Father Christmas..!?

Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which explains his other name 'Santa Claus' which comes from the Dutch 'Sinterklaas'. Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer. He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.

In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children, or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

How do you see it???

The origin of X-mass day (Religious Perspective)

Since about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. 'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'Anointed One' - the title given to Jesus - and 'Mass' was a religious festival.

In the West today, the real meaning of Christmas is often forgotten. It has become a non-religious holiday! More children believe in Father Christmas than in Jesus. Christmas Day is a time for eating and drinking too much and watching television.

But the real Christmas story is found in the Christian Bible. It is told in two different books: Matthew and Luke chapters 1 and 2. If you have no Bible, you can read these chapters online. You may think that the story of the birth of Jesus, and the way that the West celebrates Christmas today, do not seem to have many connections.

Mary says "yes"


These chapters tell how Jesus was born as a baby to Mary. This was no ordinary birth! She was not married, she was a virgin, (yes, really!) and an angel had told her she would bear a special baby. Her husband-to-be, Joseph, did not believe her at first. Who would? Then an angel told him in a dream that it was true! Probably no one else believed it. So when they had to travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem (near Jerusalem), to register their names with the ruling Roman government, they probably escaped many hard words from other people.
Arrival in Bethlehem brought worry and upset: there was no room for them to stay at the hotel. There was only space in the stable - the animal house for travellers' donkeys and horses.

Jesus was born that night, and as they had no bed for him, they used an animal feeding box filled with the dry grass the animals ate.
Christmas cards and pictures today make it all seem very nice. In truth, it must have been dirty and frightening for a young couple, far from their home and families. Possibly the birth was premature after the stress of the journey. This was a very poor place for Jesus to start his life on earth.

God's plan?

Christians believe that it was exactly God's plan that things happened this way. They say that it shows that Jesus came as a humble, poor person and not as a strong, rich king. They also claim that the birth of Jesus was told many years before in the books of the prophets.

Five hundred years before, the prophet Micah had said,

"But you Bethlehem, though you are small, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

The prophet Isaiah had written,

"A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler.

He will be called, "Wonderful Counsellor," "Mighty God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of Peace." His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace....

He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of time."

These are only two of many prophetic words that told of the birth and life of Jesus, written hundreds of years before His birth.

The shepherds are frightened

At that time, sheep farmers were seen by other people as low and of no value. Yet it was to these shepherds that the birth of Jesus was first announced in an amazing dramatic way:
"That night there were some men looking after sheep in the fields nearby. Suddenly they saw a great light. It was an angel, who said,

'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you, and for all people. Someone great has been born today. He is Christ, the great King you have been waiting for. He will save you from all that is wrong and evil. You will find him dressed in baby clothes, lying on a bed of dry grass.'"
The story of the wise men

After Jesus was born, wise men came to look for Him, from an area which is now in either Iran or Saudi Arabia. Although they are often called the "Three Kings", the Bible does not say how many there were, or that they were kings. Three is only a guess because they brought with them three gifts.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

They were certainly men of learning - probably today we would call them philosophers or scientists. They had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special king. (The star they saw was probably a exploding "supernova" and is known from astronomical records.) They followed the direction of the star and eventually found the place where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were staying. To bring honour to the child, they brought rich gifts: gold, frankincense (a resin which burns with a beautiful smell), and myrrh (plant oil with a very strong sweet smell). These gifts tell us in pictures three key things about Jesus:

Gold: a gift fit for a King

Frankincense: burnt in worship of God

Myrrh: a sign of mortal human-ness - it was used to bury the dead

Jesus a refugee

Herod, the evil king of the area, heard about the child, saw Him as a threat, and sent soldiers to kill Jesus. But God told Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the baby and escape to Egypt. They lived there till King Herod died and then went back to live in Nazareth. We read nothing more about the life of Jesus, except for one story when he was 12, until He reached 30. By the way - note one important thing: Jesus was not a white European, and Christianity is not a Western religion. Christmas cards from different countries often show Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the landscape of that country, and with the racial appearance of that nationality, be it black African, Indian, or Japanese. This is good and right - Jesus came to identify with every racial group. He is "Everyman" for us all.

NBAA EXAMINATION STRUCTURE (Professional Examination Scheme)

The Examination Structure for the Professional examination scheme has three stages with two modules in each stage. Whilst the Foundation Stage has four subjects in each module, the Intermediate and Final Stages have three subjects in each module.

FOUNDATION STAGE MODULE A
Subject Name

P.01: Financial Accounting

P.02: Business Economics

P.03: Business Law

P.04: Business Mathematics and Statistics

FOUNDATION STAGE MODULE B
Subject Name

P.05: Auditing Theory and Practice

P.06: Cost Accounting

P.07: Business Information Systems Management

P.08: Business Ethics and Corporate Governance


INTERMEDIATE STAGE MODULE C
Subject Name
P.09: Financial Reporting I

P.10: Research, Consultancy and Reporting

P.11: Quantitative Techniques for Decision Making

INTERMEDIATE STAGE MODULE D
Subject Name
P.12: Management Principles and Practices

P.13: Corporate Finance

P.14: Entrepreneurship

FINAL STAGE MODULE E
Subject Name
P.15: Financial Reporting II

P.16; International Finance

P.17: Public Finance and Taxation

FINAL STAGE MODULE F
Subject Name
P.18: Auditing and Assurance Services

P.19: Management Accounting and Control

P.20: Contemporary Issues in Accounting

On successful completion of the Final Stage Examinations, a candidate shall be awarded a Certificate of Completion of the Certified Public Accountant - CPA (T) examinations and will be eligible for registration as a Graduate Accountant.

Hivi Mitandao ya simu inatujali zaidi kuliko serikali yetu...?

Karibu kila mwaka mitandao ya simu Tanzania inapunguza bei za huduma zao. hii inatusaidia hata watu wa kipato cha chini kuwasiliana kiurahisi bila kudhoofisha hali zetu za kiuchumi.

Nimekua nikijiuliza kila mara, Hivi hii inamaanisha kuwa mitandao ya simu inatujali sana kuliko serikali yetu ambayo inaachia maongezeko mengi ya bei za vitu ambavyo ingeweza kuyazuia au kuyapunguza kama ongezeko la bei ya mafuta ghafi?

Naombeni mawazo yenu wadau...!?

AM BACK...!?

Wadau,

Am so sorry kwa kutokuwepo hewani kwa takribani mwaka mmoja. Mtikisiko wa kiuchumi ulinikumba na mimi na kusababisha hali hiyo. Kuanzia sasa tutakuwa tukipeana habari mbali mbali kupitia mtandao wetu.

Karibuni sana & Kip in touch...!?

LIL'WAYNE ANATEGEMEA KUPATA MTOTO WA 4!

Habari za kuaminika kutoka vyanzo mbalimbali vya habari zinasema mwanamuziki maarufu wa Hip hop nchini Marekani Li' Wayne anatarajia kupata mtoto wa kiume kupitia kwa mpenzi wake mpya ambaye ni mwanamuziki wa RNB aitwaye NIVEA. Inasemekana kuwa mtoto huyo atakuwa ni mtoto wa tatu kuzaliwa wa Lil'Wayne ndani ya kipindi cha mwaka mmoja ambapo mtoto mmoja alipatikana mwezi Oktoba mwaka jana 2008,mwingine mwezi uliopita Septemba 2009 ana watatu anatarajia kupatikana mwezi huu.

Hata hivyo, habari zaidi zinaeleza kuwa mtoto huyo atakuwa mtoto wa nne kuzaliwa kwa rapa huyo maarufu nchini Marekani. Pia kuna tetesi kuwa kwa sasa Rapa huyo ana wapenzi wawili ambao wana mimba zake na hivyo kufanya idadi ya wanawake wanne ambao kaaza nao ingawa wawili kati ya hao hawafahamiki vizuri.

Duh hili balaa, kumbe tabia ya kuzaa hovyo hata people wa huko mbele wanayo hasa ukizingatia kuwa Lil' Wayne hafanani kabisa na tabia hiyo. Haya wale wenzangu na mimi wenye tabia ya kuiga lifestyle za wasanii wa Mtoni igeni na hilo basi tuoneee!

TANGAZO KWA WANAFUNZI WA UDSM.....!

The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) would like to inform all undergraduate students who will continue with studies in the 2009/10 academic year that studies will begin on 26th October 2009.

All bonafide students should pay their share of tuition and other required fees as indicated below before they report to the University as only those who pay the fees will be processed for registration and allowed to access accommodation and other university facilities and services.
Payment should be made through:

1. The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) NBC Bank Account Number
040103001709 (UDSM Branch) or CRDB Bank Account Number 01J1088967000
(UDSM Branch).

2. The Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) NBC Account
Number 071101000196 (Chang’ombe Branch).

3. The Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE) CRDB Account Number
01J1071134810 (Mkwawa Branch).

4. For those using international telegraphic transfer, the Swift Code is NLCBTZTX for
NBC Bank and CORUTZTZ for CRDB Bank.

Students should keep the original pay-in slips for submission to the University.

In addition to the tuition fees indicated in the schedules below each student (regardless of the means testing grade) MUST also pay the approved Direct University Cost amounting to TZS 74,900/= (composed of Examination fee 12,000/=, ID fee 5,000/=, Registration fee 5,000/=, Student Union fee 2,500/= and Medical capitation fee 50,400/= payable to the National Health Insurance Fund through UDSM).


Students are further urged to pay the tuition fees in full by 15th October 2009. However, those who will be unable to do so are allowed to pay for a single semester which is half of the tuition fee indicated above. Students who will pay for the whole year will be issued with Identity Cards lasting for the whole year while those paying for a semester will have IDs lasting for a semester. Such students will need to pay for the new IDs that will be issued to them in the second semester, having complied with fees payment. Students should note that payment per semester applies only to tuition fees as the direct university cost of TZS 74,900/= need to be paid up front for the whole academic year.

Prof. Y.D. Mgaya
Deputy Vice Chancellor – Administration
30th September, 2009

How To Deal With a Difficult Person

Don’t say something you’ll regret! Instead, try these tips from clinical psychologist Nando Pelusi, PhD:

1. First, acknowledge that the person seems bothered.

2. Ask, “What are you upset about?” This shows that you want to communicate rather than argue.

3. Stand up for yourself, but don’t let emotions take over.

4. Look for common ground. Ask what each of you can do to avoid these feelings in the future.

5. Don't obsess. If you can find your way to harmony, great. If not, just let it go.

8 Ways to Ease Your Worries

We know Mama was right when she said, "Money can't make you happy." But we also know financial worries can shake us up. As we wait for the economy to turn around, is there anyone who isn’t feeling anxious? If you’ve been laid off and there’s no job in sight, you may feel like life is whirling further out of control with every hoarded dollar you spend.

But that “so-scared-I-can’t-breathe” feeling doesn’t have to take over. You can stop it by deliberately tuning out fear and turning up the volume on other things like love, faith and community. Focusing on life’s positives can help you feel grounded.

“We tamp down fear by noticing the blessings and opportunities the economy has handed us,” says the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. “Having less money for eating out can result in healthier meals eaten with family, and more time to build and strengthen relationships.” Being aware that there are others who are worse off may spur you to volunteer.

Here’s another thing: A financial challenge such as an impending foreclosure, a layoff, a house worth less than the mortgage, is just a problem to get through. How we deal with that problem may shape us for good or ill, but the fact that it happened to us says nothing—we’re the same people we were before.

Even in the depths of the Great Depression, when 1 American in 3 was out of work and there were breadlines everywhere, people still managed to fall in love, play with their children, sing along with the radio, enjoy life. A lesson we can learn from those times is that there are always pockets of joy, and many ways to foster inner peace.

1. Accept that troubles are part of life. With all the focus on celebrity lifestyles during the past decade or so, “it’s almost as if we’ve been told life is supposed to be perfect all the time, and something is wrong with us if it isn’t,” says Victoria Moran, author of Living a Charmed Life. “That’s not true!”

Sometimes you just happen to be the person whose car runs over a nail in the road, and you end up with a flat tire. You didn’t do anything to deserve it. Being careful won’t eliminate every last chance of picking up a nail. Neither will being nice and working hard on your driving skills.

In the same way, you aren’t any more unlucky than anyone else if the economic slowdown is creating new difficulties for you. The answer to “Why me?” is “Why not me?” When you keep reminding yourself that life has its ups and downs, you’re better able to “change your default setting,” as Moran puts it. “All of a sudden, ‘Everyone’s healthy, and we’re safe and content, even now,’ becomes as good as ‘Rich and getting richer,’” she says.

2. Don’t obsess over the news. Molly Peter, a real estate agent and mother of four in Bethesda, Maryland, never watches the news anymore. “It’s surprising how much more positive I feel every day,” she says. Instead, she listens to music or an audiobook while in the car or cooking.

This technique is OK to use as long as you’re not in denial about the upheavals going on, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, a University of California, Riverside, professor of psychology and author of The How of Happiness. Of course you want to stay informed—just don’t let it overwhelm you. “Your life will be happier if you focus on affirming things,” rather than things that depress you, says Dr. Lyubomirsky.

3. Reach out to friends. The way you cut fear down to size, says Rev. Dr. Forrest Church, author of 25 books including Freedom from Fear, is to avoid the urge to isolate yourself when trouble hits. It’s crucial to be with people, and by “people,” he means more than your immediate family and the dog.

But that’s not what most of us tend to do. When we get laid off, we feel singled out and helpless. We may be furious, bitter or sad. Most certainly, we feel embarrassed. So we hunker down and hide.

“You can’t let yourself do that,” Dr. Church says. “When you do, you get into a conversation with your fear, and it builds.” You may even start blaming yourself. “One neighbor at a time, one friend at a time, break out of your isolation every day,” he says. “When we start engaging with other people, we find ways around that wall that’s in front of us, solutions and ideas we might not have seen by ourselves.”

4. Cultivate gratitude, now more than ever. You may be eating more rice and beans these days, but if there’s food on the table, that’s a blessing. You can be grateful that your son is learning to read, for your health, for the neighbor who waved as she mowed her lawn.

In a 2002 study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, researcher and psychology professor Martin Seligman, PhD, asked severely depressed people to go to a website once a day, before they went to bed, and write down three good things that had happened that day and why. (These were people who were so depressed that just getting out of bed might be worthy of the list.) Listing three good things daily was their only treatment. Within 15 days, 94% felt less depressed.

The study has been repeated several times since. Every time, researchers found that being thankful actually made the subjects feel happier.

“Saying thank you is powerful,” says Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, who recently became the first woman to become executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, representing Conservative Jewish rabbis worldwide. “It turns us from a mindset of lack to a mindset of gratitude for the good things in our lives.”

5. Decide not to worry. Studies have found that some people worry 10 times more than other people do, although their life circumstances may not be much different from those of people who hardly worry at all. Not surprisingly, the champion worriers were more likely to report being unhappy than those who worried less. Some people are predisposed to worry more than others, says Boston College psychologist Maya Tamir, PhD, but we do have some control over it, meaning we can choose whether to worry or not. Deciding not to worry is not the same as pretending everything is fine. By all means, be practical. But once you’ve made a plan for “what if I get laid off,” don’t continue to fret about it in your head or talk about it to others, advises Dr. Lyubomirsky.

6. This goes for dwelling, too. Dwelling, or replaying a stressful event over and over in your head, can keep you stuck. Dr. Lyubomirsky has documented the negative effects of dwelling. Psychologists call this rumination, and there are tricks to stopping it, she says. One is to see whether you have any worry triggers and to distract yourself when you begin to ruminate.

Try different tactics until you can turn off worry the way you change a TV channel. Solitary exercise may not help unless you work out so hard you don’t think about other things. “I used to go for a run when I found myself ruminating,” reports Dr. Lyubomirsky. “Well, running made me do it more!” Good bets: reading to a child or watching a funny movie.

Another trick she finds effective: Make a worry appointment with yourself. Plan to worry from 9 to 9:30 a.m., for example, and if you find you’re worrying at any other time during the day, tell yourself to put it on hold. Silly, maybe—but it works, Dr. Lyubomirsky says.

7. Work at staying upbeat. In her latest book, Dr. Lyubomirsky makes an interesting point: A growing body of research shows that our sense of well-being is about 50% dependent on a happiness setpoint. This factor is genetic, much like a weight setpoint. Of the rest, only about 10% is circumstantial: big income or small, married or single, gorgeous or plain. “What’s exciting is that the other 40% percent is under our control,” she says. “It depends on our daily, intentional activities.” Even something as simple as smiling can lift your spirits. “Staying positive is really important, right down to the effect it has on your immune system,” Dr. Lyubomirsky says.

8. Take part in your faith. Worship offers transformative power of its own because it “takes us out of ourselves,” says Rabbi Schonfeld. A faith community can feel like a supportive extended family. Going to the church or synagogue during the week to meet friends or volunteer our time can be a mission when we have no job to go to daily or we don’t know what to do next. And there are a lot of opportunities to help with service and outreach projects.

“Miraculous things can happen when we join hands to help one another,” says Rabbi Schonfeld. “It isn’t just the good works, though they are important. Working together also relieves our fear and anxiety, and gives us a new surge of energy.” Another benefit: We can’t shelter our children, especially our older children, from the troubles related to the present economy. “But we can let them see us acting with a sense of faith and purpose,” which shows them that we’re able to cope, says Rabbi Schonfeld.

Maybe you just flat-out know you need help. If you haven’t been involved with a church before, turning up when you need groceries or you just got a pink slip can feel embarrassing, even hypocritical. Do it anyway, suggests Rev. Jefferts Schori. “Many times we change our lives for the good, or begin a spiritual journey, when we’re feeling the most down and vulnerable,” she says.

JAMANI SCHOLARSHIP KWA ANAYEHITAJI......!

Sio utani ni ukweli na serious, kama wewe unaona una sifa zifuatazo basi fanya application ya scholarship hiyo hapo ila usisahau kunikumbuka utakapokuwa huko. Ni bonge la dili tatizo watu hatupendi tu kupiga dili kama hizo ndo mana tunashitukia tu watu wapo unyamwezini wanasoma bila kujua wameendaje......... Its up to you kuapply au kuipotezea!



CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIPS

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP

1. Scholarships are available for applicants wishing to study a Masters course in the UK. This scheme is not tied to any UK institution.

2. Applicants must identify the course they wish to study and the UK Institution they wish to attend. It is the responsibility of the applicant to apply for admission directly to (up to three) UK Institution(s) of their choice before they apply for a Chevening Scholarship. You are required to submit proof of your applications with your Chevening Scholarship Application form. If you are offered a Chevening Scholarship the offer is subject to a confirmed unconditional offer of admission from one of your three chosen UK Institutions by no later than 31 May 2010, failing into that will lead to the withdrawn of the scholarship offer.

3. You must apply for a Masters course that falls within at least one of the following priority areas:
• Environment/biodiversity/climate change/ecology;
• Governance (in broad sense)/human rights;
• Media/journalism/communication;
• Development/poverty reduction
• Sociology
• Public administration
• Politics/economics
• Conflicts/peace studies

4. Chevening Scholarships cover the following:


a gratis student visa

all your academic fees

a monthly allowance to cover living expenses

an arrival and departure allowance to help with travel

a book and clothing allowance

travel costs to and from the UK.

HOW TO APPLY

5. Make sure that you are eligible to apply for a Chevening scholarship. The criteria are as follows:

Eligibility Criteria:

• You can apply for a Chevening scholarship after you have completed your undergraduate studies with an upper second class degree or higher
• You can apply if you have already begun a career in your chosen field. You'll be expected to show you have at least three years' working experience, with an excellent track record illustrating your achievements, and evidence that you will become a leader especially in the fields of
 Environment/biodiversity/climate change/ecology
 Governance (in broad sense)/human rights
 Media/journalism/communication
 Development/poverty reduction
 Sociology
 Public administration
 Politics/economics
 Conflicts/peace studies
• You are expected to show a commitment to return to Tanzania, where you will contribute to the country's socio-economic development using the new skills and knowledge acquired during your stay in the UK
• You are also expected to have good English language skills (most UK Higher Education institutions require a minimum IELTS of 6.5 for admission onto postgraduate courses)
• You can apply if you are between 25-40 years old and must be a Tanzanian Citizen.

You are not eligible if you:
• have already started a course in the UK at the time of application
• have in the past received a British Government funded scholarship
• work for the British Government (including the British Council)
• apply from another country
• are seeking military training (though military personnel can take academic course at civilian institutions)
• are applying for part time courses
• are applying for distance learning
• wish to study a course of more than 12 months in duration
• wish to study an undergraduate degrees

6. Applicants must apply directly to their chosen UK Institution (s) for admission to your chosen course(s) before applying for a Chevening Scholarship.

7. Applicants must complete the online Chevening Scholarships’ application form at http://www.britishcouncil.org/africa-chevening.htm. Tanzania Chevening applications start on 1st September 2009 until 31st December 2009. Do not submit your hard copy application at this time.

8. Applicants must make sure they complete all the sections on the application form. WE CANNOT CONSIDER INCOMPLETE APPLICATION FORMS. If some sections in the form are not relevant to the programme you are applying for, please insert “not applicable”.

9. The British Council will contact only short listed candidates inviting them for interviews. Ensure that you provide your latest email address on the online application form. Do not contact the British Council to enquire about the progress of your application if you have not been shortlisted.

10. Interviews will be conducted in Dar es Salaam. Short listed candidates will be expected to make their own travel arrangements and accommodation bookings. Unfortunately, the British Council is unable to reimburse cost incurred in attending the interview.

11. The decision of the Interview Panel is final.

For more information please visit http://www.chevening.com/