Perfect alternative to London - Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is located in the North East of England and triumphs as a less expensive alternative to London with prices ranging 10 – 15 percent lower than the London average.

Newcastle upon Tyne, or commonly known as Newcastle, is located near the border to Scotland with a modern city centre put up around the remains of the famous Hadrian’s Wall built by roman emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to protect the Roman empire from invasion by the Picts. A trip to Newcastle takes no more than a three hour direct flight from Malta to Leeds with Ryanair. From Leeds it is about 90 minutes by bus or train to Newcastle centre.

PART ONE - What happens when a Maltese girl falls in love with an Indian boy and decides to get married…..in India?!

Yes………. we panicked, yes…………. we were concerned but in the end it was what she wanted and a group of family members decided to make the trip to Southern India and participate as fully as possible in this memorable occasion. After a grueling trip which involved a long distance flight and a long distance train journey we arrived in the groom’s relatively small home town in the province of Andrah Pradesh, right on the Bay of Bengal.

Was it a culture shock? ……. at first certainly but then we were made to feel so much at home and so much a part of the family that we relaxed and enjoyed being part of a traditional Indian wedding with all its colours, rituals and traditions.

As I’m sure we have all heard, Indian weddings normally stretch over a period of days and involve many different rituals which are performed over the period.  No doubt for our benefit, these were condensed into the one and a half days of intense preparations and celebrations.

The ritual most looked forward to by the younger female members of our group was without doubt the ‘henna tattooing’ possibly because it was the one thing we knew to expect.  The older women in the group, me included, were not so keen on having our hands decorated but in the end we all joined in – with fabulous results!

Wine is an extraordinary and fascinating drink. It brings together people from all over the world, from Chile to France, to drink in celebration of all aspects of life. If you are a wine lover you may certainly be extremely comfortable to make frequent selections of good wine for enjoyment at special occasions, for personal pleasure or alternatively to start a collection as an investment.

For persons who have little or no exposure to wine but at some point in time have to choose a bottle for that family gathering or a gift to a wine enthusiast may find the process of selection quite a daunting and confusing task. Also, the vast variety of wine from around the globe can increase the frustration rather than facilitate selection. The wine bottle may be appealing and greatly designed but it is what is stored inside that is going to be enjoyed.

In the real world, professional success is not only determined by the number of qualifications and certificates hanging on that wall or the excellent business skills or experience which you may have under your career belt. Your personal appearance is considered to be one of the most determining factors in order to successfully promote yourself and your career and the organization you work for. Let’s face it, a professional and polished look will speak volumes about your competence, personality and credibility apart from being pleasing to the eye. First impressions are important, not to say crucial. If you are a woman reading this article you do not need further encouragement to read on, if you are a man, yes, this article applies also to you - so keep reading too.