Ela James

I am seriously considering creating a group called “ The Arabic Cultural Club”. The Group will be an opportunity for those who are interested in Arabic culture to gather and communicate, and aims to promote awareness and understanding of everything Arabic with different activities and events. If you have an advice and/ or an opinion that you feel will be beneficial, please help, it will be highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance! Ela

May I make a modest but sincere suggestion: all of us here who took time to write under this thread, would it not be worth the effort that we take the initiative and do something more than just introducing ourselves? I am thinking we, perhaps, could meet somewhere and share ideas and interests, etc etc … I just feel it is about time we did something more concrete and see how it might develop …. … Just a thought!

My main focus is on mobile equipments ( please note the use of the word ‘ equipments’, it may include all relevant devises, not just phones ), Generally speaking, could you please put them into some categories/ classes/ divisions/ types? I think if we start with the basics … with no or little use of strange terms I am sure it would be helpful Thanks again!

Thanks mlfc, Have sent you pm, don’t know if you got it

Strange comment really, They already sell them legally there!

I am afraid I lack a lot of knowledge of what’s going on in the market of mobile technology … to me, it seems the market is full with new names, new terms, new brands, new words, weird words, strange symbols ….. that in the end I found myself lost in uninterested Now though I might start selling mobile phones …here I posted earlier http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1342244 Anyway , .. If you think you can walk a child .. yes I mean a child , through the jungle of mobile technology … using simple words then I would be really grateful Many thanks in advance!

I know of a market in Africa where I have contacts, a market where there is a constant and growing need for equipments that give good internet access .. mobile phones there, often, being the only way of getting connected But unfortunately I lack tech knowledge with mobile equipments and mobile market … So I have a number of basic questions and we might take it from there Thanks

Hi, Is there, for example, a way of finding out who designed/ created a website that impressed you? I wrote to an owner of a website … unfortunately they weren’t helpful Thanks

Hi there! I am seriously thinking of having a website designed and made for what I have in mind - a website professionally created and made of 5 pages in total, with medium size pages and probably 2 or 3 images on each page - 2 pages will be in Mandarin - the website will be offering advice, service and assistance to clients inside China. - That I will be able to update the website on my own. If you could please give an estimate or an idea on - approximately how much the above would cost - how long would it take and when it will be ready, complete and running Those who are new to website making need not trouble themselves, thanks for your understanding and those who are familiar please provide examples Thanks to all Cheers!

Any suggestions where I can leave the car near Sheffield train station … between 9am and 8pm, at a reasonable cost Thanks a million

thanks but the tel number doesn't work

Does anyone know if there is a Chinese community club in Sheffield or somewhere nearby … many thanks! :)

Alan Hansen: “ World Cup 2014: The simple truth is that England are not good enough to succeed on the world stage. We can blame society, governments, the Football Association – anybody – for the cause of this, but the reality is that there is no easy way to make our young players better.

Without any introduction … without ifs and buts Half the solution to any difficulty is Identifying the problem … and in order to correctly identify some issues that will help us understand the difficulty, I’ll start by asking A proud country like England hired some years ago foreign managers to lead the national team Can someone explain the reasons and the benefits, was it wise and sensible?

Suppose you have an online business targeting people in China, can someone suggest a practical and safe method for receiving payment from someone in China Thanks a million all suggestions and ideas will be highly appreciated :)

The free assistance on offer is general and often doesn’t meet what’s required. I know there are many cases where the needs of individual students aren’t met

The majority of foreign students trying to come to uk to study would find it useful - if someone understands the system better than them - spoke fluent English - helped with applications for uni/ English language courses/ accommodation/ visa, .. etc Theses services aren’t free of charge and therefore a possible money maker

Would anyone be interested in discussing the possibility of setting up a business with the aim of helping and assisting foreign students

Tzijlstra, well, I am not so sure if Sheffield universities alone can fix relevant problems Take for example what one of the papers published: Britain 'losing out on tens of thousands of overseas students', says report. Points based immigration system aimed at rooting out terrorists blamed for delaying visas for genuine students The study, by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), questioned 2,777 international students who applied for a student visa between July and September. It found that two-fifths of the students had experienced difficulties or encountered "errors or obstructions" that had put them off studying in Britain or resulted in them being refused visas. One had been refused a visa for putting her nationality as "Nigeria" rather than "Nigerian". I am shocked ---------- Post added 02-05-2014 at 11:03 ---------- The following from the Guardian and more recent: Australia: Student visa applications rise strongly .. the highest in the past four years UK: According to official Home Office figures, student visas from India were down 24% in the year to the end of September 2013, on top of a decline of over 50% during the preceding year. Yet the British government has made relations with India one of its top external priorities ---------- Post added 02-05-2014 at 11:14 ---------- Daily Telegraph Apr 2014: The number of foreign students being recruited to English universities has dropped for the first time in almost 30 years following a rise in tuition fees, according to research. A study from the Government’s Higher Education Funding Council for England found that enrolments from overseas declined by around 4,600 last year – reversing a long-term upwards trend. It emerged that the number of undergraduates from mainland Europe, who pay the same tuition fees as British counterparts, fell by a quarter in 2012/13. The number of postgraduate students joining English universities from India and Pakistan also dropped by around 25 per cent in a year and has now halved since 2010, it was revealed. The disclosure follows a near tripling of annual tuition fees to £9,000 for the first time in September 2012 combined with a tightening up of student visa controls. ---------- Post added 02-05-2014 at 11:18 ---------- Sometimes I find what I read unbelievable

According to the BBC website, march 2013, overseas students in Sheffield are worth £120m per year to the local economy, claims a study commissioned by the University of Sheffield. And according to one of the members of the forum who said “ WHITE ELEPHANT... Don Valley Stadium RIP. Sheffield Airport RIP. Sheffield Ski Village RIP. Sheffield Market RIP?” I’d say Sheffield should concentrate more on education

Scabbydog, very interesting thanks, Still though, who is ultimately responsible?

Scabbydog, you wrote “ WHITE ELEPHANT... Don Valley Stadium RIP. Sheffield Airport RIP. Sheffield Ski Village RIP. Sheffield Market RIP?” First of all what you said, if accurate, is really serious … and may be the result of something much bigger, ie the source If the list of failure is so dramatic one would imagine a higher authority would intervene to at least stop the list from growing, never mind fixing the damage In your honest opinion, first, is Sheffield unique? Second, who is ultimately responsible? Thanks!

I went for a visit and check ( ie little research!) the other day, had a chat with 2 or 3 people running different businesses …., frankly it felt very risky

My real hope this discussion is kept positive and useful , thanks!

I am sorry Gone4good I could not understand any of the points you mentioned