Nick Sanders asked:


Most students study abroad with the intent of making new friends and immersing themselves in a new culture and new community. However, many students end up forming a group with other students from their home country and not making the most of the brilliant opportunity they have. The first thing to do when you decide to study abroad is to work on gaining self confidence, and read some news reports on the country you are going too. Give yourself some background knowledge and something to talk about. Then, make sure you know enough of the language to have conversations with others.

When you reach your destination country, remember that you are going to have to put effort into making friends. Local students may seem standoffish, but are probably just waiting for you to break the ice. The first group of students to start with is other international students studying with you. These are students in your situation, and will want to make friends too. You can make a variety of friends from different countries in this way, and find people to socialise with and practise the country’s language with.

Next, don’t presume that orientation seminars or ice breaker events are pointless, as they are there to help you make friends. Activities such as sticking your name to your head or talking about yourself for two minutes may seem daunting, but will help you make global friendships. Attend a few, and you’ll make many friends in a very easy way. Universities hold these events to encourage everyone to make friends, and they are usually tried and tested methods.
If you want to make friends with locals, you will then need to arrange social gatherings outside of university time. Make sure you are always safe and that somebody knows where you are; make sure you aren’t wandering alone, and take money and a map. Go to different surroundings, and see who you’ll meet there. You might meet friends in malls or clubs, or less obvious places such as coffee shops. Remember that as long as you are friendly and polite most people will respond positively to you, and try talking to different groups of people. Local teenagers will know the best places to hang out, but local adults will know where to get cheap or fresh food, and where student deals are available. However, make sure that you know the customs of the local area, and try not to offend anyone. Watch what you wear and say, and if you are somewhere with strong beliefs, then you should adhere to them. Cover yourself up if necessary, or take off your jewellery. If you meet a special someone, keep public displays to a minimum and research the local laws for your area. In some countries, kissing outside can gain you a caution! Your university should have information on the area if you need some, or try googling it. You will struggle to make friends if you don’t appear to respect the country’s boundaries.

Finally, there is nothing wrong with becoming friends with other people from your home country, but don’t limit yourself. While you will probably become best friends with someone who is at your Uni, you will miss out on a lot of the pleasures of being a student studying abroad if you don’t make the most of the social opportunities it gives you. Remember to use your language skills, take photos and make friends, and you’ll have a brilliant time.

Dror Klar asked:


The question of where dead people go when they die is one that many people think they already know. According to some they do not go anywhere. At least some of them do not. It seems that many of the dead choose to remain right where they were. Here with us. Now that is a real scary thought that has been truly believed by some throughout history.

The idea that there are living people among us that can actually communicate with the dead is considered a fact by some and ridiculed at the same time by others. It all comes down to whether you believe that there is some sort of life after death or not. There are many things about life and death that are as yet unable to be proven one way or the other and whether there is life, ghostly or otherwise, is still considered a mystery to most.

Despite the fact that this age old question can not be factually answered for sure, the number of people who watch the many popular paranormal television shows are millions. Evidently whether we believe or not, we still enjoy entertaining the possibility of life after death.. Paranormal shows about ghosts and those who communicate with them are some of the top ranking at the moment.

Recently the top two network programs, Ghost Whisperer and Medium have a tremendous viewing audience. These shows are strictly fictional and everyone who watches them knows this. They are loved simply for their entertainment value and the people who play the main characters on the shows, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Patricia Arquette.

There are other shows that are supposedly based on real encounters that people claim to have had with the dead. Psychics and mediums that are believed to have the ability to communicate or locate these spirits are commonly used in these shows.

Some of the most watched shows are on cable and satellite channels. If you watch the Biography channel, you can watch The Unexplained. This show deals with paranormal stories and other topics of interest such as alien life forms and unidentified flying objects.

On the Science Fiction channel you can see Ghost Hunters. These seekers of the dead visit places that people are reportedly having encounters with ghost. These places they visit can be historical ones or more ordinary residences where paranormal activity is believed to be taking place..

On the Travel channel, the places where their spiritual activities take place are usually in a historical setting of some sort. Most Haunted is also one of the most watched paranormal shows on television right now. There are other ones that have not been mentioned here that you might want to check out as well if you like these type of programs.

Justin Pretorius asked:


For eons the human imagination has focused on things that cannot be seen or things that happen and are unexplainable. What causes this phenomenon, these paranormal activities and is the force behind them good or evil, dangerous or curious and natural or unnatural? Famous scientists and intrepid explorers have vouched at the possibility that these lingering apparitions of long deceased fellows still haunt our waking world and go out of their way, daily, to prove the existence of such paranormal occurrences.

People have photographic, cinemagraphic and witness evidence of things such as transparent spirits, Will O’ the Wisps, Headless horsemen and other paranormal activities such as objects moving without human or natural intervention, doors slamming, lights flickering, and presence of mystical orbs.

The arguments for or against these paranormal occurrences are numerous with “scientists” on either side of the argument trying to disclaim or prove what the previous one had said. Why the fascination though, why would someone try to prove something with instruments that are probably incorrect for the use in the study they are busy with in the first place? Intrepid ghost hunting has become the livelihood of many an entrepreneur willing to take advantage of the gullible nature of paranormal scientists in their quest to prove the inexplicable. Theses humble entrepreneurs go out of their way to sell paranormal scientists equipment used for ghost hunting that often cost hundreds to thousands of dollars where probably the most humble of equipment could do exactly the same job.

Do not get me wrong, I am in no way suggesting that there are no ghosts nor am I suggesting that there are, it just infuriates me to see people been taken advantage off by others who should know better. But then again if people are gullible enough to fall for such things then maybe they should be taken advantage of.

I myself am fascinated by the subject of ghosts as it plays a relatively unusual roll in the human psyche. Have your parents or even you not ever scared you or your children into behaving by telling you that this or that spirit, ghoul or other entity will come and get you or your child if there is no behaving.  Also you have often heard stories of ghosts, spirits or other entities doing good for fellows in history by leading them out of danger or even leading others to their rescue. These paranormal beings have featured in stories where they have comforted, reassured and uplifted the spirit of those around them. Yet there is always an evil element to every character and you have probably heard of paranormal happening where people have been injured, killed, and mentally scared. Now the question that one has to ask is whether the injuries were self inflicted or were they perhaps bought about through mishandlement. Look at young children that are physically hurt by these so called paranormal events, they often portrait scratches, bruises and shallow cuts and these are even bought about under controlled conditions where the children are sleeping and with nobody near them.

The arguments are often endless and tend to go in continuous circles but there is no mistaking that through out history the subject has fascinated human kind and this even before the advent of scientists. So make up your own mind about what or what not to believe but do so with an open mind and without fear. Go and do those ghost tours, find your own sightings and explore the other side of human nature and only once you have done that will you be able to say with surety that you do or do not believe in ghosts.

Rajesh Bhatia asked:


Buddystumbler is a new, revolutionary way to make friends based on existing IM networks, today announced its production launch.

Buddystumbler.com is the only social networking site on the web based on instant messaging across existing networks: AOL, Yahoo, MSN or Google. Users can meet people online across AOL, Yahoo, MSN and Google for free online chat. Being a frequent user of instant messaging (IM), founder Han-Shen Yuan decided to create a social network that allowed more people to interact with each other, in communicating online. By developing Buddystumbler, he found a way to enable free online chat in a new and more personal level.

Users create their own profiles that include their photos, descriptions and interests to show others what they like. Furthermore, Buddystumbler provides a powerful interface to enable search to meet people online based user profile, interest and location. Not only do you choose who to chat with, but can have the ability to find others with similar interests or within your area.

“There are millions of users on existing IM networks chatting with known friends, colleagues and family members. Until buddystumbler.com there wasn’t an easy way for these users to find other like-minded people to chat with.” said Han, founder of buddystumbler.com.

“One of the biggest differences between us and other social networking sites is that you don’t have to log onto the website constantly to meet new people. You simply create a profile and make new friends using your existing IM client.” said Han.

Buddystumbler has enabled more comprehensive profiles, as users can now include the latest blog entries from Xanga, Myspace, LiveJournal or Blogger. A RSS feed enables users to broadcast their own blogs into their profiles. The Buddystumbler interface leverages the Web 2.0 paradigm and is built using the Ruby on Rails development framework. Yim, UI architect and co-founder of Buddystumbler, has refined the interface based on feedback during months of beta testing by thousands of users.

“The production launch is a milestone for the whole team and we hope to continue helping others make connections through instant messaging. Our motto is “I search therefore IM”, enabling you to search and instant message others to find new connections. Happy Stumbling” said Han.

contact

info@buddystumbler.com

Ronald Eapen asked:


In the 1920′s, there was a big sensation in the US. Twosisters had photographed fairies flying around flowers in their garden. It was an unbelievable event. The two gave interviews and talked stuff. It was after more than sixty years that one sister revealed the whole thing was a hoax. The fairies were made of paper. Nonetheless they captured public imagination. It was something different and unbelievable, but was revealed a hoax later.

But thousands of paranormal and supernatural things remain the way they are- uncanny and unimaginable. No one has explanations. All the same, people love to know more and indulge in these pursuits. Very often we have astrologers predicting events. Most people love the opportunity to get one’s palm read by an astrologer.

Believe the stuff or scoff at it. But the whole idea is fascinating to humans. Many people read the headlines of a newspaper later, but read their horoscope first. Astrologers and fortune tellers may talk in deceptive and ambiguous terms. Knowing the same, people flock to them.

Science and scientists try a lot. They never come up with satisfying explanations to paranormal and psychic stuff. Human beings are a curious lot. Issues with explanations satisfy them. But things with no explanations fascinate them. Take this one. Former US presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy – Kennedy’s life was very nearly a copy of Lincoln’s. Both became presidents after similar victories. Held office for nearly same number of days. Both were assassinated outside a theater near their car. The name of the killer was the same in both cases. These two incidents happened more than eighty years apart. Science does not have any explanation to this. People are intrigued by such happenings.

Human minds are adventurous. No wonder, why horror movies are so popular.

Everyone knows it’s all make believe. People still get white with fear inside cinemas and dream of ghosts for next few days. Calling spirits of dead people has become an industry in Britain. You have Gypsy ladies peering in a psychic glass ball and calling spirits of the dead people you want to get in contact with. Forget the common man, British aristocracy has been known to visit them more than anyone else.

Science-fiction -a word that sums up the topic. All the science-fiction novels, movies is make-believe. Nothing is real but every thing’s in a proper scientific way.

Giant spaceships, alien landings, UFOs kidnapping people all happen in science fiction. Actually there’s a group of people in US who claim to have been kidnapped by UFOs. They believe, they have had extra-terrestrial contact. What’s true, what’s not only time will tell.

Now if there were a time machine to travel in the future like in the movies…

Denise Villani asked:


Poltergeist is the German word meaning “noisy ghost”. The word comes from the German term poltern which means “to knock” and geist which means “spirit”. The best defining mark of a poltergeist is any manipulation of the physical environment such as the movement of objects, physical attacks, spontaneous combustions, etc.

Poltergeist phenomena is usually credited to mischievous spirits or ghosts and is associated with psychokinesis which is the ability to move things by power of the mind alone. This kinetic type of energy remains unexplained, but even somemainstream scientists are starting to explore the idea that it does exist.

Poltergeists are not usually considered to be spirits, but instead some theories state that poltergeists are mass forms of energy that a living person is unknowingly controlling. Poltergeist hauntings may be the most misunderstood, most terrifying, and rarest type of haunting, and some believe that poltergeist hauntings are not even a haunting at all. In some cases, extreme poltergeists activity has even been linked to demons. A key question that comes into play with poltergeist cases is whether the psychokinesis is causing the activity, or if it is actually occurring from an unseen troubled spirit or ghost.

In a typical poltergeist case there is most likely a variety of phenomena taking place. There may be knocking and tapping noises, sounds with no visible cause, disturbance of stationary objects like household items and furniture, doors slamming, lights turning on and off, fires breaking out and much, much more. Chairs have been known to move around by themselves; walls shake from loud, unexplained banging. Water drips from a ceiling. Things like hairbrushes and jewelry disappear, only to reappear at a later time in right where they should have been in the first place.

Usually, after a subtle and somewhat calm start, the activity will become more intense, manifesting itself through voices and even the appearance of full apparitions. Furniture may slide across the room and beds may shake. Sometimes the effects of a poltergeist are more playful than harmful, but sometimes the activity has been known to be downright nasty. Reports of scratches, bites, harmful objects being put in one’s way such as glass shards on a pillow or tacks under a bed sheet have been noted, as well as possession.

Poltergeists build over time to a climax, then start over. They can travel anywhere. Most poltergeists nearing the climax of their energy can become dangerous to the living. Inflicting both mental and physical terror in extreme cases. Poltergeist hauntings seem to mysteriously go away as quickly as they began. The most famous and terrible accounts of a poltergeist attacking a family is the Bell Witch.

A common factor of classic poltergeist activity is the presence of a female adolescent in the household or for all of the activity to be centered around one specific person. It is common that none of the activity will take place unless that person is present at the time. In most cases, when that specific person is removed from the location, the events cease. The person causing all of the phenomenon is doing so subconsciously and usually isn’t even aware that they’re the cause. Ths activity could also be centered around someone who is under an unusual amount of stress. When the stress is relived, sometimes by leaving the location itself, the problems stop. If the stress continues, the “haunting” seems to follow them.

In true poltergeist hauntings, none of the activity will continue after the person is removed from the environment, as they are not there to create it or influence an unseen entity. It has been reported, however, that activity can return later if the “right” person visits or lives in a notably poltergeist-haunted place. This would lead one to believe that it requires a combined psychic energy to manifest such terrible hauntings. In most cases, relieving the inner problems of the indivudual is the key to stopping the poltergeist activity.

On the other hand, not all cases of supposed poltergeist activity involve disturbed individuals. Not all hauntings can be easily categorized and it’s important not to jump quickly to conclusions. In some cases, what appears to be the work of a disturbed person may actually be that of the spirits, and vice versa. In addition, some genuinely haunted spots seem to be so filled with energy that witnesses at the location can even manifest their own phenomena.

Poltergeist activity provides an excellent opportunity for researchers to document strange activity, but these case most likely won’t have anything to do with ghosts and there is really no way to help the victims. It’s usually best to refer the family to a good counselor or mental health care provider, rather than try to act as a paranormal investigator. A counselor is usually the best person to provide assistance under these circumstances because psychokenesis normally manifests because of emotional disturbance.

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


Okay, who hasn’t seen Mel Gibson’s movie entitled, “Signs“? Does anyone really believe in crop circles? And just what is a crop circle you ask? Crop circle is a term used to describe patterns created by the flattening of crops such as wheat, barley, canola, rye, corn, linseed and soy. Examples can be found world wide. Various hypotheses have been offered to explain their formation, ranging from the naturalistic to the paranormal.

Amateur scientist, John Rand Capron, described more than 1,800 investigations that was writtena nd reported in the January 2000 issue of the Journal of Meteorology.

Crop circles came into big time prominence in the late 1970s. Many circles began appearing throughout the English countryside particularly. The phenomenon of crop circles became widely known in the late 1980s, after the media started to report crop circles in Hampshire and Wiltshire. To date, approximately 12,000 crop circles have been discovered in sites across the world.

A Dutch graphic designer, by the name of Janosh, recently discovered that many of his computer-generated art had incorporated and depicted many of the principles later discovered in crop circles. He has come to believe that according to the Maya, we will leave the world of the 4th Sun and enter the world of the 5th Sun on December 21, 2012. Guatemalan anthropologist Carlos Barrios also supports the major change from the 4th to the 5th Sun.

This 5th Sun will see a fusion or uniting of both the masculine masculine and feminine energies, and be a transition where there won’t be any more confrontations between polarities. If we are to save our planet there must be a moving toward non-duality. There must be a healing of the breach between body-soul, male-female, East-West, Yin-Yang, human-divine, etc.

While I think that we are moving into a new age in and around the year 2012, I certainly have no way of judging some of Janosh’s reasoning. Here’s why.

Janosh received telepathic messages after the Harmonic Concordance of 2003 (the lunar eclipse around five planets forming the Star of David) from the Arcturians, whom he says are multidimensional beings who live in a dimension parallel to our reality. The Arcturians are benevolent ultraterrestial beings who can converse with our intuitive senses, rather than being physically seen or head.

How do I argue with that?

Edgar Cayce has said in his teachings that Arcturus is one of the most advanced civilizations in this galaxy. It is the fifth-dimensional civilization that is a prototype of Earth’s future. Its energy works as an emotional, mental, and spiritual healer for humanity. It is also an energy gateway through which humans pass during death and rebirth.

How do I argue with that as well?

Once more, one has to suspend their disbelief in order to truly believe. Well, I’ve done that, but I’m still not there yet. What I do embrace though is that the Mayans knew things about the univrse that we didn’t until recently and they probably knew more than we do currently. So, I stay open. There’s too much evidence for me that crop circles are not ALL man-made.

Alfred Watkins (1855-1935), a locally well-known and respected Herefordshire businessman, who while looking at a map for features of interest, noticed a straight line that passed over hill tops through various points of interest, all of which were ancient. At the time of his discovery, Watkins had no theory about alignments but on that June afternoon saw (some would say intuitively or supernaturally) a whole pattern of lines stretching across the landscape.

He called these Ley lines, or Leys, which are now known as alignments of ancient sites stretching across the landscape. Ancient sites or holy places may be situated in a straight line ranging from one or two to several miles in length. A ley may be identified simply by an aligned placing of marker sites, or it might be visible on the ground for all or part of its length by the remnants of an old straight track.

The bottom line is that we’re living in a world well beyond our fifth and sixth senses. Unless we open ourselves to being teachable (not that we have to buy the ranch) and laying down our pride, which our ego stands guard over, we’ll miss much that awaits our discovery. Scientists have affirmed that crop circles have become more subtle and complex in the last decade.

Jonash has written, “Humankind and mother Earth are on the eve of a massive evolution. In 2012, the Age of Aquarius will commence; the Age of Pisces will pass. By expanding our consciousness and becoming more aware, we will review reality in a different way in years to come.”

There are many differing dates for the Age of Aquarius (the latest one being 2156), so I am not so sure that I agree with the first part of his quote. I do agree with the second sentence though. An expanding and exponential increase in collective consciousness is on the way and it will change our world!

Francis Githinji asked:


Paranormal romance books are books which bring out love stories in a way that can be described as above normal or beyond normal. It is a very interesting going through some of the stories and, if you have gone through several paranormal books of romance, you will definitely find them especially intriguing. There are very many such books and, for those who love the thrill and adventure in the paranormal; you will definitely find them pretty exciting. Paranormal romance books will take you through an interesting journey that is of a beyond life experience. They are set in a back drop of love and affection, making for a perfect read that is bound to affect you in a very positive light. Most of their books will have alluring characters that will certainly draw you to the plot of the story. The romance books have a huge fan base and, this base continues to grow as more and more people seek the solace of the paranormal to provide that much need entertainment.

The following is an example of one of the leading paranormal romance books which will give you not just pleasure but, intrigue and anticipation as the story unfolds. The romance book is called ‘full moon fever’. This is a very interesting and exciting tale about a reporter investigating about werewolves for a magazine. The reporter comes face to face with a rogue wolf and, it is up to a guardian called Ray Mcshaw to shelter her from the lurking danger. The tension in the book is bound to leave you yearning for more. The guardian is torn between two things which are to fall in love with the pretty reporter or reveal the true identity of the wolf. You can get some gist from the above overview and, to enter into the world of biting werewolves, you need to get reading. This is one of the highly rated paranormal romance books that you can come across. The book is written by Sabrina Luna who has certainly outdone herself in this book.

There are so many other paranormal romance books which are bound to keep you on your toes as you read. There are people who find certain books scary and this is the essence of the paranormal. The imagination of the author goes wild and, you are bound to partake of all the new and wonderful ideas they present in their books. Thinking about the paranormal will open up your mind and make sure that you look ahead with different forms of imagination. This way, you can be in a position to appreciate the things you do not know and, also open your mind to things you do not even understand. The paranormal world is fictional and, you do not have to believe that the stuff exists. Let the books entertain you as you read from cover to cover. The Internet will provide you with lots of information about the books. You will also see what is on display and choose the best book. You can also visit your local store to see what they have for you.

jANINE asked:


Autistic children on the whole have issues when it comes to making and keeping friends.

Sometimes they can find themselves as the targets for bullies, because of their lack of social understanding and on occasion’s odd behavior, language and unusual pre-occupations and tendencies.

Their lack of understanding and ability to respond in socially expected ways to nonverbal cues can lead to conflict or being ignored by others. Children with Asperger’s syndrome will sometimes be extremely literal and may find interpreting and responding to sarcasm or banter difficult….And may well not understand what has been said or done.

Children with mild autism, will often want to be social, but have trouble making friends. This can lead to later withdrawal and antisocial behavior, especially in adolescence.

Therefore, the sooner an autistic child learns how to make appropriate friendships the better. It can help reduce problems, like bullying and lead to better relationships with people who aren’t on the spectrum.

It is easy as a non-autistic person to forget how complex social skills are;

For example:

• How to enter into other children’s activity

• How to allow another child to enter into your own game or activity

• Knowing when someone needs help, and how to find help, also how to get help from others.

• Giving and receiving compliments at the right time.

• Understanding about positive criticism, when and how to give.

• Being able to accept and handle criticism from others

• Accepting the ideas and suggestions of others, and what to do with them

• Controlling negative situations and turning them into a positive

• Learning how to act appropriately at home and in public

• Understanding body language, and ****** expressions

• Understanding and using “nick names”, appropriate use of words, like swear words, or rude gestures and words.

• Taking part in conversation.

• Managing disagreement with compromise instead of aggression or emotional outbursts

• Accepting not everybody will agree with you, and recognizing peoples opinions can at time vary.

• Empathizing with others in both positive and negative situations

• How to leave an activity or situation without causing offense.

Non-autistic children will learn these social skills in an unconscious and intuitive way, by observing and interacting with everyone around them.

However with autism these skills are not normally learnt in such a way, and need to be learnt in a more definite manner.

For example:

“Autism Social Skills Stories”

Social stories are used as a tool in helping people with autism focus and learn social skills in a positive manner. Skills like learning to ask questions, or how to control anger, what are nick names and so on.

Using autism social skills stories can increase your child’s ability to make and maintain friendships-by giving your child clear social cues on how to get and keep a friend.

Plus how to act in all situations and activities, making your child more confident and ultimately helping them to make those friendships they need to fit into their environment.

We all need friends, a good friend can be like gold dust, and by using social skills stories your autistic child can maintain normal friendships.

Jane Saeman asked:


Friends are not easy to find once you into a working environment. If you have childhood friends around that’s great, but many people move far away from where they grew up, and contact with those they used to confide in becomes increasingly difficult. Finding the time to meet new people, and then spend enough time to get to a level where you trust them enough to confide in isn’t easy, especially if you’re also looking for a partner and using your free time to date.

If you are someone who feels more comfortable with the opposite sex, then dating is a great way of making friends. There are very few people who date only one person and then commit to them for the rest of their lives. The usual scenario is that you date a number of people who have quite a lot of things in common with you, until you find the one that you really connect with on a deeper level. The fact that you have been on a personal, if not intimate, level with the people you date puts you in a good position to transition these once potential dates into friendships.

There’s a problem with this in that any future people you, or your ex date, go out with may not like the relationship and try to break it. This makes the friendship a little precarious, but as time passes, the bond of friendship and trust becomes one that both of you will be reluctant to break — both of you appreciating what you get from the platonic relationship — and so it becomes more secure. Even so, if you, or your friend, find a partner that they intend to make a permanent fixture in their lives your friendship together may have to be severed in order for that to happen.

Even if you’re not really interested in having a deeper relationship with someone, there’s nothing to stop you going out on casual dates. There are plenty of other people out there who enjoy having one-on-one time with another person without it having to lead to a “serious relationship”. You may get a reputation for being a habitual dater, but that’s just a label that someone who dates looking for a partner puts on it. There’s nothing wrong in using the dating scene as a social meeting arena! Make your intentions known up front and you’ll get to meet a number of people who have similar interests to your own, but aren’t going to expect anything other than friendship in return for the time spent together.

If a serious relationship isn’t what you’re looking for, but you would like to find a few more friends, trying some casual dating and you’ll meet some interesting people. You aren’t guaranteed to build a true friendship with any or all of them, but at the very least, you’ll have a good time exploring the possibility!