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security gaurd
lenbachhaus kunst museum
munich
The Lenbachhaus in Munich was originally designed as a Florentine-style villa and studio for artist Franz von Lenbach by architect Gabriel von Seidl, completed in 1891. The site was later converted into a museum in the 1920s and extensively expanded, with the modern extension and renovation (2013) designed by Foster + Partners (Lord Norman Foster).
Making you #feel #secure with our trained guards
We provide excellent support to make sure companies get adequate security for their lives and assets. If given an opportunity, We assure you the best and professional security services.
I secured my first Odonata photos of the year this afternoon with this Blue-tailed Damselfly adjacent to the Broadmead Cut of the River Wey.
Send, Surrey
8th May 2022
20220508 2I8A 0295 sm ta da
U.S. Air Force security forces trainees practice handcuffing techniques on each other during a lesson of the field operations block of training at the U.S. Air Force security forces apprentice course at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Annex, Texas, March 2, 2023. The field operations course is designed to teach basic skills necessary to new security forces Airmen. (U.S Air Force photo by Jerome S. Tayborn/RELEASED)
A clone captain communicating with command while his squad begins to prepare the perimeter.
This build started out as an empty frame to give myself an “empty canvas”. I like that approach a lot and I think it’s fun to see what you can squeeze into a small space to tell a story. Then I built the terrain and experimented for a few days on where to go from there. I decided on the water way eventually and it all snowballed from there.
I hope you enjoy feel free to leave any feedback.
September 27th 2011: after very cautious and deliberate shunting the Go South Coast Scanias are safely ensconced inside the Ryde bus depot away from nosey parkers
Contrary to first impressions, these two Lancashire County Constabulary officers are conducting a security check on a local electrical retailer in Leigh, not buying a new cooker for the station canteen.
The collection of the Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archive which is currently being digitised, has produced a series of marvellously evocative images of policing in the past.
The latest gems to be unearthed are a series of images taken in and around Leigh during, we originally thought, the early 1970s. However sharp-eyed viewers have pointed out that they are more likely to be the late 1960s.
They come from a set of images labelled Lancashire County Constabulary Training Slides and depict various officers on patrol in the town centre, at work in the police station or undertaking a variety of other duties.
We hope you enjoy this glimpse of bygone Leigh. We will be publishing further images from this series in the near future.
For further images from this series please see the Lancashire County Police Training set
From the collection of the Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives.
For more information about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
ARViP607 - Block 56 has been secured.
FC12 - Copy that. Move to Block 75. Class 4 holed up in a warehouse. Fire support needed.
ARViP607 - Understood. 642 follow me.
FC12 - PL79. DR121. Turn around. The street narrows down from there.
PL79/DR121 - Copy that.
FC12 - Careful. This is starting to get messy. All units, search every building. The enemy have spread out into the warehouses. Beware of sharpshooters and try not to get bogged down.
RD489 - Understood. Moving in to assist PL79 and DR121.
FC09 - Requesting support. Sector 34 airport.
ARViP174 - Why don't these bastards just give up already?! They can't keep hold of this city!
ARViP - Armoured Regalia Villetta Mass Production
RD - Regal Dress
PL - Paladin
DR - Dragoon
FC - Field Command
Earlier today it was confirmed that troops fighting for the UAF, mostly EV Heavy Industries soldiers, have managed to steamroll through Austria and into Germany. Even as we speak heavy urban warfare is occuring in the capital city of Bavaria, Munchen. If the city were to fall it would deal a major blow to the CEC economy. It is understood that the soldiers started from Bolzano, northern Italy. It is believed that the major battles are occuring around the airports as the invading forces attempt to seize them. It has been further confirmed that various other PMCs are invading CEC and EEC territory at different locations. We can only sit and watch as the CEC/EEC coalition is ripped apart. More on the story as it unfolds.
For the World in Conflict group.
Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers assist Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol in providing security at the Georgia State Capitol to ensure demonstrations remain peaceful May 31, 2020. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. William Carraway)
Airman 1st Class Wendell McLellan secures the perimeter during an exercise Aug. 25, 2013, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. The team performed land navigation and map reading techniques in a wooded area to find a simulated weapons cache as part of their training. McLellan is assigned to the 4th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brittain Crolley/Released)
Master Sgt. Charles Wilding, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, tightens the chains on a pallet of cargo outside the Joint Operations Center at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 24, 2014. Wilding and more than 70 other Kentucky Air Guardsmen are operating an Aerial Port of Debarkation in Senegal to funnel humanitarian supplies and military support into West Africa as part of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to contain the Ebola virus outbreak. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)
With a hefty chain and two locks, you would think this door was locked up tight. But look: the hasp at the bottom hangs free, and that serious-looking hook at the top is merely pegged into the upper loop. Lift it off, and you can find out what's behind.....
This site is well known, especially on Flickr, but it seems to be worth more snaps...
There are three old taxis on this site in Walsall - the place is very tatty and covered in rubbish.
Anyone know any history of this place?
Secured within its nose fairing, Ranger 3 is raised up for mating to Atlas 121D, Launch Complex 12, circa mid-January 1962 for its interestingly doomed lunar mission.
Amongst others, details at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_3
Credit: Wikipedia
books.google.com/books?id=UewO7htzSv4C&pg=PA139&l...
Credit: R. Cargill Hall/Google Books
space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ranger_bl2.htm
Credit: Gunter's Space Page
ODC ~ Starts with the letter S
It's already been more than a month since we rescued Gutz. He has lived in a kennel where his only role was to produce puppies and was so neglected, it's just inhuman. He has changed so much already, obviously much happier and healthier. To me, adopting an animal is a promise you make to them, to take good care of them and give them the proper training. And of course, to love them like they're a member of your family. I just don't understand how someone could abandon their pet or hurt them or neglect them...
Annawon Weeden: a Mashpee Wampanoag, with ancestry from the Narragansett; Pequot & other eastern woodland nations. FMI: www.myspace.com/annawon
Shinnecock Reservation, Hampton's , NY - Labour Day Powwow: 2007.
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UPDATE: April 14, 2009 ---> See Annawon's portrayal of Metacom (King Philip) in PBS's "After the Mayflower" episode of "We Shall Remain" here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_1_a...
---> BIO HERE: www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/behind_the_scenes/epi...
---> Behind the Scenes Images HERE: www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/behind_the_scenes/pho...
---> Heard on Set Interview HERE: www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/behind_the_scenes/hea...
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Shinnecock Tribe
Rte 27-A, Montauk Hwy
Southhampton, NY 111968
631-283-6143
State recognized; (no BIA office liason - seriously ridiculous!)
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Shinnecock Indian Nation: An Ancient History and Culture.
Since the beginning, Shinnecock time has been measured in moons and seasons, and the daily lives of our people revolved around the land and the waters surrounding it. Our earliest history was oral, passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and as far back as our collective memory can reach, we are an Algonquin people who have forever lived along the shores of Eastern Long Island.
Scientists say we came here on caribou hunts when the land was covered with ice. But our creation story says we were born here; that we are the human children of the goddess who descended from the sky. It was she, the story goes, who caused the land to form beneath her feet from the back of Great Turtle, deer to spring forth from her fingertips; bear to roar into awakening, wolf to prowl on the first hunt. It was she who filled the sky with birds, made the land to blossom and the ponds and bays to fill with fish and mollusks. And when all was done, the Shinnecock, the People of the Shore, appeared in this lush terrain. We are still here.
As coastal dwellers, we continue to prize the bounty of the sea, the shellfish, the scaly fish, which for thousands of years provided the bulk of our diet. We were whalers, challenging the mighty Atlantic from our dugout canoes long before the arrival of the big ships, long before the whaling industry flourished in the 19th century.
In the 1700's, we became noted among the northeastern coastal tribes for our fine beads made from the Northern quahog clam and whelk shells. The Dutch, who arrived on our shores before the English, turned our beads (wampum) into the money system for the colonies.
The Shinnecock Nation is among the oldest self-governing tribes of Indians in the United States and has been a state-recognized tribe for over 200 years. In 1978, we applied for Federal Recognition, and in 2003, we were placed on the Bureau of Indian Affairs' "Ready for Active" list.
Traditionally, decisions concerning the welfare of the tribe were made by consensus of adult male members. Seeking to shortcut the consensus process in order to more easily facilitate the acquisition of Indian lands, the Town of Southampton devised a three member trustee system for the Shinnecock people. This system of tribal government was approved by the New York State legislature in February of 1792. Since April 3, 1792, Shinnecock Indians have gone to the Southampton Town Hall the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April to elect three tribal members to serve a one- year term as Trustees. In April of 2007, the Shinnecock Indian Nation exercised its sovereign right as an ancient Indian Nation and returned to one of its basic Traditions: it bypassed the Southampton Town Hall and for the first time since 1792 held its leadership elections at home, where they will remain.
The Trustee system, however, did not then and does not now circumvent the consensus process, which still remains the governing process of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Major decisions concerning the tribe are voted yea or nay by all eligible adult members, including women, who gained the right to vote in the mid-1990s. Also in that period, the Shinnecock Nation installed a Tribal Council, a 13 member body elected for two years terms. The Council is an advisory body to the Board of Trustees.
Today, we number over 1300 people, more than 600 of whom reside on the reservation adjacent to the Town of Southampton on the East End of Long Island. While our ancestral lands have dwindled over the centuries from a territory stretching at least from what is known today as the Town of Easthampton and westward to the eastern border of the Town of Brookhaven, we still hold on to approximately 1200 acres.
With modest resources, we have managed to build a community to help us better meet the demands of an ever expanding and intrusive world. In addition to the Shinnecock Presbyterian church building and its Manse, our infrastructure includes a tribal community center, a shellfish hatchery, a health and dental center, a family preservation and Indian education center, a museum, and playgrounds for our children. Also on our list of recent achievements is the design and development of an official Shinnecock Indian Nation flag and an official seal.
Our skilled craftspeople and fine artists find employment within the Tribe as well as the surrounding area. The number of tribal members holding advanced degrees in law, business, medicine, social sciences and liberal arts continues to grow, and tribal members hold positions of responsibility in all areas, including teaching, banking and counseling, both within and outside the Shinnecock community.
One of the earliest forms of economic development that the Shinnecock Nation undertook was to lease Reservation acreage to local area farmers for their crops, mainly potatoes and corn. While the project did bring in a small income for the Tribe, the resulting damages from pesticides leaking into the ground water and polluting our drinking water supply were enormous. We had great expectations for our shellfish hatchery (Oyster Project) but brown tide and general pollution forced it to close before it had the chance to develop into the business enterprise it was planned to be. In the summer of 2005, the Tribe began reseeding parts of its waterways with oysters, and celebrated a renewal harvest of Shinnecock chunkoo oysters at the Tribal Thanksgiving Dinner, November 2006.
At the present moment, the Shinnecock annual Powwow is the economic development project of record for the Shinnecock Nation. Revived in 1946 as a benefit for our church, the Powwow has evolved into an event that hosts thousands of visitors. But we are at the mercy of the weather. For the past two years, rainstorms have forced us to drastically revise our budgeting plans. We are now exploring Indian Gaming as a means of attaining the much needed self-sufficiency that will enable us to perform the sacred duties laid out for us by the Ancestors — to protect, manage and maintain the Shinnecock Indian Nation.
By Bevy Deer Jensen
Shinnecock Nation Communications Officer
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For more information on the Shinnecock Nation, please visit: www.shinnecocknation.com/
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photography: a. golden, eyewash design, c. 2007.
YAVORIV, Ukraine – A Soldier from U.S. Army Europe’s Charlie Co., 173rd Airborne Brigade pulls security from the side of a Ukrainian military vehicle during a convoy exercise lane at Rapid Trident 2014 here, Sept. 18. Rapid Trident is an annual U.S. Army Europe conducted, Ukrainian led multinational exercise designed to enhance interoperability with allied and partner nations while promoting regional stability and security. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Leonard)
7 star strategies for your child's future
How can you put a price on the expression of pure bliss on your four-year-old's face
as she enjoys an ice-cream? When your 17-year-old whoops on hearing the news that
he has secured admission to his dream college, would your brain tick away at the
amount of money this is going to cost you?
These are non-questions to any parent. Parental love is unconditional and largely
unaccountable. It's heartless and clinical to count your child as a cost centre, and we
are not suggesting you do that.
Understanding expenses does not imply condemning them. On the contrary, it is only a
first step towards gaining an advantage over them. In fact, if you do manage to chip
away at the warm, fuzzy feeling of pride and accomplishment and examine the costs
of raising a child, you would be able to do a far better job of being the provider.
The dichotomy of spending on your children is a conflict between the present and the
future. Should you cave in and buy the Rs 25,000 Playstation 3 that your son has
been nagging you for? Will it come from the money you have been saving for his
graduation? Will that Barbie-themed Rs 50,000 party you threw on your daughter's
birthday be the reason she will have to do her hotel management in Goa instead of
Geneva? The only way to solve these dilemmas is to plan ahead and start investing.
Now.
Two big-ticket costs that all parents have to provide for fall under the heads
education and marriage. Post-graduate education is expensive, and in this globalised
world, if you want to give your child the advantage of an international education,
multiply the cost by 10 times, often even more. A grand celebration to mark your
child's wedding is a great Indian dream and something that all parents would like to
put some money away for.
1. Second baby
Most couples can afford one child and want to do the best for him or her. As financial
decisions go, the second child is usually one that swings the balances. The thought of
having to keep away double the amount of what you need for a child can be daunting.
Often, when the kids are young, one plus one does not add up to two - you could
re-use and recycle and keep your expenses slightly lower. But, as they grow older,
two children can be a real strain on finances. Guitar lessons for one, football coaching
for the other, science tuitions for one and mathematics for the other can add up to a
tidy sum every month.
A second child had always featured in Jayant Bhadauria and Kamalika Nandi's life
plans. It's just that they did not really have the time to have one. Jayant works in a
multinational software company in Mumbai and Kamalika looks after marketing for an
outsourcing company.
Between work, their travelling schedules and looking after Kamini, their four-year-old
daughter, the second child remained something to be done sometime in the future.
Which was why, in September, when Kamalika discovered she was pregnant, for a
minute she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Of course, money was not the first thing I thought about," says Kamalika. "Once the
news sank in, I did realise that we would have to start looking at our expenses. So
far, if I have seen something and liked it, I have ended up buying it if I felt the price
was fair. Now, I feel, there would be a little bit of a compromise there. I do want the
best for my kids, but that does not necessarily mean the most expensive."
7 star strategies for your child's future
The baby is due in May and, for now, they are figuring out the expenses related to
having him - delivery and hospitalisation are just two of the heads. A normal delivery
in a reasonably good hospital costs about Rs 35,000. If there are complications, the
fee could be substantially higher. Kamalika reckons their monthly expenditure would
increase by at least Rs 7,000 for the first year of the new baby.
A substantial portion of the large expenses they incurred for Kamini would not have to
be repeated. Expensive baby paraphernalia like the cot, stroller, rocker and high chair
can be reused for the second baby.
Jayant has a couple of insurance policies. The rest of his investments are all in equity.
He has an employee stock option in his company. Besides this, he has also opted to
buy the equity of his employer, listed in the US, with a certain percentage of his
salary every month.
The rest of his portfolio is in various Indian companies. While equity investment is the
ideal route to create wealth for his young family, Jayant should also look at
diversifying his portfolio. A major chunk of his money is invested in one stock - that of
his employer.
Jayant is also evaluating a couple of child policies from insurance companies. He
wants to use these as vehicles to save for his kids' higher education and marriages.
He is confident that as the expenses of the kids increase, so will his wife's and his
own salaries and that there will not be a situation of having to face a financial crunch.
Kamalika plans to return to work once her maternity benefits expire. When she was
expecting Kamini, she had given up her job and stayed home till her daughter turned
two. "I will try and enjoy the baby more since this is the last one I will have, but it
might be difficult because I plan to go back to work," she says.
"My career has suffered because of the break I took the last time and I don't want to
do it again. But, my company is employee-friendly and I feel that I would be able to
get leave in case I need to spend more time at home."
For now, they are not thinking about late night feeds and diaper changes. They have
chosen to focus instead on Tahitian weddings and exotic holidays for their kids.
2. Nascent dreams
When Simran Kumar thinks about her kids' future, she is not worried about which
school they will secure admission in or how big a wedding they will have. But, as a
modern, aware mother, she does get anxious about the world they will occupy, what
with environmental pollution, global warming and the rest. "I am concerned about
security issues, about violence against women, childhood respiratory diseases from
living in a polluted and crowded city," she says.
Simran and her husband, Zafar Baig, have two children under the age of two -
daughter Ananya is 22 months, and son Vivan is four months old.
Simran is an anchor for a television channel and Zafar works for an export house. With
two well paying jobs, they have not been worried about spending on the luxuries, so
far. But as their young family grows, they want to make sure they get started on
laying the foundation for a sound financial future.
"Now, we do not spend carelessly and have cut out a little bit of our frivolous
expenses. I want the best for my kids," she says.
One of the dreams Simran and Zafar have for their children is to offer them an
opportunity to follow in their footsteps and study abroad. "We are not very
money-savvy, but now want to invest in our kids' future. We do not really know
where to start," says Simran.
7 star strategies for your child's future
They have, however, opened bank accounts in both kids' names and all the money
they have received as gifts has gone into them. Zafar has bought a couple of
insurance policies and invested a bit directly in equity, as well as in some mutual
funds.
He recently invested Rs 50,000 in HDFC Standard Life's Young Star Plan. Even as they
try and cope with the 'now and here' expenses of a family of four, as well as investing
in their dreams for their kids, Simran and Zafar would also like to buy a house.
They are not alone in wanting to do several things at once. Most couples are in the
early stages of their careers when they start their families. Often, the need to put
away for a rainy day is lost in the euphoria of youth and its maxim of living for the
day.
When the kids come, several priorities tumble out of the financial closet -- a house,
some means of protecting income and insurance against unforeseeable events, buying
things for the baby, hiring someone to help look after them. Often, with this, also
comes a drastic drop in income levels if the mother chooses to stay back home and
look after the kids for a few years.
The key here is in being able to prioritise and not trying to do everything at once. The
important goals of higher education and marriage of children are quite far away and
even putting away a little sum of money starting right away would be enough.
What is key is getting into the discipline of saving, the amounts can be large or small.
As the goals are far away, most investments can be directed into equities. Systematic
investment plans (SIPs) of good funds, with a long-term view, are ideal here.
Short-term expenditure can be rationalised and reduced if there are opportunities.
Simran reckons she spends about Rs 10,000-15,000 a month now on the kids. This
includes diapers (about Rs 500 for a pack of 50), food and household help.
Simran works three days a week, and that leaves her with enough time to spend with
her children. Once they start school, she can go back to working full time. Simran is
optimistic about her future. "It's all there somewhere, I am a positive person in that
sense," she says. "For now, I want to focus on enjoying my babies," she adds.
3. Wonder years
The five years when the child has started school but is not yet in a higher class that
warrants private tuitions is the ramp up stage for the finances of parents. The goals
of higher education and marriage are some distance away, yet well within view.
Even though the primary schooler's ambitions vary widely from day to day, you could
still get a sense of the direction in which he is likely to head. This is the stage where
you could build your savings. If you have SIPs, you could increase the amount you
invest every month.
On the expense side, this is perhaps the easiest stage. You do not have the
heavy-duty everyday requirements of diapers and baby food, nor have you reached
the stage where you have to spend Rs 300 for one hour of mathematics tuition.
School fees, books, birthday parties and expenses on outings and excursions would be
areas of high spends. A birthday party can cost anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs
20,000.
In Kolkata, nine-year-old Arkatapa wants to be an archaeologist one day and a
teacher the next. She attends classes on ancient mathematics, Bharatnatyam, singing
and drawing. But her mother, Arpita Roy, feels when it comes to choosing a career,
Arkatapa will pick an academically-oriented one.
7 star strategies for your child's future
Arkatapa's father, Barun Kumar Roy, is an officer in the West Bengal government. His
money mantra is that investments should be made for the short term and loans should
be taken for the long term. He spends 60 per cent of his salary and saves the
remaining 40 per cent.
Barun invests with a three-to-four-year view. His first priority is insurance policies, so
that in case anything happens to him, his family does not suffer financially. He has life
insurance policies and Ulips with accident covers. He also has some investments in
Prudential ICICI Mutual Fund. These are in both equity and debt funds. Child plans do
not attract him, he has not taken any for Arkatapa.
An ideal asset allocation at this stage of your child's life is to have 75 per cent of your
investments in equity. This implies that in the intervening years between 0-4 and
5-10, you move some part of your money from pure equity to balanced or debt funds.
Arpita never wanted a career, she was always keen on staying home and looking after
her family. But her advice to her daughter would be to be self-reliant and have the
financial ability to look after herself.
Arpita finds her joy in her daughter's accomplishments. "When she scores 15 out of 15
in a test, I feel very happy. Even though it is a little silly, I do feel happy," she says.
"My daughter is not a very brilliant student, but she is still young. I am not worried
about her career now, water will flow where it will."
Her husband agrees that it is too early to predict what their daughter will grow up to
be, but he is certain that he must invest in her future. "Whenever she makes her
choice of education or career, it should not get stuck because there is no money for
it," he says emphatically.
"Every moment as a father has been a proud one." His dream for his daughter is that
she grows up to be honest, respectful and a good human being. "Everything else is
extra," he says.
4. Early teenage mayhem
As Rishab Nanda grows tall and lanky, his parents, Manisha and Manish, are beginning
to anticipate the mood swings and door slamming that will start as their
soon-to-be-12-year-old grapples with adolescence. Already, there are arguments and
high drama about pretty much everything -- from walking the dog to going on trips
with friends.
Although Rishab is yet unsure of exactly what he wants to grow up to be, the options
are getting clearer by the day. His parents do not want to get caught on the wrong
foot at the last moment and are now quickly squirrelling away as much money as
possible to fund his dreams.
Rishab's school offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and his parents
expect that once he finishes his class 10, he would opt for this. Not only is the IB
course more expensive than a regular school, the chance that a child going for it
would ultimately pursue his graduate programmes abroad is also high. A two-year IB
course costs about Rs 4 lakh, compared to Rs 1 lakh that you would pay for a regular
CBSE or ISC school.
Manisha and Manish know that this would be an expensive proposition. They would like
to save enough to fund the full cost of his foreign degree, but are not entirely sure
they would be able to. The actual amounts they would need would depend on the
course, college and country.
When the child is between the ages of 10 and 14, regular day-to-day expenses are
also high. School fees in secondary classes are higher than those in primary, and
children also need a lot of academic and non-academic stimulation outside school.
This would mean a mixture of tuitions and lessons. Rishab takes lessons in playing the
drums, speech and drama. These add up to Rs 18,000 a year.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
This is also the age of having to make large-ticket purchases. Gameboys,
Playstations, the latest skating boards and other 'toys' cost quite a packet, some
starting upwards of Rs 25,000. You can manage to spin some yarn and convince your
eight-year-old that the Barbie she has is better than the Barbie she wants, but there
is no talking reason, logic or threat to a 13-year-old.
The Nandas have made several investments in equity mutual funds. They also have
two child-specific plans -- one from LIC and the other from UTI. Ideally, the Nandas
should move their portfolio more towards debt and balanced funds. One, they would
need a large sum of money to pay the IB fees after Rishab completes his 10th
standard.
Also, since he is likely to go abroad for his undergraduate studies, their requirements
of funds would be sooner than usual. In case the stockmarket enters a lull phase after
four years, the largely equity portfolio of the couple could prove a problem.
Right now, Rishab is keen on pursuing his athletics and art. The Nandas know that
these are unconventional choices, but if Rishab does stick to either of these and
decides to pursue a career in it, they would encourage his choice.
Manisha was an advertising executive who switched careers to become a teacher.
She wants Rishab to have the guidance that enables him to discover his aptitudes so
that he doesn't waste years working in a profession he does not really want to be in.
"But," she says proudly, "at the end of the day, I think he is a survivor. Like me."
5. Terrible teens
In Delhi, Priyanka Verma is one busy 16-year-old. She is in her 12th standard and
preparing for her board exams pretty much takes up all her time now. She has opted
for the science stream and is studying physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer
science at Shriram School in Gurgaon.
Her mother, Sarika Verma, is an arts teacher and had noticed, very early, Priyanka's
creative bent of mind. "But," she says, "my husband had the foresight to advise her
that even if she wanted to subsequently pursue a career in arts, it would benefit her
to opt for the science stream at this level." Priyanka's father, Ashutosh Verma, works
in the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.
Priyanka has now found a career that will allow an artistic expression of her science
education - she wants to be an architect. Not only that, Priyanka also decided on a
foreign language early on, and now she is learning French at an advanced level. This
means that she could opt to study architecture at a good college in France, where
the cost of education would be lower than in the US or the UK.
The Vermas are self-confessedly not very money-savvy. They decided early on that
Priyanka's education would have the first claim on their finances; everything else
would be secondary. Right now, these education expenses are high. Priyanka takes
tuitions in a couple of subjects and these cost Rs 300-400 an hour. This, added to
school fees, the bus charges of going to school and coming back home and other
expenses aggregate to a neat Rs 20,000 a month.
"There was no room to splurge or go on binges. We knew we had limited resources
and, for us, spending was not a way of living. We set our priorities and refused to
worry about anything else," Sarika says.
The Vermas have left what they managed to save in their saving bank account. They
will have to drum up the funds once Priyanka secures admission in a college of her
choice. They are looking at the option of taking an educational loan to augment their
reserves.
7 star strategies for your child's future
When the child is between 14 and 18, the first big goal draws close. The money
needed for higher education should be ready and ideally, a large chunk of it should be
moved into debt and balanced funds. A 50 per cent exposure to equity is sufficient at
this stage.
Those sending their children abroad - for undergraduate or post-graduate studies -
should be in a position to provide for at least the first couple of years. If you do not
have enough saved up, you can seek an educational loan from a bank. Usually, kids
find part-time work that helps fund a part of their education or, in the least, provides
for their living expenses once they settle down in their new country and campus.
Ideally, earmark your investments for your needs. If the monthly SIP of Rs 7,000 is
going into junior's college fund, the Rs 4,000 one could be the marriage resource. As
the event draws close, you could switch the investment from an equity to a debt
fund. This would allow it to continue earning higher returns than a bank account while
being absolutely liquid.
Sarika is certain that her daughter is a bright spark. "My only dream is that in her life
she should be able to get opportunities to use her many talents," she says.
As for her marriage, it is still far away. "Even if I am rich, I wouldn't splurge on her
wedding; I am totally against that kind of fanfare," she says.
6. Action!
It all comes to pass now, the years of swinging between anticipation and hope. Now
is when your constant refrain of "go to your room and study" goes through its test.
And the money you have put away finally finds its purpose.
Bina Sharma's older son Prabhat is doing his electronics and communications
engineering in Bangalore. As he prepares to finish this and zone in on an area of
specialisation for his post-graduate course, Bina feels a mixture of relief and anxiety.
For one, Prabhat is bright enough to have got through a better college. But, she did
not want him to stay home for a whole year and prepare for the engineering entrance
exam. So, he joined the college where he got admission. This means that if he does
not get through to an IIT for his post-graduate degree, it is best that he go abroad
for it. By the time that would be happening, the younger son would be starting his
first year of college, seeking a medical degree in all likelihood. Bina is remarkably calm
for someone who is juggling so much.
"Prabhat is in two minds and has not decided whether he wants to do a Master's in
Engineering or an MBA," she says. "My sense is that he'll stick to the technical line. If
he does, he might choose to pursue his Master's in aeronautical engineering or
continue in electronics and communications. Either way, if he does not make it to a
top rung college in India, he would go abroad."
A postgraduate degree abroad is much easier to manage compared to an
undergraduate one. All said, it would cost about Rs 40 lakh (Rs 4 million) a year to
study in the US. This means an outlay of Rs 80 lakh (Rs 8 million) for a postgraduate
course, compared to Rs 1.6 crore (Rs 16 million) for an undergraduate degree. Bina
has started planning and has put away a part of this. By the time Prabhat finishes his
degree, she should have the rest of the money on board. If her resources fall short,
the Sharmas may have to take an educational loan.
The Sharmas have been forecasting their finances towards these goals. While they
meet their monthly expenses from the money generated by the business of Bina's
husband, Vipin, her salary is saved in its entirety. They have invested in equities,
mutual funds, fixed deposits and provident funds. They also have bought some real
estate with the express purpose of liquidating it to meet the kids' college expenses.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
A 25 per cent equity allocation is ideal at this stage. While the remaining money is
invested in lower-risk debt instruments, this 25 per cent would give the kicker of
higher returns.
College expenses cannot be calculated to the last rupee in advance as various factors
come into play on securing admission. Prabhat is planning to pursue a technical
degree, so the possibility of getting sponsorships and fee waivers is higher. However,
the couple needs to peg a basic minimum and work towards it.
The current expenses of the family are also high. Bina paid Rs 150,000 for the first
year of Prabhat's engineering. Over this, he incurs a monthly expense of Rs 8,000.
Bina is focused on her kids having a sound base in education. Once they graduate,
they are free to choose any career they want. She feels that Prabhat's rational
expectations would hold him in good stead through his education and career.
After the stress of steering two boys through their teens, Bina is looking forward to
the final satisfaction of seeing them settle down. "I will then put up my feet and
finally relax," she crystal gazes.
7. The last mile
Sumona Gupta did not want to make the career decisions of her daughters for them.
Snigdha, 23, works in advertising in Google for Hyderabad, and Shaila, 16, is an
aspiring fashion designer. Now that Snigdha is 'settled' professionally, Sumona is
certain that like her choice of an occupation, she would also let her daughter choose
who she wants to marry.
Sumona exudes the confidence of a successful parent -- one who has done the right
thing for her daughters and who can now take it easy and enjoy their success.
Sumona freelances in real estate, helping in renting, buying and selling of property.
Her husband, Sumit, has a shore-based job in a marine operations company in Dubai.
Together, they have set aside some money for their daughters. Most of this is in the
form of equities.
"When my daughter does get married, I would like it to be a big wedding; not overtly
so, but within our budget," Sumona says. A wedding dress for a bride would cost
between Rs 5,000 and Rs 60,000. Of course, if you have the resources you can even
spend a couple of lakh for an outfit. Food for guests sets you back by Rs 50-2,000 a
plate. Ideally, the funds for the kids should be moved out of equity at this stage.
If you have set aside enough, you could leave a small portion, about 5 per cent of the
portfolio, in equity to improve your returns. Investments in gold, ideally in bars and
coins or units of a gold exchange - traded fund, would also come into use now. There
are hardly any expenses you have to incur on behalf of the child now, they have their
own salaries to pay for most of their needs.
Sumona would rather worry about her daughters' financial stability than who they
would marry and when. "There is nothing very secure in a married life," she says. In
fact, she would like Snigdha to go for a postgraduate course, such as an MBA, than
find a man and settle down immediately.
Parenting is full of paradoxes. Even as we wait for the child to cross her next
milestone, we begin to miss the precociousness of the earlier stage. As they wean
themselves away, all we can do is gather all the special moments we have had and air
out their warmth every now and then.
When they grow into adults - people with careers, aspirations and points of view - we
can only wonder how they were ever so small that they fitted into the crook of our
arm. If we have planned ahead and made our children's journey to adulthood that
much easier, that is a job well done, a life well lived
A low mist slides through the Gate and into the bay, wafting about the tall ship Balaclutha and Alcatraz Island. San Francisco, California.
After securing the vessel carrying 250 kilos of cocaine and 100lbs of marijuana, HMCS SASKATOON preps to perform a demolition of the hazard to navigation while deployed on Operation CARIBBE in the Pacific Ocean 24 March 2021.
Photo Credit: Op CARIBBE Imagery Technician, HMCS Saskatoon, Canadian Armed Forces photo
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L’équipage du NCSM SASKATOON se prépare en vue de procéder à la destruction d’un obstacle à la navigation, au cours de l’opération CARIBBE, dans l’océan Pacifique, le 24 mars 2021.
Photo : technicien en imagerie de l’Op CARIBBE, NCSM Saskatoon, Forces armées canadiennes