Scuba Diving in the Cedar Pride, a sunken ship off the coast of Aqaba

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We were going to do two dives and they asked us if we had a predilection for doing
something special or going to a specific point. It was clear to me, I wanted to go see Cedar
Pride. One of the most famous dive spots in Aqaba is this sunken ship, which is also
accessible to divers of all levels, whether you have an Open Water certification (the basic
one), as if you are doing a Discover Scuba Diving or what is the same, you do not have any
certification. Normally the wrecks are usually deeper, being only accessible to divers in
possession of a higher certification such as Advanced Open Water. In this case, the maximum
depth, where the helmet rests, is 25 meters (to reach that level, you need to have an Advance
Open Water) and the top of the mast is only 7 meters from the surface.

One of the peculiarities of diving in Aqaba is that it is normally accessed on foot from the
beach, it is not necessary to take a boat to go to the dive sites. And that’s what we did, the
instructors, a couple of other girls, and us, we got into the van from the dive center and went
to the dive site. On the beach, we began to prepare all the equipment and receive the
instructions, although in our case it was more like reviewing them.

With everything ready and the lesson reviewed, our instructors (Juan Carlos and Fox) and the
two of us, got in the water. Before diving completely we were reviewing some movements,
everything was great, so we partially deflated the vests and began to descend. The beginning
of this dive runs through some scattered corals. They are nice, but nothing compared to
other dive sites. The good is yet to come.

After a little time diving, you suddenly see a kind of "mountain" in front of you. No way! It’s
the helmet of the Cedar Pride! The arrival to the sunken ship is something really impressive,
that is enormous. This Gijón-built freighter measures neither more nor less than 74 meters in
length. It was sunk by the King of Jordan Abdullah II in 1985 to form an artificial coral reef
off the coast of Aqaba and thus become one of the main diving attractions in this country.

We continue up the side of the ship’s hull until we reach the edge. That’s when we looked
down and saw that. What beauty, what amount of fish and coral … What amount of life! It is
incredible how the ship has been colonized little by little creating an entire ecosystem. We
had never seen anything like it and we did not think, far from it, that it could be seen without
having a diving certification. Luckily, Cedar Pride can be visited by newcomers.

After enjoying the deck of the boat, and seeing the instructors that we had good buoyancy
management, they told us to follow them. We pass under a large metal plate until we reach
an air chamber inside the ship. Yes, when the ship was sunk, an air chamber was created that
is still preserved today. Amazing! In fact, we take off our mouthpieces and breathe air under
the sea. What an experience.

We submerged again and, this time, we went through a room inside the ship, to exit through
another area of ​​the deck. It was being an unforgettable experience. The Cedar Pride had
exceeded all expectations, and they were very high. After leaving the boat behind we returned
to the coast in a quiet walk among corals and colorful fish.

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How to connect your deck to electricity?

Deck

If you are lucky enough to have a deck or are about to have one built, you are probably dreaming of summer evenings in the open air, by the light of your outdoor lamps. But to take advantage of it, you will have to connect this deck to electricity. At deck company, we explain how to proceed to finally lounge outdoors all year round.

 

Subscribe to an electricity offer

 

Taking out your electricity contract is naturally the first step in thinking about supplying an electrical circuit. Two scenarios may concern you: either you are in the process of building your house and do not yet benefit from any contract. The connection of your deck is an evolution within a home already connected to the electricity network.

 

In the first case, you must take out your first electricity contract. You can subscribe to your electricity to EDF or any other energy supplier. The formalities are carried out similarly by gathering the information concerning your accommodation: type of accommodation, its surface, its insulation, it’s heating, etc.

 

From there, EDF will offer you an offer and an amount to pay each month. If that’s okay with you, all you have to do is subscribe using your contact details. Also, note that you can subscribe to EDF online or by phone.

 

If your home was already connected to the electrical network, make sure that you have the necessary power to supply new devices. Like other most deck companies and us, w always urge you to do not hesitate to contact your supplier to see to what extent the amount of your bill may increase with the excess consumption.

 

Connect your deck to your power supply

 

Then, to power your outdoor lighting and other devices that you may want to install on your deck, you have to start the work. A professional electrician should do these unless you have the necessary skills. Indeed, you will need to follow the following steps:

 

  • Prepare the installation: trench, cables, circuit breaker, etc.
  • Connect the deck, remembering to cut off the power supply
  • Install your lights on their own

 

These are precise jobs that can be dangerous if you handle the equipment improperly. It is essential to think about standards, circuits, fuses, or even differential circuit breakers. If these terms do not speak to you, call an electrician to discuss the installation with you.

 

Enjoy your deck

 

Here is our last tip and not least: ENJOY! Once installed, connected to electricity and your operational LED spotlights, you can finally taste the pleasure of long summer evenings.

 

A few more arrangements will add character to your wooden deck: garden furniture, a brazier, or even pretty flower pots …

 

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What Is The Origin Of The Deck?

Deck

The deck is an open-air interior courtyard, generally square, whose origin dates back to Roman Antiquity. This deck was then called the “atrium”. In traditional Mediterranean architecture, in Spain and North Africa in particular, it is (and was) not uncommon for houses to have no windows to the outside, and for all openings to be turned inward … and therefore towards the famous deck. Therefore, he had a very important role, since it was in a way he who lit the house and brought in light.

This central courtyard generally has a fountain or a basin. The traditional deck is sometimes also decorated with columns and colorful ceramics. It has a central place in the building but also in domestic life.

What does the deck look like in Western countries?

Unlike Spanish or North African houses, Western houses are almost always turned outwards. The deck, therefore, has a different function: it then takes more the form of intermediate living space between the interior of the accommodation and the garden.

However, old houses and more and more contemporary houses have an interior courtyard that takes up the Hispano-Moorish principle. In our regions – colder – we do not hesitate to close the courtyard with a glass roof, thus creating a deck that can be enjoyed all year round, even during the colder seasons!

How to green your deck?

By definition, the deck is enclosed, and it takes advantage of the heat released by the accommodation, which must be taken into account in the choice of plants. As such, you can opt for:

  • Exotic plants, which will find an ideal space in a deck. But pay attention to their light needs.
  • Shade or partial shade plants, especially if your deck is small and lacks a bit of sunlight. Indeed, plants accustomed to the sun would risk withering and / or would be attacked by parasites.
  • In particular, tree ferns and aralias thrive enormously in these closed and semi-shaded environments.

The ideal is to have a thickness of soil of 30 to 50 cm (one-third of topsoil and two-thirds of good quality potting soil, all enriched with good compost). Unless you prefer container planting, but the effect will not be the same. Think of automatic watering, which will be very useful to you, especially when you go on vacation. It is also possible to grow lights and foggers to optimize the development of your plants in your deck.

What about decorating the deck?

Good news: when it comes to decorating a deck, anything goes. Here are some great ideas that may inspire you:

  • You can vegetate part of the deck and cover the rest with the hard ground (wood, stone, pebbles, tiles, etc.).
  • You can also make a small Asian garden by playing on the differences in materials.
  • If you have space, you can install a fountain in the middle of the deck, just like in Andalusian decks: the water’s sound will be a pleasant palliative to stress!
  • If your deck is very sunny, install a shade sail using three hooks, which will be easy to put on as well as remove, depending on the sunshine.
  • As for the furniture, choose chairs, armchairs, and tables with a nice design (don’t forget that you will see them permanently from inside your home) and stay outside all year round if you don’t have room to store them in winter.

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Eight Pro Tips For Tidying Up At Home Every Day

Home Tips

Because our interior has never been as central as it is now and taking care of it inevitably comes down to taking care of yourself, a detailed and fun schedule to learn how to sort, organize and maintain your interior by devoting 30 minutes a day to it for a month. Between the choice of the right accessories and clever tips, this storage professional gives us her insider’s advice to tidy up well daily and simplify your life at the same time.

Tidy up as you go 

Although obvious, this first wise advice is the key to a well-organized interior. To avoid spending the entire weekend, putting away everything you have accumulated during the week, or being perpetually in search of such a thing, it is essential to do a little every day. But for that, each object must have a specific place, the keys in a storage compartment, the waxing in a box.

Sort 

All good storage begins with good sorting. To regain possession of one’s business and avoid the accumulation that settles slowly but surely, drastic sorting is essential. To facilitate the task, we make three piles: to sell, to give, to throw away. We separate ourselves from duplicates or broken objects, which only take up space and dust.

Put away gradually

When you’re overwhelmed with clutter, you usually don’t know where to start, you get down to doing everything without achieving a satisfactory result, and you quickly feel discouraged. To avoid this unpleasant feeling, Hortense de la Roncière advises us to start with a drawer that will be completely put away for a short period. We reiterate these “microtasks” to overcome storage while avoiding nausea.

Always store near the area of ​​use.

Both to gain functionality and to save precious time daily, each object must be stored near the area in which it is used. For example, dishes can be stored near the oven while pots and pans can be found near the hotplates, and toiletries are in the bathroom.

Store what we use daily within sight

Putting away clothes that are out of season has become a habit for many. The dresses we wear every day are visible on a shelf while the chunky woolen sweaters are tucked away at the back of the wardrobe until next winter. Also valid for food, this tip allows you to glance at what you can and should consume right away. Perishable foods are displayed, but foods with a longer shelf life are put back in a cupboard or in the cellar to clean the kitchen. 

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Make use of all storage spaces. 

It is said only too much here; a functional and perfectly optimized interior requires to make good use of all the spaces available in the house. We store it on the wall using shelves or perforated panels; we take advantage of “dead” spaces such as angles, space under the bed, under the stairs, or the ceiling. Finally, we exploit the corners and the depth of the cabinets thanks to accessories provided for this purpose, such as stepped shelves or revolving cabinets. 

Compartmentalize

To further optimize your storage space, compartmentalization is the ideal solution. A rather common technique when it comes to cutlery is that categorizing is not only the prerogative of the kitchen. You can replicate this storage trick in any room of the house by placing old cardboard boxes in the drawers to separate panties and socks. The only prerequisite: opt for a perfectly calibrated container to avoid taking up space.

Establish the rule of “One inside, one outside.”

Once everything is sorted and neatly put away, a simple but far from obvious rule to apply is in order. Founding precept of minimalism enthusiasts, the “One inside, one outside” rule consists of parting with an object or a piece of clothing each time another walks through the door of the house. The opportunity to part with this dress that is too big, too small, or old-fashioned that we have kept preciously in the closet for almost 5 years. 

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Painting: 3 Things To Know About Color Psychology

Ceramic Coating

While some colors don’t necessarily match all interior decor styles, that shouldn’t stop you from experimenting with different hues that you wouldn’t normally use. Here is some practical information that could help you before embarking on the adventure of your house painting.

Start by understanding the basic tones.

The universe of paint colors is almost endless, and it is without exaggeration that one can say that it is almost impossible to be able to make a quick and easy choice among them. In addition to important factors like temperature or intensity, each paint brand will have custom versions of colors that will sometimes look similar when comparing swatches but will have a very different effect when applied to your walls.

That is why it is good to know at the very beginning that groups of tones you will want to find the perfect color:

Whites: A complex process in itself, white has a vast and varied palette that will boost rooms where you are looking to create this type of effect. Although white is all-purpose, it will be good to determine whether you prefer a warm shade or a cool shade. 

The reason is that warmer whites are great for a relaxed and visually relaxing vibe, while cooler hues are best in rooms where you are looking to be more active and alert.

Neutrals: For tones that will coordinate with many different colors, in addition to inspiring calm and relaxation, neutral tones like browns or beiges are perfect for people looking for more than just a white room, but who do not dare to embark on the adventure of colors coming out of their comfort zone.

These hues will emanate down-to-earth energy and be a perfect match for your productive workdays.

Pale colors: In the world of painting, each bright color inevitably has its diluted version, either pastel or simply paler. Like neutral shades, this option will be perfect for people who are still hesitant to take the plunge to dark colors. Let yourself be charmed by shades like powder blue, sage, pale yellow, or a subtle pink.

Dark Colors: Contrary to popular belief, using dark colors in a well-lit room will not make you feel like a narrower room. On the contrary, when well laid out, the place will seem a good size and will have a distinguished air.   

Each room has a colorful message.

No matter the size of your home, each room has a specific purpose and its character. For example, the bedroom will not have the same role as your dining room, and your office will not have the same use as the kitchen. 

When choosing a color, it would be best to apply the previous point to avoid choosing a shade that might distract or tire you in rooms where you will need concentration.    

For the bedroom, think about the tones that will give you a sense of calm and relaxation. With too vibrant colors like red or yellow, your mind will have a hard time resting. If you like these colors, consider the pastel or diluted versions of these instead of a less imposing effect.

However, for rooms like the living room or the kitchen, a vibrant and glowing yellow will come to give life to these places, which are points of gathering and family moments. If, for you, your living room is a place more associated with rest, a dark green like forest green, or even a dark gray are shades that can create a feeling of comfort.

In the end, choose colors that represent you.

Your personality will play a huge role in your decor, and while the above tips should be taken into account, it’s just as good to listen to your inner artist and let go. In the end, you will be the person who will live in your house, and that is why it is good to adapt it to your preferences.

If you are a cheerful, inspired and always on the moving person, and you want your space to reflect this dynamic, find vibrant colors that will go well with each other, without overflowing too much.

Otherwise, a space of pale and neutral tones, even in common and pleasant rooms, will create a beautiful lightness and will match practically any type of furniture or materials. So this is perfect for people who like to keep it simple!

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