowers of a garden are chosen to reflect the unique features of the garden’s region. Most traditional Chinese gardeners select native plants, or plants with special meaning in Chinese culture. Bamboo, for example, is common in Chinese gardens because of the many lessons it teaches. Bamboo is strong and resilient. Staying green throughout the winter, it teaches that one can flourish despite harsh conditions. Bamboo grows in clumps, modeling life in the family. Its fast growth illustrates self-development.The plants are situated in ways that show off an individual plant’s unique features. Their arrangements in the design demonstrate their interrelationships with other species as they occur in their natural habitats. The purpose of plants in Chinese gardens is to reflect the inherent order of nature. More than a collection of plants or even an expression of beauty in the purely visual sense, the classical Chinese garden is a physical representation of Chinese philosophy and culture. These gardens embody the best of traditional Chinese thought and culture, which sees humanity functioning as part of a greater natural order.Today, home gardeners can apply their plant growing talents in the spirit of these old Chinese gardens by expressing their own culture and philosophy toward nature in their garden designs and by applying Ji Cheng’s design objectives. The result will be a garden that unites aesthetics, plant cultivation, philosophy and culture.