Coffee Table Trivia

According to Wikipedia, coffee tables made its first appearance in Britain in the late Victorian era for the purpose of anyone sitting on sofas to place items such cups or books. Today, the coffee table is used for many different purposes. From propping up tired legs to storing odds and ends, there are thousands of coffee table designs suited for different needs.

Here are two important tips to help you narrow down your search for that perfect coffee table.

1) Deciding on the use of your coffee table
Will your coffee table be used for the casual cup of tea or for regular TV dinners? Or is it simply a place to prop up your legs? Would you like it to double up as a storage facility or a display piece? Is it going to be a permanent piece of furniture or just something you might want to think of changing in a couple years' time?

Deciding on the intended use of your coffee table will help determine the kind of table you need. If you are looking for a coffee table to prop your legs, you might want to look for a smaller table of a comfortable height. Rounded edges are also important so that your calves don't end up with ugly marks from resting on the table. If you regularly have your dinner whilst watching TV, opt for a coffee table that is not too low so that you won't find yourself having to bend over every time you reach for your food. You can also go for a cheaper range of coffee tables if you intend to change your furniture after a couple of years to refresh the look of your living room.

Coffee tables are also becoming a popular choice for doubling up as a storage facility or as display shelves. Some coffee tables even double up as aquariums, making it the centrepiece of the living room. If you intend to use your coffee table for storage, opt for pieces that come with drawers. This will help keep dust away from your stored items and eliminate the need to constantly tidy the contents since they are kept out of sight. Choose a practical design if you intend to use your coffee table as a display unit. The best pieces will allow you to reach your display items easily and allow for easy cleaning since you want to keep your coffee table in tip-top display condition.

2) Deciding on your coffee table's intended users
Next, you should look at addressing the needs of your primary users. Who are your primary users? Is your table mainly used by guests or do you have small children around the house? Perhaps you want to make sure your pet is not able to reach the cookie jar on your coffee table?

Deciding on who uses the table is important in determining the design of the table as well as the materials to be used for the table. If you are regularly entertaining guests in your apartment and there are no young children around, you can opt for more intricate designs that might make this centrepiece stand out. However, opt for more practical features such as rounded tables, smooth edges and sturdy surfaces if you have young children around the house. Also, make your coffee table slightly higher if you want to make sure Fido doesn't get his paws on those cookies.

Choosing a coffee table from the thousands of designs can be a rather daunting task especially if everyone in the family favours a different design. Talk to your family members to discuss your needs and follow these tips to help narrow your search. This should point you to the appropriate design and price range best suited for your needs to make that shopping trip more enjoyable.

Mooncakes, Anyone?

The Mid-Autumn Festival or what is affectionately known as the "Mooncake Festival" is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. On this day, the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest and symbolises a day of reunion for the family.

There are several versions of the Chinese mythology surrounding the origins of this festival. Typically, it revolves the love story behind Chang'e, the lady in the moon, and Hou Yi, the archer. The most common belief was that the ill-fated lovers could only meet each other on this day, when the moon was at its fullest and brightest.

Over the years, the Mid-Autumn festival has grown into a family reunion more so than a celebration of folklore. Families gather around the dinner table on this day and enjoy traditional sweets such as mooncakes (a sweet bean pastry), pomelos and sip Chinese tea under the moon. Children are the happiest lot as they get to light up their colourful lanterns on this night.

This festival is celebrated by Chinese families all over the world as well as other Asian ethnic groups such as the Vietnamese. And while they may celebrate this day with different rituals in different parts of the world, this day remains a day of reunion amongst family members as well as in remembrance of their ancestors.

Recipe: Malabar Spinach stir-fried with Shitake Mushrooms

Malabar Spinach or "Ti Wang Cai" as it is pronounced in mandarin is a green leafy vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It is not quite a spinach and has a slimy taste similar to okra. Rich in Vitamins A, C, iron and calcium, it is low in calories and is believed to help remove toxins and mucus from the body.

Stir-frying is one of the simplest ways to enjoy this leafy veg.

500gms Malabar Spinach (soaked & rinsed)

3 Shitake mushrooms

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

sprinkle of salt

handful of dried shrimps

1) Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

2) Stir-fry dried shrimps, garlic till fragrant. Add shitake mushrooms and lastly, malabar spinach.

3) Toss vegetables around to cook evenly till it turns dark green. Add salt to taste and a dash of water (to prevent overheating in pan). Give the mixture a couple of tosses and voila!

Recipe: Cod Fish steamed with Garlic & Prawn Chilli

The white, mild flavored flesh of cod makes a wonderful substitute for meat protein.

Cod is not only an excellent source of protein and selenium, it is also a very good source of vitamin B6 and phosphorous. In addition, cod contains a variety of important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, potassium, vitamin D and niacin. Better still, it is an excellent low-calorie source of protein.

Studies show that people who eat fish regularly have a much lower risk of heart disease and heart attack than people who don't consume fish. Stick to broiled, grilled, baked or steamed cod to get the best results.



2 pieces of frozen sliced cod
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon prawn chilli (or any other bottled chilli available from the supermarket)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 large lime
sprinkle of salt

1) Marinate the fish with a sprinkle of salt, olive oil and lime juice. This helps to take away the "fishy" smell.

2) Lay the marinated cod fish fillets on a small plate. Spoon prawn chilli and garlic onto the cod fish and cover with aluminum foil.

3) Place the plate in a steamer for about 7-10 mins (depending on the thickness of your cod slices) and voila! Alternatively, you can wrap the cod fillets in aluminum and place it in the oven to bake.

Cash for your baby?

Having a baby in the Volga River region in Ulyanovsk, Russia, (about 900km east of Moscow) might just earn you cash - terms and conditions apply.

According to the Associated Press, government in the Volga River region gave couples a day off from work yesterday to encourage couples to stay home and procreate. Incidentally, if they gave birth nine months later on June 12, Russia's national day, they will receive prizes ranging from cars, refrigerators, video cameras amongst other prizes.

September 12th was officially named the "Day of Conception" and this is apparently the third year the government has held such a campaign to address the issue of declining birth rates. Yes, everyone who has a baby on Russia's national day gets to win a prize and the grand prize (the grand prize in 2007 was a UAZ-Patriot Sports Utility Vehicle) goes to the "fittest parents" selected by a committee. Subsequent births on this day will even earn cash certificates worth $10,000 which can be used to improve living conditions or for the child's future education.

Russia is one of the most sparsely occupied countries in the world. Prior to this campaign, its population was reported to be shrinking by half a percentage point each year since the early 1990s. This year, the region reported improvements of 4.5 per cent in their birth rates compared to the same period last year.

Clearly, as strange as the campaign might sound, results show that it is working and what an innovative solution it is. Not only has it been effective in encouraging pro-creation, it also adds a dash of fun and patriotism as the country celebrates its national day every year.

The Service Issue

Much of the advise given on this subject matter centres around grasping the right soft-skills such as watching your tonality, showing empathy, maintaining the right body language and many others.

Whilst these practical tips are very important in face-to-face communication, they are also fairly subjective and may yield different results and interpretations. As a result, companies and employees find it hard to measure the effectiveness of employing these techniques despite investing thousands of dollars to build up expertise in this area.

Dealing effectively with complaints doesn't necessarily involve spending thousands of dollars. However, it does involve greater effort and synergy within the company rather than leaving it all to the service staff. Just like a CEO needs outstanding executives to deliver that great business idea, great service requires teamwork within the company.

Service staff play a very important role in representing the company. Yet, there is often a communication and information gap between the service unit and the business units. This results in a lack of product information and necessary support, especially in addressing specific complaints from customers. Customers themselves may also be expecting this information gap and service staff now have the additional hurdle to manage a customer's expectation of their competency in handling the complaint.

Here are some simple changes that you can make within your company to deal with complaints more effectively:

1) Designate representatives from each Business Unit to support your service staff

This helps your Business Units to be more service-oriented and enable new product offerings to better focus on customer needs. Train your Business Units on customer service and don't be afraid to allow customers to speak directly to the Business Units for specific product information when necessary.

2) Conduct regular communication sessions between the Business Units and the service staff

This regular feedback channel provides a platform for the service staff to better understand the company's products and allows the Business Units to understand the real customer needs in order to improve or come up with better products.

3) Share performance indicators

In order to cultivate a customer-oriented approach in your company, it is necessary to have the appropriate motivators for all employees to work towards a common goal. This is especially important when different units deal with your customers directly. Share business profits with your service staff since they provide the necessary after-sales support to delight your customers. Tag service standards, such as customer satisfaction indices, to your Business Units since they create new product offerings and service your customers.

Remember, a customer complaints because he or she wants a particular matter to be resolved. Hence, while it is important to engage your customer professionally, it is equally critical that highlighted issues are resolved in order for your service to be effective.

Hungry Ghost Festival

The Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional festival that is taken quite seriously by Chinese all over the world particularly in Asia. Just like the many myths and superstitions surrounding Halloween, the Hungry Ghost Festival has its fair share of ceremonial rituals. But unlike Halloween, the festival lasts for the entire 7th month of the lunar calendar (30 days).

During this time (typically somewhere between August and September), it is believed that the Gates of Hell are open, freeing ghosts and spirits to roam our world, away from their sufferings in the underworld where they had been banished to. It is believed that these spirits will be hungry for comfort and food, while some may seek out revenge or settlement for unfinished business.

As such, Chinese people usually line up a whole month of activities ranging from offerings of food to entertainment to appease these hungry ghosts. Here are some of the things you might want to look out for on your next trip to Asia:

Festival celebrations
As the term "hungry ghost" implies, offerings of food, such as roasted meats and all sorts of delicacies, can be seen everywhere during the month-long festival. Together with prayers, incense, paper money and other paper possessions (such as paper-made cars, telephones, and even credit cards) are burnt as offerings so that spirits can receive these worldly possessions to have a better life down under.

Such prayers and offerings can be found in households, along common residential areas or make-shift "party" venues otherwise known as Getai. These temporary venues not only offer prayers and food for the roaming spirits, they also offer entertainment such as singing, dancing and traditional performing arts for both spirits and humans alike. At such performances, the best seats in the house at the front row, are always reserved for the "VIPs".

The month-long festivities reach a climax on the 15th day of the 7th month and goes on for another 15 days before the 7th month is finally over. It is believed that the Gates of Hell shuts its doors after 30days and all roaming spirits will return back to the netherworld.

Myths and Superstitions
All spiritual festivals come with its fair share of urban legends and a list of do's and don'ts. Most commonly, the old folks will advise the youngsters not to stay out too late for fear of an encounter with harmful spirits since these spirits are considered most powerful at night. Here are a list of things to look out for if you are visiting the festival for the first time:

• Do not eat the delicacies used as offerings, unless otherwise served. It may be tempting to pick up a piece of fruit at these festivals but avoid this at all cost. These offerings are meant for the spirits and urban legend has seen many cases of mysterious illness striking the people who have pinched such offerings.


• Do not sit in the front row at the Getais (entertainment venues). These are strictly reserved for the VIPs aka Hungry Ghosts.


• Try to avoid stepping on burnt offerings. Chinese believe that burning items is the only way for spirits to receive offerings in the netherworld. Hence, it is believed that the area where the burning takes place becomes an "opening" to the netherworld and stepping on such an "opening" might subject one to ghostly possession.


• Avoid swimming at night during this month. It is believed that hungry ghosts lurk in the dark waters at night, increasing the risk of drowning.
  

Urban legends and festivities aside, this month-long event is also a time for children to show their filial piety. During this time, the younger generation in a typical household offers prayers, food and other wordly offerings to their ancestors as a mark their respect. Appeasing the roaming spirits aside, the Hungry Ghost Festival is a meaningful tradition where people take time out to remember those who have left.