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Ulster Knife

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Vintage Ulster pocket knife Ulster pen knife

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Vintage Boys Scout Pocket Knife U1B by ULSTER USA c1983

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Kilt

The kilt is a knee-length skirt with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has been associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic (and more specifically Gaelic) heritage elsewhere. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern.
Hooded Cloak
Though the Scottish kilt is most often worn mainly on formal occasions or at Highland Games and sports events, it has also been adapted as an item of fashionable informal male clothing in recent years. The Scottish kilt displays uniqueness of design, construction, and convention which differentiate it from other garments fitting the general description. It is a tailored garment that is wrapped around the wearer's body at the natural waist (between the lowest rib and the hip) starting from one side (usually the wearer's left), around the front and back and across the front again to the opposite side. The fastenings consist of straps and buckles on both ends, the strap on the inside end usually passing through a slit in the waistband to be buckled on the outside; alternatively it may remain inside the waistband and be buckled inside. The kilt covers the body from the waist down to just above the knees. The overlapping layers in front are called "aprons" and are flat; the single layer of fabric around the sides and back is pleated. A kilt pin is fastened to the front apron on the free corner (but is not passed through the layer below). Underwear may or may not be worn, as the wearer prefers: in some circumstances underwear is prohibited by military regulations, but is generally required, or at least recommended, for activities such as dancing. Organizations that sanction and grade the competitions in Highland dancing and bagpiping all have rules governing acceptable attire for the competitors. These rules specify that the kilt is to be worn (except that in the national dances, the female competitors will be wearing the Aboyne dress) The history of the kilt stretches back to at least late 16th century Scotland. However, the nationalism of that tradition is relatively recent. It was only with the Romantic Revival of the early 19th century that the highland kilt was adopted by Lowlanders and the Scottish Diaspora as a symbol of national identity. People from other countries with Celtic connections, some Irish, Cornish, Welsh and Manx, have also adopted tartan kilts in recent times, although to a lesser degree. The kilt first appeared as the great kilt, a full length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over head as a cloak. The small kilt or walking kilt (similar to the 'modern' kilt) did not develop until the late 17th or early 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt. The typical kilt as seen at modern Highland games events is made of twill woven worsted wool. The twill weave used for kilts is a 2-2 type, meaning that each weft thread passes over and under two warp threads at a time. The result is a distinctive diagonal weave pattern in the fabric which is called the twill line. This kind of twill, when woven according to a given color pattern, or sett (see below), is called tartan. In contrast, the Irish kilt traditionally was made from solid color cloth, with saffron or green being the most widely used colours. [1] Kilting fabric weights are given in ounces per yard and run from the very heavy regimental worsted of approximately 18??2 oz. down to a light worsted of about 10??1 oz. The most common weights for kilts are 13 oz. and 16 oz. The heavier weights are more appropriate for cooler weather, while the lighter weights would tend to be selected for warmer weather or for active use, such as Highland dancing. Some patterns are available in only a few weights. A modern kilt for a typical adult uses about 6?? yards of single-width (about 26??0 inches) or about 3?? yards of double-width (about 54??0 inches) tartan fabric. Double width fabric is woven so that the pattern exactly matches on the selvage. The kilt is usually made without a hem because a hem would make the garment too bulky and cause it to hang incorrectly. The exact amount of fabric needed depends upon several factors including the size of the sett, the number of pleats put into the garment, and the size of the person. For a full kilt, 8 yards of fabric would be used regardless of size and the number of pleats and depth of pleat would be adjusted according to their size. For a very large waist, it may be necessary to use 9 yards of cloth. One of the most distinctive features of the authentic Scots kilt is the tartan pattern, or sett, it exhibits. The association of particular patterns with individual clans and families can be traced back perhaps one or two centuries. It was only in the Victorian era (19th century) that the system of named tartans we know today began to be systematically recorded and formalized, mostly by weaving companies for mercantile purposes. Up until this point, highland tartans held regional associations rather than being identified with any particular clan. Today there are also tartans for districts, counties, societies and corporations. There are also setts for States and Provinces, schools and universities, sporting activities, individuals, and commemorative and simple generic patterns that anybody can wear. See History of the kilt for the process by which these associations came about. Setts are always arranged horizontally and vertically, never diagonally (except when adapted for ladies' skirts). They are specified by their thread counts, the sequence of colors and their units of width. As an example, the Wallace tartan has a thread count given as "K/4 R32 K32 Y/4" (K is black, R is red, and Y is yellow). This means that 4 units of black thread will be succeeded by 32 units of red, etc., in both the warp and the weft. Typically, the units are the actual number of threads, but as long as the proportions are maintained, the resulting pattern will be the same. This thread count also includes a pivot point indicated by the slash between the colour and thread number. The weaver is supposed to reverse the weaving sequence at the pivot point to create a mirror image of the pattern. This is called a symmetrical tartan. Some tartans, like Buchanan, are asymmetrical, which means they do not have a pivot point. The weaver weaves the sequence all the way through and then starts at the beginning again for the next sett. Setts are further characterized by their size, the number of inches (or centimetres) in one full repeat. The size of a given sett depends not only on the number of threads in the repeat, but also on the weight of the fabric. This is so because the heavier the fabric the thicker the threads will be, and thus the same number of threads of a heavier weight fabric will occupy more space. The colours given in the thread count are specified as in heraldry, although tartan patterns are not heraldic. The exact shade which is used is a matter of artistic freedom and will vary from one fabric mill to another as well as in dye lot to another within the same mill. Tartans are commercially woven in four standard colour variations that describe the overall tone. "Ancient" or "Old" colours may be characterized by a slightly faded look intended to resemble the vegetable dyes that were once used, although in some cases "Old" simply identifies a tartan that was in use before the current one. Ancient greens and blues are lighter while reds appear orange. "Modern" colours are bright and show off modern aniline dyeing methods. The colours are bright red, dark hunter green, and usually navy blue. "Weathered" or "Reproduction" colours simulate the look of older cloth weathered by the elements. Greens turn to light brown, blues become gray, and reds are a deeper wine colour. The last colour variation is "Muted" which tends toward earth tones. The greens are olive, blues are slate blue, and red is an even deeper wine colour. This means that of the approximately 7,000 registered tartans available there are four possible colour variations for each, resulting in nearly 30,000 tartans. Setts are registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority which maintains a collection of fabric samples characterized by name and thread count. In all, there are approximately 5000 registered tartans.[citation needed] Although many tartans are added every year, most of the registered patterns available today were created in the 19th century by commercial weavers who had a large variety of colours to work with. The rise of Highland romanticism and the growing Anglicization of Scottish culture by the Victorians at the time led to registering tartans with clan names. Before that, most of these patterns were more connected to geographical regions than to any clan. There is therefore nothing symbolic about the colours, and nothing about the patterns is a reflection of the status of the wearer. Although low quality kilts can be obtained in standard sizes, a quality kilt is tailored to the individual proportions of the wearer. At least three measurements, the waist, hips, and length of the kilt, are usually required. Sometimes the rise (distance above the waist) or the fall (distance from waistline to the widest part of the hips) is also required. A properly made kilt, when buckled on the tightest holes of the straps, should not be so loose that the wearer can easily twist the kilt around the body, nor should it be so tight that it causes "scalloping" of the fabric where it is buckled. Additionally, the length of the kilt when buckled at the waist should reach a point no lower than halfway across the kneecap nor higher than about an inch above it. A kilt can be pleated with either box or knife pleats. A knife pleat is a simple fold, while the box pleat is bulkier, consisting of two knife pleats back-to-back. Knife pleats are the most common in modern civilian kilts. Regimental traditions vary. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders use box pleats, while the Black Watch make their kilts of the same tartan with knife pleats. These traditions were also passed on to affiliated regiments in the Commonwealth, and were retained in successor battalions to these regiments in the amalgamated Royal Regiment of Scotland. Pleats can be arranged relative to the pattern in two ways. In pleating to the stripe, a vertical stripe is selected and the fabric is folded so that this stripe runs down the center of each pleat. The result is that along the back and sides of the kilt horizontal bands appear which look different from the front than from the back. This is often called military pleating because it is the style adopted by many military regiments. It is also widely used by pipe bands. In pleating to the sett the fabric is folded so that the pattern of the sett is repeated all around the kilt (especially in the waistband). This is done by taking up one full sett in each pleat, or two full setts if they are small. This causes the kilt to look much the same from both front and back. Any pleat is characterized by depth and width. The portion of the pleat that protrudes under the overlying pleat is the size or width. The pleat width is selected based on the size of the sett and the amount of fabric to be used in constructing the kilt, and will generally vary from about 1/2" to about 3/4". The depth is the part of the pleat which is folded under the overlying pleat. It depends solely on the size of the tartan sett even when pleating to the stripe, since the sett determines the spacing of the stripes. The number of pleats used in making the kilt depends upon how much material is to be used in constructing the garment and upon the size of the sett. The pleats across the fell are tapered slightly since the wearer's waist will be narrower than his hips and the pleats are usually stitched down either by machine or by hand. As the kilt is made of wool, it should not simply be cleaned in a washing machine along with other laundry. Although the cloth is pre-shrunk, a washing machine would spoil the pleats and the kilt would need to be pressed. Instead, there are two main methods by which a kilt can be laundered: dry cleaning and hand laundering in cold or lukewarm water. Expert recommendations differ on the better of these two methods. Tewksbury and Stuehmeyer, in The Art of Kiltmaking, advise strongly against having the garment dry cleaned, stating that "dry cleaning leaves a subtle residue on the kilt" and, as a result, it "will soil more easily after it has been dry-cleaned", but Matthew Newsome, Curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum in North Carolina (USA), states that "it is best to dry clean" the kilt, feeling that the kilt does not come into direct contact with the skin for very long and thus will not readily soil. In between wearings, the kilt should first be aired out and then hung in a closet. One way to hang the kilt is to use a skirt hanger with large clasps. The kilt is first folded twice in half along the waist line. Then the skirt hanger is used to clasp the top of the kilt before it is hung in the closet. If moths are a problem, it can be hung with a cedar cache or strips of cedar wood. Occasionally, the pleats may need to be re-pressed and this requires care. The authors of The Art of Kiltmaking advise that the pleats should be basted down before pressing so as to keep the pleats as straight as possible from the bottom of the fell to the bottom of the kilt, thus preserving the look of the sett when the kilt is worn. Today most Scotsmen regard the kilt as formal dress or ceremonial national dress. Although there are still a few people who wear the kilt daily, it is generally owned or hired to be worn at weddings or other formal occasions, much the same way as top hat and tails are in England or tuxedos in America, and may be worn by anyone regardless of nationality or descent. For formal wear, the kilt is usually worn with a Prince Charlie or an Argyll jacket. (Commercial suppliers have now produced equivalent jackets with Irish and Welsh themed styling.) The kilt is also used for parades by groups such as the Scouts, and in many places the kilt is seen in force at Highland games and pipe band championships as well as being worn at Scottish country dances and ceilidhs. Certain regiments/units of the British Army and armies of other Commonwealth nations (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa) still continue to wear the kilt as part of dress or duty uniform, though they have not been used in combat since 1940. Uniforms in which the kilt is worn include Ceremonial Dress, Service Dress, and Barracks Dress. The kilt is considered appropriate for ceremonial parades, office duties, less formal parades, walking out, mess dinners, and classroom instruction/band practice. Ceremonial kilts have also been developed for the U.S. Marine Corps, and the pipe and drum bands of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Air Force. In recent years, the kilt has also become increasingly common in Scotland and around the world for casual wear, for example with the Jacobite shirt. It is not uncommon to see the kilt worn at Irish pubs in the US, and it is becoming somewhat less rare to see them in the workplace.[4] Casual use of the kilt dressed down with lace-up boots or moccasins, and with tee shirts or golf shirts, is becoming increasingly more familiar at Highland Games. The kilt is associated with a sense of Scottish national pride and will often be seen being worn, along with a football top, when members of the Tartan Army are watching a football or rugby match. The small ornamental Sgian Dubh dagger is often omitted where security concerns are paramount (for example, they are not allowed on commercial aircraft). For the same reasons, the traditional Sgian Dubh is sometimes substituted by a wooden or plastic alternative, as its use is now largely ornamental (with only the hilt showing over the top of the hose). Though the origins of the Irish kilt continue to be a subject of debate, current evidence suggests that the kilt itself originated in the Scottish Highlands and Isles and was adopted by Irish nationalists at the turn of the 20th century as a symbol of Celtic identity. [5] A garment that has often been mistaken for the kilt in early depictions is the Irish 'Lein-croich', a long tunic traditionally made from solid colour cloth, with black, saffron and green being the most widely used colours. Solid colored Irish kilts were first adopted for use by the Irish Regiments serving in the British Army, but they could often be seen in late 19th and early 20th century photos in Ireland especially at political and musical gatherings, as the kilt was adopted as a symbol of Gaelic nationalism in Ireland during this period. [6] Tweed kilts were also not uncommon in both Scotland and Ireland and have been popular with sportsmen, fishermen, and hunters. Many "Irish County" tartans were designed by Polly Wittering, first produced in 1996 by the House of Edgar, of Perth in Scotland. Marton Mills in West Yorkshire produced a competing "Irish County Crest Collection" based on the colours from Irish county crests, resulting in tartans that are considered aesthetically questionable by many traditionalists. There are also a number of "Irish District" tartans most of which are recent designs by Lochcarron of Scotland. The Ulster tartan is one of the oldest registered Irish tartans. It was found by a farmer, W.G. Dixon, in County Londonderry in 1956 as he uncovered pieces of clothing made from the design. The Belfast Museum and Art Gallery dated the material from between the 1590s to 1650s. Its exact origins are unknown, but it is likely that came from a Scottish pioneer during the beginning of the Ulster plantation period when the Scots first came in great numbers to Ulster. There are other generic Irish tartans including the Irish National, St. Patrick's, Tara, and Clodagh. Some Irish family tartans have been appearing over the years, although these are few at the moment more are being created. O'Brien, Sullivan, Murphy, Fitzpatrick, and Forde are fairly common examples of Irish family tartans. In present day Ireland the kilt is still seen very much as being primarily Scottish, and the current crop of county and district tartans is largely unknown in Ireland and indeed difficult to obtain, having been designed and marketed primarily for the Irish-American market. As they have been neither designed nor manufactured in Ireland itself it is questionable whether they can be strictly described as Irish. In the book District Tartans by Gordon Teall of Teallach and Philip D Smith Jr (ISBN 0 85683 085 2) only three tartans are identified as being distinctly Irish; these are Ulster, Tara, and Clodagh. As noted above the Ulster tartan originates from around 1590-1650 and is probably Scottish in origin.[7] The Tara was first noted around 1880 and was originally called Murphy. The Clodagh has an earliest date of 1971 with uncertainty as to its original designer or first appearance. Day-to-day kilt wearing is rarely if ever encountered. Within the world of Irish dancing the boy's kilt has been largely abandoned, especially since the worldwide popularity of Riverdance and the revival and interest in Irish dancing generally. There are exceptions to these trends in Ireland. A vibrant piping scene in Ireland means that there are many kilted bands throughout the whole of Ireland, particularly in the north of the island[citation needed]. The majority of these bands wear tartan kilts, the solid colour saffron kilt being almost exclusively the preserve of the pipe bands of the Republic's Defence Forces and the British Army's Irish regiments. Although not a traditional component of national dress outside Scotland, the kilt has become recently popular in the other Celtic nations as a sign of Celtic identity.[8] Kilts and tartans can therefore also be seen in Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, the Tras-os-Montes region in the North of Portugal, and Galicia in Spain, as well as parts of England, particularly the North East. Nowadays with Welsh nationalism on the rise and a resurgence of Welsh national pride, the kilt (Welsh: Cilt)[citation needed]. Although they are generally seen these days in formal settings like weddings, there has been an increase in the number of people wearing their kilt to a rugby or football match, paired with a jersey rather than a formal jacket[citation needed]. The St David's Tartan or brithwe Dewi Sant is one of the most popular tartans in Wales, but individual family tartans are being produced, despite there being no evidence that the Welsh (or any other Celtic nation for that matter) traditionally used tartan to identify families. Williams, Jones, Thomas, Evans, and Davies are among the most popular tartans and common names in Wales. The Welsh National tartan was designed by D.M. Richards in 1967 to demonstrate Wales' connection with the greater Celtic world. Its colours (green, red, and white) are the colours of the Welsh national flag. There are currently 12 Breton tartans of which Brittany National (National Breton), Brittany Walking, Lead it Of and 9 tartans for the traditional countries which compose Brittany: Kerne, Leon, Tregor, Gwened, Dol, St Malo, Rennes, Nantes, St Brieuc. All Breton tartans are officially recorded in Scotland. Contemporary kilts (also known as modern kilts) have appeared in the clothing marketplace in Scotland [10], the USA and Canada in a range of fabrics, including leather, denim, corduroy, and cotton. [11] They may be designed for formal or casual dress, for use in sports or outdoor recreation, or as white or blue collar workwear. Some are closely modelled on traditional Scottish kilts, but others are similar only in being knee-length skirts for men. They may have box pleats, symmetrical knife pleats, or no pleats at all, and be fastened by studs or velcro instead of buckles. Many are designed to be worn without a sporran, and may have pockets or tool belts attached. Kilts are sometimes referred to by enthusiasts for their daily use as Male Un-bifurcated Garments or "Mugs", though strictly this term also covers other garments such as sarongs which are regarded as viable alternatives to trousers (bifurcated garments). In 2008, a USPS letter carrier, Dean Peterson, made formal proposal that the kilt, as a Male Unbifurcated Garment, be approved as an acceptable postal uniform for reasons of comfort. The proposal was defeated at the convention of the 220,000-member National Letter Carriers' Association.
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Samurai Swords - Ulster Knife

Originally posted 2010-03-13 18:17:32.

Barr Hand

Are barr chords on the guitar supposed to be so hard?

I've been trying to master barr chords for months now, and always about half the strings come out dead. Is it this difficult for everybody, is my hand different, or am I doing something wrong? I notice it's easier on a wider neck. Should I get a guitar with a super wide neck?

They are super hard to play. The lower on the neck you go, the more difficult. An F Major bar chord at the 1st fret is harder than the same C Major bar chord at the 8th fret. This is because the strings are harder to press at the 1st fret and the frets are farther apart - barring all of them and then fretting a chord shape on top of it is really tough. I'd try a set of "silk and steel" strings which are easier to press before I'd look for a super wide neck guitar. You can't escape it -- if you are going to play guitar you will have to play bar chords on a standard size guitar neck sooner or later. A lighter gauge of strings will probably help you sound better at this stage of the game and it will probably make practicing more fun when your chords sound better.

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Swine Flu: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

Swine Flu: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

1Rathore K.S., 1Chauhan Priyanka, 1Sharma Surabhi, 1Rathore Savita, 1Vinod Kanwar, 2Nema R.K., 3Sisodia S.S.

1B.N.Girls College of Pharmacy, Udaipur-Raj.313002

2Rishiraj College of Pharmacy, Indore-Mp

3BN Pg College of Pharmacy, Udaipur

kamalsrathore@yahoo.com;mobile:+919828325713

Swine flu (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses (influenza viruses known as H1N1) that infect the respiratory tract of pigs and result in nasal secretions, a barking-like cough, decreased appetite, and listless behavior. Swine flu produces most of the same symptoms in pigs as human flu produces in people. Swine flu can last about one to two weeks in pigs that survive. Swine influenza virus was first isolated from pigs in 1930 in the U.S. and has been recognized by pork producers and veterinarians to cause infections in pigs worldwide.

In a number of instances, people have developed the swine flu infection when they are closely associated with pigs (for example, farmers, pork processors), and likewise, pig populations have occasionally been infected with the human flu infection. In most instances, the cross-species infections (swine virus to man; human flu virus to pigs) have remained in local areas and have not caused national or worldwide infections in either pigs or humans. Unfortunately, this cross-species situation with influenza viruses has had the potential to change.

Investigators think the 2009 swine flu strain, first seen in Mexico, should be termed novel H1N1 flu since it is mainly found infecting people and exhibits two main surface antigens, H1 (hemagglutinin type 1) and N1 (neuraminidase type1). Recent investigations show the eight RNA strands from novel H1N1 flu have one strand derived from human flu strains, two from avian (bird) strains, and five from swine strains.

Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is an illness caused by RNA viruses that infect the respiratory tract of many animals, birds, and humans. In most people, the infection results in the person getting fever, cough, headache, and malaise (tired, no energy); some people also may develop a sore throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The majority of individuals has symptoms for about one to two weeks and then recovers with no problems. However, compared with most other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, influenza (flu) infection can cause a more severe illness with a mortality rate (death rate) of about 0.1% of people who are infected with the virus.

The history of swine flu (H1N1) in humans

In 1976, there was an outbreak of swine flu at Fort Dix. This virus is not the same as the 2009 outbreak, but it was similar insofar as it was an influenza A virus that had similarities to the swine flu virus. There was one death at Fort Dix. The government decided to produce a vaccine against this virus, but the vaccine was associated with neurological complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome) and was discontinued. Some individuals speculate that formalin, used to inactivate the virus, may have played a role in the development of this complication in 1976.

There is no evidence that anyone who obtained this vaccine would be protected against the 2009 swine flu. One of the reasons it takes a few months to develop a new vaccine is to test the vaccine for safety to avoid the complications seen in the 1976 vaccine. New vaccines against any flu virus type are usually made by growing virus particles in eggs. A serious side effect (allergic reaction such as swelling of the airway) to vaccines can occur in people who are allergic to eggs; these people should not get flu vaccines. Individuals with active infections or diseases of the nervous system are also not recommended to get flu vaccines.

Swine flu is caused by The H1N1 or “swine flu” virus, which first appeared in April 2009, has gone on to become a worldwide "pandemic." H1N1 influenza is a virus that causes illness in people and spreads from one person to another in the same way as the common flu. Detected first in April 2009 in Mexico, the disease soon spread across different countries in the world and was declared the swine flu pandemic by the World Health Organization in June 2009. After conducting several laboratory tests, it was determined that the virus responsible for swine influenza was similar to those found in pigs, thus prompting scientists to name it the swine (pig) flu.

Illness caused by the swine flu virus ranges from mild to extreme in different cases. While many of the patients have recovered even without medical treatment, the virus has also caused a number of deaths as well as hospitalizations, which has made it a matter of grave concern for the authorities. Any person, irrespective of age or sex can contract the disease but the risk seems bigger in children and old age people as also in people with lower immunity levels, pregnant women and people suffering from heart disease, kidney ailment or asthma. A person displaying swine flu symptoms should consult a medical practitioner immediately and get himself tested.

 Link between Guillain-Barre syndrome and swine flu vaccines

Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, was an identified risk with swine flu vaccines used in the United States in 1976 - it is thought that one extra case of GBS occurred with every 100,000 doses of vaccine. The reason why the 1976 vaccine increased the risk of GBS remains unknown. Many studies have looked at whether other flu vaccines used since 1976 carry a risk of GBS and no robust evidence of a causal link has been found. No cases of GBS have been found in the clinical trials of H5N1 vaccines.

Most illnesses caused by the swine flu epidemic were of a mild nature and patients recovered even without or with very little medication required. However, recently the virus has caused a lot of panic after a number of deaths were reported. The swine flu virus is extremely contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing or when a person touches a contaminated surface and then touches his nose or mouth. The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to those of the seasonal flu such as high fever, runny nose, loss of appetite, cough, sore throat etc.

Infectious Period

Persons with swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection should be considered potentially contagious for up to 7 days following illness onset. Persons who continue to be ill longer than 7 days after illness onset should be considered potentially contagious until symptoms have resolved. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. The duration of infectiousness might vary by swine influenza A (H1N1) virus strain. Non-hospitalized ill persons who are a confirmed or suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are recommended to stay at home (voluntary isolation) for at least the first 7 days after illness onset except to seek medical care.

Reason for why swine flu (H1N1) now infecting humans

Swine flu viruses may mutate (change) so that they are easily transmissible among humans. Many researchers now consider that two main series of events can lead to swine flu (and also avian or bird flu) becoming a major cause for influenza illness in humans.

First, the influenza viruses (types A, B, C) are enveloped RNA viruses with a segmented genome; this means the viral RNA genetic code is not a single strand of RNA but exists as eight different RNA segments in the influenza viruses. A human (or bird) influenza virus can infect a pig respiratory cell at the same time as a swine influenza virus; some of the replicating RNA strands from the human virus can get mistakenly enclosed inside the enveloped swine influenza virus. For example, one cell could contain eight swine flu and eight human flu RNA segments. The total number of RNA types in one cell would be 16; four swine and four human flu RNA segments could be incorporated into one particle, making a viable eight RNA segmented flu virus from the 16 available segment types.

Various combinations of RNA segments can result in a new subtype of virus (known as antigenic shift) that may have the ability to preferentially infect humans but still show characteristics unique to the swine influenza virus. It is even possible to include RNA strands from birds, swine, and human influenza viruses into one virus if a cell becomes infected with all three types of influenza (for example, two bird flu, three swine flu, and three human flu RNA segments to produce a viable eight-segment new type of flu viral genome). Formation of a new viral type is considered to be antigenic shift; small changes in an individual RNA segment in flu viruses are termed antigenic drift and result in minor changes in the virus. However, these can accumulate over time to produce enough minor changes that cumulatively change the virus' antigenic makeup over time (usually years).

Second, pigs can play a unique role as an intermediary host to new flu types because pig respiratory cells can be infected directly with bird, human, and other mammalian flu viruses. Consequently, pig respiratory cells are able to be infected with many types of flu and can function as a "mixing pot" for flu RNA segments. Bird flu viruses, which usually infect the gastrointestinal cells of many bird species, are shed in bird feces. Pigs can pick these viruses up from the environment and seem to be the major way that bird flu virus RNA segments enter the mammalian flu virus population.

Swine flu emergency

Children should get urgent medical attention if they have fast breathing or trouble breathing, have bluish or gray skin color, are not drinking enough fluid, are not waking up or not interacting, have severe or persistent vomiting, are so irritable that the child doesn't want to be held, have flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough, have fever with a rash, or have fever and then have a seizure or sudden mental or behavioral change. Adults should seek urgent medical attention if they have trouble breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, or flu-like symptoms that improve, but then come back with worsening fever or cough.

Swine flu precautions

Swine flu or the H1N1 virus is a type A influenza, which is normally reported in pigs and has rarely affected humans in the past. A few cases that had been reported in people, who had been around pigs, over the past few years, were of a mild nature. However, in April 2009, swine flu started to affect thousands of persons around the world, just days after being reported in a Mexican village, and thus prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a pandemic.

It is advisable to avoid travelling to affected countries and stay away from crowded places. The easily available swine flu mask can also protect from the virus. While there are no vaccines available that can guard against swine flu, certain precautions can ensure protection from this deadly disease.

Swine Flu High Risk Groups -

Swine flu high risk groups, people who are thought to be at risk for serious, life-threatening infections, are a little different and can include:

• pregnant women
• people with chronic medical problems, such as chronic lung disease, like asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and immunosuppression
• children and adults with obesity

It is already known that you are particularly at risk if you have:

• chronic (long-term) lung disease,
• chronic heart disease,
• chronic kidney disease,
• chronic liver disease,
• chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease),
• immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment) or
• diabetes mellitus.

Also at risk are:

• patients who have had drug treatment for asthma within the past three years,
• pregnant women,
• people aged 65 and older, and
• young children under five.
• It is vital that people in these higher-risk groups who catch swine flu get antivirals and start taking them as soon as possible.

The complications of swine flu

One of the most common complications of any type of flu is a secondary bacterial chest infection, such as bronchitis (infection of the airways).This can become serious and develop into pneumonia. A course of antibiotics will usually cure this, but the infection sometimes becomes life-threatening. Other rare complications include:

• tonsillitis,
• otitis media (a build-up of fluid in the ear),
• septic shock (infection of the blood that causes a severe drop in blood pressure),
• meningitis (infection in the brain and spinal cord), and
• encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Swine flu symptoms – Know it to avoid it

As the H1N1 Influenza spreads its wings over different parts of the globe, it is extremely important to be familiar with the symptoms of swine flu so that the disease can be detected at an early stage and preventive measures can be taken to check its rise.

If you or any of the persons around you are suffering from fever in excess of 100.4 °F as well as any of the other below mentioned H1N1 influenza symptoms, then you may have contracted swine flu.

• The most common of all swine flu symptoms is high body temperature, in excess of 38 °C/100.4 °F.
• Swine flu (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses (influenza viruses) that infect the respiratory tract of pigs and result in nasal secretions, a barking-like cough, decreased appetite, and listless behavior.
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Stinging throat
• Runny nose
• Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• Aching muscles
• dyspnea
• chills
• Loss of energy, vomiting
• Diarrhea
• myalgia
• influenza-like illness (fever, cough or sore throat)
• mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) without fever and occasional severe disease also has been reported
• Conjunctivitis
• Sudden, persistent cough

While these symptoms can be considered an indication of swine flu, the symptoms have also been reported in people suffering from other diseases. Therefore, despite having these symptoms, the patient or the doctor cannot be sure of swine flu until the test reports confirm the same. The disease is especially dangerous for children, where it can result in neurological disorders or alterations in the state of mind. It is still not clear why the situation occurs, but if not treated, it can prove to be fatal.

As with any sort of flu, how bad the symptoms are and how long they last will vary depending on treatment and individual circumstances. Most cases reported in the UK to date have been relatively mild, with affected people starting to recover within a week.

You can go back to school or work when you are feeling well and are no longer infectious. Adults are most infectious soon after they develop symptoms and remain infectious while their symptoms continue, which is usually for up to five days. They can normally return to work within seven days. In children, symptoms continue for up to seven days and they can normally return to school within 10 days.

Diagnosis of swine flu (H1N1)

Swine flu is presumptively diagnosed clinically by the patient's history of association with people known to have the disease and their symptoms listed above. Usually, a quick test (for example, nasopharyngeal swab sample) is done to see if the patient is infected with influenza A or B virus. Most of the tests can distinguish between A and B types. The test can be negative (no flu infection) or positive for type A and B. If the test is positive for type B, the flu is not likely to be swine flu (H1N1). If it is positive for type A, the person could have a conventional flu strain or swine flu (H1N1). However, the accuracy of these tests has been challenged, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not completed their comparative studies of these tests. However, a new test developed by the CDC and a commercial company reportedly can detect H1N1 reliably in about one hour; as of October 2009, the test is only available to the military.

Swine flu (H1N1) is definitively diagnosed by identifying the particular antigens associated with the virus type. In general, this test is done in a specialized laboratory and is not done by many doctors' offices or hospital laboratories. However, doctors' offices are able to send specimens to specialized laboratories if necessary. Because of the large number of novel H1N1 swine flu cases (as of October 2009, the vast majority of flu cases [about 99%] are due to novel H1N1 flu viruses), the CDC recommends only hospitalized patients' flu virus strains be sent to reference labs to be identified.

Points to remember

Swine flu spreads through an infected person’s secretion released at the time of sneezing or coughing. People with symptoms of swine flu can pass on the disease to others from one day before to seven days after getting the infection. The virus can also contaminate surfaces and infect a healthy person if he happens to touch his nose or mouth after touching the dirty surface.

Swine Flu Test

Swine flu or the H1N1 virus is a disease that has spread in a large number of countries around the world in a very short span of time. It is the alarming rate with which the disease spreads that has worried experts, who are trying to check its rise. Swine flu symptoms are a lot like the symptoms of seasonal flu, which makes it extremely difficult to distinguish between the two without carrying out prescribed swine flu tests in the laboratories set-up especially for the purpose.

Steps to ensure swine flu protection

Simply by following the simple guidelines here, you should at least lessen your chances of becoming sick with Swine Flu. Like in the case of seasonal flu, the below mentioned precautions can help protect you against the H1N1 virus:

• Avoid going near people with swine flu symptoms.
• Avoid going to crowded places.
• Cover your mouth and nose properly with a tissue while sneezing or coughing and dispose off the infected tissue in a proper way, away from the reach of other people.
• It is recommended to get a seasonal flu vaccination. Though it may not prevent you from swine flu, it won’t do any harm.
• Keep good hygiene and wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water. It is advisable to use an alcohol based hand wash. Use the antibacterial soaps to cleanse your hands. Wash them often, for at least 15 seconds and rinse with running water.
• Get enough sleep -Try to get 8 hours of good sleep every night to keep your immune system in top flu-fighting shape.
• Drink sufficient water-Drink 8 to10 glasses of water each day to flush toxins from your system and maintain good moisture and mucous production in your sinuses.
• Sick people should stay home to avoid passing on the disease to others.
• Always wear the swine flu mask when travelling to crowded places.
• Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
• Cleaning hard surfaces, such as door handles, often and thoroughly using a normal cleaning product.
• Carry anti-viral medicines with you.
• If you feel sick or show any of the swine flu symptoms, consult your doctor immediately and get yourself tested for the virus.
• Boost your immune system-Keeping your body strong, nourished, and ready to fight infection is important in flu prevention. So stick with whole grains, colorful vegetables, and vitamin-rich fruits.
• Keep informed-The government is taking necessary steps to prevent the pandemic and periodically release guidelines to keep the pandemic away. Please make sure to keep up to date on the information and act in a calm manner.
• Do not risk it. If you are experiencing influenza like symptoms, simply stay home. Since these symptoms mirror regular cold and influenza symptoms, it is better to be safe than sorry.
• Find out how to cough and sneeze. Here’s the deal – cough or sneeze into the interior of your elbow on your arm. This is the only way to keep from spreading germs to your hands and to everything you touch.
•  A little hand sanitizer goes a long, long way. Simply have a tube of hand sanitizer with you at all time. This way you can continually clean your hands.
•  Be wary of public places. Door handles and even ink pens are breeding grounds for germs. Avoid touching them at all costs.
•  Be cautious on airplanes, trains and buses. The close quarters of an aeroplane is a place where germs like the swine flu pathogen lurk so protect yourself.
• Wash your vegetables and fruit entirely. Purchase your vegetables and vegetables locally if you can. Wash them with water and soak them to extend the effectiveness.
•  Go to your doctor. If you are experiencing any flu like symptoms you should see your doctor at once. As stated earlier, only your health practitioner can diagnose your particular strain of the flu.

Swine flu treatment – Don’t panic

Although swine flu has been spreading at a rapid pace in India as well as in most other countries of the world, it must be remembered that swine flu is a curable disease and can be effectively cured if treated properly. As is the case in seasonal flu, the treatment of swine flu includes-

• Proper rest and care.
• A swine flu patient must not be involved in too much strenuous work and
• Should drink plenty of liquids to keep himself hydrated.
• Alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited for swine flu patients and medicines such as paracetamol can be taken to get relief from fever and muscle pain.
• In extreme cases, antiviral drugs and hospitalization may be required. The best way, however, to avoid any emergency situation is to contact your doctor immediately if you suspect of having swine flu. If you happen to recently travel to an infected region or have been around those infected with the virus, then contact your doctor and take all preventive steps to ensure your safety. Remember, early detection will lead to proper treatment being administered and could mean the difference between life and death.
• Keep the patient in a separate room, away from other members of the household.
• Everyone in the house should wash their hands regularly and wear a mask while going near the patient.
• The members of the house should also take antiviral drugs such as tamiflu, if the doctor prescribes it.
• Children should not be given medicines such as aspirin for its tendency to cause neurological disorders.

Remember, prevention is better than cure

Although no swine flu vaccine is available in the market to ensure safety against the disease, certain medicines, which can cure the disease, are available. This virus is resistant to the antiviral medications amantadine (Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine). There are 2 medications in the market that have been shown to be effective against swine flu zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu). These medicines have to be administered within 2 days of the onset of symptoms (which last about a week), and are said to shorten the duration of symptoms by about 2 days. Because early detection is vital for the efficacy of these drugs, rapid detection is necessary. Many manufacturers are currently working on versions of a rapid swine flu test to allow early detection in minutes, as opposed to days as is with traditional virus testing.

To reproduce and spread, a virus has to enter your body, take over healthy cells and force them to make copies of itself. Relenza stops the release of new copies of the virus from infected cells in the lungs. This slows the spread of the virus, reduces the symptoms and length of time that you feel unwell for and makes it harder for the virus to spread to other people. Relenza should first be taken within 48 hours of symptoms appearing in adults (36 hours in children). It works better the earlier you start taking it.

To reproduce and spread, a virus has to enter your body, take over healthy cells and force them to make copies of it. Tamiflu stops the flu virus entering your cells and blocks the release of new copies of the virus. This slows the spread through your body, reduces the symptoms and the length of time that you feel unwell for and makes it harder for the virus to spread to other people. Tamiflu should first be taken within 12 to 48 hours of symptoms appearing. It works better the earlier you start taking it.

Relenza reduces the duration of flu symptoms by one-and-a-half days on average. Tamiflu reduces the duration of symptoms by up to two days.

Vaccine for H1N1 swine flu

The best way to prevent novel H1N1 swine flu would be the same best way to prevent other influenza infections, and that is vaccination. The CDC has multiple recommendations for vaccination based on who should obtain the first doses when the vaccine becomes available (to protect the most susceptible populations) and according to age groups. The CDC based the recommendations on data obtained from vaccine trials and infection reports gathered over the last few months. The current (October 2009) vaccine recommendations from the CDC say the following groups should get the vaccine as soon as it is available:

• pregnant women,
• people who live with or provide care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• health-care and emergency medical services personnel,
• people between 6 months and 24 years of age, and

People from the ages of 25 through 64 who are at higher risk because of chronic health disorders such as asthma, diabetes, or a weakened immune system.

Currently, the CDC is stating that people ages 10 and above are likely to need only one vaccine shot to provide protection against novel H1N1 swine flu and further suggest that these shots will be effective in about 76% of people who obtain the vaccine. New vaccine trial data showed that healthy adults produce protective antibodies in about 98% of people in 21 days. Unfortunately, the vaccine shot in children ages 6 months to 9 years of age is not as effective as it is in older children and adults. Consequently, the CDC currently recommends that for ages 6 months up to and including 9 years of age, the children obtain two shots of the novel H1N1 vaccine, the second shot 21 days after the first shot.

Pregnant women are strongly suggested to get vaccinated as stated above. Although some vaccine preparations (multidose vials) contain low levels of thimerosal preservative (a mercury-containing preservative), the CDC still considers the vaccine safe for the fetus and mother. However, some vaccine preparations that are in single-dose vials will not have thimerosal preservative, so those pregnant individuals who are concerned about thimerosal can get this vaccine preparation when it is available.

Another type of vaccine (currently named Influenza A [H1N1] 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Live, Intranasal) has been made available during the first week in October 2009. It is a live attenuated novel H1N1 flu vaccine that contains no thimerosal, is produced by MedImmune, LLC, and is sprayed into the nostrils. This vaccine is only for healthy people 2-49 years of age, and some data suggest that it is less effective in generating an immune response in adults than the vaccine injection. The dosing schedule is as follows:

• Children 2-9 years of age should receive two doses (0.1 ml in each nostril; total equals 0.2 ml per dose) -- the second dose should be given the same way about one month after the first dose
• Children, adolescents and adults, 10-49 years of age should receive one dose -- (0.1 ml in each nostril; total equals 0.2 ml per dose)

The following is a list of the CDC-approved H1N1 vaccines and the companies that name and manufacture them as of 10/29/09:

• Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine by CSL Limited
• Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine by Novartis
• Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine by Sanofi Pasteur
• Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Live, Intranasal by MedImmune, LLC

The following vaccination schedule is recommended in the UK:

Pandemrix:

• For all children aged from six months to nine years: - two half doses (0.25ml each) given with a minimum of three weeks between doses.
• For individuals aged 10-59: - one dose (0.5ml) given.
• For individuals aged 60 years and over: - one dose given (this advice will be reviewed when more data become available).
• For individuals aged 10 years and over with weakened immune systems:- two doses (0.5ml each) given with a  minimum of three weeks between doses.

Celvapan:

• For children aged from six months and adults:- two doses (0.5ml each) given with a  minimum of three weeks between doses. 
• This dosage schedule is based on advice given by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, following consideration of clinical data available on the vaccines. The dosage and recommendations will be kept under review as more clinical data become available.

Recommendations for public health personnel

For interviews of healthy individuals (i.e. without a current respiratory illness), including close contacts of cases of confirmed swine influenza virus infection, no personal protective equipment or antiviral chemoprophylaxis is needed. See section on antiviral chemoprophylaxis for further guidance. For interviews of an ill, suspected or confirmed swine influenza A virus case, the following is recommended:

• Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from the ill person; or
• Personal protective equipment: fit-tested N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)].

For collecting respiratory specimens from an ill confirmed or suspected swine influenza A virus case, the following is recommended:

• Personal protective equipment: fit-tested disposable N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)], disposable gloves, gown, and goggles.
• When completed, place all PPE in a biohazard bag for appropriate disposal.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel.

Recommended Infection Control for a non-hospitalized patient (ER, clinic or home visit):

Separation from others in single room if available until asymptomatic. If the ill person needs to move to another part of the house, they should wear a mask. The ill person should be encouraged to wash hand frequently and follow respiratory hygiene practices. Cups and other utensils used by the ill person should be thoroughly washed with soap and water before use by other persons.

When crowded settings or close contact with others cannot be avoided, the use of facemasks or respirators in areas where transmission of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus has been confirmed should be considered as follows:

• Whenever possible, rather than relying on the use of facemasks or respirators, close contact with people who might be ill and being in crowded settings should be avoided.
• Facemasks should be considered for use by individuals who enter crowded settings, both to protect their nose and mouth from other people's coughs and to reduce the wearers' likelihood of coughing on others; the time spent in crowded settings should be as short as possible.
• Respirators should be considered for use by individuals for whom close contact with an infectious person is unavoidable. This can include selected individuals who must care for a sick person (e.g., family member with a respiratory infection) at home.

The types of face masks and respirators

Unless otherwise specified, the term "facemasks" refers to disposable masks cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as medical devices. This includes facemasks labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, or laser masks.

Such facemasks have several designs-

• One type is affixed to the head with two ties, conforms to the face with the aid of a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge, and may be flat/pleated or duck-billed in shape.
• Another type of facemask is pre-molded, adheres to the head with a single elastic band, and has a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge.
• A third type is flat/pleated and affixes to the head with ear loops. Facemasks cleared by the FDA for use as medical devices have been determined to have specific levels of protection from penetration of blood and body fluids.
• Unless otherwise specified, "respirator" refers to an N95 or higher filtering facepiece respirator certified by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Take note of what you’ve learned here about the swine flu. Look after yourself and protect yourself as best as you possibly can.

References

• Adiego SB, Omenaca TM, Martinez CS, et al. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1), Aragon, Spain, November 2008. Eurosurveill 2009 Feb 19;14(7).
• Bean B, Moore BM, Sterner B, et al. Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces. J Infect Dis 1982 Jul;146(1):47-51.
• Brankston G, Gitterman L, Hirji Z, et al. Transmission of influenza A in human beings. Lancet Infect Dis 2007 Apr;7(4):257-65.
• Bridges CB, Kuehnert MJ, Hall CB. Transmission of influenza: implications for control in healthcare settings. Clin Infect Dis 2003 Oct 15;37(8):1094-1101.
• Faix DJ, Sherman SS, Waterman, SH. Rapid-test sensitivity for novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus in humans. N Engl J Med 2009 (published online Jun 29).
• Garten RJ, Davis CT, Russell CA, et al. Antigenic and genetic characteristics of swine-origin 2009 A (H1N1) influenza viruses circulating in humans. Science 2009 May 22; early online publication [Abstract]
• Gaydos JC, Top FH, Hodder AR, et al. Swine influenza A outbreak, Fort Dix, New Jersey, 1976. Emerg Infect Dis 2006;12(1):23-28.
• Gani R, Hughes H, Fleming D, et al. Potential impact of antiviral drug use during influenza pandemic. Emerg Infect Dis 2009;11(9):1355-62.
• Lekcharoensuk P, Lager KM, Vemulapalli R, et al. Novel swine influenza virus subtype H3N1, United States. Emerg Infect Dis 2006 May 12(5):787-94 .
• Myers KP, Olsen CW, Gray GC. Cases of swine influenza in humans: a review of the literature. Clin Infect Dis 2007;44:1084–8.
• Nava GM, Attene-Ramos MS, Ang JK, et al. Origins of the new influenza A(H1N1) virus; time to take action. Eurosurveillance 2009 June 4;14(22).
• Newman AP, Reisdorf E, Beinemann J, et al. Human case of swine influenza A (H1N1) triple reassortant virus infection, Wisconsin. Emerg Infect Dis 2008;14(9):1470-2.
• Taubenberger JK, Reid AH, Lourens RM, et al. Characterization of the 1918 influenza virus polymerase genes. (Letter) Nature 2005;437(7060):889-93.
• Taunbenberger JK, Morens DM. 1918 influenza: the mother of all pandemics. Emerg Infect Dis 2006 Jan;12(1):15-22.
• Tellier R. Review of aerosol transmission of influenza A virus. Emerg Infect Dis 2006 Nov;12(11).
• Van Reeth K, Nicoll A. A human case of swine influenza virus infection in Europe—implications for human health and research. Euro Surveill 2009 Feb 19;14(7) pii.
• Vaillant L, La Ruche G, Tarantola A, et al. Epidemiology of fatal cases associated with pandemic H1N1 influenza 2009. (Rapid Communications) Eurosurveill 2009 Aug 20;14(33):pii.
• Webster RG, Bean WJ, Gorman OT, et al. Evolution and ecology of influenza A viruses. Microbiol Rev Mar 1992;56(1):152-79.
• Zimmer SM, Burke DS. Historical perspective—emergence of influenza A (H1N1) viruses. N Engl J Med 2009 Jul 16;361(3):279-85.

About the Author

Kamal Singh Rathore, Reader, Bhupal Nobles' Girls' College of Pharmacy, Udaipur-Raj.313002 INDIA
Email: kamalsrathore@yahoo.com
kamalsrathore@gmail.com
Mobile: +919828325713

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Traditional Japanese

Is it true that traditional Japanese diet has no meat - only seafood and veges etc?

I thought that due to pollutants it is only appropriate to eat fish twice a week but Japanese have world's longest life expectancy and their diet is considered really healthy.

Do they go vegetarian on the other days or do they eat fish every day?

The Japanese diet is low on red meat and even the amount of fish they eat is not that much in a serving. They often eat fish in the form of soup stocks with bonito being the most common. Chicken is popular and KFC can be found in any town of more than 10,000 or so along with McD.

Fish is safer to eat if you eat low on the food chain. Pollock and Haddock will have less toxins in it than Tuna, Swordfish or other predator fish.

They often eat tiny dried anchovies on these blocks of buckwheat jelly for breakfast which is pretty nasty. In general though I think ost Japanese eat less than a pound of meat including fish every week.

But don't think it's just the meat. France has a very high life expectancy and they eat a ton of red meat. It prob has more to do with not eating saturated fats and having fiber in their diet too.

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Japanese Mail Order Brides - Rare Jewels

The Internet woods are thick with mail order brides from Russia, China, and the Philippines as well as dozens of third world countries. Nevertheless many men prefer Japanese women they are thought to make the best wives in the world. But now that Japan is a developed nation, however, are mail order brides still available from Japan?

Well, yes - but not nearly in as great a number as before. Ironically, the entire mail order bride phenomenon started out decades ago with Japanese-American men would write to their families back home asking help in finding a Japanese bride (in fact, arranged marriages are not at all uncommon in Japan even today). The man's parents would find a candidate and the two would marry despite barely knowing each other - they might even meet for the first time at the wedding. The practice of arranged marriages - marrying a bride you barely know, chosen by your parents - was the rule rather than the exception in Japan until recently. Since at that time the US was far richer than Japan, Japanese-Americans could easily find a bride from the Old Country - to marry for economic reasons only was thought quite normal. Due to the Western romantic tradition, this practice struck most Americans as rather strange, and the term "mail order bride" came into being.

These days quite a few American men are looking for a "mail order bride" from another country. There are a number of reasons for this. Although Japan is now a developed country, there are still quite a few of Japanese women promoting themselves as mail order brides on the Internet. One advantage of Japan being a developed country is that Japanese women are far less likely than women from third world nations to marry only for economic reasons - that's right, you're may have to win her heart before she will marry you! But hey, that should be a good sign.

The Western stereotype of Japanese women as submissive handmaidens is not necessarily true anymore, and that applies double to mail order brides. Because of the relatively low status of women in Japanese society, a lot of Japanese women seek to marry Western men because they believe them to be less authoritarian than Japanese men. Yeah, it's also true that "traditional" Japanese women are more submissive. But traditional women rarely marry foreign men - after all, marrying a foreigner (and living overseas) is not a particularly traditional thing to do. Nevertheless, after living in Japan for several years, I speak from experience when I say that Japanese women are by and large quite caring and considerate (and some of them are LOTS of fun!). If you are looking for a foreign bride, in my opinion Japanese women are your best bet.

About the Author

The
Mail Order Brides
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Russian, Asian, and Latin American mail order brides
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Originally posted 2010-06-09 22:54:37.