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ISIConnect NEWS - December/January 2004
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Welcome to the December-January edition of ISIConnect NEWS.

ISIConnect News has arrived once again - helping you keep 
connected with the world!

In ISICONNECT NEWS this month we have new access numbers 
so that you can now call home from up to 75 countries. The 
online user guide has been streamlined allowing you to print 
out only those access numbers for the country you are 
traveling to. Receiving Spam? The new Inbox filter now 
lets you hide messages from people you don't know. 

Best of the Fests tells you how you can celebrate New 
Years! 'Spotlight on' tells you how you can receive a 20% 
special holiday bonus when you recharge your account. Read 
about Asia's best kept secret and some Australian experiences 
not to miss in 'The Missing Link'. All this and more in this 
bumper issue of ISIConnect NEWS.  

Happy trails!

The ISIConnect Team


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THIS MONTH IN ISIConnect NEWS
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1. What's new - New access numbers, online user guide and 
hiding unknown senders!
2. Win US$50 each month - Your most interesting New Years 
Eve story
3. Best of the fests - New Years Eve around the world
4. Spotlight on  - Special 20% Bonus offer
5. ISIC Discounts Worldwide - Get Active and save with your 
ISIC in Scandinavia!
6. The Missing Link - Queensland, Thailand and Sarawak
7. The Vent - Your place to exhale 



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1. WHAT'S NEW?
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It's been a busy time at ISIConnect with the release of new 
features and improvements to the service...

~~ New Access Numbers ~~

ISIConnect now has 75 access numbers. Check out the Access 
Number link on the website.


~~ Enhanced Online User Guide ~~

ISIConnect's online user guide has been streamlined to allow 
you to print out only the access numbers for the country you 
are traveling to. Check out the User Guide link on the website.


~~ Hiding unknown senders ~~ 

The new 'Unknown Senders Filter' in the Inbox is a Spam 
filter tool that allows you to view mail from everyone, 
people you know or unknown senders. Just use the drop down 
menu on the top of your Inbox to select your preference.


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2. WIN US$50  
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~~ Your most interesting New Years Eve story ~~ 

Running low on cash but you want to call your friends and 
family? Enter our competition this month and you could 
win a US$50 account credit.

1. Name one ISIConnect feature.

2. Then tell us about your most interesting, disastrous or 
funniest New Years Eve story.

The best ISIConnect NEWS readers who tell us their tales will win
a US$50 account credit. Give us a shout at ISIConnectNews@ekit.com. 
Don't forget to tell us what country you are from.


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3. BEST OF THE FESTS
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How do people around the world celebrate New Years Eve?

Chicago - USA
The skies over Chicago explode with colour, light and 
noise on New Year's Eve as a huge array of fireworks are 
launched from Grant Park.

Revellers celebrate at Buckingham Fountain and in the 
surrounding park. If you're going to be anywhere in 
Chicago on New Year's Eve, checking out the fireworks 
and their reflection in Lake Michigan has got to be high 
on the list.

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do


Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
It's well known that Brazilians know how to party and 
New Year's Eve in Rio is one of the biggest events of the 
year. The main party takes place along Copacabana Beach, 
with an eclectic mix of fireworks, samba schools and bands 
that celebrates African, Christian and indigenous traditions. 

Music is played throughout the day, but it really kicks 
off around 7pm when live acts and DJs start up the sound 
systems on the official stages. There are also balls and 
parties at all the major hotels along Copacabana Beach. 

http://www.isic.org/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=42625


Omisoka - Japan
The last day of the year in Japan is traditionally celebrated 
in a somewhat sombre mood. Families stay at home, wait until 
the midnight hour is at hand, and listen for 108 peals of 
the bells from their local temple.

This Joya-no-Kane heralds the echoing out of the old year and 
the ringing in of the new. Locals warm themselves up as by 
sipping sweet amazake sake and a hot bean paste soup called 
oshiruko as they wait by the temple bonfire. And then come 
the bells. In Buddhist terms, the 108 dongs of the bonno 
vibrate through the people and dispel 108 human vices, 
leaving one fresh to face another year.


Melbourne - Australia
Summadayze presents a hand-picked selection of the world's 
finest talent, alongside the cream of Melbourne's dance music 
scene. Summadayze 2004 will also feature the traditional foam 
fun area, water slides, Future Spa World, amusements, rides 
and a variety of ice cream, fresh fruit, food and festival 
stalls. There will also be plenty of shaded areas, over 70 
free water drinking points, and many more toilet facilities.

National Tour Dates
Summadayze - Jan 1st - Melbourne
Summafieldayze - Jan 3rd - Gold Coast
Summadayze - Jan 9th - Auckland (NZ)
Summadayze - Jan 11th - Perth

http://www.summadayze.com
 

Hamburg - Germany
Hamburg is the place to go if you are looking for a glitzy 
New Year Ball. It might be a bit of an effort to whirl around 
to a waltz after the splendid three-course meal they serve, 
but it should be manageable. Apart from the frescos on the 
ceiling and the walls, the ball offers all the usual trimmings 
of a prestigious event. The special "midnight soup" includes 
all drinks - excluding spirits - to make you merry and two 
bands, featuring string quartets and solo vocalists, play 
live music until the early hours.

http://www.isic.org/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=46117


London - England
The Ministry of Sound is one of the most famous clubs in the 
world. It is also the proud owner of a legendary sound 
system that over the years has been used and abused by all 
the very top jocks, from LTJ Bukem to Fatboy Slim. 

SMOOVE, Ministry of Sound's regular Friday night urban party, 
hosts the club's New Year's Eve event for 2003/2004 with 
three rooms of some of the UK's finest urban DJs, MCs and 
artists playing R&B, hip-hop, reggae, UK garage, drum & bass 
and jump up jungle.

http://www.ministryofsound.com/


Find out how you can celebrate your New Years Eve at 
http://www.ISIC.org


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4. SPOTLIGHT ON
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~~ Special 20% bonus talk time ~~
 
Get 20% bonus talk time when you recharge your account for 
US$50 or more*. This means, when you recharge your account 
for US$100 you will receive a HUGE $20 bonus.
*Hurry! Offer expires 28th January 2004.

~~ Recharge anywhere, anytime - online or via Customer Service ~~

To recharge online

1. Go online to the ISIConnect website.
2. Log in to your account. 
3. Click 'Recharge'.
4. Enter your credit card details and the amount you wish to charge. 

To recharge with Customer Service

1. Dial the Access Number for the country you are in. 
2. Press 0 # to speak to Customer Service.
or
Enter your Account Number (then #) and PIN (then #). 
Press 4 for Account Maintenance then follow the prompts. 

Auto-recharge
Auto-recharge automatically adds credit to your account. 
Simply set your preferred minimum balance, then each time 
your account balance falls below this, it will be topped up 
with the amount you specify. Visit the ISIConnect website for details.

 
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5. ISIC DISCOUNTS WORLDWIDE
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Get Active and save with your ISIC in Scandinavia!

Start off with Copenhagen's nightlife, by Bombay Club and enter 
free of charge on Fridays (Norregade 41 - www.bombayclub.dk). 
Make the most of your evening and stay up until 6 AM to catch 
the train to Malmo.

Malmo, only a few swim strokes away, offers everything that 
Copenhagen does with a dash of Swedish. Experience Malmo in 
Medieval times at Malmo Hus Museum (Malmohusvagen) and get 50% 
off the entrance fee.

or...

Take the flight up to Stockholm with Special Rates flying SAS. 
Catch the Arlanda Express with a 50% discount to Stockholm centre 
and stay at First Hotel, giving you 15% off accommodation rates. 
Experience the Royal Opera for half price and end the night with 
a stop at Burger King for special rates. 

Catch the Viking Line - also for a special rate and visit the 
Finish Capital Helsinki. Stay at the Euro hostel and end your 
weekend with some retail therapy at Chez Marius and Navara, both 
offering 10% discount on all products.



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6. THE MISSING LINK
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~~ Great travel sites ~~

Where else but Queensland
Queensland Australia is one of the world's great vacation 
destinations. Where else can you enjoy the Great Barrier 
Reef, Australia's amazing Outback, World Heritage Rainforest 
and the Aussie beach culture? Come and have a look at our 
website and have some fun planning your visit Down Under. 

More info: www.destinationqueensland.com/tq.cfm

Tourism Thailand
Discover a land of wonder where pleasant surprises and 
maximum fun await the world traveller. Be impressed by 
Thailand's beautiful and memorable events throughout the 
year. 

More info: www.tourismthailand.org

Holidays in the Jungle
It has been described as Asia's Best Kept Secret. Now the 
secret is out. Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia 
and by far the most exotic. It is covered by forest 
harbouring oddities such as giant flowers, flying squirrels, 
long nosed monkeys and gigantic cave systems. 

More info: www.sarawaktourism.com


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7. THE VENT
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~~ Everybody's got an opinion. What's yours? ~~

I love ISIConnect! This is my first time travelling AND backpacking 
alone and being able to keep in touch with my family and friends in 
Australia has been really important!!! Thanks a bundle! 

- Sasha

Thank you Sasha for your contribution to ISIConnect NEWS - a US$20 
account credit is on its way! 


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This is your newsletter and we want your thoughts. Did ISIConnect 
NEWS rock your world or induce a spontaneous siesta? Were you 
enlightened, or did you switch off? Tell us what you think and what 
you want to see in the next edition. Send your thoughts to 
ISIConnectNews@ekit.com.
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