Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

"It [soup] is to a dinner what a portico or a peristyle is to a building; that is to say, it is not only the first part of it, but it must be devised in such a manner as to set the tone of the whole banquet, in the same way as the overture of an opera announces the subject of the work." ~ Grimod de la Reynière.

Reynière was right you know, given that most people will automatically condition their minds about the taste and quality of a meal depending solely on how good or bad the opening soup is. But not all soups are solely appetizers. Some soups are so filling in themselves that if you have them at the beginning of a meal, you'll not be able to eat the rest of the meal. For instance, I feel chicken noodle soups are exceptionally filling. Just a bowlful and you're done for at least 2-3 hours. Some chicken soup preparations can even substitute for dinner! Besides, from the preparation point of view as well, a basic chicken soup recipe is not at all difficult to make. So, just by the addition of noodles, as an ingredient, it cannot possibly become greatly difficult to prepare. So, let us see some such good and wholesome quick and easy chicken noodle soup recipes.

Homemade Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
A bowlful of warm chicken noodle soup can provide immense relief to people tolled down by a bout of violent cough and cold. So, it was fondly referred to as 'Jewish penicillin' by the people of the Ashkenazic Jewish culture. So, even you can churn this for your family and friends on a cold wintry night! You can even freeze homamade chicken noodle soup up, store it in the fridge and thaw and consume for a period of three months! For a cozy sixsome, you will need to have on you,

• Chicken, 3-4 pounds (cut into 4 pieces with fat)
• Egg noodles, 1 cup
• Carrots, 2 (medium, cleaned and cut breadth wise into ¼" chunks)
• Celery stalks, 1½ (sliced breadth wise into ¼" chunks)
• Onions, 1 (minced)
• Parsley, yield of 2 sprigs
• Thyme, yield of 1½ sprigs
• Chicken broth, 1 quart (low sodium variety)
• Water, ½ quart (chilled)
• Bay leaf, 1
• Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure
Heat the vegetable oil in a crock pot and throw in the carrots, celery stalks and onion. Sauté for round about 10-12 min minutes until the onion is all translucent. Next add the chicken pieces to it, along with the broth and then pour in enough water to submerge everything and yet have a 2"water layer on top. Now let is come to a thorough boil. You shall have to repeatedly remove the froth that keeps appearing on top and then throw in ¾ of the total parsley, the bay leaf and the thyme. Now decrease the flame to low and allow the broth to slowly boil for the next 1½ hours.

When you know that the chicken's fully cooked, remove it from the croak pot and allow it to cool. Spoon out the herbs as well as the bay leaf from the soup and also remove the oil and the fat from the chicken. Now move to boning and skinning the chicken pieces and then cube them into smaller chunks. Now initiate the noodles to the broth and start the flame again and allow the noodles to soften. Add the chicken chunks to the soup again and mizzle salt and pepper from top, as per the calls of your taste bids. Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley. Serve piping hot with soy sauce, green chili soaked vinegar and some chili sauce if you like.

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe for Kids
When all you chiquitas are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen and have a hungry, home bound kid to feed in just 30 minutes, concoct this totally awesome variety of chicken noodle soup! All you've got to gather is,

• Chicken breast, 1½ oz. (cooked and minced)
• Egg noodles, ¼ cup
• Chicken broth, 2/3 of a 14.5 oz. can
• Vegetable broth, 2 oz.
• Carrots, 2 tbsp. and 2 tsp. (finely slivered)
• Onion, 1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. (finely cut)
• Celery, 1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. (shredded)
• Butter, ½ tsp.
• Oregano herb, 1/8 tsp.
• Basil herb, 1/8 tsp.
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure
Heat the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onions and celery shreds in it for 5-6 minutes, until they soften. Add the broths to this, followed by the chicken chunks, the egg noodles, veggies, herbs and the seasoning. Bring it to a quick boil and then let it simmer for like 5-7 minutes or until you've got the desired consistency. Serve hot after garnishing with some fresh parsley choppings.

Finally, I shall give you my favorite and easy chicken noodle soup recipe. It's one of the four variations of the Tibetan noodle soup called Thukpa. While the three other types are called then-thuk, pathug and drethug, what I'll talk about today goes by the name of gya-thuk or noodle soup.

Gya-thuk or Tibetan Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
You can use beef, pork and mutton instead of chicken in this recipe as well. For a group of four hungry eaters, you must have in your kitchen counter,

• Chicken, 200 gm. (boneless and thickly shredded)
• Egg noodles, 400 gm. (cooked in salty water, drained)
• Chicken stock, 4 liters (clear and strongly flavored)
• Spinach, 200 gm. (finely sliced)
• Cabbage, 150 gm. (finely shredded)
• Scallions, 4 (finely chopped)
• Carrot, 1 (large and cut into thin slices breadth wise)
• Ginger root, ½" piece (minced)
• Garlic cloves, 4 (minced)
• Oil. 1½ tbsp.

Procedure
In a sauce pan, heat the oil and then throw in the ginger, garlic and the onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes and then throw in the chicken chunks. Keep stirring occasionally until the chunks are cooked and brownish in color. Mizzle salt and pepper to your preferable degree and the remove from the flame. Now in a crock pot, bring the both to a vigorous boil and then add the cabbage and carrot to it. The veggies must soften but yet be a little crisp on biting. Now add the spinach and stir for 2 minutes. Add some salt to this. Allow it to simmer and in the meantime segregate the noodles into 4 deep bottomed bowls. On this ladle out equal amounts of the meat fry and veggies. By now the broth will be thick and done, so, with the help of a big serving spoon, pour some broth into each bowl. Make sue that you slowly pour the broth from one single side of the bowl until it covers the noodles and the meat. Then gently cover the bowls for like 5 minutes and serve piping hot. Don't forget to blow before you gorge it down! Some people also add prawns and other sea yields to this.

So, their you have 3 pretty easy chicken noodle soup recipes that will not engage you in the kitchen for very long really. These recipes do pack in a lot of proteins from the meat and of course the goodness of the veggies. You can even initiate some twist by sprinkling a spoonful of cheese shavings from top. So, drink it up deeply and enjoy that swishing warmth spread over your body from the first mouthful itself!!!

A Guide to the Symbolism of Food at a Chinese Wedding

Forget the egg drop soup and the chicken chow mein. The food at a Chinese wedding is carefully chosen, because every morsel has a meaning. Even the number of courses is significant. The Chinese culture is one of the oldest and most complex on the planet. It seems that everything they do, and the way they do it, has depth and meaning. With almost 5,000 years of recorded history, the Chinese have had quite a while to learn what symbolism works and what doesn't, especially when it comes to couples starting their lives together. For example, a Chinese wedding feast always consists of eight courses. And we, as westerners, ask why? I found the answer through the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project.

The eight courses don't include dessert, and the reason for that particular number of courses? In Chinese, the word "eight" sounds like "good luck." Like most wedding receptions, the Chinese reception begins with appetizers, but they're somewhat different from what we're used to, like "dragon-phoenix" plates, which are cold platters serving sliced meats, jellyfish and a variety of nuts shaped like dragons and phoenixes. Lobster and chicken feet are served, too. Lobster in Chinese is literally "dragon shrimp" and they call chicken feet "phoenix feet." In a marriage, the male role is represented by the dragon and the female role by the phoenix, and together they represent yin and yang—the balance in a new relationship.

Here are a few (but not all) traditional Chinese wedding foods and their symbolism:

Shark's Fin Soup is usually served after the appetizers. Because shark's fin is a very expensive delicacy, the soup indicates wealth.

Next guests are treated to an assortment of entrees. Roasted pork, in the form of roast suckling pig, is a symbol of virginity. In fact, the groom gives a whole roasted pork to the bride's family at the engagement party.

A fowl dish like pigeon, squab or quail is also included. It is said the pigeon has tender meat, symbolizing peace. Most often, two pigeons are served to wish the newlyweds peace in their new life. Guest might be offered quail to express the hosts' wish for a peaceful life for everyone. Even fried chicken wishes the couple a "good life," because in Chinese, "red chicken" sounds like "good life."

Peking Duck and Lobster are meaningful favorites, also. To signify completeness, the duck and lobster are served whole (head, legs, etc.) Their red color is significant, because in Chinese culture, red is the color of happiness. That's why Chinese wedding dresses are red.

Because "fish" sounds like "plentiful" in Chinese, fish is often served to wish the couple a life of abundance. Crustaceans like crab, are served whole, again to assure completeness.

A variety of vegetables is served with sea cucumber - a sign of selflessness - because sea cucumber in Chinese sounds like "good heart," and the hope is that this dish will encourage the couple to avoid conflict by embodying a good heart.

It's believed that desserts, like sweet red bean soup and sweet buns wish the couple a sweet life. To wish the newlyweds a hundred years of togetherness, the hot bean soup should have lotus seeds and bak hop (a bark-like vegetable.) Lotus paste in sweetened steamed bread symbolizes fertility.

You'll usually find tea, alcohol, and believe it or not, 7-Up at a Chinese wedding banquet. Tea is a sign of respect, alcohol celebrates the occasion, and in Chinese, 7-Up sounds like "seven happiness." Clearly, all the symbols are not ancient, but like "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue," Chinese wedding symbols give the newly married couple a meaningful start in life.
Asian Themed Wedding Favors
Planning an Asian wedding? Our unique selection of favors are perfect for a Chinese wedding.

A Beginners Guide - Getting To Know Various Chinese Cooking Techniques

Stir-Frying

A popular Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. Normally, meat and vegetables are cut in thin strips uniformly for even cooking. Some long thin vegetables such as carrots, asparagus and spring onions are sliced diagonally to expose more of their surface for quick cooking. Measure the ingredients accurately such as sauces and other liquids and if all of them are added at the same instance, you can mix them all in a small bowl.

Stir the corn flour properly before adding it if it is included in the ingredients. As you start cooking, make sure that you evenly spread the oil in the wok and it should be hot before putting the ingredients to prevent the food from getting oily. The key to this is to toss properly to ensure that no ingredients get burned. Always check on your recipe book for the series of ingredients to be added.

Deep Frying

In deep frying, you can use wok but less oil is needed in this case. Prevent the food from getting greasy by heating the oil adequately. You will know if it’s already hot enough because it bubbles when you drop some bits of ingredients. The food that you will deep fry should be first dried well enough on kitchen paper or drained before cooking to prevent it from splitting.

Shallow Frying

Using a normal frying pan, this is just like the Western technique. From one side, fry the food and then keep it drained from excess oil before adding in the sauce.

Steaming

Simmer 2 inches of water when you use a plate in wok or bamboo steamer. You don’t need to use a rack if the bamboo steamer is large enough to stay on the sides of wok without dipping in the water. But if the bamboo steamer is small, you can put a rack into the wok and put the steamer or plate evenly to balance. Put a lid to cover the steamer or wok and occasionally check if you still need to add water (hot water should be used).

Braising

Braising is all about subtle cooking of meat and vegetables in a flavored stock as with the Western style of cooking. The technique that involves braising food in dark-colored liquid like soy sauce giving it a brown or red color is termed as red-braising.

Lastly, serve your delicious Chinese cuisine on the Chinese dining table. Learn more for free.

Why is Culture Important

Culture is that invisible bond, which ties the people of a community together. It refers to the pattern of human activity. The art, literature, language and religion of a community represent the community’s culture. Culture manifests itself through the lifestyle of the individuals of a community. The moral values of the people of a community also represent their culture. The importance of culture lies in its close association with the living of the people. The different cultures of the world have brought in diversity in the ways of life of the people inhabiting different parts of the world. You might want to know about the characteristics of culture.

Culture is related to the development of one’s attitude. One’s culture plays an important role in shaping the principles of the individual’s life. The cultural values of an individual have a deep impact on his/her attitude towards life. According to the behaviorist definition of culture, it is the ultimate system of social control where people monitor their own standards and behavior. A community’s culture lays the foundation of the living of its people. The cultural values serve as the founding principles of one’s life. They shape an individual’s thinking and influence his/her mindset.

Why is culture important? It is definitely because it gives an individual a unique identity. The culture of a community gives its people a character of their own. Culture shapes the personality of a community. The language that a community speaks, the art forms it hosts, its staple food, its customs, traditions and festivities comprise the community’s culture. The importance of culture cannot be stressed enough as it is an integral part of living. For those of you interested in exploring the different cultures of the world, here is your guide to world culture and heritage.

What are the Elements of Culture

There are different types of cultures across the world and each culture has its unique essence. While defining the term ‘culture’, there are several elements that together constitute as the culture of a particular region or the culture of particular people. What are the elements of culture? Here is your answer:

    * Language: The various languages are essentially an important part of the culture. Read information about different languages.
    * Norms: Every society or every civilization has a set of norms, which are an inseparable part, and an important element of the culture. This can include the folkways, mores, taboos and rituals in a culture.
    * Values: The social values of a particular civilization are also considered as an element of the culture. The values of a culture often refer to the things to be achieved or the things, which are considered of great worth or value in a particular culture.
    * Religion and Beliefs: The religion and the beliefs of the people in a civilization play an important role in shaping up of the culture as well. Read information about world religions.
    * Social Collectives: Social collectives refer to the social groups, organizations, communities, institutions, classes, and societies, which are considered as symbolic social constructions.
    * Statuses and Roles: A status or a social role is nothing but a slot or position within a group or society, which gives an overall idea of the social structure and hence is an important element of culture. This can also include traditional gender-based or age-based roles.
    * Cultural Integration: This includes the degree of harmony or integration within the various elements of culture. This can include elements like sub-cultures, local cultures and the difference between historical and cultural traditions.

What is Culture

Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future - Albert Camus

Culture is an integral part of every society. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. However, these are only the products of culture followed by the society and cannot be defined as culture.

According to English Anthropologist Edward B Taylor, culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Culture is something that a person learns from his family and surroundings, and is not ingrained in him from birth. It does not have any biological connection because even if a person is brought up in a culture different from that in which he was born, he imbibes the culture of the society where he grows up. It is also not a hidden fact that some people feel the need to follow the beliefs and traditions of their own culture, even though they might be not subscribing to certain ideologies within.

Culture is a complex tool which every individual has to learn to survive in a society. It is the means through which people interact with others in the society. It acts in a subconscious way and whatever we see and perceive, seems to be normal and natural. Sometimes, other societies and people seem to be a little odd because they have a different culture from ours. We must remember that every society has a distinct culture that forms the backbone of the society. Culture does not remain stagnant, on the other hand it is evolving constantly and is in fact somewhat influenced by the other cultures and societies.

Every society has a different culture, where people share a specific language, traditions, behaviors, perceptions and beliefs. Culture gives them an identity which makes them unique and different from people of other cultures. When people of different cultures migrate and settle in another society, the culture of that society becomes the dominant culture and those of the immigrants form the subculture of the community. Usually, people who settle in other nations imbibe the new culture, while at the same time strive to preserve their own.

Although every society has a specific culture, there are certain elements of culture that are universal. They are known as cultural universals, in which there are certain behavioral traits and patterns that are shared by all cultures around the world. For instance, classifying relations based on blood relations and marriage, differentiating between good and bad, having some form of art, use of jewelry, classifying people according to gender and age, etc., are common in all cultures of the world.

Some people believe that humans are the only living beings who have a culture. But, there is a group of people who believe in the existence of culture even in animals. It is said that animals have certain social rules which they teach their young ones as a medium for survival.

Culture is necessary to establish an order and discipline in the society. It is not only a means of communication between people, but also creates a feeling of belonging and togetherness among people in the society.

Traditional Jewish Wedding Dance

Last week, I got an opportunity to witness a Jewish wedding. It was simply amazing! The most fascinating thing about the Jewish wedding is that it follows a series of meaningful rituals and traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. These rituals and customs reveal the purpose of marriage and are symbolic of the relationship between husband and wife. The Jewish wedding ceremony is truly worth watching. It starts with a procession, in which the family members of the bride and the groom participate. The wedding ceremony takes place under a special canopy, known as a huppah. Signing the marriage contract, called the Ketubah, is an important ritual of a Jewish wedding ceremony. The agreement states the duties and expectations of the chatan (groom) and the kallah (bride). The wedding ceremony is followed by a joyous celebration, called a wedding reception. The true charm of Jewish wedding lies in various interesting cultural activities that are performed during the wedding reception. The wedding celebration is never complete without music and traditional Jewish dance.

Traditional Jewish Wedding Dances

Music and dance are an integral part of a Jewish culture. Singing and dancing are a perfect way to express pleasure and happiness. Some examples of traditional Jewish dances are horah, mizinke (krenzl), Israeli folk dance, bulgar, broiges dance and yemenite. Jewish dances are performed at various Jewish festivals and celebrations. The Jews have included their traditional dances as a vital part of wedding celebrations. Even in the modern times, Jews perform wedding dances during the marriage ceremony to pay homage to their traditions. The couple usually prefer to hire a Jewish band that is familiar with traditional as well as contemporary Jewish wedding music. By ritual, the wedding couple (bride and groom) are the first to dance and the guests are invited to participate. Following are some of the popular traditional Jewish wedding dances:

    * Horah: It is a popular traditional Jewish dance, performed at special occasions like weddings and festivals in Israel and many other East European countries. Horah is a circle dance, performed to traditional Jewish songs like Hava Nagila and Klezmer. The Horah dance is performed in many variations. During the Horah, the guests lift the bride and the groom (considered as 'the king and the queen of the night') above their shoulders. While sitting on the chairs, the couple holds on to the ends of a handkerchief. The guests form a huge circle around the couple and dance in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. They perform various foot movements like kicks and other grapevine-like steps. This is accompanied by bopping up and down as well as weaving. The circle of dancers come in close to the couple and go out again.
    * Mezinke Tanz (Krenzl): It is another famous Jewish wedding dance, performed particularly at the wedding reception. It is derived from the Krenzl dance. Krenzl is a Jewish custom: the bride's mother is honored by a crown at her last daughter's marriage. The bride's mother sits at the center of a circle. She is crowned with flowers and her daughters and guests dance around her on the rhythm of a lively music band. Mezinke Tanz is performed in honor of both parents, whose last son or daughter is getting married. Both parents sit at the center of a circle and the guests gift them wedding flowers.
    * Gladdening of the Bride: This traditional Jewish wedding dance form is performed at the end of the wedding reception. The bride sits at the center of dance floor and the guests and close family members dance around her. They also sing praises about her.
    * Yemenite: A popular Jewish dance that the Jews perform at weddings and other occasions, the Yemenite involves just three steps with a small pause on the last one. It has non-moving hopping and posturing and hence, can be performed in confined space.

Lively, traditional Jewish wedding dance is a symbol of a rich cultural heritage of the Jews. It gives a ceremonial touch to the atmosphere and makes the wedding and reception ceremony enjoyable and a memorable one.

US Culture of the 1950s

The '50s were an eventful decade in American cultural history.

Arts
African American artists like Romare Bearden and Henry Clay Anderson presented a different view of American life. Abstract expressionism was the first American art movement to gain worldwide influence. Its proponents included Barnett Newman, Franz Kline and Clyfford Still. Figurative art returned.

Literature
Published works included ‘The Wall’ by John Hershey, ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D.Salinger and ‘The Naked Lunch’ by Williams Burroughs. Beatniks and the beat generation reached their peak in the '50s.

Television
Sales of television sets increased dramatically in the '50s. Watching television became a national pastime. It became more popular than radio. Advertising increased manifold. Broadcasts that were earlier in black and white, later moved on to color. TV influenced people on a massive scale. The popular television shows for kids were ‘Mickey Mouse Club’, ‘Walt Disney’, ‘Lassie and ‘Howdy Doody Time’. The popular comedy shows were ‘The Families of the Fifties’, ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘The Honeymooners’. The popular drama shows were ‘Private Everywhere’, ‘Superman’, ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘The Dragnet’. ‘American Bandstand’ hosted by Dick Clark was one of the popular shows for teenagers. Sitcoms were introduced in the '50s. News broadcasting changed from newsreaders simply reading the news to videos of news events. Live broadcasting became more common. There were Quiz shows like ‘What’s My Line’ and ‘The Price is Right’. There were prominent newscasters like CBS’s Walter Cronkite and NBC’s David Brinkley and Chet Huntley. For the first time the Miss America Pageant was televised.

Films
The first 3-D movie 'Bwana Devil' was released starring Robert Stack. The famous movie stars of the '50s were Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne and Bing Crosby. The movie ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ was extremely popular and well received. The Walt Disney Studios had a widespread success with animated films like ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Lady and the Tramp’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Cinderella. ‘All About Eve’ was released. James Dean, movie star of ‘Rebel without a Cause’ was killed while driving his car at high speed. Classics like ‘Ben-Hur’, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘Hercules’ and ‘The Ten Commandments’ were released. Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ was released. Many movies were released with the Cold war as a backdrop or were based on science fiction.

Music
Rock ‘n' Roll was introduced. It was regarded as a threat to the character of America’s youth. Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term ‘Rock ‘n' Roll’. Western and Country music were also popular. Popular artists and groups were Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Comets, Doris Day and Dean Martin. Some of the popular songs of the '50s were ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘I Saw Mommy Kissin’ Santa Claus’, ‘Mr Sandman’, ‘Its All in the Game’, ‘Kisses Sweeter Than Wine’, ‘Doggie in the Window’ and ‘My Happiness’. Elvis Presley was the musical superstar of the 50’s. It is claimed that Elvis bought the races together with his popularizing of ‘black’ music. With the introduction of new gadgets such as portable tape recorders, music could be heard in any location. Three rock and roll stars ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash. Crooners like Perry Como and Dinah shore were popular. The music of the '50s is still played today.

Drama and Theatre
Popular plays were ‘Come Back Little Sheeba’, ‘The King and I’, ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘The Crucible’ and ‘the Bad Seed’. The ‘Cat on a hot Tin Roof’ won the Pulitzer Prize.
‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ was one of the most emotionally charged plays of the '50s. Alvin Ailey created the American Dance Theatre.

Fashion
The fashion was conservative in the fifties. Ponytails were popular among girls and crew cuts for guys. Bermuda shorts became popular. The Marlon Brando movie ‘The Wild One’ made T-shirts and black leather motorcycle jackets popular. Women’s skirts and hair became shorter. Marilyn Monroe made tight, v-neck sweaters popular. Pantyhose were introduced in the American market.

The '50s saw an emergence of several new trends. It was indeed a novel and exciting time for American culture. Some of its facets still exist in modern society.

Traditional German Clothing

Fashion trends now-a-days are on similar lines all over the world. Germany may not be recognized as an important fashion destination but fashion did have a significant role to play out here. German fashion is known by their classic style of dressing. Germany also boasts of some creative fashion designers as well. Of course, the scene today is quite different from the traditional German clothing. In the olden days, colors also had an important part to play as far as German clothing was concerned. Have you ever wondered what traditional German clothing was really like? Was fashion as liberated as we see it today? Get to know all the know-how about traditional German clothing right here.

Traditional German Clothing:

Dirndl:
A dirndl is a traditional dress, which was worn in the Southern area of Germany. Originally, the dirndl is a simplified version of the folk costume. The dirndl was actually the uniform of the Austrian servants. This was during the 19th century. In the ancient days, every village even had its own particular style of this dress.

The dirndl comprises of many garments that makes up the entire outfit. This has a bodice, which is worn with a blouse, a full skirt and even an apron. The ancient days saw many simplistic designs of the dirndl. Today, one can come across many expensive versions of the same. This traditional German outfit was styled into a heavier design for the winter days. In such cases, materials such as thick cotton or even wool were used for the skirts or even the aprons.

The dirndl is worn today only for traditional events. In the earlier days, the dirndl was often in softer colors as compared to the brightly colored outfits one may see today. The designs available today are also modified to suit the modern trends. A knot on the apron of the dirndl is considered to be a symbol to indicate that the woman is married.

Lederhosen:
The lederhosen mean leather trousers in German. These are knee breeches and were worn by the Germanic men of the Alpine areas and the surrounding locales as well. The lederhosen are made of leather. This traditional style of German clothing was also worn by young German boys till the age of 16. As compared to the traditional Bavarian garment, the lederhosen were less decorated in these cases. It always had features such as the suspenders and the front flaps. The lederhosen were worn in the mountains of South Germany and were preferred by riders or hunters.

Tracht:
Traditional German clothing cannot be complete without the mention of tracht. The style of the traditional tracht has even resulted in the creation of the Landhausmode. Landhausmode sees its influences from the costumes that were worn by the farmers and the peasants. For this outfit, there is major use of linen and loden material.

Gamsbart:
The Gamsbart is also a part of traditional German clothing. The Gamsbart is actually a tuft of hair that is used as a form of a decorative element. This is worn on the trachten hats. Here, the lower end of the hair is set into metal and the upper portion tufts out like a brush. As per the old traditions, these were placed only on hats. Even today, the Gamsbart is used as a part of clothing and is infused in female clothing as well.

It was probably only till the 16th century that people who belonged to the lower strata of society had to wear shades of brown or gray. In fact, clothes in shades of blue were worn only on holidays. When the industrial revolution took place in the middle of the 19th century, factory made outfits started to conquer the markets. Even then, the end of the 19th century saw a revival of these native dresses. This can be seen in the modern styles of dirndls that are found today in the market.

The Culture of Taiwan

Taiwan means 'terraced bay' and this name was given by the Chinese immigrants, who landed on the island 300 years ago. They heard the natives calling out the word 'Taiwan' and assumed the name of the island to be Taiwan. Taiwan is also called 'Formosa' (meaning beautiful island) and this name was given by the Portuguese sailors in the 1600's.

Taiwan is a collection of many islands and is shaped like a tobacco leaf (narrow from both ends). It is situated 120 km of the southeastern coast of mainland China. To its north are Japan and Okinawa, and Philippines to its south.

People

Taiwan has been an island that opened its arms to immigrants of different religions, nationalities and cultures. Today, Taiwan houses a population of almost 23 million people, of which a majority correspond to Han Chinese (descendants of the immigrants from several territories of China). Han Chinese are divided into three types: Taiwanese, Hakka, and Mandarin on the basis of language spoken by them. Besides the Chinese, Taiwan is also dabbled with Dutch, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese. Most of the people in Taiwan reside in the cities, thereby making Taiwan one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

Aborigines: According to most anthropologists, the original inhabitants of Taiwan belonged to Malaya-Polynesian ancestry (coming from North Luzon in Philippines). These aborigines influenced the country's culture considerably with their artistically constructed houses and beautifully embroidered clothes. In the 1600s, the Han Chinese (natives of China) migrated in large numbers to Taiwan, and overshadowed the ab original inhabitants by their huge numbers and through intermarriage. Today, about nine aboriginal tribes exist, constituting two percent of Taiwan's population and happen to live in the remote mountainous terrains of Taiwan. The aboriginal people are physically more well built and darker in complexion as compared to the Han Chinese.

Language: The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese which is spoken as the mother tongue by majority of the people. Hakka and Taiwanese Chinese are the other popular languages in the country. English is the most popular foreign language which has been included in the school curriculum.

Cuisine

The integration of different cultures into Taiwan is reflected in its cuisine as well. Compilation of different cuisines of different regions has given birth to the unique culinary culture of Taiwan. Noodles, soups, shrimp rolls, etc are some of the most relished and popular meals in the country. Rice and soy are widely eaten across Taiwan. Rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, etc are commonly used seasonings in Taiwanese dishes.

Sea food and Meat: Fish and meat play a significant role in Taiwan's cuisine and are common in festive dishes. In the fish category, various crustaceans, fishes (tuna, grouper), cuttlefishes and squids are amongst the most commonly relished. In the meat category, pork is widely eaten, however, beef is not as popular in the country. The Buddhist Taiwanese refrain from beef, since they disapprove the slaughter of animals used for agriculture. However, surprisingly the Taiwanese beef noodle soup is very popular despite this traditional belief.

Tea: Taiwan was introduced to tea by the Chinese immigrants, not just as a beverage but also as an ingredient that possessed medicinal properties. Tea trees of Taiwan are known to produce some of the best teas in the world. Even though the Chinese are responsible for introducing tea to Taiwan, the method of tea preparation for the Chinese and Taiwanese are different. Tea making in Taiwan is considered as an art and the standard of tea prepared is based on the elegance of the aroma, purity of taste and clearness of tea color.

Customs, Etiquettes and Lifestyle

Communication Style: People in Taiwan have high regards for contextual understanding and consider brief, abrupt messages as rude and impolite. They give and expect deep, broad contextual messages to gain better understanding of the core message, blended with gestures and facial expressions. People from countries where context is not given much importance have to be careful in this regard.

Dining Customs: The Taiwanese entertain their guests at home only when they build a relationship with a person. Until then, they entertain their guests at restaurants, etc. Chopsticks are used to eat with and are returned to the chopstick rests after every few bites, while drinking and while speaking. The food is usually served on revolving trays and only after the host starts eating the guests begin. There is no hard and fast rule about finishing the food in the plate. In fact, if one is done with the meal one must leave a little at the bottom to indicate so.

Gifting Etiquettes: Chinese New Year, birthdays, weddings and funerals are occasions when gifts are given. Food baskets, good quality wines, etc are popular gift items, however, items such as scissors, knifes and other cutting devices are not gifted as they symbolize severing of relationships. Further, items such as clocks, handkerchiefs, white flowers and straw sandals are also not given as they correspond to funerals. The gifts are not wrapped in black, white or blue, instead, vibrant colors such as red, yellow and pink are used.

Greeting Etiquettes: Greetings are formal and the oldest person is greeted first. Usually the Taiwanese people look towards the ground while greeting as a sign of respect. Handshakes are used to greet foreigners. The rhetorical question, 'Have you eaten?' is a frequently asked question while greeting.

Religion, Values and Beliefs

Religion: Taiwan is a country which is highly diversified not only in terms of food and people, but also in terms of religion. Since Taiwan respects other faiths, a variety of religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Daoism, Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity,etc are practiced of which Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are most prevalent.

Beliefs: Hell bank note tradition, which is a Chinese tradition is also followed in Taiwan. Hell Bank note is a special form of paper money, which is burnt as an after-life ancestral offering. The living send their dead ancestors money in the form of hell notes to spend in their afterworld. The denominations of these hell notes range from $10,000 to figures as outrageous as $500,000,000. These notes may appear as superstitious items to other people, however, to the Taiwanese these notes are very significant. Hell notes are not given as gift items nor are they given to living people (even if its a practical joke), since hell notes symbolize death.

Values and Ethics: The values and ethics of the people of Taiwan, are based on the teachings of the Chinese thinker and social philosopher, Confucius. Confucianism advocated ancestral worship and the practice of rituals. It also emphasized on the obligations people had towards one another, along with ample stress on loyalty, responsibility, filial piety, respect for elders and etiquette of daily behavior. Since the people of Taiwan follow these principles as guidelines, they are seen to treat people around them with respect and dignity. They are team players and are known to set aside their personal grudges for the benefit of the group.

Festivals

Every country has festivals that it celebrates with exuberance and vigor. Taiwan also has a list of festive occasions it takes pride in, of which music and dance are crucial parts. Informal folk music such as Hoklo, instrumental music, Pop and Rock and Taiwanese operas are quite popular. Group dances are common during rituals and ceremonies. Some of the festivals celebrated are:

Chinese New Year Festival (January / February) : It is the longest and the most important festival celebrated in the country. It's the time when the people of Taiwan are seen to purchase gifts, clothes,etc. All sorts of debts are seen to be cleared during this time. Sumptuous meals and fireworks also accompany this festival.

Lantern Festival (February / March): People are found carrying colorful lanterns with calligraphic inscriptions, across the city. This tradition is followed to ensure good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Tomb sweeping Day (April / May): Ancestral worship is given prime importance in Taiwan, and Tomb sweeping day is the day set apart for worshiping and honoring the dead. Families visit the graves of their dead relatives, clean the graves and offer sacrifices.

Dragon Boat Festival (May/June): There was a famous Chinese poet (403-221 B.C), whose integrity was nailed by rivals. The king lost trust in him, thus in despair the poet drowned himself. The villagers had high regards for the poet and rushed to his rescue in boats but in vain. Large quantities of rice was dropped into the water with the hopes that the fishes would eat the rice instead of the poet. To commemorate the poet's death, boat races are held and rice dumplings are eaten on this day.

Chinese Valentine's Day (July/August): People in Taiwan go to the temple of the matchmaker and offers prays for their love-life and marriage.

Ghost Festival (August / September): The Ghost festival commences on the first day of the seventh lunar month and is marked by unlocking the tower gate of the 'Old Venerable' temple. It is believed that from this day onwards the spirits of the dead come to the world of the living and stay for an entire month. The Taiwanese set out lavish sacrifices, exotic food offerings, etc to ensure that the dead have a pleasant visit. The month of the festival is considered to be unfavorable to travel and to conduct any marriage or funerals.

Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October): This festival is marked by the presence of a round full-moon which is considered to be a symbol of joy and happiness. Family re-unions are common during this time.

Any time during the year is suitable to visit Taiwan. However, during the Chinese New Year, several shops on the island are closed and accommodation rates doubled. On the contrary, during the Ghost festival month, since traveling is considered a taboo, the cost of moving around is less and is an appropriate time to visit. The weather in October and November is cool and pleasant and is also a swell time to pay a visit.

The Culture of Peru

In one of her quotes, Margaret Mead, who was an American anthropologist, says that understanding other cultures should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate lovingly, our own. Lets understand the culture of Peru. Peruvian culture is a conglomerate of characteristic traits, which depict a particular society or a social group. It was shaped by the relationship between Hispanic and Amerindian cultures.

Peru, located on the western coast of South America, shares its borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. The Pacific Ocean guards it from the West. Lima, its capital, is the largest city in Peru. Peru varies greatly in climate and topography. The arid region along the coast, a region of high mountains in the center, and a large area of forested mountains and lowlands in the east form the three geographical regions of Peru. Geography of a country influences its culture, and this is evident even in Peru. The culture of Peru is one of the most diverse in South America.

Peruvian culture encompasses art, literature, traditions of Peru and also the Peruvian lifestyle. Diversity is at its best in Peru! Culture of Peru is primarily ingrained in Amerindian and Spanish traditions. African, Asian, and European ethnic groups have influenced Peruvian culture.

Art
Peru is known as the heart of Inca Empire. Peruvian artistic traditions can be traced back to Pre-Inca cultures. The Incas kept up these crafts. The construction of Machu Picchu illustrates the architectural achievements made by Incas. Colonial art was dominated by Baroque. Most art focused on religious subjects during this period. Jose Sabogal headed the indigenous school of painting, which dominated the cultural scene in Peru, for ten years after 1932. During the 1960s, Fernando de Szyszlo, a Peruvian artist of international recognition, became the main promoter for abstract painting and helped in modernizing Peruvian art. Peru is proud of one of the largest varieties of arts and crafts in the world. Peruvian art has combined with the art style brought by the Spanish conquistadors resulting into an art form called Naif. Young artists are encouraged by Peru’s economy.

Literature
Peruvian literature has originated from the oral traditions of pre-Columbian civilizations. Spaniards initiated writing in the 16th century. 20th century was witness to writers like Ciro Alegria, Jose Maria Arguedas, and Cesar Vallejo. Mario Vargas Llosa, during the second half of the century, made Peruvian literature popular. Today many Peruvian writers are living in the USA.

Dance and Music of Peru
Marinera is known as the "National Dance of Peru". There are also dances that are associated with the agricultural work, hunting and war. Some dances show an influence of Christians. "Kashua" and the "Wayno" are two representative Andean dances. Kashua is usually danced in groups whereas Wayno is danced in couples. Peru has some dances of war like the Chiriguano and also the Carnival Dances. Dances of ritual character are the Achocallo, the Pinkillada, and the Llamerada. Llama is a South American camelid. Llamerada imitates its walk. The local community of Peru has preserved Peruvian music for thousands of years. It is a blend of Andean and Spanish styles of music. Ancient Peruvian instruments were made out of a wide variety of materials like conch shells, precious metals, horns or mud. The yaravi and the triste of the Andean origin are generally songs with emotional lyrics.

Celebrations in Peru
Peru celebrates about 3,000 festivals every year. Most of them are related to the Christian religion. Apart from Christmas, Corpus Christi or Holy Week, there are other festivals, which attempt to analogize indigenous beliefs with the Christians. "Alasitaswhich" combines a crafts and miniatures fair with dances and meals.

Cuisine in Peru
A variety of foods are eaten in Peru, the main ingredients of the food items being maize, tomatoes and potatoes. Fruits like chirimoya, lucuma and pineapple are consumed by the Peruvians. One of the typical Peruvian dishes is "ceviche", in which fish are marinated in citrus juice. The food of the Peruvians is accompanied by a refreshing drink called "chicha de jora".

People of Peru
In the words of Francis Arinze, an African prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Religion is one dimension of culture, a transcendent element of it. Peru's constitution provides for freedom of religion. Peru is mainly a Catholic country. Roman Catholicism plays a vital role in the culture and civilization of Peru. It is Peru’s official religion. Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism are the other religions found in Peru. Over 50% of Peru's population lives on the coastal areas of Peru, Others live in the mountain areas. Less than 5% of the inhabitants live in the jungle areas of Peru. Around 45% of the people of Peru are indigenous, and around 37% are mestizo. The national language is Spanish. Quechua is also spoken. Cusco is seen as the cultural capital of Peru by many. On an average, 92% of the Peruvian men and about 79% of the Peruvian women are literate.

Modern culture of Peru is a combination of the ancient and the contemporary! In spite of the globalization, Peruvians of today have not forgotten their traditions. They cherish their cultural diversity.

The Culture of Philippines

Philippines is a really beautiful country that sees a mix of diverse cultures. The culture of Philippines has seen various influences in the past. This beautiful country consists of around 7,107 islands with a large settlement of mostly Malay people. The Filipinos, as the people over here are known, are distinctive in many ways and have preserved their rich traditions and culture. Here, we shall take a look at the finer aspects of the culture of Philippines.

The Culture of Philippines: Family and Lifestyle
With over 70 million people, the Republic of Philippines has a mixed crowd that consists of different religions and people from various regions. One can see a mix of Christians and Muslims. The Chinese, Americans and Spanish lot are also spotted and Christianity is widely practiced out here. The Filipinos hold family ties in high regard. Discipline is instilled in the blood of young Filipinos at an early age. Nuclear families are a common factor out here although many Filipinos do stay close to each other. Families are rather conservative in their outlook and it is considered inappropriate when a female visits the house of a male. The people of Philippines are bound together by strong values.

The Culture of Philippines: Cuisine
The cuisine of Philippines is as varied and diverse as the culture in itself! One can see an array of food items being prepared apart from the traditional flavor of Philippines. The Chicharon is a popular snack in the Philippines. This is deep fried pork or chicken dish. Apart from this, the bibingka which is a rice cake and the ensaymada which is a sweet roll is also popular as a snack item. The lechon which is a whole roasted pig is also a popular food dish in the cuisine of Philippines. Filipinos love to gorge on pescado - a fried fish dish, pinakbet – vegetable stew, puto-rice cakes and pan de sal – salted rolls of bread.

The Culture of Philippines: Music and Dance
The various forms of music also are an indication of the different cultures that exist out here. There is a fine blend of native compositions and modern tunes. The music styles seen here have European and American influences. From hip-hop to pop music, it’s all popular out here. The Spanish people have left a distinct mark even in terms of music. With their influence, came the use of guitars and the zarzuela. Filipino rock and Filipino reggae also have a major fan following. The dance of the Filipinos is seen in various forms and styles. The Filipinos also have certain distinct forms of folk dance. Here, bamboo sticks are used in accompaniment with the steps being performed. Such dance forms are known as the tinkling and the skilling. All such folk dances of Philippines are only done in groups. There are many interesting legends associated with these dance forms as well. These dances are mainly visible being performed for religious occasions and weddings.

The Culture of Philippines: Art
Apart from music and dance, traditional forms of paintings are also very much predominant in the culture of Philippines. The painting style that began in the 17th century is continued even today. Other forms of art and craft such as weaving and pottery are also common amongst certain groups of people. A peek into the homes of many Filipinos would reveal the popularity of wooden art that is used for display. History also reveals the association of creative poetry with the people of Philippines. Tanagas are short poems that are typically without any title. Originally, Tanagas were always written in Tagalog, but today, many aspiring poets are using the basics of this form to write creative verses.

These are some of the basics aspects related to the culture of Philippines. It only reflects the wide influences and the wonderful blend that has formed with the traditional culture of Philippines.

The Colorful Culture of Tibet

Tibetan People
The people of Tibet are strong, and adaptable due to the harsh environment in which they live, but they are also extremely warm and hospitable. They are always quick to invite a visitor to Tibet into their home and serve them homemade food, and the famous Tibetan butter tea.

Food
Food, just like Tibetan culture and people has a very distinct character. Tibetan food is not only sustenance, but also helps Tibetan people survive the harsh climates. Their food keeps them warm, gives them energy, helps them with the high altitude, and gives them nutrients essential to the harsh climate. Due to the high altitude of Tibet, water boils at 90 degrees making cooking with water impossible, so Tibetan food has become very specialized. The Tibetan diet consists mostly of meat, milks and other high protein foods.

Tsampa: is a staple found at every Tibetan meal. It is a dough made with roasted barley flour and yak butter. There are two basic ways to prepare and eat Tsampa. One is to make dough with Tibetan buttered tea. The other is to make porridge with beef or mutton, and vegetables. The Tsampa dough served with buttered tea is salty, while the porridge is often served with sugar.

Buttered tea: is another staple of Tibetan cuisine. Tibetans drink butter tea because it warms them up. The buttered tea is quite salty. Some people think it tastes more like soup broth than tea.

Beef and Mutton: Tibetans live on beef, mutton and milk products. Beef and mutton contain high heat energy which is helpful in fighting the cold. Many Tibetans often eat raw meats. Tibetan noodles: are usually served in a simple vegetable or meat broth. Momos: are the favorite foods of most visitors to Tibet. They are dumplings made with either meat or vegetables.

Tibetan Dances
Nearly Every Tibetan can sing and dance. Dancing is an integral part of every Tibetan's life. Tibetan people sing and dance for nearly every event: weddings, funerals, gatherings, and just for fun. There are many different styles of dance. Each area of Tibet has its own distinct style.

The Guoxie (village) dance is a group dance popular in rural Tibet. This dance is usually performed on open ground from sunrise to sunset. It consists of men and women dancing together in a circle.

Guozhuang (singing and dancing) dance is popular in eastern Tibet. It consists of two parts, singing, and dancing. It is an agile and vigorous dance. Men and women stand in two separate circles and sing in rotation while swaying and stamping their feet. The tempo in the beginning is slow and as the song progresses the tempo speeds up. They performers conclude their singing by shouting "Ya!"

Xie dance is accompanied by a stringed instrument. At festivals and outings men and women dance the Xie face to face in two lines. They are usually directed by one person at the head of their formation who plays a stringed instrument. The participants sing to each other to express their feelings. This dance is graceful and natural characterized by slow steps.

Qamo (sorcerer's) dance is a religious dance. It came to Tibet along with the introduction of Buddhism. It is used to subdue evil spirits in monasteries. Originally the Qamo dance was a mime dance where participants wore ceremonial masks. A traditional livestock sacrificing ceremony was held. Since the killing of livestock goes against Buddhist doctrine, livestock are no longer killed. Drawings are now substituted. At the end of the dance the performers take an effigy of Duoma (the leading demon), made of butter and tsampa into the wilderness to burn it, which will drive away evil and bring good fortune in the coming year.

Clothing
Tibetan clothing has a strong connection with the people, and climate of "roof of the world". The Tibetan's clothing reflects the history, beliefs, and character of the local people.

Each area of Tibet has its own distinct style of clothing. The clothes are influenced the by the religion, and environment. Tibetan clothing consists of a robe and shirt. The Tibetan robe worn by men is broad and is normally fastened under the right arm, while the women's are slightly narrower with or without sleeves. The robes often fastened with two cloth belts. The shirts are also fastened on the right. Men typically wear white shirts with high collars, while women wear various colors with turndown collars.

In northern Tibet, were the weather is bitterly cold, herdsmen wear a fur lined robe years round. Their robe also doubles as their quilt at night. Since the day and night temperatures vary greatly, during the day they usually do not put their arms in their sleeves, but rather tie the sleeves around their waste wearing their robe as a kind of skirt. Their fur lined robes are very bulky and have no pockets, but being fastened at the waist it gives the wearer plenty of room inside for to carry daily necessities, or even their children inside.

In pastoral areas the clothing worn by herdsmen are distinctive for their decorations. Their clothing is usually hemmed in black cloth at the front and lower edges and cuffs. Women wear aprons decorated with colorful cloth stripes.

In the south of Tibet where the weather is warm and damp, the clothing is made from hand woven woolen cloth. Both men and women button their clothing on the right. Men's clothing are hemmed in colorful cloth, or with silk, while women normally wearing sleeveless robes.

In Lhasa, where the weather is warmer and damper many men wear double layered robes, and women dress in close-fitting robes and long sleeved shirts, with brightly decorated aprons.

The apron is one of Tibetan women's favorite clothing articles. According to custom the aprons are only worn by married women. It is a privilege that young girls look forward too.

Thailand Culture

It is immensely useful to know about the culture of any country that you are planning to visit. Having the right information about the ways of the local people can prevent misunderstandings and will also enrich your whole travel experience.

Thailand, which is a very popular holiday destination, has a culture influenced by its historical trade links and conflicts with the Indian subcontinent, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan and China.

Here's a brief list of things to know -

1. The Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Royal Family hold a deservedly high and revered position in the country. You will do well to respect this popular public sentiment. You can get into serious trouble for poking fun or disparaging them.

2. Show respect to Buddhist monks. They also command a great deal of respect in Thai society. Women should step aside to make way for passing monks and avoid any accidental contact.

3. Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, is the main and government supported religion of Thailand. Other religions followed are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

4. The Thai language is derived from Khmer, Sanskrit, Pali, Malay and Chinese. English is widely spoken nowadays, but it'll be great if you make an effort to learn a few simple phrases. Like 'Sawadee khrap/ka' for 'hello/goodbye'; 'Sabaai dee mai khrap/ka' for 'how are you?'; and 'Sabaai dee khrap/ka' for 'I'm fine, thank you'.

5. One Thai custom you'll encounter frequently is the Wai. This is similar to the Indian Namaste gesture. You put your palms together at chest level and bow your head. The Wai is used in greeting, in farewell or in acknowledgment.

6. Thai people place a great emphasis on family life and respecting parents, elders and seniors. Seniority, by the way, is determined more by social standing and work denomination than by age, and brings with it certain obligations like paying for the whole group when dining out.

7. Many Thai people have nicknames in addition to their formal Chinese/Sanskrit-derived and often long, complicated given names. The nickname may be a shortening of the given name or can be the word for a color, fruit, flower, animal, etc.

8. Displays of public affection between friends are not uncommon; such displays between lovers are usually less common and less appreciated, but globalization is changing all that, especially in the case of the young generation growing up on American soaps and the Internet.

9. Thais dislike conflicts and loud, angry public arguments. You are likely to be more respected if you stay calm, don't point left and right, don't wave your arms about like wind-mills and avoid all excessive behavior.

10. Traditional Buddhist marriages are divided into a Buddhist ceremony and a non-Buddhist ceremony. The groom is required to give dowry, known as Sin Sodt, to the bride's family.

11. Thai funerals usually last for a week, during which many prayers are recited and crying is not encouraged.

12. Dress modestly in clothes that cover your shoulders and upper legs. Especially when visiting temples.

13. Remove shoes when entering someone's house or a temple. Try not to step on the threshold when entering or departing.

14. It is considered rude to touch anyone on the head or to touch them with your feet. It is also considered offensive to sit with your feet pointing at someone.

15. Early Thai literature was influenced by Indian Literature. The Indian epic Ramayana was written into a Thai version by the Thai Kings Rama I and Rama II.

16. There are three categories of Thai dance - Khon, Lakhon and Likay. The Khon dance is the one you see on many tourist brochures, with elaborate dance moves and dancers wearing masks, gilded head-dresses and jeweled costumes. Music and dialogs are performed in the background by off-stage performers. Khon was originally a dance for the Royal Courts. The Likay dance, which is considered unsophisticated in comparison, was performed in public for the common folks and has satirical, political and comedic overtones.

17. Thailand is famous for its shadow puppet plays, Nang Yai and Nang Thalung. These plays are mainly performed in the southern part of the country, and are accompanied by music and comedic dialogs.

18. Traditional Thai music is a blending of different cultural influences, mainly Indian, Khmer and Chinese.

19. Thai cuisine, which is world famous for its blend of sweet, spicy hot, sour and salty tastes, is mainly eaten with a fork and a spoon; chopsticks are used only for certain foods. When dining with friends or in a restaurant, use your right hand to pass things and leave a little food on your plate when you finish eating. This shows you have good manners and have had enough to eat.

20. Two important Thai holidays are the Thai New Year is called Songkran, which is celebrated on 13-15 April, and Loy Krathong, which is celebrated on the full-moon day of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, which usually falls in mid-November.

U - Commerce : "Integrating business anywhere"

Abstract

Commerce is the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place.

E - Commerce: - Most popular, doing transaction on Internet
M - Commerce: - Business transactions through mobile
T - Commerce: - Use Television set - top box to do commercial transactions
V - Commerce: - Using voice commands to do transactions
P - Commerce: - Proximity commerce using bluetooth or infrared technology

What is next?

Need of New Technologies

Newer technologies, empowered customers, and highly competitive marketplace make it imperative for businesses to invest into ways of improving the overall business performance.

"The Internet has introduced a significant wave of change. Our communication patterns have changed. We have become dependent on email. We interact with firms via Web sites.

The next wave—introduced through wireless technology—is about to change our lives even more. The increase in transmission capacity of wireless devices lays the foundation for communication unrestricted by physical locations. We can surf the Internet decoupled from landline computers.

In addition, we can do it any time, blurring the borderlines of business and private space. In the future, we will experience another wave of change—a world that provides the ultimate form of ubiquitous networks and universal devices, a world that presents an alternative view of space and time." - Miller & Watson, - 2002

We are now shifted to do business in virtual space rather only proving ourselves in geographical space.

Integrated approach of business

U-commerce

An integrated approach is the key. A type of commerce where a commercial transaction can be performed securely, any time, anywhere in the world, from any equipment, whether wired or wireless, using Internet technologies.

"U-commerce is a dynamic convergence of the physical and the digital, the interface of brick-and-mortar commerce with Web-based wireless and other next-generation technologies in ways that will create new levels of convenience and value for buyers and sellers."
- Stephen Schapp (Visa International) & Richard D. Cornelius (Accenture)

"A term u-commerce has been created in the Internet world that refers to commerce that can be conducted anywhere and any time in that it is a fusion of e-commerce, m-commerce (mobile commerce), t-commerce (television commerce) and bricks and mortar. It means seamless movement for consumers. U-commerce means that customers can come from all angles - today they may be in a showroom, tomorrow they may come at you via a website, cellular telephone phone or interactive television." - Lourens Botha, McCarthy On-Line

There are four Fundamental dimensions of u-commerce as described by Watson, Richard T., Leyland F. Pitt, Pierre Berthon, and George M. Zinkhan.

1. Ubiquity,
2. Uniqueness,
3. Universality, and
4. Unison.

Ubiquityallows users to access networks from anywhere at any time, and in turn, to be reachable at any place and any time. Computer will be useful everywhere. Basically we can say cheap will be embedded in our daily life so as to be benefited by Internet & wireless technology supported by Intelligent systems. E.g. Payment technology is becoming ubiquitous, shattering past constraints of location and functionality. It can now connect the smallest rural community, enabling it to conduct commerce with the rest of the world.

Uniqueness allows users to be uniquely identified—not only in terms of their identity and associated preferences, but also in terms of their geographical position. Avail only services what you want. Every program will be customization of your needs. It will be according to your roles in daily life. Download songs to make your mood or transfer sales records to your business data server on the spot of sale. Everything is unique and customized.

Universality means devices are universally usable and multi-functional. Due to Internet and satellites your desktop, laptop, cell phone, or PDA will avail free mobility and lots of information at any time.

Unison covers the idea of integrated data across multiple applications so that users have a consistent view on the their information-irrespective of the device used. Consistency means if I change an address in my phone book it should reflect changes in my cellphone, calendar and PDA simultaneously.

Using U – Commerce in Real World

Visa is committed to making its vision of universal commerce a reality, creating a world in which payment transactions can occur anywhere, anytime and in any way. Visa U.S.A. is exploring new Internet-enabled point-of-sale appliances that will be connected to a service portal for merchants, integrating customized payment and value-added non-payment Services. Through this Web-based POS service, merchants will be able to broaden customer relationships while lowering costs.

Volvo implemented a wireless enterprise solution to automate its data collection process to inspect cars and improve quality assurance.

The wireless solution enables the salesperson to – at any location – present the customer with current promotional offers, up – to – date financing information, price and model availability in Fiat.

Remote product monitoring: With use of sensor technology developed by Graviton, Coca cola will monitor soda fountains to monitor syrup usage.

Doctors can access patient data as well as pharmaceutical and insurance information through Ready Script’s wireless, handheld, point of care devise.

In short, u-commerce is the creation of a marketplace that reaches individuals where they are at using the devices that they want to use, with the networks doing the work without the user needing to intervene.

Suggested Readings & Resources

1. Accenture (2001). "The Future of Wireless: Different than You Think, Bolder Than You Imagine." Cambridge, MA, Accenture Institute for Strategic Change.
2. "U-Commerce: The Ultimate" - By Richard T. Watson
3. "U- commerce Fact sheet" - Visa

Strategic eCommerce

Digital business is causing an upheaval that is shaking foundations of traditional business. More and more companies now recognize the opportunity the Internet offers and have started to establish online presence with a sound business model behind that.

Through the Internet, it is possible to invent new and innovative ways to add value to existing products and services without necessarily spending a lot of money. Internet has established itself as a mainstream medium. The convergence of technology and communication, the ability to produce and reproduce information easily, cheaply and accurately – all challenge our legal notions. Amazon offers 5 million + books. Imagine a bookshop with so many books in stock! It doesn’t do still it provides.

E-Commerce, although being technology oriented never far from commercial touch. E-commerce is more strategic than traditional model of business. Flow of ideas is a prime condition to mean out of e-commerce applications. Marketing ideas & concepts make your online shopping experience perfect. It is applied. Let’s see to what extend your imagination make your business experience implied.

Exercise # 1: Selling Experience

Involve customer: Ask your selected customers to input value in your product design or improvement. Most of the sites ask customers to give their feedback & suggestions. In similar way walk one more step ahead. Show your design or products and ask them to contribute. ‘Selected customers’ mean those customers who really take part in such process. Make them happy for their participation.

Track movements: It’s easy to track visitor’s movements and clicks. Track for which product customer shows interest! Especially sites like digital cameras and mobile handset likely track product’s popularity for click on models. Improve on it to sell & derive better results.

Reaching to mass: E-commerce is a medium to serve a geographically dispersed customer segment. E- Bay, MSN and Yahoo are best example in crossing & breaking boundaries. Think of internationalization issues while you are crossing boundaries to do business.

Think in way your customers do: Think of customer’s benefits. Manage schemes and product’s benefits to highlight on your e-market. Let your customer believe in you and assure them that their decisions are correct. Just web is not enough. Make use of web to improve communication in real business sense.

Win customer’s trust: You can buy a person's hands but you can't buy his heart. His heart is where his enthusiasm, his loyalty is. Let it be portal or website, always try to win customer’s trust and loyalty through showing your track records. Have enough trust worthy contents and legal documents to show on your commercial site. Pay pal is being most trust worthy symbol for online shopping web.

Exercise # 2: Buying experience

Advisor: Be an advisor through your e-advices. Provide online solutions and try to meet their needs in true meaning. Range of price, color, size and type of brands are few parameters to cut down search T-Shirts & garments online to buy. Insurance company can highly take benefits of e-advice through excellent use of technologies online.

Complement to make single shop experience: ‘One-stop solutions’ is being buzzword in online shopping. Yahoo is providing one stop experience online. Meet more of customer’s needs through links with providers of complementary products.

Get it ready & deliver fast: Amazon is best example in providing book with fastest source intention. Let your buyer feel that you are there to manage problems. Online shopping experience should be most trustworthy, quick attention payer and excellent support provider. For payment or e shopping send a mail to confirm buying to increase trust. Within limited time provide products at home to win trust for always. Dell is another online selling trustworthy service in beginning era of online shopping.

Exercise # 3: Usage experience

Guidance & Training: Help your customer to understand your product better. Other than financial aspects, help customer understand the optimal product specifications for their needs. Why do they buy Win NT OS rather Win 2000. Distinguish according to their requirements and organization structure. Other then request sent experience; provide email support, telephone support services to meet customer’s doubts.

Added Service: Other than basic needs, try to provide added services that were not expected by clients. Such marketing concepts are possible for e-commerce too. Help in improving aspects of the customer’s operational activity.

The support services for products are tailored to reflect customer’s needs and practices.

Sometimes, the hardest decision made is the right thing to do.... Making technology work for you is in your hand. From Bartner economy to E-commerce, customer has not changed. Shopping experience changes form but basic necessities and expectations of customers from seller are same. Work it out and model them in your e-commerce technology model. It is likely to work.

E-Services : Satisfying customers online

Customer care is vital to survival and success of a company. Still, many organizations are not doing it well. The American Customer Satisfaction Index 2000 published by the University of Michigan reported that 27% of customers were not satisfied with product or service they received.

It costs between five and six times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one.

If your customer is dissatisfied with current services then just remember "bad travels fast". Internet is being revolution in marketing and sales discipline of any business.

What do your customers want?

Reliability, responsiveness and relationship are really what your customers want.

1. Reliability: fulfilling promises, creating realistic expectations, delivering quality products, and being dependable.
2. Responsiveness: timeliness; giving a higher priority to customers' needs than to company operational guidelines; willingness to incorporate flexibility in the decision-making.
3. Relationship: building a positive, loyal, long-term business relationship.

E-business & E-Service

Today online global population is crossing 580.78 million and email queries are likely to hit 22.2 billion emails per day by 2005, according to IDC.

In a world where many e-Business applications are fast becoming commodities, how do enterprises find ways to set themselves apart in the hyper-competitive global marketplace?

In an environment where e-Business components provide new opportunities for addressing these questions, many organizations are finding their answer in e-Service.

E – Services

E- Services are technologies enabling your functionalities easy. It depends on you to draw an excellent delivery model using these technologies to provide reliability, responsiveness and more than anything long term relationship to your customer. Anyway, here is the solution.

what kinds of service tools are used to provide e-Service?

1. E-mail
2. Online customer support (Submitting enquiring forms, complain forms, requesting information etc.)
3. Download invoices, details, brochures, solutions etc from portal
4. Dynamic FAQ
5. Toll free number
6. Call centers
7. Chat
8. Online payment

However other than Internet alone use of telecommunication is also done and becoming popular to use multiple solutions.

As e-Service is becoming necessary for marketer and companies, IT solutions providers are looking e-Service as new generation solutions. E-Service’s key solution includes effective use of CRM services.

E – Service Solutions
Here is a little introduction to products & solution to provide e-services.


SAP & E Service solutions

‘MySAP Customer Relationship Management’ (mySAP CRM) provides an e-commerce platform that allows you to turn the Internet into a profitable channel for sales -- and helps you build relationships with both business customers and consumers.

With the e-commerce capabilities of mySAP CRM, you get the tools you need to increase revenue and market reach, promote your corporate identity and brand, improve customer service, and reduce the cost of sales and support.

E-Service in E-commerce includes following features.

Knowledge Management
Solutions search, knowledge base management and FAQs

Request Management
Service Requests, Service Fulfillment, Entitlement Validation, Resource Planning, Status and Tracking

Live customer support
Callback from a customer service representive, one-to-one text chat session, Co-Browsing and E-mails

Account self-service
Self Registration, Account and User Administration, Account Status and History

Installed base management
Installation Management, Warranty Management, Product Registration

Complaints & Returns management
Complaints Management and Returns Management

Billing & Payment
Online Access and Download of Invoices, Online payment and payment history

Source: SAP

Metrix 4e for eProductService

The Metrix eService application suite provides web-based functionality in the following areas

Integrated web knowledge base

Level zero support through Web Advisor, Knowledge Builder, Expert Reasoning, Problem Escalation, Live Contact, Email Contact, and Integrated Course of Action Taking.

Web Scheduling / dispatching of field resources.

Call Center Activities (Internet, Intranet, and Extranet based solutions) – Request maintenance, project and task management, task delegation, events generation, and notifications.

Inventory Operations (In-house and Mobile)

Stock balances, pick-pack & ship, inventory control processes, purchasing, receiving, serial number controls, and audit logging.

Contracts and Warranty Operations

Entitlements for place, product, preventative maintenance, Gmax and meter coverage.

Global Repair Center / Depot Operations

Web based RMA Receiving, Repair, shipping, warranty, QA data recording, 3rd party repair processes and repair history.

Source: Metrix.Com

Make it easy for your customers to contact you!

Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention and Customer Partnership are the basic themes after e-Service.

Make your delivery model of e-Service now. If needed do survey and ask your customers what do they need? Solutions change from industry to industry. If it succeeds in Tourism doesn’t mean good for financial too.

Instant response, clear picture of situation, all needed details in short time, processing fast, knowledge, contents and simplified life of a customers are successful objectives in e-Services.

E-Commerce - All You Need To Know

What is E-Commerce?
E-Commerce or Electronic Commerce (EC) is the practice of buying and selling varied good and services on the World Wide Web (Internet). E-Commerce in its basic sense means the same as traditional commerce where buyers and sellers come together for doing business by buying and selling goods and services. The difference is that e-commerce happens over wired communication lines connected throughout the globe where the World Wide Web serves as the central
medium for all trading transactions. E-Commerce also happens through the use of more limited forms of communication such as email, facsimile or fax.

E-Commerce enables sell and purchase of commodities and services right from your home and without leaving for seeking what you need. You have to simply hit the service provider’s website, search for what you need or setup what you want to provide and instantly get the business done. If you are making purchases online for virtual products and services, most of the time you will get the products and services at the instance of your payment acknowledgment.

Monetary transactions happen over secure gateways and encrypted channels, so we can term e-commerce to be a reliable trading environment. Payments can be made with the use of Credit Cards, e-Checks, Payment Gateways or even through traditional payment systems.

Types of E-Commerce
Today, e-commerce can be found in various different types such as –

    * Business to Business (B2B)
      Business-to-Business e-commerce has been around for some time. Over 90% of all e-commerce transactions on the Internet are B2B. B2B enables automating transactions between trading partners for business efficiency. B2B is also known to be Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

    * Business to Consumer (B2C)
      Business-to-Consumer is considered to be one of the best things to happen for e-commerce and the Internet. It continues to grow by leaps and bounds with every passing day. Popular websites such as Amazon and like have cashed in over the rise of purchases that happen over the Internet. B2C involves direct selling to the consumer over the Internet. The service or product that is being sold does not necessarily be virtual or intangible, but as a matter of fact most transactions that happen are related to tangible goods.

    * Consumer to Business (C2B)
      Consumer-to-Business model is a complete reversal of Business-to-Consumer model. In a Consumer-to-Business Model a consumer offers goods or services to companies and the companies pay for them. We can see examples of C2B in forms of affiliate marketing, answering online polls for companies, being a free lance developer, etc.

    * Business to Employee (B2E)
      In a Business-to-Employee e-commerce, companies offer products or services to their employees in an intranet environment. B2E typically is used for automating employee related work processes. Examples of B2E applications can be seen in online insurance policy management for employees, offers and rewards program for employees, etc.

    * Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
      In Consumer-to-Consumer e-commerce a third party builds a transaction bridge between two or more consumers involved. Online Auctioning can be considered to be a good form of Consumer to Consumer e-commerce model where consumers set up sale of goods and services for other consumers where other consumers have to bid and win the specific good or service. The third party which connects consumers charges a nominal fee for their services. They are in no way related to the goods and services being sold or bought and they are not responsible for QA and other such factors.

Advantages of E-Commerce
Starting with Electronic Commerce? These are some of the advantages that will help you understand the power of e-commerce applications.

    * 100% Business Uptime
      E-Commerce systems are available for people for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. They never take a break or close down for the day or take public holidays.

    * Global Access
      E-Commerce systems can be accessible by any one across the World Wide Web. Any person or business having just an Internet Connection can access e-Commerce systems.

    * Quick Response Time
      Transactions can be handled over the Internet instantaneously without high response times, most of the times much faster than offline systems. Messages are delivered to the end of the globe at the snap of finger, enabling quick commerce.

    * Cost Efficiency
      E-Commerce is very cost efficient and economical. General costs of running a business otherwise are far higher than that operated with the help of technology and e-commerce. Staffing, middlemen, overhead costs, etc can be reduced drastically making handling business handling and administration much more easier. Most of the transaction procedures can be automated without any human intervention.

Disadvantages of E-Commerce
Like everything that is good has some of its own disadvantages, e-commerce too has certain disadvantages. Some of which are -

    * Delivery Time
      Physical goods take some time to reach your home when you buy them online whereas if you go to the local store and buy them, you can get them instantly. Delivery times may range anywhere from a day to even a month. Moreover, perishable goods cannot be considered to be shipped for such long delivery times as they tend to get destroyed during transit.

    * Hesitancy
      Most customers and businesses are hesitant to do transactions online. This is due to the fact that if a person wants to feel the service or goods he is paying for, he lacks that on the Internet. Moreover, some people are accustomed to shop with family and friends and hang out to malls and big outlets, which is otherwise unavailable on the Internet.

    * Online Safety
      Online safety is a critical factor that most people consider before even thinking of performing commercial transactions. Customers and businesses should be assured of privacy implications, confidentiality, security and like factors. An amount of trust has to be developed before starting or involving into transactions.

Online Shopping Goes Wireless with M-Commerce

American shoppers, when first presented with the interesting idea of shopping from the comfort of their own homes without having to fight traffic and annoying salespeople, responded almost instantly and overwhelmingly, and the idea of e-commerce was born. From its very beginning, the concept was a resounding success, and the number of online e-tailers has grown exponentially, from a handful of small business entrepreneurs to online auction sites, and then to giant corporate monsters like Wal-Mart and Target, and even high-end department stores like Neiman-Marcus. Most e-commerce entrepreneurs believed that they could sell virtually anything in virtual storefronts, and do it better than they ever could in a brick-and-mortar retail store.

Although online shopping offers endless possibilities for consumers and the business of e-commerce is still booming, retailers have discovered that e-commerce wasn’t quite the flawless marketing strategy they had imagined, and some businesses failed as a result. The main reason for the failure of some e-commerce stores is simple: a lot of investors and online shopkeepers didn’t stop to realize that for some items, consumers don’t want to purchase items blindly without seeing and touching them first. And now the e-commerce craze is beginning to spread to mobile commerce, or "m-commerce," with consumers doing their Internet shopping using wireless devices such as cell phones. Making online shopping available on the road will supposedly transform the economy by allowing people to shop from wherever they happen to be—sitting in a waiting room, riding on the subway, even driving to the beach or stretched out on a hammock. But as enticing as the idea may seem, Roger Blackwell, a professor of marketing at Ohio State University, is skeptical about the success of m-commerce.

Co-author of "Customers Rule! Why the E-Commerce Honeymoon is Over," Blackwell believes that some people haven’t learned the lessons of e-commerce gone awry. "These glowing predictions of m-commerce are becoming very popular, but they are as absurd as the predictions that we're all going to be buying our groceries over our home computers." As an example, Blackwell points to the online grocer Webvan, which went out of business in July 2001. "M-commerce has some very specific applications that will be successful, just as we saw with e-commerce. But many of the proposed uses of m-commerce just won't work."

Blackwell believes that in general, people could care less where they buy their products and services, whether from a storefront or a Web site, and their main concern is getting whatever meets their needs the best, at the best price for their budget. However, many entrepreneurs trying to cash in on the e-commerce boom assumed that they could sell anything over the Internet and do it better (and cheaper) than if they opened up a retail store. Blackwell claims that the main problem with this reasoning is that the Internet is a great tool for selling digital products, such as electronic airline tickets, or items that are hard to find, like out of print movies, rare books, or clothing in a particular size or color. But for many products, people want to be able to evaluate firsthand before forking out the dough to buy them, especially higher priced items. And in some cases, people won’t even consider buying anything from a place where they can’t deal directly with a real person. "These are all fundamentals of marketing that business students are taught. Anyone could have predicted which products could be sold profitably over the Internet, but many entrepreneurs and investors were caught up in that irrational exuberance," Blackwell explains.

Blackwell holds that an important lesson learned by businesses who failed in their attempts toward e-commerce was that companies shouldn’t adopt technological advances purely because of the technology. The latest breakthroughs must make life easier for consumers, or they will not embrace it, and online retailers will fail. That reason alone makes Blackwell skeptical about the future of m-commerce. "I've heard people say that one promising application of m-commerce would be that when customers walk by a grocery store, their cell phone will ring with a message that ketchup is on sale. People are actually saying things like that. That's not how consumers make choices." Blackwell further explains why e-commerce can sometimes be more successful as a way of selling a company rather than selling a product. "When people were thinking of the Internet as a way to sell, they should have been seeing it as a way for consumers to learn more about a company and its products. You can't download a donut from your computer, but you can find the location of the nearest donut shop. That's the way most consumers use the Internet."

Despite his skepticism, Blackwell does acknowledge that there are situations where m-commerce might take hold and become "the next big thing" for some online shopping purposes. One such application would be allowing people to return a rental car and get their bill over a cell phone without having to stand in line at the rental counter. "If people evaluate how consumers really behave, they should be able to see which m-commerce applications are fads and which will have longevity in the marketplace," Blackwell points out.

E-commerce Future

According to the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2008 was $33.8 billion, an increase of 0.8% from the fourth quarter of 2007. Total retail sales for the first quarter of 2008 were estimated at $1,024.2 billion, an increase of 0.1% from the fourth quarter of 2007. The first quarter 2008 e-commerce estimate increased 13.6% from the first quarter of 2007 while total retail sales increased 2.8% in the same period. E-Commerce sales in the first quarter of 2008 accounted to 3.3% of the total sales. These statistics just provide a glimpse of the increasing impact of e-Business on our day to day lives.

Like money and materialistic things, comfort also leaves one craving for more of it. With the advancement in the field of science and technology, the basic idea of a more comfortable life is dreamed by most of the people. The Internet has proved to be beneficial to mankind, by providing all kinds of products and services at the click of a button. Whether one wants to book air tickets or buy a pair of denims, Internet is a single gateway for everything. E-commerce is a powerful tool provided by the world wide web, to make the transactions possible without actual hand to hand transfer of money. As lot of people are virtually imprisoned by work and household activities, Internet and e-shopping saves a lot of time and gives opportunity to choose goods at best prices. With rapidly growing technologies and constantly improving protocols, here are a few features one can expect from the future of e-Commerce.

Virtual Dressing Rooms
The biggest advantage of buying clothes by visiting a brand outlet or regular shop is that, one can get the best fitting apparel by multiple trials. In a trail room, he can wear it and check out in front of the mirror, whether or not the apparel fits him and his personality. It gets hard to find good fitting clothes while shopping online through the various e-Commerce sites. This problem can be solved with the implementation of new technologies, which will enable the user to chose a 3D animated figure of his built, and try the chosen dresses on it. It will also provide flexibility and variety over one's choice and will help to look out for the perfect fit.

Improved Supply Chain Process
Supply chain process is the system of different organizations, people, technologies, activities and resources, which involved in moving a product or service from the supplier to the customer. It involves everything right from purchase of raw products to the dispatch of finished goods. In the near future, e-commerce will be able to facilitate the supply chain process, which in turn will make the transactions easier for the end customers.

Sharing of Product Lists and More Choices
It is possible to clip one's choices on the Internet and make a list for easier accessibility and payment options. These lists can be shared by many users and the products can be discussed online, in order to find the best possible deals. With the advancement in the web based services, it will be possible to offer a provision of shareable lists to the people who want to use it.

Easier Transactions and Better Delivery Options
There are a lot of future innovations coming up, which can really make online shopping a better experience. The features offered may include night time deliveries, ability to pick-up products from multiple drop off points and return them, and being able to choose times within 30 minute windows. The shipment charges may also decrease, with more vendors and franchisees to cater the needs of customers.

Secured Transactions
While making online payments, one is always worried about the security threats imposed by hackers and various non-social elements. A payment gateway provides a mechanism which sends credit card information from merchant account to the bank, for making payments. For the security of these transactions, there is the Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol which enables encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet. With time and improved network security softwares, the protocols and procedures are supposed to get improved, providing a secured and non-fraudulent shopping experience for the customers.

With the increasing popularity of e-shopping, in the near future e-Commerce will surely become a notion absolutely inseparable from the concept of the world wide web.