Lavender

Some of the most beautiful hues are found in nature. Shades of blue and purple are especially phenomenal in the plant kingdom, where lilacs, lobelia, bluebells, trillium, iris, violets, pansies, morning glory, bachelor buttons and lavender reign. All of these flowers appeal to the eye with a visual splash of color and beauty. Some, in addition to their visual beauty, release a sweet aroma for a delicious olfactory bouquet. But lavender holds a special place with beauty and aroma that have enthralled generations.
The fresh, sweet aroma of lavender -- whether in the garden, dried, or in a high quality essential oil -- has relaxing and uplifting qualities that leave users with a sense of calm and balance, making it one of today's most popular scents. Lavender is a multi-purpose herb: when dried, the flowers are used in potpourris, sachets, crafting and home decor. Lavender has also been used throughout history for medicinal purposes, to encourage love and passion, and in the preparation of food dishes. Today it is most commonly used in aromatherapy and the perfume industry.
The essential oil can be used to create elegantly scented bath and body care products, soaps, candles, perfumes, and even household cleansers and laundry detergent.

History of lavender

The use of lavender has been recorded for more than 2,500 years. Egyptians, Phoenicians and the people of Arabia used lavender as a perfume -- and also for mummification, by wrapping the dead in lavender-dipped shrouds. In ancient Greece, lavender was called "nardus," "nard," or "spikenard" (named for the Syrian city of Naarda) and was used as a cure for everything from insomnia and aching backs to insanity.
By Roman times, lavender had already become a prized commodity. Lavender flowers were sold to ancient Romans for 100 denarii per pound -- equivalent to a full month's wage for a farm laborer -- and were used to scent the water in Roman baths. In fact, the baths served as the root of the plant's current name. "Lavender" is derived from the Latin lavare, meaning, "to wash." Romans also used lavender as a perfume, insect repellent and flavoring. They even added dried lavender to their smoking mixtures.
In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, lavender was strewn over the stone floors of castles for use as a disinfectant and deodorant. It was also one of many medicinal herbs grown in "infirmarian's gardens," with yields intended to be used to ward off disease. Use of lavender was highly revered during the Great Plague of London in the 17th century, when individuals fastened bunches of lavender to each wrist to protect themselves from the Black Death, and glovemakers scented their stocks of leather with lavender oil to ward off the disease. Thieves who made a living stealing from the graves and the homes of Plague victims concocted a wash known as "Four Thieves Vinegar," which contained lavender, to cleanse and protect themselves after a night's work. Today, we know the disease was transmitted by fleas, so the use of lavender--which is known to repel these insects--could very well have saved lives and prevented further spread of the plague.
The Shakers, a strict sect of English Quakers, are credited with commercializing lavender and introducing a variety of lavender-based products to the United States and Canada. The Shakers raised their own herbs, produced medicines, and sold them to neighbors and customers outside their religious sect. Because the Shakers believed in celibacy, they probably did not explore the romantic, sensual appeal that lavender is said to have, but there are many others throughout history who have, including Cleopatra, who, according to legend, used lavender to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

9 daripada 10 punca rezeki adalah dari PERNIAGAAN

25 Ciri Usahawan Berjaya

JIKA mahu dinyatakan dalam satu ayat, usahawan itu mempunyai sifat sentiasa inginkan kecemerlangan dalam usaha perancangannya. Itulah sebabnya dikatakan bahawa usahawan itu hidup bernafaskan kejayaan. Usahawan sentiasa ingin berjaya dan bersungguh-sungguh berusaha untuk berjaya.

Adakah anda tergolong di kalangan usahawan yang berjaya? Baca lebih lanjut untuk mengetahui sifat-sifat penting sebagai seorang usahawan berjaya.

Berikut adalah antara sifat penting yang perlu diketahui:

1. Keperluan untuk kejayaan

Usahawan sentiasa mempunyai keperluan untuk berjaya dengan cemerlang dalam hidup. Dia sedar hidup yang berjaya adalah hidup yang bermakna.

2. Hasrat untuk menerima hasrat

Seseorang usahawan adalah pengejar risiko. Namun, risiko yang dipilihnya adalah yang sederhana. Dia sukakan cabaran dan kejayaannya mengatasi cabaran akan memberi kepuasan kepadanya.

3. Bebas dari aspek fikiran dan tindakan

Usahawan tidak menjadikan dirinya terkongkong oleh perkara yang akan mem¬bantutkan cita-citanya. Dia merancang dan melakukan sendiri apa yang sebaik-baiknya patut dilakukan.

4. Menyelesaikan masalah

Seseorang usahawan akan cuba menyelesaikan masalah dengan cepat dan sebaik mungkin. Dia tidak membiarkan masalah itu bertimbun-timbun hingga gagal diselesaikan. Dia mengambil masalah dan memecahkannya kepada masalah kecil, kemudian menyelesaikannya satu persatu.

5. Sering mengharapkan masa depan yang baik

Usahawan sentiasa mempunyai harapan yang positif mengenai masa depannya. Dia sering berfikir bahawa jika berusaha bersungguh-sungguh dia akan beroleh kejayaan.

6. Mencari persekitaran yang baik

Untuk menjamin bahawa dia tidak terpengaruh oleh gejala negatif, usahawan mencari persekitaran yang baik dan dapat membantunya menjayakan cita-citanya.

7. Keupayaan mempraktikkan sesuatu

Satu formula terpenting bagi seseorang usahawan ialah buat apa yang dirancang. Dia tidak hanya mempunyai banyak idea, tetapi berusaha bersungguh-sungguh untuk menjadikan ideanya satu kenyataan.

8. Tampuk kawalan

Seorang usahawan adalah seorang ketua yang berwibawa dalam organisasi perniagaannya. Dia sedar mengenai kepentingan pengurusan manusia dan da¬pat mengurus pekerjaannya dengan baik. Dia disukai serta dihormati pekerjanya dan mereka bekerja dengan bersemangat penuh kesetiaan. Dia berkebolehan untuk mengawal perniagaannya dengan teratur dan memastikannya berjalan lancar serta memperoleh keuntungan.

9. Kepercayaan timbal balik dengan orang lain

Asas bagi perniagaan ialah saling mempercayai. Seseorang usahawan perlu percaya kepada kebolehan pekerjanya, percaya kepada pembekalnya serta pembelinya. Namun, dia harus menangani perkara ini dengan penuh kebijaksanaan.

10. Keyakinan terhadap kebolehan dirinya sebagai usahawan

Ini sifat yang amat penting. Keyakinanlah yang menyebabkan seseorang usahawan menjadi berani menempuh risiko dan dugaan. Bersama keyakinan inilah dia mampu bergerak maju walaupun dengan bantuan yang sedikit atau tiada bantuan langsung.

11. Kesediaan menerima tanggungjawab

Usahawan itu bertanggungjawab terhadap apa yang dilakukan. Jika dia membuat kesilapan, dia akan bertanggungjawab terhadap kesilapannya itu dan menjadikannya pengajaran serta bertekad tidak mahu mengulanginya lagi pada masa akan datang.

12. Keupayaan mencuri peluang

Usahawan bijak mengenal pasti peluang. Dia sentiasa berkesempatan me¬ngaut keuntungan atau peluang baru bagi memajukan perniagaannya. Keupay¬a¬an mengenal pasti peluang, merebut dan melaksanakannya adalah kualiti pen¬ting seseorang usahawan berjaya.

13. Mempunyai cita-cita lebih tinggi

Kebiasaannya manusia akan berhenti di zon selesa dan tidak lagi memasang cita-cita untuk lebih maju. Usahawan berjaya sentiasa menetapkan matlamat yang lebih tinggi apabila cita-citanya selama ini telah dicapai.

14. Konsep diri yang positif

Seorang usahawan berfikir secara positif. Dengan cara ini dia berkebolehan me¬lihat sesuatu masalah sebagai peluang, berbeza daripada ramai insan yang menganggap peluang sebagai masalah.

15. Belajar dari keputusan

Seseorang usahawan itu sentiasa mahu mengetahui sejauh manakah dia berjaya melaksanakan tugasnya. Dia sentiasa mahu mendapatkan maklum balas mengenai pencapaiannya. Maklum balas ini membolehkan dia merangka strategi baru untuk memajukan perniagaan atau membuat keputusan penting.

16. Berperasaan tidak puas hati dan mahu berubah

Usahawan berfikir bahawa sebenarnya dia boleh melakukan lebih baik daripada sebelumnya. Dia sentiasa mencari jalan bagi memperbaiki cara mengurus perniagaan atau produk yang dihasilkannya. Dia melakukan semua ini untuk memajukan lagi perniagaannya.

17. Berorientasikan perancangan

Usahawan menyusun strateginya dengan rapi sebelum dia memulakan sesuatu projek. Dia perlu mengambil kira kemungkinan yang akan berlaku dan mengambil langkah untuk meminimumkan kemungkinan kegagalan pada perkara yang boleh dikawal oleh dirinya. Dia juga mengenal pasti perkara di luar kawalan yang mungkin berlaku dan membuat persediaan awal mengelakkan sebarang akibat buruk yang akan menimpa dirinya. Paling penting pada seorang usahawan ialah merancang masa kerana inilah kunci segala perancangan.

18. Menyedari keperluan menggunakan agensi dan maklumat

Usahawan memerlukan seberapa banyak maklumat yang terkini dan berguna untuk membolehkan dia merancang serta membuat keputusan dalam perniagaannya. Oleh itu, seorang usahawan sentiasa mencari maklumat terbaru dan menggunakan khidmat agensi sebaik mungkin.

19. Menetapkan matlamat

Usahawan fokus pada pencapaian matlamatnya. Ia jelas dan mempunyai nilai dalam hidup. Dia akan melakukan pelbagai usaha yang dirancang rapi untuk matlamatnya itu. Dengan fokus inilah usahawan dapat melakukan sesuatu dengan cara atau usaha yang tidak mampu dilakukan orang lain. Apabila telah mencapai matlamat, dia akan menetapkan matlamat yang lebih cemerlang lagi. Dia sentiasa bergerak menuju kejayaan.

20. Ubah suai pentadbiran

Seseorang usahawan mampu mengubah suai pentadbiran untuk memajukan syarikatnya. Dia akan menggunakan kakitangan dan mengagihkan kerja berdasarkan minat serta kebolehan kakitangan.

21. Kemahiran pengurusan

Pengurusan perniagaan yang efisien dan efektif adalah perlu bagi menjamin kemajuan sesebuah perniagaan. Seorang usahawan perlu mahir dalam merancang, mengorganisasi, mendorong pekerja dan mengawal perniagaan.

22. Rasa kemanjuran (semangat waja)

Semangat yang kental perlu untuk usahawan kerana dalam perniagaan dia akan menempuh pelbagai dugaan dan rintangan. Sesiapa yang dapat menempuh cabaran tersebut, dialah yang boleh berjaya

23. Kepimpinan

Usahawan adalah pemimpin. Mereka bijak dalam menyusun strategi pengaruhnya. Dengan pengaruh, dia mampu mendapatkan lebih banyak peluang yang menguntungkan dalam masa singkat. Seorang usahawan perlu ada daya pengaruh bagi membolehkannya berjaya dalam urus niaga dan mengatur urusan pekerjanya.

24. Kuat berusaha

Seseorang usahawan yang berjaya itu kuat bekerja. Dia sanggup melakukan kerja tanpa mengira masa. Ini dapat dilakukannya kerana dia sukakan kerjayanya.

25. Pandai membuat keputusan

Usahawan pandai membuat keputuan yang bijak untuk membolehkan pernia¬gaan berjalan lancar dan meminimumkan masalah yang bakal timbul. Selain pengetahuan, mereka menggunakan gerak hati.

" Seseorang usahawan yang berjaya itu kuat bekerja. Dia sanggup melakukan kerja tanpa mengira masa. Ini dapat dilakukannya kerana dia sukakan kerjayanya."

Hong Kong Property Sales Slide as Tax Deters Buyers

Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- William Yue was ready last week to pay about HK$11 million ($1.4 million) for an apartment in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Tong district. Now, he’s reconsidering.

Financial Secretary John Tsang on Nov. 19 raised stamp duties and deposit requirements, and limited mortgage insurance, the toughest measures yet to rein in home values that soared 50 percent since January 2009. Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. fell the most in six months, and Midland Holdings Ltd., the city’s largest realtor, plunged the most in a decade.

“The down payment we need to pay would probably be a bit out of our budget,” the 58-year-old Yue said yesterday. “We need to negotiate with the seller again and see if he’d bring down the price. Imposing the extra stamp duty should’ve been enough to curb speculation. All it does is hurt real users like us.”

Weekend sales of used homes fell 83 percent from the previous week, according to data from Centaline Property Agency Ltd. The changes mean homes sold within six months of purchase incur a 15 percent stamp duty, while down payments will rise to 50 percent for properties costing HK$12 million or more, and to 40 percent for those between HK$8 million and HK$12 million.

“The measures will likely have the biggest and most lasting impact on property prices seen to date,” Donna Kwok, a Hong Kong-based economist at HSBC Holdings Plc, said in a report. “Hong Kong has jumped onto the bandwagon of Asian central banks and is erecting its own defenses to fend off the flood” of capital from the U.S. easing, she said.

Hong Kong’s currency peg to the dollar prevents its de- facto central bank from raising interest rates to deter speculation. South Korea revived a tax on foreigners investing in its bonds last week, while Brazil tripled a tax on purchases of local fixed-income assets by overseas investors.

Stocks Fall

The Hang Seng Property Index, which tracks the city’s seven-biggest builders, fell 2.6 percent at the 4 p.m. local time close of trading. It has declined 10 percent since this year’s peak on Nov. 8.

Cheung Kong, the city’s second-biggest developer by market value, lost 3.2 percent, while Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., the largest, slid 3.1 percent. Midland tumbled 17 percent.

“This is a strong dose to calm down the housing market,” JPMorgan & Chase Co. analysts led by Lucia Kwong wrote in a report dated yesterday. “Given the new measures, we expect slower property sales that drive down” the net asset value of developers.

The number of transactions at some of Hong Kong’s biggest private housing estates fell to 10 on Nov. 20 and 21, Centaline, the city’s biggest privately held real-estate broker, said in a statement yesterday. There were 59 deals the previous weekend.

“We’re expecting transactions to drop between 10 and 20 percent for this quarter and prices will probably go down by about 5 percent at least,” said Wong Leung-sing, associate director of research at Centaline.

Housing Estates

The broker had only one transaction on Nov. 20 at the 12,700-unit Tai Koo Shing housing estate on Hong Kong Island, from six the previous week, District Manager Kenneth Chiu said yesterday.

“Most of the buyers we’ve been speaking to said they expect prices to drop further so they’ll hold off from making a decision for now,” Chiu said. “On the other hand, sellers on average are willing to bring down asking prices.”

The city’s home prices may drop 5 percent by year-end while transactions may fall 40 percent because of the measures, Credit Suisse Group AG analysts Cusson Leung and Joyce Kwock wrote in a report today. JPMorgan also predicted a 5 percent decline in prices.

Transactions to Fall

Prices in some of Hong Kong’s most expensive districts, such as Kowloon Tong on the Kowloon peninsula bordering China, surged 52 percent since the beginning of 2009, according to an index compiled by Centaline. Those gains prompted the International Monetary Fund to warn last week that asset inflation may derail the city’s economy.

The measures will drag on home price gains rather than reverse the gains, UBS AG said in a report. Property transactions will fall by 20 percent to 30 percent, analyst Eric Wong said, adding that the measures may drive liquidity into other assets such as stocks.

Under the new measures, properties resold within 6 months to 12 months will incur a 10 percent stamp duty, while those resold between 12 months and 24 months will be charged 5 percent, Tsang said. The levy will be split between buyers and sellers.

Down payments for homes costing HK$12 million or more will be increased from 40 percent and for those between HK$8 million and HK$12 million from 30 percent, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Norman Chan said Nov. 19. The maximum loan to value for non owner-occupied residential properties will be lowered to 50 percent, Chan said.

More Curbs

It was the second time the government raised down-payment requirements this year. On Aug. 13 it increased them for apartments costing HK$12 million or more and for investment properties to 40 percent, from 30 percent.

Hong Kong Mortgage Corp., a government-backed home-loan insurer, capped at HK$6.8 million the value of a property that can be covered by mortgage insurance, it said Nov. 19.

Hong Kong this year has also stopped offering residency to foreigners who buy property in the city and pledged to increase land supply to curb prices, which surpassed a 1997 peak on the back of record-low mortgage rates and an influx of buyers from China.

The government “will closely monitor the market” and may introduce further measures if the latest curbs don’t stem property prices, Tsang wrote yesterday on his blog on the government’s website. The U.S. bond purchase program announced earlier this month has heightened the asset bubble risk in Hong Kong and it’s necessary for the government to adopt “pre- emptive” measures, Tsang wrote.

‘Extra Careful’

“We have to be extra careful,” said Chow Suet-kuen, a retired civil servant who is looking to buy an investment apartment, a day after the government’s measures. “We’re not speculators, but the extra stamp duties may force us to hold onto the properties longer. We’ll probably wait a bit to see how the market reacts.”

Chow, who was at the Hung Hom district sales office for Cheung Kong’s Festival City Phase II project in Sha Tin district, said her family was a long-term investor and owned three other investment properties in the Kowloon area.

The developer started selling 335 units at Festival City Phase II late on Nov. 19.

Still, Fred Leung, a 40-year-old businessman looking to buy an apartment to live in at Festival City, said the stamp duty wouldn’t affect him, though he may put off purchasing.

“I can see how the stamp duties would impact speculators, but that doesn’t really concern me,” said Leung a day after Tsang announced the measures. “I’m not sure if I’m going to make a decision now since I actually hope the developer will lower prices for the later units.”