New Ball Parks

Do you ever wonder how fans got by in the old baseball stadiums? They were made of all concrete and had little substance or style to them. But in today's day the ball parks are bigger and better than ever before. Not only do they cater to the players, but the fans also get a great atmosphere as well; and isn't this what baseball is all about.

Even though there are some older ball parks left in the league, the majority of teams are moving into the new, updated parks. And believe it or not, these ball parks have a lot to do with how many fans come to the games, as well as what type of players they can attract. When it comes down to it a top quality stadium has much more appeal than simply looking better.

It is safe to say that within the next ten years all of the older ball parks are going to be on their way out. But the funny thing is that by that time some of the newer parks of today will be getting older. For this reason there is always an ever changing atmosphere when it comes to major league baseball ball parks. But this is a good thing; it helps to keep the game fresh at all times.

Overall, the newer ball parks that some of today's teams play in are unbelievable. If you compare these stadiums to the ones of the past there is no competition. Today's stadiums win hands down.

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Village Tourism Rajasthan

If you are bored of city crowd, then do visit the villages of Rajasthan. The vivid lifestyle of Rajasthan folks will surely take your breathe away. Traditional single storey dwellings, with walls of mud, straw and thatched roof has their own charm. This Jhonpas(village huts) are separate from buildings of the same type, known as a 'dogla'(Store house).

Popular Villages in Rajasthan

Rajasthan villages offers golden hours to the travelers. The state at its core is engraved with the beauty of rural locations like Churu, Barmer, Dausa, Dundlod, Nathadwara, Samode and Shekhawati.

An unforgettable scene comes in the farming field where women folk are usually found to be engaged in tying the bundles of new grown paddies, while their bare-footed husband managing the grazing animals with sticks in their hand.

A picture perfect scene of children powdering themselves with muds and at times playing water games in the river. Other than enjoying the natural village culture, visitors can also study the unusual technique of making a hay shades, clay materials and cultivating crops. The camel breeding farm in Bikaner is among the notable attractions in the state.

Shopping in Rajasthan Villages

Fairs and festivals held in the villages of Rajasthan acts as a shoppers paradise. Talk about Bikaner Camel Festival or Nagaur Festival, villagers sprinkles the cultural extravaganza at their best. Tourist can weigh their luggage with buying the handcrafted products, bejeweled with antique stones and glittering lace. The Jyotisar village of Rajasthan is popular for its collection of clay pottery, glitzy hand Bengals, colorful daris and soft toys. The mela also hold the aromatic smell of spicy food stuffs which are usually made of rice, corn and vegetables.

Eating at Villages in Rajasthan

Rajasthani believe their guest as messengers of the Almighty and hence welcome tourist with great heart. Women folk are ever ready to prepare meals for visitors. All raw stuffs are made with the aid of chakki(handmill), okhli (mortar)and moosal (pestle). They cook traditional meals like makka ki roi, missi ki roti, daal, baati, churma, lehasan ki chutney and lot more.

So friends lets space sometime and jitter our days with rural fun.

To Know more about Rajasthan, click: http://www.rajasthanunlimited.com/destination.html

ESL Game - Mixed Up Words

Living in Asia has been the most eye opening experience of my life. I have already had the chance to travel all over Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and China.

Before I left I was just like everybody else... working at a job that had no real growth opportunity, no chance of making big money and an empty feeling within my heart. I didn't know that I was wasting my life away trying to "Be as cool as everyone else." Finally, I just got sick of my everyday life and I took the opportunity to travel to Taiwan to teach English.

To make a long story short...it was the best decision of my life; and when I first arrived in Taiwan I didn't know how I would survive, but I hoped for the best. I very easily found work as an ESL teacher in a school in Taipei, Taiwan.

I was very nervous my first day of school / work. Unluckily, my boss and co workers were not too educated about ESL teaching games. They told me how to play a few...but these were the same games that they had been playing/teaching the students with for years. I quickly learned how to play the games that were taught to me... but I knew that there must be more fun, exciting and motivating games than just these fews.

Luckily, I have stayed in Asia working as an English teacher in Asia for the past five years of my life. I have met a lot of people, been to a lot of places and I learned from so many teachers. Some of the things that I have learned from other ESL teachers are fun and exciting ESL games. This is one of those games:

This ESL Game is called, "Mixed up Words."

This game would be the first game that I would teach a new ESL teacher because this ESL Game is so simple. To play it ~ all you have to do is think of a word. This word can be a word the class has already learned or a new word which you will teach them.

1. Think of the word in your head.

2. Write the word on the blackboard ~ BUT when you write the word; write it in the wrong order.

EX.

1. ietgr


2. aihcr


3. nmadrepsei


4. orhes


5. belu

3. Tell the students to write the unscramble the mixed up words ~ and then show you their paper to check the answers. The first five students who finish can win a Gold Star!

Did you figure out the answers?

1. Tiger
2. Chair
3. Spiderman
4. Horse
5. Blue

This ESL Game is probably one of the simplest ESL Games; but it can be more challenging by using harder words. Good luck and enjoy your time teaching English as a Second Language!

Hey! Do you want to watch a video of this ESL game as well as 50 more ESL games on video? Then click here: ESL CLASSROOM GAMES!!

Learn Spanish, An Online Game Can Make The Difference

Ok, so you have decided to learn the Spanish language. However, while studying...you noticed something. It is very HARD! No doubt, this beautiful language takes much effort and time to learn to the point where one is fluent.

It takes a little left brain, right brain thinking to advance in the lessons of the Spanish language. A friend of mine spent 6 months committed to learning 10 new words each day. She spent her time memorizing and that is fine for her. She managed to develop quite a vocabulary. But learning should be fun. It should be enjoyable and the carrot and stick approach can work well.

What I mean by carrot and stick is there should be a pay off to the study. I have personally found that a great payoff is practicing the new words learned with a real live Spanish speaking person. If you got your study materials and was diligent about study. That is the stick part, but now you need something to look forward to. There is nothing more fun than joining one of the many online Spanish speaking forums and socializing with Spanish speaking friends.

A smart idea is to incorporate some sort of multi media aspect to your learning materials. There are games that you can get that are picture based and teach pronunciation, so for example, the software flicks up a picture of a guy sitting on a park bench and you must type in the description of same. You get a buzzer sound if you are wrong and a YAY! if you are right.

Another idea is to simply find a few Spanish songs and learn the words by singing along. This makes it a lot easier to make the phrases stick.

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Cheap Hotels in Bangkok, Thailand

The Western tourist can come unstuck when looking for cheap hotels in Bangkok. Ideas of basic standards of accommodation vary according to where you come from. Hiram and Hettie from Houston may be expecting better facilities than Han from Hanoi - or even Henry and Hannah from Harrogate (UK). Let me guide you. To be sure of western-style luxury stay at one of the many familiar western chains. The only problem is that they can be very expensive. And, let's face it, stay in a Hilton or Marriott in Bangkok and you might as well be in New York, London or Cairo.

You want to stay in Bangkok, right? The good news is that there are plenty of independent hotels in Bangkok that offer reasonable standards of accommodation at bargain rates, Who needs a wardrobe, after all? Hangers are the important part - right?

You'll probably know that Bangkok is the capital, and primary city of Thailand. In Thai it's called Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (or Krung Thep for short, which means "city of angels"). Bangkok has a population of over six million. The dominant religion is Buddhism, practised by all but 5% of the city's population. The majority of what remains are Muslim with a scattering of Christians. Bangkok is choc-a-bloc with temples and gardens, plus (lest we forget) a thriving sex industry. One of Bangkok's strengths is its fascinating mix of old Thai culture with western-style capitalism.

This is my personal choice of the best Cheap Hotel (Bangkok):

New Siam River Side

21 Soi Chanasongkram Phra-A-Thit Road, Chanasongkram, Phranakorn, Bangkok 10200.

Here is an upmarket guest-house with great views, located beside the Chaophaya River, very near to the Grand Palace. Fully air conditioned, it boasts a coffee bar, decent restaurant, and large swimming pool. As in most good Thai hotels, the beds are foam rubber. Every room is equipped with bedside control, cable TV, and refrigerator. High-Speed Wi-Fi is available in all rooms. All rooms no smoking..

Take care when booking because the New Siam River Side has two other "branches. Prices for rooms start at 1390 bahts (single). A non-air conditioned room with a fan in one of the other guest houses starts at only 590 bahts ($20).

Silom City Hotel

2 Soi Prachum (Silom 22), Silom Road, Bangkok 10500

Formerly called the Silom City Inn, this hotel can be found in the middle of Bangkok's business centre, close to every key shopping centre. The Silom City within a short walk of the major nightlife and shopping areas as well as Suan Lumpini Park, the Bangkok Railway Terminal, and the river. It has 70 guest rooms, all of which come with air-conditioning, a personal safe, connections for PC and fax, the in-house music system, colour TV with satellite, and en suite bathrooms. The advertised weekly rate starts at 1,150 baht a night (around $40) for a single room, but we are told it is possible to barter.

TakeANap

920-926 Rama4 Rd. (At Surawongse Junction, Opposite Red Cross Society), Silom District, Bangrak 10500,

The cutely named TakeANap is a family-run hotel that has its fanatical supporters. There is a mix of single, doubles and dorm-bedded rooms, starting at 350 baht a night ($12). Singles come in at approximately 1,000 baht ($34). Great for backpackers, not so good for business travellers or tourist families. The 30 single and double rooms are all decked out in different themes, most of them designed to give you a headache after too much beer! TakeANap is very central, just a few metres from the sky train (BTS) and subway (MRT). TakeaNap is also near to the nightclubs, city centre, and market area. Wardrobe freaks should note that rooms come sans their favourite furniture item, but with hangers and a rail. You'll also be very lucky to get a fridge,

Sivalai Place

168 Isaraphab Soi 33 Isaraphab rd Thra Pra Bangkok-Yai Bangkok 10600 Thailand

This apartment house offers tremendous value for anyone on a budget. Their smart studio apartments range in price from 1,450 baht a night (under $50) and double apartments come in at a mere 100 baht more. Expect queen-size beds and en suite bathrooms with shower panels equipped with six (count them) massage jets. The facilities are better than Bangkok's average, ranging from a fully-equipped karaoke room to tennis, restaurants, cafés and a gigantic swimming pool without chlorine, filtered instead by an eco-friendly 'O-zone' non-chemical filtering system. Then there's the sauna, the "good karma" library and a well-equipped games room. The Sivalai Palace comes highly recommended.

Those are my recommended cheap hotels Bangkok style. Have a brilliant time and let me know if you find any other gems.

Jim Driver is an author and former publisher who lives with his wife and son in London, UK. He splits his life promoting rock & roll, lecturing on creative writing and staying in hotels. Find more information on how to get the cheapest hotel rooms click on the website: Bargain Hotel Finder

Fun Facts About Thailand

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand is bigger than the United Kingdom, Iceland, Belgium and Austria combined.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. Bangkok is one of the most beautiful places in Asia, a city where East meets West.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Her Majesty the Queen Sirikit was one of the most beautiful women in the 20th century.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Different from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam,Thailand is not among the Asia´s poorest countries.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand is famous for its hospitality, and the average visitor will have no difficulty in adapting to local customs.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Pornthip "Bui" Nakhirunkanok became the second Thai to win the Miss Universe title after Apasra Hongsakula in 1965. The year was 1988.The place was exotic Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand has hosted the Asian Games four times in the past century: 1966, 1970, 1978 and 1998.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Miss Universe 1992 Pageant was held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand. Miss Namibia, Michelle McLean, was crowned Miss Universe 1992.The judges were: Khunying Sasima Srivikorn (businesswoman), Luis Enrique (singer), Miriam Makeba (singer and anti-AIDS activist), Ron Duguay (sportsman), Vijay Amritraj (sportsman), Kim Alexis (supermodel), Robin Leach (actor), Estelle Getty (actress)...

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

UNESCO has declared Historic City of Ayutthaya (1991), Historic Town of Sukhotahi and Associated Historic Towns (1991), Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Santuaries (1991), Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (1992), and Pong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (1995) World Heritage Sites. Certainly, Thailand is a country of ancient culture, history and beautiful landscapes.It is a world in a country.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

In 1984, Pope John Paul visited Thailand.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Between 1970 and 1996, Thailand´s economy was one of the most dynamic in the world.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand has great athletes:Paradorn Srichaphon (tennis), Kamsing Somluck (boxing), Wijan Ponlid (boxing), Manus Boonjumnong (boxing), Udomporn Polsak (weightlifting), and Pawina Thongsuk (weightlifting).

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thai cuisine is famous all over world.There are many Thai restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Rome and London.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thai boxing is the national sport in Thailand.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He´ve studied political science and journalism.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso".He is an expert on foreign affairs. Furthermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist".Some of his favorite books are “The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad” (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and “Murder of a Gentle Land” (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Downstream With Fury - Northern Thailand's Best Whitewater Adventures

Lavish rains have made the Thailand's Northern rivers perfect for pushing your way through world class rapids. After heavy rains in Northern Thailand, conditions for whitewater rafting are now probably the best in decades. Pumping rivers run wild through the jungles, sending showers of spray as waves of white water crash against the rocks, and devil-may-care rafters bob and weave through the rough waters, in rubber rafts. When a river changes mood to a soft-flowing stream, the guide can drop their paddles for awhile, rest their arms and watch the jungle drift slowly past. Shafts of sunlight rain down through the trees and, as the sound of rushing water fades into the distance, the calls of birds and monkeys can be heard above the rustle of the breeze.

Whitewater rafting was relatively new to Thailand, arriving just about 10 years ago. But it soon established itself in the North, where challenges range in difficulty on a scale of one to five. The Mae Taeng River is one of the best-known and popular rafting routes, with rapids that vary among the first four grades. Located in the Mae Taeng valley 75 kilometres north of Chiang Mai city, it winds down from high in the mountains near the Burmese border, through valleys and canyons, past lonely hilltribe villages.

And South of the Chiang Mai, the Mae Chaem River runs an exciting course through Doi Inthanon and Ob Luang national parks. The mountains get dense further west towards Mae Hong Son. The Pai River smashes an angry path towards Burma from Ban Nam Kong, 65 kilometers from Pai town, this fierce waterway thrusts downstream through pristine jungle, past stunning waterfalls with about 15 sets of rapids that test all five levels of expertise.

Go northeast and you find the Nam Wa River in Nan province. From its source in the Doi Nun mountains, it flows down through pristine forest to remote valleys and dramatic gorges. And, of course, the waters are challenging!

Most can do it.

Most people can turn into whitewater rafters, but it isn't a sport you can do on your own. It's best to seek out a reputable whitewater operators with a Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) license, experienced guides, itineraries, insurance and all the necessary safety equipment such as life-jackets and helmets. Experience is not usually necessary(depending on the run and water level), as all participants are well briefed on safety and protection before setting out. However, it stands to reason that a decent level of fitness is required - and the ability to swim.

Age is fairly immaterial, and youngsters have been known to shoot the rapids even at the tender age of 10. At the other end of the scale, I guess you're as young as you feel. Sixty-two year old Robert Musibvoy from the United States remarked - after his first Thai experience of whitewater rafting - "Good trip, good guides, good food and good fun. Best whitewater I've been on." So he certainly enjoyed himself. Thailand's rainy season starts in May, but it's probably best to wait until July before rafting - when the waters are high. Dry, cool weather takes over in mid-October, and fast currents continue to flow until February.

The experts: A Professional teams of fully trained river guides are employed by the top rafting companies operating from in Northern Thailand.

For more information on whitewater and other adventure trip in Northern Thailand please visit me @ http://www.siamrivers.com