Treatment With Fishy

Imported from Turkey and used as a cure for skin ailments such as psoriasis, Garra rufa (aka Dr Fish) are the latest trend in Japanese spa treatments. But be warned, this treatment is not for the squeamish: the fish feed off of the dead and affected areas of skin and leaves healthy skin to grow. Basically, you stick your feet in a small tank where hundreds of fish swarm and nibble and suck at your dead skin. The first few minutes certainly feel freaky and it takes time to get used to the sucking feeling.

But after you grow accustomed to the sensation, it actually feels relaxing. While your feet do feel somewhat smoother afterwards, it is definitely more for the experience than it is for the beauty benefits.
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Some Ideas To Working From Home

If you belong to the generation that does not believe that the world owes you a living, and you're willing to work for your daily bread, why work for somebody else? Here's a collection of ideas of what you can do at home working for YOU.

a). Running a website or a web based business. No! You do not need to be an expert in anything web related. You don't even need to know a lot about computers or how to build/manage websites. The trick is to identify what exactly you are good at, what you like doing, and open your mind to ways you can make money out of it. Or find someone who's already done it and buy him out.

b). Writing articles for other websites. Again, no special skills required. You don't need to be a published author, you don't even need to be good at writing! You can be stumped by spelling, perplexed by punctuations, and absolutely grim at Grammar but you can still make a living by writing (Yes, it's not all articles. There's demand for things like putting together useful resources, browsing through various websites in a particular niche and compiling a list of the best ones, collecting phone numbers off various sites in a particular industry and building a directory, and various other opportunities that don't require a PhD in English Lit).

c). Buying and selling products you are familiar with on auction websites like eBay and QXL - from doll houses to motorcycle spares.

d). Converting your hobbies or skills into a business from home (which may or may not use the internet). Some examples:

- Genealogy

- Pet Grooming/Minding

- Pottery/Painting/Other Craft Work/Teaching Craft Classes

- Knitting, Needlework, Alteration Services

- Baking/Cooking/Teaching Cooking

- Recording/Editing/Archiving of Photos/Music/Video

- Child Care, Teaching/Tutoring

- Reading (proofreading)

- Languages (translating)

Put your hobby/skill to work for you....

e). Other local opportunities: Apart from hobbies and skills there may be openings in your local area for a particular type of service that is not currently being met. And, the laws of supply and demand dictate that if there's no competition people are likely to be willing to pay you a high price for your services. Some ideas:

- House/Office Cleaning

- House Minding

- Door to door leaflet/local paper/coupon distribution

- Window Cleaning

f). Virtual Assistant opportunities: A VA is described as an independent entrepreneur providing administrative,
creative and/or technical services from the comfort of their own homes/home-offices.

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Business With Export-Import

If you love trying your voice at other languages, you can’t be dragged away from the aisles of import stores, and you live to travel, then exporting could be the business for you. And it’s big business. In one recent year, American companies exported $349 billion in merchandise to 226 foreign countries. Everything from beverages to commodes--and a staggering list of other products you might never imagine as global merchandise--are fair game for the savvy trader and are bought, sold, represented, and distributed somewhere in the world on a daily basis. As an exporter, you’ll act as a middleperson, selling various domestic goods for American manufacturers or producers to foreign buyers. You might deal with a customer in Turkey one week and another in Guatemala, the next. Acting on behalf of a manufacturer is the least expensive route to take, but you can also purchase products to resell or import goods from foreign shores to sell on your home turf. The advantages to this business are that you’re always doing something different, you meet lots of fascinating people and you get to travel to your heart’s content. And one of the really exciting aspects of the export business is that most American manufacturers have no idea they can expand their trade exponentially by exporting. Once you show them the light, the possibilities are limitless. You’ll need a good working knowledge of letters of credit and other foreign payment policies, as well as an understanding of shipping terms and methods. You’ll also need strong sales and marketing skills--you’ll have to convince manufacturers to let you sell their products and then persuade buyers to purchase them. Good organizational and time-management skills are also a must.


Your customers can be producers or manufacturers of any domestic goods you care to target. It’s best to start in an industry you’re already experienced in--if you know the grocery field, for instance, you might start by selling upscale convenience foods to French grocery distributors. You’ll work a two-step process here. First, once you’ve targeted your market, you’ll need to convince manufacturers to let you sell their products. Send letters describing your services and the rewards of exporting, then follow up with phone calls requesting appointments. After you contract with these people, go on to your second step, selling the goods abroad. Send letters to sales reps or distributors, explaining your products and requesting an appointment to meet or talk by phone. You can also place ads for your products on any of the plethora of free or fee-based Websites that feature trade leads, which are import/export classified advertisements.

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First Underwater-Restaurant-Perfect Business

There’s something magical about watching fish swim and the Ithaa undersea restaurant really uses that magic to full effect. The up-market eatery, which opened to the public in 2005, is situated several metres below the Indian Ocean at the Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa on Rangali Island.
The restaurant, which cost around $5 million to build is 9m long and is made up of three 5 metre transparent arches made from acrylic 125mm thick and sits under a couple of metres of water at high tide.

The Maldives | 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views.

"We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives ", says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. "Our guests always comment on being blown away by the color, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views - without ever getting their feet wet."

Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New Zealand , Ithaa's distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. "The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world," continues Schieck, "We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colorful fish that live around the reef near the restaurant."


The five-metre by nine-metre transparent arch, which spans the entire room, seats 14 people and provides a feeling of being completely at one with the underwater world while submerged beneath the surface of the ocean. Set with the resort's renowned house reef one side, and a clear lagoon on the other, diners enjoy their meal within Ithaa's translucent shell as the underwater drama unfolds on all sides.

Naturally the food will be as spectacular as the underwater setting, explains Schieck, "In such a unique restaurant we wanted to create a distinctive cuisine, which is why we've decided to offer 'contemporary Maldivian cuisine' as a theme. We take local spices and traditional flavors and give them a western twist to create a fusion cuisine that you could find in the best restaurants in London or New York. Nobody else has done this before and we're very excited about it."

While the cuisine is dedicated to the fine balance of western food items with a Maldivian flavor, the wine concept is equally exciting; offering diners the perfect opportunity to discover the wines of the prestigious Champagne house Louis Roederer.



Ithaa is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby over-water Sunset Grill Restaurant. Diners begin their meal with drinks on a specially constructed deck over the ocean and then descend to the restaurant via a spiral staircase where the à la carte menu is served. Seating only 14 people, Ithaa offers one of the most intimate and exclusive dining experiences in the world.
This innovative restaurant is the first of its kind in the world, and is part of a US $25 million re-build of Rangalifinolhu Island , one of the twin islands that make up Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. This re-build includes the construction of 79 of the most luxurious Beach Villas in the country as well as the Spa Village, a self-contained, over-water 'resort-within-a-resort' consisting of a spa, restaurant and 21 villas !