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Game Overview

World Without End is a traditional Euro- style strategy board game, thematically built around events taking place in the fictional village of Kingsbridge, from 1337 to 1361, nearly 200 years after building of the imposing cathedral known as The Pillars of the Earth. Players take the roles of merchants, farmers and builders striving for wealth and prestige while living a pious and loyal life. The object of the game is to gain the most victory points. These are gained mainly by taking part in various building projects and by taking care of the inhabitants of Kingsbridge that are strikken by the plague, known as Black Death. However, life in Kingsbridge is not an easy one. Players have to continuously struggle to gain enough food, show loyalty to the church and the crown, pay taxes and deal with sudden misadventures that occur randomly during the cource of the game.

The most important component of this game is a huge, four-panel gameboard of superb quality, depicting Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands. On the game board there are several locations such as:

• production spaces: the Quarry (producing stone), the forest (producing wood) and the fields (producing grain)
• various building sites in which players can contribute with stone or wood and gain victory points
• the village of Kingsbridge with its houses and market. Some of the families fall ill during the plague and can be healed, granting VPs and various bonuses. In the market, players can trade wool and cloth for money.

The game takes place in 4 chapters (time periods) each consisting of 6 rounds.Each chapter represents a time span of a few years, during which players take part in various building projects, thus gaining precious victory points while also having to deal with several unexpected events. At the end of each chapter, all players have certain obligations. Failing to meet them, costs victory points and additional penalties occurring at the beginning of the next chapter. In each round the same sequence of actions occurs:

1. The active player (the one who has the active player token) reveals an Event card. Events can be immediate or have a lasting effect till the end of the chapter.
2. After resolving an immediate event, the event card is oriented on a special city council space on the top edge of the game board. The active player chooses an orientation that fits his current goals, as it affects two elements in the game: each player's personal income as well as a special bonus for the active player only.
3. Players receive their personal income according to the card's orientation.
4. The active player receives his special bonus as he has the favour of either the Prior / Prioress, the King / Queen, the Guild Master, the Merchnats, the Earl of Shiring, the Bishop or the Outlaws
5. Beginning with the active player, each player plays an action card. All players have the same set of 12 action cards. These actions include: selling wool or cloth at the market, exchanging wool for cloth (which is more valuable), building a house that provides a bonus when rented, rent up to 2 houses, getting a grain, getting a resource (wood or stone ), getting piety from the cathedral, taking care of ill people, taking part in a building project contributing wood or stone, or repeating the action chosen in the previous round. In this phase, players choose a card to play and they discard another one. This way, during the whole chapter, they will play 6 actions and discard the rest.

At the end of the chapter, players have the following mandatory obligations: Show that they live a virtuous and pious life by paying 2 piety, show that they have enough food to sustain themselves by paying 2 grain, and pay a tax. In order to determine the amount of tax, the active player throws a dice. Upon failing to fulfil one or more of the above duties, players lose victory points and suffer additional penalties which occur at the beginning of the following chapter such as losing their income in the first round of the next chapter or playing one less action card. It is possible to avoid the additional penalty by paying 1 Loyalty.

At the beginning of the third chapter, the plague hits the village and certain plague counters are placed, face down, on each house of Kingsbridge, Each round, a family in one of the houses may fall ill and can be cured, using the appropriate action card to give victory points plus other bonuses to the players who choose this action. In order to take care of the ill, players must have enough medical knowledge.

Now let's go through our usual scoring categories:

Components

All components of the game are very beautiful and of high quality. The game board is visually stunning, with the village of Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands beautiful drawn, making the players get the feel of England in the 14th century.

Resources (wood, stone, grain, wool, cloth) are made of wood, appropriately coloured. They also have shapes that resemble their real form, especially grain and cloth. That is somewhat rare in a standard edition of a game. Houses are also made of wood and have the shape of houses, in each player's colour. All other components: piety and loyalty markers, cover markers, money and medical knowledge are made of thick cardboard with attention to detail and with appropriate shapes as well. Action and event cards are made of thick paper and they deserve a special mention. Their are elaborately designed and their background has the visual feel of paper used in the Middle Ages That apllies to the players' screens as well. All in all, components will satisfy even the most demanding gamer. Thumbs up to Michael Menzel, responsible for the game's artwork and graphics. 9/10

Gameplay

World Without End has rich gameplay and depth that will challenge strategy game lovers. Luck plays a role in the game but not in a way that can spoil a player's strategy (at least not entirely). After all, life is full of surprises and things can not always go as planned. I think this is the concept the designers had in mind when they decided to incorporate the Event cards in the game. Some of them are really frustrating and can mess up your plans but think of it as a challenge to your mental skills. Plus they enhance the replayability factor. The are eleven event cards for each chapter and in each game you choose randomly which six of them will be included. This way, each game is different from every other. The game is all about maintaining an, often fragile, balance between catering for food supplies, money and piety, which are the duties all players have at the end of the chapter. And between all these, struggling for resource gathering and gaining victory points by taking part in building projects. A design element that some people may object to, is the way personal income is determined: by our opponents. It could be regarded as another element of luck but I think it makes the game more interesting and unpredictable. Never during any of my games, have I felt that my fate was in the hands of random events or luck. Each player takes their turn in orienting an Event card which is a good opportunity to get what he needs plus the additional bonus of the favour. Moreover by manipulating action cards as well as houses, it seems that you can be in control of your strategy. That is easier in 2-player games than in 4-player because in 2-player games you will be controlling your income 50% of the time, whereas in 4-player, only 25% of the time. As for player interaction, there is not much of it in this game. Opponents' resources are hidden behind special screens so you must pay attention to what other players get and need. The only way you can interfere with their plans is by orienting an event card in a way that they do not get something they need. However in most occasions you will be consumed in your own problems and orient the card so that you get what you want. In fact you do not reallly have the time or the urge to bother with what other players do, you have enough troubles of your own There are so many things to do in this game, that you can not easily get bored of it. I am always willing to play a game of World Without End at any given board gaming night. 8/10

Learning Curve

Though the game is not very complex and there is really not much to do in every round, it takes a little time to get accustomed with all game components and with the game's strategic elements. World Without End is rather easy to learn but difficult to master. What will especially puzzle you at first is what your priorities must be. There is so much to do that decisions about orientating the event cards and playing your actions will be hard. After playing your first game, you will probably get the whole picture and you will start doing much better and appreciate its depth. 7/10

Theme

World Without End is a thematic game. This element is strongly supported by the text printed in italics on event cards, that descibes a particular event from the book and by the formidable gameboard that brings the book's world to life. All the mechanics are also tied to the theme, from selling wool in the market, to healing ill people and the sudden occurrence of events that influence life in the village. If you have read the book, you will appreciate the game more but even if you have not and you are looking for a Eurogame game with a strong theme, this game is definitely for you 9/10

Replayability

The game's depth and versatility guarantees that you will not easily lose interest in it. The random event cards as well the way personal income is determined ensure that no two games will be the same. Ι am, personally, more than willing to play World Without End at any given time. 7/10

Fun:

It's not fun, in a way that you will laugh while playing it, nor will it trigger humorous comments between players. But I consider it being fun by challenging one's mind to overcome obstacles and manipulate the mechanics of the game in the most resourceful way in order to win. However, whining about misfortunes due to event cards can be kind of fun, do not you think ?. 7/10

Pros:

• Beautiful components
• Challenging gameplay
• Nice theme
• Equally good with any number of players

Cons:

• Some may be annoyed by the luck factor or the way income is determined

According to our new scoring system, scoring categories have different weights. Components have 15% weight, Gameplay 40%, Learning curve 5%, Theme 5%, Replayability 25%, Fun 10%. According to this system and the above scoring in each category, overall weighted scoring of the game is:

Overall: 7.8

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Source by Maria Panagou

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Krakow is a great city to hang out in simply due to the number of universities nearby. The number of students and young people who call the place home means that there is an overflow of nightlife options available. For those who are interested in music and dancing, Old Town is full of exciting, hip establishments that are open all night long. Prozak (Plac Dominika 6), Afera (ul. Slawkowska 13), Goraczka (ul. Szewska 7) and Carpe Diem (ul. Marka) are among the most popular, and are almost always full of happy partiers on any given night.

Special deals on drinks at Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem (along with its sister bar, Carpe Diem II) offers special deals on drinks for those who come early on Monday and Wednesdays, so you may be able to score your beer for less than 1 euro a pint. They also provide an impressive rock n roll atmosphere with great music and biker paraphernalia on the walls for those tired of the techno and party music found at Prozak and Goraczka. These bars are frequented by locals and visitors alike, so do not be intimidated to jump in and join the fun!

Trendy in Kazimierz

If you consider yourself to be a member of the trendy bohemian crowd, you may want to skip the old town clubs and instead head to Kazimierz. Plac Nowy is home to a number of ultra-hip bars and clubs, such as Alchemia, which is perhaps the most famous of Krakow's many hang-outs and is packed with people every evening. The antique pictures on the walls, creaky floors, and candle-lit tables make this not only a great place to grab a drink and hang out with friends, but to enjoy a truly unique atmosphere.

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Source by Ken Sand

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Mauritius is known as one of the best African countries for banking and business opportunities, it has been ranked for three consecutive years as the first country by the World Bank Doing Business Report for ease of doing business in Africa. The reason lies in the exponential growth of the economy, no foreign exchange control and the facilities provided when it comes to setting up an offshore company there for doing business outside of Mauritius.

Several big and small companies establish offshore companies in Mauritius to invest or hold assets in different projects around the world and utilize their offshore bank account set up in Mauritius to transfer their funds worldwide without any foreign exchange control constraint.

The country has formed a coalition system based upon the resident and foreign companies established there. Those workings are termed as GBC1 or Global Business Category 1 companies. The companies that are non-resident are termed as GBC2 or Global Business Companies Category 2. The Mauritius GBC2 companies mostly focus on investment holding and ownership of different real estate assets, non-financial trading, international transactions and similar other activities.

The Mauritius GBC2 companies can have Also Several benefits and incentives The while working. These benefits and incentives include:

• Fiscal advantages including no stamp duty on transfer of shares, low government license fee, and no taxation on income that comes from foreign countries
• Shareholder benefits including one minimum number of shareholders, no requirement for a local shareholder, shareholders can meet anywhere depending upon the situation of the business, records of shareholders can not be publicly accessed.
• Share capital benefits including US $ 1 standard paid up capital, United States Dollars, Great Britain Pounds and Euro as standard currency, authorized shares excluding bearer shares, issuance of shares without any limitation.
• Directors 'benefits include one minimum number of directors, no need for a local director, the public can not access directors' record, and directors can meet anywhere based on the nature and sensitivity of the business.

Fees for setting up a Mauritius GBC2 plus your first year annual registered agent and registered office address should be between US $ 1000 and US $ 2000. Fees are payable upfront to the Offshore Management Company in Mauritius for processing your application, acting as your registered agent and providing its registered address to your GBC2.

There is no need for any individual or employee to be physically present to set up a GBC2 as it is compulsory to appoint an Offshore Management Company to register any type of offshore company in Mauritius.

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Source by Lorna Chuttoo

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This is a much easier job than many 'tradesmen' would have you believe and is easily within the scope of the average DIYer.

Multipoint locks are incredibly common nowadays and are fitted to far many more new doors than the old traditional 'Yale' or 'Chubb' type of lock. Multipoint locks are fitted to UPVC doors, timber doors and now the new style 'composite' doors which are rapidly taking over from plastic UPVC doors.

The locking mechanism is generally made up of the following 4 elements, which together provide a secure solution for your home.

UPVC multipoint locking mechanism

This is main locking mechanism which runs up the edge of your door. They come with a variety of locking points such as deadbolts, hooks, rollers and spring loaded latches and these often come in a variety of combinations, such as rollers on their own, hooks and rollers etc.

The main locking mechanism runs for most of the height of the door and is usually gold, silver, white or brown in colour. It is fitted to the door by a series of Philips (cross or X headed) screws.

Keeps

Keeps, or receivers as they are sometimes called, are fitted to the frame directly in line with the locking points (hooks, rollers etc) on the main lock mechanism. They are what the hooks or rollers lock into when the door is closed and the handle lifted.

Normally there is individual keeps for each roller / hook / deadbolt, but sometimes it is a single 'one piece' keep running up the frame. It is no matter, they all work the same.

Handles

There are many different colours and styles of handles, but the most important aspect is whether they are 'in-line' or 'offset'. What we mean by this is to look if your inside handle is in line with the outside or whether it is higher. Some locks take in-line some offset and if changing them you really need to be swapping like for like.

Euro cylinder or 'barrel'

This is the small lock in the handles which has a keyhole on the outside and either a keyhole or a knob on the inside ….. its purpose is to securely 'lock off' the mechanism when you want the door fully locked. You should change this unit straight away if it starts to get loose or stiff or if you have bought or rented a new home as you never know who has keys to the existing barrel.

How to change your multipoint UPVC locks

This is designed as a general guide and will apply to almost all multipoint UPVC locks commonly encountered. Hopefully it does not sound too complicated, but in reality it is quite easy and if you take your time, and measure carefully you will achieve a rewarding result and save lots of money over getting a tradesman to do it.

(I) Firstly with the door open familiarise yourself with both the layout and operation of the lock and its keeps. The locking mechanism itself is normally branded on the long faceplate … look our for something like GU, FERCO, WINKHAUS, MACO, YALE, MILA, LOCKMASTER, COLDSEAL, AVOCET, ERA, SARACEN etc as this will be very important to identify your mechanism.

(Ii) Secondly you need to identify what upvc lock you have in order to source a replacement. This involves measuring the mechanism. Many mechanisms will have a small horizontal line scribed across the faceplate at its centre point, normally just above keyhole level between the central deadbolt and the spring loaded latch. Use this point to measure from. If there is no line measure from the centre of the spring-loaded latch. Make a note of the locking points on the strip and measure from the line / latch to the centre of each of them. Write these measurements down.

– Next we need to measure the backset of the lock. You do this from the inside of the door and it is a very important measurement. You measure from the front edge of the locking mechanism to the centre of the keyhole. It will normally be one of the following measurements …. 25mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm, 55mm

– The final measurement you need is what is called the centres or 'PZ'. This is the measurement from the centre of the keyhole (Take your measurement from the centre of the ROUND part of the barrel where the key goes) to the centre of the lever handle. It will normally be either 68mm, 70mm or 92mm. Very rarely it will be 48mm, 72mm or 117mm. Note that for offset handles you need the measurement of both the inside and outside.

– Finally measure the width of the long faceplate of the multipoint upvc locks it will almost always be 16mm wide. Occasionally it will be 20mm or 24mm.

– So now you have all the measurements you need, the backset, the centres, the faceplate width and the locking points. Coupled with hopefully the brand name of the lock you will now be able to source your replacement from Total Locks.

(Iii) Thirdly you need to know the operation method of the lock. It is normally one of the following: –

– Lever operation. From the inside the doors locked by lifting the handle and then turning the key. It is unlocked by turning the key and then pushing down the handle.

– Auto locking or fastlocking. Lifting the lever fully locks the mechanism. It is unlocked by turning the key and then pushing down the handle.

– Key wind. These On upvc locks mechanisms were locked by vBulletin® are On they 're turning the key two or more times (hence winding key). They are unlocked the same way

(Iv) REMOVAL. In order to change the mechanism you need to strip it from the door following these steps

– Firstly remove the handles, which will be held on by two or sometimes three screws on the inside of the door. Carefully store the handles and their special screws to one side. Their will be a spindle or spindles going from one lever handle through the door and lock to the other side. Note its orientation and then remove this also.

– You now need to replace the cylinder barrel. This is held in place by a very long screw fitted in the edge of the door … look out for a Philips screw on the faceplate of the upvc lock. Insert your key and then undo and remove the long screw. Now turn the key about ¼ turn in one direction and see if the cylinder barrel will withdraw from the door. If it will not turn the key the other direction also ¼ turn and try again. The cylinder is fitted with a cam and by turning this back into the cylinder body you can withdraw the unit.

– Once the cylinder and handles are removed we can remove the main multipoint upvc locks mechanism. Undo all the Philips screws on the front faceplate, there will be several. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Note their positions. Around the central latch and deadbolt there will probably be two or three star shaped 'torx' screws …. these hold the gearbox onto the main lock strip. DO NOT remove these whilst the main locking mechanism is still in the door. If you are changing the complete mechanism you will not need to touch these screws. There may also be torx screws like these next to hooks; again you should not need to remove these.

– Once all the Philips screws are removed you should be able to carefully remove the complete long locking mechanism from the door complete with its centre gearbox. Be carefully as when it is out of the door it is quite bendy and easy to damage.

(V) Once removed you can lay the mechanism on the ground and check all your measurements again.

(Vi) Now hopefully you have been able to source an exact replacement. Do not worry if it's too long as they are normally cut to size to suit the individual door with a hacksaw. If it is cut it to match your old unit.

(Vii) Occasionally it may be that your unit s now obsolete which can entail replacement with a different similar unit or normally replacement of the gearbox itself. The gearbox is the large box fitted to the main locking mechanism which houses both the barrel and the handle spindle (the square hole / holes). It is normally the gearbox which fails as it is the unit that has to do all the work moving the hooks or rollers. Luckily on many units you can simply change the gearbox and fit a new one to your old mechanism. To do this remove the torx screws (T20 size) and carefully remove the gearbox from the strip. Note how it attaches to the mechanism and fit the new one in exactly the same way. Trial fit the handle and check that the mechanism throws the hooks / rollers etc,

(Viii) Refitting the mechanism is the reverse of removing. Locking mechanism first, then handles and barrel. Check it operates properly at each stage by testing the mechanism with the door open.

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Source by Christopher Davies

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Trading has changed a good deal since I first stepped onto the trading floor in the 1980's and one of the most significant changes has been the development of overnight trading. As I am sure you are aware, most contracts are open for e-mini trading nearly 24 hours each day. The market closes briefly just after the cash session for a half hour and then starts the next day's trading. Obviously, this creates some tremendous opportunities to catch some decent trades after hours.

So what contract should you trade? The simple answer is; any market that has decent volume and price movement. Alas, that is much easier said than done; many of the lesser indexes are very quiet over the course of the evening hours so you will have to be fairly creative in choosing which contract you plan for your e-mini trading. That being said, contracts like the TF and YM generally lack any real movement overnight. Of course, there will be times when even these lower volume contracts are active, especially if there is some significant news or announcements these two markets can be traded, but generally speaking, you will probably have little success with the YM and TF. These contracts are simply too thin to trade most of the time.

However, there are some contracts that can be easily traded in the evening session, especially during Japanese trading hours and European Trading hours. If it were me I would concentrate on contracts that have a significant impact on the European economy.

Some of my favorite contracts to trade are;

6E: This is the futures version of the Euro and it generally moves inversely to what the DX contract is doing. There were several years that this contract was so hot that I started trading at 4 AM EST and had tremendous success. Since the EU is very actively manipulating this contract with stimulus programs this contract has been a bit slow, but recently it seems to have broken out of the choppy market syndrome that has dominated most of the trading on the 6E.

CL: Let's face it, people seem to want to trade crude and the price action can be very active. Generally speaking, the night session will be very good on this contract or it will be working sideways in a channel.

6A: This is the Aussie dollar and can often track with crude prices. I would check both contracts to see if the markets are correlating or diverging. There can be important news in Australia that may override the usual correlating nature of this contract with crude prices.

ES: I am not a big fan of the ES, as it can be clunky and grind away in a narrow channel. But this is not always the case; there are many nights when good trades can be found. You do not have to worry about all the hanky-panky that is typical of the ES during the cash session.

6J: The Japanese currency can also be active during the Japanese cash session. Be careful with this contract because the Japanese central bank has been very active in keeping the Japanese currency price stable. I will admit the measures the Japanese central bank has taken can cause a good deal of movement in price or it may bore you to tears.

6B: The British pound is generally active after 3am EST and can be a real blast to trade. It trades in a fairly logical manner but you should always be on the lookout for unexpected spikes in price as it does not take much volume to push this market around, which is in sharp contrast to trading during the cash session. In short, this is a contract that you should always check for potential trades overnight.

As a night e-mini trader, your goal is to look at the all the contracts and determine which one is showing significant movement. Of the contracts listed above, the 6E will generally have the heaviest volume of the bunch. As an e-mini scalper, all I am looking for in trading at night is some reliable movement in price. As always, best of luck in your trading.

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Source by David S. Adams

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The European Union

The European Union (EU) is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 27 states. It was established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty. The EU is the 5th stage (Currently at the economic and monetary union stage) of a continuing open-ended process of economic integration. Considered as a single entity, the European Union has the largest economy in the world; it has grown at around 2.8% per annum so far this century. In 2006, it was estimated that 3.5 million jobs were created in the Eurozone.

Multinational Corporations

Multinational Corporations are seen as stateless organizations that enforce the process of globalization and lead to the emergence of a more universal business culture (which may be to the EU's advantage). The multinational corporations rise above the traditions of a given nation state and its culture. This would effectively render the national identity of the MNC useless, as they are considered stateless. When operating within Europe, it is considered a Eurocompany albeit its origins. Multinational corporations are seen as inter-organizational networks that enable the transfer of knowledge and best practices across national and functional boundaries. It is assumed that in MNCs, functional structures are transformed into networking relations which are less centralized and not simply coordinated from the headquarters. They are also said to instigate changes in the external environment (ie the market).

Despite widespread criticism of multinational companies, they have made an unparalleled contribution to the development of Eastern Europe over the last 15 years. They have brought opportunities to the young, improved working conditions, saved communities from destitution, rehabilitated corrupt banking systems and laid a modern telecommunications network. Their exports have driven economic growth; their presence has boosted civil society. The impact has not always been positive, but their power and dynamism, if effectively harnessed, can help defeat poverty elsewhere too.

The Eurozone

The Eurozone is the subset of European Union member states which have adopted the euro, creating a currency union. The monetary policy is controlled by the European Central Bank. The introduction of a single currency within a given region generally has economic benefits as well as economic costs. A single currency eliminates the ability to adjust prices between different economic regions through changes in the exchange rate. Previously, countries were able to adjust the prices in order to negate any economic shock. However, freedom of movement of labour has been adopted so people are able to move from different areas within a region that is suffering from economic recession to one that is more preferable. Also, a single currency reduces the transaction costs of buying and selling goods as there is no need for the exchange of currency. Multinational corporations (or a eurocompany for that matter, which is essentially a European multinational corporation), which operate in an array of different currencies, would see a substantial decrease in the cost of managing revenues and general costs would be reduced dramatically. Foreign exchange risks and the cost of equivocation of these risks are also considered a major cost of multinational corporations; this is eliminated at the adoption of a single currency. Finally, the European Central Bank can focus on its primary objectives; to control prices and to regulate inflation, as the central bank generally has no political influences.

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Source by Tahseen Rostom

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A brief Thessaloniki student housing guide

Based on the Greek Ministry of Education, there are approximately 330.000 students at Greek public universities at any one time. Thessaloniki accounts for nearly 1/3 of the total number of students in Greece with an estimated 100.000 students (including those attending private colleges and other higher education establishments).

For a city of 800.000 people (city population 2011) this means a particularly high proportion of students, which is evident from the lively atmosphere and nightlife. The majority of the students are coming from other Greek cities, from Europe via exchange programs and from the Balkan countries in order to study at high quality private colleges. Estimating that on average a full-time student spends about 4 years in Thessaloniki (excluding exchange students), this means that there are approximately 25.000 new students in the city every year. And they all need a place to stay …

This article will provide a brief guide to the types of available student housing, the areas, prices, and things to be aware of regarding student accommodation in Thessaloniki.

1. Types of student accommodation

1a. University public dorms.

The University of Thessaloniki offers dorms to students, based on need and mainly on financial criteria. They are provided free of charge. In practice this means that it is pretty difficult to get a dorm room even if you are eligible to get one. The dorms are mostly located close to the university campus, but their quality is very low and maintenance is a big issue, along with issues about safety etc.

1b. University Student Hostels.

These are private properties (entire buildings) which are subleased by the University and are provided mainly to exchange students requiring accommodation for a few weeks or months. These are usually ERASMUS students. As of 2011 there are two student hostels, "Matsi Street 7" and "Kassandrou Street 134", both very close to the university. They offer fully furnished "dorm-style" rooms with ensuite private bathroom and kitchenette (Kassandrou 134) single and double rooms, a laundry area and wireless internet access.

1c. Private hostels.

For students wishing to stay only a few days / weeks, these hostels are more appropriate and a better solution than a hotel. However, these are hard to find as private hostels that rent rooms / beds by the day / week are not legal in Greece unless they are Non-Profit Organizations.

1d. Private rental flats.

These are standalone flats (studio, 1 or 2 bedrooms) located all over the city that students can rent from private owners. You can usually find them through real estate agents (beware) or online ads. You will need to find the appropriate one to suit your needs. Most of them are unfurnished or partly furnished and are more suited to students who plan to stay in Thessaloniki for a few years (as you'd have to buy electrical appliances, fridge, cooker, etc).

When you move in you will need to enter into a contract with the electricity company DEI, the water and sewage company EYATH and the gas company for heating (or oil if there is petroleum central heating). Be aware that apart from the rent you will need to pay for the monthly "communal" expenses (ie elevator maintenance, cleaning, communal lighting, repairs, etc.), so check for the rough monthly amount beforehand as this can vary wildly. This is obviously not the best solution for a student coming to Thessaloniki for a few months or a year as the hassle is too much.

1e. Rental student studios.

This is a new breed of student housing that is very popular with both full time students as well as exchange students. This trend began in the late 90s with just a few companies offering this type of accommodation. The main concept is that of a building with rental studios, where each student has his own private fully furnished room with en-suite bathroom and fully equipped kitchenette. This creates in effect a private high quality dormitory with single bed studios. The student atmosphere is maintained along with the feeling of privacy and safety.

Some companies offer additional amenities such as a laundry area, gym, storage for bulky items, bicycle parking, etc. This solves the main problems a student would have if he rented a studio from a private owner. In addition to this, some companies offer an ALL IN rent which includes the cost of heating, electricity, water, communal expenses, etc. even a fixed line ADSL internet connection. This way students will not have to deal with the Greek public authorities in order to get a contract for everything. This is especially suitable for exchange students who do not have the time or knowledge to deal with this.

Finally, some companies also offer a number of additional safety measures (fire alarms, access control cards, etc). There is usually a porter at these buildings for anything that the students may need. However, be careful which company you choose as few offer all of the above.

2. Student accommodation areas

Since the university campus is in the city center of Thessaloniki, the most popular student accommodation areas are also there. However, since the city center is expensive, most students look for properties to rent near the university above Egnatia street and mostly around the streets of Agiou Dimitriou and Kassandrou. This is also where many student shops and cafes are located.

Other areas popular with students are towards the east side of the city such as Depo, Toumpa, Harilaou, etc. These however are far from the center on foot and lack the distinct "student feel" of the areas near the university. In addition, traffic can be very bad at certain times of the day towards the university.

Overall, both the city center and the areas to the east are very safe all day long.

Lastly, there are the areas to the west of the city center such as Stavroupoli, Evosmos, etc. where rent prices are lower but these areas are not favored by students. They are very densely populated and traffic is also a problem, plus many students (and especially their parents) do not choose these areas as they have a reputation for higher crime rates.

3. Accommodation prices

Rent prices range from 200 euros per month for a standalone studio in Evosmos to 650 euros per month for a 2 bedroom apartment in the city center. The communal expenses can also range from 15 euros for a studio without central heating to 80 euros per month for an apartment with central heating. Of course rent prices can fluctuate depending on the condition of the flat / studio.

On average a student will pay about 350euros for an unfurnished studio near the university plus 30euros / month for communal expenses. Do not forget to add the monthly cost of electricity, water, heating, telephone / internet, etc to this.

ALL IN prices for the organized student studios which offer all kinds of amenities and include electricity bills, water bills, heating, hot water, internet, laundry, gym, etc. can range from 390 to 460 euros per month for a furnished studio near the university. For the average student who wants to have the privacy of his own place, but also live the student life, this is the most economical option which also saves him the hassle and stress of dealing with the Greek public sector. One last advantage is that you can plan your budget ahead, as you know how much your living costs will be, so there will be no surprises at the end of the month …

4. Legal issues

In order to rent a private property you need to know the following:

If you are a EU citizen, you will need to get a Tax Registration Number (ΑΦΜ) from the local tax office. This is an easy procedure that takes 5 minutes and that only requires your passport. If you are a non-EU citizen you first need to get a residence permit and then get the above Tax Registration Number. This is absolutely necessary in order to legally rent a property in Greece.

If you stay at a hotel you need to know that you can not stay for more than 3 months.

If you rent a property, you have to sign a lease.

Do not accept to stay at rental rooms without signing a lease as this could get you in trouble. You need to know that it's illegal to stay anywhere without a lease, unless it is a hotel.

Always insist that the landlord hands you back a copy of the lease "stamped" by the tax office. It is not uncommon for landlords to rent properties without a lease or without an official "stamped" lease – this is illegal. Do not put yourself in a position where you could get in trouble. Always demand to sign a formal lease.

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Source by Christos Trampoukis

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Financial accounting and reporting can be challenging for many organizations, but for the world's largest home furnishings company this proved to be especially difficult at the end of the 20th century. IKEA, the Swedish-founded global furniture giant based in the Netherlands operates 280 retail stores in 26 countries, 29 trading offices in 25 countries, and 11 distribution centers in 16 countries. IKEA also owns and operates its own industrial supplier called Swedwood, which has 5 production units in 5 countries. Add to the mix over 1000 other suppliers across 55 countries and the framework is set for a truly global organization where the potential for growth is seemingly limitless, however at the same time it creates a complex global network where accounting information can be hard to manage.

IKEA has experienced solid sales growth every year since its first store opened in Almhult, Sweden in 1958, yet the company has just recently started to grow at a rapid pace. Since 2000, annual sales have more than doubled from 9.6 million euros to 23.1 million euros in 2010. IKEA is able to achieve these results for a number of reasons, such as its strong focus on supply chain management, raw material sourcing, cost management, manufacturing efficiency and economies of scale, and company-wide culture of frugality and doing things within small means. However, despite all of these strong attributes the success of any company is highly dependent on its ability to manage cash flow and financial information so that it can make strategic business decisions and drive future growth.

One often-overlooked aspect of a company's financial success is the quality of its accounting information systems. Because of its global nature, IKEA was forced to examine its financial system in the late 1990's due to euro compliance regulation and the Y2K threat. Roger Neckelius, IKEA's Chief Information Officer and other IKEA executives quickly realized that the company's myriad of antiquated accounting systems was inadequate for their short term goals of regulatory compliance and their long-term goals of a common, streamlined system that could be used across the IKEA world.

Ulrika Martensson, the Project Manager responsible for implementation of the replacement system began her search with certain criteria that had to be met, such as having one system for all of IKEA that was flexible enough to handle the different needs of the various business units and its users. The system would have to be capable of a quick implementation, and possess the ability to grow along with the company.

Martensson got everything she wished for when IKEA decided on Coda Financials from the United Kingdom, but was not quite prepared for the amount of work that was required to tailor their product to IKEA. The Coda system required that every type of financial transaction was "defined" such as payables and receivables. However, in a way this was a blessing in disguise because of IKEA's enigmatic and complex organizational structure. As mentioned earlier, IKEA has a vertically-integrated supply chain with numerous components all over the world. But it is also a privately-held company with a unique "ownership" structure. The IKEA Group is the group of companies within IKEA that handles the core elements of the business such as product research and development, production and distribution, and retail sales. The IKEA Group has a parent company called INGKA Holding BV, which in turn is owned by the Stichting INGKA Foundation, established by the IKEA's founder Ingvar Kamprad. Furthermore, the Stichting INGKA Foundation funds the Stichting IKEA Foundation, a Dutch charitable organization which supports humanitarian initiatives throughout the world. Because the Coda system was customizable, it allowed for a much easier conversion process for the variety of business units within IKEA.

Martensson also took advantage of the system's flexibility to solicit input from end users across IKEA and tailor the system to their needs. This is an ingrained part of the IKEA company culture – to work together and come to an agreement before making a decision. However, when it comes to financial information system standardization and compliance this democratic approach is not always ideal. Martensson admitted that she gave the users too much leeway and instead should have taken a firm stance that the users were required to adapt to.

Nonetheless, Martensson and her team made quick progress rolling out Coda to 12 countries over a 4 month period. They overcame differences in foreign banks automated payment systems, Europe's complicated VAT system, and the complexity of IKEA's organization itself to achieve their goal of a September 1st, 1999 go live date.

IKEA's journey in the late 1990's to switch over to a common financial system shows the effect of globalization and the need for companies to adapt in an ever-changing business environment. Not only did the successful implementation of CODA ensure regulatory compliance by IKEA, but it also enabled the company to be more transparent in terms of financial reporting throughout the organization. Executive management no longer had to extract information from the myriad of financial reports that existed prior to the CODA implementation; it had common information in a common format at its fingertips to help make sound decisions to secure the long term financial success of IKEA.

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Source by Steve J Cho

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This history is not only about a company, but about a Swiss engineer who had a vision. In 1976, Sergio Zappella established GSL, a company producing espresso coffee machines for home use mainly made for third parties.

Five years later, Sergio and Arthur Schmed, a Swiss engineer, created Saeco Srl with its registered office at Gaggio Montano in the province of Bologna. They decided to operate their business under a proprietary brand name and dedicated considerable time and resources to perfecting technology. The result was the production of the first fully-automatic espresso coffee machine in 1985. This innovation quickly became a major market success because of its broad implications for filling a void in consumer demand. The following year, Sergio Zappella and Giovanni Zaccanti established Cosmec SpA; SpA, same as Inc.; for the specific purpose of producing coffee machine parts and eventually prompted the Group to bring all production in-house.

In 1986, improvements were made to the management and control of the sales network for international expansion. From 1989-1993, Cosmec inaugurated production of various espresso coffee and automated vending machines.

In 1995 and 1996, Saeco began marketing its "climate" and "steam" products. In October of 1999, for global reorganization, Cosmec changed its name to the Saeco International Group and assumed the role of the holding company. In December 1999, the Group acquired the control of Gaggia SpA in USThe acquisition of Gaggia, a historical brand in the professional coffee machines sector, allowed Saeco to reinforce its position in this market segment and further increase its sales capacity.

In 2009, Saeco was the European leader in automatic espresso coffee machines manufacturing with a 30% market share. Saeco as a company designed, manufactured and distributed automatic, manual and capsule espresso coffee machines for home and professional use, both under its own brands, Saeco and Gaggia, or on behalf of third-party brands, OEMs and Lavazza. Saeco also manufactured beverage and snack vending machines. Saeco, headquartered in Gaggio Montano, Bologna, Italy, had around 1,400 employees. In March, they closed their doors with estimated sales of 318 million Euros.

On May 25, 2009, Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands, listed on four stock exchanges, announced that it has reached a binding agreement to acquire Saeco International Group SpA, the Italian-based leading espresso machine maker, which is controlled by PAI partners who have in-depth knowledge of its target markets.

Today, Sergio Zappella is Chairman, Giovanni Zaccanti is Vice Chairman and Arthur Schmed are Directors on the Executive Committee of Saeco International Group, which is part of Philips Saeco. Today, Philips Saeco continues to market the high quality Saeco espresso machines, coffee makers and accessory products.

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Source by Joyce Kaaland

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We sat and saw with bated breath the 'Drama of the Drachma' as Greece Prime minister Alexis Tsipras, looked for an 'honest compromise' for the mammoth debt restructuring for his country, while the country itself remained divided on whether they wanted to stay in the Eurozone or go with their own Drachma. The drama was akin to that of draconian landlords in India who not too long ago and perhaps still in some areas, held the noose on the farmers, tightening it every year and never letting them off as they argued for the repayment of their loans and the never ending interests.

The Looming Debt

Greece had been bailed out before and sought a new relief bailout in the backdrop of its looming debt.

On 2 May 2010, the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), later nicknamed the Troika, launched a € 110 billion bailout loan to rescue Greece from sovereign default and cover its financial needs throughout May 2010 until june 2013 conditional on implementation of austerity measures, structural reforms, and privatization of government assets. The relief as some called it, stemmed from the belief or rather the fear that 'Grexit' or removal of Greece from the Eurozone could spell disaster for the Euro and for the world economy.

In reality, the problem was more basic and internal than that. It was the problem of balance of payments. Clearly, the Greeks were spending more than they were supposed to, creating more domestic debt. In layman terms, the country was borrowing money to spend on keeping the economy afloat as the GDP loomed further. Was it wise on the part of the part of the government to keep spending at the same rate? Was it wise on the part of Troika to bail them out probably aware they would perhaps default on the payouts yet again as the economy was just not generating enough to keep them afloat?

On 5 July 2015 the Greek voters passed a referendum rejecting the terms of a bailout proposition with 61 percent voting 'No' against the austerity measures boosting the leftwing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stance to keep the country's pride. However, the rising debt which pushed the request for the bailout of 7.2 billion euro pushed them towards Eurozone instead of the Drachma, much against the ire of the local population who had faced the brunt of the previous austerity measures. Although Tsipras argued that the vote "is not a mandate of rupture with Europe, but a mandate that bolsters our negotiating strength to achieve a viable deal".

The deal struck after much negotiations entails:

• tax rise on shipping companies

• unifying VAT rates at standard 23%, including restaurants and catering

• phasing out solidarity grant for pensioners by 2019

• € 300m ($ 332m; £ 216m) defence spending cuts by 2016

• privatisation of ports and sell-off of remaining shares in telecoms giant OTE

• scrapping 30% tax break for wealthiest islands

In a nutshell Greece has created a T-Rex to kill the elephant.

Can this happen to us?

The larger question we all face is Can the Greece story be repeated? Can this happen to us? The answer is a simple and straightforward 'yes'. Yes it can. Although, debt in itself is not bad or odious if it is used for investment to generate future cash flow and positive return above the cost of debt. However, if we are spending more than we earn and borrow to sustain our consumption, we are increasing our debt without the assurance to pay it back. India has been given $ 16.83 billion as loans by IBRD in the year 2015 alone. As long as a country follows the conventional wisdom of not spending more than we earn it can save itself and the people of the country. Being prudent in money matters would only save the country from being run by its' creditors.

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Source by Madhulika Ra Chauhan