How To Deal With Angry People

by Dr Tony Fiore

Dealing with angry people in our society is becoming increasingly challenging. Some days, it seems anger surrounds us at home, in the workplace, on the roadways, and at sports events. It is easy to get caught up in an escalating spiral of angry exchanges which usually upsets everyone and does nothing to improve communication or solve the problem at hand.

As an alternative, this survival guide is designed to provide practical tips on how to deal with two types of angry people in your life: (1) explosive people who might be dangerous and (2) people who are chronically angry toward you.

PART 1- EIGHT TIPS TO DEAL WITH EXPLOSIVE PERSONS WHO CONFRONT YOU: DEFUSING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS:

1.Do not respond in kind. Hostility often begets more hostility.

Respond instead with a non-hostile message to defuse people who are behaving in a hostile manner toward you. The classic example of this is in when simple inconsiderate driving or even aggressive driving suddenly escalates into road rage due to two drivers ratcheting up hostility in response to the other’s hostile acts, words, or gestures.

Please remember that in these and other hostile situations, you contribute somewhat to the outcome by your decision to return hostility or not.

2.Take their upset seriously and validate their feelings.

Listen to what they have to say and hear them out; ignoring them or minimizing their feelings will tend to escalate their anger further. There have been untold numbers of workplace violence incidents that could have been averted had supervisors or managers listened with empathy to disgruntled employees rather than responding in an insensitive, or uncaring manner.

3.Never argue with someone when they are intoxicated.

When someone is drinking or intoxicated, this is no time to try to solve relationship or other problems (especially if you too have had a few drinks). A high percentage of angry confrontations as well spousal abuse arrests occur when drinking is involved by one or both partners. Drinking often impairs judgment, decreases inhibitions (resulting in saying things we don’t mean), and distorts your normally astute reasoning ability.

4.Respond to the feelings they are having- not the content of what they are saying.

Try to hear and respond to the underlying hurt or pain the person is experiencing underneath the angry words. Use statements such as “I can appreciate why you feel that way,” “It sounds like you are very angry right now,” “Many people feel the way you do.”

5.On roadway, don’t make eye contact with an aggressive driver.

This is the secret signal in the animal world to engage in combat and will frequently escalate things, sometimes into “road rage.” Just ignore aggressive drivers and stay out of their way.

6.Allow angry people to physically escape the situation.

Don’t block their way or prevent egress, or you may be putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Take off the heat rather than increasing the pressure! Don’t insist on solving the problem “now” when the other person is in an agitated state.

7.Don’t defend yourself by attacking back at them or their character flaws.

Defensiveness often escalates anger in the other person and, in fact, is one of the predictors of divorce, according to recent marital research. There is a time to present your side, but not when your partner is unable to hear it due to his or her anger.

8.Don’t try to solve an emotional issue with logical arguments.

Trying to diffuse an angry person with overwhelming evidence of their thinking errors or mistakes in logic, or facts to the contrary, or reasons for why they shouldn’t feel the way they do, or why they should feel differently – usually makes the situation worse.

Part 2- HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ANGRY TOWARD YOU.

1.Consider changing your behavior that triggers their anger.

Sometimes the most practical thing to do is to change whatever it is that triggers anger in people close to you. Not that you should go overboard on this, but simple changes can do a lot, especially if they don’t lower your self-esteem or don’t “cost” you a lot to change.

2.Think about terminating the relationship.

Truth is, some relationships we get involved in are so “toxic” that it is self-abusive to continue in them or to try and repair them. At times, you need to protect yourself from people in your life who create an atmosphere that is not good for your well-being.

3.Limit your time spent with them.

If terminating the relationship is too drastic of a step, consider simply limiting the time you spend with toxic people in your life. Decide you can put up with the person several times a year at the family Christmas party, for instance, or that you will be tolerant toward your angry ex-spouse once a week for the sake of your children.

4.Ask them directly why they are often appear angry toward you.

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. Sometimes the quickest way to find out why someone appears constantly angry with you is to simply ask them. They may not even realize they were communicating angrily toward you, so your inquiry may open up a great opportunity for dialogue.

5.Communicate clearly how their negativity affects you.

Honestly letting people know how their behavior is affecting you emotionally is often an “eye-opener” to the other person. Start with “I feel” statements rather than “you” or “you should” statements.

6.Adjust your expectations of them.

People may be chronically angry toward you because you communicate that they are disappointing you in some way and they are perceiving you as overly critical. Adjusting those expectations you have toward others may result in their being less angry toward you!

7.Stop trying to solve unsolvable problems in a relationship.

According to some marital researchers, up to 60% of issues in a relationship are unsolvable due to the couple’s being “gridlocked” around it. Trying to solve unsolvable problems creates much anger. Instead, find a way to dialogue about the issues and live with each other around them, rather than trying to fix them.

8.Suggest ways to remedy anger, if the other person acknowledges he or she has an anger problem.

If the angry person in your life is open to it, suggest an evaluation by a psychologist or physician to determine what the problem is. There are many underlying problems such as Depression, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Bipolar Disorder, and other conditions which can lead to anger problems. Often, anger management classes are recommended in addition to treatment of an underlying problem.

Top 10 Tips For Finding Time For Exercise

If you’re like most people, finding time for exercise is difficult. Here are my “top 10″ tips to help you in that quest.

• Make exercise a priority. We all make time in our lives for the things that are most important to us. If I told you I’d give you a million dollars if you exercised everyday for the next 30 days, would you do it? Sure you would, because it would suddenly become a priority. If you’re serious about finding time for exercise, then it must be a priority in your life.
• Block out the same time period everyday for exercise. This way it becomes part of your daily routine just like brushing your teeth. Vehemently guard this time period. It is your time to take care of yourself.
• Exercise first thing in the morning. This is when your exercise time is least likely to get interrupted by other things.
• Turn off the television. The average adult spends 16 hours per week watching television. One of my clients told me that she resolved to only watch television while she was exercising. You may not be interested in taking it that far but you can certainly cut out a few hours oftelevision a week to make time for exercise.
• Wake up earlier in the morning to exercise. Try going to sleep a little earlier and getting up a little earlier to get your exercise done first thing in the morning.
• Spend 30 minutes or so exercising on your lunch break.
• Get a book rack for your stair climber or treadmill and spend some of your reading time exercising.
• Visit with your spouse or friend while walking around the neighborhood rather than sitting on the couch.
• Take a couple of days to write down how you spend your time everyday, then determine how you can better use your time to fit in exercise.
• Make your exercise as enjoyable as possible. You will be much more likely to find time for things you enjoy.

Russel Peters speaks about Arabs & Media !

In my opinion,  Russel Peters is not only undoubtedly hilarious but also he does make some valid points!  what do you think?

Overdose of sex stimulants kills man

BANGKOK: A Malaysian man was found dead in a hotel room in the border town of Sadao, in what is suspected to have been caused by an overdose of sex stimulants.

On Tuesday night, the 52-year-old victim and his Thai girlfriend checked into the hotel in Soi Thaijungloan after patronising a bar.

“When she woke up in the morning, the man was already dead. She told us the man liked to take sex stimulants,” said Major Phichet Channoo of the Sadao police station in the Songkhla province. — Bernama

Quake in Sumatra, tremors in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck off the city of Padang off the coast of southern Sumatra at about 6.17pm on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, trapping thousands of others and causing tremors as far away as peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

The earthquake which damaged houses, brought down bridges and buildings and caused fires in Padang, also caused people to evacuate buildings in various towns and cities in Malaysia.

The epicentre of the quake was about 481km southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

At 6.38pm, a temblor measuring 5.5 in magnitude was also recorded 11km north of Padang.

So far, there has been no report of the 300 Malaysian students at Andalas University in Padang being affected by the massive earthquake.

Malaysian Consul-General Fauzi Omar told The Star that he has contacted the Sumatra Barat tourism chief and was told that there is no report of any Malaysians being hurt.

“Well at least the tourism chief’s handset is still working. I have been told the Minangkabau airport in Padang is closed.

“I am trying to leave for Padang tonight. It is a one-hour flight and by road it will take at least one day because of the bad road condition,” Fauzi said.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta is despatching a team to Padang in Sumatra to assist the Consul-General in Medan in checking on the students.

Padang was hardest hit by the earthquake.

“We are sending a team as soon as possible and our Consul-General in Pekan Baru will also be despatched to help,” said Malaysian embassy charge d’affaires Amran Mohamad Zain.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre first issued a tsunami alert for Malaysia (George Town and Port Dickson specifically), Indonesia, India and Thailand, but cancelled it at about 7.31pm.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department monitored the situation from the outset, but did not issue a tsunami warning because no significant waves were generated.

In the JayaOne complex here, reports came in of shaking furniture and swaying fixtures.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Mariam Anis and her colleagues on their 21st-floor office in Plaza Sentral in Jalan Sultan Ismail felt the tremors.

“The tremors were strong and I could feel the building shaking. My colleagues and I did not waste another second and ran towards the emergency stairways to make our way down from the 21st floor.

“It was rather scary,” she said.

Tremors were also felt in the federal administrative capital ofPUTRAJAYA. Mohd Kamel Othman, press secretary to Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, was in his office at the Prime Minister’s Department when he felt the tremors.

“I could literally see the building moving from left to right. Even the flowerpots were shaking. I immediately rallied my colleagues to leave the building.

“My minister also came out of his office as he too could feel the tremors,” he said, adding while he had experienced tremors before, the ones which on Wednesday were stronger.

In GEORGE TOWN, people rushed out of several high-rise buildings in Macallum Street, Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokong, Gurney Drive and the inner city of George Town.

Student C.Y. Khoo, 18, said she decided to walk out from the cinema in Gurney Plaza with her friends after she felt the tremors.

“I feared for my safety. My friends and I decided to get out from the cinema although we like the movie very much,” she said.

A Golden Screen Cinema spokesman said a tremor was felt at about 6.20pm for about 25 seconds.

“Some moviegoers walked out of the cinema but … generally, the situation was not that serious,” he said.

Penang police chief Deputy Comm Wira Ayub Yaakob said policemen were deployed to monitor the situation.

“My men were on the look-out and would have moved in to help if the need arose,” he said.

Marine Operations Force Region I commander Asst Comm Zainul Abidin Hasan said all his men, both at the base and on patrol, were put on standby.

State secretary Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was concerned about the initial tsunami alert.

“The state directed all relevant departments such as the police to be on standby,” he said.

A State Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said they received numerous calls from anxious residents enquiring about the tremors.

However, there were no reports of any injuries or of anybody trapped in lifts or buildings.

In JOHOR BARU, many people rushed out of buildings and the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex halted operations abruptly and was evacuated for about 40mins.

This caused massive congestion as thousands of motorists were returning from Singapore after office hours.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel were called in to check the building before operations resumed.

The lanes were later reopened and traffic policemen deployed to control traffic at the complex.

Assistant administrative worker Wong Hook Tuck, 52, who was at his office at level six of Menara Plaza Pelangi, described the tremors as bad.

“The tremors started at around 6.15pm and lasted for about five minutes.

“I felt very dizzy and all my colleagues and I started to evacuate the building as the fire alarm had gone off,” he said.

He said he was in shock and had thought that there was an earthquake in Malaysia.

In Taman Ehsan Jaya, administrative executive Surinder Kaur said she was shocked when the people in her apartment building started running downstairs, saying that there was an earthquake.

“I stay on the second floor and I didn’t feel anything, but my neighbours warned me about the tremors and told me to quickly evacuate,” she said.

She said one of her neighbours was having his dinner at the time and the whole table started to shake, spilling the soup he was eating.

“All of the residents quickly assembled at the ground floor; the tremors lasted for about four minutes,” she said.

In SINGAPORE, residents from Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Bukit Timah, Simei and Kembangan in the eastern part, reported tremors shaking their buildings, The Straits Times reported.

A spokesman from National Environment Agency said it received calls from members of the public from Red Hill, Choa Chu Kang, Changi, Toa Payoh, the city area, Punggol, Sengkang, Sembawang and Pasir Ris.

Kee Ya Ting of Woodlands said she thought her flat was going to collapse.

“I was scared. I live on the 12th floor. I was sitting at my desk when the flat shook and I felt myself swaying from left to right. I thought my flat was going to collapse,” she told the paper.

In PADANG itself, the situation looked dire. Indonesian television reported that hundreds of buildings had collapsed and many people were feared trapped under the rubble.

Footage from Padang showed flattened buildings, with at least one person trapped underneath, a foot sticking out from beneath the debris, The Associated Press reported.

“The earthquake was very strong,” said Kasmiati, who lives on the coast near to the epicenter. “People ran to high ground. Houses and buildings were badly damaged.”

“I was outside, so I am safe, but my children at home were injured,” she said before her cellphone went dead.

The quake triggered a landslide that cut off land transport to the provincial town of Padang Pandang, which lies about 70km north of Padang, said a police officer in the town, who identified himself only as Riko. He said three cars were reportedly hit by the landslide.

Padang, a sprawling low-lying city of around 900,000, was badly hit by an 8.4 magnitude quake in September 2007, when dozens of people died and several large buildings collapsed, AP said.

Power in the city was reportedly cut and telecommunications networks were down or overloaded, making it difficult to get accurate information about the extent of the damage.

“Many buildings are badly damaged, including hotels and mosques,” said Wandono, an official at Meteorology and Geophysic Agency in the capital, Jakarta, citing reports from residents.

He said a steep, sloping riverbank collapsed, houses had toppled and a fire had broken out in buildings on the road to Padang.

Wednesday’s quake comes a day after a quake with a magnitude of between 8.0 and 8.3 in the South Pacific hurled a massive tsunami at the shores of Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and leaving at least 99 dead and dozens missing.

The epicenter of Wednesday’s temblor off Indonesia lies several thousand kilometres to the west, on the other side of Australia.

Danger ahead
Geologists have said Padang, which lies near the colliding Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is the most likely in the country to fall victim to the next major quake or tsunami, AFP reported.

“There will be aftershocks but it’s difficult to predict whether there will be a bigger quake,” Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Centre head Surono told AFP.

“There are three big volcanoes in West Sumatra — Merapi, Talang and Tandikat. We fear that this quake might cause volcanic eruptions there,” he said.

Experts have said the city is most at risk from a final segment along the zone shifting to unleash a massive amount of energy.

The zone’s other segments have already cracked, including a large portion off Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, which triggered the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed more than 220,000 people.

Plans for evacuation shelters and improved roads to provide better escape routes from tsunami have mostly not been realised.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

A quake on the main island of Java earlier this month killed 123 people.

The secrets behind crazy air-travel prices

Perhaps you’ve been here: You snag a flight cross country — and back — for just $320, board the plane and notice a bunch of empty seats. You think: How can an airline afford this?

A few months later, you repeat the trip on shorter notice. This time, you pay $1,200 for basically the same seat. You think: This airline is making a fortune off me.

But here’s the thing: Airlines are not crazy. They know exactly what they’re doing. They just don’t always tell customers.

And to some extent they can’t. The fares are so complicated, and change so often, that no travel agent — no computer, even — can tell you just what that ticket to Toledo will cost you next Tuesday.

“The yield-management system at the airlines has gotten so sophisticated,” said Victoria Wofford, the president of the business-travel firm Tri-Pen Management. “Travelers certainly don’t understand it, and the airline doesn’t want them to.”

Lesson No. 1: Flying isn’t cheap

The U.S. airline industry historically loses more than it takes in, making it the butt of many a poor-investment joke. (The best may be from Virgin Atlantic Airways founder Richard Branson, who said that to become a millionaire, get a billion dollars and start an airline.)

The problem lies in the convergence of two financial factors:

• Operating an airline is very expensive.

• Its source of revenue, the airline seat, is highly perishable. The moment the plane takes off, that revenue opportunity is lost forever. It is often compared to a rotting banana.

“It’s one of the toughest businesses I can think of to make money in,” said Daniel Petree, the dean of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s College of Business in Daytona Beach, Fla. “The landscape is littered with failures.”

No airline in the world has succeeded with a single-fare structure, said Peter Belobaba, a pricing management expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Global Airline Industry Program. They get beaten by the competition during off-peak travel.

“They learn pretty quickly that that’s not a revenue-maximizing, or profit-maximizing, way to go,” Belobaba said.

Take this hypothetical from American Airlines, the only U.S. legacy carrier that hasn’t filed for bankruptcy.

It costs American Airlines about 12 cents per available seat mile (that seat’s portion of all the airline’s costs) to fly a 757. With 188 seats, a 2,500-mile transcontinental flight on an American 757 must contribute $56,400 to the company’s coffers (188 multiplied by 0.12, then multiplied by 2,500). To do that, every seat must sell for $300 ($56,400 divided by 188), said Scott Nason, American’s vice president of revenue management.

Roughly two-thirds of that $56,400 is for fixed costs, such as equipment, labor and facilities, which must be paid whether that particular plane flies or not. Next, consider that because the plane is scheduled to fly, the airline is already committed to additional spending for fuel, landing fees and maintenance.

At that point, any additional costs associated with taking an extra passenger — the marginal costs — are extremely small, mostly just the tiny bit of extra fuel needed. Industry analysts have put that cost at less than $30.

Now a low-cost competitor, able to shrink costs through new planes, lower salaries and a small route system, steps in and offers tickets for $250 a passenger.

“What would you do?” Nason said. “I really need to cover the seat at $300. My choice is getting $250 or nothing. I’m better off getting $250.”

“That is a philosophy . . . that drives the industry to lose money,” Nason said. “There aren’t 188 people willing to pay over $300 for each of those seats.

“As long as the cost is above your short-run marginal costs, you’re better off lowering your fare than having that seat go empty. But if you do it everywhere, then you lose money.”

The answer: Product segmentation

Because a single price scheme doesn’t work, the airlines have pioneered an elaborate system to create different products, or fares, within a single flight, for which they charge different prices. Your seat might look the same as the guy’s in 15F, but he actually bought a different product. Most likely, so did everyone on the plane.

Yield management, or, as it’s now called, revenue management, uses three general techniques:

• Entice passengers who are willing to pay to pay more for attractive amenities, such as comfort (extra legroom and bigger seats), speed (priority check-in and boarding), services (meals, beverages and additional flight attendants) and perks (lounge access and entertainment).

• Keep passengers who are willing to pay from buying discounted fares by imposing unattractive restrictions on those fares, such as prohibiting one-way combinations and layovers, adding stops, requiring advance purchase and minimum stays, and charging penalties for changes and extra amounts for peak seasons, days or times.
• Price remaining seats low enough to stimulate demand among those who otherwise might not fly, thus filling seats that would otherwise remain empty.

This is not a complete list of restrictions and perks. A single ticket’s fare conditions might run nine pages. Carl de Marcken, a co-founder of ITA Software, which writes airline shopping software for Orbitz and major airlines, computed 25.4 million possible fare combinations for one round-trip American Airlines route by allowing travel within one day on each end.

Open the possibilities — here’s where a math degree comes in handy — and it is considered effectively mathematically impossible to find the lowest available fare for a trip. There are simply too many combinations to multiply.

Why so many fares? Because each fare comes with its own supply-and-demand curve that helps the airline fetch the highest price. Powerful software tools forecast demand for each seat, then automatically recalibrate the flight, and those around it, when a ticket is purchased. This is why fares appear to change within days or even hours. Such revenue management is credited with helping the industry finally generate profits in the 1990s.

“If you can figure out how to get an extra buck on a seat you’re going to be doing well,” said Petree, of Embry-Riddle. “It’s actually down in the cents, the fractions of cents. That’s how tight the margins are.”

Cheap ticket? Thank a businessman

Any question you’ve ever had about why tickets are priced differently can be answered by asking not how much extra that fare cost the airline — maybe nothing — but by considering the demand for that seat. If someone else is willing to pay more for it, then it’s priced higher. Simple as that.

Take a particularly odd example: It can cost more to fly from Boston to Chicago than from Boston to Chicago to Los Angeles. Why? Because the demand is greater for the Boston-to-Chicago flight; it’s a popular business route.

Same for the old Saturday-night-stay requirement, which served no purpose other than to push business travelers toward the higher Friday fares, said MIT’s Belobaba.

Internationally, business class generates 3.5 to 4.5 times more revenue than coach, where 5% to 20% of seats might be sold under cost, said industry analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research.

“Every travel manager out there I know for big corporations feels as if they are being taken advantage of,” said Brad Seitz, the president of Topaz International, a travel-auditing firm. It makes sense from the airline’s perspective, he said, but consultants who must travel on short notice are held captive. “They’re paying the highest fares at the last minute.”

Leisure travelers, treated as more elastic consumers, have benefited. From 1980 — shortly after deregulation in 1978 — to 2005, median airfares have declined 40%, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office study, with fares dropping even more in long-haul markets.

Thank the folks in first class, too

On a recent United Airlines flight from New York City to San Francisco, the lowest fare was $319, round trip. The highest, an unrestricted first-class seat, sold for $3,300, one way — about 20 times more. The data were presented by Tri-Pen Management and were not unusual, say analysts.

So, what does a flier get for an extra $6,300 (assuming he or she makes the return trip as well)?

• Personal attention. A first-class cabin might have one attendant for every 10 or 15 passengers, as opposed to one for every 50 in coach.

• More room. This includes legroom, wide, reclining chairs that might go flat, and laptop work space. The actual dimensions differ by airline. Check out SeatGuru for details on all kinds of airline seats.

• 
  Networking opportunities. “If you’re a businessperson, you meet a lot of interesting people, high-powered people,” said Bob Cowen of InternetTravelTips.com. You could land next to a champion road warrior, a frequent flier with good travel stories or even a minor celebrity.

• Quasi-fine dining. Complimentary appetizers, beverages or hot meals. And it’s OK to ask for more.

• A better movie selection. And easier access to the magazine rack.

• Shorter lines. First-class travelers need to arrive at the airport early, but they may use separate security gates with much shorter lines.

• Lounge access. First-class tickets typically come with a day pass to the airline’s club lounge. Lounges have a relaxed atmosphere, wireless computer access, food and sometimes complimentary drinks. International flight lounges might offer showers and gourmet meals.

• Better help. The lounges are staffed with senior ticket agents who appear knowledgeable and unflustered. No huddling in the crowds at the gate counter.

If you’re back in coach, cramped in a seat and clutching your last bag of peanuts, you might well nod a friendly “thank you” to the high rollers on the way out rather than scowling.

After all, their bills help fund the airline and, in part, your ability to fly on the cheap.

Top ten Things You Can Do to Prevent Your Teen from Taking Drugs

Every parent wants what’s best for their kids and when it comes to the topic of drug abuse you can never be too cautious. There’s no way you can watch what your children are doing 24 hours a day but with a little bit of work and by making a few strategic moves there are ten proven ways you can prevent your teen from taking drugs.

1. Be there for your teen when they need help getting out of a tough situation.

If your teenager faces a tough situation such as winding up at a party where drugs or alcohol are available, be the one who will pick them up without being too harsh or making repercussions.

2. Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents (on a first name basis).

When you know who your teen is hanging out with it will help you to know what they are doing.

3. Explain the dangers and consequences of drug abuse to your teen.

Talk about how people who are using drugs often say or do things that they normally would not do. Set clear limits about what would happen if your teen uses drugs and follow through with those rules if they are broken.

4. Stay connected with your teen after they return from school.

Establish a routine for your teen to keep them busy after school hours and try to remain connected with them. If you can’t be home with your teen leave them notes, call them or have another adult supervise them. You can also sign your teen up for an after school program that can keep them out of harm’s way.

5. Drop any baggage you may be carrying about the mistakes you made as a teenager.

Try not to let your past influence your teen in a negative way. Tap into the mature adult you have become and let go of the past.

6. Talk to your teen often about drugs.

By having frequent conversations (not lectures) with your teen about drugs, they are less likely to use. Use an ice breaker to make yourself more comfortable if you must, such as taking a message from a television or radio show.

7. Encourage your teen to get involved in extra-curricular activities.

Extra-curricular activities can help your teen form a positive identity while keeping them from becoming bored. By engaging in sports, clubs or community organizations, teens have less time on their hands and are less likely to use drugs.

8. Ask your teen questions when they are making plans to go out for the night.
Start by asking questions such as who your teen will be with, where they are going and what they’ll be doing and then follow up by checking up on them while keeping in touch with other parents.

9. Become a role model for your teen.

If you decide to drink in front of your teens, try to drink responsibly. And if you don’t want your teen to use illegal drugs, then you shouldn’t either.

10. Establish strong family beliefs to unite your family against using drugs.

Establish that your family believes that there are healthier ways to enjoy life and fix problems than by using drugs.

Discover the Maldives!

The pearls of the Indian Ocean, as it is popularly known, are situated in the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The numerous coral reef islands, 1,190 in total , form an archipelago of 26 major atolls ( groups of neighbouring coral islands). The country stretches 820 km north to south and 120 km east to west. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited, with 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. The climate is generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through with average temperature around 29 – 32 degrees Celsius.
The country’s 2009 population census shows a total of 385,925 people living in the country. Almost 2/3 of this figure resides in the capital island Male’.
Origins of the Maldivians is not very certain. However, it is believed that the history goes as far back as BC 1000. Early settlers were travellers on the Silk Route, and from the Indus Valley Civilisation. The Maldivians are inherently warm, friendly and hospitable by nature, and anyone can easily establish a casual conversation with the Maldivians.
Dhivehi, a fantastic language not spoken anywhere else on the globe, is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken and can be recognised on sign boards, neon lights and even in the main newspapers and in some radio and TV programmes. In the resorts, a variety of languages, including English, German, Italian, French and Japanese, is spoken by the staff.
Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In the inhabited islands, it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.
The Maldives economy is growing at an average of over 10 percent since the past two decades. Tourism is the main industry, contributing almost 20 percent to the GDP. Fisheries and trade follow close behind. The Maldivian economy is regarded as exemplary in the region, and welcomes foreign investment.
The Maldivian currency is Rufiyas (MRF; is one the world’s most beautiful currency http://www.cnbc.com/id/31944236?slide=10)and Laaris (1M Rf = 100 Laaris). The exchange rate for US Dollars is Rufiya 11.72 for one US Dollar (1997). The Rufiyaa comes in notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. The American Dollar is the most common foreign currency. Payments in the resorts can be made in most hard currencies in cash, traveller’s cheques or credit cards. The most commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.
The functional literacy rate is 98 percent. Educational standards are among the highest in the region, and most schools teach via the English Medium and follow the British education system, while in some schools Dhivehi (the Maldivian Language) or Arabic is the medium of instruction.
Health care facilities are improving on a daily basis. The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male’ is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest private health care facility, and follows high medical standards. Experienced European doctors work at the AMDC Clinic. Regional hospitals are distributed throughout the country and Male’ , the capital, has several well-established private general practitioners . Some resorts have an in-house doctor. Decompression chambers are within reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency.
Telecommunication has developed very fast in this decade. Upto-date technology and international satellite links allow Maldives to have a sophisticated communications system. IDD facilities are available on all resorts, and card phone facilities are available on all islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecommunications company, an affiliate of the British Cable and Wireless Company, provides mobile telephones for rental on a daily basis. Dhiraagu is also the Internet service provider.
Being on the Equator, the country enjoys more or less constant day lengths (6am – 6 pm) throughout the year. People wake up early in the morning. Business hours are from Sunday to Thursday 7:30 – 14:30 in the government sector, and generally from 9:00 to 5:00 in the private sector. Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. The local time is GMT +5hours.