, TRAVEL.------------------------------

A SPA THAT SLITHERS. FORGET MUD FROM THE DEAD SEA. ISRAEL'S LATEST TRANQUILITY TREATMENT HAS SNAKES ON TE BRAIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------

BY TIM MCGIRK/TALMEI ELAZAR

Most spa's have names that conjure up an atmosphere of bliss and tranquility. So I am a little taken a back by the sign outside the spa in the orange groves of northern Israel. It reads, ADA BARAK'S CARNIVOROUS PLANT FARM. Barak makes most of her income by showing off her plants, which eat everything from insects and reptiles to small mammals and schnitzel. She started grabbing one of the little snakes slithering in and out of the hungry plants' jaws and passing it around to visitors at the end of her act. And that was how she hit on the snakes' therapeutic value. "Some people said that holding the snakes made them feel better,relaxed,"she says. "One old lady said it was soothing, like a cold compress."

Traditionally, snakes have

PeRiScOpE......

THE AUCTION HOUSE
----------------------------------------------------
BETTING BIG ON HIRST

As the bidding started at Damien Hirst's historic auction in London on Sept.15 (Sotheby's first ever of a single living artist), the specter of failing financial markets hardly discouraged collectors; Hirst's formaldehyde-preserved animals and diamond-encrusted butterflies netted a staggering $200.7 million, breaking the house's record for a single-artist auction (set in 1993 when a Piccaso sale raised $32 million), and making Hirst seem like a better bet than the FTSE.


The event broke with artistic convention, as Hirst and his manager by passed their usual dealers, the Gagosian Gallery and New York and the White Cube in London (a gallery's cut for a major artist can run up to 50 percent). The gamble paid off, which is likely to have masive implications for the way art is bought and sold. While some gallery owners say they'll always have their place in the market, others fear that giants like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami could follow Hirst's lead.


But is Hirst's work really recessionproof-especially given the susceptibility of his pieces to
decomposition? "This sale has proved that Hirst's a safe return", says art-market expert Godfrey Barker. "The superrich need somewhere to put their money, and they're pouring it into art. We are enterin a world where art is trusted above real estate and General Motors." Along those lines, Hirst plans to invest his new millions in modern masters like Francis Bacon-though it might not hurt to hang on to a few of his own commodity-encrusted creations,too.






SOPHIE GROVE ----------------------------

INSTITUTIONS

A NEW KIND OF GLOBALIZATION
A broader array of nations needs to unite around finance, energy and the environment.


BY ROBERT B. ZOELLICK


The past year was a precarious one. Not only is growth in many developed countries stagnating, but many developing countries are also now in an economic danger zone. As always, the poor are the most defenseless. Voices around the world are blaming free markets. Others are asking about the failures of governmental institutions. Storm clouds hang over multilateralism and world markets.

We cannot turn back the clock on globalization. Even as the United States and the world dig out of the present financial hole, we need to look further ahead. There is an opportunity now for President Obama to steer the world toward modernizing multilateralism and markets for a new global economy. I n doing so, the goal must be to buiuld a more inclusive and sustainable globalization.

The work must involve new economic powers that are on the rise-for example, India and China. Their engagement with the global economy has made them stakeholders in the system, and they want to be heard. Private financial markets and businesses will continue to be the strongest drivers of worldwide growth and development. But the developed world's financial systems have revealed glaring weaknesses. The architecture designed to deal with global markets is creaking.

To deal with all this, we need a new multilateralism, one that suits the times. It should be a flexible network, not a fixed system-a network that maximizes the strengths of interconnecting actors, public and private. It should reach beyond the traditional focus on finance and trade. Today, energy, climate change and stabilizing fragile and post conflict states are economic as well as political issues. They are already part of the international security and environmental dialogue. They must be included in the larger economic conversations as well.

To guide multilateral problem-solving in this world of complex interdependence, we need a steering group that recognizes the interconnections, identifies challenges at the intersection of topics and connects new and existing machinery among government to solve problems. For a start, we need a core group of finance ministers who would assume responsibility for anticipating issues, sharing information,solving problems and managing differences. The G7 already does some of this, but it is not sufficient. We need a better group for a different time-a new steering group that includes rising economic powers as well as established ones. This steering group should not just replace or expand the G7 with a new fixed number; it should evolve to fit changing circumstances. The World Bank and the IMF, perhaps with the WTO, could help support this steering group and draw on our broader membership to propose new coalitions to address issues.

This new network must assure a sound economic recovery and tackle the reform of financial systems. It must continue to push forward a global trade agenda. It needs to interconnect energy and climate change. World energy markets are a mess. The steering group could help forge a "global bargain" among major energy producers and consumers. At a minimum, such a bargain should involve sharing plans for expanding supplies, including options other than oil and gas; improving efficiency and lessening demand; assisting with energy for the poor; and considering how these policies relate to carbon production and climate change. A climate-change accord would benefit from new tools such as green technologies and mechanisms to support forestation and avoid deforestination. Financial support should be given to poorer countries to help adapt. The steering group might also assist the U.N. negotiations on the implementation of a global climate-change treaty.

Multilateralism, at its best, is a means for solving problems among countries, with the group at the table willing and able to take constructive action together. Fate presents the new president with an opportunity wrapped in a necessity; to modernize both multilateralism and global markets.



ZOELLICK is president of the World Bank

THE GOOD LIFE......

, SHOPPING.......

A. BROWSING MARKETS INSTEAD OF THE MALL

Lucky for reluctant shoppers, outdoor outcroppings of stalls spring up each year at this time, proferring handcrafted tchotchkes,
unique apparel, housewares, beauty products,
toys and exotic delicacies.
Featuring 300 vendors adjacent to a skating rink,
the Strasbourg market is the largest in France
and has been around for almost half a millennium.



Situated in the shadow of the Strasbourg Cathedral, it includes a series of charming timbered buildings housing shops and a gingerbread bakery (through Dec.31;strasbourg.com).
Cologne, Germany, boasts six Christmas markets, including the Floating Christmas Market, held on a boat moored on the Rhine alongside the Old Quarter (through Dec.23; germany-christmas-market.org.uk).
Town Hall Square in Tallinn, Estonia, is home to one of the youngest Christmas markets in Europe, established in 2001.
Unlike others in the region, it doesn't close until New Year's Day, giving visitors extra time to peruse the selection of felt hats and slippers, wreaths and handmade candles, as well as toy animals handcrafted from sea grass (tallinn-life.com).
Craftworks are plentiful at the expansive Liseberg market in Goteborg, Sweden, which is located on the grounds of a giant amusement park strung with 5 million lights.
At the Liseberg Ice Gallery and Bar, the walls, furnishings and even drinking glasses are all made of blue ice (through late December; liseberg.se).
If you still can't find the perfect gift, there's always Santa.

- E.M -

B. ACCESSORIES OF THE SEASON

A christmas tree should be just as well dressed as
the guest sitting down to dinner.



To that end, Faberge makes its bejelwed eggs into ornaments in
deliciously
bright colours ; CZAREVITCH (blue), ANASTASIA (red), SWAN (purple), CLOVER (amber)
($200 each; neimanmarcus.com).



Jay Strongwater's Hinged Crown ornament, set with Swarovski crystals,
plays Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" when opened ($395; jaystrongwater.com).



Ne'Qwa Art hand-paints its glass ornaments on the inside,
and can customize its design to match any holiday whimsy,
from snowmen to Santa (prices vary; neqwa.com).
Some decorations can double as dessert.


Exclusively for Selfridge's department store in the Britain, Artisan du Chocolat has produced colorful spherical baubles,
made of its finest houseblend chocholate ($89 for 1kg; artisanduchocolat.com).


Biskuiteers brings cheer with its
Christmas Luxe Baubles tin,
chock-full of edible decorations
with sparkly icing and gold ribbon
to hang on the tree ($63; biskuiteers.com).




But for the ultimate in festive decorating,
hosts can adorn the table with Fortnum and Mason's Cardinal Chorus crackers,
which resemble oversize wrapped candy and explode when pulled at both ends, revealing goodies like cuff links and jewelry ($1,480 for six; fortnumandmason.com).



Then the halls will be truly decked.


- JOANNA HEATH -

, LIFE

GOING GREEN












O Christmas Tree. If you want to be as eco- savvy as possible this holiday season, get a real tree-then replant it.

BY BRYAN WALSH

EVERY DECEMBER......
Throughout my childhood, my father would rise from the couch an a Sunday afternoon and tell us that it was time to chop down the Christmas tree.
But the Walsh men are not outdoorsmen; firmly suburban, we're at most screened-in-porch men.
So by cutting down the yule tree, my dad meant climbing into the attic and bringing down the tinsel-covered bits of plastic and tubing, then assembling them into something resembling Tannenbaum form.
Yes, though it shames me to say it now, we were a faux-fir family.
But is an artificial tree so bad? A new study by the well-regarded sustainability firm PE Americas found that owning an artificial tree-as do an estimated 50 million house hold in the U.S.-caused lower carbon emissions over a decade than did buying real trees 10 years in a row, chiefly because of the gasoline used to get a cut tree from farm to living room.
The big caveats, however, are that the study focused on carbon and was sponsored by the American Christmas Tree Association, which works with artificial tree makers.
Ask environmentalists the which-is-greener question, and most will side with the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), which represents live-tree growers.
"Even if you use a fake tree for 10 years, when you throw it away, it's not biodegradable," says the NCTA's communications director, Rick Dungey.
"It's always better to use a natural product over an artificial one".
Though more than 30 million live Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year, almost all Christmas trees are raised on commercial farms-which makes them a renewable resource more a kind to a stalk of corn than to a wild Douglas fir in the forest.
When a yule tree is chopped down and sold, farms will plant another one in its place, making that part of the process carbon-neutral.
The fossil fuel burned to transport the trees from farm to hearth is another matter.
But given that most artificial trees are manufactured and shipped from China, fakes have their fuel costs too.
Then there's the stuff that artificial trees are made of.
One ingredient in most fake first is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) a plastic that is difficult to recycle.
And while new artificial trees pose little threat to children's health, Mike Schade, the pvc-campaign coordinator for the activist group Center for Healt, Environment and Justice, notes that older plastic trees tend to have higher levels of lead, a potent neurotoxin.
But just buying a live tree doesn't guarantee a green Christmas.
Instead of simply tossing your tree in the trash on Dec.26, recycle it.
Thousands of municipalities across the U.S. offer Christmas-tree-recycling programs; Americans can look them up on earth911.com.
The U.S. Army Corps of Enineers will even collect discarded trees and use them to create underwater forest in man-made lakes, sprucing up the habitats of fish and other aquatic critters.
Extreme greens opt to get a real tree with root-ball intact, keep it alive through the stressful holiday season-then find a place to replant it.
That might be easy if you have a green thumb and a backyard big enough to absorb a Douglas fir; lug the potted tree inside for the holidays, then outside once your New Year's hangover has cleared.
If you keep the tree in a planter, you can reuse it every year and save on gas.
Alas, those who can't garden to save their lives are out of luck-unless they happen to live in or near Portland,Ore.
There the Original Living Christmas Tree Co. delivers potted trees for a holiday rental.
A little after New Year's, workers pick them up and deliver them to parks, schools and other institutions that pay $10 to have a tree planted on their property.
"We're set to do over 400 trees this year," says founder John Fogel.
"I want people to feel good about (live) trees".
Perhaps that's the real benefit of having a fresh tree in your home.
"Kids today are so out of touch with nature," says Bob Schildgen, the Sierra Club's environmental-advice columnist.
"Just having a living thing in the house can enhance environmental values in a way you can't measure in dollars and cents".
So may your days be merry and bright, but may all your Christmases (and any other holidays) be green.

REAL ESTATE,,,,,,,

MOSCOW ON HUDSON......

A plummeting ruble and a frozen stock market (trading in Moscow was once again suspended last week) mean that rich Rusians are desperate to move their remaining money abroad.
At least some of them are pouring it into New York real estate.
Luxury pads in places like London and Manhattan were popular among elite Muscovites even before the property crash, but demand is increasing now that many top properties are selling at a 15 to 20 percent discount from their highs.
Edward Mermelstein and Associates, a New York real-estate firm that specializes in helping overseas clients buy property in the United States , has closed six deals in recent weeks on behalf of Russian clients at 15 Central Park West, the glitzy Robert Stern-designed condo building on 61st Street.
Prices per square foot are down significantly from highs of about $7,000 per square foot, paid just a couple of years ago by the now beleguared bankers and hedge-fund managers who are selling them.
"My Russian buyers see these apartments as a very good investment", says firm head Edward Mermelstein.
"They are worried about economic and political persecution in their own countries, and they still believe that the Anerican market is strong and safe."
Good thing somebody does.


-RANA FOROOHAR-