Concrete Nouns

Concrete Nouns Concrete Nouns Concrete nouns are defined as nouns that are connected with our sensory experiences, touch, sight, smell, sound and taste. A long list of nouns that come under this category as because there a number of things which we experience through our senses, such as flowers, food, song of the birds, a full moon night, etc. Abstract Nouns Abstract nouns, as the name suggests, cannot be comprehended by sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste. They are felt through feelings or emotions, these are again numerous; some examples of abstract nouns are, adoration, aversion, fear, etc. The table given below gives a list of concrete nouns and abstract nouns; it clearly shows the difference between two types of nouns. You can see from the above list a teacher is a person who is visible to our eyes, while we are unable to see, touch or smell courage or loyalty. Example: 1. My Smart Phone has a beautiful ring tone. 2. My teacher is very articulate and can talk on any subject. Why do we need to know the difference between a concrete and an abstract noun? Experts say a well written essay; blog needs to contain both types of nouns, concrete and abstract. If we use too many abstract nouns the writing becomes difficult and incomprehensible and if we use too many concrete nouns the writing becomes dull and uninteresting. Judicious use of both concrete and abstract nouns helps the reader to both enjoy and understand the ideas expressed. Categories of Concrete Nouns: Concrete Nouns are subdivided into four types: 1) Proper Noun: Nouns that are names of specific person and places, e.g. Jerry, or France 2) Common Noun: Names that are given too many things and places, e.g. a city or a flower. 3) Material Noun: Names of specific substance, e.g. iron, uranium, etc. 4) Collective Noun: Names given to a group of things or people, e.g. army, flock of birds, herd of cattle. Countable and Non Countable Nouns Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted, e.g. a flower (a single flower) and flowers, (many flowers). Countable nouns can be both singular and plural as seen from the above example. Non countable nouns cannot be counted, e.g. air, rice, or cream, etc. It is not possible to give a detailed list of concrete nouns; however, the following list gives some idea of concrete nouns that are used frequently. Concrete Nouns List Animals Clothes Buildings Eatables Furniture dinosaur Evening Gown House Pizza Computer Table squirrel Stocking Apartment Salad Queen Bed Shark Shirt Museum Roasted duck Dressing Table Cow Tie Houses of Parliament clair Easy Chairs Elephant Tee shirt Cottage Fruit salad Book case Rat Jeans Mansion Red Wine Lamp Hen Socks Beach House Biscuits Dining chairs Concrete nouns are used both in a general and specific way, in a singular and plural forms, and as Proper and common nouns. Often a sentence contains many types of concrete as well as abstract nouns. Example: Many soldiers were given medals for their acts of bravery in the Iraq War. Tom saw a shark heading towards him and was paralyzed by fear.

My Own Story of Change What You Can Learn from It - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / My Own Story of Change What You Can Learn from It - Introvert Whisperer My Own Story of Change: What You Can Learn from It When I launched Introvert Whisperer, I was unclear what to do with my previous website.  Because I wasn’t clear, I kept it going and continued to post content to it.   I decided to “end-of-life” the website, thus closing that chapter in my life.   Because my roots are in change, I have to use this as an illustration for you on how we work in making change and the emotional reaction to change called transition.   The first phase of transition is an ending.  Something has to come to an end and for me, the end started last year as I ramped up Introvert Whisperer.  During the end phase, you begin to disengage and begin to lose identification with what you are ending.  I was identifying less with Next Chapter and more with Introvert Whisperer.   The next phase is what I called confusion, because it is largely a period where you feel unshaped by purpose.  With my Next Chapter website/persona, that period of confusion has lasted a year.    I wasn’t clear what to do with it so rather than pulling the plug or redefining it, I decided my clarity would eventually come as I spent more time defining myself with Introvert Whisperer.  I’ll note that we all move through our transition phases at different rates.  For me, I felt that there would come a day where the answer of what to do would eventually arrive.  It also let me come to grips with ending something I was very emotionally invested in.   The last phase is beginnings.  Introvert Whisperer to a large degree was the beginning and with this phase you have a new identity or direction.  It’s an energetic phase as you are further touching into new territory.   I’ll note for you that while these three parts of transition are called phases, they occur at the same time.  They occur in different proportions throughout the change but we shift through them daily.  Because of the overlapping nature of the phases, we also experience mixed emotions and can often confuse these mixed emotions for making a wrong decision.  You can feel happy and sad at the same time.  It’s a huge reason so many people avoid change because its not that comfortable.   Transition = Endings-Confusion-Beginnings.  You will always go through them with any change.  Just know that when you’re at a low point or anxiety-ridden â€" you’re normal!  You will get through it.   So, I got through this transition with all those same reactions but satisfied with the result.  Change.  Its the only constant in life. Think about changes in your life and how these three phases occurred.  It will help you the next time you have a change. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will?  If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Fluid Dynamics

Fluid Dynamics Fluid Dynamics Physics is the branch of Science that explains us all about matter and energy. This is an important branch as our everyday life includes physical activities which knowingly or unknowingly incorporate the applications of physics. Fluid Mechanics is the branch of Physics which deals with the study of fluids at rest or in motion, and also explains the behavior of fluids with solids and with other fluids. Fluid Mechanics is further divided into 2 important branches known as Fluid Statics and Fluid Dynamics. The branch of Fluid Mechanics which studies about the behavior of fluids at rest is known as Fluid Statics, and the branch that studies the behavior of fluids in motion is known as Fluid Dynamics. This study involves concepts from various sections such as: a) Hydrodynamics: The study of motion of fluids that can usually be approximated as incompressible (such as liquids, or gases at low speeds) is known as Hydrodynamics. Hydraulics comes under this section where liquid flow in pipes and open channels are studied. b) Aerodynamics: The study of the flow of gases over objects such as automobiles, aircrafts, or rockets at high or low speeds is known as Aerodynamics. c) Gas Dynamics: The study of the flow of fluids that involves changes in fluid density is known as Gas Dynamics. d) Meteorology, Hydrology and Oceanography involve the study of flow of the fluids that occur in the atmosphere, on Earth or in the oceans and seas. What is a Fluid? Fluids are substances that deform continuously (have no fixed shape) under the influence of external pressure. Since liquids and gases have such a property of deforming or changing shape even by the slight application of pressure, they are known as Fluids. Therefore fluids are classified as the substances that are in the liquid or in the gas phase. Some of the common terms used in the study of the fluids are given below: i) Stress: This is defined as the Force per unit Area. Stress is also referred to as Pressure. The maximum amount of stress a material can tolerate before it breaks is known as the breaking stress. Stress = Force/ cross-sectional Area = F/A The standard unit of Force is taken as Newton (N) and Area in m2 and hence Stress is measured in N/m2 or Pascal (Pa). ii) Normal Stress: The normal or perpendicular component of force acting on the surface of the substance is known as the Normal Stress. iii) Shear Stress: The tangential component of force acting on the surface of the substance is known as the Shear Stress. This implies that here the force acting on the substance is parallel to the surface of the substance. The fluids at rest have zero shear stress, and therefore only normal stress is considered in this case. Properties of Fluids: a) In liquids, molecules move relative to each other but the volume remains constant. This is because of the strong cohesive forces present in between the liquid molecules. Due to this property of liquids, they take up the shape of whichever container they are placed in. For instance, if a liquid is placed in a regular bottle, it takes up the shape of the bottle. If the same liquid is poured into a huge vessel, it takes up the shape of the vessel. b) Unlike liquids, gases do not have the property to take up the shape of the container. Due to weaker cohesive forces in between the gas molecules, they occupy the entire available space. Gases have the property to spread and expand, until they encounter the walls of the container. c) Liquids have the property of forming a free surface when placed in a large open container, as shown in the figure below. d) Unlike liquids, gases do not form a free surface when placed in an open container. They have the tendency to expand and thus occupy the entire available space. e) The molecules in a solid are tightly packed together and are arranged in a pattern thus forming a rigid shape as shown in the figure above. The liquid molecules are not as tightly packed as solids. Liquids molecules have the opportunity to translate (move in straight directions) or rotate. f) Unlike both solids and liquids, the gas molecules are usually placed far apart from each other and therefore gases do not have any shape. Due to this property, gas molecules do not have any pattern or ordering in between the molecules. The study of Fluid Dynamics is applied in various fields such as: Power plants, Boats and ships, Aircrafts and rockets, human body, automobiles, wind turbines, Plumbing system, industrial applications, natural flows and weather updates etc. Types of Fluid Flows: 1) Viscous Flow: The continuous steady flow of fluids, where the effects of friction are significant. 2) Inviscid Flow: This is the type of flow considered for an ideal fluid in which no friction is considered. Viscosity is the measure of a fluids resistance to flow. An inviscid flow is considered to have no viscosity. 3) External flow: This is the flow of a fluid over any substance where the flow is not bounded by any material. 4) Internal flow: The flow of a fluid when bounded by some kind of material is known as the internal flow. The flow of fluids through pipes, ducts or any solid material is an example of internal flow. 5) Incompressible flow: If there are no significant changes in the density of the flowing fluid, then such a flow is known as the Incompressible flow. This implies that the density of the flowing fluid remains nearly constant though out its motion. Example of an incompressible flow is the liquid flow. 6) Compressible flow: If there are significant changes in the density of the flowing fluid, then such as flow is known as the Compressible flow. Compressible flows are usually observed to be flows with high-speed. Example of a compressible flow is the flow of high speed gases. Mach Number: This is a quantity which represents the ratio of the speed of the flow to the speed of the sound of that medium. Mach number is a dimensionless quantity and is extremely useful to analyze compressible flow in rockets, space crafts and various other systems that involve high speed gas flow. Mach Number (Ma) = Speed of flow / Speed of sound = V/c 7) Forced flow: When a fluid is forced to flow over a surface or through any pipe using external means such as a pump, or a fan etc, then such a flow is known as the Forced flow. 8) Natural flow: When there is fluid motion due to natural causes such as buoyancy etc, then that flow is known as the natural flow. The flow in pipes can be divided into 3 categories: i) Laminar Flow: This type of flow is an ordered fluid flow which is characterized by smooth layers of the fluid. This flow can be generally observed in small pipes where in the velocity of the flow is less. Example: Highly viscous fluids such as oils, honey etc at low velocities typically move in laminar flow. ii) Turbulent flow: The fluid motion that usually occurs at high velocities and which is characterized by velocity changes is known as the Turbulent flow. Example: Fluids having low viscosity such as air when flowing at high velocities typically move in turbulent flow. iii) Transitional flow: The fluid motion in which both laminar flow and turbulent flow can be observed is known as the Transitional flow. Bernoullis Principle: Daniel Bernoulli, a Swiss mathematician and physicist has stated the principle describing the behavior of the flowing fluids. According to the Bernoullis principle, in the regions where the fluid pressure is lowered the fluid flows velocity is increased. Conversely, if the fluid pressure in a region is increased, then the fluid flows velocity decreases. This defines the inverse relationship between pressure and the flow velocity of a fluid. Bernoullis principle is a statement which comes as a consequence of the Conservation of Energy. The Bernoullis equation is given as follows: P1 + 1/2v12 + gh1 = P2 + 1/2v22 + gh2 This equation can also be written in short as: P + 1/2v2 + gh = constant Here, P = Pressure (pronounced as rho) = density v = velocity of the fluid flow g = acceleration due to gravity h = elevation Some of the applications of Bernoullis Principle are: Bernoullis principle is most importantly observed in the structure of an airplane. The wings of an air plane are constructed in such a way that it regulates the air on the bottom of the wing. This is achieved by constructing the top of the wing little curved, keeping the bottom of the wing flat. During an air flight, air blows concurrently across both top and the bottom of the wing. But because of the curved top part, the air on the bottom side of the wing moves slowly. According to Bernoullis principle, lower velocity of a fluid creates higher pressure. Therefore higher pressure is exerted at the bottom of the wing, whereas due to greater air velocity at the top of the wing lower pressure is generated on top. The higher pressure at the bottom of the wing helps create the lift for the airplane and allows the plane to fly. Bernoullis principle is used while sailing. It is not always true that the wind drags along the sailing boat in the sea. Many times the boat does not travel in the direction of the wind. In those situations Bernoullis principle is applied wherein just like airplanes, this principle is used in the construction of a sail boat. A sail boat has the keel constructed at its bottom so that maximum air flow is achieved by the low pressure created by the sail and this increases the speed due to which it lets the sailboat travel in the direction it has to. Bernoullis principle can be used to understand why a person is pulled towards a fast train moving towards him. A fast moving train creates a low pressure in between the person and the train, however the pressure on the other side of the person is greater. This greater pressure on the other side of the person is responsible for pushing the person towards the train. Hence it is highly suggested for people to keep a distance from an approaching train. Pascals Law: Blaise Pascal was a French scientist and he has put forward the Pascals law which states that in an enclosed fluid at rest, whenever there is an increase in pressure at any point in that fluid, there is an equal increase at every other point in the fluid. This implies that an external pressure in an enclosed fluid in a container transmits equal pressure throughout the fluid in the container. Hydraulic systems are best examples of how Pascals law is applied in the real world. In a hydraulic system, pressure applied on one piston exerts equal amount of pressure on the other piston as well. Now we know that Pressure is defined as the force per unit of the cross-section area. Pressure = Force/ Area == P = F/A. This also gives us that: F = P * A Here we can observe if the pressure is kept constant, then the Force applied is directly proportional to the Area. Now, in a hydraulic system we know that the pressure exerted will be the same on both pistons due to the principle of Pascals law. Therefore, if the area of the second piston is 10 times larger than the first piston, then the force exerted on the second piston also becomes 10 times greater than the force on the first piston. So therefore just by applying a small amount of force on the first piston, the second piston having larger area experiences greater force due to which it can be used to lift heavy objects. The diagram below illustrates this principle. Story of Archimedes and the Archimedes Principle: Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, and he is most famously known for stating the principle about the objects immersed in a fluid. According to Vitrivius (a Roman author), a golden crown for a temple had been made for the ruling King Hiero II. With no trust on the goldsmith, Archimedes was asked to investigate whether the crown was made of pure gold or whether any silver has been substituted by the goldsmith. Since the crown was to be offered to the Gods, Archimedes could not melt it or damage it any way in order to solve the problem. Vitrivius described that one day when Archimedes got into a bath tub as usual for a regular bath, he observed that the more his body sank into the water, more the water level rose in the tub. He then immediately realized that this effect can be used in order to determine whether the golden crown was indeed made of gold or not. Solution to the Crown Problem: Archimedes filled a large vessel with water to the very top and dropped a silver mass into it. The amount of water that overflowed was equal in volume to that of the mass of the silver that sunk into the vessel. Archimedes now refilled the vessel with water and this time he dropped a mass of gold into the vessel. He observed the amount of water that overflowed this time (since gold is denser that silver, the same weight of gold takes up less amount of volume). After refilling the vessel once again, Archimedes finally took the crown and dropped it into the vessel. He observed that more amount of water overflowed for the crown, than the amount of water that was overflown for the mass of gold. This implied that silver was added into the crown due to which the crown was less dense than that of just gold. It is said that Archimedes was so excited about this discovery that he forgot to even dress, and simple ran out of the tub naked to the streets crying Eureka! Eureka! (meaning I have fou nd it!). Therefore, Archimedes clearly proved that the goldsmith was dishonest in making the crown. Archimedes Principle: As a result of the above mentioned observation by Archimedes, the Archimedes Principle states that an object immersed in a fluid experiences a force known as the Buoyant Force, which is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. Buoyant Force: Whenever a rigid object is partially or completely immersed in a fluid, then the object experience an upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. This upward force is known as the Buoyant Force. This can be understood by observing that the object has occupied the space that initially was covered with the fluid. Fluid pressure generates a net upward force and since the object is now immersed, the same upward force now acts on the object. Equation of Buoyant Force can be written as: FB = fluid * Vsubmerged * g Here = density of the fluid V = volume of the submerged object g = acceleration due to gravity The principle of buoyancy helps us understand how objects like boats, ships etc can float in water.

The Various Options for Learning Arabic

The Various Options for Learning Arabic What Are the Different Ways of Learning Arabic? ChaptersHow to Learn Arabic for Children?Arabic for Beginners: How to Learn Arabic on your OwnHow to Learn Arabic in a Hurry!How to Learn the Arabic of the QuranHow to Learn Arabic Quickly?Educational Games for Learning the Arabic LanguageArabic is a rich and diverse language that is an official language in 26 countries, and is spoken by almost 300 million native speakers worldwide.It is true, however, that for English native speakers, Arabic is substantially more difficult to learn than the European languages of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or French.But if you are determined and motivated, there is no reason why you can't succeed in learning it!In slightly confusing fashion, Arabic has different written and spoken forms, and the spoken forms differ yet still across the various Arabic speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa.Any Arabic language course taught in the western world will more than likely be in one of the written forms of Modern Standard Arabic, or Classic al Arabic. Don't worry, these two are often used interchangeable by native speakers as there is very little difference between them.Here's a Superprof guide to learning classical Arabic at any age.If you agree with this principle, which is quite dear to several teachers, then you will readily admit that learning Arabic through educational games can be amazing! For students of any age of course.But how can one get started?Where and with whom?Where can you buy these games?You will not be surprised to read that many of these fun ways to learn Arabic can be found on the internet:With websites:  www.earabiclearning.com, www.hello-world.com, www.learn-quran-kids.comBut also apps: Arabic Nemo is an excellent example.Finally, for those who would like the learning experience to be a family experience, why not try a video game like Jawab Speed?

5 English Pronunciation Resources

5 English Pronunciation Resources English pronunciation can be challenging for students so weve created this list of English pronunciation resources. Partially English pronunciation is difficult because spelling has little to do with the way words are pronounced, making it hard to know how to say some words.But of course the bigger problem is that English will have sounds that dont exist in your native language, that your mouth doesnt know how to make and maybe even your cant hear yet.So here are some great resources weve found to help with your English pronunciation.Practice Your English Pronunciation With PoetryThe first English pronunciation resource is  The Poetry Foundation is one of my favorites. Not only do you get to practice your English reading skills with some of the best English language poems, but many of the poems come with free audio recordings of the author reading the poem. So you can read along and listen carefully to how the words should be pronounced. Heres Robert Frosts classic Mending Wall.Impro ve Your Pronunciation With A Mirror!2. The second English pronunciation resource, a mirror! Seriously, if you have done research into linguistics and language learning you will learn that children watch peoples mouths. So if you have YouTube and a mirror you can practice watching the mouths of English speakers and then watching yourself say things in the mirror. Different language speakers hold their mouths differently. You can learn more about that in our intensive pronunciation series. One of the best English teachers I have ever known was a colleague from Argentina, her accent and pronunciation was nearly perfect. When I asked her how she did she said she used a mirror to help her create the sounds and practiced with a mirror a lot. Our Intensive pronunciation course can help you improve a great deal.Resources Online To Help With Your English Pronunciation3. The University of Iowa in the U.S. has an excellent resource for English pronunciation on their website. Phonetics: The sou nds of American English is an interactive webpage that lets you pick out specific sounds in the English language, and then gives you an animated example of how the inside of the mouth moves to make the sound, and a recording of the mouth of the person making the sound, as well as a recording of the sound itself. Its an ambitious project, totally free, and probably the most useful Ive found online. Check it out here.Listening To Help Improve Your English Pronunciation4. Santa Barbara College has produced a corpus of audio clips from real conversations. This is an excellent way to practice both your listening skills as well as your pronunciation skills. The audio is 2 minutes to 5 minutes in length and covers several topics. LOI English uses some of the audios for lessons weve created. You can also practice your pronunciation and listening skills by taking a look at our Listening Lessons Series here.Improve Your Pronunciation With Tongue Twisters.5. The last piece of advice to improve your pronunciation skills is to do tongue twisters. When practicing rolling my r in Spanish I used several tongue twisters that helped. English has the many tongue twisters that will help you train your mouth, lips, and tongue in order to improve your pronunciation. Click here for some useful tongue twisters and our final English pronunciation resource.Extra: You should decide if you are trying to do accent reduction and pronunciation help whether you want to focus on American English (Canada/US) or British English. There are differences and it is best to choose which youd like to use and work on that pronunciation to avoid confusion. Just look at how we pronounce: Ana Excelent. This advice will be excelent for me. satyavan Dear friends today am telling you best way to learn English online absolutely free install the skype in your phone computer then visit the following website to find English Speaking partner to your practicehttp://www.englishuncle.comOn this website you can fi nd people who want to learn English, you will have to fill your information in our given user description after filling details you will be online among the people After this, you will start getting calls from the people and you can also call them by the using Skype, yahoo msg!See the video how to make call onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHn20RLi55U English Classes In Shanghai Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didnt show up. Grrrr well Im not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say superb blog! SCR888 Wow, this piece of writing is good, myy younger sister is analyzing these kinds of things, thys I am going to inform her.

How to Evaluate an Online Statistics Tutor

How to Evaluate an Online Statistics Tutor Improving Academic Performance One of the results of being able to look for tutors online is that there tends to be a selection available, which means that you have to evaluate different tutors in order to be able to choose among them. If you are looking for an online statistics tutor, here are a couple of factors to base your evaluation on. Choose A Specialist Statistics is a specialized subject that not all tutors, or even all math tutors, will be proficient in. Generally, the more subjects a tutor claims to be able to teach, the less specialized he or she is. A tutor who claims proficiency in statistics and twenty other subjects is probably not as proficient as a tutor who claims to be proficient in just one or only a few subjects. Look For Reviews A good place to start is on discussion boards and conversation groups related to tutoring, because these are places where people will often discuss their experiences with individual tutors. This way you can get an idea of which tutors are the best to work with. This is especially important for online statistics tutors, since, as explained above, many tutors may claim to be able to tutor statistics, but relatively few will be truly worthwhile. Judge By Appearances Private tutors and tutoring firms usually have their own website, and the appearance of it is an indicator of how they treat their business generally. A tutor with a website that looks undeveloped or out of date either has too much business from other sources to worry about making a nice website (unlikely), or else doesn’t do much business at all. If the website looks like it receives a lot of attention, that’s a good indication that you will receive a lot of attention too. Especially pay attention to the quality of the writing displayed, since good communication skills are necessary for making complex statistical concepts easily understandable. Compare It’s best to look at at least three different tutors, and even try out their services, before settling on one. It’s hard to judge without a basis of comparison, and you will probably find that you just feel better working with some tutors than with others. It also helps to remember that you don’t have to stay with a tutor if the relationship isn’t working for you, for whatever reason. Trust Your Judgment Ultimately the best evaluation of a tutor is your own experience. You are the best judge of what works for you and what doesn’t. One factor to evaluate is how effective the tutor is for you, taking into account both cost and time. Is the tutor focused and on task? Does working with the tutor actually speed up your learning process? Another factor is how the tutor makes you feel. Does the tutor feel patient and respectful and actually make you feel good about the learning process? Do you enjoy the time you spend with the tutor? This consideration is equally as important as cost and time efficiency. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

Teach Away Telegram - December 2010

Teach Away Telegram - December 2010 Is there anything better than the gift of education? Other than chocolate, arguably the answer is no. As teachers, providing an education to those in need is a given; but for many of you, receiving an education is most likely a lifelong journey as well. From those first days of school to the crazy college years to those language classes you take after work, the gift of education is definitely one that keeps on giving. However, for those of us raised in countries where education is a right, it is easy to forget about less privileged nations, where regular people have little or no access to schools, and may go through great challenges just to get access to books.But let’s stay away from the Grinch-like gloom and doom this Christmas, and think about the positive! As an organization that works with international education programs and inspiring educators (yes, you!) day in and day out, Teach Away would like to take a moment to highlight an amazing program, The Afghan School Project, in this month’s Telegram. A dedicated group of Canadian educators have volunteered their time to implementing this education initiative in Afghanistan. Its purpose is to help educate young, Afghan women who would at best be refused entrance, or at worst, harmed for going in to school. So how can you help?When it comes to charities, every little bit counts. But as our wallets get lighter around the holidays, we aren’t necessarily motivated to empty them altogether. What if we told you that there were alternative ways to help give the gift of education to these young women? Whether you are a seasoned teacher who has long seen the value of education and would like to take part in this wonderful initiative or a recent grad who simply hopes to add some volunteer work to your resume, the Afghan School Project is a truly inspiring project to get involved with.As you begin thinking about your New Year’s resolutions this year, why not consider devoting some of your time in 2011 to an imp ortant project such as this one? How about seeking out a similarly inspiring volunteer organization to take part in wherever you happen to be in the world? Or you could simply brainstorm how you can make a difference for the children in your classroom, and actively implement your new ideas.If you want to do what you do best for a good cause, what better time than now to give the gift of education?Our Gift to You This Season: An Eggcellent Eggnog RecipeWhether you’re missing eggnog or wondering about this crazy yellow drink your North American friends keep referring to each December, we have an antidote for an eggnog-less December for you!A great way to beat a case of not-home-for-the-holidays blues is to introduce some of your own customs into your daily life abroad. Although you may have never considered making your own eggnog back home (Why would you when you can run over to the nearest supermarket for a creamy cup each December?), desperate times call for desperate measures.Alt hough it may take a few tries (and buff up your arm muscles in the process), once perfected, your homemade eggnog will ensure a very happy holiday season-no matter where you are in the world.How to make your own eggnog (borrowed and tweaked â€" from About.com)Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 1 hourMakes 12-16 eggnog servingsIngredients:• 6 large eggs plus 2 yolks• 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 4 cups whole milk• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmegPreparation:Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3- or 4-quart pan, whisking until well-combined. Continue whisking while pouring milk in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated. Turn on burner to lowest possible heat setting. Place pan on burner and stir mixture continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 45 to 60 minutes.Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any acci dental small cooked bits of egg. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Pour into a glass pitcher, decanter, or container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate this egg custard mixture to chill at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before finishing.Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.Photo Contest - Winner December is almost over and a new year is just around the corner. No matter where you happen to be this holiday season, we hope you’ve decked your halls, hung some mistletoe, and have all your gifts bought, wrapped, and sitting under the tree!This month, giving takes on a whole new meaning in The Telegram. Learn about some unique gift-giving customs around the world and read about the gift of education in Afghanistan. For those teachers who find themselves far away from the comforts of home around the holidays, Teach Away is happy to give you the perfect recipe for Christmas cheer, so read on!Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! And a Joyous Holiday Season to All!-The Teach Away TeamIn this issue:Gift Giving Around the WorldThe Gift of EducationOur Gift to You: Eggnog RecipeAnnouncing Photo Contest WinnerGift Giving Around the WorldFor many people, ‘tis the season to find the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. For those living abroad, traditions which remind us o f home become all the more important at this time of year; however learning about the customs of one’s host country is an invaluable part of enjoying time away from friends and family. Whether or not you plan to partake in a gift exchange this December, read on to learn about some interesting gift-giving customs around the world!While we westerners tend to rip open our presents in frenzied excitement, in Japan, this behaviour is generally frowned upon. It is not uncommon to see young children delicately opening their gifts, demonstrating an appreciation for the work that went into the wrapping. Even before getting your hands on the gift, it is best to first ask for permission to open it. To do otherwise would be considered impolite. In the UAE on the other hand, the recipient will not hesitate to open his gift right away, and will go so far as to inspect it right in front of the person who gave it to himâ€" especially if a man has been presented with silver jewellery. Because gold jewellery is considered a gift choice for women only, this inspection is a search for a proper government mark which tells him that his jewellery is, in fact, silver and not an effeminate white-gold.An interesting wedding tradition in Korea finds parents of newlyweds giving them a variety of gifts; however, to be on the safe side, they will make sure not to present the groom with a pair of shoesâ€"just in case he decides to use them to run away before the big day! In Japan, on the other hand, even numbers are a no-no when choosing a wedding gift. Forget those dinner settings for a family of four; five plates is much more acceptable for the simple reason that an even-numbered gift can be split evenly, and this is considered a symbol of separation or divorce.Don’t bring a typical bottle of wine or framed portrait to a housewarming party in Korea. When someone moves into a new home, it is much more appropriate to bring over something practical, like toilet paper! And when moving in to a new place in Japan, don’t expect your neighbours to appear at your door to welcome you with a platter of cookies; instead, you should take it upon yourself to be nice and neighbourly with a knock on your neighbour’s door, a brief introduction, and a gift of dish soap or laundry detergent. Don’t try this in Saudi Arabia, where it is common to only give gifts to very close friends. Presenting a neighbour or an acquaintance with a gift would be so embarrassing that it would border on offensive.The Gift of EducationIs there anything better than the gift of education? Other than chocolate, arguably the answer is no. As teachers, providing an education to those in need is a given; but for many of you, receiving an education is most likely a lifelong journey as well. From those first days of school to the crazy college years to those language classes you take after work, the gift of education is definitely one that keeps on giving. However, for those of us raised in countries wh ere education is a right, it is easy to forget about less privileged nations, where regular people have little or no access to schools, and may go through great challenges just to get access to books.But let’s stay away from the Grinch-like gloom and doom this Christmas, and think about the positive! As an organization that works with international education programs and inspiring educators (yes, you!) day in and day out, Teach Away would like to take a moment to highlight an amazing program, The Afghan School Project, in this month’s Telegram. A dedicated group of Canadian educators have volunteered their time to implementing this education initiative in Afghanistan. Its purpose is to help educate young, Afghan women who would at best be refused entrance, or at worst, harmed for going in to school. So how can you help?When it comes to charities, every little bit counts. But as our wallets get lighter around the holidays, we aren’t necessarily motivated to empty them altogethe r. What if we told you that there were alternative ways to help give the gift of education to these young women? Whether you are a seasoned teacher who has long seen the value of education and would like to take part in this wonderful initiative or a recent grad who simply hopes to add some volunteer work to your resume, the Afghan School Project is a truly inspiring project to get involved with.As you begin thinking about your New Year’s resolutions this year, why not consider devoting some of your time in 2011 to an important project such as this one? How about seeking out a similarly inspiring volunteer organization to take part in wherever you happen to be in the world? Or you could simply brainstorm how you can make a difference for the children in your classroom, and actively implement your new ideas.If you want to do what you do best for a good cause, what better time than now to give the gift of education?Our Gift to You This Season: An Eggcellent Eggnog RecipeWhether youâ €™re missing eggnog or wondering about this crazy yellow drink your North American friends keep referring to each December, we have an antidote for an eggnog-less December for you!A great way to beat a case of not-home-for-the-holidays blues is to introduce some of your own customs into your daily life abroad. Although you may have never considered making your own eggnog back home (Why would you when you can run over to the nearest supermarket for a creamy cup each December?), desperate times call for desperate measures.Although it may take a few tries (and buff up your arm muscles in the process), once perfected, your homemade eggnog will ensure a very happy holiday season-no matter where you are in the world.How to make your own eggnog (borrowed and tweaked â€" from About.com)Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 1 hourMakes 12-16 eggnog servingsIngredients:• 6 large eggs plus 2 yolks• 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 4 cups whole milk• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmegPreparation:Combine eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3- or 4-quart pan, whisking until well-combined. Continue whisking while pouring milk in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated. Turn on burner to lowest possible heat setting. Place pan on burner and stir mixture continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 45 to 60 minutes.Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any accidental small cooked bits of egg. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Pour into a glass pitcher, decanter, or container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate this egg custard mixture to chill at least 4 hours or up to 3 days before finishing.Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.Photo Contest - WinnerCongratulations to Sarah Van Kruistum for getting a whopping 58 votes for her gorgeous 'First Impr essions' photo (shown right)!Sarah was the lucky winner of a Polaroid digital camera, compliments of Teach Away. We look forward to watching some of your videos of your life in the UAE, Sarah!Honourable mention goes to Kate Rehbock who came in close second with 39 votes. Thanks for participating, Kate!