Bob Travel

Lafayette is a gorgeous city in the middle of some of the more scenic places in the country.  Louisiana is a fascinating place, rich with histories and cultures that intertwine, disconnect, and meet up again further down the road to intertwine again.  It has all the mystery that a swamp should have, along with a very vibrant culture.  There are plenty of things to see in town, and plenty of inspired people.  That’s certainly the case with Sarah Mikayla Brown, who grew up here, and had some of the more formative years in the beginning of her wild and adventurous career.

It’s possible, then, to check into a cool hotel, and start poking around the city, finding little hubs of culture here and there that can be very inspiring.  It’s also a fantastic place to come to get away from a busier schedule.  The pace of life is different here, and the geography certainly does enter into the world view of the people.  This is the home of Cajun culture, after all, and the blend of hospitality and taste come together in a deep appreciation for the simply things in life.  For the artists, however, it’s never all that simple, no matter where you live.

As Brown certainly knows, to make a mark in the incredible competitive theatre market, it takes a lot of hustle.  She learned that she was apparently born with immense inner resources that would drive her to do impossible things.  She worked with Acting Up!, an improv troupe, in town, before moving to Chicago.  There, she she’s begun the Chicago Fringe Festival, which is no small feat in a world where the odds are very much stacked against you for these kinds of ventures.  Along the way, she’s also has the chance to work with Rude Mechanicals, Tantaus, and Corn Productions, among others.  It will be thrilling to see how this next year’s festival goes, and hope she gets all the credit she deserves.

The English city of Newport is located along the Isle of Wight, just off of the southern coast of Great Britain.  Many amenities and activities are to be found throughout the region, including an array of choices for accommodation in a Newport hotel, along with a vast array of parks and museums.  One such fascination is the Seaclose Park which is located just along the Medina River.  This park is home to the annual Isle of Wight Festival of Music.   Located close to the park is the Saint George’s Park.  This is the home and the training grounds of the Newport Football team, the most successful of the teams on the isle.  Cricket courts are also located close by in Newclose, just outside of the city.  The largest museum of Postal history is located in Newport, with an exhibit that spans years of vintage equipment and post boxes, perhaps the largest collection in the world.  The largest celebration on the island occurs every June for a few days, and that is the music festival.

The Isle of Wight Music festival won an award this year, and is among the very first festivals to win such an award…the Greener Festival Award.  This award goes to festivals that participate in the Eco-Action partnership.  They look at the impacts that a particular festival has on the environment, in the areas of travel, waste and energy.  This award was considered three years ago, in an attempt to minimize the affects that festivals tend to bring on the environment and to encourage all those involved to take care, to do all in their power to reduce the pollution with a fifty six point list of greener policies for which to adhere.  Included on the list are the policies on the use of energy, the recycling and water use calculators, as well as the protection of the environment and the reduction of noise pollution.  Teams of auditors travel to various festivals and record their assessments of the practice of the green policies.   More festivals each year are becoming involved with the project, promoting not just their festival agendas, but the agenda that promotes overall greener ways of living.

There are many historical buildings in the city of Jaipur.  Many were at one time the residences of the various members of the Royal families, or houses of government.  In modern days these structures become registered on the Heritage site, and many of these sites become locations for the heritage hotel.  India has many such sites, and many are in the Pink City.  The City Palace was once a complex, a bit like extremely luxurious condominiums of today, and the architecture shows evidence of the influence of the Rajput Rulers and the Mughals.  There are monuments around the city and in the parks and gardens to these bygone kings and queens, many of whom may seen in the photographs collected and on exhibit in the Palace Museum.  The Hawa Mahal is another location from the earlier times of the city and stands eminently in the Bazaar of Johri.  This is said to be one of the coolest places in the city as the breezes have easy access through any of the nine hundred and fifty three windows in the structure.

There are many observatories throughout the city of Jaipur, as the early king was taken with the sky and the importance of the study of astronomy.  Many of these were constructed by Jai Singh, with the most significant one being, the Jaipur Observatory.  This designed with giant shapes of geometric patterns and curves, a testament to this belief in the need of an understanding of the science of astronomy.  And although this was constructed hundreds of years ago, it reads as modern architectural designs of today.  Amber Fort is another Heritage Site that is located on top of a mountain, easily accessible by car or by riding an elephant.  The positioning of these building makes the best times for a visit during the morning hours when the sun is rising or at evening time as the sun is setting, as the light during this times is perfect for highlight the amber, the gold and the red hues in the designs of the building’s facade.  These are just a few of the Heritage Sites in the city of Jaipur that must be visited on any holiday to the city.

Traveling in this economy is still possible.  Many businesses are offering discounts such as the airlines and the restaurants, and even in New York City one can find a good deal on a room in a hotel.  Central Park is one of the many locations wherein most of the fun to be had there does not cost a penny.  During any season one chooses to visit, there are activities in the park that fit the budgets of many of today’s travelers.  During the springtime and the summer months, the fountains burst into life and the flowers in the gardens bloom.  Sheeps Meadow becomes lush and green and many will spend the days sunbathing, picnicking, playing Frisbee, or keeping an eye on Pale Male’s next for the first glimpse of the hatching hawks.  There are many free concerts and theater shows in the Park during this time as well as the Summer Cinema Program.  For those traveling with children, one option is the Central Park Zoo, which is open to the public and admission is free.  And during the winter months many come to Central Park and ice skate at the Wollman Rink.
Other free or inexpensive ways to visit and sight see are a plenty.  Simply walking through Washington Square park can be a beautiful, and entertaining way to spend an afternoon, as around every curve of the walkway there is someone playing guitar, performing street theater such as mime shows or magic acts, as well as the drummers that produce incredible rhythms simply using their plastic tubs turned upside down.  A fifty cent ride on the Staten Island Ferry is a great way to catch incredible views of the Statue of Liberty as well as the New York City Skyline.  And for those who enjoy walking tours, along with so many of the neighborhoods such as the Village or Chelsea, one can take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.  This is a must do walk for anyone, especially for those with an eye for photography and structural wonders.  And then of course, there is the quiet view of the entire island from atop the Empire State Building.  The best time for this excursion is at dusk, when the lights of the city are just starting to twinkle.  Traveling these days should be relaxing and stress free, and there are many ways to find those experiences, even in a city such as New York.

To hold reservations for a hotel in Bali, Indonesia is a fantastic gift.  It portends a great deal of pleasure in the near future, where comfort and luxury are promised in a place where the good life is a practice and not an ideal.  The hotels here are excellent combinations of tradition and innovation, providing guests with cutting-edge amenities in an aura of island hospitality, where gracefulness is a value.  There are splendid opportunities to participate in activities that are fun for the whole family, and there is also a night life here that is really extraordinary.

Bali is an Indonesian island that has a long history of cultural diversity.  The contemporary Bali blends indigenous culture with Chinese and Indian influences, and this is evident in the performing and visual arts.  Visitors here should try to see some traditional and contemporary works of Balinese dance, as these styles are amazing spectacles that will stay in the memory for a long time.  One of Bali’s most famous dancers is Ni Wade Pujawati whose artistic credentials extend throughout the world, having performed in the U.S. and Europe.

Ni Made Pujawati was born in Bali, and used to sneak away to study dancing at night, until her family saw her perform, and then started to support her choice of life’s direction.  She studied at both the Indonesian Conseratory of Music and the Indonesian Institute of Arts, where she learned many aspects of performance, with a focus in dance.  She is currently based in London, where she operates her aptly named organization, Balinesedance, which is devoted to promoting Indonesian dance forms all over the world.  There are performances all over the world by Ni Made Pujawati, in Balinese and Javanese dance, as well as Balinese theatre.  Her work is increasingly more cross-cultural, and she works to make Balinese dance more accessible to “western” audiences.

Barcelona is known for attracting both artists and tourists. It is an incredible global city located on the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. While its financial, entertainment and commercial trade industries account for its status as a global city, some of the incredible architecture of the city accounts for much of its fascination and attraction. Antoni Gaudi was a Spanish architect who designed many of the buildings in what is known as the Gothic quarter of Barcelona. He is known for his unique style and was part of the modernist era. While he is not the only great architect to have designed buildings in the city, he is certainly one of the most renown and honored. The city’s buildings represent its diverse history and tourists staying in a Barcelona Spain hotel are often positioned in one of the historic buildings.

Gaudi was born in 1852 into a family with a long history of coppersmiths. Some of his designs in Barcelona include the lampposts at the Placa Reial and the Casa Mila. His individual style gained him early recognition and remains one of the reasons for his standing out through history. He went through many phases during his career and his later works are focused on religious themes and creations. He was a devoted catholic and late in life he abandoned his secular endeavors. The Sagrada Famila is considered to be his masterpiece.

The Casa Mila is better known as La Pedrera, meaning the quarry, and was constructed between 1906 and 1910. It officially considered to have been completed in 1912. It is located in the Eixample District of Barcelona, at 92 Passeig de Gracia. The building was designed and built for the married couple Rosario Segimon and Pere Mila. There was some conflict between city officials and Gaudi regarding the design and it was not strictly followed during the building’s construction. The owners were fined after its construction due to its having violated some of the city codes, such as height restrictions.

Pablo Picasso is one of the most well known painters in history.  His images are widely recognized throughout the world, and in his home town of Madrid, Spain, hotel walls, businesses and cafes are alive with the images of this son of the Spanish city.  Many artists traveling through Madrid will often make the pilgrimage to the house in which he was born.  This is now the site of the Foundation Picasso.  On of more famous museums, housing much more of an extensive collection of Picasso’s work is located near by, the Palacio de Buenavista. This is one of the favorite locations of art lovers, fans of Picasso, and fans of modern art in general, located in the country of Spain.  For not only are the images created by Picasso brilliantly colored and finely executed, the way that this man painted changed the course of the history of modern art.  Picasso is considered as a true genius in the art world, and innovator of life.

When Picasso was growing up in Malaga, he was recognized by adults, including his father, as a young kid with incredible innate talent, a prodigy.  His early work, much of it accomplished by the time he was still a very young man, is housed in the Museo de Picasso located in the city of Barcelona.  His early drawings resemble and convey the three dimensionality and the details of sculpture.  Picasso was somewhat of a young rebel, preferring to hang out in the cafes where the intellectuals and the working artist gathered rather than in school and art class.  He later went to Paris where he fell in love with the works of his contemporaries, Courbet, Toulouse-Lautrec and Manet.  Picasso was always one who appreciated, respected, and admired the works of the painters of his day, and although he was influenced by the work, he still succeeded in following his own path and creating his own unique style.  His paintings now hang all over the world, in the museums and the galleries, however there is nothing so spectacular as the viewing of these works in the home town of the master painter who created them.

I am a 22 according to the science of numerology. The Number 22 – Twenty-Two is a Master Number. Numerology is the science of Numbers. The word ‘Numerology’ comes from the Latin word ‘numerus’, which means: number. The Greek work ‘Logos,’ means: word mostly, but it can also mean thought or expression. Numerology does influence all aspects of one’s life. It will create the blueprint with which to base ones future; it can open and reveal ones own deeper natural purpose.

I didn’t know I was a 22 until I was in my thirties. I was checking out of a Mumbai Bombay Hotel when the desk clerk notice my birth date and quickly added and reduced the numbers. She looked an me in awe and told me that I will accomplish wonderful things in my life. I asked her what she meant and she proceed to explain to me about how my soul number is the number 22 and what that means. I just laughed and proceed to check out. I, at the time, had no interest in this numerology stuff, until I notice that that number kept appearing in every aspect of my life. My lot number for my condominium is 22. The initial of my First name is V, the 22nd letter of the alphabet, my middle name adds up to 22 and I have many other instances I could site.

The Master Number of 22 also known to be The Master Builder, they concern themselves with tangible creations with the use of the material form. They are gifted with a wide-range visual imagination. They grasp the totality of their visions like a lightning strike of inspiration. They can fully view the details, understand it’s absolute meaning and know what is required to complete their vision. This is The Master Builder, the number 22.

To find out if one is a – 22 – a Master Builder. One needs to know their birth path number that uses ones complete birth date. It is easy to calculate. Add up the digits of your birth date, then reduce the total down to one number, but the number 22 does not get reduced to a 4. For example, my birth year is 1957 (1 + 9 + 5 + 7 = 22).

If five star Dubai hotels sound appealing, then a visit here with extremely high expectations will certainly deliver.  There is no shortage of beach, culture, business, and luxury.  Set in the heart of a city in the middle of a cultural and economic boom, there is much to see and do.  A rich and vibrant urban scene is growing, and this is due in large part to the influx of artists in the region.

Filipino artists maintain a strong presence here, along with a sizable and visible Filipino community, and although they are rather un-represented in the gallery scene, this is changing.  Darwin Guevarra is the first Filipino to have his own solo show in Dubai, and it is a very auspicious beginning.  It also bodes well for contemporary art in the world at large.  With his opening in May 2009 at Tashkeel, Darwin Guevarra solidified his already growing presence and is almost reaching toward the level of the iconic.  At a group show earlier this year, he was seen in red converse, urban warrior fashion, and his face painted white with bright red lips.  This already striking presence was even further enhanced by the wagon he was pulling, filled with wood, watches, computer parts, as if suggesting a mechanical world where the old and the new were clashing and on the verge of a metamorphosis.

Darwin Guevarra’s presence is already very strong in virtual reality.  With extremely complex and sophisticated postings of his visual art, he seems to be well-connected, and well-received in the pop underground, both in Dubai, in the Phillipines, and around the globe.  Articles about the work of Darwin Guevarra have been written by observers who are pleasantly baffled, or extremely erudite.  It is worth noting that his work is as complex as it is visually appealing, and is a kind of surreal annunciation of an artistic voice that is attempting to describe a world that is both overwhelming and dissolving.  The haunting work by this iconoclastic artist, who works in several mediums to create playful assemblages that ask extreme questions about extreme cultures, has found its way to light in Dubai, and is well worth mapping.

While Dubai has many fascinating cultural and entertainment elements that are attractive to tourists, it also has some incredibly beautiful and elaborately designed accommodations. Vacationers can spend their days exploring the many scenic wonders of the city while returning to the captivating beauty of their five star hotel Dubai. Atlantis, The Palm is one of the newest and most amazing examples of this. It serves as more than a fabulous hotel experience, it has become one the major landmarks of the city.

It was developed as a joint project between Kerzner International Limited and Istithmar PSJC. This beautiful complex was opened in 2008, and was modeled after the Bahamas resort Atlantis, Paradise Island. It has approximately 2000 rooms and consists primarily of two towers that are linked by a bridge. In addition, the resort is connected to the Palm Jumeirah islands by two monorail stations, adding a sense of excitement to accessing the place. The official opening ceremony for the hotel was also a grand event and included many celebrity guests, including Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Michael Jordan , the Duchess of York, Mischa Barton and Linsay Lohan among many others. There was a spectacular fireworks display included in the launching consisting of 100,000 lightings, which was approximately 7 times the amount used for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In addition to the fabulous guest accommodations and beauty of the architectural design, there are additional attractions to the resort. There is a 160,000 square meter Aquaventure theme park, 1,900 square meters of retail space and a large convention center. The Aquaventure theme park includes the marine life conservation project Dolphin Bay. In this preservation program, guests can view the dolphins up close. Dolphin Bay is focused on preserving the natural habit of these incredible mammals and is the first marine rescue and rehabilitation center in Dubai.

There’s room for relaxation and for business in the amazing city of Dubai, UAE.  Hotel accommodation here is a glorious tribute to comfort and luxury.  Your stay will be a pleasure, thanks to the extremely knowledgeable and well-trained staff, who are keen on anticipating and tending to your every need.  This will certainly help to place a splendid center to your travels in the city.  Dubai city has many things to offer every guest.  There are shopping centers and festivals, and there are also some cutting-edge galleries that are worth exploring.

If you are looking for the newest of the new in visual arts, then be sure to allow time to see the Dubai Digital Arts Center.  Some of the more interesting new developments in digital culture are presented here, along with performances.  It is important to see digital arts grow as a force in the art world, because its ties to technology and cultural expression are very strong.  Dubai, a city that is growing and changing in constant and fascinating directions, is often on the forefront of global culture, and is a remarkable place to witness the shifts in creative thought that are currently at work, and will no doubt affect how the world expresses itself to itself in the years to come.

There are some interesting alliances too, that could only be forged in an artistic marketplace.  Digital artists working in their respective fields often have an advantage over other artists, because international access is always already available.  Works can be discussed, and even disseminated, across the world wide web.  There are more forms of digital art that web design, there is photography and graphic art, there is also electronically created painting, digital manipulations of existing art works, and endless possibilities for using digital manipulations, like sound and video, in live performance, among many other possibilities for the form.  Artists in these disciplines can also find linkages to other artists, because of the already existing access to global digital culture.  So it is not surprising, but always welcome, to see links between digital institutions and practitioners.  N3krozoft’s performance of Kasparov9000 was one of these welcome linkages, when artists from Russia and the U.S. joined artistic sensibilities to present a performance here about Kasparov and the computer Deep Blue, using electronic media to make a performance that was a fascinating blend of the digital and the live.  This is a precedent that speaks well of the global community and the next generation of artists and scientists.

Tap dancing my way through life has brought only interesting experiences. ‘Winging it‘, might be another term for what I do, but I prefer the term ‘Tap Dancing’ because it’s more accurate. While a spin a tale of false information, I, at the same time, entertain. This technique impresses some friends and some of my business peers and has kept me from ever having to really do due diligence. I know, I should be more studious and really learn about the things I’m researching, but if I’m being truthful, what I really care about is the creations of the story I’m going to tap dance about, the beauty of executing of a finely tuned embellished truth. If anything, ironically, I don’t tap dance the tap dance.

I call it an art form and a craft that I have perfected. Where as, I don’t have a passion for perfecting someone else’s dream, someone else’s idea to make his or hers riches. One example of how well I can tap dance my way through life: I met a guy at a local coffee shop that I frequent and he really captured my heart. So, I causally walked past his table to see what he was reading, it was a travel brochure from a Mauritius Luxury Hotel.  I plopped myself down on a sofa that was right next to him and proceeded to tell him about the wonders of a place I’ve never been to.  I held him captivated for 20 minutes without ever once telling him that I have been there. Needless to say, I impressed him with the art of the story and not with the information I was giving him. Impressed him so much that we are now married and have still to this day never gone to the Island Mauritius. And he has convinced me to actually take up the art form of Tap Dancing which I will, if the situation calls for it, tap dance while I’m tap dancing.

I love Horror Films, no matter how many I have seen, probably over two hundred, I still jump with surprise and grab whom ever is sitting next to me in the movie theatre. One time, while staying at a New York Airport Hotel because of flight delays at La Guardia due to bad weather, I ordered up my favorite and classic Horror Film, ‘Wait Until Dark‘, starring Audrey Hepburn. I remember the first time I watched it in a movie theatre chain called the Rialto which circulates old movies and foreign films, I was 12 or 13 years old. I went with my best friend Chris. At first, we didn’t really know why we were there seeing a film that was made in 1967, except for the reason that Chris overheard this guy she has a crush on talk about it to his friends, saying how scary it was.

The film surrounds a blind Audrey Hepburn and her diamond thief of a husband, played by Efram Zimbalist, Jr. and a couple of thieves played by Richard Crenna and Alan Arkin trying to make friends with her, while her husband is away, so they can search her apartment for the diamonds her husband stole. As the movie was unfolding, Chris and I looked at each other wondering where the scary parts are and the horror. Then near the end is where the movie turns interesting, but still not scary, when all of a sudden something totally unexpected happens, I won’t reveal it here, in case you haven’t seen the film, but something totally unexpected happened and my friend Chris jumped straight out of her chair and screamed. It totally scared her so much, I had to yank her back down into her seat. That moment in the film scared the crap out of me too, but my friend Chris’s reaction was priceless. I was laughing so hard after that I almost wet my pants.

Ever since the thrill and amusement I got from watch ‘Wait Until Dark’ I’ve been in search to find that perfect scare. That absolute truly unexpected ‘boo’ that will have the same effect on me as it did on my friend Chris.

A light mood, uncomplicated with charisma and a simple elegance. The Summer of 2009 promises to be great. Bringing back the past and introducing the new. Sophisticated sleek updos of the 1940’s retro fashion is coming back. Simply Blunt fringes made there way to the catwalks earlier in the year along with Side Sweeps, Layers and the ever popular bob and are still making there way through to the beginning of summer. Celebrities such as Pink and Victoria Beckahm with their rocking pixie and the short lock caught the trend in the very beginning of the year will help snowball the lightness and uncomplicated look well into the fall.

You won’t have any problems if you are traveling, all the major hair salons in any of the Major International Cities, like Palace Hotel India, are already hip to the new simple elegant sleek look. The long and the short of trendy are both fashionable. Long extensions with a bohemian wave or the mini sleek bob. There is also the addition of one particular color that is now all the rage and bangs are back in a huge way.  Long hair in 2009 is the new Pop Princess look. Luscious long locks with an abundance of soft waves. Short hair bobs with a twist, sides near the front of the face, graduating to become shorter at the back but with more sharp angles and a clean cut edge with shine. Short hair curls with volume towards the back and sides. Bangs, bangs, bangs. There are hardly any 2009 trends that don’t call for bangs. The Blunt bang which begins towards the back of the scalp and has no real part. Other bangs are side swept. Almost all bob cuts have bangs with a more angular longer front just off center. The main color for 2009 is red. Not orange based red, but deep hues like copper, russet and flame. It is layered in streaks to brown hair at various lengths to create an added visual dimension to the style.

Bangkok is a city that is extremely proud of its heritage and has many monuments and cultural icons to demonstrate this. In addition the city has approximately 184 museums that are dedicated to Thai history and culture as much as they are to great works of art. Many of the museums are palace oriented and reflect the great royal history and its prominent characters. The Suan Pakked Palace Museum is an excellent example of this. It is the former home of Prince Chumbhot and his wife  Rajawongse Pantip. Tourists visiting Thailand and staying in 5 star hotel Bangkok have a difficult time navigating through all the wonders and many museums of the city, though these royal palaces are by far one of the most popular places to start.

Under the management of the Chumbhot Pantip Foundation the palace was converted into a museum in 1952. Originally, this consisted of 8 traditional Thai houses that were dismantled to be moved to its present location. The houses are joined by corridors, which makes it seem like it is one large building. The newest addition was added in 1996 and was constructed specifically to house the enormous Bang Chiang collection. The collection contains numerous artifacts and relics dating back to 3,600 BC. This ancient civilization is known for its cultivation of rice before the development of bronze tools and ceramics. It is considered to be one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia.

Each of the 8 houses of the palace contain specific themes and collections. House one displays artwork from the Ayutthaya period as well as ancient swords, spears and muskets. House two shows traditional hand fans and mother of pearl trays. Banjarong Porcelain in its five principle colors is displayed in house three. House four shows a formal dining area and has a fine collection of Buddha statues. House five displays Udon Thani pottery and jewelry. House six contains carved figurines representing characters from traditional Thai Khon dance. House seven holds a rare sample of Sukotai ceramics. And house eight contains the formal dinnerware of Prince Chumbhot.

One of the most prominent aspects of a vacation for many tourists is the opportunity experience local culture and in particular local food. Bangkok offers much in these respects and has plenty of traditional restaurants. A common greeting in Thailand is “gin khao ru yang?” which translates into English as “have you eaten?” It only stands to reason that Thai cuisine is one of the reasons people visit the country. Bangkok is a primary example of this and tourists who are staying in the best Bangkok hotel don’t have to look far to find local favorites. The city has food cart vendors on nearly every street. For Western tourists who are accustomed to hot dog stands on street corners, the mini street cafés are a remarkable discovery.

Thai people are well known for their hospitality and generosity. Food is inextricably incorporated into the culture and lifestyle and locals enjoy sharing their culinary expertise. Thai cuisine includes a great deal more than the standard red, yellow and green curries most Westerners associate with it. Restaurants usually have a diverse selection to choose from and a lot of dinner options might look rather strange to a tourist from Omaha, Nebraska, who is probably used to corn, potatoes and beef. Most of the food has a great deal of spice and some of the dishes can get extremely hot, so be prepared. Some of the standard spices they use are ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, garlic and chili. They have a remarkable ability to blend herbs and spices to create unexpected taste sensations.

The food cart vendors in Bangkok are skilled chefs, and it can be appetizing simply watching them delicately cut up fruit for garnishes. The vendors offer everything from meals at portable tables and chairs to snack type food for people on the go. This is part of the reason that people from Thailand are known to snack often between meals and throughout the day. With a population of more than ten million people, the market for street vendors is enormous. This creates an almost overwhelming aromatic element to the city where food smells are almost omni-present.

The Dastkar Society in India, is similar to the Podmajersky Inc., in Chicago, USA. Both of these organizations seek to give artists a chance. Not just to show their work, but by providing living quarters and workspace as well. At discounted rates. In the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, any artist, be it a writer, painter, sculptor, or musician, has a shot at a loft apartment, in one of the many buildings that the Podmajersky family has owned for last one hundred years. In fact, they only rent to artists, and this has created quite a community in Pilsen, an area previously a bit rough and just bordering the notorious ‘South Side’ of Chicago.

Dastkar in India has one main goal, and that is the improvement in the financial success of their artists. Support is given to the craftspeople in the form of help with marketing and access to those facilities, as well as providing financial assistance and grant money to those who need it. The Society wishes to bridge the gap between the artist and the consumer, and they remain active in traveling to the smaller towns, and finding the artists and bringing their works into the city. They recognize and value what the artist has to provide for society, not just in the work or the goods that they produce, but in the culture they create and sustain. For each city knows when the artists move in, the neighborhood becomes more desirable. Business will boom, a cafe, a restaurant, a city park, a hotel, Delhi India will become an artistic hub, and all those surrounding that hub will thrive.

Dastkar was formed in 1981. What started out as six women volunteering their time to furthering the economic security of their artists, has turned into a a full time marketing and development organization, that attends to not only Delhi, but to all of India. And what started out as a small group of women mainly helping other women gain independence and stability, has become an across the board organization to help all artists of the country. Dastkar is now seen as a movement, helping to further the artistic traditions of an entire country.

The Singapore International Cantonese Opera Festival takes place every September and October. It is organized by the Chinese Theatre Circle, which was established in 1981 with the intention of promoting Chinese Opera. It was awarded its non-profit status in 1995. The CTC does a great deal more than organizing this major event, it is the busiest Opera Company in Singapore. Attending the opera can be an extravagant event, and is often accompanied by shopping in the boutique hotel Singapore.

Chinese Opera involves more than the music, it is a beautiful display of colorful and dynamic costumes as well as graceful and harmonious movement. The opera stories most often relate to Chinese tradition and history, based on ancient classics. There is a lot of symbolism in the performances, through the costumes, setting and also in the movement. They are stylized and incorporate an economy of gesture. Most often the operas involve a moral lesson or and promote traditional values. They usually include themes of patriotism, honor and loyalty.

The Scholar and the Maid is a popular opera and was produced by the Chinese Theatre Circle in 2007. The script was originally written by Hong Kong playwright Mr. Tang Di Sheng and was condensed by Mr. Leslie Wong into a two-hour production for the CTC. The opera tells the story of a well known academic, Tang Bo Hu from the Ming Dynasty who disguised himself as a servant in the home of the Prime Minister in order to win the love of a young woman, Jui Xiang, whom he met at court. The opera is a comedy, and Tang Bo Hu’s plans eventually succeed, though he encounters many hilarious circumstances and obstacles on his way to win Xiang’s heart. The theme song is a love duet called “Meeting at the Temple” and remains a popular favorite among Cantonese Opera lovers.

On April 28th, 2009 the new sculpture garden at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge will open to the public. The most accomplished and well respected artists alive and working today, will have their work displayed. Helaine Blumefield, a sculptor herself, and Timothy Potts, the director for the museum selected works that will be exhibited and will commemorate the first annual show of contemporary sculpture. The show will take place on the beautiful lawns of the museum, and is destined to become the heart of dynamic contemporary art in all of Cambridge, England. The anticipated show is expected to draw art lovers from all over the world, which is great for the museum itself, the artists, and the businesses, including the restaurants and Cambridge hotel in the surrounding neighborhoods. This is also expected to animate and enhance the historical architecture of the buildings with new life and create the energy that modern art is so known to do. It will draw people inside the museum as well, as the beautiful works on the lawn will serve to create curiosity and interest of the treasures contained inside. It will promote the philosophy of the museum that is, past works and modern works are equally appreciated and admired.

The exhibit is free to the public. Their are eight contemporary artists with works in the show, including Diane Maclean, Terry New, and Wu Wei-Shan, to name a couple. Administrators of the museum are thrilled at the prospect of exposing the public to the beauty and craft of the art of sculpture, and to creating a greater awareness of the medium of clay, stone and bronze. The project has been made possible by the collaboration of the museum with the Royal British Society of Sculptors. An organization with same philosophy and ethos as the museum. The previous exhibition was that of the works of Henry Moore, which had been on display for the last three years. This show will be the largest and the most significant to date. Of interest is the juxtaposition of the contrasting neo-classical architecture of the museum and the modern and contemporary works installed on the grounds. This will become one of the must-see destinations for the city of Cambridge and will generation attention from the art world, and the world in general.