What is Karma?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Ana

To try to understand this term, the law that governs it the Law of Action and Reaction, Compensation, Consequence and Cause and Effect must first be understood.

The Law of Karma is a cosmic law, i.e. beyond the limits of our planetary system and applies to all beings, including those in process of evolution. Although still relatively complex and abstruse, karma is a definable concept. Like everything in the universe is intertwined, mixed and related to everything else, and there is nothing or no one can be isolated and of itself, necessarily everything is affected, one way or another and to a greater or lesser extent, the causes set in motion by any individual.

The concept of karma is truly comforting to man, allowing us to understand that we do not necessarily depend on anyone, that everyone can shape their destiny and what is expected of us can produce favorable results or not, through the energies of nature (powerful and underlying), acting on its behalf and becoming partner of God (in whatever form) or acting against it and delaying their own evolution.

Advice from Richard Fifer-Carles: How to be Productive at Work

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Ana

Accept the fact that it is normal that you will not always be able to finish all the tasks on your list. This tends to be difficult for most perfectionists but it is essential if you want to have a healthy working life. Also, leave what is not important for later. Focus on your priorities without wasting time on little things to achieve what you need with inner peace.
Move away from your computer. You don’t need to stay the whole day sitting in front of it. Take short breaks during the day to rest in order to work in a healthier manner.
Take advantage of the time when going to and from work. Make this a fun experience and carry out activities you enjoy such as listening to pleasant music or audio books, reading, writing or singing. This will facilitate being in a good in the Office.
Try to check your e-mail only two or three times a day. Constantly verifying your inbox can be stressful. Unless something urgent is going on, do not check your email until you have completed your top priorities for the day.
Establish a routine. Take at least fifteen minutes to plan your day.
Choose to have enthusiasm, gratitude and kindness in your work. Try to enjoy the time spent at work. It may be necessary to drifts away from negative people and become closer to those that radiate positivism.
Be patient with yourself. If you are having a hard day at work, do only one thing at a time. Always move calmly and in a forward direction.
Go on vacations and enjoy them to the maximum. Taking a break from a busy schedule and changing scenery will bring you happiness and harmony.
Ask for help. Teamwork is synonymous to success.
Adapt. Try to accept changes that arise. This way you will be able to understand challenges and receive them with maturity and tranquility.

The Spanish Cuisine

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Ana

The Fifer-Carles family, like the majority of Spanish families has among its customs and traditions enjoying the culinary skills and special dishes inherited from its ancestors during special occasions throughout the year.

Spanish gastronomy is linked in a very particular way to the people and the land of the country and the differential characteristics of both. Like its people, it is a mixture of many exotic ingredients and unique characteristics. Sometimes the blends created in the Spanish kitchen can become quite complex, but always retain their basic taste and autonomy.

Frequently used ingredients in the Spanish cuisine include olive oil, parsley, garlic, almonds, eggs, and seafood. Each region of the country is divided in provinces where different elements are grown to make up the wide variety of products available to enrich every meal.

Each region passionately incorporates its own way of cooking, and even occasionally chooses a different name for the same dish which is also prepared in other regions. Everywhere in Spain, cooking is one of the most important rituals of daily life, making it a tradition or mix of good food and good company.

National Anthem of Panama

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Ana

Closing the month where Panama’s national pride is celebrated, we would like to share with you one of the most important symbols of the Republic: a song of history, victory and especially nationalist honor.

Background:

For many years the Panamanian people enthusiastically sang patriotic school song entitled “Anthem of the Isthmus”, composed by from John Augustine Torres, Secretary of Public Instruction and its music created Santos Jorge.

On the occasion of the presentation of credentials as Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America Mr. William J. Buchman, Professor Jorge Santos, Director of the Banda Republican suggests to use his music in the national hymn of the republic and asked Dr. Jerome De La Ossa, a poet of that time and brother of Dr. Amador Guerreroto create the official national anthem which till this date represents one of the country’s most important national symbols.

Translation of the National Anthem
(Oficial current version)

CHORUS
We have finally reached victory
In the field of happy union;
With flashes of fiery glory
Light up the new nation.

STANZAS
It is necessary to cover with a veil
the past, Calvary and the cross;
And decorate the blue of your sky
with the splendid light of concord.

To both sides is progress.
To the tune of sublime song
roaring at your feet you see both seas
heading for your noble mission.

(Chorus)

In your soil covered with flowers
warm kisses from offshore,
Warriors finished blares;
Just brotherly love reigns.
Advance forward with the pike and a shovel,
To work without further delay,
And so we press and gala
In this fertile world of Columbus.
(Chorus)

Thanksgiving Facts and Traditions

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Ana

In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. For the Fifer- Carles family, Thanksgiving is the time of the year to celebrate but most importantly pray together and be thankful.

Thanksgiving turkey

· Turkey, a Thanksgiving symbol so many times mentioned during this holiday has become all but synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat this bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving.

· Other long established foods served during Thanksgiving include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

· Volunteering is also a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.

· Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. These typically include marching bands, performers and giant balloons.

· A tradition that begun in the mid-20th century or perhaps even earlier is the “pardoning” of turkey or two by the president of the United States each year.

Fifer- Carles: A United Family

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Ana

For many people, having a closely-knitted family where love reigns is of great importance and justifies any sacrifice. For the Fifer-Carles family, communication, understanding and constant support have been key for achieving this goal.

A united family requires constant effort, or rather; a constant attention to continuously cultivate the relationship. Love, especially for a family is like learning a new languages, if you do not practice it every day, it can be forgotten. It requires a delivery of sacrificed every day, every minute, and every second; if not, it weakens and fails.

It is advisable to involve the entire family in every day dialogues as well as to constantly engage in activities that allow everyone to spend time together. For the Fifer-Carles family, each of the different celebration dates during the year provide an opportunity to share as a family. As a matter of fact, festivities such as Christmas and New Years are important not only for the special date when held but also because they are small time spaces that allow its members to further develop the valuable relationships that exist between one another.

As a member of the family Fifer Carles I can say that the most important element to keep a family together is teamwork, where there is constant support towards each other despite the difficult times that may arise. It is a work that requires dedication every day that and as time passes produces valuable results that give meaning to the true meaning of family.

What is a Family tree?

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Ana

Family trees represent the origin of people. In this type of organized information, several branches can extend from a person to their direct kinship, i.e. parents, siblings, children and grandchildren successively. It is closely linked to the field of genealogy. Today there are families who have a family tree composed of thousands of people which can even go back to several centuries in the past.

Family trees are usually are presented with the oldest generations at the top and the newer generations descending downwards. This chart is called a family tree because the genealogical formation of an individual usually resembles a tree in shape, being broader at the top than the base. Family trees can have many formats. One might encompass all direct descendants of a single person while another might include all members of a particular last name (for our case, for the example, all descendants of the Fifer-Carles surname).

Below, you may find an example of one of the most famous family trees of all times.

Family Tree - Royal Family of Spain

In this internet site you can find the official Fifer Carles family tree.

Choosing the Right Dog For You

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Ana

Buying or adopting a dog is a crucial decision which could affect the lives of you and your family for many years. Over many years, Richard Fifer, having lived with and trained all kinds of dog breeds, from small dog breeds and toy dogs (like his famous schnauzers), through living with larger dog breeds such as a golden retriever, today he understand the importance of choosing the right dog.

When you are choosing a breed of dog, you need to know some very important elements about the dog and its specific traits. These include from the height and weight to important training and obedience skills. After all, keep in mind that you will be living and working with your pet for about a decade, and depending on your lifestyle and your place of home, you may be much better matched to one dog breed over another.

Becoming a great dog owner requires most of the following:

A lifelong approach to learning from professionals, through growing old with your pet and trial and error.
Exercising your dog.
Commitment to safeguarding your dog’s health.
Patience
Time

Schnauzer dogs

Flag of the Republic of Panama

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Ana

The Fifer-Carles family, proud of its Panamanian heritage would like to share with its blog fans a few historic facts on one of its main national symbols:

Panamanian Flag

The Panamanian flag is a rectangle divided into four quarters: the first near the mast top, white with a blue five-pointed star, the second top of the already described below, in red, the first pole near the bottom blue, and the second following it, white with a red star with 5 points.

Panama Flag

The Idea

The Panamanian flag was designed by Manuel Amador Guerrero and was made by Maria De La Ossa de Amador.

Don Manuel E. Amador G. took in consideration for the creation of the flag, the two colors (blue and red) represented by the country’s political parties (the Liberal and Conservative parties). The white symbolizes the peace among both parties. The stars indicated righteousness, power and authority, characteristics of development.

Legal adoption of the Flag

The Constituent Assembly by Act 64 of 1904 provisionally adopted the flag. And final adoption occurred through Act 4 of 1925 created the National Assembly and ratified by Law adoption on March 28, 1941.

History of the flag

Before he designed the Panamanian flag as it is today, Philippe Bunau Varilla, who participated in the plans to achieve the separation of Panama from Colombia created an unoriginal idea for the first flag, one devised on the American model. A pendulum was sewn on it by the wife of Bunau Varilla, red and yellow stripes were placed horizontally instead of white and red like the U.S. flag. At the top was a rectangular blue in the center with two yellow suns united by a strip of the same color, which, according to its author, symbolized the two continents.

The initial design for the flag was discarded because it seemed to them inappropriate that a foreigner would determine such important symbol for the country. The couple decided to consult Manuel Amador the son of the president, who was recognized as an artist for his drawing skills. With red and blue pens, he outlined the features of the final version of the Panamanian flag still used today.

Famous Horses in History

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ana

The Fifer-Carles family has for many years admired horses, particularly Richard Fifer-Carles who has owned and treasured them since childhood. In this article, we will share with you several short stories about famous horses that have made a difference to people´s lives over the years.

Horses have been very important in the history of mankind. Some of them have even helped forge modern history. There are some who gained fame on through the years and have a privileged place in historical memory. Through this article, we will share with you how some of them have played an important role in history.

Bucephalus: Its name means "ox head". It was the horse of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and from its back, the military leader, led the battles that expanded the Greek empire to Egypt and the border with India. It was described as an animal that had a broad forehead and a slightly concave head (a characteristic of Eastern blood). Its fur was black and had a white star on his forehead. It has also been mentioned by some that one of its eyes was blue.

It is believed that Alexander the Great was the first man to ride Bucephalus, a strong and temperamental horse.

The animal had lived for about 30 years when it died from wounds suffered in battle against King Porus at the Hydaspes River. It was buried with full military honors and the King soon after its death founded a city with the name of Bucefalia in his honor.

Babieca: Anyone who has read the The Lay of the Cid remembers the name of this horse. Covered with a white coat and apparently of the Andalusian breed, it was raised in a Spanish convent. According to historic records, it was also an obedient and agile horse ideal for war.

In the famous poem, the lifeless body of the Cid, was tied to the saddle of the horse at full galloping speed while troops marched against the Cid, raising the morale of the soldiers and intimidating the Moors, who witnessed such a scene. This moment of battle has been described as one of courage, as if the Cid had risen from the dead to continue fighting.

After the death of Rodrigo Diaz, Babieca was never mounted again and died two years later at the incredible age of 40.

Marengo: A gray, Arabic horse race which measured 1.45m in height. Imported from Egypt to France in 1799 at the age of six, it was the most famous horse owned by the Emperor Napoleon I.

Marengo is remembered as a fast and maneuverable horse. It was wounded in battle eight times and was finally captured after Waterloo and taken to England, where it died at age 38. Its remains were taken to the National Army Museum at Sandhurst.

Fifer Carles

Richard Fifer – Father of the Panamanian Mining

Author Archives: Ana