Where to keep your money

Where to keep your money

Most of us have heard stories about people keeping their money under the floorboards or in their mattress but this isn’t usually the best way to look after money. We need money to live our lives so it is important that we keep it somewhere that we can get hold of it but we also need to make sure it is safe.

People have worried about keeping their money safe throughout history. Rather than leaving it at home, the ancient Egyptians used to keep their gold in temples because they believed it would be safer. The temples were big, sturdy buildings that were never left unattended and they were also sacred, which meant it was less likely someone would steal from them.

Today, most of us choose to keep our money in banks or building societies. While we don’t see these as sacred they do have qualities similar to the ancient temples. Set up specifically to manage money, banks and building societies are considered safe places that are capable of keeping our money secure for us until we need it.  

What is the difference between 

a bank and a building society?

Banks
Banks are companies. They are usually listed on the stock market. This means that people and organisations can buy shares in banks. The shareholders own the banks but they don’t necessarily have accounts with them or use any of the other services that banks offer. Instead, the shares they have in banks are an investment. If the bank is successful financially, they will benefit from this success because the bank will pay them a dividend, which is a share of the earnings made by the company. So there is pressure on banks – and all other listed companies - to make money for their shareholders. If they don’t, their shareholders are likely to invest their money elsewhere.

Building societies
Building societies don’t have shareholders so they aren’t under the same pressure to make lots of money to pass on to them. Instead, building societies are mutual institutions. This means that most of the people who use their services are members of the building society who can vote on decisions that affect the society.

Building societies were first formed in the 18th century to help people save up to buy land so that they could build their own houses. They also lent money to people to help them buy their land sooner.  Later they began to accept savings deposits from people who did not necessarily want to buy houses. 

This all changed in the 1980s when the Government made some changes. It allowed banks to start lending mortgages and building societies to offer banking services.  Building societies were also able to demutualise if their members agreed, which meant they could change from building societies to banks. Many chose to do this and a number of the banks on our high streets today started off life as building societies.

The history of money (brief) for CPE-CAE's students

The history of money

As we have seen, money is basically a method of exchange, and coins and notes are just items of exchange. Tiny tools, axes and knives were used as items of exchange in China in the 10th century BC. Coins have been found in Lydia, now Turkey, dating from the 6th century BC. These quickly spread throughout the trading world as convenient items for barter and exchange.

Early coins were actually made of silver and copper and the metals were worth the value of the coin. In Athens in the 6th century BC there were silver coins and in China in the 4th century, copper coins were used.

These valuable coins had their disadvantages as people kept filing the sides for the precious metals!  To stop people doing this, governments used debased metals. Milled edges were introduced in Europe in the 17th century for the same reason, to stop people taking bits off the edge of the coin.

Paper money was introduced in China in the 9th century but didn't appear in Europe until the 16th century.

Paper money was issued as a promise note against deposits of gold, silver or money held in the bank.

If you look at a British bank note today, you'll see it still says:

I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of twenty pounds.

http://www.moneymatterstome.co.uk/1-What-Money-Is-and-Money-Exchange/Sub1/HistoryOfMoney.htm 

"How to write an Autobiographycal essay" by Scholarship junkies

Many scholarship applications – like most college applications – require an autobiographical essay, which is basically a personal statement that describes who you are. It gives the judges an idea of your background, your personality, your character – details about you that you can only describe in an essay (unless you have an interview).

Oftentimes, the prompts for these personal statements are worded like this: “Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.” To write a powerful and effective autobiographical essay, there are several key ideas to keep in mind.

CHOOSE A CONVINCING STORY AND FOCUS ON A THEME

When you choose the story to write about, think about unique experiences that make you who you are. If you’re thinking about writing about your short-term mission trip to Mexico or how you became your school’s student body president, keep in mind that students from all around the United States will be submitting unique and individual stories. Instead of writing about topics that are cliché or canned (like canned goods that are ready to be opened and used), think deeply into your experiences—what events throughout your life have shaped how you think and act today.

Ask yourself, “If there’s something about me that others would not know through my academics, extracurricular activities, and resume, what would that be?” Imagine sitting down with a scholarship judge or admissions counselor who asks, “If there is one thing you want me to know about you, what would that be?” You want your story to make sense and to capture your reader’s attention. Choose an aspect of your life that you want to focus on and shape your essay to reflect that theme. For example, if you have overcome tremendous hardship that has shaped your character, then focus on how your adversity helped build your character. Specifically, relate this event to the broader lessons of life so that the reader can better understand your development.

CAPTURE THE READER’S ATTENTION

The first step in actually writing the essay is to begin with a creative way of capturing the reader’s attention. Write in a style that you are most comfortable with. Some ways of writing your intro are by narrating a specific event from a first person point of view that reflects the theme of your essay or by describing a certain scenario from a third person point of view. Regardless of your approach, remember to end your intro with a sentence that leaves the reader excited to continue reading and learn more about you.

STRENGTHENING THE BODY

After a strong intro, the body of the essay continues to tell the story of your experiences. It takes the snapshot you present in the intro and supports it with necessary and specific detail. Don’t overwrite and include information that is irrelevant or wordy. Keep it simple and straightforward. The body of the essay should show – not tell – the story, meaning you should demonstrate your own personal growth and development through relevant examples. As you write, make sure to share how you felt so the reader can really see your character development. Emotions matter. Keep organization and logical sequence in mind as well. Judges take notice of your conventions and organization. As you move toward your conclusion, the tone of your writing should become more positive and optimistic. It should lead right into your conclusion.

CONCLUSIONS THAT CIRCLE BACK

If you want a nicely balanced essay, the beginning of your conclusion should put the cap on the story portion of your essay. It should emphasize a sense of hope in the context of your writing and demonstrate a positive change that continues into today. Following that, you might want to restate that it was “through this specific (you want to state it explicitly) experience” that you learned the specific lessons. Regardless of how, make sure to state specifically the lessons you learned and tie them into a big picture outlook. I have found it effective to use a powerful quote that relates to your theme and content, but this is, of course, a personal choice. Use the writing tips from Writer’s Block to craft a conclusion that resonates with the reader.

To complete the essay, tie back to the opening lines/event/experience in the intro to create a more cohesive and well-rounded essay. Your last sentence should reflect and state the most profound lesson you have learned throughout your experience and give the reader a sense of empowerment and awe. It should leave them thinking and pondering about their own lives, experiences, and struggles; yet, provide them with hope and optimism. A scholarship is an organization’s financial investment in you, so your essay should reflect why they would be investing their money wisely by awarding you the scholarship.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

It is natural to want to use large vocabulary words to flex your intellectual muscles; but, when you’re writing a personal statement about your life, it’s best to stay simple and straightforward. Avoid using five words where three will do. If you have to use a thesaurus, chances are the reader’s not going to know exactly what the words mean so stick with simple vocab. Just be yourself, not who you think the judges want you to be. Your personal statement is an autobiography that speaks about your life, your experiences, and your reflections, so remember to tell the truth. You don’t have to make up situations or add fluff to tell a poignant story. Remember, the essay is a marketing piece that tells judges why the scholarship organization should invest their money in you.

With that said, maintain a certain level of sophistication in your writing so that the judges recognize your skills. Don’t fall into a casual conversational tone, but keep in mind that your writing should reflect your voice. The reader should be able to see your personality in the essay through your style, tone, and voice. After you’ve written your autobiographical essay, remember to edit and revise your essay several times. Have your teachers, peers, and family read over it and give you feedback and suggestions for improvement. As always, feel free to email us through the For Students page if you’d like some help brainstorming or if you’d like a Scholarship Junkie to read over your essay and give you comments and feedback

Brought to you by Lucía :)

STARTING 2012 SCHOOL YEAR

Dear Students : Can you think of a better way of starting a school year than with a pinch of humour ? Hope you like them Alf, Pat, Yamila and Alex PARAPROSDOKIANS (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. 1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it. 2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list. 3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak. 4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong. 5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public. 6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left. 7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 8. They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't. 9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research. 10. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station. 11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks. 12. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.' 13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you. 14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. 15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman. 16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory. 17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. 18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with. 19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away. 20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. 21. You're never too old to learn something stupid. 22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. 23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. 24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. 25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. 26. Where there's a will, there are relatives. 27. You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else

MALVINAS ARE THEY ARGENTINE ?

'The Falklands are Argentine' By Daniel Schweimler Buenos Aires The Malvinas is viewed as part of Argentina's identity Twenty five years on from the invasion of the Falklands how do Argentines view the anniversary and do they still believe they have a claim over the islands in the South Atlantic Ocean they know as Las Malvinas? 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas - the Falklands are Argentine.' And for most Argentines they are and always have been. They have been claiming the islands since the British first settled there in 1833. Any map produced in Argentina indisputably includes the Falklands as national territory, the first thing any visitor sees when entering the country is a map of the islands and almost all Argentines, from an early age, know the words to the Malvinas March. So when the military government led by General Leopoldo Galtieri, sent troops to take the Falklands by force on 2 April 1982, tens of thousands of Argentines were on the streets to celebrate. We didn't live the pain and suffering of that time but we're living with the people who did Student Florencia It is difficult to find anyone now who will admit to being one of those flag-waving patriots - most now see the invasion as the last desperate act of a disgraced military government that had already murdered 30,000 of its own people. The shambolic organisation of the battle with Britain and the humiliating surrender two months after the invasion helped bring that government down and pave the way for a return to democracy. There is still anger they sent ill-trained, poorly equipped teenage conscripts into a war against a professional army, misleading the Argentine people throughout the conflict that they were winning the war. However, most Argentines do believe Las Malvinas son Argentinas. 'Dark period' A large part of today's population were born after the conflict but everyone still has a view. At the Lenguas Vivas School in central Buenos Aires, 17-year-old Juan Augusto says: "The war was unnecessary since the United Nations always supports Great Britain. It was Argentina against the world." Florencia, 17, adds: "We didn't live the pain and suffering of that time but we're living with the people who did." Jose Luis Ferreira survived the Belgrano sinking Dario said: "I'd like to meet the people who were attacked, to ask them how they feel today." Their classmate, Ayelen, is one of the few who disputes Argentina's claim to the islands. "They are so British we should not get them back," she said. "We lost them in 1833. The Malvinas represents a bad history here." The conflict with Britain came at the end of seven years of brutal military rule. It was a dark period in Argentine history which many afterwards found difficult to talk about. The returning soldiers were a painful reminder of a futile and costly military adventure. More than 600 died in the conflict. But a further 400 or so veterans have committed suicide in the past 25 years as they tried and failed to find a place in a society that wanted to forget them. HAVE YOUR SAY As an Argentine who was sent a draft notice I remember the conflict well JPW, Toronto Send us your comments It was a common sight in Argentina after the war to be approached on buses and trains by haggard young men in faded uniforms asking for loose change. Dr Enrique De Rosa, a psychiatrist who treated Falklands veterans, said: "There have been victims, we have to accept that. "These people have needs, social needs, they have no jobs, they don't have anywhere to live, they don't have any kind of social network to protect them and they don't have medical and psychological treatment. One of those veterans Jose Luis Ferreira, was 19 when he served on the cruiser, the Belgrano, sunk on 2 May 1982 by a British submarine, with the loss of 323 lives. He spent 24 hours in a leaking life-boat lashed by 10-metre high waves in a storm before being picked up. He works with veterans in the Buenos Aires suburb of Adrogue, helping them find a place in a society that is finally beginning to remember and take responsibility for the years of military rule and the war with Britain. "We asked the local government to create a department that deals with employment and health for the Malvinas veterans," he said. "Those have been the two main issues, especially because it is not a clinical matter but a psychiatric one." The Argentine government has set up a special committee to look at the issue and is asking the British government to negotiate. Britain will not do that until the islanders say that is what they would like. Symbolic significance Regular talks do take place on fishing rights, 20 or so Argentine scientists live and work alongside British colleagues on the islands and Argentine citizens can visit without a visa. President Kirchner will emphasise his country's peaceful claims Sporadic reports in the British media about increased Argentine aggression over the issue are met with incredulity in Buenos Aires. But it is still a sensitive issue. This is election year in Argentina and President Nestor Kirchner will strongly emphasise his country's peaceful claims to the Malvinas. No-one here will contradict him. Malvinas veteran Edgardo Esteban wrote about his experiences in a book 'Illuminated by Fire' which has been made into a film, shown in Argentina and Britain. "When you talk about Argentina you talk about Eva Peron, Gardel, Maradona and tango. "For us the Malvinas is part of that identity, it is a symbol, we learn about it at school from a very young age. "There is no town, no matter how small, that hasn't got a monument, a street, a square or a school called Islas Malvinas, or Malvinas Argentinas." The Malvinas issue has not gone away. It is being discussed in the media, President Kirchner's government is paying some attention to the veterans and the Argentine authorities continue to press their case in diplomatic circles. But most here recognise it is not a simple case of examining yellowing 19th century documents to ascertain who has the most valid claim. They realise exploration and fishing rights, national pride, international politics and the wishes of the Falkland islanders all play a part. Argentina has been waiting since 1833 to fly their flag over the Malvinas Islands and few expect that wait to end any time soon.

BACK TO SCHOOL

• OUR NEW   SCHOOL YEAR

For us school year  starts as early as January, since we must coach our applicants to UBA, LENGUAS VIVAS AND JOAQUIN V GONZALEZ . February has brough t already some students who are eager to start , so we have had new courses also in February. Now March

We are very happy to announce that REGULAR CLASSES  FOR THE 2012 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE DUE TO START ON MARCH 12TH for the early groups. Other groups will be starting the following week and then those APRIL LATECOMERS.

So we teachers are indeed  very keen on meeting you. If you have queries, please register at www.centroingles.com.ar  and well be glad to respond.

• NEW BRANCH 

This year  THE CEI C-65 has  a  NEW HOUSE  at WARNES 281  PARQUE CENTENARIO WE WISH TO WELCOME OUR NEW NEIGHBOURS .

Prof ALEJANDRO ALTIMIR will be in charge of your questions at WARNES  281. Please register   for timetables

• WE HAVE BEEN HONOURED with  being chosen as TEACHERS OF THE ARGENTINE ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS  ACILTHRA . 

This means dealing with over 200 companies,small and medium sized companies.

We  thank them for trusting our commitment with excelence , expect to meet their demands  and welcome them as our prospective students !!

See you at facebook, twitter and of course  at our premises ,

Yamila , Alfred, Alejandro, Ana, and Patricia

'We do not depend on any country, not even England,' Malvinas official

Dick Sawle, a member of the Malvinas Islands’ Legislative Assembly rejected the possibility of a greater economic integrity with Argentina and assured that the island “doesn’t need anything from any country, not even England,” although he admitted that they do rely on the UK for protection.
“When talking about the Malvinas, there are three parts involved in this: the British government, ours, which is a democracy and Argentina,” although Argentina only acknowledges the United Kingdom for negotiations.
“We are always willing to talk to Argentina about many issues except our sovereignty, because we want to continue with our self-determination and determine our own future. Our sovereignty is not negotiable,” he assured.
Speaking as a guest on a radio programme, the Malvinas official minimized the arrival of Prince William to the islands, second in line to the British Crown, and pointed out that his arrival, as well as the deployment of the destroyer ship HMS Dauntless to the South Atlantic archipielago “had been planned several months in advance.”
“There are things going on here all the time, such as Prince William doing his job as a helicopter pilot. If people want to read something else into that, then it is not true. And the HMS Dauntless is a type 45 ship replacing a type 42 one, which was already pretty old. Its deployment is normal and something like this happens in any modern military force,” he stated,
Sawle then rejected an eventual integration of the islands’ economy with Argentina's because “their economy is pretty strong.”
“We do not depend on any country, not even England, expect for their defence of the islands, necessary due to Argentina’s aggression in the past, which has continued since 1982,” he said.
Sawle mentioned several matters that both sides discussed in the past which allowed Argentine citizens to visit the islands with their passports in 1999 or their engaging in talks to protect the area’s natural resources, “but unfortunately Argentina only wants to talk about one thing: our sovereignty. And that is something we don’t want to negotiate.”
He said however, that the current diplomatic spat between Argentina and the UK is “nothing but a war of words.”
“Deep inside, I believe Argentina is a peaceful nation and the Government has always said that they do not want to aim their guns at us. I believe this is true. We are very peaceful people too and we don’t want any conflicts like the one we lived in 1982,” he stated.
After assuring that the islands’ administration would continue with their policy of granting permits for oil exploration, Sawle said that “most of the Malvinas population sees itself as islanders first and British second.”
“Deep inside, we’re all very British, and many tourists visiting us say we’re more British than the British. We have our own traditions and British traditions as well. We also have people from other countries living peacefully among us. People from Chile, Saint Helena and Argentina, who we have no problem with. There is no discrimination towards other nationalities,” he concluded.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald   FEB 7, 2012
Posted by Mateo Consagra