Archive for August, 2009

Colleges in Oxford

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 26 2009

Oxford, England is one of the country’s historic cities. As with many of the other cities and towns in England it is full of amazing buildings. Oxford has at least one building representing all of the architectural periods in England. This aspect of city serves as an excellent English architectural museum, and one can view the diverse designs and perspectives of all of these eras simply by walking through the streets of this great city. Tourists who stay in an Oxford hotel are often amazed by the beauty and grandeur of all of the incredible buildings that surround them.

Due to the extreme historic=2 0nature of this city, almost every building in it serves as a major landmark and attractions. In addition, it is the location of the famous University of Oxford, which itself is full of amazing buildings and a rich history. The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin was the central building from which the rest of the university grew. It is the largest of the city’s parish churches and is located on High Street. It is surrounded by the other incredible university buildings, though it stands out as a major landmark, partially due to its historic significance. The church tower, which dates from the 13th century, is open to the public and offers tremendous views of All Souls College and Radcliffe Square, among many other city areas.

All Souls College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. One of the unique and interesting aspects of this college is that all members automatically become full Fellows, which is the governing body of the college. Henry VI founded the college in 1438. The original order of study was in arts, theology, law and philosophy. Today, it is primarily a research center. One of the college’s traditions is based on a l egend of its construction. It was believed that Mallard flew out of the foundations, and this has turned into the special feast and celebration. This occurs every one hundred years and includes parading around the college with flaming torches and singing the famous Mallard Song. This will not take place again until 2101.

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

Massage in Kuala Lumpur

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 24 2009

We thought we would take the twenty minute train ride from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya after the day shopping and checking out the Indian food and the Chinese food. It is all so good and so cheap. We were told at one of the luxury hotels Kuala Lumpur calls its own that Putrajaya was a good day trip so we said why not? Well we read on the train ride over t is the administrative seat of Malaysia. Yawn. But apparently there are many wetlands and cool buildings. And stuff to see, like storks and hot air balloons, and administrators. So we bagged that for another day, as we were stiff and sore form flying and decided we had better get a massage! We arraigned to get a traditional massage called tui na, a Chinese art. the work involves energy work, not simply relaxation like a massage one would normally get. It is thought that by balancing energy, one can relieve common ailments or complaints, like insomnia or indigestion. Well, traveling can throw of your sleep patterns and we all know how foreign food can cause upset tummies. I think we could go so far as to say a massage is a must for the traveler, and I hoped this tui na would do the trick. But we had a few hours to wait before the appointment so no time to lose, time to go to lunch.

Just so happens dim sum was available right around the corner in a kind of charmless storefront place, and they had the traditional chicken feet and shrimp dumplings and vegetables like bok choy. They had wonderful noodle dishes and a lovely tea and by the time I got out of there I kind of forgot all about the massage, the food had revitalized so much. At that point I kind of did not need a massage and even thought about canceling.

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

The Importance of Diversity in the Business World

Business | Posted by admin
Aug 24 2009

For many who have not taken part in a management training program, they may have the misconception that diversity means that a company will hire people of inferior skills, talent, and quality in the name of meeting hiring quotas.  But this is as stated, a misconception. 

Over many years, companies have discovered just how valuable a diverse business team, and how this has been associated with the success in not only a cooperative and interactive team, but one in which proves to have that success in the completion of long term goals.  It seems that it should be common sense, that awareness training should not be necessary, but it is a valuable tool in understanding just how much that diversity is necessary. 

Having a team made up of people with varied skills, those skilled in organizational development, leaves options open for project managers.  When teams cooperate and share positive relationships with each, the company profits.  It is necessary for managers to keep the diversity in mind while hiring new employees, as it is a human tendency to hire those who are similar.  While this may be good in terms of relationships, it could prove detrimental in the long run. 

Biases must be paid attention to and disregarding if a managers true goal is the gathering together of a diverse and multi-talented team.  This awareness serves to increase the capability of making more informed and thoughtful decisions.  Too much of the same thing–too many similar ideas and thought processes may result in new and exciting ideas being overlooked or just not thought of in the first place. 

Different opinions create open dialogue and tend to spur creative outputs, and outcomes.  Clients are different, and there are different needs to be met depending on which client one is working on a given time, and so should the team be different, qualified, but different and individual.

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

Spanish Surrealism

Arts & Culture, Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 24 2009

If you are looking for a vacation centered in five-star hotels, Spain is one of Europe’s more splendid and interesting countries.  With an enormously complicated and fascinating history, Spain has been at the center of some of the world’s greatest turning points. Our hotel accommodations puts you in the heart of Spain’s great cities, where you can live in the extremes of luxury and prepare yourself to have new adventures in a country deeply connected in cosmopolitan culture while remaining fiercely connected to local identities.  We offer amenities that meet the highest standards in the industry, in service, cuisine, facilities, technological connectivity, and hospitality, plus we offer loads of extras to distinguish your stay here and make for memories that will last a lifetime.

Some of the best minds in the world are drawn to Spain, for its achievements in science, philosophy, architecture, and art.  In the art world, Spain has always played a major role, living at the center of most world art movements, and often creating movements of its own.  IN the 20th century, one of the most influential movements in art was surrealism, and Spanish Surrealism contributed in a very important way, and continues to influence contemporary art through the surrealist touches from its artists.  Surrealism is an art movement that came from the remains of Dadaism, taking its chaotic and playful spirit, and combining it with the new developments of Freudian psychoanalysis.  Taking the language of dreams as the most visible way that the subconscious speaks to the conscious mind, the visual art became a representation of dreamscapes interrupting the flow of waking life.

Two obvious Spanish artists working with Surrealist techniques are Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí.  Both have left legacies that are immeasurable, and their work can be seen all over the world, but Spain offers some excellent museums where their original works can be observed.  Dali’s Theatre Museum in Figueres is one of the best opportunities to dig in to the history of surrealism first-hand.  There are also the films of Luis Buñuel, who collaborated with Dalí at one time, and who has redefined cinematic language.    For Spanish-descended artists who contributed to the school of Surrealism and who have created a new artistic language that falls outside of formal Surrealism, we can look at the iconic Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varos in México, to find roots for the next waves of contemporary dream language in visual art.  These artists offer contributions to world art that are still evolving, but certainly have roots in the tenets of classical Surrealism, and carry Spain’s artistic genius in the diaspora.

Tags: , ,
No Comments »

Buddhist Temples Thailand

Arts & Culture, Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 21 2009

There are hundreds of Buddhist temples in Thailand. Every town, every village and every city has temples. They sit on hillsides over looking the valleys below. The temples are an important part of Thai life. In the mornings the monks leave the temples doing their rounds for alms. People come out to give the monk food, drink and other offerings. For many Thai people this is a very important part of their day. The temple are generally a complex. The temple area with the Buddha shrine, monk quarters, eating quarters, areas for public teaching and gardens of vegetables and flowers. Life in the temples is peaceful and quiet generally when the quiet isn’t being interrupted by the monks chanting. There is a program at one temple called Monk for a Month. At this temple people from anywhere can come to the temple and take the vows (temporally) of a monk and live and learn as a monk for a fairly short period of time. People come from all over the world to participate in the program. They offer short stays from 2 to 4 days and longer stays from 2 to 4 weeks. The longer stays include ordination as a monk and teachings over the time period you are there. The main temple in Bangkok receives much of its funding via the sale of a popular Thai beer Singha proceeds from the sale of this beer benefits this temple. There is no other situation I know of in the world like this one. Any where you are in Thailand you won;t be far from a Buddhist temple, weather in a guest house in a small village or town or in a a Bangkok business hotels a Buddhist temple is a short distance away.

Tags: , , ,
No Comments »

The Gardens of Northumberland

Home & Garden, Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 19 2009

There are many beautiful gardens to visit in Northumberland, United Kingdom.  Many smaller gardens are located throughout the city, surrounding the restaurants and the hotels.  Northumberland also has the larger tended gardens which provide hours of relaxation and enjoyment for those traveling throughout the city on holiday, as well as the local citizens who visit the gardens regularly, for long walks, parties and wedding ceremonies.  Chester’s Walled Garden is one such park.

This garden is located on the grounds of an old house that was once owned by Norman Shaw.  This began as a small garden to provide fresh herbs for use in the kitchen.  Now the garden has been expanded and is planted with a wide range of flowers and herbs.   Specialty herbs include large collections of Marjoram, Burnet, and Thyme. There are many pools and fountains located throughout the park as well as an Italian Garden, many expanses of lawn, and glass houses.

The garden has received notice over the years for the diverse collection of rare specimens, and the combination of wild flowers infused with formal gardens.  The garden has been mentioned many times in books, on television and in magazines.  This is a hot spot for painters as well as nature photographers.  Gardeners appreciate the grounds, as well as those who are not familiar with the art of gardening,  as the design of the garden is romantic and just a bit wild in nature.

This has been a very popular location for wedding ceremonies due to this fact. The garden is an organic garden, and always has been.  There is also a lively population of various species of wildlife, as well as more than sixty species of wild birds.  Susan White was the designer of Chester’s Walled Garden, who also wrote a book about the gardens throughout Northumberland.  When wondering through the region, the gardens will delight and relax, as well as energize and inspire.

Tags: , , ,
No Comments »

Rugby Warwickshir and the Duke of Warwick

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 19 2009

Rugby England has historic roots that date back to early human settlements of the Iron Age, though it is very much a city in the present. There are many interesting aspects of the city that attract the numerous tourists to it every year. One of the primary associations most guests in a Rugby hotel will have to the town is its famous namesake, the sport that developed from football and is also called Rugby. The city exits in the region of Warwickshire, which also has a tremendous amount of landmarks and associations to English history.

As with many regions in England there is an Earl or a Duke that is representative of it. In addition, William Shakespeare includes a lot of these titles for characters in his history plays. Interestingly, one of the Earl’s of Warwick plays an essential role history, and happened to find his way into Shakespeare’s Henry VI. The Earl was officially Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick. He lived from November of 1428 to April of 1471. He was a primary figure in England’s Wars of the Roses and was an essential component in the deposition of two kings. This helped to earn him the title of kingmaker. In addition, he was the wealthiest and most powerful Earl of his time.

The Wars of the Roses were an extremely bloody series of civil wars that occurred in Britain between 1455 and 1487. This is the generally accepted time frame for officially designating the wars, though the fighting and battles existed before then, and continued afterwards. They were based on the competition between the houses of York and Lancaster. Ultimately, the victory would go to Lancaster, and Henry Tudor. This was the beginning of the Tudor era and established a royal dynasty that would last for 116 years. Queen Elizabeth the First was the final monarch of the house of Tudor. She ruled England until her death 1603, when she was succeeded by James the First, and thus established the house of Stuart

Tags: ,
No Comments »

Singapore Night Market

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 18 2009

The night market of Singapore is world famous. Everything is available there house wares and house hold goods, shoes, hand bags, belts, hair adornments, meats, fruits, vegetables, pets and more. The market is sectioned off into areas with foods in one sections, cloths in another and so on. The heat of this tropical environment has fostered the evolution of a night market. Singapore was first records of settlement is from the second century ACE. The Island an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and was first named Temasek, sea town, a Javanese word. Temasek was a significant trading post, however declined in its power in the 14th century. Very little of the old city exists but archaeologists in Singapore have discovered artifacts of the old settlement. Between the 16th and the 19th centuries  Singapore was a part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 613 the Malay-Portugal wars burned the settlement to the ground. The Portuguese held control over the island until the 18th century when the Dutch gained control over the area. In 1819 Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on Singapore and saw the potential of this island and its positioning as a key trading post in south east Asia. The British East India Trading company was established and trade flourished in the area. The European influence continued over the island until World War II when the Japanese gained control of the island. In 1942 the British surrendered the island to the Japanese where they remained until the end of the war. After the war general elections were held in 1955 laying the ground work for modern day Singapore. The pro-Independence candidate Minister David Marshall won the election to be replaces shortly thereafter by Lim Yew Hock whose policies convinced the British to finally leave Singapore for good. Today modern Singapore is a fusion of all of these influences that have governed and effected this island since the 2nd century Ad. Today luxury hotels Singapore abound and welcome the traveler wanting to explore this island.

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Arts & Culture, Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 11 2009

Pitlochry, Scotland is situated along the River Tummel in the heart of the country. The town if full of beautiful scenery and old brick Victorian houses. It is a small town, with an estimated population of three thousand three hundred people. And though it may be small it has the largest theatre ensemble in the country. It is also surrounded by mountains and hills, which makes it a popular destination for what is commonly known as hill hiking. The Pitlochry hotels, bed and breakfasts and luxury resorts are usually full of adventure and beauty seeking guests, who also have the privilege of attending a play Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

The Festival Theatre was founded by John Stewart who had made a promise to himself that he would establish a theatre after the Second World War ended. It was an ambitious project for the former college director, but his passion and faith saw it through. The theatre has seen many transformations in ensembles, locations and venue structures and has emerged as one of the most prominent companies in Scotland.

One of the unique aspects of the Festival Theatre is that it has a summer season, which is particularly attractive to tourists. This year they’ve made an adjustment in the seating structure, which has added over one hundred seats to the lowest priced section. This makes it even easier to attend one of their great productions. The 2009 summer season includes a premier production of the musical Whiskey Galore. Also included in the schedule is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Life of Stuff and What Every Woman Knows. There is also a schedule of professional talks and lectures and tours are available for visitors. The theatre also hosts music concerts and has various arts presentations. Tickets for the productions are now available online and can be purchased in advance.

Tags: , ,
No Comments »

City of London Every Year

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 11 2009

On to London and participate in The City of London Festival. This is my families yearly pilgrimage and our only vacation spot. I don’t mind, because every year there is something new and different. We always stay at the same City Hotel and we always eat at the same restaurants. It’s a family tradition, our only one really. All the same, I do enjoy going with my family and getting to spend time with them.

The Festival not only is celebrated outside on the streets of London, but also in the interior spaces in and around the Square Mile. I plan to be an architect, so I take any and all tours concerning the magnificent buildings and explore the built environments and learning some interesting facts about the buildings and their architects.  The opportunity to delve inside buildings representing the City of today and of the past will be the highlight of my stay in the City. My sister, who I am responsible for, likes to take the guided tour through the extraordinary and gruesome history of Smithfield. I like it too because we get to see three wonderful twelfth century institutions: the meat market, Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great and Barts hospital.

Then, later we meet up with my parents and explore and discuss the aesthetic and conceptually values of contemporary and historic works which will be on display throughout the city. After that we’ll get to Draw the City. There is an actual tour this year where we’ll take a City walk of buildings and medieval streets and learn how to sketch with lesson’s from a sketch artist. If that wasn’t enough, and we still felt like doing more, we could take another tour and discover the myths and folk lore of London’s side streets with a well known poet and playwright.

Then it’s time to go back home, which as you can tell, we are all happy to do so, because our little village will let us rest and give us time to reflect, remember, share and most of all plan for next years Festival.

Tags: , , ,
No Comments »