Tag Archives: marriage

Chocolate Candy For The Connoisseur

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Chocolate candy must be the most popular sort of candy in the world. It definitely is in Europe and America. We eat tons and tons of Mars, Cadburys, Lindt and Nestle chocolate candy every year. The depressing thing is that most of the people who admit to liking chocolate have never tasted a proper bar of chocolate in their lives.

To a connoisseur, chocolate candy can come from anywhere in the world although Belgium, Switzerland and France are the countries, whose names come to mind first. Regardless of that, good chocolate candy is also made in Great Britain, Spain, the USA and some parts of Latin America.

This is not surprising as chocolate first made its debut among the Mayans of Central America in at least 300 BC and possibly even as far back as 3000 BC. In 300 AD it was a special drink reserved for royalty and was very bitter. It was so exclusive that it had to be drunk from a golden chalice and that chalice could be used for that intention only once.

In those days, many more herbs and spices were added to the royal drink called xocoatl. It was also a lot purer in terms of cacao content than practically anything you can buy on the shelves in the supermarket today as well. The nearest we have to that purity is gourmet chocolate.

Gourmet chocolate will normally have been manufactured by a chocolatier, which is similar to what a chef is to cuisine. These manufacturers of chocolate candy are the best in the world, highly trained and head-hunted by the best chocolate makers. They can command large salaries and become world famous among the aficionados of fine chocolate candy.

Fine chocolate candy should have a high chocolate content. That sounds as if it should go without saying, doesn’t it? However, to be called chocolate in the US, candy only has to contain 15% actual chocolate and ‘bakers’ chocolate’ often does not have any at all. In Europe that figure is 35%, which is why most Americans think that European chocolate candy is luxurious.

Good chocolate candy should break cleanly with an audible ‘snap’ and should have a glossy surface. The chocolate candy most likely to have a high cacao content is dark chocolate, which is also often somewhat bitter, reminiscent of the actual taste of cacao before most manufacturers put sugar into the mixture. Purer chocolate candy also melts on the tongue and produces a mild feeling of well-being.

Purer forms of chocolate candy have had various reputations over the centuries. It has the reputation of being a pick-me-up and had the reputation of being an aphrodisiac, in all probability for the same reason. This is due to a chemical naturally present in the bean called Theobromine. Theobromine has effects on other animals as well. For instance, it is a proscribed substance for racing horse because it has an huge effect on horses and chocolate should never be given to cats or dogs because it is poisonous to them.

Theobromine and another chemical present, phenethylamine, have been associated with the production of seratonin, which is stimulated by prescribed drugs to ward off depression.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Gourmet Chocolate Candy. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts Ideas

Black Hills Rings? What Are They?

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Most people have hopes for the future. Some people sketch out their lives in elaborate detail from an early age, while others just hope that their dreams will come true. I think that that depends on the attitude to life you have as much as your personality. I definitely remember when I was a boy, that a few of the girls I knew when I was a boy, planning what they would do when they got married to so and so film star.

They did not know much about marriage or what being married was like, they were just role playing, but some of those desires might have stuck.

None of the boys in my class thought about their future much at all. I did not either really although I knew that I wanted to go to university and travel after that. I studied French and German for three years and passed my exams.

After finishing university, I began working for an international firm and did some traveling. I have always liked jewellery although I do not wear a lot at the same time. I suppose I collect jewellery, but I like to wear it as well.

It was a practice of mine to buy a nice piece wherever I went, if I saw something I liked and if I could afford it. Anyway, I met a young lady while I was in America and I told her about my passion for collecting jewellery and rings in particular. I showed her a couple of rings that I had taken with me. One was a ring with a Celtic Knot design and another was an Irish Claddagh ring.

Anyway, we got on well and so she offered to take me to a jewellers that she knew. We went to a small back street jeweller, who had a choice of rings I had never heard of before. They were called Black Hills Gold Rings and they looked very distinctive. They have quite a range, including a lot of the common designs, but they also have a few patterns that I had never seen before. I was hooked and wanted one.

My friend really fell for a women’s wedding set. She had seen it in the window for months, but did not have anyone to give it to her. The engagement ring had two leaves and a grape cluster with a small diamond nestled in the middle of it, while the wedding band had two additional leaves and a grape cluster. This meant that when worn together, the two rings would fit together to surround the diamond completely. It was really very nice.

I had to grant that it was very beautiful, but felt it necessary to point out that I had not known her long enough to propose. She was a good sort and did not feel offended. I bought a striking white gold ring with the Black Hills gold roses inlaid on the top two thirds of the band, leaving the bottom of the ring plain. It was a lovely addition to my collection. As for my guide, well, she did not get a ring, but I took her for an expensive meal and she seemed happy enough with that.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Inter-Racial Dating

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This article is about my experiences of international and inter-racial dating. It is simply an account of what I have witnessed and experienced myself over the course of my life so far, although at 55 years old, I am nearer the end of it than the beginning. It is my advice on dealing with an international or inter-racial relationship.

It all began at an early age when I was in infant school at seven. There was a Filipina girl in our class and I could not take my eyes off her, although I almost certainly did not know much about it then. We parted at eight when they moved closer to another school and I never saw her again.

My next meeting with a foreign girl, was the mademoiselle junior teacher at school and I was convinced that I would marry a French country girl when I grew up. That passed when the German assistant arrived.

When I was fourteen, I went on a school cruise to Leningrad and there was a group of exchange students going home to Sweden on the same ship. I went out with one of them for roughly a week and first realized the problems that can come from international dating. There was a minor language barrier, but it was fun getting over that. The real difficulty came, because I had predetermined ideas of what Swedish girls were like, most likely instilled in me after years of silly ‘Carry On’ films.

At sixteen, I went to Germany to work for the summer and I found it very easy to get on with the German girls, although they were shyer that I was expecting too. Also an outlook I owed to silly Health and Efficiency ‘sex films’.

After concluding university, I moved to The Netherlands to live. It was the seventies and Dutch girls were great. However, I made friends with male British colleagues first and soon saw some of the problems that can come from an international relationship. Most of the men I knew were typical Brits and made absolutely no effort to learn Dutch at all. Surprisingly, many Dutch people could not speak English either, particularly the parents.

This lead to a surprising number of stressful moments in a week and that put a lot of strain on my friends’ relationships. It is so easy to start name-calling when you are angry and it is the worst thing you can do. The Dutch girlfriend or her parents or friends would be called ‘a stupid cheese eater’ or something equally foolish and the relationship was over or in trouble for days. I do not remember what the Dutch called us.

I promised myself there and then never to get serious about a foreign girl because the arguments were just too much. Food was never a problem. Culture was not much of a problem, although where I was in southern Netherlands, most people were Catholic and I am not. This did bother some parents but not me. Travelling was always going to be the problem. Do you live by her parents or yours? In particular when children start arriving. Most countries have stronger family ties than Britain.

Then, at 50, having never been married, I went to Thailand, where I met my wife-to-be. Asian society is very different from British or even European culture and it is a real shock to both parties. Anyway, five years into our relationship and we are still fine. I recollect the reasons I gave myself for not marrying abroad when in The Netherlands and I was incorrect, but not much.

If you are going to enter into an international or even inter-racial relationship, you had better learn how to manage your temper. It is the most important advice you will ever get. Being tolerant of other points of view is important too, but not getting angry is more important. Furthermore, you must try to learn something about your partner’s land, background and language, otherwise you cannot join in any dialogue your partner may have with someone who does know a bit about it.

I have never seen religion be a hindrance ever, except in an argument. My wife is Buddhist and I am not. We chat about it, but there is never any stress. Food, again I have never seen a problem in this field. Clothing, again no problem in my life. If you get into an international or inter-racial relationship, keep your temper, do not shout, do not get angry and talk things out calmly.

Inter-Racial Relationships are in great demand! See who is looking for you at Dating The Real Way

Golden Wedding Rings

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The most commonly used element for wedding rings and engagement rings is gold. White gold is even more elite. Gold wedding rings look good whether the design is just a simple, plain band or an engraved ring like a Celtic Knot. Gold rings can be given on other occasions as well of course. Some people give their children a gold ring for their coming of age birthday.

Until not so long ago, it was customary for the man to give a gold ring when he asked for his girlfriend’s hand in matrimony. However, nowadays it is more usual for the couple to go shopping for the engagement or wedding ring together. This makes good sense, even if it is less romantic, because the wearer can get the design that she likes.

Gold symbolizes purity in many cultures and that is one of the reasons why it is given to brides and brides to be. The symbolism is all but lost though in today’s consumer society in the West. For many people though it still symbolizes the hope that they will stay true to each other, until the day they die. It is a way of showing that the wearer has taken vows and intends to stick to them.

There is a huge variety of gold rings available. However, the variety lies not only in the design but also in the purity of the gold. Naturally, the purer the gold, the more expensive it is. In the UK, most gold rings are either 9 or 18 carat. In the USA, most gold rings are 14 carat, but in Thailand, not many people would buy gold that is less than 18 carat and 22 carat is the norm for women. Pure gold is 24 carat, however pure gold is so malleable that you can mould it with your bare hands.

This might sound fine, but it is not. A 24 carat gold ring goes out of shape every few hours, just by you doing what you do every day and then it can pinch your skin. Opening a door can buckle the ring. This means that you can not set stones in pure gold, because they would soon fall out. Pure gold rings are best not even engraved because the design would soon rub off.

Therefore, the best place to begin, if you want a gold ring, is to think about what style you want. Do you want precious stones set into it? Then you cannot really go above 18 carat. If you cannot afford 18 carat then 9 or 14 carat is for you. If you want something like a Celtic Knot ring, that is one with an engraved pattern, then anything up to 18 carat for you too, depending on your finances. If you want a pain band of gold, then a thick ring of 22 carat gold would be great, but not if you do a lot of manual work.

If you really want something unique, why not have a gold ring made to your own design? It is not so expensive as you might think and you will end up with something unique, especially if you provide your own stone to be polished too. Such a gold ring would become a family heirloom and could stay in the family for generations.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

What Are Those Roses Trying To Tell You?

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More roses are sold in the few days before St. Valentine’s Day than in any other comparable period in the year. Until not so long ago, people were aware of the significance of the colours of roses (I am pretty sure that it did not apply to other flowers too).

For instance, it would have been a serious faux pas to give a young teenage girl a red rose, but not a pink or a yellow one. All the colours had a significance. However, it is a bit like reading Tarot cards, not everyone agrees on those significances.

Anyhow, out of interest and to keep the tradition going, I will give you the generally accepted significance of the colours of roses below.

‘My love is like a red, red rose’, so goes the poem and when most people think of a rose, the first colour that probably comes to mind is red and, in fact, the word ?rose? comes from the Latin word ?rosa?, which means red.

It is also true that red roses are the most widespread and the most bought colour, but there are so many other colours that there is an entire lexicon of meanings that can be expressed with them.

Here are some colours and their meaning:

Red – Love, romance, attraction, obsession, yearning and respect

Burgundy – Unwitting loveliness

Red but withered – Our love is over

White – Wholesomeness, youth, pure love and virginal innocence

Pink – Happiness, admiration, gratitude and charm

Dark Pink – Gratitude or thank you

Yellow – Joy, joy, companionship, delight or platonic love

Yellow with Red Tip – Falling in Love

Orange – Fascination, yearning, or enthusiasm

Red and White – (a bouquet of roses of two colours) – Ardent purity or unity

Peach – Sincerity, gratitude, indebtedness, modesty, admiration, or sympathy

Lavender – Love at first sight or enchantment

Black – Death or our love is over

Blue – Unfeasible, unattainable or secrecy

Red Rosebud – Symbol of wholesomeness and beauty

White Rosebud – Girlhood or youth

Thornless Rose – “Love at First Sight”

Single Rose – Straightforwardness

Two Roses – An engagement or impending marriage

Rose Leaves – Sign of hope

Roses – Sent every month – loveliness ever renewed

Unfortunately, there no true black or blue roses in nature, as the pigment structures in the rose do not allow these colours to be bred, although it has not stopped gardeners trying for hundreds of years. However, there are some very dark purple roses, which are used in stead of black roses. There are also some very pale lavender roses that seem to be blue, but have a shade of pink in them. Traditionally, blue roses are usually white roses dyed.

No matter what you want to express with your flowers, a bouquet of roses can articulate your emotions. So next time you give a bunch of roses, why not try to convey what you want to say by choosing the colours carefully. The recipient probably will not comprehend these day, but you could send them a copy of this article or have fun explaining the meaning to them over a bottle of wine.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with valentines Day Gift Baskets. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts Ideas