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Blogging for Educational Institutions

From an engagement perspective, it is a well known fact that any website with a blog in practice can foster an online community that centralizes its activity around your brand name. In business, blogging is a great selling point in conveying human qualities to your posts and promoting positive B2C interaction and encouraging feedback. But what about blogging for educational institutions...?

Blogging for your school or university is an excellent way to promote engagement online and also give an insight into life within your school, college or university. But there's no point in trying to convery the success of educational blogging without substance... Let's illustrate this with an example.

The International College of Management Sydney is a great example of educational blogging, click on the link and open up the site page. Let's run through step by step as to what makes the ICMS blog so ubiquitous and effective:

1. Posts are written by student and staff - Now, from a reader's perspective, you really can not get much more genuine than this. Having the posts written directly by the staff and students of ICMS allows the readers to directly relate to the writers, with a subsequent inclination to learn more about the college. Now, not only is this a good tactic for building rapport with other students of the college, it also makes potential students and college prospects feel more welcome - an outcome of which all educational institutions strive to achieve.
2. The posts add value - One common element you will encounter when trawling the vast expanse of the internet for decent reading material is the self-aggrandizing tone of business blogs, intricately laced with corporate jargon to the point where reading the first sentence will have that particular product or service ingrained in your mind forever. It is common with businesses, yes, but some educational institutions have also been notorious at blatant self-promotion. 

   What you will notice about the posts on the ICMS blog is that each adds value to the reader... But how are they adding value? That question is easiily answered. If the students and staff are not offering college advice or tips, they're adding value by making posts pleasurable to read. No post on the blog burdens the reader!

3. Visual Appeal  - The design of the blog does not divert the reader's attention away from the blog posts, but still maintains an amiable visual appeal. The brand name is bold, and college imagery is also displayed throughout the header. The effectiveness of this? The campus is visually marketing itself, but subtly, which is ideally what institutions should aim to achieve.
4. Call to actions - Any educational institution can benefit from social media, however in order to make these channel prevalent they need to be exposed wherever possible. By placing social media call to action buttons in an easily accessible place within the college blog, ICMS i effectively utilising the blogs function as an engagement hub and social media conduit.

So there you have it... In black and white, the illustrated benefits of running a blog for your educational institution. It's a great way to encourage engagement within your digital assets whilst subtly market your institution as genuinely as possible.

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Posted 1 day ago by Mark 

6 Essential Home Cooking Food Safety Tips

When it comes to food safety, something as simple as covering your food before storage can go a long way in preventing the production of salmonella germs that can lead to horrible and potentially life threatening gastro-intestinal illness. Everyone who cooks should know the basic elements of food hygiene and safety, however there is always an exception to the rule – there are in fact people out there cooking everyday and storing food without knowing the basic principles of food hygiene! It might sound bizarre, and maybe a little farfetched to some, but the fact remains: there are people out there cooking who won’t wash their hands before handling produce. Gross, right?

Textbook example, a friend of mine used to waitress in my local Chinese restaurant and suffice to say, I had been eating food from there for years without the faintest clue of how my food was being prepared behind the scenes. Now, she already knew that the chef in this restaurant was notorious for bad hygiene, but it wasn’t until a busy Friday night that she uncovered notably one of the dirtiest habits. As it turns out, the chef had been using the lavatory and returning to the kitchen to prepare food with his bare hands. Feel sick? You’re only human.

Food hygiene is imperative anywhere food is served. If you work with food, hygiene practices aren’t something you can simply “leave at the office” at the end of the day. If you’re going home, and serving food, you need to be extremely hygiene conscious at all times. Keeping this in mind, here are a few tips you can use to turn your home kitchen workstation into a food safe environment:

1.       Clean all surfaces – Use a strong antibacterial surface spray on all surfaces that food is to be prepared on, from your stove top to your bench top. If you’re using a microwave regularly to prepare food, make sure that you always cover your contents and frequently clean your microwave with warm soapy water and a clean cloth

2.       Use separate cutting boards – for all raw meat, poultry and seafood and an alternate board for ready to eat and cooked foods. This will ensure that there is no spread of harmful bacteria between surfaces. Be sure to always wash cutting boards after use.

3.       Appliance hygiene - If you’re using small appliances such as blenders, food processors etc. make sure you take them apart and clean all parts thoroughly immediately after use.

4.       Utensil hygiene – Never use the same utensil twice if it has already been used to handle different food. Clean your utensils before use and air dry if possible. If you plan on drying utensils with a cloth or towel, ensure that they have been sanitized before drying.

5.       Raw foods – anything that comes into contact with raw foods should be washed immediately after use.

6.       Wash your hands and cover cuts – This is no less a tip than it is a rule. Before you handle food, you should always ensure that your hands have been scrubbed thoroughly under warm water with an antibacterial soap and all cuts should be covered.

Not too hard is it? It really is ironic though that a vast majority of these simple rules are not dutifully applied by many employees working within the hospitality industry. In Australia, there are mandatory food safety measures that must be adhered to within the workplace. Are you looking to get into hospitality in Australia? Maybe it’s about time you got linked up with a food safety training course!

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Posted 2 days ago by Mark 

Silencing the Student Exchange Skeptics

"I want to study overseas" is a mantra constantly repeated by keen students worldwide, and no matter which university you go to, you will inevitably make friends with someone planning international study or someone's friend who is planning international study. It is human nature to be curious about global travel, and such is the nature of youth to be seek an adventure in a foreign land. Students also see overseas travel as an auspicious opportunity to seek achievement and acclaim for their premature Curriculum Vitae's - and it is perfectly understandable too, given the highly competitive nature of job hunting as well as the growing supposition of employers expecting candidates to have relevant degrees or some sort of tertiary qualifications in their desired job field.

So aside from the obvious career building accreditations, what are some of the long term benefits of international study? They say that student exchange is an investment for life. Here are some of the things you might take with you out of your study time overseas:

• Learn a foreign language
• Discover job fields and careers you didn't know existed
• Grow in self-confidence, independence, maturity and realize your hidden potential
• Make new friends and increase your worldwide network of peers
• See the world through your very own eyes - you will experience, and not just learn about it
• Take with you a sense of satisfaction upon completing challenges in another country
• Develop a deeper appreciation for world cultures

Traveling overseas may awaken that hidden passion you were oblivious to, and open up a desired career path. A trend that is rife amongst high-school graduates is having no clear sense of direction, and this is perfectly understandable. In Australia for example, the average student graduated from high school at eighteen years of age. The transition from the security blanket and routine of school life is a shock for many young students, and the pressure with-standing to choose a career or university is something many adolescents struggle to deal with.

For most students, an effective way to wean themselves out of the familiar comforts of high school life is the transition into university study, which allows students to warm into the reality of the work force. One thing that compliments this transition and of course breaks it up is international study.

If you’re an international business student looking to study abroad in Australia, the International College of Management Sydney (ICMS) is an esteemed university accredited Sydney Business College located on the northern beaches of the city of Sydney.  ICMS is home to students from over 60 international locations – so everyone is welcome! Follow one of the links to the ICMS site for more information.

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Posted 6 days ago by Mark 

A Long Lost Line of Martini's...

The martini is perhaps the most renowned alcoholic cocktail, which has come to be immortalized through popular culture in establishing itself as a household name. The sweet and sour blend of vermouth and gin began to make its mark on social circles as far back as 1863, where the popular cocktail known as the ‘Martini’, was allegedly discovered by a barkeep in the USA who supposedly blended Martini & Rossi brand vermouth in a chilled glass with some gin.

But the actual origins of this modern alcoholic marvel are still shrouded in mystery – the earliest historical account claims that the martini was actually invented in 1849, under the original name of ‘the Martinez’, after a miner supposedly stumbled upon the recipe in the town of Martinez during the California Gold Rush. Liking the taste of his new alcoholic blunder, he took the recipe with him to San Francisco, renaming the drink the ‘Martinez Special’, though, this account has never been historically proven – the Martinez special is a drink that exists, and has a similar yet distinctly different recipe.

In contemporary society, the Martini has been seen being drunk by highly prolific historical figures – from Winston Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Perhaps though, the most infamous inclusion in popular culture was the martini being featured in James Bond films – with the famous line “Martini – shaken, not stirred”.  The whole practice of shaking a martini unearths an enormous debate surrounding the correct way to mix the cocktail as argued vehemently by cocktail purists. Many purists believe that martinis should always be “stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other”, as asserted by W. Somerset Maugham, English novelist, playwright and self-professed martini aficionado. Most believe that the effect of stirring a martini ensures that the martini maintains transparency and a crisper taste, whereas shaking supposedly ‘weakens’ the blend by breaking up the ice and adding more water, as well as slightly altering the taste.

But who cares, right? Whatever tastes good for you! The debates that shadow the mixing of the martini cocktail are biased towards the taste preferences of the person arguing their side of the story. The fact remains; it has raised the ranks to become one of the higher class cocktails amongst the drinking elite. So consider this is my informal salute to one of the greatest alcoholic icons of our time!

Now most importantly, here’s how to make the original martini:

Ingredients:

5.5 cl Gin
1.5 cl Dry Vermouth
Lemon Peel or Olive to garnish

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well then strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Squeeze oil from lemon peel into the drink, or garnish with olives as desired.

Interested in cocktail making? If you’re considering a bar tending job then how about a bar skills course or a RSA course? Etrainu has a range of bar courses to get you up to speed on your bar tending qualifications for bar jobs in Australia.

http://www.etrainu.com

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Posted 7 days ago by Mark 

Traveling Noosa, Australia: White Sands & Lush Hinterlands

When you think of Australian beaches, you think of a destination that visually epitomizes pearl white sands and azure blue sea-sides, as well of the stereotypes that reside within it – surfers, bikini-clad women and golden brown tans. But do these places really exist?
Welcome to Noosa, Queensland. This place is located about 130 kilometres north of Brisbane, Australia in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland. When it comes to the Australia beach culture, this place encapsulates everything you once imagined.

A history of Noosa

The shire of Noosa was founded in 1910, after long being used as a settlement driven by timber logging it began to grow into a township after a port was established at Tewantin, just north of Noosa. The town of Noosa was originally a fishing village, with an initial population of approximately 2000 however it was not until the mid 20th century that it began to be recognised for its natural beauty, subsequently developing into a popular tourist destination.

Before European settlement, the Noosa region was home to several Aboriginal enclaves – with the dominant tribes including the Undumbi tribe to the South, the Dulingbara to the North, and the Gabbi Gabbi to the West. To this day, Noosa still displays remnants of a strong ancient cultural presence, with markings, carvings and burial sites prevalent throughout conservation areas. The origin of the name ‘Noosa’ is derived from the local Aboriginal word ‘Noothera’ (or ‘Gnuthuru’ in the Kabi Kabi language), it’s ubiquitous translation meaning ‘shadow’ or ‘shady place’. Aside from its pristine beaches, Noosa is renowned for being home to a dense amount of uniquely Australian flora and fauna within the natural beauty of the hinterland.

Noosa’s Natural marvels..

Upon visiting Noosa, you will encounter scenes of lush forests, tropical plantations and white beaches. If you’re looking to explore Noosa’s natural environment, it is suggested that you take a wander through the gorgeous green surrounds of the Noosa Hinterland.

The ranges in the Noosa hinterland were created by volcanic eruptions 25 to 30 million years ago, and changing sea levels shaped the coastal waterways and beaches you see today. If you take a look at the Noosa hinterland from the air, you will see a patchwork of tranquil lakes, lush forests and pastures, guarded by the striking volcanic formations that offer stunning mountain top vistas of the hinterland and the coast beyond.

If you want to soak in the entire atmosphere of the hinterland, look for the pristine Lake Weyba located behind the ocean dunes and drift along the lake and everglade style creeks by kayak and gaze at the water reflecting amazing mirror images of the tree canopy and sky above. For those looking for even more adventure, why not explore the mysterious volcanic formation of Mt Tinbeerwah, and take in the view from atop it’s treacherous rock faces? Abseiling and rock climbing activities run all year round. As for the golfers out there… Have you ever hit 9 holes with a mob of kangaroos? These fury critters will make you feel more welcome as you putt for par on the Noosa golf course.

Noosa, Queensland is the essence of both Australia’s beach culture and natural beauty… If you’re looking to travel abroad, this is definitely one place you do not want to miss. For more information on Noosa visit the official Tourism Noosa website for details.

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Posted 9 days ago by Mark 

Traveler's Guide to Strasbourg: Christmas Markets in the Alsace

The following travel guide was brought to you by BCD Travel, the corporate travel experts.

'Tis the season for Christmas markets

Though Strasbourg is convivial, cultured and entertaining the year round, its appeal goes into overdrive in December. The city’s wintry delights are guaranteed to charm all but the most diehard Scrooges – and the star in its crown is the oldest Christmas market in France.

Running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 24 this year, the Christkindelsmärik, which sprawls picturesquely in front of the Strasbourg Cathedral and on the Place Broglie, is over 430 years old.

In addition to the usual flotilla of wooden chalets stuffed to bursting with Christmas ornaments and holiday crafts, the market boasts an ice-skating rink on the Place du Château, a festival of Alsatian gastronomy with treats from local producers (Place des Meuniers) and an exhibition of Nativity scenes from Quebec (Place du Temple Neuf).

For more information on Strasbourg’s Christmas festivities, visit www.noel-strasbourg.com.

Time for a promenade
And if you can’t face another garland of tinsel, glass of mulled wine or morsel of gingerbread, take heart – there’s plenty more to do. Strasbourg is far enough away from the capital to be truly independent on a cultural level, with its own opera, France's only national theater outside Paris, two international music festivals and Europe's only bi-national TV station, Arte.

The Grande Ile is the heart of the city, encircled by the Ill River and Fossé du Faux-Rempart canal. The dominant landmark in Strasbourg is the pink limestone Cathédrale Notre-Dame, which has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Most of the museums are clustered around this focal point and many are housed in the 18th-century Palais Rohan.

The main streets (rue des Grandes Arcades and the parallel rue des Francs Bourgeois) are remarkably small and pedestrian friendly. The Petite France area in the Grande Ile's southwestern corner, criss-crossed by canals, is Strasbourg's medieval quarter and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Hansel-and-Gretel-style half-timbered houses, flourishing geraniums and narrow streets criss-crossed by canals are the stuff of fairy tales.

The canals lead to the Ponts Couverts, constructed as part of the 14th-century fortifications - the watchtowers still stand, though the bridge is now home to a motley collection of no-longer-needed statuary and sculptures from the city’s many churches.

Other districts for visitors to explore include the imposing European Institutions in northeast Strasbourg, with Richard Rogers' visually striking European Court of Human Rights and the grandiose German Quarter, constructed during the Prussian occupation of 1870, dominating place de la République.

The Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), with its glass façade looking onto the quayside, is an ultra-modern addition to Strasbourg's buildings. The impressive permanent collection of paintings from the 1860s to the 1950s includes work by Monet, Signac, Arp, Picasso, Magritte and Klimt. From the 1950s to the present day, Brecht, Filliou, Pérez and Manetas are represented.

Bon appétit
Mention Strasbourg to a foodie and eyes may be raised heavenward, fingers kissed and rhapsodies of praise sung to the glories of Alsatian cuisine. You won’t eat lightly here – but you will eat well.

Buerehiesel
With three Michelin stars to his name, Antoine Westermann serves refined and regional cuisine in a 17th-century country house that was originally located in Molsheim, then uprooted and reinstated in its present location, at the heart of the Parc de l'Orangerie, for the 1895 Industrial Exhibition. Dishes such as schniederspaetle et les cuisses de grenouilles poêlées (ravioli with onions and chervil served with frogs' legs) and la poularde de Bresse en Baeckeoffe aux truffes fraîches (chicken and vegetable casserole with rosemary and fresh truffles) make for an expensive but memorable experience.
4 Parc de l'Orangerie
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 45 56 65

Maison Kammerzell
Local businesspeople in particular have a soft spot for this restaurant, situated in a stunning 16th-century building, complete with frescoes. The food matches up to the fabulous setting, and specialties include Alsatian favorite choucroute au poisson (fish and sauerkraut).
16 Place de la Cathédrale
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 32 42 14

Munsterstuewel
Located in the vicinity of the cathedral, this traditional winstub features wooden beams, ornate brass lamps and old paintings. House specialties include pied de porc désossé maison en Baeckeoffe farci aux trois viandes (boned and stuffed pig's trotters).
8 Place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 32 17 63

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Posted 9 days ago by Mark 

Unearthing the PRINCE2 methodology

For developing project managers, one of the most frequently asked questions concerns the nature of the PRINCE2 methodology – what exactly does it involve and how can it better my project management practices?

The give you a little bit of insight into the history of the PRINCE2 course, the concept of PRINCE2 is a derivative of an I.T. project management methodology originating in the UK, which has since been adopted as a general project management methodology. Today, PRINCE2 is considered one of the most powerful and successful project management methodologies used in excess of 150 countries worldwide.

When observed in practice, the PRINCE2 methodology implicates a fascinating and meticulous hierarchical structure that places strong emphasis on process driven project management. The project is divided into manageable and controllable stages, providing an inherent contingency plan for achieving project completion in working under the assumption that not all resources will be producing maximum levels of output from the conception to completion of the project.

In Australia, PRINCE2 is one of two favourable project management methodologies, particularly for larger organizations. The PRINCE2 methodology is deployed across Australian state government bodies as a sturdy framework for controlling the output across a large expanse of organizational resources, and is also prevalent amongst companies with head offices in the UK and Europe. One of the primary advantages of the PRINCE2 framework is that it is highly malleable, so yeah, if you’re a small-medium business owner and you feel like you’re missing out on one of the best project management methodologies known to man – you can tailor your own PRINCE2 framework for your company, hence the warm acceptance and high demand of this methodology!

At PM-Partners, our PRINCE2 training sessions will teach you the mechanics of this methodology and how to effectively apply them in an organization of any size – we’ll also go one further and prep you for all you need to know to get your PRINCE2 certification in less time. With the soon to be released online student website PM Partners students will be able to spend less time in the classroom and more time preparing for the Prince2 Examination.

Thanks for reading! We hope you found this post helpful. Should you have any questions or comments requiring more of an explanation, or you simply want an in-depth discussions, feel free to give us a call on +61 2 9900 1400.

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Posted 15 days ago by Mark 

Perth, Australia: An International Traveler's Guide

A charmed isolation

BCD Corporate Travel presents to you the most isolated capital city on Earth:

Perth lies upon a similar latitude to Sydney but over 3,400 kilometers (2,110 miles) to the west – as far away as London is from Beirut.

The capital of the state of Western Australia, located in the southwest corner of the Australian continent, Perth sits on the banks of the Swan River, and is probably the most outdoorsy of all Aussie cities. The climate, Perth's brilliant setting along both the Swan River and the Indian Ocean, and the abundance of parkland mean that it's almost obligatory to get outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air. One of Perth's great advantages is that virtually the entire river and seafront is public land; everyone can stroll, cycle, or picnic along the waterfront – and they do.

With four universities, a modern, well-designed city center and a culturally diverse population, Perth manages to project a cosmopolitan atmosphere while at the same time being disarmingly friendly and laid-back. The city is home to 1.47 million people. Nearly 200,000 of them are emigrants from the U.K., but there is also a considerable number of New Zealanders, Italians, Malaysians, Indians and South Africans.

Commercially, Perth provides the distribution point for West Australia’s wheat industry, the growing wine industry and the state’s vast mining operations.

Go for a wander, if not a walkabout

Perth seems to have been designed with people in mind. Its attractive malls and elevated walkways make it pleasant to navigate on foot.

Kings Park & Botanic Garden
Covering 990 acres, the park, a true wilderness in the heart of the city, is crisscrossed by walking trails and bicycle paths (bikes are available for hire). Particularly popular is the Lotterywest Federation Walkway, which opened in 2003 and allows visitors to walk among the park's treetops while enjoying spectacular views of the city skyline and the park. The walkway extends 620m (678 yards) along a combination of on-ground pathways and a spectacular elevated 52m (170ft) glass and steel arched bridge suspended among a canopy of tall eucalypts.
Kings Park Road, West Perth
www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kingspark
Free admission

Perth Zoo
Perth's small but popular and conveniently located zoo boasts an Australian Bushwalk (where visitors can observe native animals in their natural habitat), Rainforest Retreat and African Savannah among other interesting exhibits. Visitors should keep an eye out for the numbat, the marsupial that is the symbol of Western Australia. Daily keeper talks allow the public to get close to the animals.
20 Labouchere Road, South Perth
www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au
Admission charge

Art Gallery of Western Australia
Perth's major gallery has a permanent collection of Australian and international art and one of the finest collections of Aboriginal art in the world. The gallery is also the venue for major national and international touring exhibitions. Free guided tours are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – bookings are required.
Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Northbridge
www.artgallery.wa.gov.au
Free admission; charge for special exhibitions

His Majesty's Theatre
Arguably the most beautiful theatre in Australia, His Majesty's still stands in all its Edwardian glory, including ornate gilded foyers, a magnificent marble staircase and a domed, three-tiered auditorium. A venue for plays, opera, musicals and dance, the theatre is also home to the Museum of Performing Arts. Guided tours available. 
www.hismajestystheatre.com.au

Perth Mint
A well preserved remnant of the gold rush era, Perth's Mint, which is over 100 years old, offers an entertaining public tour. Visitors can see A$225,000 pure gold bars being poured and can also mint their own personalized medallions and witness the production of gold, silver and platinum coins.
www.perthmint.com.au

When the night has come

From Wednesday to Saturday, there is no shortage of night-time hotspots to visit in Perth. The larger dance clubs are concentrated in Northbridge, Subiaco and Fremantle and are friendlier epicenters for the over-30 crowd. Perth is home to a healthy indie rock scene and the 'craic' is good at several Irish pubs.

Some venues demand a smart standard of dress and some have a cover charge. Free entertainment weekly XPress (www.xpressmag.com.au) is the best resource when planning a night on the town, while Teknoscape (www.teknoscape.com.au) is a useful clubbing guide.

Lounge bars have taken off in Perth, with hip venues such as Base, corner of Lake and James Street. Must Winebar, 519 Beaufort Street, offers a cool atmosphere, a comprehensive wine list, slick cocktails and smooth grooves. Luxe Bar, 446 Beaufort Street, Mt Lawley, is a cool, happening and stylish contender for the title of best bar in Perth.

If you’re in the mood for a laugh, you’re in luck – Perth has nurtured some of Australia's finest comedians. The Brass Monkey pub, 209 William Street, Northbridge, boasts handcrafted beers, food, music – and comedy on Wednesday nights. The Lounge Bar at the Hyde Park Hotel, corner of Bulwer Street and Fitzgerald Street, features comedy on Thursday nights. Burswood Casino on Great Eastern Highway hosts international touring acts.

Souvenirs galore

Popular Perth souvenirs include dried wildflowers, Western Australian wine and sheepskin and crocodile leather products. Perth is an ideal place to obtain authentic Aboriginal art – the best commercial showcases are Indigenart, 115 Hay Street, Subiaco, and Creative Native, 32 King Street.

There is an abundance of markets. The Subiaco Pavilion Markets, 2 Rokeby Road, Subiaco, are open Thursday to Sunday, selling jewelry, pottery, giftware, clothes and art. Galleria Art & Craft Markets, Art Gallery and Museum Concourse, Perth are European-style markets, open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.

Feeling a bit peckish?

Given Perth’s geographic isolation, Visitors may be somewhat surprised by the wide range of sophisticated restaurants available to them.

Fraser's
The dining room looks past towering lemon-scented gums to Perth's panoply of skyscrapers and the Swan River – and the food lives up to the view. The menu changes daily to focus on fresh produce, with seafood and fish especially prominent. "Fraser's three taste" brings together beef, lobster, and salmon in a great starter, while crisp fried soft shell crabs married with turmeric and pumpkin curry comes as a starter or entrée.Ask for a seat on the terrace.
Fraser Ave. (near the Information Kiosk), Kings Park
08/9481 7100

Jackson’s
Understated contemporary design and ambience only help to emphasize the quality of the food here. Chef Neil Jackson has won a host of awards for his ability to bring out the best in local produce, with some quirky touches based partly on his English background. His degustation menu, called "the dego," offers nine courses, with suggested matching wines.
483 Beaufort St, Highgate
08/9328 1177

Annalakshmi
While the 360-degree views of the Swan River and the city might be romantic, Annalakshmi is actually a curry house run by volunteers. Paying by donation, assorted hippies and others line up for spicy potato-and-pumpkin curries and dahl.
Jetty 4, Barrack St, city center

Thanks for reading - we hope you find our travel tips useful!

If you would like to stay up to date with more of our travel guides, subscribe to the BCD Australia blog.

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Posted 28 days ago by Mark 

The Trivialities of I.T. Customer Service - Time to Think Again.

It is prevalent that within the evolution of business models, many IT departments within companies are beginning to be treated as separate business entities, with growing internal expectations to perform as a holistic self-sustaining business unit.

A recent article in Computer World Australia magazine reveals that IT is beginning to function as “a business within the business”, as mentioned by Dennis Drogseth, vice president of enterprise management associates, and IT management consultancy. The article continues to state that treating IT as a service is not as trivial as it may seem to those still adapting to the modern day business model.

The fact is that in a dawn of technological advancement within the workplace, and the concentrated amount of companies looking to take their presence online, there is a growing demand for highly project management oriented individuals with a strong backbone of IT qualifications. When larger organizations struggle to keep up with the fast pace of IT, there needs to be proactive ratification of workflow and leadership provided in order to ensure shapely results and timely delivered projects.

 Like anything in IT, project management is also not very foreseeable and may involve a copious amount of work process restructure and process improvement. This is where the ITIL framework comes in.

A brief history of the ITIL structure

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework surfaced in Britain in the 1980s as a result of the growing dependence of IT within the British and government workforce as solution to cleaning up the messiness of internal information technology projects. The British government recognized that without a standard practices for managing projects, agencies were subsequently created independent IT management practices.

To date, there have been 3 volumes of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, with the latest version comprehensively outlining twenty six processes and functions, grouped into five project management life cycles. The five process life cycles of the ITIL v3 library are officially listed as follows:

1.       Service Strategy

2.       Service Design

3.       Service Transition

4.       Service Operation

5.       Continual Service Improvement

What effect is ITIL having on businesses?

As a result of ITIL integration into information technology for project management, organizations are traveling down a path of vivid realization in discovering that the way to attaining the status of a customer centralized service organization is included within the 5 tier structure of the information technology infrastructure library framework for project management. What are the known benefits of this? Organizations can make better use of their help desks to manage service requests, changes and IT assets. Downtime is avoided because unauthorized changes are screened, and the end result is higher efficiency and a better delivery of service to their customers.

The notion of ITIL is almost god-like in theory, but simply having this certification does not automatically mean that project managers will transcend the module in their business practice. Project managers need an extensive knowledge of the ITIL structure before it is implemented, where the different ITIL processes can be slotted into their current business model and foresee the cause and effect of each process – which at times can involve a lot of scoping. The onus also lies on the project manager to thoroughly educate the IT department who are directly affected by the project restructure, after all, the staff members are the cogs of the greater machine that will complete the desired project goal. Within the articles referenced earlier in this paper, in an Interview with Computer World magazine, Dennis Drogseth – IT project management professional – speaks objectively of the business-IT model. He continues on in relation to ITIL in his assertion that “The biggest misconception is that all you need to do is become ITIL certified … That’s a sure recipe for failure. You have to figure out what you’re trying to enable. The end has to transcend ITIL.”

The theory of embracing the information technology infrastructure library is fairly elaborate, but in shifting your IT department towards a more customer-centric focus, your company can look to reap the benefits of increasing your project hit rates, and creating a higher profile for the use of technology within your organization.  It can backfire, though, so implementation of an ITIL structure must be done meticulously especially if you’re organization is larger. As an IT project manager, the last thing you want is to have your new customer focused business model to yield under the unrelenting vice of your company’s structural mini-bureau. The primary flaw of IT departments who crumble in their implementation of ITIL is that in amongst the increased service queue stemming from the hierarchy of the company, the pressure turns these IT departments into order takers, rather than business advisers. The notion of ITIL is to instill leadership within the IT department to develop higher levels of customer service. Failure to adhere to a strict following of ITIL will lead you back to the role of a subservient tech-entity within the organizational structure.

Project managers should look to develop their IT departments as a separate internal business entity through ITIL implementation. In adopting ITIL into your business model, and adhering stringently to its processes, your department can reap the dividends of maximized project efficiency and higher levels of customer service.

Trust me when I tell you, the end results will show for your dedication!

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Posted 28 days ago by Mark 

Twilight: New Moon Trailers

I've been keeping tabs on the New Moon movie latey, the next release in the Twilight series. For a guy who has only ever watched the movie, and has not completely read the book - I must admit - this is definitely giving me an incentive to get stuck into it again and finish what I actually started. Thought I'd share some trailers that have totally captivated me, and let it be said that I am feeling visually enthralled by the new release footage. Do yourself a favor and check out the following trailers if you haven't already!

For any Australian fans eagerly anticipating the release of the Twilight: New Moon movie, there's a chance to win 3 x movie tickets and a $50 candy bar voucher if you sign up for the Escape Club hotel deals newsletter before November 15. Enjoy!

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Posted 29 days ago by Mark