Australia Travel Blog: Sydney City Tour Harbour Cruise

Sydney Travel Blog: Part 7 – Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise

Australia Travel Blog: Sydney City Tour | Bondi Beach

2-Day Combo: Sydney City Tour + Sydney Harbour Lunch Cruise and Blue Mountains Day Trip

We lost 2 tour mates on our way to Sydney Harbour Cruise; the couple failed to show up to catch the bus at the designated time. The tour operator called them and looked for them for a couple of minutes and then started the bus, leaving them behind.

Our next stop and last tour for day 1 is the Sydney Harbour Cruise. The cruise will be two hours with lunch provided.

The Cruise boat left from the marina in downtown Sydney. I found the boat in very good condition and it had 3 levels. The middle level was where all the tables were arranged for the lunch and that’s where I settled in. I got acquainted with some other travelers, so we all sat together.

The specious catamaran had lots of sitting space on the deck, but due to sun and humidity I stayed inside. I went up on deck a few times to get pictures and videos.

The boat passed some of Sydney Harbour’s top landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, Fort Denison, Shark Island, and Sydney Harbour’s coastal residential areas.

About 15-20 minutes after leaving the downtown harbour area, I noticed lots of nice and upscale condos and houses nested along the coastline of Sydney. These homeowners have access to the ocean within a few steps from their home and a nice ocean view. There are a lot of foreign buyers, especially Chinese investors, snapping up real estate in Sydney, driving up the prices. I remembered not seeing residential housing in Auckland Harbour area.

Lunch was buffet style. There were plenty of items to choose from, including seafood. I chose rice, beef, mashed potatoes, broccoli, green beans, and salad. I ended my lunch with fruit salad and tiramisu.

What Is The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

First Published: ADawnJournal.com May 8, 2010

Whether you know it or not, there is an organization that has a huge impact on your life and while you probably have heard of it, you may not truly realize all that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does for you. The IMF is an international organization that looks over the global financial system by applying the policies of macroeconomics to the countries that are members of the Fund. This includes overseeing the exchange rates of countries, as well as the balance of payments within these countries.

The IMF was formed with the objective of stabilizing international exchange rate, while also helping countries develop financially through liberalized economic policies as well as providing loans, aid and restructuring finances. In addition, the IMF offers leveraged loans to poorer countries in order to help them out.

Headquartered out of Washington D.C., the IMF was formed in July of 1944 by the 45 original members during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire. Everything was officially organized on December 27, 1945 when the first 29 countries signed the Articles of Agreement. During the Second World War, the world’s finances were in a chaotic state and it was the purpose of the IMF to help aid in the reconstruction of the international payment system of the world, as well as stabilize the exchange rates that were fluctuating widely at the time. At the time, countries would contribute into a pool that they could temporarily borrow from.

The IMF currently has 186 countries in its membership which work together to create global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, while reducing poverty, in the words of the IMF itself.

All UN member states, with the exception of Taiwan, North Korea, Cuba, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Tuvalu and Nauru, are members of the IMF.

All of these member states are represented by a 24-member Executive Board. There are five Executive Directors, which are appointed by the five members that have the largest quotas. The rest are made of Executive Directors that have been elected by the remaining members. All the members of the IMF then appoint a Governor to the IMF Board of Governors.

The influence of the IMF has increased greatly over the global economy as the numbers of members have increased over the years. Many cite the IMF as a contributing factor to the political independence of many developing countries, as well as helping usher in the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Of course, things have not always been rosy for the IMF. In 2008, when the financial crisis was just beginning, the IMF decided to sell some of its gold reserves. In addition, the IMF has decided to implement a new framework for the organization to help deal with a $400 million budget deficit. By 2011, it is estimated that there will be roughly $100 million in spending cuts and the removal of 380 staff positions in order to help save money.

This was not the end to the changes implemented within the IMF. At the 2009 G-20 London Summit, the IMF decided it would need more financial resources to meet the needs of its member countries as a result of the huge financial toll the global financial crisis was taking. To help, the G-20 leaders, who represent the 20 largest economies on Earth, pledged to increase the supplemental cash to the IMF from $50 billion to $500 billion, while allocating an additional $250 billion to member countries.

Through thick and thin, boom and bust, financial turmoil and recessions, the IMF has been a constant that, in various ways, is trying to make the world a better place. The lack of wars between its member countries on the whole seems to show that it has been a success at this.

IMF Website Link: The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

What To Do When Your Home Is Being Repossessed?

Notice Periods – Time To Run Through Your Options

First Published: ADawnJournal.com January 24, 2010

When you are having trouble paying your mortgage, the inevitable spectre of repossession emerges. Financial hardship is awful for anyone. The knowledge that you could be unemployed and not knowing where the next month’s groceries are coming from is bad enough, but when you have to deal with the idea that the roof over your head could be taken away from you things become worse still. Nobody who has experienced the situation of being repossessed, or even under threat of repossession, can ever take the payment of their mortgage lightly. The mere thought of having to move out of a home that you have made your own is too much.

However, there is a process that needs to run its course before a house can be repossessed, and if you work together with the bank who supply your mortgage then there are still options which could mean that you can escape the danger of repossession. The important thing of which you must take account is that banks generally do not want to foreclose on a house. As valuable as a house may be, and as keen as they are to protect their investment, banks set a lot of store by customer co-operation. With other forms of debt, specifically unsecured debts, one of the banks’ main fears is that customers will duck and run, leaving no trace of their whereabouts. With a mortgage, the loan is tied to the house, so the chance of a customer sneaking off with the proceeds of their non-payment is removed.

A policy of co-operation with the bank will serve you well in this respect. Rather than take the house off you, renovate any part that they consider not to be up to scratch and put it back on the market at a lower price to force a sale – all of which leaves them out of pocket – they would rather agree with a customer to refinance the mortgage to a more manageable level, creating in effect a new mortgage with a full term. You may stay indebted to the bank for longer, but you also stay in the house. If you cannot agree a remortgage or fail to make the payments, then the bank will be more likely to repossess. If they do this, they must however give a notice period.

During the course of your notice period, you have two options of any real substance. You can start looking for rental properties in preparation for the house being repossessed by the bank at the end of the stipulated period (either 35 or 45 days) or you can look for one last way to make the situation good. This may include looking elsewhere for a mortgage – which you will then use to pay off the old mortgage in full and begin to pay off anew. If you are able to demonstrate either the completion of this process or its reaching an advanced stage, the notice period can be extended or quashed, allowing you to make a new start and remain in the home you have made.

Three Simple Reasons Why I Am Not Buying An Apple iPad Now

Should You Buy Apple iPad Tablet Right Now?

First Published: January 27, 2010 ADawnJournal.com

Apple released its much-hyped, highly anticipated, tablet computer iPad today. Reactions have been mixed. There are six models available in the U.S. starting at US$499. iPad is not available in Canada yet. Expect to see them in Canada in 60 days (Wi-Fi models) to 90 days (3G models).

Now that the wait is over, you may be contemplating the question: “should I buy an iPad?”

My perspective is as follows:

Priced at $499, I don’t think the iPad is that expensive. However, I have decided not to buy one, and here are three simple reasons  why:

·   First generation tech-gadgets are always over-priced and will always have flaws. Manufacturers improve these flaws based on consumers’ feedback on the second generation model. Prices always become more affordable.  This is what happened with the iPhone.

·   Apple is not the only player in the market.  In a few months you will see other competitors release similar prototype products. You will have better options then at much lesser prices. Waiting pays.

·   It makes me feel good to kill my instant-gratification urge. The decision of not buying an iPad leaves $499 in my pocket. What’s else can be better than this?

Before you jump into buying an iPad, I suggest you wait a few days and think your decision over. Bookmark this article and read it again after a day or two. Who knows, it may well save you $500 instantly.

The Tallest Building In The World – Burj Khalifa

The Ninth Wonder of the World: World’s Tallest Skyscraper – The Dubai Tower

First Published: ADawnJournal.com February 7, 2010

For those who are scared of heights, the Dubai Tower, also known as Burj Khalifa, is something they do not want to be anywhere near. Built in Dubai, UAE, the tower is the tallest structure ever built by humans, coming in at 2,717 feet, or 1,000 feet above the previous record holder in Taipei. Construction began in 2004, with it officially opening to the public and businesses in 2010 .  Through those six years of work, it took $1.5 billion to build the structure, which has now taken over several records. One interesting piece of information relating to the Dubai Tower is that it has returned the title of the world’s tallest structure to the Middle East after 700 years. Previously, the world’s tallest structure was the Great Pyramid at Giza, which stood as the tallest for 4,000 years until 1311 when it was pushed down the ranking by the Lincoln Cathedral in England.

Some other records this amazing building now holds include:

– Tallest extant structure.

– Tallest freestanding structure.

– Building with the most floors.

– World’s highest elevator installation.

– World’s fastest elevators (40 miles per hour).

– Highest vertical concrete pumping.

– First world’s tallest structure to include residential space.

– Highest outdoor observation deck.

– World’s highest mosque.

– World’s highest installation of an aluminum and glass façade.

– World’s highest swimming pool.

The design of the Dubai Tower was centered on Islamic architecture, with the design of the building incorporating the historical and cultural elements of the region. As well, the Y-shape of the building allows for the building to have a hotel and residential space in it. This is because the shape allows for both outward views that are unobstructed, as well as the maximum available inward natural light. The Y-shape of the building is actually inspired by the Hymenocallis flower. The tower features 27 terraces, with a spire at the top of the building pushing far into the air. The tower was built in order to provide excellent views of the Persian Gulf, and onion domes that are very popular in architecture of the Middle East have also been incorporated.

In order to provide maximum stability for the building, something that many who hate heights will worry about, the building actually twists 120 degrees from its base, giving it almost a cork-screw type of design to maximize strength. Of course, that does not stop swaying. At the top of the tower, there is a sway of about five feet.

In total, the Dubai Tower will hold 35,000 people at any time. There are a total of 57 elevators in the building, as well as eight escalators. Each elevator can carry as many as 14 people, and there were plans to install the first triple-deck elevators on Earth. Instead, double-deck elevators were chosen. If you were to walk from the bottom of the building to the top on the stairs, you would have to walk up 2,909 stairs from the ground floor to the top floor, 160 stories above.

Things are just beginning for the tower and area around it though. There are plans for a large-scale development that will include nine hotels, 30,000 homes, over seven acres of park, 19 residential towers, a mall and a man-made lake that stretches for 30-acres. Dubai is trying to push away from an oil economy and more into a tourist economy, hence the incredible focus on providing luxury to those who visit this wealthy nation.