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Cover Story

Eve Hemmings first book, titled Scatterlings:A Tapestry of Afric-Expat Tales is stirring up emotinons among South African expats around the globe, many of whom have responded with a flood of tears and praise for the healing effect the work is having on them.

A migrant from Hilton, South Africa, Eve Hemming landed in Auck-land, New Zealand in 2008. While dealing with grief of saying fare-well to her homeland and falling in love with her new land , she began writing Scatterlings Out of anger, pain of disillusionment.

What began as a way of working through her own shrapnelled emotions has morphed into an intensely therapeutic resource of migrant.

I see the book as part of my own healing journey and in the tap-estry, woven with others stories, others and I have found solace and strength through connectivity and identification, she explains . Along with telling her own story, in which she tackles the com-plexity of South Africas history with deep respect , Eve uses her psychologial knowledge and skills to support migrant through their stages of grief and adaption.

Scatterlings, which was published a few months ago, blends in others stories too, including childrens tales and perceptions along with articles by notable writers and political figures such as Helen Zille, Clem Sunter, Max Du Preez and several young emerging columnists. Those who share their stories come from South Afri-ca, Zimbabwe and Zambia and have settled in places including Peru, New Zealand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, England, Canada, USA and Kenya.

The book incorporates poetry about South Africa along with some favourite traditional recipes, and concludes with a thought provoking epilogue signifying closure.

Aside from supporting migrants themselves, Eve hopes Scatterlings will allow friends, relatives and others in relationship with expats to develop a deeper understanding of the profound effects of migration.

Emigration impacts our lives whether we leave SA or stay at home and lose loved ones to migration, she notes.

Eve grew up on a farm on the Lesotho border where the rich textures, dramatic cloud formations , golden wheat fields and dolomite koppies were her childhood vista. This was jusxtaposed against the routine of boarding school in a small free state town.

Eve is passionate about humanity and worked with underprvileged and disable chil-dren in South Africa for many years. She is a special needs teacher, expressive thera-pist and psychologists, currently practicising as an educational psychologist.

In her spare time she has taken up the mantle as an advocate for the migrant popula-tion, assisting hundreds of people during their complex transition, adaption and accultration. She gives her time freely as a motivational speaker for expat groups.

Eves book is part of her own healing journey and in the tapestry, woven with others stories. Eve and others have found solace and strength through connectivity and identification.

Scatterlings is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon. And this month the book is on special -$35 in NZ and $39 in OZ with Postage. Order books here - http://eveepiphany.wix.com/scatterlings-#!contact/c16fm

Motoring

If youre job involves chauffering highly important dignatries around all day, or if you are really para-noid, then Audi has the perfect car for you.

An armoured version of the Audi A8 L, the High Security, is Audis take on an armoured luxury car for trips to the shops, or nuclear apoc-alypse banker.

While Audi have made a few sub-tle changes to the regular car for next year the security comes with options worth considering if you suffer from paranoia.

A modified aluminum body with

classified armour plating takes workers 450 hours to make and fit in a secured production zone. With windows, Audi use special glasses with a sprinter-inhibting polycarbonate layer on the inside. A loudspeaker team is incorporat-ed into the car, so passengers can call out to bystanders outside.

The A8 Security complies with the class VR 7 ballistic protection.

standard set by the German Ballis-tics Testing centre in Munich. The tests proved the security can with stand NATO sub-machine gun fire, military hand-grenades and even an explosive charge, while leaving the occupants unscathed.

Buyers can choose from a range of optional extras, including an emergency passenger exit sys-tem, fire extinguisher, built in phone and emergency fresh air system. Though things like smoke screen.

Production is expected to start in second half of this year.

Armoured Car


Beauty


Skincare and Appearance Medicine Professionals

Candela Gentle YAG

I am a talented Beauty Therapist and have been helping clients for the past 20 years with overcom-ing their unwanted hair, skincare and health issues. This is a boutique clinic - youll be looked after by the owner who will get to know your personal needs to ensure you receive the very best results you de-sire. With a friendly, relaxed atmosphere offering the most safest effective skin care and laser removal available in the beauty industry.Over the years, I have worked with top skin care brands and cosmetic products which have helped

me better understand the skin and its structure - this experience has proven to be invaluable to my cli-ents.Health is very important to me and I practice a healthy diet with natural foods, juicing, gluten free cooking and raw food living. I am always keen on sharing my experiences and results with anyone wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle.

At Beautilase we are passionate about what we do and thrive on customer satisfaction.

This is a medical-grade laser with FDA-approved technology. Candela has evolved over 30 years and is specifically designed and recognised the world over by plastic surgeons, dermatologists and beauty therapists offering unmatched treatment capabilities in permanent hair reduction leg veins, facial veins and wrinkles.

Deep penetration of the laser energy makes the Gen-tle YAG ideal for all skin type, especially dark and tanned and treats Clients year-round. Candelas pat-ented cryogen cooling system offers maximum Client comfort and safety.

Testimonals: If you are looking for a professional, friendly beautician in a relaxed environment then look no further! I was introduced to Smita by a friend several years ago and switched to her permanently after my first visit. She offers an ever increasing array of products and services, at very reasonable and affordable rates. My 12 year daughter has just started getting her eyebrows waxed and Smita has made this an experience she looks forward to. Even my (very masculine!) 17 year old son has his eyebrows waxed and tidied so that goes some way to reinforce the easy going, caring and friendly en-vironment Smita provides. I would highly recommend Smita to anyone looking for affordable, professional and friendly beauty care. - Nicky

Beauty


Beauty TherapyNatural Beauty Treatments

Revive, rejuvenate or completely rescue your dry, dull or lifeless hair and skin with natures pure and potent properties. Eight all-natural recipes made with fresh, organic and raw ingredi-ents offer a variety of beneficial results for your hair and skin. Try topical applications of these scrubs, serums and tinctures and watch the quick and transforming results -- right from your kitchen cupboard or local health-food market!

Remember to prepare your rescue remedies by using fresh and organic ingredients. Have fun roaming your local farmers mar-ket. Try grabbing handfuls of herbs and other natural ingredi-ents from your personal garden or, depending upon your locale, by venturing into nearby meadows and fields. You can host your own BYO Beauty Buffet for a girls home-spa event and have fun trying these all-natural remedies.

Avocado Avocado is a restorative fruit, perfect for protecting and bal-ancing your hair and skin. It is often called the ultimate beauty fruit because it deliv-ers nourishing natural oils and other benefits. The vitamin A in avocado adds sheen to hair,

vitamin B balances oil production, whether your skin and hair are too oily or dry, and vitamin E protects and repairs sun and pollution damage. You can simply mash up one or two avocados into a mud and apply to hair or skin; for a deluxe treatment, try adding:

1 tablespoon of warmed raw organic honey 1 tablespoon of organic mayonnaise or almond oil Apply to face, body, and hair (cover hair with shower cap) and let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse well and shampoo if necessary.

Family Pets


Having a pet can be a wonderful, rewarding expe-rience. Here are just a few fab things about includ-ing a critter in your family:

- Pets make loyal, lovable friends- Pets teach you how to take care of others- Pets teach you about responsibility- A pet can help you learn about animals- Playing with pets can make you feel happy- Having a pet can keep you from feeling lonely or depressed.- Pets are good for your health- Your whole family can share the benefits of hav ing a pet in your lives

We asked Littlies to tell us about their pets:Theresa, 9, has a dog and a cat. She says the best thing about having a pet is theyre always there for you. Sarah, 10, agrees and says she loves her dog, Bella, because she can tell her secrets.

Phoenix, 11, has three fish, who are fun to watch. They actually look graceful, she says. Kia, 11, has two cats, and they help her relieve stress. For example, she says. Youve had a horrible fight with your friend and when you come home and see your kitties friendly faces, you can feel a lot better.So its just that simple: pets are GREAT

Parenting


Try to Become a positi ve parent

If you have any ti me to spend learning something this year, you might want to try positi ve parenti ng. It might help you with the most important job youll ever have. Positi ve parenti ng doesnt necessarily mean what you think. Its not heaping praise on your child or rewarding all behav-ior, says Charmaine Ciardi, a family therapist and author based in Bethesda, Md. Instead, it is looking at childhood as a ti me of learning for kids and parents and dealing with di culti es in a producti ve way, rather than puniti ve.

A childs challenging behavior may indicate easily addressed concerns, a point Ciardi-a mother of seven, including four fos-ter children-makes in her books Living With Litt le Kids and Liv-ing With the Big Kids. Look at their environment: Sleep, food, medical, school, friends, or video games-what is there that needs fi xing?

Parenti ng is not insti ncti ve, agrees Kathleen Olson, who for 34 years as family relati ons educator of the University of Minneso-ta Extension Services has helped generati ons of parents change their approach. The website she helped establish at www.par-enti ng.umn.edu is a great do-it-yourself guide to sti cky subjects such as discipline and communicati on. Both Ciardi and Minnesota educator Olson say that reinforcing the small, good things your child does every day can build a self-confi dent child and stronger parent-child relati onships. For every correcti on or puniti ve statement, try to recognize two good things the child has done. Catch them in the act of being good, says Ciardi. Wink at them, smile, tell them, I saw you being kind, or I saw you being funny. And acknowledge spe-cifi c acti ons rather than generaliti es about how special, smart, or prett y a child is. When my daughter was young, I would catch myself saying, Oh, youre such a good girl, says Olson. It made her a lot happier when I learned to say, I like the way

you braided your pigtails.

Brad Sachs, a family psychologist in Columbia, Md., and author of The Good Enough Child, agrees. I always say praise is like penicillin, says the father of three teenagers. Its great in prop-er doses, but too much can be damaging. Praise can remind kids that theyre always being evaluated and judged, notes Sachs, even when the praise is positi ve. It exhausts them.

Being a positi ve parent does not mean always doing the right thing and always getti ng the right response back from our kids. None of us has to be perfect, says Ciardi, a consolati on to im-perfect parents everywhere. If we adjust our expectati ons that in itself has a very positi ve eff ect.

Getti ng bett er in your job as a parent will never get you a raise or a promoti on, but children who are happy could stay closer to you over the years. And that is a prett y good pension.

Feature


Wedding Hair and Make Up

A brides fi nal look is defi ned and completed by her wedding hair and make-up. However natural your everyday look, however skilled you are at doing your own make-up, on your wedding pro-fessional hair and make-up is essential. A hair and make-up artist who specializes in weddings will know exactly the best styles and colors that work with your chosen wedding dress. She will know exactly what is needed for the bride to shine with a perfect glow in the wedding photos. She will also use professional hair and make-up products that are superior to most products you can buy.

Expect an initial consultation to discuss ideas, followed by a trial run one week to one month before the wedding. If you are plan-ning a pre-wedding photo shoot, it is a good idea to use your wed-ding hair and make-up artist for that too. To start searching, check out our listings of hair and make-up artists in Auckland.

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Bridal boutiques are a great starting point for brides searching for a perfect wedding dress. Visiting a bridal shop you can try on various different styles to get an idea of what suits you best. Decide between well known de-signer names or less exclusive but equally beautiful brands. Consider romantic lace, flowing chiffon or gorgeous silk, floor length with flowing train or shorter length skirts.

Most wedding shops in New Zealand work on an appointment system for trying on wedding dresses,which means you have the full atten-tion of experienced staff to help you find your dream dress. Some bridal boutiques also of-fer a wedding dress hire service, perfect for those looking for an eco-friendly option or a budget-friendly one.

Wedding Attire and AcessoriesBridal Boutiques | Bridal Shops

Feature


Known for its spectacular landscapes and adventurous spirit, New Zealand is a special destination for a special occasion. Whether youre looking for an intimate ceremony or an exclusi function with a large circle of friends and family, there are many stunning settings to choose from. You can shout your love from the mountain tops or clink your glasses at one of the countrys fi nest vineyards and then take off for the honeymoon of your dreams.

Add to this the countrys luxury lodg-es, gourmet food and exotic wines and you have a match made in heav-en. When you plan your wedding in New Zealand, make sure you consid-er these Top 10 spots to get married.1. Tie the knot in the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, one of the worlds most idyllic churches all you can see for miles is magnifi cent mountain scenery.2. Wellington and weddings are a

match made in heaven. Make your vows on the stunning marae at Te Papa, New Zealands national mu-seum. Or, choose the glorious Goth-ic-revival surroundings of Old St Pauls.3. Invite Mount Cook to be your wit-ness a heli wedding will take you to the top of the Tasman Glacier, where you can exchange your vows sur-rounded by stunning snow-capped peaks.4. Get married on a luxury catama-ran sail from bay to bay on romantic Lake Rotoiti in Rotorua or charter the Ipiriri and cruise the sparkly waters of the sub-tropical Bay of Islands.5. Toast your future at one of the pic-turesque vineyards in Hawke Bay or on Waiheke Island sampling tasty local vintages is an experience in it-self and gives your celebration a spe-cial fl avor.6. Spoil yourselves with an exclusive wedding at one of New Zealands lux-ury lodges with four course meals

and matching wines served in some the countrys most beautiful settings.7. Take pampering to the next level and say I do in a mud bath at Hells Gate in Rotorua the geothermal wonders of New Zealand are a plea-sure for body and soul, and create a unique backdrop for your ceremony.8. Rise to the occasion with a hot air balloon wedding but dont let the unfolding landscapes of the Canter-bury plains or the rugged mountain ranges of Queenstown take your breath away.9. Celebrate your wedding at a world-class golf course such a Kauri Cliffs or Cape Kidnappers walk on lush green grass, soak up the scenery and indulge in pure luxury.

10. Mark the start of your lives as a married couple in the romantic Marl-borough Sounds as you overlook an-cient sunken river valleys, secluded bays and sandy beaches.

Wedding LocationsThe Top 10 Spots to get married in New Zealand


Feature

Caterers that specialize in weddings and special events offer a huge amount of choice for your wedding reception. Do you want beautiful plates of gourmet cuisine, served at elegant tables, or a more informal buffet, or perhaps a stylish picnic?

Your wedding caterers will be re-sponsible for the focal point of your reception: for preparing, cooking, decorating and serving the food. They can also take charge of bev-erages and cleaning up after the event, sometimes even co-ordinat-ing the venue too.

Before selecting your wedding ca-terers, ask for references or pho-tos of previous work projects. Or,

even better, pop in at a function you know they will be catering. Insist on a signed contract with your wedding caterer. This document should spec-ify amount and types of food and beverages, the number of waitresses who will be on duty and of course the cost per item per person.

Wedding CateringFor the best day of your life


Feature


Food

Ingredients:226g-Butter,200g-Caster sugar, 4-Eggs, 1tsp-Vanilla essence, Zest of one large lemon, 260g-flour, 2tsp-Bak-ing powder, 1/4tsp-Salt and 60ml-Lemon juice.

Method:Preheat oven to 180C. Take 23 cm round cake pan. Grease the pan with little butter and dust with the flour. Beat and butter and sugar with an electronic mixer un-til light and fluffy and pale in color. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then add to the butter mixture with the lemon juice, and mix all them together. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Lemon Frosting: Preheat oven to 180C. Take 23 cm round cake pan. Grease the pan with little butter and dust it with the flour. Beat and butter and sugar with an electronic mixer until light and fluffy and pale in col-or. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then add to the butter mixture with the lemon juice, and mix all them together. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Recipe of MonthLemon Cake


Health

Social events and eating out can some-times be very daunting when on a weight loss journey, but it doesnt mean we have to hide at home there are plenty of ways to make wise choices and still enjoy a good time with family and friends as well as achieve weight loss.

Handy hints when eating out:

1. Remember protein first

2. Always ask for your fish/chicken/meat to be grilled

3. Order an entry size protein portion with a green side salad

THE NEW YEAR 2014DINING OUT TIPS FOR


Fitness

When planning your weight loss journey, add one of the above to your daily exer-cise routine.

If you do a quick calculation, it adds up to 36500 calories for the year. To burn 1kg of fat, you need to burn 7700 calories, so this means by just making a daily habit of any of the above (or a combination), you will lose 4.74kg!!!

Obviously you will need to follow your meal program and do your other exercise as per normal.

There are roughly 60 days till Christmas, that means 6000 calories extra can be burned till then and you will have a more tidy home amongst other things.

Give it a go!


Technology

Everyone wants to know what the next big thing is. While smartphones and 4G get the headlines, much of whats set to change our lives is continuing to hap-pen online.

COINWHAT IT IS: A card that can replace up to eight credit or debit cards at a time by recording the data from those cards and using it to pay for things. WHERE YOU GET IT: Its being launched first in the US market.WHY THEY ITS THE NEXT BIG THING: With credit, debit, loyalty and gift cards proliferating, wallets are ex-panding to bursting point. What is your combine them all into one single card? Thats what high-profile US start-up Coin does. It allows you to record (via a card-swiping attachment dongle) a cards key payment information onto the magnetic stripe of the consolidated Coin payment card. This card does not then display the sensitive data but does so via a smartphone app. Its a clever concept that is getting a lot of atten-tion. There are two initial problems for the system. The first is that it does not yet support chip-and-pin cards although it soon will. The second is that some shops, presumably, would baulk at ac-cepting the card, even if their system verified it as a correctly-configured card. In this climate of suspicion, merchants who have not heard of technology such

as Coin will simply refuse to accept a payment on it.

SNAPCHATWHAT IT IS: A phone texting and pho-to-messaging service to rival iMessage and Whatsapp. Its main differentiator is that messages self-destruct after a number of seconds, encouraging cor-respondents to be bolder and less con-cerned about posterity. WHERE YOU GET IT: Its a free down-load for iPhones and Android phones.WHY THEY ITS THE NEXT BIG THING: Originally characterized as a cheeky photo-messaging service oc-casionally used for exchanging racy snaps, Snapchat has become a so-cial media juggernaut following in the footsteps of Instagram. There are two reasons for its success. First, its tem-porary photo-messages give users a sense of freedom when using it. There is no long a data trail or historical online identity that Facebook users fret about. Secondly, its a hell of a lot cheaper to use than phone networks multi-me-dia messaging services which often cost up to 50 cents per shared photo. The service has already struck a chord with 23-year-old founder Evan Spie-gel reportedly turning down a 2.3bn cash offer for the company. Mr Spiegel also turned down a Chinese-based in-vestment proposal valuing the firm at 3.1bn.

STRIPEWHAT IT IS: An online payment sys-tem for small merchants who want to be able to accept credit cards without jumping through financial hoops to get formal accreditation from banks.WHERE YOU GET IT: At Stripe.comWHY THEY ITS THE NEXT BIG THING: While the government has been urging small businesses to become e-traders, most find a door slammed in their face when they try to get a credit card payment system onto their web-site. It is not unusual for those applying for the requisite merchant account cre-dentials to be asked for six-figure secu-rity deposits. One reason is that banks equate small firms with risk. For this rea-son, they dont like giving small traders online merchant (credit card accepting) accounts. What Stripe does is to mar-ry the gravitas of a proper bank (Wells Fargo) with an extremely user-friendly credit-card payment service that is easy to integrate into a small firms website. This may not sound like a big deal, but it is: hardly anyone else has managed to do it in the way Stripe has. And with only 2pc of consumer spending currently oc-curring online, this is a massive growth area. That the creators of the service are the Limerick-born ex-Young Scien-tist winning brothers, Patrick and John

Collison, is a pleasant bonus.

Three Technology trends that can make your life a whole lot easier


Travel

These 10 countries are destined for an epic year, whether theyre hosting festivals, cutting the ribbon on new at-tractions or simply raising their game for travelers. Feast your eyes on 2014s most unmissable destinations.

1. Brazil: All eyes on the pitch for 2014s World Cup A game of beach football in Rio.As if endless strands of sun-toasted coast, mountains splashed with Cray-ola-green rainforest and some of the planets most beautiful colonial villages didnt already add up to an unfair share of heaven, Brazil goes and snags two of the most coveted sporting events in the world, beginning with the 2014 FIFA World Cup and followed two years lat-er by the 2016 Summer Olympics. Tack on a recession-dodging economy, and boom! Brazil is the belle of the ball. Be it trekking across towering windswept dunes peppered with cerulean lagoons in Lenis Maranhenses, exploring gild-ed colonial churches in frozen-in-time cities such as Ouro Preto or swimming in aquarium-like rivers near Bonito, Bra-zils diversity will leave you slack-jawed.

2. Antarctica:The adventure of a lifetime A noisy gen-too penguin in Antarctica.Tune into your average wildlife television program and you cant fail to be dazzled by Antarcti-cas majestic icebergs, calving glaciers and unexplored mountain ranges. Or youll watch its native penguin species frolic while avoiding fierce leopard seals and roaming pods of killer whales, as millions of seabirds spiral over the wild Southern Ocean. This year marks the centenary of the start of Ernest Shack-letons infamous attempted Antarctic crossing. Visiting this pristine continent ( which doesnt have an indigenous population and is not actually a coun-try) in 2014 is a chance to take life on and follow in the path of other intrepid explorers but with cushier amenities.

3. Scotland:An eventful year.The rugged scenery of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. To coincide with Glasgow hosting the XX Commonwealth Games in the summer of 2014, the city has had a multi-mil-lion-pound facelift: new sports venues, improved transport links and a regen-eration of Glasgow Harbour. It is also the Year of Homecoming, a government initiative to welcome the Scottish dias-

pora back to the mother country by cel-ebrating Scotlands heritage, food and drink. The phrase theres something for everyone applies: Europes biggest brass band festival blasts Perthshire, an orienteering contest around Scottish castles, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May Despite all this, poli-tics will take centre stage: to be or not to be independent, that is the question. Hold onto your hats, Scotland.

4. Sweden:Food, culture and scary stories Sum-mertime in Vstra Gtaland, Sweden.Thanks to the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson, most people have a sense of what Swedens like, even in the far north cold, beautiful and a bit scary. Sweden is emerging with a new pop-culture persona. Perhaps not co-incidentally, northern Swedens largest city, Ume, is the European Capital of Culture for 2014. Then theres the food. The capital has long been a stylish, top-notch destination for serious gour-mands and boldly experimental chefs but lately the reputation and influence of Swedish cooking have spread beyond the countrys borders. Considering that Swedish cuisine is so strongly tied to lo-cally sourced ingredients (be it seafood, game, berries, herbs or regional chees-es), it makes perfect sense to go to the source of all this fine food.

5. Malawi:The Big Five and beach life without the crowdsElephant marches through Majete Wildlife Reserve in Malawi.Blantyre, you check into superluxe digs (or pitch your tent) at the Majete Wild-life Reserve, which only 10 years ago lay decimated by poaching, but last year gained Big Five status thanks to a wildlife relocation project. You get up close to the aforementioned elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo without the pesky 4WD scrum so common in Africas best-known parks. Then per-haps its off to Lake Malawi for a spot of high-visibility snorkeling, or Mt Mulanje for a hike over hazy peaks in an other-worldly moonscape. And theres always the Viphya Plateau, a haunting wilder-ness of grasslands and whaleback hills that feels downright prehistoric.

6. MexicoThe sleeping giant is walkingSun-bak-ing on a Caribbean beach after partying all night in Cancn; shopping for brightly

coloured handicrafts or gorging on sev-en types of mole (chilli sauce) in Oax-aca; stepping back in time at a Mayan temple its easy to feel optimistic when youre kicking back in Mexico. And its not just the holidaymakers many Mex-icans are happier about living in Mexico now than most can ever remember. Ex-citing developments on the travel scene have continued, from major new Maya museums in Cancn and Mrida to the installation of Latin americas longest ziplines on the rim of the awe-inspiring Copper Canyon. Now Mexicos image is on the cusp of change its time to dust off your Mexican dream again and enjoy it to the max before those prices go back up and the crowds really start rolling in.

7. Seychelles

Paradise within reach An idyllic spot on Anse Lazio beach on Praslin in the Sey-chelles. Image by Ruth Eastham & Max Paoli / Lonely Planet Images/Getty Im-ages. These 115 divine islands strewn across the peacock-blue Indian Ocean have all the key ingredients for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, but their reputation as a millionaires playground may have kept you away. Good news: on top of exclusive island hideaways and elegant eco-villas, you can benefit from the wal-let-friendlier B&Bs, picturesque Creole guesthouses and self-catering apart-ments that have sprung up over the past decade. And if expensive air tick-ets deterred you from visiting, rejoice! Increased competition has dramatical-ly changed the situation over the past few years. And theres much more to do than sipping cocktails on the beach. Hiking, diving, snorkeling, boat tours and other adventure options are all readily available, with the added appeal of grandiose scenery. Wildlife lovers will get a buzz too the Seychelles is not dubbed The Galpagos of the Indian Ocean for nothing.

Continued to next edition

Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2014 top 10 countries


Financial

At the Boxing Day sales last year, shops and carparks were packed and cashiers were run off their feet. Families every-where seemed to be loaded up with bags of shopping and the Herald even reported that people could have saved more than $1000 by taking ad-vantage of the discounts. But if you are one of the many peo-ple who overindulged at the sales and are starting the year with a bit less in your pocket, its not too late to sort your fi-nances.

Pay off debt: The first thing youll need to do is find out the interest rates that are be-ing charged on all your debts. Rank them in order so you pay off the most expensive first, while maintaining mini-mum payments on the rest. For example, if you have old credit card debt that is being charged 20 per cent interest, put all your available money into paying that off, then switch to cheaper debt such as a car loan. Paying in-

terest on debt is wasted mon-ey if you have $1000 on a credit card and pay it off at $50 a month, youll pay $198 in in-terest before its gone. If you

increase that to $100 a month, youll only pay $92 in interest.

Start saving: Once youve got your debts under control, start saving so that you do not need to borrow next time you want to go shopping. Youll be surprised how quickly even a small amount of saving adds up. Just $50 a week can add up to more than $8000 in three years, depending on where you invest the money.

Reward yourself: One of the biggest problems with making money resolutions is that it can seem like a lot of hard

work, and so much sacrifice. I think its really important to reward yourself regularly, so that you dont go mad. When youve paid off half your cred-it card balance, treat yourself to a night out with your part-ner, or when youve reached a savings goal, buy something for yourself. This should help keep you on track.

Upskill: Its easier to deal with money when you have a bit more of it. Are there ways that you could make yourself more employ-able, or likely to command a better salary? Look out for op-portunities to take extra courses this year that could translate into a big-ger pay cheque.

BNZ chief economist Tony Al-exander has said many times that although hes had proper-ties increase in price and other investments, his best financial decision has been to work hard and get a good education.

Sort out Finances for 2014


Property Corner

Theres been a further rise in the numbers of peo-ple saying now is a bad time to buy a house, ac-cording to ASBs latest Housing Confidence Survey.The survey for the three months to the end of Jan-uary has found that a net 9% of respondents now say its a bad time to buy a house, up from a net 5% in the last survey released in November. And the No-vember survey was the first time more people thought it a bad time to buy since the April 2008 survey.Additionally, the previously large num-bers of people expecting house price rises in the next 12 months has been dented, dropping to a net 47% in the latest survey from 56% in the last one.

But the numbers of people expecting interest rate rises (and theres proba-bly a link with the house price expectations here) has in-creased to a net 55%, up from a net 52% in the last survey.ASB economist Chris Tennent-Brown said the fact that expectations of higher rates have continued to lift in the latest survey shows the RBNZs message that high-er rates are coming is getting through loud and clear.We expect a 25 (basis-point) increase in the RB-NZs OCR as the first move on March 13, followed by a gradual series of 25bps rate hikes taking the [Official Cash Rate] to 4% by late 2015, he said.

A significant proportion of respondents continued to expect house prices to rise, Tennent-Brown said. However, this survey shows a small sign of realism creeping in, as some start to think the strong price rises recorded over the last year or so cannot carry on forever.That thought is consistent with our view that the peak peri-od of house price gains is behind us. We still expect house prices to increase this year, but the rate of house price ap-preciation is likely to be lower in 2014 than it was in 2013. But any delay in the delivery of higher interest rates or new housing construction would risk housing mar-ket pressures intensifying, particularly in Auckland given the recent strength of net migration inflows.Tennent-Brown said Auckland and Canterbury led the decline in outlook about whether now was a good time to buy, reflecting the fact these are ar-eas where the housing market is the tightest.The combination of high house prices and high-er interest rates is not great for house affordability meaning the housing market is looking even more challenging and hence why even more people think now is not a good time to buy.In addition, the Reserve Bank had introduced high loan-to-value lending restrictions on October 1. These restrictions were relatively aggressive and will lock a subset of buyers out of the housing market and reduce demand at the margin. While it is early days, the RBNZs high loan-to-value (LVR) lending restrictions may have started to have an impact on some buyers,

and demand for housing. However, we do not expect a meaningful reduction in housing market pressures until interest rates and new housing construction increase. This process will take time, Tennent-Brown said.While the ASB survey is compiled quarterly, the informa-tion is gathered on a monthly basis so differences in sentiment occurring within a quarter can be monitored.

Tennent-Brown said that drill-ing into the monthly Auckland re-sponses on the good time to buy question showed an interesting de-velopment not seen elsewhere.In the October housing confi-dence surevy we noted the net percentage of respondents from Auckland that viewed now as a bad time to buy leapt from 17% in August to 29% in October. Now

this figure has fallen back to 14% in January.It could be that the RBNZs high LVR restrictions that were introduced in October had a temporary impact on sentiment which is fading. But buyers could also be seeing a tentative sign that the market is not a quite as tight as it was in October. The net figure of 14% regarding it a bad time to buy and reduce demand at the margin.While the ASB survey is compiled quarterly, the informa-tion is gathered on a monthly basis so differences in sentiment occurring within a quarter can be monitored.Tennent-Brown said that drilling into the month-ly Auckland responses on the good time to buy question showed an interest-ing development no seen elsewhere.

In the October housing confidence survey we not-ed the net percentage of respondents from Auckland that viewed now as a bad time to buy leapt from 17% in August to 29% in October. Now this figure has fallen back to 14% in January.

It could be that the RBNZs high LVR restrictions that were introduced in October had a temporary impact on sentiment which is fading. But buyers could also be seeing a tentative sign that the market is not quite as tight as it was in October. The net figure of 14% regarding it a bad time to buy recorded in the month of January matches the level recorded in May 2013.

Wow friends, it all seems such a blur already, doesnt it ! Summer has come and gone, leaving most of us ready to gradually start our slow-down, towards the colder months. Thank Heavens that there are colder seasons, imagine if we continued life at a mad-cap pace without rest. We would all be frazzled, and burned out - no use to anyone, especially ourselves.So, here we are again, facing another Autumn, and what better way to look out over the lengthening shadows, and falling leaves, then by having a lovely three card Tarot reading, filled with helpful info about the coming season.I have used the beautiful and artistically illustrated Tarot of Reflec-tions - by Lo Scarabeo. It is one of my all time favourites, giving excellent visual readings, fashioned in the Rider Waite Tarot style.My draw is a classic three card spread, showing the past, present and future. We start at the past, which is the elevated card in the middle - the Knave of Pentacles, and then drop down to the left, in the present position, which is the ten of Pentacles, finally moving on to the future position on the right, which is the six of Wands. Meanings -Firstly, we notice that there are an abundance of Pentacles in this spread. This in itself is significant, in that the message coming through is predominantly concerning subtance, the senses and tan-

gible reality. Pentacles are associated with the Earth, representing personal resources and the substance of our being.The first card, in the position of the past, is the Knave (or Page) of Pentacles, telling us that we have had a practical approach this Summer. Knowing where our limits lie, and working diligently around them, in our projects, to set the wheels in motion for future pros-perity. We want to be successful, and have put aside any fanciful notions, knuckling down to the nitty gritty, and achieving, by using concentrated effort. In the here and now placement - we find the ten of Pentacles com-ing in to confirm that, after our efforts with the Knave of Pentacles, our security lies in traditional values. If we stick to the rules, we will surely find the emotional and spiritual security that we seek. This promotes a happy and contented family life. The number ten, also indicates fulfilment, and therefore - change is imminent. We can lik-en this to the completion of summer, with its corresponding chang-es, into Autumn.This brings us to the outcome, with the 6 of Wands, proclaiming you the victor indeed. Acclaim is yours, along with your hard earned and welcomed reward - taking you into the new season with pride. Do mind though - pride comes before a fall, so make sure that you stay humble.This reminds me of the famous poem, - If - by Rudyard Kipling - one of the lines from that poem sums this card up perfectly. It reads; If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two im-posters just the same. - Can you?Go into Autumn with the confidence that your long hard slog is going to pay off soon, but remember your roots, and also that, like the sea-sons turn, so does the wheel of life. Sometimes up, and sometimes down - but always taking you on a new and wonderous learning experience.Love and Light to you as you embrace the necessary changes, as-sociated with going into a new season.-Megan.

What is Spirituality?

Hi there Intuitive Buddies Everybody would like to attain spirituality, but what exactly does this mean?

Well, I think that the search of spirituali-ty is the attempt to find our real self, and to discover the true nature of conscious-ness. Mistakenly, most of us determine our self by our memories, our feelings, and the experiences that we might be go-ing through right now, but this is a very

small section of who we really are, and to look at yourself this way is extremely limiting.These experiences of who, or what we are, are always changing - from year to year, and even from day to day - but the self who expe-riences them, and knows that they are changing, is who you really are. I know that twenty years ago, I was a completely different per-son to the person that I am today, but the I who knows that, is the same I as it was twenty years ago.

In 1925, it was very fashionable for ladies to smoke cigarettes, and you were not part of the fun group if you did not - today it is almost outlawed, and we are continu-ally discouraged from this past time. Times change, norms change, people change, and that is good, it is the way it should be. We are all here to experience a

multitude of emotions and actions through our life time, and being the same all the time is not part of the plan. Indeed we all change, but what part of the we is it that has changed?

This is a very simple concept, and yet it is so utterly overlooked by us. We allow ourselves to believe that we are the individual aspects of self, that appear in our minds, and we believe that we will be-come fulfilled by what we do in life, by our roles, and possessions, and by our personalities. We have the illusion of happiness, but then it is short lived, and we find ourselves off on the hunt for new sat-isfaction.By believing in, and over identifying with the ever changing flavours and roles in our lives, we are setting ourselves and others up for suf-fering. It is better to be a silent observer, constantly overseeing the thoughts and emotions that run through the busy railway station that we call our mind - being aware of them, but not over focused on them.

Once we awaken to our true self, we will find that we are liberated from the fear that binds us to dependence on others for recognition, or on grasping for materi-al possessions and worldly status, we will be healthier minded and happier people, with peace and inner fulfilment. We will no longer be subjected to the unnecessary

suffering that is associated with the human condition.

I believe this is Spirituality.

Love and the Eternal Light to you in your quest to understand and attain Spirituality.- Megan

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