posted by Savanah on Feb 28
The first ever Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature (EAIFL) is in full swing in Dubai. EAIFL kicked off on Thursday at the Festival City with speeches and a parade as well as various cultural displays. This is the first true literary festival to be held in the Middle East and Dubai is proud to be hosting this premiere event.
Over sixty authors are participating in this inaugural event. They represent genres as diverse as science fiction, children’s literature, contemporary fiction, and inspiration and self-help. Audiences, including other authors, will be offere more than fifty separate events over the four-day event which wraps up on March 1st.
Several years ago the Ruler of Dubai made literacy in the Arab World a primary vision. The idea for a festival celebrating reading and authorship was born from that vision. The final day of the festival will be specially dedicated to Education and will feature interaction between authors and students from area schools and universities.
EAIFL will feature some exclusive book releases as well as workshops, booksignings, and readings. The associated EAIFL Fringe Festival will feature local artists, poets, and musicians as well as cultural exhibitions and workshops. The events at the Fringe Festival will be free of charge.
Together with the other festivals held throughout the city each year, EAIFL is expected to boost tourism as well as the city’s growing cultural reputation. The many Dubai UAE luxury hotels look to events like this to attract business as do retailers and restaurants throughout the city.
posted by Savanah on Feb 26
While very little is recorded about the origins of Dubai, the area was the home of ancient trading villages that served as a meeting place for traders from both the West and the East. Much of the history of the Arabian peninsula was transmitted by oral tradition rather than the written word. It is believed that the area was settled thousands of years ago, even though Dubai doesn’t appear in written records until 1095.
During the installation of sewer lines for Dubai Internet City, the remnants of a 7,000 year old mangrove swamp were uncovered. Geologists note that 5,000 years ago the coastline retreated inland, leaving the entire area covered in sand.
Early settlers in the area are believed to have worshipped Bajar or Bajir. The region was controlled in ancient times by the Sassanian and Byzantine empires before coming under Islamic rule. The Sassanians were driven out by the Umayyad Caliph. The Dubai Museum has discovered several artifacts from that period.
While much of the ancient relics of Dubai have been lost in time, visitors to the city will find some evidence of bygone eras throughout the city. In addition to the Dubai Museum and several historic mosques, visitors can visit “Old Dubai” which features historic buildings and ships. The city is also home to many souks or traditional markets that are visceral reminders of earlier times.
Of course, Dubai is a modern city as well as an ancient one. While the desert vistas, camels, and markets may remind one of the timeless history of the Middle East, the city itself has plenty of 21st century conveniences and technology. There are business towers, shopping malls, five star Dubai hotels, and countless modern entertainment venues throughout the city. Dubai is also on the leading edge of manufactured environments. The three largest artificial islands in the world are located just off the city’s coast.
Whether stepping back into ancient Dubai or enjoying the leisure and comfort of modern Dubai, visitors will find any trip to this exciting city to be relaxing and even magical.
posted by Savanah on Feb 26
Singapore is one of only two cities that exist in the middle of the rain forest. The people of the island are aware of the interdependence of the state of the environment and the health of the plants, the trees, the flowers and the wildlife. So it goes to stand that the gardens of Singapore are among the most beautiful on earth. The gardens are open to the public and most offer classes and lectures. Once such garden, the Singapore Botanic even has a whole section just for children. The classes offered instruct children on the various species and emphasize the importance of the health of the ecosystem as it relates to the health of the planet and to the continued existence of life as we know it. The Botanic garden is in the middle of Singapore, close to other attractions such as the Zoo, various restaurants and some of the best Singapore hotels. It contains many different species, some of them extremely rare. There is also quite an orchid garden with more than 1,500 in bloom on any given day. In amongst the garden flowers is an exquisite restaurant and a stage where one can enjoy gourmet food, incredible landscapes and a symphony all in one night.
The Chinese Garden was built in 1975 and takes into consideration not just the layout of the garden itself, but also the traditional architecture of Ancient China. Created by the well known architect, Yuen-chen Yu, the garden is one of Singapore’s most spectacular sites. After crossing the White Rainbow Bridge one enters the courtyard and into the garden itself. Fish ponds, streams and paths delicately place lend to the peace and tranquility this garden offers to its visitors. There is a special section of the garden containing just Bonsai trees, over 1,000 in all. While one is definitely encouraged to just view and enjoy, the classes in caring for the Bonsai tree lend a greater understanding of this ancient, traditional practice.
The Mandai Orchid Garden is a must see for any orchid admirer. This garden too, is located near many other attractions and is easily assessable. Standing on the hills, among waterways and native trees, this 50 year old garden has one of the largest collections of orchids, at 20,000 plants in bloom. The Mandai also has gourmet restaurants, and what better way to enjoy a meal than to be surrounded by blooming orchids.
posted by Savanah on Feb 23
Each and every year, various festivals and celebrations occur on the island of Mallorca. These festivals draw travellers and vacationers from all over the world. There are many reasons for these celebrations and most of them are steeped heavily in tradition and mythology. There are two festivals that honor animals. One such festival is in honor of ducks, the other in honor of farm animals and agricultural beasts.
The first festival, known as the Releasing of the Ducks, has created controversy over the years. Various animal rights activists protested the using of the live ducks during the event, which caused the locals to change their ways. Nowadays yellow,rubber ducks are used, but the capturing of live ducks that had been let go on the open sea went on for many years. To capture a duck released during this traditional event was the object of the game. Due to the fact that this occurred in the populated areas near the businesses, boat yards and 5 star Mallorca hotels, many of the animals were hurt in the process. Some have a hard time letting go of the tradition. A few years ago, a disguised group showed up to release live ducks into the sea, which caused quite a stir and an emotional out cry. Although this is a traditional event and a widely popular festival often drawing an audience of 2000 people or more, no one seems to know exactly what it signifies.
Another such traditional event that is more a celebration than a contest is held every year in the middle of January. This is a tribute to Saint Antoni, the farm and working animals patron saint. This is a fiesta that isn’t contained to just one city but happens in many towns across the islands. There are huge campfires surrounded by dancers in costumes and devilish make-up, dancing into the night accompanied by and drummers. These celebrations start in the early morning and continue on all day into the late evenings. A breakfast of chocolate starts off the day of culinary delights so inherent to every festival in Spain. There are performances throughout the festival all honoring the life of the saint. As the festival progresses it is sometimes compared with the Mardi Gras festival in the United States, and many people are disguised and drinking quite a bit of muscatel, the night can tend to become a bit of an erotic affair.
posted by Savanah on Feb 18
The cuisine of the city of Barcelona, Spain ranges from neuvo-experimental dishes and spice combinations to the more traditional and simple time-tested flavors. Tomatoes and garlic are key ingredients to any dish. And the cooking would not be complete nor true without a generous helping of olive oil. Added to the list of ingredients in this region, which differ from the other areas of Spain, are items such as nuts and raisins. These are added most often to vegetables, chicken dishes or other poultry are often mixed with oranges, grapes, apples and other fruit. And dishes such as escargot with rabbit are quite common.
The city of Barcelona is very close to the Mediterranean Sea, which provides the chef’s of this region a large variety of fresh seafood to choose from and utilize in the creation of some of the tasty dishes in the world. This city is also very close to Valencia and France, and the trading of the use of and variety of spices and herbs from these regions has influenced the local flavor as well. And while the flavors and tastes may be delicious and may seem complex, the ingredients are really rather simple. Take something so simple as garlic bread. This is often a favorite breakfast of the people of the area and is made by using a lavish amount of olive oil rubbed over crusted loaves of baguettes. The baguettes are then toasted with garlic and tomatoes and finished off with a bit of salt. Garlic and tomatoes are also key ingredients in the local dish of roasted baby onions. Red peppers, almonds and of course, generous amounts of olive oil are then added which creates a delicious vegetable dish that is cooked over fire, and remains tender and flavorful. Various main dishes are prepared with various combinations of seafood and meat. Paella is a signature Catalan dish and is a veritable melting pot creatures from the sea, shrimp, lobster, squid, mussels…they are all tossed together with spices, lemon, tomatoes and olive oil. These dishes are sometimes served with rice and sometimes served over pasta.
And the most famous dessert, served in small restaurants to the dining rooms of the resorts and various 5 star Barcelona hotels, is called Crema Catalana. Here it is easy to see the French influence as it is basically, Creme Brulee. It is made up from a tasty vanilla creme pudding and finished with raw sugar caramelized by a small blow torch. The effect is the sugary, and hardened topcoat that when cracked delicately with a spoon gives way to the delightful simplicity of vanilla. A perfect finish to any Catalana meal.
posted by Savanah on Feb 18
In any economy, there are winners and losers. In this economy—for the time being at least—business travelers seem to have drawn the short straw.
The New York Times recently reported that business conference attendance could plummet 12 percent this year, and off-site meetings and corporate events fall 9 percent. Add to that PKF Hospitality Research’s report that 40 of the top 50 hotel markets it tracks will see a drop in occupied rooms this year, and it’s clear that business travel is tanking.
But there’s a silver lining of sorts to all these otherwise dismal numbers. Business travel loses mean leisure travel gains. With empty hotel spaces, there are significant hotel savings out there for leisure travelers.
“Leisure travelers who want the most bang for their buck on vacation this year should look to the big cities that traditionally do a lot of business in conventions and corporate events,” says Brian Ek, Priceline.com’s in-house travel expert.