The Happy Marriage Is the ‘Me’ Marriage (Jan 9, 2012)
The Happy Marriage Is the ‘Me’ Marriage (Jan 9, 2012)
A lasting marriage does not always signal a happy marriage. Plenty of miserable couples have stayed together for children, religion or other practical reasons.
But for many couples, it’s just not enough to stay together. They want a relationship that is meaningful and satisfying. In short, they want a sustainable marriage.
“The things that make a marriage last have more to do with communication skills, mental health, social support, stress — those are the things that allow it to last or not,” says Arthur Aron, a psychology professor who directs the Interpersonal Relationships Laboratory at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. “But those things don’t necessarily make it meaningful or enjoyable or sustaining to the individual.”
former white pine site As you know, korea has a long history of 5,000 years and since the foundation of Joseon dynasty in 1392, seoul has been the capital city for almost 600 years. Columbus discovered America about 100 years after Seoul capital. therefore, we can say long powerful history Seoul. look at the white pine first. what do you think about the dead white pine's shape? It looks like wearing a cast and being injured, poor thing !
this white pine was beautiful, 600 year-old tree and the tallest in korea, 16m in height, 5m in trunk diameter, and it was designated as a natural monument in 1961. however, unfortunately, the tree fell down and died in 1990 due to heavy rain and typhoon, and its designation as a natural monument was lifted in 1993. it has been treated with preservatives and cut down, except for the bottom part, as you see.
Now, the 4 trees are taken care of by Jonglogu district office, Seoul city hall, cultural heritage administration, and a person Hong, after their seeds were gathered and planted in other areas, Jonglogu named the trees as "the nurse trees" and they hold a memorial service for the trees every year. what is relationship both trees between dead tree and 4 young trees? dead tree is the father of 4 young trees.
This place is called Myeong-dong, “ideal spot" because king Youngjo, the 21th king of the Joseon Dynasty, was born here and became a king. Youngjo's mother was a lower class woman who worked doing chores for a court lady. she was in the king's favor, and she gave birth to Youngjo. thought Youngjo hasn't priority to be the king, he ended up becoming king. Kim, jeong-hee who was well-known for his good writing during the Joseon dynasty, also once lived here. Why don't you take a deep breath, so that you can get some energy from this ideal spot. thank you.
DEAR ABBY: My 38-year-old married daughter's house is filthy. Her youngest is now in the hospital with pneumonia, and her two other kids are sick all the time. They are constantly coughing, have runny noses, fever and ear infections. I have tried talking to her regarding her housekeeping but she doesn't want to hear anything I have to say.
Her husband has convinced her that they have "more important things to be concerned with" than a clean house. He says they have love, and a clean house doesn't matter. The oldest girl is 11, and she tells me she's embarrassed to have anyone visit her. She has no friends (nor does my daughter) and I am afraid her life will go down along with my daughter's. Can you help me to help them? --
11 Tricks to Cutting Travel Costs in 2012 (Jan 9, 2012)
BARGAIN hunters will need to be craftier when booking a trip if they want to get the best prices this year. It’s no secret that airfares are up and added fees for everything from checked bags to exit-row seats are pushing the cost of flying higher. on top of that, hotel bargains are expected to be harder to come by as business travelers begin to return, diminishing the need for hotels to discount rooms in major cities. But that doesn’t mean a year in front of your television. There are still plenty of ways to cut costs. Here are 11 strategies — and some useful Web sites — to help you save on travel this year.
1. SHOP “PRIVATE SALES” A growing number of Web sites, including SniqueAway.com, TabletHotels.com and Jetsetter.com have flash sales of 20 to 60 percent off hotel packages to travelers on an invitation-only basis. Jetsetter, for example, recently offered a Friday night in January at the Angler’s, a boutique hotel in Miami, for $255 a night, down from the $359 offered at the hotel’s site. Another site, TripAlertz.com, works like Groupon for travel, meaning that the more people who book a deal, the lower the rate.
For example, a four-night, all-inclusive stay at the Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa was initially offered to members for $1,496, or 15 percent off, last month. After 55 bookings, the price dropped to $1,220. At TripAlertz and LivingSocial.com, which offers last-minute getaways, all you have to do is create an account to access the deals. A Google search for “Snique Away invite” turned up a registration form for SniqueAway.com that got me in.
2. BUY on TUESDAY Most airlines begin sales on Monday evenings, and by the following day other airlines have usually matched the lowered fares on the same routes, said Anne McDermott, editor at Farecompare.com, which tracks price trends. Last month, for example, Virgin America had a sale on Dec. 13, with one-way fares as low as $79 on some routes, according to Farecompare. The next day, there were sales from AirTran, Southwest and American, with one-way fares from $59. Because sales are hard to predict, travelers looking for the best deal should start their searches three to four months in advance, when airlines begin to look closely at which routes may need a sale to fill seats.
3. SEARCH FOR COUPON CODES Practically every travel site includes a box at checkout for a promotional discount code. Sites like PromotionalCodes.com or CouponWinner.com organize such codes into categories so that you can search specifically for airline, car rental or hotel deals. A recent search turned up codes for deals like $94 flights between New York and New Orleans, 15 percent discounts on Avis weekly car rentals and $75 off of three-night Westin Hotels packages.
4. ASK FOR A REFUND Many airlines will refund the difference in price if the fare drops after you purchase a ticket (minus a change fee). Yapta.com helps get you that refund by tracking the price of your ticket and sending you an e-mail or Tweet when the price drops so that you can call the airline to claim the credit. A new site, Autoslash.com, offers a similar service for car rentals.
5. AVOID ROAMING CHARGES Skype and Truphone offer free apps for making cheap international calls using Wi-Fi, with rates that start at pennies per minute. You can pay as you go or sign up for monthly plans to make unlimited calls in certain countries for a flat fee: $13.99 a month for Skype calls to land lines and mobile phones in more than 40 countries, or $12.95 a month for Tru calls in 38 countries with TruUnlimited. Another option: the Vonage Mobile app for Facebook allows travelers to make free international calls over Wi-Fi to Facebook friends who also download the app.
6. CHANGE YOUR CREDIT CARD Most American banks charge currency conversion fees, typically up to 3 percent when you use your credit or debit card outside the United States. But there are some exceptions. Capital one does not charge foreign transaction fees, and Chase recently began waiving the fees on its British Airways Visa Signature Card, its Hyatt Card and the Priority Club Select Visa.
7. SAVE on PARKING YOUR CAR Bestparking.com steers drivers toward the cheapest parking at off-airport lots near 79 North American airports. Rates are updated frequently, and sold-out lots are highlighted. A recent search for parking near Newark Liberty International Airport offered a snapshot of rates and locations on a map. The Renaissance Hotel lot was among the cheapest at $12 for 24 hours. There is also a free app for iPhone, Android or BlackBerry users.
8. WAIT A WEEK Avoid the crowds and save by traveling the week after a major holiday. A five-night ski vacation in Breckenridge, Colo., during the last week of December was priced at $1,988 a person, including airfare from Chicago, at Orbitz.com. For the following week, the same trip was listed at $1,037 a person. Similarly, a vacation including airfare from New York and five nights at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort dropped from $821 to $580.
9. NEGOTIATE Though many hotels say that they offer their best rates online, it pays to ask the front desk for a lower rate. My colleague Seth Kugel regularly uses this tactic, as he pointed out in a column last summer: “I arrive with a solid reservation but then check out five or six other hotels and go back and forth between them in an attempt to set off a price war.” The strategy saved him $20 a night in León, Nicaragua. I have had similar success over the phone with reservation agents at New York hotels like the Ritz-Carlton New York and 60 Thompson.
10. TRAVEL LIKE A STUDENT Student travel agencies like STA Travel, StudentCity and StudentUniverse have begun to extend their low prices to nonstudents and older travelers. While some of the deepest discounts are offered only to travelers enrolled in an academic program, recent college graduates can often save 10 to 25 percent with “youth fares.” For example, a recent search for flights in March on STATravel.com, which limits certain deals to nonstudents under the age of 26, turned up seats for $926 round trip on V Australia Airlines. The best rates for the same dates on Kayak.com were $1,187. Though it is not common for older travelers to use student travel agencies, it is possible to do so. There were no age restrictions for a discounted four-day Inca Trail trek with STA Travel for $674 a person, down from $899.
11. DON’T PAY TO CHECK A BAG Checking bags can quickly add up, with airlines charging between $15 and $35 a bag. Delta’s SkyMiles-branded American Express card allows you and up to eight others on the same reservation to each check a bag at no cost. And American Express introduced a travel-rewards card — the Blue Sky Preferred Credit Card — that offers travelers an annual $100 allowance to cover checked baggage, in-flight meals, entertainment or Wi-Fi purchases, and other fees, on any airline.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I separated more than a year ago, but we have remained friends for the sake of our children. During our marriage, my sister moved in with us. When I moved out, she stayed on to help my husband financially, and also to help with our children.
Yesterday, my husband confirmed that he's now sleeping with my sister. I must see them almost daily and I don't want to make a difficult situation worse. How can I get over the hurt and betrayal I feel toward them -- especially my sister? How can I forgive them? Will time really heal this wound? -- BETRAYED BY MY SISTER
DEAR ABBY: Just how honest should you be with a friend? My friend "Frannie" did not receive a promotion in her department, and I think I know why -- her appearance. The promotion would have required more interaction with clients.
Frannie is bright, hard-working, has Christian ethics, a beautiful, trim figure, a wide smile and dresses well. But -- she wears no makeup, doesn't pluck her huge unibrow and wears sandals that expose her very hairy toes and the hairy tops of her feet.
Many people have commented to me about her hairy feet and face, but I have not had the heart to tell her what they say. She has also been asking me why guys shy away from her.
Do I say nothing, or should I offer helpful advice? -- FRANNIE'S FRIEND IN NORTH CAROLINA
Sajikdan
King Taijo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, established Jongmyo(royal Ancestral shrine) to the east of Gyeongbokgung and Sajikdan(altar for state deities) to the west of Gyeongbokgung place, respectively. he also had sajikdan built in major provincial cities and rites held to pray for rich harvests. Sajik refers to "state deities" or, more specifically, the gods of land(Sa) and grains(Jik), and the rulers of korean kingdoms believed that destiny of their state was dependent on the mercy of these two gods.
that is why the Joseon rulers regarded the commemoration rite for the state deities along with that for the defunct royal ancestors as the most important state affairs to ensure the safety and prosperity of their dynasty. Today's rites involve offering slaughtered cattle, pigs and various grains to the gods, and consist of a series of ceremonies which involve offering silk(jeonpye) to the deities, welcoming them(yeongsinnye), three wine offering(초헌, 아헌, 종헌), sharing offered foods between participants(eumbongnye), and the incineration of written prayers(mangnyo).