It is amazing how international relations (i.e. relations between governments) influence all areas of everyday life, even art on the international arena.
One of my favorite blogs, International Art blog, has recently published a post about the scandal around the potential exhibition of treasures from Russian museums in UK. Quite an amazing story which also generated an interesting discussion on the blog. Even if you are not into arts this is an interesting reading and something to reflect upon: http://capucinesblvd.blogspot.com/2008/01/art-politics-and-internet.html
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
TouristClick
There are a lot of travel site out there but I find very fiew of them special. I recently came across a site, a travel directory, that I really like - http://www.touristclick.com/
The owners not only provide general information (hotels, insurance, air travel, etc.) you can find on other site but also try to attract contributors from all over the world to add to the site. They have a blog directory with blogs from all over the globe, forums for each specific country. The site is also developing a travel photo gallery too.
I also like their section on Special Travel (http://www.touristclick.com/SpecialtaTravel.html) which includes very unique categories such as:
Mystery
Archaeology
Native American
Pilgrimage
Battlefields
Rail
Science
Ecotourism
Supernatural
Working Holidays
and many others.
The owners not only provide general information (hotels, insurance, air travel, etc.) you can find on other site but also try to attract contributors from all over the world to add to the site. They have a blog directory with blogs from all over the globe, forums for each specific country. The site is also developing a travel photo gallery too.
I also like their section on Special Travel (http://www.touristclick.com/SpecialtaTravel.html) which includes very unique categories such as:
Mystery
Archaeology
Native American
Pilgrimage
Battlefields
Rail
Science
Ecotourism
Supernatural
Working Holidays
and many others.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Country Insights
Usually good "countries of the world" are put together by Americans. There are loads of educational resources from CIA Factbook to more detailed specific information per country. That's why I was very surprised to find out a great CANADIAN website with tons of useful information (not that the Canadians are not capable of doing such a thing but because U.S. websites always somehow dominate search engine results...)
Country Insights, http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-en.asp?lvl=8 , is a Canadian government site that has fast facts, profiles, and useful links for countries worldwide. I also like that some profiles have cultural dos and don'ts which tell you the local attitudes and customs about dress, conversation, displaying emotion, punctuality, resolving workplace conflicts, religion, and communication styles, so you can make the best impression when you go there.
Country Insights, http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-en.asp?lvl=8 , is a Canadian government site that has fast facts, profiles, and useful links for countries worldwide. I also like that some profiles have cultural dos and don'ts which tell you the local attitudes and customs about dress, conversation, displaying emotion, punctuality, resolving workplace conflicts, religion, and communication styles, so you can make the best impression when you go there.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Answering my reader's comment - 2
I was thinking a lot about my another reader's comment regarding Russian, Chinese or Indian companies making mistakes while working with Americans. These cases are more difficult to find. I have not managed a project for an Indian or Chinese company so I cannot say. In terms of the Russians, here is the story.
They usually aproach an international project possibility with a lot of attention to detail. They do excellent background research. While Amercians might not KNOW how to deal with other cultures Russians, in most cases, do, but sometime they prefer to IGNORE that just because of being obstinate. Once I lead negotiations between a Russian and a British party and the former knew the latter very well, but chose to stick to their unacceptable methods of dealing with the other party because they didn't want to loose and inch. The ultimatum basically was "take it or loose it" and this is not the way to deal with the British (well, not the way to deal with anyone, really) The Russians KNEW that and this was their conscious choice to behave that way.
Did they win anything? They did, in terms of money on that one particular deal. They lost in terms of respect from the British and possibilities of having further deals with this party.
Another thing is that I noticed that Russians when aware of the other party's limitations will use this knowledge against the other party creating a win-lose situation rather than trying to make a compromise and get a "win-win".
Not all Russian companies are the same, of course but these are the things to be aware of.
They usually aproach an international project possibility with a lot of attention to detail. They do excellent background research. While Amercians might not KNOW how to deal with other cultures Russians, in most cases, do, but sometime they prefer to IGNORE that just because of being obstinate. Once I lead negotiations between a Russian and a British party and the former knew the latter very well, but chose to stick to their unacceptable methods of dealing with the other party because they didn't want to loose and inch. The ultimatum basically was "take it or loose it" and this is not the way to deal with the British (well, not the way to deal with anyone, really) The Russians KNEW that and this was their conscious choice to behave that way.
Did they win anything? They did, in terms of money on that one particular deal. They lost in terms of respect from the British and possibilities of having further deals with this party.
Another thing is that I noticed that Russians when aware of the other party's limitations will use this knowledge against the other party creating a win-lose situation rather than trying to make a compromise and get a "win-win".
Not all Russian companies are the same, of course but these are the things to be aware of.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Everything about global air travel
Now that the holiday season is upon us many will be travelling to visit family and friends around the world and comprehensive information about air travel will be very handy.
There are plenty of sites on the Web with flights information, but Airtimetable ( http://www.airtimetable.com/ ) is a portal with a wide variety of airline and travel information, where you can find everything in one place. You can check routes, compare fares, book a flight, scan airplane seat maps, locate an airport, find a discount airline, read reviews of airline food, track a flight in real time, get a weather report, look at a map, read a guide to your destination, and much more.
Happy and safe travelling!
There are plenty of sites on the Web with flights information, but Airtimetable ( http://www.airtimetable.com/ ) is a portal with a wide variety of airline and travel information, where you can find everything in one place. You can check routes, compare fares, book a flight, scan airplane seat maps, locate an airport, find a discount airline, read reviews of airline food, track a flight in real time, get a weather report, look at a map, read a guide to your destination, and much more.
Happy and safe travelling!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Answering my reader's comment
Following up on one of the comments left by 1 of my readers to the following post http://internationalexperiences.blogspot.com/2007/10/major-mistakes-companies-make-when-they.html (what is "an 'all-star cast' of assets to have when going into the international arena" ) my professional opinion can be summarized as: you need a man with a plan at least.
What I mean by this is that for any international expansion to succeed, primarily, there should be a person (or a team of people) internal or external working with an organization who have the vision, the knowledge and the experience in the international field. This person or a team of people should be leading the project. As obvious as it sounds it is very often not the case.
For example, I know 1 company which continuously wants to be my client and I continuously refuse to work with them because the new owner (a rich guy from a rural Midwest who never worked abroad) wants me to organize the project of their expansion into Russia the same way the previous owner penetrated South Africa. Overall, the company does have some international experience but the guy at the top doesn't have a clue.
Secondly, any new market entry project should follow a certain set of steps (a plan). The steps are basically the same, no matter what country you are looking at. However, the information you get at each step and decisions you make based on this information will be different for each new market. I developed this topic more profoundly in my article "New Market Entry Strategy" (http://www.mycontentbuilder.com/Article/New-Market-Entry-Strategy/30298) Obviously, this is just a basic "skeleton" and my job as a consultant is too put "meat" on it but it gives you a general idea of what I was referring to earlier.
These are just the basics but you will be very surprised to find out how many companies don't get even these basics.
What I mean by this is that for any international expansion to succeed, primarily, there should be a person (or a team of people) internal or external working with an organization who have the vision, the knowledge and the experience in the international field. This person or a team of people should be leading the project. As obvious as it sounds it is very often not the case.
For example, I know 1 company which continuously wants to be my client and I continuously refuse to work with them because the new owner (a rich guy from a rural Midwest who never worked abroad) wants me to organize the project of their expansion into Russia the same way the previous owner penetrated South Africa. Overall, the company does have some international experience but the guy at the top doesn't have a clue.
Secondly, any new market entry project should follow a certain set of steps (a plan). The steps are basically the same, no matter what country you are looking at. However, the information you get at each step and decisions you make based on this information will be different for each new market. I developed this topic more profoundly in my article "New Market Entry Strategy" (http://www.mycontentbuilder.com/Article/New-Market-Entry-Strategy/30298) Obviously, this is just a basic "skeleton" and my job as a consultant is too put "meat" on it but it gives you a general idea of what I was referring to earlier.
These are just the basics but you will be very surprised to find out how many companies don't get even these basics.
Friday, November 02, 2007
My book has been published!
My dear blog readers!I apologize that I have not been posting any information for a coupe of weeks: I was caught in the launch of my first book - "Legal Alien's Guide. Building a Career and Life in Chicago, Illinois".
The book is based on my own unique "international experience" of relocating to USA and starting my life from scratch, building my own business and making friends. "Legal Alien's Guide" is a comprehensive reference guide to various networking organizations, groups and clubs that help you to find a job, start your own business and meet people in "the land of opportunity".
You can learn more about the book from my publisher's book store (though the book is also available at major retailers such as Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com): http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-44622-1
as well as the book's blog: http://legalaliensguide.blogspot.com/
From now on I will have more time to up-date the blog. In the near future I am planning to address some interesting comments that my visitors left regarding the previous post. Keep tuned!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Major mistakes companies make when they decide to expand internationally
I want to share my experience having interacted with many business owners who would like to expand internationally and I hope it will help you to avoid mistakes in your business. Here are some classic examples:
1. A company has no idea what exactly it wants to do: just to export a product, open an office in a different country, set up a number of distributors, etc. The objectives change in the process and as a result there is no clear vision of where the company wants to go.
2. If it is the first "international experience" there might be no specific person on staff responsible for this project. The project might be allocated to a marketing manager, business development manager or anyone else who also has his/her own primary responsibilities and has vague idea about international business. As a result the project is stalled each time an important decision has to be made, i.e. there is no structure in place to successfully develop the project.
3. If a company already did a new market entry there might be a belief that any subsequent new market entry will be very easy and each new country will be pretty much the same. It is erroneous to think that the experience in Russia will be the same in Romania or Hungary, for example. The simplistic approach to doing business internationally may cause a lot of troubles based on the lack of understanding another country's culture, business models, values, etc.
4. There is a wrong belief that a lot of valuable information required for the project are available on-line. Indeed there are a lot of sources of information on the Internet but it is important to remember to study not only English language reports but the ones in the local language which sometimes can only be found through a local search engine (not standard Google search) Sometimes the mos valuable insights are the ones that have not been translated into English yet.
As an International Marketing and Business Development consultant I try to help people to avoid these pitfalls, I also always utilize my local knowledge and experience on every project I work. I will keep posting information related to the topics mentioned above and I hope they will be useful to many.
1. A company has no idea what exactly it wants to do: just to export a product, open an office in a different country, set up a number of distributors, etc. The objectives change in the process and as a result there is no clear vision of where the company wants to go.
2. If it is the first "international experience" there might be no specific person on staff responsible for this project. The project might be allocated to a marketing manager, business development manager or anyone else who also has his/her own primary responsibilities and has vague idea about international business. As a result the project is stalled each time an important decision has to be made, i.e. there is no structure in place to successfully develop the project.
3. If a company already did a new market entry there might be a belief that any subsequent new market entry will be very easy and each new country will be pretty much the same. It is erroneous to think that the experience in Russia will be the same in Romania or Hungary, for example. The simplistic approach to doing business internationally may cause a lot of troubles based on the lack of understanding another country's culture, business models, values, etc.
4. There is a wrong belief that a lot of valuable information required for the project are available on-line. Indeed there are a lot of sources of information on the Internet but it is important to remember to study not only English language reports but the ones in the local language which sometimes can only be found through a local search engine (not standard Google search) Sometimes the mos valuable insights are the ones that have not been translated into English yet.
As an International Marketing and Business Development consultant I try to help people to avoid these pitfalls, I also always utilize my local knowledge and experience on every project I work. I will keep posting information related to the topics mentioned above and I hope they will be useful to many.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
International networking made easier
Nearly everyone knows about such popular networking sites as LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook. You can find profiles of millions of people around the world: your colleagues, classmates, friends - current ones and those you have not seen for years.
Recently I found out about a great new site that actually makes your global search for people much easier. It is called WINK the people search engine, http://wink.com/ You type the name of a person (and a location globally if you know it) and it will give you links to his/her profile wherever it can find it. When I typed my name WINK pulled out my LinkedIn profile AND my membership page at Institute of Management Consultants USA. Thus, you don't need to guess which network a person might belong to and perform a search on each of them. You just search once and see all results immediately. I found it very helpful.
Recently I found out about a great new site that actually makes your global search for people much easier. It is called WINK the people search engine, http://wink.com/ You type the name of a person (and a location globally if you know it) and it will give you links to his/her profile wherever it can find it. When I typed my name WINK pulled out my LinkedIn profile AND my membership page at Institute of Management Consultants USA. Thus, you don't need to guess which network a person might belong to and perform a search on each of them. You just search once and see all results immediately. I found it very helpful.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Passports
These days to have an international experience one needs a passport. Most of us have one, an official document issued by our respective countries.
However I know about 2 other types of passports that help you in your international experiences and allow you to help a good cause too. I wrote about one of them, AllergyFree Passport, in one of my previous posts http://internationalexperiences.blogspot.com/2007/08/allergyfree-passport.html
Today I would like to tell you about another Passport - WWF Passport: http://www.passport.panda.org/index.cfm?uNC=78470595. This one is "issued" by World Wide Fund for nature protection. WWF Passport is no ordinary website because you can do extraordinary things. It is your licence to campaign for the environment, no matter where you are in the world, all over the world. It’s not a toy or an environmental Internet game. It is for the genuinely concerned individual who takes action on-line for on-the-ground results. Passport provides concise calls to action on important issues such as endangered species, global warming, and forest protection. The whole idea behind Passport is that it makes it easier for people who are short on time to have a big say on critical issues.
I have WWF Passport since 2000 and I campaigned or various environmental issues on all continents and the great thing about it is that it works. Out of a couple dozens of campaigns I got 2 e-mail responses and one personal letter form 3 countries (2 ministers and 1 prime-minister) informing me that they paid attention to our appeal and actually changed their environmental policies. Three responses out of approximately 20 is not too much but at least it's something! And definitely know your concerned voice is heard!
In addition to addressing environmental issues with WWF Passport you have a chance to learn a lot of things about different countries, animal and plan life around the world without leaving your home.
I am personally very proud that I have WWF Passport and it helps me to make my own contribution to nature conservation on our planet.
However I know about 2 other types of passports that help you in your international experiences and allow you to help a good cause too. I wrote about one of them, AllergyFree Passport, in one of my previous posts http://internationalexperiences.blogspot.com/2007/08/allergyfree-passport.html
Today I would like to tell you about another Passport - WWF Passport: http://www.passport.panda.org/index.cfm?uNC=78470595. This one is "issued" by World Wide Fund for nature protection. WWF Passport is no ordinary website because you can do extraordinary things. It is your licence to campaign for the environment, no matter where you are in the world, all over the world. It’s not a toy or an environmental Internet game. It is for the genuinely concerned individual who takes action on-line for on-the-ground results. Passport provides concise calls to action on important issues such as endangered species, global warming, and forest protection. The whole idea behind Passport is that it makes it easier for people who are short on time to have a big say on critical issues.
I have WWF Passport since 2000 and I campaigned or various environmental issues on all continents and the great thing about it is that it works. Out of a couple dozens of campaigns I got 2 e-mail responses and one personal letter form 3 countries (2 ministers and 1 prime-minister) informing me that they paid attention to our appeal and actually changed their environmental policies. Three responses out of approximately 20 is not too much but at least it's something! And definitely know your concerned voice is heard!
In addition to addressing environmental issues with WWF Passport you have a chance to learn a lot of things about different countries, animal and plan life around the world without leaving your home.
I am personally very proud that I have WWF Passport and it helps me to make my own contribution to nature conservation on our planet.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
MegaConverter 2
If you are involved in ANY sort of international activity: business or just travelling you cannot do without this very handy MegaConverter 2 http://www.megaconverter.com/Mega2/
It has hundreds of conversions in areas like chemistry, cooking, currency, dress sizes, engineering, finance, fuel efficiency, lighting, oceans, shoe sizes, and more.
The site also has a scientific calculator that performs operations far beyond adding, multiplying, subtracting or dividing. It calculates logarithms, tangents, random numbers and may other things (if you know what they mean and where to use them :-)
It has hundreds of conversions in areas like chemistry, cooking, currency, dress sizes, engineering, finance, fuel efficiency, lighting, oceans, shoe sizes, and more.
The site also has a scientific calculator that performs operations far beyond adding, multiplying, subtracting or dividing. It calculates logarithms, tangents, random numbers and may other things (if you know what they mean and where to use them :-)
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Best world airlines awards 2007
Though summer is over it might still be a good time to go on vacation since airlines will soon start to lower their ticket prices with the beginning of the "off-pick" season.
Here is a good website to check out before flying wherever you go and wherever you live - GLOBALLY: http://www.worldairlineawards.com/ Here you can find information on the best airlines in the world, i.e. you can see who won 2007 World Airline Awards in various categories, such as:
- Airline of the year
- best cabin staff
- best catering
- best lounges
- best business class
- best economy class, etc.
It's interesting to note that most of the best airlines in the world are Asian or Middle Eastern, the majority of the European and U.S. airlines didn't even come close to the top...
And the absolute winner is... Singapore Airlines:
Here is a good website to check out before flying wherever you go and wherever you live - GLOBALLY: http://www.worldairlineawards.com/ Here you can find information on the best airlines in the world, i.e. you can see who won 2007 World Airline Awards in various categories, such as:
- Airline of the year
- best cabin staff
- best catering
- best lounges
- best business class
- best economy class, etc.
It's interesting to note that most of the best airlines in the world are Asian or Middle Eastern, the majority of the European and U.S. airlines didn't even come close to the top...
And the absolute winner is... Singapore Airlines:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Doing business in European Union
EU represents a huge attractive market for many companies around the world but to succeed on this market one needs to know all rules, regulations and existing opportunities.
One good site, http://www.buyusa.gov/europeanunion/, provides a lot of information on doing business in EU. It has links to:
- EU standards & regulations;
- where to find EU grants, tenders & financing;
- reports on various sectors of the EU market;
- trade documents;
- the latest news & information and much more.
Of course doing business in France might be a very different experience from doing business, say, in Hungary because of country specific business culture, mentality, etc. You will most likely need to find an organization (consulting) that will help you with peculiarities of a specific market but at least the aforesaid site can give you a big overall picture which is also very important.
One good site, http://www.buyusa.gov/europeanunion/, provides a lot of information on doing business in EU. It has links to:
- EU standards & regulations;
- where to find EU grants, tenders & financing;
- reports on various sectors of the EU market;
- trade documents;
- the latest news & information and much more.
Of course doing business in France might be a very different experience from doing business, say, in Hungary because of country specific business culture, mentality, etc. You will most likely need to find an organization (consulting) that will help you with peculiarities of a specific market but at least the aforesaid site can give you a big overall picture which is also very important.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
On-line solutions for global expansion of small businesses
I would like to continue the tradition of providing examples of successful strategies small businesses apply in expanding internationally.
The easiest way to reach wide audiences globally is, of course, through the Internet. But what else can you do if you already have your business running on the Internet? It doesn’t seem like much… unless you are very motivated and creative, like CapucinesBoulevard.com art gallery.
CapucinesBouloevard.com is an on-line art gallery and auction that exhibits and sells art works of various artists from around the globe. And recently they added another line of business - an on-line gift shop! When you visit, say, National Gallery in London and you fell in love with a couple of, say, Monet works what do you do? You buy a calendar or a fridge magnet or something of this sort to take a piece of Monet with you, don’t you?
CapucinesBoulevard.com followed the same logic: why don’t give our visitors a chance to buy a gift with an image of their favorite work of art if they cannot buy the work itself? And the choice of gifts at their gift store http://www.cafepress.com/capucinesblvd is fantastic: cups, bags, apparel, clocks even cute teddy bears - lot's of stuff for you, your family and friends!!! But what is most important, the prices are very affordable and gifts can be shipped anywhere in the world! Excellent customer service, 30 days return policy, secure transactions – everything you will expect from a major reputable on-line store.
I believe it is a great idea, very well thought-through and very much in-line with their core business, which actually enhances their core business even more. I applaud their creativity, enthusiasm and consistency in pursuing their international ambitions. This is a great example every small business can learn from.
The easiest way to reach wide audiences globally is, of course, through the Internet. But what else can you do if you already have your business running on the Internet? It doesn’t seem like much… unless you are very motivated and creative, like CapucinesBoulevard.com art gallery.
CapucinesBouloevard.com is an on-line art gallery and auction that exhibits and sells art works of various artists from around the globe. And recently they added another line of business - an on-line gift shop! When you visit, say, National Gallery in London and you fell in love with a couple of, say, Monet works what do you do? You buy a calendar or a fridge magnet or something of this sort to take a piece of Monet with you, don’t you?
CapucinesBoulevard.com followed the same logic: why don’t give our visitors a chance to buy a gift with an image of their favorite work of art if they cannot buy the work itself? And the choice of gifts at their gift store http://www.cafepress.com/capucinesblvd is fantastic: cups, bags, apparel, clocks even cute teddy bears - lot's of stuff for you, your family and friends!!! But what is most important, the prices are very affordable and gifts can be shipped anywhere in the world! Excellent customer service, 30 days return policy, secure transactions – everything you will expect from a major reputable on-line store.
I believe it is a great idea, very well thought-through and very much in-line with their core business, which actually enhances their core business even more. I applaud their creativity, enthusiasm and consistency in pursuing their international ambitions. This is a great example every small business can learn from.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
World Maps and more
Whether you are interested in international issues due to the nature of your business, love of travelling, your studies, etc. various maps of the World will come handy.
National Geographic site http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/ has a very good maps resource. There are satellite maps, road maps, and maps with special themes (Weather, Natural Disasters, Population Density, Farming & Natural Resources). The maps are easy to read and show details like vegetation, average temperature, and local habitat in bright colors.
In addition to maps general National Geographic site http://www.nationalgeographic.com/index.html has loads of information about various destinations/countries, nature, global issues, etc.
National Geographic site http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/ has a very good maps resource. There are satellite maps, road maps, and maps with special themes (Weather, Natural Disasters, Population Density, Farming & Natural Resources). The maps are easy to read and show details like vegetation, average temperature, and local habitat in bright colors.
In addition to maps general National Geographic site http://www.nationalgeographic.com/index.html has loads of information about various destinations/countries, nature, global issues, etc.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
AllergyFree Passport
Travelling internationally can be very exciting if you are a healthy person and quite miserable if you have any types of food allergies. You might not be able to find the food you used to at home or the labelling on products might be very different which can present a big problem. Even if you think you don't have any food allergies chances are you might try some exotic food in a fancy restaurant on the other side of the world and to find out that, yes, you do have an allergy, hopefully not a severe one.
AllergyFree Passport®, http://www.allergyfreepassport.com/and its affiliate GlutenFree Passport®, http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/ are global consulting firms focused on health education and creators of the award-winning, internationally acclaimed book series, Let's Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free book series. These organizations provide you with wealth of information on allergies and international cuisine both in their books and on their website.
Now they also launched a unique global research study: Understanding Gluten and Allergen-Free Experiences of Guests & Hospitality Worldwide which bridges the gap between allergen-free guests and the restaurants who serve them. Focused on eating out and travel experiences, the ground-breaking study surveys guests living with food allergies, intolerances and celiac/coeliac; as well as the food service and hospitality professionals who cater to them.
Guests and hospitality professionals can participate in this global study by completing one of the 3 surveys that best describes their respective point-of-view.
To be a part of the Understanding Gluten and Allergen-Free Experiences of Guests & Hospitality Worldwide study, individuals and businesses can share their insights by visiting:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.cjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allergenfreeexperiences.com%2F for those managing food allergies
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.bjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glutenfreeexperiences.com%2F for celiacs/coeliacs and the gluten/wheat intolerant
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.hjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allergenfreeguests.com%2F or http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.gjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glutenfreeguests.com%2F for hospitality & food service professionals.
Each survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. All feedback is confidential and will not be shared with any third party. Only one submission per e-mail address will be accepted and the survey closes as of 31 August, 2007.
Upon successful submission and if requested, respondents will receive complimentary eating out educational materials and be entered into various prize drawings. In addition, in the fall of 2007, key findings will be sent electronically to participants if requested.
This innovative study should empower individuals with the knowledge to safely and confidently live a better quality of life anywhere in the world. At the same time, businesses can leverage the empirical data to justify new programs and services addressing needs of people with allergies.
AllergyFree Passport®, http://www.allergyfreepassport.com/and its affiliate GlutenFree Passport®, http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/ are global consulting firms focused on health education and creators of the award-winning, internationally acclaimed book series, Let's Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free book series. These organizations provide you with wealth of information on allergies and international cuisine both in their books and on their website.
Now they also launched a unique global research study: Understanding Gluten and Allergen-Free Experiences of Guests & Hospitality Worldwide which bridges the gap between allergen-free guests and the restaurants who serve them. Focused on eating out and travel experiences, the ground-breaking study surveys guests living with food allergies, intolerances and celiac/coeliac; as well as the food service and hospitality professionals who cater to them.
Guests and hospitality professionals can participate in this global study by completing one of the 3 surveys that best describes their respective point-of-view.
To be a part of the Understanding Gluten and Allergen-Free Experiences of Guests & Hospitality Worldwide study, individuals and businesses can share their insights by visiting:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.cjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allergenfreeexperiences.com%2F for those managing food allergies
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.bjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glutenfreeexperiences.com%2F for celiacs/coeliacs and the gluten/wheat intolerant
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.hjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allergenfreeguests.com%2F or http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9fpygdcab.0.gjm8pccab.s79moccab.4789&ts=S0265&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glutenfreeguests.com%2F for hospitality & food service professionals.
Each survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. All feedback is confidential and will not be shared with any third party. Only one submission per e-mail address will be accepted and the survey closes as of 31 August, 2007.
Upon successful submission and if requested, respondents will receive complimentary eating out educational materials and be entered into various prize drawings. In addition, in the fall of 2007, key findings will be sent electronically to participants if requested.
This innovative study should empower individuals with the knowledge to safely and confidently live a better quality of life anywhere in the world. At the same time, businesses can leverage the empirical data to justify new programs and services addressing needs of people with allergies.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Undegraduate education around the world
In July 2007 SCIENCE magazine published a very interesting special report about undergraduate eduction in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) The report focuses on lives of a dozen faculty members covering countries on all 6 continents (ex.: Australia, UK, USA, Russia, South Korea, Brazil, South Africa, etc.) It's an extremely interesting report looking into the fields of studies that will play the most important role in the progress of our society in the future.
As it is indicated in the introduction to the report despite the vast differences in the makeup of their students, cultural, economic and other factors specific to each country under analysis, university professors in all these countries have the same issues and problems. All these faculty members point to "lagging interest and poor preparation in science among students, insufficient resources, heavy professional burdens and antiscience attitudes in society at large." But each of these scientists is trying to bring science in the life of students in exciting and innovative ways.
This exciting report can be found in SCIENCE VOL 317, 6 JUL 2007. The complete discussion is also available at http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/undergrad_education07
As it is indicated in the introduction to the report despite the vast differences in the makeup of their students, cultural, economic and other factors specific to each country under analysis, university professors in all these countries have the same issues and problems. All these faculty members point to "lagging interest and poor preparation in science among students, insufficient resources, heavy professional burdens and antiscience attitudes in society at large." But each of these scientists is trying to bring science in the life of students in exciting and innovative ways.
This exciting report can be found in SCIENCE VOL 317, 6 JUL 2007. The complete discussion is also available at http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/undergrad_education07
Friday, July 27, 2007
Understanding international trade documentation made easy
Here is an extremely useful site for international businesses: http://www.scinet-corp.com/associates/index.htm?bdd_md.htm~index2 A glossary of selection of terms used in world trade of goods, products and services, in 4 different languages: Spanish, English, French and German.
The only drawback of the glossary is that the terms are sorted alphabetically in English only (i.e. it's made easy to translate a word from English to any other 3 languages). However, if you have a German word, say "Vorleistung" and you need to translate it in English or any other language you'll find it difficult because it is not listed under V, it is listed opposite English word "advance" under A.
But this site also offers information on a number of other useful world trade documentation such as (check the links on the same page above the glossary of trade terms):
EXPLANATION OF BILL OF LADING TERMINOLOGY
INCOTERMS 2000
DOCUMENTARY CREDIT
and others.
The only drawback of the glossary is that the terms are sorted alphabetically in English only (i.e. it's made easy to translate a word from English to any other 3 languages). However, if you have a German word, say "Vorleistung" and you need to translate it in English or any other language you'll find it difficult because it is not listed under V, it is listed opposite English word "advance" under A.
But this site also offers information on a number of other useful world trade documentation such as (check the links on the same page above the glossary of trade terms):
EXPLANATION OF BILL OF LADING TERMINOLOGY
INCOTERMS 2000
DOCUMENTARY CREDIT
and others.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland
Before coming to US 1,5 years ago I lived in UK for 5 years. It was like second home that’s why nostalgia made it quite difficult to write about it for quite some time… But now that passed and here is my story. I planned to write it in summer because it’s the best time to visit the country since July – August give you the best chance of avoiding rain.
There are 3 concepts in my mind that describe UK best of all: tradition, mystery and aristocracy.
TRADITION and HISTORY: everything in this country is about tradition and most of its customs go centuries back, so far that you start doubting if the world existed then… The guys still have the Queen, the Crown and other stuff like that! It feels like there are more palaces and ancient castles per square mile than anywhere else. And it’s not enough to visit one or 2 of them to get the full picture. Each castle is unique, it has different architecture, interior design, surrounding garden and it dates back to a specific era and has its own history and (often) love story behind it. Security cameras at royal palaces (mostly Hampton Court) even capture old ghosts in black cloaks on camera from time to time. Nowhere else you’ll be able to see the abundance of ancient armor and crown jewels on display.
Speaking about customs I couldn’t avoid mentioning one specific, tradition which is well known but not so well understood around the world: English tea. It’s not the tea that’s important but the ritual. It is a 2 hours’ long occasion when the tea is served with special finger sandwiches, small cakes, scones, clotted cream and jam. Take away 1 ingredient and it is not English tea anymore.
MYSTERY: besides the ghosts that haunt the royal Hampton Court Britain is home to 2 other most famous mystical sites: the Stonehenge and the Loch Ness. I visited both of them and each one made a deep impression on me though I have not seen the Loch Ness monster with my own eyes (note: the less the amount of tourists found at the spot the better the impression). There is something inexplicable about these places, something beyond words. I even didn’t try to explain anything to myself; I was just left with an inner feeling that I touched the untouchable, the unimaginable… One must see and feel it with ones own eyes….
ARISTOCRATIC: or “high-class”, or “upscale” or “posh” whatever word you use Britain has a lot of places and events you can attend which will make you feel like “royalty” for a day. For starters it will cost you a fortune but this is exactly the point: if you could afford it every day it wouldn’t be such a special treat! Try special seats at Wimbledon with Champaign and strawberries; a visit to Ascot (horse races favored by the royal family) where you HAVE TO be dressed elegantly (for ladies a beautiful dress, heels and a stunning hat is a must); or see a performance at Royal Albert Hall or Royal Opera.
Finally, don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a chance to meet the Queen - go see the change of the royal guards that the Buckingham palace. The site of dozens of well-trained, handsome, tall and young “warriors” will definitely substitute for that of one old lady.
There are 3 concepts in my mind that describe UK best of all: tradition, mystery and aristocracy.
TRADITION and HISTORY: everything in this country is about tradition and most of its customs go centuries back, so far that you start doubting if the world existed then… The guys still have the Queen, the Crown and other stuff like that! It feels like there are more palaces and ancient castles per square mile than anywhere else. And it’s not enough to visit one or 2 of them to get the full picture. Each castle is unique, it has different architecture, interior design, surrounding garden and it dates back to a specific era and has its own history and (often) love story behind it. Security cameras at royal palaces (mostly Hampton Court) even capture old ghosts in black cloaks on camera from time to time. Nowhere else you’ll be able to see the abundance of ancient armor and crown jewels on display.
Speaking about customs I couldn’t avoid mentioning one specific, tradition which is well known but not so well understood around the world: English tea. It’s not the tea that’s important but the ritual. It is a 2 hours’ long occasion when the tea is served with special finger sandwiches, small cakes, scones, clotted cream and jam. Take away 1 ingredient and it is not English tea anymore.
MYSTERY: besides the ghosts that haunt the royal Hampton Court Britain is home to 2 other most famous mystical sites: the Stonehenge and the Loch Ness. I visited both of them and each one made a deep impression on me though I have not seen the Loch Ness monster with my own eyes (note: the less the amount of tourists found at the spot the better the impression). There is something inexplicable about these places, something beyond words. I even didn’t try to explain anything to myself; I was just left with an inner feeling that I touched the untouchable, the unimaginable… One must see and feel it with ones own eyes….
ARISTOCRATIC: or “high-class”, or “upscale” or “posh” whatever word you use Britain has a lot of places and events you can attend which will make you feel like “royalty” for a day. For starters it will cost you a fortune but this is exactly the point: if you could afford it every day it wouldn’t be such a special treat! Try special seats at Wimbledon with Champaign and strawberries; a visit to Ascot (horse races favored by the royal family) where you HAVE TO be dressed elegantly (for ladies a beautiful dress, heels and a stunning hat is a must); or see a performance at Royal Albert Hall or Royal Opera.
Finally, don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a chance to meet the Queen - go see the change of the royal guards that the Buckingham palace. The site of dozens of well-trained, handsome, tall and young “warriors” will definitely substitute for that of one old lady.
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