Zoocap

The debate over nature versus nurture includes things such as personality and behavior traits. These things are directly related to the identity that an individual develops over the course of their life. Certain aspects of identity are subject not just to change, but to actual subterfuge. It is possible for an individual to disguise themselves, either to fool people or to play with identity roles, through assuming a different accent, wardrobe, hairstyle or by changing their behavior and personality.

A costume ball is an obvious forum for disguise . Everyone attending is expected to disguise themselves, to step out of their day to day identity and try on a new one. There are, however, other opportunities that avail people of the opportunity to try out a different role, set of behaviors, or even a new personality.

Most formal events fall into this category. People are expected to don clothing that they wouldn’t wear in the course of a regular day. In fact, women are forced to purchase expensive designer gowns and men usually resort to a tuxedo rental in order to meet the dress code. The etiquette required in such a situation will require a higher standard of behavior as well. This allows people in attendance to hide their worse character traits from view. They may even be able to disguise physical limitations in their choice of formal wear and hairstyle. While the hope is that a person will offer their best self, many people end up turning the formal wear into a disguise that hides their real personality.

Cape Girardeau is one of the historic cities of Missouri that continues to represent a great deal of its history not only in its cultural traditions but also in many of the local buildings. The downtown area retains many of its early buildings and it has the charm of an early American town. The town itself was incorporated in 1808, which was prior to the state’s incorporation. However, in 1843 it was reincorporated, though it actually existed as a trading post from approximately 1733. It was established by the French soldier Jean Baptiste de Girardot and the small trading post community would later, after the invention of the steamboat, become the largest port along the Mississippi river that existed between Memphis and St. Louis.

The city has had some interactions with fame in recent decades due primarily to some of its residents. The drama critic for the Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout, was born there. Teachout is also the chief culture critic for Commentary and has written for other major newspapers and magazines including National Review and the New York Times. In addition, Teachout has a column he authored and continues called Sightings, in which he comments on and discusses the arts in America. This column appears bi-weekly in the Wall Street Journal and you can also read his blog entries at the site About Last Night.

In addition to his critical an analytical writings, Teachout has also had some success as a creative writer. Among other things he wrote the libretto for the opera The Letter, which was based on the Somerset Maugham play. The opera was composed by Paul Moravec.  Many of the residents of Cape Girardeau are well aware of their famous son, though many of the guests who are visiting may read his column in the morning paper though never realize he is from the city as they enjoy their stay in one of the Missouri hotels.

Dennis had to tell his family and friends that he was going to move back to New York. He was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma and grew up with the ambition of being an actor. He demonstrated an early talent for the stage and everyone in his town knew that he was destined for a career on Broadway. When he was eighteen his family contributed to small moving fund for him and this enabled him to make a major move. At the young age of eighteen he headed off for the big city all by himself with the same dream and ambition that millions of other young people pursue. Well, his parents did go with him on a pre-move trip. They stayed in nice hotel like this and helped him find a studio apartment. They also looked at the theatre information boards and tried to get him settled in. He seemed to have everything he needed when they left him there on his own.

However, like many of the other people who move to New York to pursue a career in the theatre he became distracted by various other elements, like trying to make a living and pay his bills. He started working backstage at a small theatre in Greenwich Village and really only checked the audition boards a few times during his first year there. And he only actually went to an audition once. He developed some friendships at the small company and became comfortable there. His life continued in this manner for about five years when his roommate moved to Boston and he finally decided he just couldn’t afford to live in New York anymore. He packed up his bags and headed home.

His family and friends were all happy to see him and welcomed him back into the small community without judgment or criticism. He started to work at the local laundry facility and had worked there for about six months when his desire to perform started to get the best of him. Dennis considered his years in New York and the mistakes he made while there. He wondered if he should try and start a theatre company in his hometown. He thought about this night after night and it began to plague his thoughts during the day so that he couldn’t focus on anything else. He made a new plan. He was older now and would approach it with a stronger commitment and be more responsible and wise. He knew the time was right for him, but he had to face telling everyone in town that he was moving again.

What’s the top place for families to visit in New York City?  It might not surprise you to learn it’s the American Museum of Natural History, but it may surprise you to know that by going inside this building, you’ll find out more than you ever thought possible about what’s going on outside the building…  way outside the building.  Right now, on a daily basis, the museum is showing a planetarium space show just about every half hour, titled, Journey to the Stars.

This program has been running for about six months now, so it’s fairly recent, and it’s hosted by Academy-Award winning actress and narrator, Whoopi Goldberg.  The show draws on images from ground and space telescopes, allowing us to simulate images that have never been witnessed before.  Guests will find out what it’s like for stars to be born and to die, and it includes what will one day happen to our own sun billions of years from now (long after we’ve found a way to leave this planet, I’m thinking).  The museum’s astrophysicists and NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), as well as forty scientists across the world have helped to create this exhibit, and if you don’t know that much about the sky and what’s beyond our atmosphere, you’ll find out a great deal in a hurry.

The show was written by a winner of an Emmy, an author and composer of over a hundred and fifty scripts and books aimed at kids and adults alike.  Her name is Louise A. Gikow, and the chances are good you’ve already seen her work, because she’s written for the Jim Henson Company and Nickelodeon, and, even for the National Lampoon magazine.  She also wrote the last script for the planetarium show here called Cosmic Collisions.

Of course, once you’ve finished taking in the night sky, you’ll want a place to contemplate the universe, and that may be find in any number of places in New York in hotels that are big or small, you’ll find a comfortable place to come inside and contemplate this exhibit and what it’s really like in the Great Outdoors.

There are so many fabulous things about travel in Asia today, and it’s one of the great cultural experiences of a lifetime to visit any part.  There is an immense diversity in any of the cities and countries, and probably too much to see in one lifetime.  But one place that offers a wonderful introduction to this complex world is Singapore.  It’s been described as a kind of gateway, with a blend of east and west, and there are many cultures that converge here.  It is extremely modern, and people who come with the expectation of visiting a world that has a taste of the past won’t find it here.  Instead, the future is very bright, and there are more technological and cultural advancements than most of the great cities in the world.  It’s been on the cutting edge of science and art for some time, and lately it seems to have taken even greater strides forward.

There is certainly a distinct possibility of having an archetypal exotic experience when you enter into the world of food here.  Those who are unfamiliar with Asian cuisine will find many delightful offerings, and it will very likely change the way you think about food in general, and may even change your diet altogether.  Some of the world’s best culinary traditions have a permanent home here, and restaurants in Singapore offer fantastic variations of Chinese, Malay, and Indian food.  There are many other stunning kinds of food here, too, with Italian, and Japanese, and international fusion cuisines all over the city state.  Those who are curious about the karaoke craze in the world, and wonder if it’s for real, or a thing of the past, will find a lot to experience here in Singapore.

With the success of operations like Party World, which has many different locations all over the island, there is a very lively karaoke scene here.  In fact, it’s one of the great evening entertainments, along with a good meal, of course.  Visitors here looking to do as the Romans do should visit a karaoke club at least once.  But it’s a lot like the food, because once is very rarely enough, and it can be a habit that lasts a lifetime.

Hot tubs are a great way to gather people together.  They make for perfectly excellent evenings at home, where your friends can come and hang out, enjoying each other’s company and spend the night talking about old times and new times.  There’s something almost equalizing about a hot tub, because it’s very difficult for anyone to turn down an invitation to spend time in hot water with massaging jets.  There are many different kinds of parties you can host as well.

There are the old favorite, the dinner party, where hamburgers and hot dogs and corn on the cob are served right off the grill, while your company enjoys the water.  These can be some of the finest memories of summer, and are precious to recall during the cold months of the year.  There are always options for polar bear clubs in the winter as well.  It’s all up to you, and you’ll get to explore all the options when you have your hot tub installed in your own home.  There are many places to buy them these days, but when it comes to low prices and high values, along with excellent customer service, choosehottubsdirect.com is clearly the way to go.  They help you at every step of the way, from selection, to shipping, to installation and maintenance, and the choices are superb.

It might be helpful, then, to decide what kinds of parties you see yourself having.  There are many optional features that you may want to have from the get-go, because they can make your setup even more perfect than it already is.  There are different kinds of lighting that can add some really spectacular fun to any occasion.  There are also wonderful media and entertainment systems, so you can play music with incredible sound, and even show movies and game on a large-screen television.  There are lots of options.  You may want to host large parties, or you may want something only for one other special someone.  There’s something here to meet everybody’s needs, and make for a magnificent time.

For the adventurous traveler in Cape Town, car rentals are a fantastic way to experience the place on your own terms, and on your own schedule.  Having your own car means a level of independence that is otherwise hard to find.  There are so many opportunities to experience nature and culture in Cape Town, and some of the most interesting events take place far from the confines of the city.  There are many wonderful attractions within the city as well, and having your own transportation allows you to experience more sights and more night life, giving you the flexibility to travel as far as you like whenever you like.

Cape Town is an extremely lively place, with incredible cultural happenings going on all throughout the year.  For live music, there is really no better place on earth, as some of the richest rhythms are remixed and reinvented here in dizzying new musical forms.  Likewise there are restaurants all over the city, offering the many varieties of local cooking traditions, and a strong tendency toward international fare.  There are museums and galleries marking South Africa’s complicated and fascinating history, with something to offer every member of the family.  There are also a number of festivals, and a rental car would certainly make participation easier.  A fine example of this takes place fairly close to Cape Town, within driving distance, in Hermanus, where the Whale Festival is considered to be the best whale watching in the world.

Every Spring, September in South Africa, the whales return to Walker Bay, and thousands gather for this environmentally-conscious festival.  The Hermanus Whale Festival has something for participants of all ages, with a stunning array of activities during the four-day event.  There are loads of splendid live musical acts, representing some of the best of local and international talents.  There are also car shows, a golf tournament, and educational and entertaining events and workshops geared toward young people.  There are also a number of street performers, offering amusing entertainments that also give a glimpse into the local cultures.  Of course, the main attraction here is the whales, and the chance to see this is something that amazes tourists and visitors, along with locals, who never get over this remarkable feat of nature.

The island of Mauritius has so much to offer to those in search of a variety of outdoor activities, many of which are based in the waters surrounding the island.  Not only are these excursions and activities a bit on the adventurous side, they offer different perspectives and scenic views of this tropical paradise, from the view of the island from the waters, to the view underneath the surface of the waters as well.

The five star hotels Mauritius offers have a lot of information regarding the locations that are best suited for the different activities, as well as the businesses which offer classes for those activities that require some level of knowledge or certification.  The hotel often supply some of the facilities necessary and most of these hotels are located within close proximity to the beaches.  Anyone who enjoys the ocean and the water will find what they are looking for just off the shores.

Travel agents and companies offer comprehensive tour packages and adventure safaris.  All that happens on the water, has become one of the leading reasons for the booming tourism industry and has served to attract the growing number of visitors that travel to the island each year.  The underwater life of the marine animals is abundant and overwhelmingly beautiful.  Wind surfing and diving are fast become two the most favorite sports on the island.

The Indian Ocean is incredible when viewed from  dry land, however the view and the experience of being out on the waters is stunning and breathtaking.  From the deep color of blue, to the scuba adventures to be explored on the coral reefs, the water draws enthusiasts onto her waves day after day.  There are many cruises that depart daily, which take visitors out onto the water for whale watching or island hopping on the surrounding smaller islands in the Indian Ocean.  Many times, these cruises are taken in boats with glass bottoms, which is an interesting way to view the marine life, and an option for those not interested in the diving opportunities.

There are five-star hotels in Melbourne that are equipped to make all of your travel dreams come true.  With sumptuous accommodations that offer up-to-the minute technologies for your connectivity convenience, without skimping on the old-fashioned values like hospitality and comfort, every member of the family will find much to love here.  Our lodgings are truly exquisite and unique, meeting the highest standards of the industry, yet with loads of extras to maintain a sense of individuality that is at the core of the Australian character.  Guests will feel as though they are living in paradise, refreshed and ready to enjoy the city.

Melbourne is one of Australia’s largest cities, and is at the center of culture on the continent.  It attracts some of the best minds in the hemisphere, drawn by its metropolitan appeal and proximity to wilderness and water.  One of the more interesting cultural festivals every year is the Melbourne Writers Festival.  This is an intensive festival that lasts almost two weeks, featuring author readings and signings, workshops for writers in all aspects of their careers including creative and career development, speeches, and many other spectacular events that make this one of the most well-attended writers festivals in the region.

This year’s event was held in Fed Square, and marks the 24th incarnation of this annual festival, and one that is a massive success for Australia in general and Melbourne in particular. With such a diverse range of authors as Ethan Kanin, Hitomi Hanhara, Stephen King, and Antje Rávic Strubel, there are fascinating events for everyone, just as there are books for everyone. One of the concerns for this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival is the future of the book.  Authors and organizers are asking whether or not there is a future for the book as a form that will survive the next generation, with ubiquity of the computer and various forms of digital literature.  Events like these serve to raise standards of culture in the world, and keep print alive and kicking.

Salisbury, the Cathedral City, located in Wiltshire England sits at the point where five rivers merge or flow together. These rivers are the Nadder, Ebble, Wylye, Bourne and Avon. Together with the busy regional railroad junction, this creates a bustling center of commercial activity on land and water. There is evidence this ancient city dates back to prehistoric times. The first Salisbury Cathedral was built from 1075 to 1092. Construction for a new cathedral on a different site was begun in 1220. In 1386 a mechanical clock was installed in the cathedral and is still functioning, making it the oldest working mechanical clock in Britain. Also housed here are four surviving copies of the Magna Carta. The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is in the King’s House and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. The Stonehenge exhibit is extremely popular. Another favorite is the Amesbury Archer’s skeleton, which is on display.

When touring and traveling this area, you will want to stay at one of the Salisbury hotels available to you. The staff is friendly and attentive, the restaurant food mouthwatering. Every Tuesday and Saturday markets are held, as has been the case since this tradition began in the year 1227. Local vendors offer a huge variety of handmade wares and fresh fruits and vegetables for sale. With all the people, the bartering and activity, it is a very interesting place to check out and possibly find that special treasure.

Music, concerts and artistic festivals and fairs are all major contributors to the appeal of this wonderful city. The ghost tours that take you to the haunted buildings throughout Salisbury are another fascinating aspect of this area. Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham was beheaded in 1483. Now, Debenhams Department Store sits on this very site and haunted by the duke. Or so the story goes. Dare to check it out. Who knows what you might see or hear? Who knows?

There is a spectacular three-day camping event called Camp Bestival by the Jurassic seaside in Dorset. Even though I don’t camp there, but instead get a room at a Dorset Hotel, I still manage to enjoy the Bestival. It’s a family event which the legendary Lulworth Castle hosts on one of the most beautiful estates in all of England. They only allow 10,000 tickets to be sold, making the Bestival an intimate affair.

Camp Bestival was inspired by the 50′s British Holiday Camp. That inspiration now allows festival goers to bask in nostalgia, back when life seems uncomplicated and easy going. The program includes a line-up of excellent artists which will entertain you at the biggest campsite ever and has excellent facilities for the outdoor life. Plus, the give you a generous sprinkle of Bestival magic. Combining top notch music with excellent onsite camping, tents, tepees, yurts, bivouacs, airstreams and gypsy caravans, Camp Bestival let you enjoy your stay. But, if you enjoy luxurious accommodations rather than affordable tents, then do what I do, book a room. It’s okay, no one minds. They don’t even notice.

The Bestival prides itself in providing fun for all the families with a super Kids Area, a Story Telling around a roaring campfire, Sports Day, Dancing, and they even have a real life Insect Circus along with an All Singing Kids Summer Party. It will be packed high with kids an their parents. Lulworth Castle even has it’s own Animal Farm. All of us are extremely proud when Camp Bestival won the Best New Festival at the 2008 Festival Awards. It really deserves it too. Even though, I don’t like to camp, I do like to ‘festival’ with the best, and it really is the best. The Facilities are top notch with parking right next to the campsites, roomy areas for chilling out and playing.  Relatively flat landscape. Hot showers that serves tea and toast while you wait! Giant BBQ pits, they even have a farmers market so you can get the freshest fruits and vegetables to cook with at you campsite. What more could a person ask for, if they weren’t me?

You hear your favorite entertainer is coming to your town; they will be performing in concert. You have to get tickets. What a rush that is to be part of that whole scenario. Whether you go online for your ticket or you go down and wait in line for hours to get that ticket or you’re lucky enough to have someone just give you that ticket or you win it from a local radio station. You might be going alone or with a special friend. It really doesn’t matter. You have that ticket and you are going to that concert. And of course you tell all your friends and you talk about it for weeks in advance. The anticipation and excitement mounts as the day draws closer and closer.

Whether you are in Tennessee to see Charlie Daniels or New York to see Barbra Streisand, whether you are male or female, young or just young at heart, the excitement and the process is basically the same. Finally the big day/night is here and you head out to join all the others holding their treasured tickets. Electricity fills the air, cars and pedestrians are everywhere, parking places are at a premium and the walk can be long. For some it can be frustrating but for most it is just one more facet of what makes up the whole of this exhilarating experience.

Again, you stand in line to present your concert tickets and be given directions to your seat. Once through the gate, there are numerous tables set up displaying all the memorabilia for sale to tangibly cement the memories of this concert. You wind your way through all the other excited people, find your seat and settle in, surrounded by thousands of others sharing these very same feelings; some more demonstrative than others of course; but feelings all the same. Suddenly the crowd falls quiet, the moment has arrived, the curtain goes up and there is your idol…the crowd is on its feet, earsplitting cheers, whistles and applause erupt throughout the venue! The show begins and the thrill and appreciation never subsides. This is what you have been waiting for, you are not disappointed and you will do it again.

Okay, as you know, I’m quite the complainer, so I won’t disappoint you this time either. I was at a ski resort standing in line to buy Event Tickets to several skiing events going on that weekend. The ski resort, apparently, hires the most incompetent or the most truly un-motivated people I’ve ever witnessed. It must be a requirement which the employees pass with colors.

So, yes, I was standing in line at the ticket window and there was one guy in front of me which seemed like he took forever to buy his tickets, it felt like a half-an-hour went by before it was my turn to get to the window. When I get up there, I told the ticket agent that I needed to purchase the bundle of six tickets, which allows me to attend every event. A simple request one would think, should only take one minute to print out, two minutes tops, but no, the ticket agent, for real, took like 30 seconds for each key press, literally. He would just stare at the screen for what seemed like an eternity and then press one key, then he would again stare at the screen for what seemed like an eternity and press another key. I mean, really, do they really not screen these employees for any sign of life? Any sign of cognition? A hint of intelligence before they hire them? It took almost 15 minutes for me to get my tickets.

Then, the guy at the snowboard check area, where I could store my snowboard, literally had this glazed look. Like he was stoned, really. He moved like a sloth, and it felt like he moved like a sloth on purpose. All the while a good size line was developing behind me, and I could feel heat darts at the back of my neck from all the people behind me thinking it was all my fault for the delay. I would turn around and shrug the best I could conveying that it’s not me, it’s him look on my face. That didn’t seem to stop the heat darts from flying straight at me. Holly cow, I’m going to have to email a complaint. Something I never do, right, but really, this was quite pathetic.

One thing to consider when one finds a hot tub for sale, is that there are many benefits that will be provided to ones health when one decides to purchase that hot tub.  In this day and age, many people feel they do not have the time to take a long soak in a tub.  Truth is that they may just think they do not have the time, as just fifteen minutes a day, immersed in hot water, will provide the benefits.  In fact, that is the recommended amount of time to spend soaking, just fifteen minutes.  It’s a shame really, because the soothing effects of a bath are something everyone should really take the time out to provide themselves.  Water is a natural healing element.  The effects on the muscles, the joints and the skin are physical effects, just as the effects on the endocrine system and the organs and the nerves.  Hot water will quiet a noisy body.  Cold water by contrast, will invigorate and stimulate the body.  This is the perfect cure for a stressful and hectic lifestyle, nerves are soothed thereby reducing and relieving stress.

The Mayo Clinic performed a study and found that soaking in a hot tub provides one with the benefits of exercise, without the strain and pressure on the heart.  Blood pressure lowers, and the heart rate increases, similar to daily exercise.  The heart will speed up a bit at first, but will then regulate itself and actually slow down.  Blood flow increases, as the pressure drops.  Hot tubs have been proven to be one aspect in curbing insomnia.  One should soak at one hundred and three degrees a couple hours before lying down to sleep.  This may all be a circular process, as hectic lives cause insomnia, hot tubs reduce stress, thereby reducing the incidence of sleepless nights.  A relaxed body, is a body ready for sleep.  Soaking a bit before sleep, also just gives the mind and the body the time to wind down.  Transition from the life of the day, is eased as one is soaking.  As opposed to jumping into the bed the second one gets home.  The weightlessness of the body that the hot water induces, also introduces one to the weightlessness of sleep, easing out of a hard day, into a night filled with sweet dreams and rejuvenation.

My younger brother, Seth, who was eight years old at the time, told my that he encountered something really scary when he was attending a Halloween party being held at one of his friends backyard. Before he would tell me anymore, he took me to our backyard, it was night of course, and made me sit next to our built-in-Grill and outdoor sinks. He looked all around before he proceeded with his story.

He remembers there was almost a full-moon that night, it was really big and high up in the night sky.  He said that at the house where he was attending the party, there was a path right behind the house leading to the woods. He decided to check it out. He started on the path when he heard a strange noise. It was loud and sounded like a deep growl. He stopped in his tracks, frozen cold with fear. He tried to stare deep into the woods where he thought the noise came from. He startled when he saw a stick-like figure leaning against a tree. He told me, which seem really unbelievable, that the stick figure broke a branch and went down on all fours. I wanted to ask him to explain that, but he shushed me. He said he kept walking down the path, when he saw it’s head. It was like a wolfs head, all furry and oval shaped. It didn’t notice him, it was looking the other way. He couldn’t make out the body, but what he could see was frightening, big claws. He said it smelled awful. But, that didn’t stop him from reaching into his pocket to get his cellphone out to take a photo. He took a picture which scared the wolf-creature away. He heard a twig break, and another and another. Then he felt something breathing down his neck. He didn’t want to look back as he was running so fast to get out of there and ran all the way back to the party.

He told all the party goer about what happened, but the photo didn’t turn out well, and no one believed him, until a stick-like figure appeared on the path just outside the house. Everyone frozen, his clothes were torn to shreds and he was breathing hard. He said everyone started screaming which made the man run back into the woods. I laughed when he finished his story. He looked disappointed in me. But, really, I told him. A werewolf?

Nearly five million Americans have a hot tub in their home. But with so many different kinds if you are in the market for one it can seem like you need to learn a foreign language before you can buy one. Here are some tips.

Spa and hot tubs are terms usually used interchangeably. They are not two different products, just two terms to describe the same thing.

Traditional hot tubs however have a wood base and are meant for soaking in benches. Spa are usually not made from natural materials and have complex seating arrangements, jets and all the fancy stuff that comes to mind when thinking about owning a spa or hot tub.

There is also the term Jacuzzi, except Jacuzzi is actually a trademarked term. That’s like calling all tissues Kleenex, regardless of the brand. Roy Jacuzzi is an actual person who in 1968 invented a hot tub that had jets. Roy Jacuzzi invented the modern hot tub.

Hot tubs first came into fashion during the 1960s in the state of California. But not just anywhere in California, they were popularized in the California wine country.

There are four different types of hot tubs, they are those that are inflatable or the plastic spa, the most popular above ground made of acrylic spas, the old fashioned wooden hot

tubs and in ground spas. In ground spas can also be a part of a pool as well.

Inflatable ones are great for people who are not sure if they are into the whole spa thing or are for those people who are on a budget. If you are in the market for a luxury one, look no further that the website of Steven Barbarich, choosehottubsdirect.com, the site offers luxury hot tubs and spas at wholesale prices.

No matter what kind you choose, they are all sure to be equally relaxing!

The ‘invasion’ of music occurred more than forty years ago. Not a lot of time in the history of the world, but creating history non the less. And so much so in such a short amount of time. The Beatles walked off their plane in Manhattan’s Kennedy airport, and they took not only New York and the United States by storm, but the rest of the world as well. Looking back it seems that music was kept secret and with British Invasion that secret was shouted from high atop those buildings in NY and from and to the hearts of everyone. None of this was lost on the tiny island of Singapore, a country crying out to this day for a voice that ends oppression. The voice of creativity. And while it is ironically funny that the first things to go in public programs, schools and the society programs in general, are the arts…it’s fitting. As what is worth more to fight for than the voice of the human heart? So bring it on governments of the world, give the artists fodder for inspiration, as nothing has stopped you in the past and nothing will stop the future the artists will create.

Using a cliche, the country of Singapore, a very oppressed culture, has ‘stepped up to the plate”. Singapore, or the residents concerned with this type of conundrum, built the Esplanade and continue to inspire and encourage and expose society to the value and the power of music. Ten years ago the Mosaic Music Festival, set amongst the downtown area and close to many options for stay at the best Singapore hotels, began and has since become one of the most attended and respected festivals in the world. For the members of the audience and for those on stage. Steeped in jazz, the festival offers up to the public the opportunity to witness and experience some performances by truly legendary masters of the craft…on stage by the way, with ‘up-starts’, those wanting and needing to carry on the work and to offer up their own interpretation. For who can sit and listen to Gil Evans or to Miles Davis or Jimmy Peggie or Nina Simone and not be moved. Music has traditionally been known to create harmony and to relieve the pain of life in societies for all of history. TheMosaic Festival runs every year for ten days, beginning March 11 th and offers up a variety of stages and international artists and music. This is an event that should not be missed should one happen to be in the neighborhood.

In traveling to Singapore one may notice the luxury, the beauty, the joy. One of the many ways to express and to move and to experience life is through the world of dance. Be it traditional ballet, or more contemporary forms, Singapore has it all. And whether one has money to spend or not, travelers world wide are aware that Singapore has something to offer everyone, from the people in fine dining restaurants, to those in cafes or those visiting the food hawker’s stands in the town squares. To those spending their nights in hostels to those sleeping in luxury Singapore hotels.

Edgy performances by The Arts Company or EcNad or the company, Odyssey Dance Theater have thrilled audiences with their high energy, creative choreography and interesting musical collaborations. And these shows enhance and illustrate the beauty and tradition of the island. Traditional dance companies, such as Sri Warisan out of Singapore is a leader in the traditional dance of the Malasian culture. Created in 1997, this company combines the traditional and the modern, in thought, choreography, music and ideas. This company takes advantage of all that technology has to offer, often combining filmed or recorded images in sound or on film to enhance the live performance. There are approximately 30 full time performers cross-trained in theater, dance and the multi-media disciplines. Over time the company has grown to include not only the dancers, but office workers and full time students. In all, there are close to 100 people involved in any given performance. The company is intent on opening up the opportunity for involvement in the world of dance and the understanding of the art form, to those either un-aware or un-exposed to the value and importance of live performance art and how it affects those who choose this way of life and those who are affected by those who do. Out reach programs provide this exposure to the general public and through festivals and performances occurring year round, opportunities for social change, international and local, are ideas that become realities.

Ballet Under the Stars has become an annual event wherein this all becomes possible. Audience members bring picnics to the park and it is fast becoming known as the night for ballet under the stars. The company, Singapore Dance Theater was founded in 1988, and performs traditional ballets by George Balanchine, as well as contemporary work by cutting edge choreographers. There is a strong alliance between SDT and the Australian Ballet. Along with most other companies of the times, these two incorporate technological surprises and festivals involving these two companies are drawing record crowds.

Singapore may be known for its exotic locale and multicutural society, but it is also a premiere destination for food lovers. Not only is it possible to find delectable examples of world cuisines such as Chinese, Indian, Thai, Malay, Italian, French, Japanese and American, but local foods offer an intriguing fusion of the diverse cultures of Singapore. The main influences on Singapore cuisine are Chinese, Malay, Indian and Tamil. These delicious flavors are prevalent throughout the island’s dining environments, from Singapore fine dining to the food courts and hawker stalls.

As the original inhabitants of Singapore, the Malays provided a distinctive influence on Singapore food. Malay dishes feature lots of spices, with many dishes being curries, dips or stews which are offered in Nasi Padang restaurants throughout Singapore. Malay cuisine fused with Chinese flavors to create Peranakan or Nonya cuisine.

The Chinese cuisine found in Singapore is usually from the southern regions of China. Here the food has incorporated tropical touches such as the use of chilli and fermented shrimp paste. Another distinction is the availability of “kan” (dry) noodles. In these dishes, noddles will be tossed with spices and chilli and served separately from the soup.

While Indians make up the smallest minority and, therefore, the smallest impact on the local cuisine, Indian food is available almost everywhere. A few dishes have been adapted into a Singapore version and are very popular with locals. These include fish head curry, Nasi briynani, putu mayam, and roti prata, which until the Indian version is usually made with egg and may include unorthodox ingredients such as cheese, ice cream, or chocolate.