Archive for the Society category.
She called them my Lou boots, named for Lou Reed, the lead singer of the Velvet Underground, along with a number of other projects that were immensely important because they involved Lou Reed. I didn’t like the boots until she said that. They were fake Italian, and I didn’t really think I’d have them for more than a week. I traded them for a couple of records, the vinyl kind, and wore them home. The next day there was one of those holes you get when the shoes don’t fit right.
So I was going to get rid of them, but the following week I was taking a trip to New York, boutique hotel included, and I wanted boots because I always thought that you should have boots when you’re in New York. But I wasn’t thinking it all through because you need nice shoes for all the walking that you do. If these boots gave me the sore foot from one day, a whole week might be really nasty for me. It turned out not to be so bad. My foot had healed a bit and so there was a callous forming, and they were fine.
Walking was easy enough, and they turned out to have a nice cushion to them, but I did notice that my button on my jeans was coming off. I had to tighten my belt a little, but then I saw that my shirt had a hole in it, and my sunglasses were bent. By the time she started calling them my Lou Reed boots I was already irritated with everything in the world. But the way she said it made me laugh. It was enough of a laugh in fact that it did make me think about sangria in the park, and how this was turning out to be all right.
When it comes to boutique hotels, South Africa offers a sumptuous variety. It is a truly amazing country, with a fascinating and very difficult history. It is extremely diverse, with a wide range of languages, cultures, and styles. The big cities have very lively centers, with a wide array of activities and distractions to keep the entire family busy. The bush is absolutely stunning, with varieties of flora and fauna that do not exist anywhere else on earth. Then of course, there’s the beach. Considered to be some of the most pristine beaches in the world, it’s easy to see why South Africa is the Motherland for so many people. Our boutique hotels are extremely distinctive, offering unique and individual features and amenities that give you a perfect home away from home from which to enjoy your time here.
South African culture is as varied as the cultures. There are musical styles that come from all over the continent, and all over the world, in a continuing evolution of sound and rhythm. Performance traditions are also extremely varied, and have influences from all the corners of the world. For visual art, it’s also an open field, where innovation sometimes trumps over tradition and sometimes it’s the opposite. One of South Africa’s most prominent (to the pride of some and the embarrassment of others) artists is the outspoken Kendell Greers.
Kendell Greers is a performance artist, installation artist, and filmmaker. He also works in the field of cultural critique, and often uses his installation work as a provocation to speak publicly about issues that are often extremely topical and relevant. He claims his birthdate in 1968, a pivotal year for this generation, and was exiled for a time from South Africa. His work reflects an engagement with the contemporary world in all its mystical and material forms and problems. The work of Kendell Greers is often very provocative, and some critics charge that he is a narcissist, concerned only with bringing attention to himself, but it is difficult to dismiss his deftness at playing with the most important icons of the time, and speaking the obvious when no one else has the courage.
Thomas Raffles stepped into Singapore almost two hundred years ago. When the government was set up on the island it was set on the banks of the Singapore River, where it still stands today. This is located in what is known as the Colonial District. There are many monuments and historical sites that are located in this neighborhood, each of them reflecting a bit of the rich heritage and history of the island.
In this district one will find a Singapore restaurant to suit ones culinary desires as well as large shopping malls, museums and galleries, cafes and pubs, all set within the incredible architecture and historical buildings and homes. It is the neighborhood that still provides the influences of the British, as well as the traditional Singaporean aspects such as the rickshaw drivers and the hawker stands.
The river has been the life line for the country for hundreds of years, as far as commercial and economic industries go. Raffles is honored along the river by a large stature, and his house still stands on the hill that it was constructed upon, two hundred years ago in Fort Canning Park. One of the best night time walks is to stroll along the river banks and take in the beauty of the skyline as it sits just on the other side.
While standing in the Colonial District, and looking across at the skyscrapers of the business district, one is immediately and at once, in the old world witnesses the modern world. Located in the area of the Padang, are many museums and historical buildings such as the Old and the New Parliament House, as well as the Raffles Hotel, historical churches and the Esplanade, home to the Theatres on the Bay. Art and culture is found in the Colonial District as well as the history of the hard work of those who labored in the past along the docks and in the warehouses. This is just one of the areas of the island, where history is located on every corner.
I was recently staying at a New York Cheap Hotel and decided to do a little bit of research while I’m here visiting my ailing Uncle. I’m a Horticulturists and was interested in what kind of trees can survive in Manhattan and its surroundings. I read an article a while ago called Census Shows Street Trees Add Value to City Life. It reported that the Metropolitan New York City area has increased its tree population by 10 percent from 1995 to 2009.
This survey gathered this information by using more than 1,000 volunteers, I was quite impressed with the amount of volunteers that were even interested in helping out, they managed to log over 30,000 hours for what apparently is the largest participatory urban forestry project in the whole of the United States. Very impressive indeed. Through all the data collected, they found that this increase in trees looked pretty hopeful. But, a closer look reveals details using the most common tree species surveyed. The top ten, except two native trees: Green Ash and Red Maple, might have a substantial negative impact on urban sites and they might have a potential impact on the surrounding suburban areas. They observed that four of the top trees are not native to the United States.
Horticulturists, such as me, and urban foresters are now recommending planting eight of the surveyed tree species with a word of caution. The London Plane Tree, the Littleleaf Linden will quickly outgrow many, if not all, urban sites with limited space. I know for a fact that the Norway Maple and the Callery Pear are a very invasive plant and have escaped to the natural forests and are to be considered dangerous and harmful to all the native vegetation.
As I take a stroll outside of my hotel and see all the planted city trees, they are beautiful, but in the long term and cause much damage to New York’s natural forested areas. I do hope that many of those wonderful volunteers that helped with the report I read will also volunteer to keep an eye on the forested areas and take care of any growing issues.
All of the artists, and all of the crafts of India are well known throughout the world, and many travel year after year for the bargains, and for the beauty that is so readily accessible. From the jewels, to the sculpture…metal and wood…to the clothing and the furniture, the traditional techniques have merged with the modern, in the art of commerce and the art of trading. One of the particularly well known fields of artistry is in the works of pottery. Throughout the country, artists have become well known for their skill and their styles, from Jaipur to Bangalore and Goa. This is true as well for the city of Delhi. For the best places to shop, one may ask for maps and information from the concierge in their hotel. Delhi, India holds many fairs and festivals, but each day of the week there is much to find if one knows where to look for it.
Many of the potters of India sit down each day at their wheels with the express purpose of creating works for daily use, such as pots and pitchers for water, lamp bases and pots for flowers and plants. These ordinary items are of the highest artist quality, drawing on the techniques and the traditions of the artists elders and family members. These items are made throughout the country. There are different forms of the art however, such as terra cotta, and a blue tinted glazing which has become fashionable and desirable over the years, with the locals as well as the tourists. Terra cotta is the most common and popular medium to work with, and the artists create statues of birds, horses and elephants, and tend to paint them in the bright colors of the country.
Very common also, are the panels or tiles, that many have chosen to decorate their houses with over the years, creating a bit of the exotic world in their everyday lives. The blue glazing of the pottery is the influence of the artists of Persia. The medium for this is a substance called Fuller’s Earth. The decorative sensibilities of the Moguls is combined with the technological advancements of the Chinese artisans. At first this style was used simply for the use on tombs or gravestones, but has since been put to use in creating delicate tea sets and table settings. Throughout the city one will find deals and good prices, on these pieces of work that may someday…become priceless.
Menorca, although the second largest of the Balearic Islands just after Mallorca, is one of the more serene destinations of these holiday favorites. There are many resorts and hotels Menorca offers, that cater to families and those wanting a bit more quietude than that found on say, the party island of Ibiza. Interspersed between the resorts are small fishing villages and rugged terrain perfect for long hikes that take one away from the hustle and bustle of life. This is a very hushed environment, that has escaped the development and the commercialization of the other islands in the chain. With a relatively low population of almost seventy thousand more and more tourists are looking to find permanent property, permanent residence on this island. As stated once by Mark Twain, who spent many months on the island, once the breeze flows across oneself, one can not be rid of it and must come back.
There are more beaches on this one island than those located on Mallorca and Ibiza combined. And due to the minimal amount of change and development, many families are re-locating to this island as well as the poets, the painters and the writers of past generations through current and modern artists. This sheltered affect the island has maintained is one of the aspects that makes it so attractive. For while there is fun and excitement to be found, it is found in cities that do not include sky scrapers and mass influxes of tourists each year. And while celebrities and royals are certainly welcome, so is the common man and his family. Some of the more famous beaches on Menorca include Cala Tirant, Santo Tomas and Playa de Fornells. The coastline along these beaches is a combined landscape of pristine white sand and rocky cliffs and coves. The perfect getaway for those wanting to take in the surf, or hone their rock-climbing skills. Or, to just find an out of the way spot for a picnic and a sunset. While partying on the Balearics is hip, relaxing on the Balearics is becoming the new fashion, for families and all those wanting a little respite from the daily life at home.
In the realm of four-star hotels, Bangalore provides some enormously relaxing times for the guests. There is a sumptuous blend of old-fashioned charm and hospitality mixed with state of the art technologies, keeping the travelers well-pampered and well-connected. Bangalore has a fascinating connection with global culture, and there are fantastic design touches here that mix world-class sensibilities with the extremely local, making for a hotel experience that is very pleasant. The city of Bangalore is very fascinating to begin with, and guests will have a difficult time choosing between a night of luxury inside the hotel, or a night on the town.
Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka, and has a long and fascinating history. It is one of the most economically advanced cities in India, and has recently started to experience a sudden shift in population, where Banaloreans who have moved away for promise of economic gain have moved back for the same reasons. It has one of the largest universities in the world. It also has hip hop. There are fantastic clubs to sample new music and new rhythms, and lucky travelers may find themselves in town for a show by Bangalore’s Deejay Goapu. Deejay Goapu is a musician turned deejay who started working the clubs in his new capacity as spinner when he found he had a talent for making large groups happy.
He also started to incorporate traditional Indian percussion to his beats, calling it “Taal Technology,” and instantly started to distinguish himself as a voice to follow in world music. By following in the artistic pattern of combining elements, mixing new technology with cultural traditions, new forms emerge that speak to old and new generations, and the world wakes up to respond. Deejay Goapu is starting to develop a following, with increasing numbers of performances in various cities in India, and is excited to be entertaining his audiences, and holds a special place in his heart for his hometown of Bangalore.
Experienced world travelers know that four-star Dubai hotels mean excellence, and a fabulous time in one of the world’s most fabulous cities. The hotels here specialize in decadence, where luxury and comfort are the key ingredients to perfection. And perfection is certainly the goal here. There is a magnificent custom of hospitality here that is unfathomable until one experiences it first hand. Although there are old-fashioned values like graciousness that permeate the air here, there is an absolute love for the new. New shopping malls, new art works, and new technologies are found everywhere.
Dubai is truly at the cutting edge of the world for culture and style, and there are multiple reasons why it is one of the world’s hotspots for artists and scientists and travelers from all walks of life. It is also a place of wonderful contradictions. With some of the most lovely beaches in the world, it is also in the middle of the desert. There is the fascinating landscape then, that comes with both water and sand. Chances are, guests here won’t experience record heat, but there are certainly times when the desert lets people know that it’s the desert. One particular heat swell saw 51.4 degrees in the UAE at the Minand Airport, an inland military base. This translates in fahrenheit to around 125 degrees, hot by any standards. Though it’s not unusual for other deserts, such as Arizona, where it’s been known to top 120 in the deepest part of summer.
Of course, here in Dubai, there are state of the art shopping malls where guests can while away their time in the summer by shopping in some of the most gorgeous malls in the world. And as far as the hottest temperatures go, El Azizia, Libya holds the record for 58 degrees (or 136) in 1922. Travelers on the lookout for extremes should also check into Vostock, Antarctica, which dipped to -128.6 degrees fahrenheit (or a mere -89 degrees celsius) in 1983. The desert is mysterious and beautiful all year round, no matter what the temperature.
There is little doubt that when it comes to five-star Singapore hotels, the world is truly one’s oyster. They are a splendid combination of old-world hospitality and cutting edge design and technology, echoing some of the characteristics of the country itself. Being pampered is really just the beginning here, where the aim of guests and staff alike is the total rejuvenation of the body and spirit. One can stay utterly free from the distractions of the outside world and enjoy the solitude of a vacation; but one can also be absolutely connected to the world, because technology here is always a step ahead of the rest of the world.
Singapore is an extraordinary place, with easy access to all the global trends of the east and the west, and an easy warmth from the people that makes adapting to new ideas almost second nature. It is not a coincidence that Singapore has held the world’s record for the fastest text message not only once but two times, in the short history of the category. The first time was in 2004 when Kimberly Yeo texted 26 words in just 43.24 seconds. The previous record was 67 seconds, which shows quite a leap between the records. At the time, it was noted that Singapore was ahead of the rest of the world in cell phone use. Interestingly, in the years between, cell phones have become a necessary tool in the world, and it’s unusual to meet someone without one.
This could be part of the reason why the record has been set multiple times since then, because the learning curve was caught by the rest of the countries in the world. Texting is certainly changing the way human beings communicate. But it’s interesting to see that Kimberly Yeo’s speed has not been significantly challenged. In 2006, Mr. Ang Chuang Yang, a 16-year old from Singapore, set a new record of 41.52 seconds. This is less than 2 seconds off of Ms. Yeo’s record two years before. Singapore must have fast hands and quick minds to set such records!
Throughout the summer months, the Singapore hotels are filled with international tourists venturing onto the island to partake in an number of the many festivals that run through the months of July through September. The great Singapore food Festival will occur in just about a month, which draws those looking for culinary adventure to the city year after year. Travelers have the opportunity to sample flavors from not just the city of Singapore, but from around the world, as food is celebrated and relished. Another huge event is on now, and will continue through the end of July and that is the Great Singapore Sale. This is a shoppers paradise, where various items, large ticket and small, can be found at prices with up to a 70 percent discount off retail prices. Everything from designer clothing, to fine jewelry to home decor can be found at ridiculously low cost, in an atmosphere that is a celebration in an of itself. This is a marathon shopping event.
Three other important festivals occur beginning in August with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration. This continues through September. And then beginning in September and continuing into October are the festivals Mid-Autumn and Deepavali. Each of these take place in the various neighborhoods of Singapore, Kampong Glam, Chinatown, and Little India respectively. Each of these festivals illustrates the diversity contained on the island and the rich cultural heritage of all those that immigrated to Singapore over the many years.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the final Muslim celebration that ends Ramadan. This is a special occasion, celebrated by spending time with loved ones, a time of contemplation. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, is a festival that has roots in a Chinese myth. This is also a festival that surrounds the family and friends. In Singapore it has become a colorful festival, wherein the streets are lit by many lanterns and the market places are filled with the works of the artisans and artists of the city. The Deepavali festival is important for those of the Hindu religion. It is a festival of lights, signifying the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil. These are months when Singapore is alive with the various traditions of all those living and visiting the city.