Everyday in Buenos aires » City

City, Falls and Jungle – AFS Argentina

gutenk — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:00:08 +0000

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Article by Suzy Davis

Arthur Fromer rates Argentina at the top of world destinations to visit and this diverse vacation didn’t disappoint with its passion and scenic wonders. We began with several days in Buenos Aires, a vibrant capital with European style and a Latin flavor similar to Madrid. Our hotel was smack-dib city center and our guide Marcello was the best I ever had with my groups here. The dollar is strong here, so after tours, the group shopped. Here are the finest plaited raw leather goods on the planet. Terry bought 3 jackets custom cut to his “petite” frame. I got a unique pair of boots made from capybara, which is the world’s largest rodent – high fashion rat boots.

Our group of 35 was perfect size. Most attended one of the top tango shows in town for a delicious dinner and world-class tango. This melancholic dance born from the poor classes attracts everyone today with timeless entertainment. For cuisine, this is the world of beef. With 57 million cows it’s a carnivore’s dream and a vegan’s nightmare. At Las Linas restaurant we shared the 800 gram (2lb) steak. I asked Marcello why no one is fat here. He said, they live on an Atlkins diet of beef and salad and walk every day.

We spent a day with the gauchos (cowboys) at an authentic estancia (ranch) in the pompas (countryside). We rode horses and enjoyed a sizzling asado (BBQ) of more endless meats. There are 800 ranches in the region. Argentines love their horses. A top polo pony can run 0,000 and it’s embryo ,000.

We flew up to Iguazu, “land of great waters” and stayed at the beautiful Panarama Hotel that overlooks the borders of Paraguay and Brazil. The highlight was a full day tour of the famous falls. It’s my fourth visit here yet the omnipotence of it all still inspires me with awe. And the area of Devil’s Throat is so shockingly powerful; it creates a sense of fear in me. Locals here say, “Niagara is just a trickle in God’s mind.” These falls 2 miles long have twice the flow! It rains 321 days per year here. We were blessed with sunshine and rainbows. It was breathtaking as we walked 6 miles of platforms both above and below the 275 cataracts. It ended with a thrilling boat safari. After donning rubber ponchos, the Indian drivers propelled us full speed into the falls. We didn’t want it to end.

Later we headed out over the lush terrain of Missiones Province that was founded by Jesuits in the 1700′s who came to convert the native Guarani’s. (See “The Mission” movie with Robert DeNero.) We then transferred to 4×4 trucks and headed into the remote wildlife reserve called “the green corridor.” 80 miles from the falls in extreme north Argentina just 3 miles from Brazil. We arrived to Yacutinga Eco-Lodge hidden deep in the rainforest. It was like entering the set of Avatar. The unique architecture of stone, adobe and tree trunks integrates in perfect harmony with nature. Our charming bungalows have no TV but do provide electricity, comfy beds, drinkable water, wood stove and hot showers. It is sustainable tourism with adventure under control. It included a pool, bar and organic meals throughout our stay. Unlike our past AFS Amazon trips, there are no resident “pets” at this lodge. They refuse to disrupt anything in its natural habitat and insist on keeping the wild animals wild.

Yacutinga promotes a dozen conservation programs and supports a village of 120 Guarani’s nearby. Guaranis are the poorest of the poor natives who strive to preserve their ancient culture. With the encroachment of the timber industry, they find it nearly impossible to adapt to the new world around them. The lodge employs Guarani’s who often don’t show up due to superstitions of the cosmos on any given day. Under the forest canopy at night, we hear a lecture about this fragile disappearing jungle.

There are 2 resident biologists and an ornithologist. The next morning they guided the group on a hike to identify the native plant and animal species. I slept in and went into the kitchen to fry some eggs just like home. The group returned covered in mud. I was amazed at their perseverance and good spirits. The canopy is usually ablaze with orchids and hummingbirds. Unfortunately that week we were greeted with the hum of omnipresent mosquitoes and intermittent rain.

Later we paddled kayaks down the San Francisco stream to Iguassu River. Here is a world of hummingbirds and butterflies. There are also giant tapirs, capybaras and ocelots. Aside from some monkeys and bird species. We saw no other wildlife. I wonder if it’s due to poachers and deforestation. It was nevertheless educational on the symbiotic relationship of every plant element necessary to sustain a rainforest. My group began to go into WiFi and cell phone withdrawals. 3 days here is enough.

Inflight home, I reflect on this varietal vacation of extremes. This Adventures For Singles trip was 99 land. Argentina is one hot destination with diversity north, south, east and west. Next year I may present a cruise through Patagonia. Marcello begged to come along and guide us. He loved our group and so did I.

About the Author

Suzy Davis President, and tour leader ofhttp://www.adventuresforsingles.com has traveled the world for nearly 30 years initially as a flight attendant and now with her company Adventures For Singles.

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Design Inspiration for City Canvas Prints for Interior Decor

gutenk — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:01:58 +0000

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Article by Mina Palencia

Promoting a travel agency is easy with all the marketing tools available. Use brochures or flyers to let people know about the exciting destinations that you offer. But you should also consider the interiors of your travel agency office. Use of posters with ads about your packaged vacation deals is great. Your interior decors could also serve as marketing tools. Display canvas prints with images of places and cities that are perfect for travel vacations. Instead of using photos of famous cities, you can use the lesser traveled but equally marvelous ones. You can also use destinations that are famous for newly-weds. Here are ideas that you can use for your city canvas prints:

Design Ideas for Your City Canvas Prints

* Use images of lesser known travel destinations such as the cities of Toulouse in France, Montevideo in Uruguay, Hamburg in Germany, Malaga in Spain or Stratford in England. By displaying photo canvas of these cities, you will help your clients discover new destinations. These places will be great diversions for those who are tired of tourist-packed areas such as London, Paris, Barcelona, Buenos Aires or Munich.

* It would be great to use images of cityscapes in different angles, time and date. For example, you can use images of a city in dusk, dawn and night time. Another great idea is to side-by-side display images of the same city from different years; i.e. photos of London circa ’50s and circa ’90s.

* It is always magnificent to look at images of great architectures such as museums, palaces, churches and monuments. You can highlight these sites by using images of them from each city. For example, you can use a landscape photo of Toulouse, France featuring the avenues that include the façade of The Carmelite Chapel, The Capitole, or The Georges Labit museum.

* There are cities that are situated right beside the beach. In this case, your canvas could have an image of the city shown at the background of a beautiful sunset at the beach. The city of Montevideo in Uruguay and Sydney in Australia are two examples.

There are many designs that you can use for your city canvas prints and the ideas above are just some of them. You can also innovate and create your own design. The good news is that you don’t need to worry about the hassle of going to a local print shop. You can always opt for online printing to produce your prints. Make sure to look for the best and reliable one.

About the Author

Mina Palencia is a writer who resides in Lancaster, LA. She has experiences writing for online marketing campaigns, writing technical documents for online audiences and loves blogging.

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Nh City & Tower Hotel Buenos Aires

gutenk — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:16:33 +0000

www. TopHotels4U. com Check Out The Link For Amazing Prices, Reviews, Comments, Information And Maps For This Hotel And almost Ever Other Buenos Aires Hotels!

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Mexico City paves the way for the legalization of gay marriage

gutenk — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:12:53 +0000

Gay rights activists across the world consider same-sex marriage one of their toughest goals. Only seven countries permit it: Belgium, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Sweden. A handful of US states also allow it. But on Monday night, and despite opposition from conservatives and the Roman Catholic church, Mexico City was in the vanguard of a Latin America-wide tilt towards greater tolerance for homosexuality. The Mexican capital became the first in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage with a groundbreaking law which could set a precedent for gay rights across the region. The city’s assembly passed the legislation, which will also give gay couples the right to adopt children, in a dramatic vote that triggered celebrations and chants of “yes we can” from activists gathered in the chamber. Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay have made recent moves towards liberalisation and debate is stirring in other countries, emboldening gays to emerge from the closet and challenge traditional macho stereotypes. The trend contrasts with recent votes against same-sex marriage in the United States, notably California, Maine and New York, which have dismayed activists. Mexico’s leftist Democratic Revolution party (PRD) pushed the bill through the capital’s assembly 39-20, changing the city’s civil code definition of marriage from the union of a man and a woman to the “free uniting of two people”. The change will permit same-sex couples to adopt children, apply for joint bank loans, inherit wealth and share insurance policies. It is a significant expansion of rights granted under a 2006 law allowing same-sex civil unions. The mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, a crusading leftist from the PRD, was expected to sign the measure into law, paving the way for the region’s first married gay couple. Activists inside the chamber cheered and waved rainbow banners, scenes repeated outside as news spread. “We are so happy,” Temistocles Villanueva, a 23-year-old film student, told Associated Press, as he embraced and kissed his boyfriend. Victor Romo, a member of the mayor’s party, called it a historic day. “For centuries unjust laws banned marriage between blacks and whites or Indians and Europeans. Today all barriers have disappeared. “Conservatives condemned the change as an affront to those who lived outside the capital’s liberal bubble. Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera said the law was immoral and that “innocent children” could be adopted by gay couples. President Felipe Calderón’s National Action party said it would try to block the law. “They have given Mexicans the most bitter Christmas,” Armando Martínez, the president of the College of Catholic Attorneys, told reporters. “They are permitting adoption [by gay couples] and in one stroke of the pen have erased the term ‘mother’ and ‘father’. “Latin American governments have historically persecuted gay men and lesbians. Fidel Castro’s Cuba as well as rightwing dictatorships were openly homophobic and punished gays as deviants from a macho ideal. Discrimination remains widespread, and the minority is still vulnerable. Walter Orlando Trochez, 27, a prominent gay and anti-coup activist in Honduras, was shot dead last week. Transgender sex workers across the region often complain of violent attacks by police and vigilantes. But in the last two decades attitudes have softened. The proportion who said they would not like to have homosexuals as neighbours plunged from 59% in 1995 to 29% this year, according to a Latinobarómetro poll taken in 18 countries across the region. “Tolerance towards homosexuals has been the value dimension that has changed the most in the 15 years that we have been measuring,” said Marta Lagos, the Chile-based pollster’s founding director. “The vast majority – 70% – of the Latin American population tolerates homosexuals. Fifteen years ago it was the complete opposite. “Lagos attributed the change to societies becoming more developed and people becoming more expressive. That did not mean progressive values were prevailing across the board: 36% said women should stay at home rather than work, the same proportion as in 1997. Opposition to abortion also remained high. “It doesn’t mean Latin American societies are becoming more similar to European societies,” said the pollster. Tolerance is most visible in capitals, with the likes of Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Mexico City boasting gay-friendly districts where same-sex couples have no fear of showing affection in public. Argentina’s capital has opened Axel, Latin America’s first luxury hotel aimed at gays. In a neat twist, it has declared itself “heterosexual friendly”. Buenos Aires legalised same-sex civil unions in 2002 but conflicting judicial rulings recently stymied same-sex marriages. Several other Argentine cities, as well as Mexican and Brazilian states, also permit same-sex unions. Uruguay has become the first Latin American country to recognise such unions and permit adoption by gay couples. Colombia has granted social security rights to gay couples; its neighbour Venezuela is considering same-sex civil unions. “Before, if you said you were gay, you were dead,” said Alberto Rodriguez, a beautician from Venezuela. “But now we’re more accepted. We hold events, parades and fashion shows. ”

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Mexico City blazes trail with legalisation of same-sex marriage

gutenk — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:34:25 +0000

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Needs Assessment in Farrokhshahr City, Iran, Using Rapid Appraisal Method in 2004

gutenk — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:18:03 +0000

Introduction:

The most important goals of community based participatory research are organizing and exploiting of relevant data in order to solve local problems. In this way Farokhshahr population lab, in Farokhshahr city, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiary province of Iran, founded in 2004, to empower local community to recognize and solve their problems in a development based manner, and the final goal was health promotion.

In this center, running participatory research is an important fact that consists of community mobilization, needs assessment, priority setting, intervention and evaluation (1).

Following community mobilization, we should run needs assessment and then priority setting (2).

Needs is the gap between current status and ideal situation, and this is recognized via needs assessment project (2).

In Farokhshahr population lab, the main goal is development and health promotion for all local people (1).

In various international researches, rapid appraisal needs assessment was applied to identify different needs in social and health fields (3-10).

In this survey, needs assessment project was conducted in Farokhshsahr city, in order to perform applied research based on real community needs and not merely based on researcher ideas.

Methods:

This project is a community based participatory research that conducted using rapid appraisal needs assessment method.

Study population consisted of all 45000 residents of Farokhshahr city. Sample size was 40 groups and each group included 6-12 members. The sample size (400 persons) was then selected from study population using random sampling. These 400 persons were selected by systemic random method, with two variables:

Gender (male and female) -

Age-

(0-10 years: children, 16-19 years: teenager, 19-25 Years: young, 25-65 years: middle age, >65years: aging group)

These persons were invited to center and interviews made by team members, then FGDs performed to determine local needs. The question due to 0-10 years child, were asked from their mothers.

Rapid appraisal needs assessment method is a qualitative one that local knowledge; skills and researches are used. This method is based on 3 processes:

Observation-

Interview with different groups of local people-

Information gathering-

The advantages of this method are:

Informing local community,-

Identification of each person role and responsibilities-

Optimum utilization of information (data) and resources-

In all research phases, stake holder had a key and leading role, they gathered correct information that after analyzing should lead to set priorities, perform interventions and then evaluate the whole processes.

All of research phases were performed with, active participation of Farokhshahr research and development population lab members (located in Chahar mahal & Bakhtiari province) under Shahrekord University of medical sciences supervision.

In the population lab community mobilization formed in an organization named “Farokhshahr development team”.

Research and development population center established in Farokhshahr in 2004 and consisted of authorities and all of stakehaloles.

In this team local people representatives, organized in 10 active work committees. These committees were including:

- Aging group committee

Youth committee-

Woman committee-

Cultural, artistic and religious committee-

Social security committee-

Health and food committee-

Sport & entertainment committee-

Construction committee-

The head of these committees was the members of research and development team.

Initially, the local information (community profile), including Farokhshahr population, age distribution, mortality causes, health care system, literacy indices, security occupation , culture, communication and housing, were collected by team members under supervision of academic researchers.

Information gathered from 3 sources:

Current local information (community profile)

Observation and record information

Interview with current local population groups in Farokhshahr (two variables: gender and age).

Finally, gathered information from mentioned sources organized and categorized in 9 groups, this process performed with active participation of team members and academic researchers’ supervision.

Results

In this investigation, 40 problems were estimated and categorized in 9 groups ( problems of aging group, youth group, women group, construction group, sport and exercising group, health and food group, social security group , artistic cultural group and occupation group )(Table 1).

Discussion:

In this survey, using rapid appraisal needs assessment method, with active participation of Farokhshahr people, a wide range of social problems were recognized, the identified problem were not merely health based, but also included social and cultural issues.

Rapid appraisal needs assessment method was used in many researches and in all studies this method was the most proper and most cost – benefit one to obtain a wide range of problems with local people participation (3-10).

A common point in all these studies, is obtaining a wide rage of social to health needs.

In a research that conducted in northern Ireland , a wide range of social and health problems such as loss of sale locations , loss of aging group support to increase in psychiatric drugs , were obtained(3).

In the other study that performed in Buenos Aires with focus group discussions (FGDs), a wide range of problems such as air pollution, addiction to alcohol and opium recognized (4).

In a research conducted in Soweto’s South Africans researchers concluded that in according to restriction of resources and necessity of efficient utilization of these limited resources, policy makers should apply methods that encompass health issues comprehensively, and this obtain via participatory research by all relevant community stake holders. Finally they concluded that, they can use this method in all regions of South Africa efficiently (5).

In a study conducted in socially deprived, multiethnic district in south east London with a population of over 700,000 to undertake a district wide review of primary health care services and identify the views of users and providers about current arrangements and options for development, Widespread dissatisfaction with current arrangement was identified, with specific problems relating to access, variability, demand for services, and interagency communication. Many of these problems are now being planned or piloted (4).

In a study conducted between 670 homes in Edinburgh, six priorities were identified, many of which were not health related. They conducted that an expanded primary care team can use rapid appraisal as a first step in identifying and meeting local health needs. It facilitates a multidisciplinary approach and complements quantitative methods of assessing needs (7).

Results of our study had a full coordination with mentioned researches and the common point of all is active participation of local people in all process stages, and determination of community oriented rather only health–oriented needs.

We recommended that since resource constraints are likely to remain in the foreseeable future, and therefore efficiency remains an important concern, methods should encompass health problems comprehensively, and this is possible through all local stake holder participation.

In this field rapid appraisal needs assessment is the most proper one. It is applicable in all country regions and has rapid and cost benefit impacts with involvement of all stake holders and policy makers.

TABLE 1: Farokhshahr local population problems derived by qualitative rapid appraisal needs assessment method in 2004

Occupation problems Social security problems Youth problems Health problems Women problems

Loss of job opportunity Addiction , easy access to narcotics Psychiatric disorders Mental health Lack of women knowledge about health and nutrition

Incorrect leading of capital investment Increasing troublesome cyclist Unemployment Lack of health knowledge & training Lack of place for doing art works

Loss of job security Inadequate police personnel Addiction Bad environmental health & sanitation Loss of sport saloons

Lack of experienced experts in creating jobs Inadequate light in passages Puberty health Inadequate knowledge about nutrition Women cultural limits and barriers

Cultural barriers on employment Improper police station location —- —- Loss of part-time job for women

Sport problems Construction problems Cultural and

artistic problems Aging group problems

Lack of sport saloons High cost of housing & lack of mass construction Lack of suitable saloon for ceremonies , restaurant & hotel Loss of aging group associated organization

Pour availability to sport saloon for many people Not revival of old building of city Lack of university centers Lack of adequate knowledge of aging group needs

No completion of swimming pool project Heavy trucks traffic in city Expanded unnecessary grief ceremonies Lack of financial resources and aging group insurance

Cultural limitation for women sport Weak taxi services —– Not paying attention to emotional needs of aging group

Acknowledgment:

This project was financially supported by ministry of health, Iran, and Shahrekord University of medical sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

References:

1-Jamshidi E. population Research Center, an Approach to community Health and Empowerment. Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. 2003. p:4-35

2- Jamshidi E. Participatory Research Methodology workshop. Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, 2004, p: 13-27

3- Lazenbatt A. Lynch UO, Neill E. Revealing the hidden troubles in Northern Ireland: the role of participatory rapid appraisal. Health Educ Res. 12001 Oct; 16(5): 567-78

4- Lotersztain M, Zorat M, Lecouna M. Motta M. Use of the rapid appraisal method for the identification of perceived needs in a low class barrio in the city of Buenos Aires. Aten Primaria 2000 Dec; 26(10): 690-2

5- Rispel L, Doherty J, Makiwane F, Webb N. Developing a plan for primary health care facilities in Soweto, South Africa, Part I: Guiding principles and methods. Health policy plan. 1996 Dec; 11(4): 385-93

6- Dale J, Shipman C, Lacock L, Davies M. Creating a shared vision of out of hours care: using rapid appraisal methods to create an interagency, community oriented. Approach to service development BMKJ. 1996 May; 312(7040): 1206-10

7- Murray SA, Taurnbull L, McCallum J, and Little A. Listening to local voices: adapting rapid appraisal to assess health and social needs in general practice. BMJ 1994 Apr; 308 (6934): 979

8- Murray SA, Graham LJ. Practice based health needs assessment: use of four methods in a small neighbourhood. BMJ 1995 Jun, 310 (6992): 1443-8

9- Sogoric S. Application of the modified method of rapid appraisal toassess community health needs for making Rapid City health profiles and city action plans for health. CMJ. 1998 Sep: 39(3): 267-75

10- Rifkin SB. Paradigms lost: toward a new understanding of community participation in health programs. Acta Trop. 1996 Apr; 6192): 79-92

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Needs Assessment in Farrokhshahr City, Iran, Rapid Appraisal Method in 2004

gutenk — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:15:26 +0000