How To Choosing Where To Live

The problems in building, or buying a house are essentially the same. Begin by choosing a community that suits your family's needs.

Question you should ask are as follows:

Is the general character of the community appealing to you?

Does the town have good public recreation facilities, such as park areas, tennis courts, baseball field, and swimming pool?

What is the caliber of the schools? Are the teachers good? Are the buildings new, or in good repair? How many children are there to a class?

Is there a place of worship for your religion?

Is convenient public transportation available for each member of your family? Are there buses, trains, or street-cars to businesses, schools, and stores?

How far will you have to travel to your place of work? How long will it take? How much will it cost?

Do police and fire departments operate quickly and efficiently in an emergency?

Does the town have a reputation as a safe place to live? Are adequate local medical and hospital facilities available?

Will the local stores satisfy your tastes and needs? Do their prices come within your budget?

What is the quality of the local government?
Municipal decisions will affect the development of your town and the amount of your taxes.

Use these standards to judge your neighbourhood:

Are nearby houses and properties deteriorating, or improving?

What are the zoning regulations? Can a factory or a store be built next to your house?

Is the house you are considering more expensive than other nearby?
If so, you may be unable to sell it for as much you paid.

Are there noise nuisances nearby, such as an airport or a railroad?

Is there a steeply graded road next to the house that will require shifting of gears, and applying of brakes by heavy trucks, day and night?

Are nearby roads heavily travelled and dangerous?

Are you in the path of industrial fumes, or other disagreeable odors?
Check the prevailing winds on a week day when business and factories are open!

Will you like your neighbours? Are they in your financial and educational strata?
Chances are you will be most happy with people with similar likes and values.

If you are parents, do your neighbours have children of approximately the same age as yours?

Make sure your Home Sweet Home is the best place for your children's basic and main education!

Source : Encyclopedia International by James Brett

Goose Philosophy: A Reflection of Life

If you live in a four seasons country, when Autumn comes, you will see a flock of geese that are flying to the South to avoid the Winter season. These geese are flying in form of the letter "V" formation. Below are some scientific facts about why the flock of geese are flying in "V" formation.

Fact:
As each goose flaps its wings, it gives the "extra supporting power" for the other goose that fly directly behind its. This occurs because the geese which are flying in the back don't need to bother to penetrate the air wall in front of its. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock can fly 71% of the distance farther than if each goose flies alone.

Lesson:
When people in the community are moving in the same direction, purpose, and by sharing to one another, will achieve their goals, faster and easier. Why? Because they are living together by encouraging and supporting to each other.

Fact:
When a goose flies out of the formation of the group, it will feel heavy and difficult to fly alone. It quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of power of the goose in its front.

Lesson:
If we have enough common sense as a goose, we would have stayed in the formation with those who went before. We might have had a willingness to give help to others, and accepting others help. It will be easier for us to do things together, rather than doing it alone.

Fact:
When the goose which are leading the flock gets tired, it will fly around to the back of the formation, and another goose will replace its.

Lesson:
It's just make sense, that to do such demanding and difficult tasks, community needs a turning and sharing leadership. People are relying on one another in terms of capability, capacity and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or other resources.

Fact:
Geese which are flying behind in the formation, are making noises to encourage the geese which are in front, so that the flying speed can be maintained.

Lesson:
We need to make our voices are encouraging to our leader. In a community, where people are encouraging to each other, the achieved results will be larger. The power of encouragement (standing in core values and willingness to encourage one another) is the quality of voices that we all seek. So, we must to make sure that our voices are encouraging, and not discouraging.

Fact:
When a goose gets sick, wounded, or being shot down. 2 other geese will leave the formation with that goose. To follow it down, to give help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it dies, or manages to fly again. After that they will fly with their own strength to catch the flock.

Lesson:
If we can learn from the goose, we could have been a better person. What would we do if our best friend got sick? Or, having an accident? Then, we would have done exactly as the goose did. Living in a community, we surely have felt difficult times, just like when we laughed together at good times.