Artists from Around The World Showcase Their Works from Clay and Ceramic

Traveling Tips for Beginner Backpackers

If you like to transform yourself from a car camper and a day hiker to an overnight backpacker then this article is for you. However, you might be unsure of what to pack, how to prepare yourself for the tour, how to face any untoward situation, and so forth. If you have necessary willpower, endurance capacity, and motivation, then nothing can prevent you from enjoying a memorable backpacking trip. Here are the top 9 tips for beginner backpackers:

Plan beforehand

Do adequate research and select your destination after learning the pros and cons of that place. Make it a point to book your flight tickets and reserve your accommodation in advance to avoid the rush during the holiday season. In case you are planning to go to South Africa, book an SAA Flight at SA Airlines today to make your journey smooth and comfortable.

Give priority to your budget

It will be challenging for you to fulfill your ambition without starting to save cash from this point onwards. Before doing anything else, try to figure out a sensible budget since it is your money which will dictate where you can go and for how long. It is a fact that most of the travelers out there are in the habit of saving money for at least six months in advance. Work out how much money will be spent on traveling to your destination and also the cost of accommodation available there.

Join a defense class before venturing out

Defense courses are available everywhere at present and these will teach you how to protect yourself in case of any sudden assault on the road while traveling on foreign soil. Although it might be difficult to defend yourself against a well-trained criminal, it will help you protect yourself against any common mugger.

Make some concealed pockets into your trousers

Instead of going for a money belt, sew some hidden pockets into your trousers to carry important items in them. This should make it almost impossible for any mugger to track where you have kept your money. It is feasible to hide these pockets in the pant’s legs by sewing them. However, if you cannot do it yourself take the assistance of any local tailor to get it done for you. Otherwise, consider posting an ad to Craigslist where you will find somebody who can help your cause.

Get your travel medical kit updated

Is important to update your travel medical kit irrespective of where you are venturing out. For instance, if you are planning to go to Africa it will be a smart idea to bring along with you medications like mefloquine, doxycycline or atovaquone-proguanil which you might not come across in the foreign country. Make a research on your present health condition and you might also consult with a medical practitioner who can give you a better idea on this subject. Do not forget to pack stuff such as sunscreen lotion and hand sanitizer which you’ll find at your local medical outlet.

 

Divide your cash

Do not take all your cash in just one place. Instead, divide it into multiple concealed places, for example, hidden pockets in your trousers or your backpack. This will ensure that all your cash will not get lost in case you get robbed.

 

Take notes on what you are packing

It is not surprising you might end up over packing on your first backpacking trip. That’s okay; however, make a note of what you are bringing along with you while discarding those items which you will never use during that trip. This step will help you understand whether anything is missing while traveling to any location on foreign soil.

Get ready to be tested physically as well as emotionally

Be prepared to endure hunger, exhaustion, soreness, and other such adversities during your trip. If you are traveling along with a partner, prepare yourself to get upset by his or her behavior at times. But, never feel hopeless and frustrated. Instead, try to appreciate the outstanding views which you can only reach by hiking and also acknowledge what you have just accomplished by traveling on your own feet.

 

Conclusion

It is important to enjoy yourself and have fun while backpacking for the first time. You never know, you might fall in love with this new activity and would like to repeat it from time to time. Whatever it might be, make it a point to enjoy yourself to the fullest and also take pride in what you have achieved.

 

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Things That Affect You After Psychic Tarot Reading

Psychic mediums are people who sometimes claim to be able to call upon extra sensory powers that are beyond the norm. Some claim to have telepathic abilities. Others state that they are able to talk to beloved friends and family members from beyond the grave. Some psychics conduct readings, sometimes using tarot cards, to determine information about a particular event or situation using their heightened abilities.

 

While such claims have not been scientifically proven, many people turn to the assistance of psychics every year. It’s an industry that has grown in popularity, as people seek answers and guidance for their future in an uncertain world. They are often looking for answers that they can’t get anywhere else.

 

People often turn to psychic mediums for assistance with their finances, their future and their personal relationships. Sheila Moon from Psychic2Tarot.com says that learning to speak someone’s love language is critical to building a long lasting relationship. You can find out more about psychic services at this and other websites online.

 

Here are a few things that can affect you after a psychic tarot reading:

1. It can make you evaluate the present.

Having a psychic reading can make you evaluate where you’re currently at in life. Some things may be good, while others could use some improvement. If you’re unhappy with your job or relationship, the psychic will usually pick up on that. They may give a reading that can provide you with some new insight or give you new ideas on how to fix some of the problems. Other times, a psychic tarot reading can reveal the source of your problems. This can be helpful, especially to those who have been dealing with stressful situations for a long period of time. These causes might not be what you want to hear, but are sometimes necessary to know so that you can move forward.

2. It can give you possibilities for the future.

If you’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety or stress, a good psychic will usually ask probing questions to get to the root of these issues. They are very good at reading and interpreting both the verbal and nonverbal signals that we give. Often times, we worry about money, relationships or what the future will bring. If we’ve had a rough stretch, we sometimes wonder how long our bad luck will go on for. A psychic tarot reading can often give us insight into some possible paths that our future can take. This is by no means definite, but it can make us stop and think. If there’s a career that we’ve always wanted to pursue, now may be the time to take action. Other times, it may be time to end a toxic relationship. Sometimes, we just need another person to assure us that we are moving along the right path in life by doing just what we’re currently doing.

3. It can help you realize that the only person in charge of your future is you.

It may be good to have a psychic reading to gain some insight into what your future may bring, but please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that the things or events that a psychic foresees in a reading will actually happen. The psychic can present several possibilities of events and situations that could come to pass, but the only person who is really in charge of your future is you. This can be a good wake-up call for people who feel like they are stuck in a dead-end job or a dead-end relationship. It can give them encouragement and confidence in knowing that they have the power to make things better. It may not be easy and the future is always in motion, but it can at least give someone a sense of relief in knowing that they can play a large role in making things better and live a healthy, happy life.

4. It can help you trust your intuition.

Most of us are naturally intuitive. If something seems wrong, it usually is. A psychic reading can often confirm our own fears and suspicions about our worries. More often than not, the things we worry about are things that are within our control. If they’re not in our control, then we have the power to walk away from most of them.

 

These are just some ways that a psychic tarot reading can affect you. Take each reading with a grain of salt, and remember that these are just predictions. It’s no different than the weather forecast. Some of the things the psychic foretells may happen, some things may not. No one really knows what the future will bring. There’s always unexpected obstacles in life. However, by taking a proactive approach and having a positive mindset, we can tackle almost anything that life throws at us. Tarot readings can show us problems and roadblocks and allow us to find the best ways to solve problems and move past them as we make dreams and set goals for a long, fulfilling life.

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4 Essential Home Improvement Tools and Equipment

With the economy improving and disposable income up, home improvement reached new heights of popularity in 2018. Nearly six in 10 homeowners increased their home improvement budgets this year, with almost half of these planning to spend $5,000 or more, and twice as many homeowners planning to spend $35,000 and up, a LightStream annual survey found. Outdoor projects, bathroom remodels, home repairs, kitchen remodels and garage improvement lead the list of most popular projects.

To tackle any type of home improvement project, you first need the right set of tools. Here are four of the most basic tools you’ll want to have handy before you begin.

Ladders

One basic piece of equipment you will need for many home improvement projects is a good ladder. If you plan to do outdoor projects such as repairing your roof or painting, you will definitely need a ladder. They are also essential for indoor projects where you have to reach the ceiling or a place high on a wall, such as putting up drywall, driving a screw in or pounding a nail in. When choosing ladders, selections should be appropriately sized for their intended tasks, with appropriate weight load capacities. It’s extremely important to keep safety in mind, whether you’re on a step ladder or an extension ladder.

In order to safely use a step ladder, you should never stand higher than two steps from the top, meaning that if you have a vertical reach of 1 foot, you will be able to reach a point about 4 feet above the top of the ladder. Most step ladders only have rungs on one side, but twin step ladders have them on both sides. Platform ladders (podium ladders) have a standing surface on top with a rail extension for extra contact, stability and utility.

For reaching taller spots with an extension ladder, where the fourth rung from the top is the tallest safe point and sections must overlap 3 to 5 feet depending on the length of the ladder, get a ladder 7 to 10 feet higher than the point your ladder will rest against. If you want to use an extension ladder to step on your roof, you will need one at least 2 feet higher than your gutter. A step ladder can also be used for locations without a spot for resting an extension ladder, during tasks such as ceiling fan installation.

Tape Measures

Another essential tool in a home improvement toolbox is a tape measure, says This Old House. Tape measures are needed for most common projects, such as measuring wood width and length to finding the area for a paint job.

Tape measures vary by a number of factors. Lengths tend to range from 10 to 26 feet. Some tapes are thicker than others, ranging from three-quarters of an inch to an inch-and-a-quarter, which makes them easier to read, with tapes wider than an inch being easier to read. Tape hooks also vary in size, with larger tangs being easier to keep stable; some are magnetic. Tapes come in steel and fiberglass varieties, with fiberglass often used for longer tape measures.

Screwdrivers

Screwdrivers are another must-have for home improvement projects, and they come in two main varieties. Flat-head screwdrivers come with a single slot on top, while Philips screwdrivers have a cross-section in the middle. You typically will need multiple screwdrivers of each type in different sizes. A set of 10 is a good place to start, or you can use a multi-bit screwdriver to save space in your toolbox. Look for screwdrivers with a sturdy design and comfortable grip.

Hammer

Like screwdrivers, hammers are vital for home improvement projects. You need a hammer and nails when you need to fasten together two parts with more shear strength than a screw can handle. For example, decks that have to withstand strong winds need nails.

Fortunately, you can get most of your work done with a single all-purpose hammer, says Family Handyman. Look for a hammer with a medium weight, a smooth face, a rip claw and a handle made of something other than wood such as steel or fiberglass. A weight of 16 to 20 ounces is good for general purposes.

While they aren’t the only tools you’ll need, a ladder, a tape measure, a screwdriver set and a hammer will lay a foundation for a good working tool set. These items will come in handy on just about any home improvement project.

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An Illustrated Compendium Of TV Sofas

Sometimes a background is more than a background.

When you switch on your TV or iPad to binge-watch your favorite show you’re probably mostly focused on the characters and the plot. But the parts that get you really hooked are the little details. Elements such as the design that give subtle clues as to the deeper meaning of the show, or at the very least act as a kind of metaphor for the heroes and villains to whom they belong.

Creators like to say things like ‘good set design means design you don’t notice.’ In other words, it feels natural to the world of the show, so it doesn’t distract you from what’s important: the story. But audiences, especially at the geeky end of the scale, know that those details are what matters.

And so, the humble sofa. Hub of the television sitcom. Even the geekiest of fans would probably struggle to calculate just how long they’d spent staring at Sheldon’s neglected brown leather couch in The Big Bang Theory, or Will and Grace’s fabulous mauve piece from their original series.

A glance this illustrated compendium of sitcom sofas reveals that in fact, sitcom couches are perhaps even more diverse than the characters who sit on them. A ‘multi-sofa show’ (industry term) such as It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Seinfeld, or Frasier, requires its designers to push the differences between the sofas to their extreme, emphasizing the personality of the characters with whom each couch is most associated while ensuring that each sofa has its own distinct identity.

In short, sitcom characters are animals of the same breed: humans. But sitcom sofas become more like the realm of dogs, where different varieties are so unique as to dazzle you with the potential of the form.

Via A Visual Compendium of Sitcom Sofas

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Zac Hacmon’s AFTERLIFE series hints at the ‘in-between’ spaces

Artist Zac Hacmon is known for utilizing architectural design and ubiquitous materials to develop simultaneously recognizable and unrecognizable non-places: spaces without history or identity, yet are entirely familiar. His work elevates and bends traditional architecture and material usage, focusing on techniques and elements both from the old and the modern, creating “super-modern” architectural models for space-age, futuristic and imaginary worlds. He aims to challenge accepted notions of necessity, functionality, and memory.

Afterlife, a series of tile-based sculptures consisting of 4×4 inch white industrial tiles, encouraging viewers to consider  memory, time, displacement and altered states of ‘being’. The artist began to consider this portal-like concept with the recent loss of a loved one.

The tiles are representative of the artists’ everyday surroundings; subway stations and domestic areas. Public spaces relating to and reflecting the private, each influencing the other. One of the sculptures is equipped with 16 grab bars suggesting safety and security, yet defective.

Several forms are sealed with transparent glass acting like filters or triggers, capturing the space inside these structures, giving a false sense of depth and the notion of another dimension within the form. Viewers are momentarily disoriented by what seems familiar and logical, yet they eventually realize the opposite is true.

Hacmon describes the individual pieces as “devices”, operating with efficiency rather than as a passive object. These “devices’ can be considered, portals; a gate or gateway to somewhere unknown. Shown together, the series of sculptures can be seen as multidimensional or shrine-like.

“I’m interested in the ‘in-between’ spaces, like corridors, borders, transit hubs. There’s something fascinating that draws me to this, like the psychological shift that occurs between places, between a person’s role in one location to another. In my work there’s an attempt to catch the moment of the shift itself. The fragments in my work come from these places, like the ceramic tiles, reminding us of a subway station that is in-between destinations. These places, and alterations of role can offer a sense of freedom.” Zac Hacmon

Zac Hacmon (b. Holon, Israel) is an artist based in New York.  Hacmon uses architecture as a mediator and is interested in notions of the non-place: spaces without history or identity. His work operates with the efficiency of a device rather than as a passive object.

Check out his work at www.zachacmon.com

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An English Photographer Showed Exaggeration of Uniformity In a Playful Photo Series

London based photographer, Eliška Kyselková desired to portray the “lively approach” to sports in her photographic collection, Team Spirit. Inspired by the sameness of these players’ uniforms as well as by the uniqueness of every player’s individual moves at any given time, these are the two components that take precedence in her photos.

The color-infused background of a grass tennis court as well as an ever-changing set of props – from badminton rackets to ping pong, tennis and basketballs – tip in the game element in every one of the images; but that is only where the simple fact of the game depiction stops, and the whimsy of Eliška’s photo fiction begins…

These “athletes” are now interacting with these components in ways unheard of in conventional sportsmanship – and observing a very one-of-a-kind set of playing rules! Take the image of the four “gamers” in matching green lycra bodysuits enjoying with a unique model of tennis with ping pong rackets – that can be implanted beneath their bodysuits, of course – while warding off an “attack” from ping pong balls. Or the picture of the athletes -now consuming red lycra bodysuits – rehearsing an acrobatic move all the while surrounded by a precise circle of badminton birdies. Let’s not even begin attempting to analyze the double take caused by the tough – literally – image of multicolored, lycra-clad thighs and ping pong balls.

In most of the images by Eliška Kyselková, the elements of humor and exaggeration tie-in beautifully with the ethos of cooperation, as well the competitive nature underlying all sports. These are not literal depictions, by any stretch of the imagination, but creativity is just what makes them so amusing and fun, witty and enlightening.

This Café in the Philippines Looks Exactly Like a Set From a Wes Anderson Film

Wes Anderson‘s whimsical film sets are one of several reasons people love his movies so much. His fascinating visual worlds feature lovely design and kitsch interiors, throw in beautiful color palettes. We’ve covered the recognition of the signature amazing earlier, from themed Airbnb rentals, to some subreddit (flipped Instagram) where folks discuss Anderson-esque locations from throughout the world. The most recent Andersonian discovery to capture our attention is the pastel-clad Café Congreso–a café from the Philippines run by owner Joseph Malabanan.

In the same way, Café Congreso’s interior includes cotton candy pink walls and chairs, paired with teal green features such as the marble-topped coffee pub. Lux gold accents are observed in high wall frames and light fixtures, while the café’s twee plates and jars finish the appearance.

In the menu, Café Congreso serves specialty coffee and matcha smoothies, in addition to pizza, homemade ice cream, and apparently pretty pastries that look as though they’ve just arrived from Mendl’s bakery.

If you can not make it into the Philippines, you can follow Café Congreso on Instagram to get a daily dose of pastel pastry perfection.