FSA London Banking Tour 2007

FSA London Banking Tour 2007

The city of London is one of the world’s leading international financial centres. London is the linking pin between the two other financial centres in the world: New York and Tokyo. Hundreds of financial institutions from all over the world have settled in one squared mile that accommodates over 500 banks. It is an enormous attraction for everyone interested in Banking and Investment Banking in particular.

Working for an Investment Bank is not in any way comparable with any other job. It means total dedication to your job and it absorbs a lot of time and effort. But the advantages are obvious and the honour of working for an investment bank is significant. It is an experience that will pay off for the rest of your professional career.

From the 14th of September until the 22nd of September 2007, this promising and exciting world of Investment Banking becomes reality for 24 Dutch academics. This year will be the 14th time that the Financial Study association Amsterdam (FSA) organizes the London Banking Tour. During this tour you get to see how life is as an investment banker in “the City”.

A fulltime position or summer internship could be the result of your participation in the London Banking Tour 2007. Most students who have participated in previous years can confirm the success and effectiveness of this Tour. After their participation they received an offer for an internship or a job at one of the leading Investment Banks.

7 Great Salt Spring Island Vacation Ideas

7 Great Salt Spring Island Vacation Ideas
By: The Salt Spring Islander , Posted On: 2007-05-25

If you’re thinking about taking a relaxing west

coast getaway then you should definitely consider a

visit to Salt Spring Island. The largest of the

Canadian gulf Islands, Salt Spring has a wide array

of things to do that will suit any taste and budget.

Below is a list of 7 great ways to make your Salt

Spring vacation memorable.

1. Try your hand at kayaking – Saltspring

Island offers some very scenic and protected waters

in which to take your first kayaking forays. Ganges

harbor is protected from much of the weather and has

several intriguing islands that you can kayak to and

explore, like Goat Island and ‘the 3 sisters’.

2. Have a little romance – Salt Spring is

unique in that it has one of the highest numbers of

bed and breakfasts anywhere in Canada for a

community of its size. From the quaint and cozy to

the truly spectacular, you’ll find such gems as a

100+ year old farm house by the lake to a bed and

breakfast in a tree! There is something to suit

everybody’s budget and taste.

3. Hit the beach – The Island has a number of

traditional sandy beaches but it also has numerous

beaches where you can drink in that gorgeous west

coast scenery. Vesuvius or Churchill beach are

probably your best bets if you like sand and warm

water, but the beaches on the North and South ends

of the island also offer spectacular scenery and

great opportunities for beachcombing

4. Get pampered from head to toe – the island

offers several choices for spa treatments and

massages. Get a facial, body wrap, hot stone

treatment or a full body massage. If you thought

just visiting Salt Spring was relaxing then taking a

spa treatment can take your relaxation to a whole

new level.

5. Stroll around the local market – Every

Saturday morning during the good weather months Salt

Spring has a local market in the heart of Ganges.

This market is huge with lots to see do and taste.

Delicious deli items, snacks and preserves can be

found in abundance alongside clothing pottery

painting and a wide selection of fresh produce. And

there is frequently live music. Definitely worth

checking out but be sure to either arrive early or

park a few blocks away as finding a parking spot

while the market is on can be pretty tricky.

6. Take an art tour – the island has well over

50 artist studios that are open to the public. Take

and afternoon or the whole weekend to leisurely

explore and examine some truly beautiful west coast

artwork!

7. Hit the links – For an island with just over

10,000 year round residents Salt Spring Island is

fortunate to have 2 excellent golf courses.

Blackburn Meadows offers a more rustic or

traditional golfing experience. Formerly a sheep

pasture and set on the edge of Blackburn lake the

course offers great scenery and some unusual

obstacles ranging from the occasional heard of sheep

that have hopped the fence from a neighboring

pasture to a family of deer grazing on the 9th hole

to the occasional unexpected water hazard created by

the lake’s local beaver!

Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com

Ian is a former Salt Spring Islander and has written many helpful articles for making the most of your visit to Salt Spring Island and to make your Salt Spring Island Accommodations as pleasant and memorable as possible.

Chocolates, Beer, Bikes & Barges - Belgium & Holland

If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium. After breakfast, we began our morning walking tour of the 17th century Grand Place. It was actually 8:30 Sunday morning and I marveled that in over a dozen visits here, I've never seen this place so empty. It echoed in silence as tourists slept and the locals were gone for holiday. Sunlight brilliantly flooded the gothic cathedrals, classical facades and art nuveau houses. We were alone and it was breathtaking.

Monday we toured this proud and regal city that is revealed in its royal palaces, cathedrals, museums and monuments. We see the headquarters of the EU and site of the 1958 World's Fair with the massive silver Atonium. We photograph the Mannekin Pis. [I never understood the love of this small bronze statue but it represents Brussels. Perhaps it's found in the irreverence of the artist.]

Paula was our guide for several days here. Her stellar knowledge brought the history of Belgium to life, particularly the time when King Leopold purchased the Congo as his personal playground. Paula deeply cared for her work and later invited us to visit yet another chocolate factory, but fully sated, we declined.

For free time we dispersed into tiny alleyways to intentionally get lost. Some searched out beer halls or hot sugar waffles, as others shopped for tapestries at give-away prices.

Things become a bit blurry from here. I'd taken some great notes on napkins throughout and managed to loose them all enroute. But memory serves well as we head to the capital of Flanders and enchanting Bruges.

This town is a complete UNESCO World Heritage Site with a tranquil character that can't be described. The people have done so much to protect its medieval feel, it provides the magical affect of stepping back into time. It is called "Little Venice" and we enjoyed a boat cruise through the veritable maze of old canals that led to the Lake of Love.

We strolled through ancient squares lined with houses of gabled rooftops and various cathedrals of holy this and holy that.

The highlight of this trip for me was our 2 hour city tour on bicycles. We looked like a motley crew as we headed out into narrow cobbled streets and over countless bridges. As I peddled, I observed the group behind me. One woman is nearing 70, two are smoking cigarettes, Janice is talking to America on her cell and one unmentionable crashes into a car! She had to pay the driver for damages on the spot.

It took complete concentration to cross the busy tram tracks. That morning we rode through Vodelpark and the Red Light district.

It was interesting to see the prostitutes as they just woke up to get their coffee dressed in jeans and sneakers Holland is the land of the free. With prostitution legal, my group is most inquisitive on this matter. We laughed as Marilyn said, "Suzy, they all ask questions on sex. Are they frustrated?"

I arranged a professional guided walking tour of the Red Light district in the oldest part of Amsterdam for the world's oldest profession. Since the 1400's, seamen would dock here to unload. Guides Gabriel and Shuert boldly led us through alleys of half clad ladies. No photos allowed. We're told that some fear it'll go out on the web.

Our guides explained that some women are forced here nowadays and some are simply ashamed. Ladies differ in size, shape and color as we strolled through different quarters.

On one street they're all obese. We learned to identify the transsexuals by two things surgery can't change an Adam's apple and a straight waist.

Tastes differ; the oldest woman here is 76 and only works in summer. Only half use protection and monthly health checks are required

There are around 1000 prostitutes working 500 windows. They pay $200 to rent a window for 6-8 hours, and can make up to $600 per day. They pay taxes and can write receipts for services rendered. If the curtain is closed they are not on break.

The area is flooded with tourists. Men pay $60 for 30 minutes, yet statistics reveal the average time spent is just 6 minutes.

We crossed "Pill Bridge" named for the drugs pushed there and then toured the Erotic Museum with photographs and "tools of the trade" dating back to the 17th century on display.

As I pondered and stared at a metal chastity belt, Gabriel said "that blacksmiths always had a spare key which came in handy when the husbands were away at sea."

She also insisted the Dutch were far less promiscuous than Americans. I was concerned about my ultra-conservative teachers but nothing seemed to shock them. After awhile, our senses were over saturated and it became dull.

The saddest sight was seeing a "heroin hooker". She was emaciated with glazed eyes and so many track marks that she had to shoot it now under her tongue. Police cameras were everywhere 24/7, there is little crime and we felt totally safe.

Pot and hash are legal here in over 400 "coffee shops" that sell joints and "ganja-space milkshakes." Locals told me they felt Americans were oppressed by too many rules and can't understand how our drug companies can sell meds on TV.

Enough on the wild side, this is also the art capital of Europe boasting more museums per square foot than any other city. Marilyn gave us a quick art lesson in a nutshell. She explained that this is the 400 year celebration of Rembrandt (1606-2006). He came from a family rich in windmills. As a child, he was an expert sketcher.

Later in medical school, he did anatomical drawings of corpses from criminals. He studied more and soon rose above the Dutch masters with the ability to capture light and shadows in paint. He always began with a black canvas.

Though blessed with enormous artistic talent, he couldn't manage his finances. He died penniless and was entombed in a pauper's grave.

Many think they've seen Europe, but miss the countries with the most charm. Here we were enveloped by history, culture and all that the Old Continent should be. Also this wasn't a typical EU vacation with endless museums and cathedrals, but a creative itinerary which provided large fun.

Everyone's favorite stop was Bruges, but for me Amsterdam was an urban masterpiece. I found the Dutch far friendlier than other Europeans.

This visit rekindled my love for the Netherlands, that tiny country with 2 names. This time I looked through new eyeballs with my teachers who were experiencing their first trip abroad.

It was a wonderful group of travelers and one couple connected whom we later labeled "The Honeymooners" and rummor has it they will be married 7/7/07 in Rome.

In flight home on Delta, I noticed among my sleepy group that some were munching on their chocolates that were meant for gifts back home. And once in line at US Customs, some were proudly wearing their new, brightly painted, uncomfortable wooden clogs. I just have to do this trip again.

San Diego Hotels In Sunny California

There are many tourists who decide to come to beautiful California every year. What is interesting, though, is that there seems to be a hierarchy of cities that puts L.A. and San Francisco at the top of the desired-destinations list, leaving the rest of beautiful California by the wayside. On the one hand, this is unfortunate because the rest of California is sunny too, but, on the other hand, this hierarchy leaves other, less popular cities better able to be explored by tourists.

For example, there are special deals that are frequently offered for San Diego hotels, because travelers are looking for accommodations less often in this city than in other areas of California. This means that the lodgings often lower their prices here in the less-frequently visited cities.

Even if you live on the East Coast and have never been to California, the Internet brings vacation planning right into your home via your computer. It is possible, and in most cases even cheaper, to plan your vacation online through a travel website than it is to visit an agency or to directly call hotels that you have found in a guide book that was written five years ago. In most cases, booking your accommodations and other travel plans online means getting better rates. Prices are almost always lower via the Internet regardless of what city you are traveling to, and when you are looking for accommodations in less-frequently visited cities, the budget prices go lower and lower.

Of course, price is not the only factor when it comes to choosing San Diego hotels. Customers should get as much information as possible about each accommodation through the Internet so that they can decide which place is perfect for their needs. The best travel websites are ones that keep a rich amount of information about each lodging on their website. In addition to the price of a room and the address of the place, you should be able to find an abundance of information ranging from area attractions to the features of the hotel. It is only when all of this information is available that each traveler can choose the location that best suits their unique travel needs.

San Diego hotels near the famous zoo are some of the most popular in the region. Families traveling with children may want to check out the accommodations listings that are near the zoo in order to minimize travel time to and from the zoo. Parents traveling with small children know just how long an hour in the car, sitting in traffic, can seem!

If you are looking for accommodations that are close to a certain attraction, you can often find establishments that are close to those locations by searching online. If the travel website does not give you the information of distance to landmark, you can simply use a mapping website to plot the estimated time and route between each of the establishments you are considering and the attractions of your choice. In this way, every traveler can find accommodations that are in ideal locations.

Essen Travel offers search filters that help refine your search and quickly locate the best room you can afford at http://www.essentravel.com. Take advantage of lowered prices at many San Diego hotels and find all of the travel information you need.