Bob Travel

One of the aspects of the culture on the island of Singapore is the love of food, from the fine cuisine found in a top Singapore restaurant, to the hearty dishes found in the food malls and the hawker stands in the open air markets.  Every festival, every celebration includes feasts that delight with foods and the flavors from the various cultures that make up the diverse society of Singapore.  One of the most anticipated events, for those living on the island, and those tourists and visitors who have experienced it before, is the Singapore Food Festival.  This year marked the sixteenth annual festival which ran from July17 through the 26th.  This is a time when culture meets food, and food is celebrated by the culture.

The focus this year was Peranakan cuisine.  Opening ceremonies included a parade which consisted of more than two hundred Peranakan’s dressed in traditional clothing and heading out through all the streets of downtown Singapore and meeting up at the Clarke Quay to begin the festival.  One of the greatest moments of this year’s festival was the finale, the Peranakan Buffet.  This was a table set up that ran the entire length of the Read Bridge and offered up more than one hundred different dishes, all under the night sky.  The Peranakan society is made up of a blend of Malay, European, and Chinese descent.  This is one of Singapore’s groups that evolved about three hundred years ago.

Many events that highlight the culture took place, as well as the events that were taking place throughout the entire island in Little India, Chinatown, and in the cultural heart of the city, the Kampong Glam Malay.  The theme throughout each of the neighborhoods was ’supper’ a meal that is one of the most celebrated and loved by Singaporeans.  During the festival, Read Bridge becomes known as Food Street and is open each day from 4 to 11pm.  Many enjoy the flavors of the various restaurants and chefs of Singapore, taking breaks from the dining every now and then to visit the stalls of the Singapore River Market for shopping.  Workshops were also provided, with the use of a full kitchen that was moved from location to location around the island.  In all, this last festival was a huge success and has people excited for the 17th annual Singapore Food Festival next year.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Singapore and do an insect study among the mangroves for my highschool science project. My parents had some business to conduct there, so I got to tag along. We stayed at one of the 5 Star Singapore Hotels for a whole week, which gave me plenty of time everyday to work up a field study where the insect has been relatively poorly studied, and the possibility for a scientific discovery sparked me on.

I found that the most common insect in the mangroves are the invertebrate with wings, but there are many ground-dwelling ones also which are definitely wingless. All insects that have a single pair of antennae and tree pairs of legs and adults have a body divided into three parts: the head, the thorax and the abdomen. Though numerous in the Singapore mangroves, insects are much less obvious tot he casual visitor. Their diversity is so huge that little is known about many of them. The beetles is definitely the most of the most common insect and the most noticeable. Then there’s the moths and butterflies, the flies, ants, termites and finally the crickets and grasshoppers.

I consider the Springtails common in the mangroves, but most biologists do not regard them as a true insect. Now, young insects such as the caterpillars, grubs, maggots and wrigglers which a more frequent term to call them is larvae are more frequently seen than the adults. But, I found it difficult to know what a larvae becomes after its metamorphosis. The only way to really know is to rear them to the adult stage. I noticed that quite often all I ever did observe was the damage the insects left behind on the leave of a tree or bush. But, this was good enough for me, because each eaten leave was the insects characteristic signature. I had a great time identifying which insect ate what leaf.

May whole week in the mangroves was the best week of my life. I could’ve spent all my time there just cataloguing and observing the wonderful world of insects, but alas, my parents yanked me back to the real world of school and family.

It’s  10 am Sunday in  Singapore and I decide to make a day of it. I first take a shower at one of the Best Hotels in Singapore and then dress appropriately enough which will suit any time of day. A nice summer dress with a jacket that can be worn or not, it depends on where I am.

First, I decide to have lunch at PS Cafe and order bacon and an egg with asparagus sandwich. I found to place to have a nice airy atmosphere which overlooks the greenery of Dempsey Road. Then after finishing one of the best slices of cake in town, I head for the Asian Civilizations Museum. I’m so glad I was wearing that summer dress because even before noon it’s hot. But, when I enter the museum, I’m so glad I have my jacket because the building is air-conditioned and it’s freezing inside. I got to see the collection of cultural relics and some of Singapore’s history. The highlight of the museum was the artifacts from Java’s early Hindu kingdoms, the beautiful Chinese porcelain and the Islamic art. I spent a good 3 hours inside and it was nice to walk off most of my brunch.

I went next door of the museum and ate at the exquisite Indochine which is right on the Singapore River. It’s a South-Eastern Asian fusion kind of cuisine. It was hard to choose what to eat, so many things sounded really good, like the shrimp and pomelo salad, the mussels with lemongrass or the French beef stew. I ended up ordering the spicy beef rendang and vegetables in a coconut gravy. Man, was I stuffed, maybe I didn’t walk off all of my brunch. So, I did some more walking and came upon Chinatown and I stopped in one shop offering to read my fortune and massage my feet at the same time!  My fortune was I’d meet a tall handsome man on my journey today. That sounded good to me!

So, I continued ‘my journey’ and headed on up to Mount Faber to take a cable car ride to Sentosa Island. The view over the sea was spectacular. Apparently, on Sentosa, I could play golf. Maybe that’s where I’d meet my ‘Tall handsome man’. I rented some clubs and went to the practice range to hit a bucket of balls. I spent well over an hour with no site of my handsome man. It was about dinner time and I was once again hungry. So, I took the cable car back and had a scrumptious dinner at East Coast’s outdoor seafood restaurant. Still all by myself, but then again, my waiter was a tall handsome man with a delicious smile. Alas, I still ended up coming back to my hotel room alone. All in All though, I did make a day of Sunday.

Looking for the best hotels that rank up in the category of five-star?  Singapore has lots of options to keep the world’s most discerning travelers happy.  There is a splendid combination of old and new here that make for an exquisite and uniquely novel experience in accommodation.  Cutting edge contemporary design is coupled with details from antiquity, and this makes for a constantly unfolding sense of style that is hard to match in any other city.  Singapore is an extremely unique country, and its urban centers are concentrations of this unique energy, that make for a constantly interesting and vibrant cityscape.

There are artists and writers and intellectuals who haunt the streets here, making it a hotspot for urban culture.  Designers and fashion critics move together in concentric circles, commenting on culture and making culture.  And there are other individuals who work to make their lives a work of art.  One local who falls outside of every category and makes his own is Jeffrey Tan, the singing cabbie.  His cab is for rent for $35 an hour, and it’s not the luxury and style of his 4-passenger vehicle, it’s the driver himself who is the attraction here.

Jeffrey Tan sings.  He’s not like the cabdriver who sings to himself to a tune only he can hear, but his work is to sing for the passengers.  Sometimes billing himself as a kind of traveling karaoke bar, Jeffrey Tan can sing thousands of songs, in eight languages.  He specializes in keeping his passengers entertained, and has found a truly unique way to do it.  If you should get tired of his voice, he’ll plug into his state of the art karaoke machine and you and your party can do your own karaoke.  The possibilities here are staggering, and endless fun.  If your destination is often the journey itself, this might be one of those perfect details that make life worth living.

Earlier in the day, Seth invited Bev to a picnic, not know if she’d accept, for he just met her last night at a five minute dating event sponsored by a Singapore Fine Dining restaurant. When he sat down at her table, hers being the last for the evening, he instantly fell in love. He did his best to not show it, as to not scare her away. But all it took for Seth was one look into her hazel eyes, her luscious lips and her long brown hair to know this was to be his wife and mother of his children.

The night before, his friends had to drag him kicking and screaming to this new speed dating fad. He didn’t feel like seeing another female for the rest of his life. He had just broken up with the love of his life, or so he thought, but when he found her texting love notes to another man, his heart stop beating, he stopped breathing, he just stopped all together. He didn’t leave the bedroom of his home, he didn’t call into work, he didn’t eat. Seth just stopped. Stopped. His friends, knowing how easily he falls in love, were not too worried about him, they had a plan. One that always works, for this isn’t the first time Seth has stopped being and they know it won’t be his last, but they do know how to make him start again. Another beautiful female. That’s all it takes.

At this moment, Seth has started again as white fluffy clouds form above one puff of fluff at a time, creating what looks like an oddly shaped lizard shadow floating along along with out a care in this world, then disappears up and over a nearby hill.  Black ants busily go to and fro in one continuous line across the picnic blanket to where the opened and almost empty picnic basket is and where the oblivious young and hopelessly in love Seth and his new girlfriend Bev are in the thralls of loves desires. A gentle breeze as taken a fancy to the used napkins carelessly left on top of paper plates stained with the various colors of the food that was earlier placed there and then hastily consumed. Green hills roll around and caress down and around conspiring a form of easy bliss and passion for the young lovers union. Seth is in love, again.

A Television, a working Ipod and a painting of a Seaside villa. This is what can be found when dumpster diving in any major city in the United States. Many people can even pick up abandoned furniture on the street, but the better finds are definitely in the dumpster of any Condominium Complex in a small rural town or even the back dumpsters of a New York USA Hotel.  Many who dumpster dive, go to the dumpsters behind grocery stores; they can find a lot of eatable produce. Even dumpsters behind bakeries will provide one with that day’s bagels.

What was once deemed a repugnant act, dumpster diving has gained a broad-based appeal among all parts of society. Due, mainly to the fact of this down-turn in the economy. Although the majority of people dumpster dive for just the possible thrill of finding something very valuable, there are others who dumpster dive for the necessity of finding food tossed because of it’s expiration date and other reasons like making the public aware of how much it is truly wasting with over consumption. They also bring awareness for the need of better recycling. Nevertheless, rummaging through the pungent ripe garbage isn’t always what describes a dumpster diver. A group in Singapore, called the Karung guni, take the art of dumpster diving to a whole new level. The group members go around door to door asking for garbage and any other unwanted goods. Truly, this is much better than digging through the putrid muck of the dumpster, but it doesn’t have the flare of anticipation and the build up of excitement in what will be found. And the great stories one can tell when at a party or a coffee shop about the particular find. Not only to tell the story, but to watch the surprised or disgusted look on the listeners face.

An new growing sub-culture which has popped-up is the ‘freegan’. The word is a combination of ‘vegan’ and ‘free’. The concept caught on even with meat eaters. It’s a way of life; people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste. The popularity of the freegan has moved into the corporate world, many business people disillusioned with corporate life and corporate waste and spending have left the corporate world and created what is known as simply living and have taken the gauntlet and have incorporated the freegan lifestyle.

Communication in Singapore is essential.  Singaporeans are very group oriented and dependent, and one of the forms of communication that is relied upon heavily, are the non-verbal cues and indicators.  Tone of voice, the posture, and various facial expressions speak louder than words many times.  Many of those holding conversations in the city and at the best Singapore hotels and restaurants, the locals will often take into consideration these verbal cues as indications of one’s sincerity and honesty.  When conversing, Singaporeans are extremely subtle, and a bit indirect in their conversations.  Rarely will they demand, but they will imply and drop hints.  They feel that direct statements may result in the other person ‘losing face’.  This is a huge concern in Singapore, the idea of losing and saving face.

When questioned, a Singaporean will rarely if ever, say ‘no’.  Their response is usually a positive statement, such as “I will try”…this again is an attempt to maintain communicative harmony and allows both parties to ’save face’.  Maintaining harmonious relationships is of utmost importance in the city.  One element that is very important in this culture, is silence.  One need not rush into a conversation here, in fact it is considered polite and respectful, to pause before answering questions, as this silence indicates that one is seriously thinking about the question and their answer to follow.  They appreciate considered thought.  Many foreigners from the western countries are often unaware that by hastily rushing questions and answers, their Singaporean friends are being offended.  Many times they see this as rude and thoughtless, and will create unfortunate misunderstandings.  It is a slower, more considerate way of communicating when one is traveling through Singapore.

There is no place like Singapore, and for luxury travel, Singapore offers internationally-recognized top-shelf delights. There is more to see in one hour than most places offer in one day, and the sites are as plentiful as they are welcoming. A place that has been in touch with the world at large for centuries, there is a long tradition here of making strangers feel welcome.

There is also a tradition of innovation, where the place’s access to culture and languages through trade has made it a unique center for art and ideas. There is an interesting artistic revolution going on on the island, and it’s something that’s made the international art scene stand up and take notice. There are scores and scores of new, local artists, who are finding their voices for expression here. There are also a number of internationally known artists who are finding galleries here to show their work. One of these is Chinese artist Zhou Chinya.

Zhou Chinya, whose work has an interestingly classical focus, graduated from Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts in 1982, and has another degree in experimental art from Kassell, Germany, in 1988. Ever since, has been painting elaborate landscapes that have a rhythm and poise that are startlingly dense. His work has been extremely well-received in the Asian art world and the world at large. It has also undergone a very interesting metamorphosis in the past ten years. He has been painting his German Shephard, his favorite dog, apparently, rather obsessively. Zhou Chinya’s green dog paintings are attracting a lot of attention, and not just because the dog is always green, and the tongue is always red, but because it also signals a change in direction in Zhou Chinya’s work. This is perhaps reflective of the large cultural changes not only in the Asian art world, but in contemporary culture, and leave an expansive sense of ambiguity that only a walk into the future might clarify.

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.

The government of Singapore has made a long term investment in the economic future of the the city-state. A $100 million dollar investment that will provide and increase in tourism and the economic boosts for local businesses and five star hotels in Singapore for the next five years. Downtown Singapore has become the host of the F1 Grand Prix for five years, with the first historic race occurring last November. Historic as it was the first time the race had taken place at night, giving many countries the opportunity to watch the race live in their particular time zones, on a Sunday afternoon. This alone boosted the marketing and the sponsorships. Innovative lighten systems were created which brightened up the city streets by four times the amount of that which is seen during other night time sporting events such as football or baseball games. With the global economy struggling, the investment made by the government was and will continue to be a very wise decision.

Despite initial concerns over the inconvenience caused on the downtown streets in the days leading up to and following the race and the disruptions in regular traffic, the benefit of the race far out-weighed the initial cost of the investment and traffic jams. Last November the tourism industry in Singapore experienced increases on many levels, from increased airline sales, to sold out hotels rooms. Local retail and service industries were also made aware of the fact that so many people traveled to Singapore for the race and that they were willing to spend a lot of money in the stores and restaurants throughout the city. Party and convention venues benefited as well as the many corporate sponsors for the event. And the city of Singapore benefited in more ways than just economically, as this particular city and their government have been attempting to dispel the idea of old Singapore, the conservative and sometimes thought, to strict run of a society. The government is hoping that the rest of Europe and the world for that matter, will begin to see that along with the financial district and business corporations, there is much more to the city, and much more that is so much fun.

Today, on March 28th in the year of 2009 history is being made. For perhaps one of the first times recorded the people of the world are actually coming together to ‘vote’ on an issue that far spans political ideology or religious differences. The people of the world will cast their vote tonight, for one hour, with the intent to bring to the forefront of thought and concern, the protection and conservation of the planet and her resources. This stands out, more so even than the last U.S. Presidential election, for just as the United States needed Barack Obama, the world and her inhabitants need this vote, this election.

Begun as a simple statement in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and very quickly spreading to cities such as Manhattan and San Francisco, this simple idea took on world proportions, with Singapore luxury hotels and those in Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and Los Angeles taking part. And yes, perhaps it is fashionable to be green. Well, if now is the time, better late than never. From the time of 8:30pm to 9:30pm, citizens around the world are encouraged to participate, by simply turning out the lights. Many cities are providing entertainment as a celebration of this global coming together. In Singapore, the Esplanade is hosting a party, with food and concerts to last through the night, far surpassing the one hour without electricity.

Expected participation of the world-wide one hour blackout, is to exceed one billion, far surpassing the the original 50 million taking part in 2007. In the early years of the 2000’s, those living in the Los Angeles area experienced ‘brown-outs’. A last resort to combat over-used and over-taxed energy companies. Left in the middle of a twelve lane intersection, at Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive during rush hour in July is not a comfortable position to be placed in. Tonight, that blackout will be in each individuals’ control. In order to fix and maintain, control must be felt from within. For not only is it a bit more predictable and less dangerous than submitting to governmental control in the middle of an intersection in one of the world’s largest and most congested cities, it promotes a sense of responsibility. To each of us that pass each other on the street, as well as those we affect throughout and around the world.

Singapore has had a growing tourism industry for many years.  Rates of immigration and visitors wanting to be involved in the business sector alone have brought millions to the city.  Last month, however, preparing for the global trend of consumers, travelers and big businesses tighten spending, the Board of Tourism for the Island proposed a program that would insure the continued growth and strength of tourism for the city.  Times in all sectors of all businesses world wide have been feeling the economic crunch and of the public and their concern and lowered spending on all items and services the past few years.  In February the Board held a conference discussing the fact that more hard times are ahead and are likely to remain difficult for some time.  Wishing to preempt the economic losses and wanting to help the people of Singapore secure the jobs that they still hold, their proposal will put Ninety Million dollars into the sector of tourism.  In hopes of providing secure futures for the service industries such as restaurants, convention centers and Singapore luxury hotels.

The convention drew a number of participants, over 450 members of the various companies that provide services to the the travelers coming to Singapore for vacation or for business trips.  Their goal for 2009 is to so insure that jobs will be saved and that the industry remains a viable and successful one.  Part of this is to remain one of the regions top entertainment cities and continue the draw for international interest in the philosophy and the dedication to the Singaporean work ethic.  The people of Singapore have had one of the top lifestyles compared to other cities of their caliber, for along with big business the people enjoy some of the best school systems,  public health care and are living in a city that while the population is growing the crime rate is falling.  For the people living and working there, this is good for as the hard times of this economic crunch has not drastically affected that life style, no one is sure about what the future holds.  Still, this is a city that is not waiting for disaster and massive job losses, they are finding solutions for these times before the problems actually arise.

Kermit the Frog, the icon created by Jim Henson, once sang that “it ain’t easy being green”.  Well, Singaporeans are discovering that that is true to a certain extent.  The Economic Development Board of Singapore recently released a statement that there are over 1,000 jobs available right now in the industry of clean, or green, technology, however there is a shortage of qualified Singaporeans to fill those jobs.  Most of the jobs are at the wind energy and solar panel plants.

The main company looking for talent is Vesta, who now employs people from over twenty different companies.  The desire is to fill the positions with people from Singapore.  The economic recession of the United States is affecting all corners of the world, affecting the production of new plants and new endeavours in the quest for alternative energy sources.  But various government programs and specialized bank loans may come to the rescue.  For now, the research and development divisions locally invested financially and environmentally, are hiring like crazy, for the days when the funding is available.  The clean technology industry is the fasting growing industry, perhaps due to the fact that it really is a life or death situation.  From the conversion to water saving devices and solar panels by luxury Singapore business hotels to the individual businesses themselves, all sectors of Singapore have begun to take part in the attempt to save the planet.

According to the New Energy Finance group, the one sector wherein investments are actually up rather than down in this economy, is the energy aware and sustainable resource sector.  Singapore has long been known and admired for their savvy business interactions and the dedication of the workers in various business and industry ventures, so it’s no surprise that they are noticing a niche here that needs to be filled. Not only for financial rewards, but environmental rewards as well.  More than 650 billion dollars have been invested in the research and development to date.  International businesses are beginning to relocate to Singapore, a trend that has happened in the past in regards to the world of marketing and finance, but now is environmental.  The advanced technology from past endeavours only serves to enhance and expedite discoveries in the eco-friendly business and development.  Singapore is the right place, and this is the right time for such developments to take place.  As the world and all her inhabitants are depending on new ways, green ways, lives are depending on it.

The island of Singapore is a growing population, with more international businesses moving to the country and a booming tourist economy.  The congestion in the downtown business district became a concern about ten years ago, when the Census indicated that about half of the residents use the various options of public transportation, and that that number was slipping as more and more of the population began using personal means.  Traffic jams and congestion were becoming a problem, as more people were going to more places, be it between meetings, or to the various tourist attractions and shopping malls and any number of one of the top Singapore hotels.  The goal of the government was to insure that within the decade up to, and at least 75% of the population taking public transportation.

Now, at the beginning of the century, the rickshaw, and then trishaws were the main form of transportation.  And while those are still available today, they are most certainly for tourists.  For a night out on the town, this form of transportation is perfect, a bit of history and tradition, as in the horse drawn carriages in Manhattan’s Central Park.  But just as it would be time consuming and ridiculous to take a carriage to work in Times Square, the rickshaw is just not an efficient way for everyday travel.  One of the first projects intended to relieve the congestion in the central business district was to make it possible and attractive for people to move out of the city.  Expressways were built with the hopes that the fast way in and out of the city the expressways would provide, that people would move to the suburbs and commute.  Well, now the commuters have created traffic jams, as in any major city with the population commuted to work.

Singapore now has railway mass transit with three tracks built.  The fourth, a circle line, is hoped to be completed by the end of 2010.  In the downtown area there is one light rail and a number of bus routes that ease a bit of the over-population on the roads.

Lee Hsien Loong became the third prime minister of Singapore, following his father.  Loong was born in 1952 and spent his life observing the work of his father.  Under his father’s care Singapore became a wealthy nation, the richest of any other country in the Asia.  Under his father’s government however, conservatism and strict laws, created a very somber tone for the people living in the city.  There were laws that governed the chewing of gum. The newspapers and television was extremely and tightly censored and capital punishment is practiced regularly and frequently.  While his father remained a voice in the government, acting as an adviser, Mr. Lee had the job of releasing such a heavy grasp on the society.  The people of Singapore desired a life more free from the oppression and control of the government.  The people are looking towards him for help with the economy, insuring the continued growth in the service and tourism sectors, providing more jobs in the restaurant industry and Singapore luxury hotels.

Lee is known to be of strong character as he has faced many personal challenges on his road to the appointment of Prime Minister.  He has received degrees from both Harvard and Cambridge.  He became a brigadier general during his time in the army, and soon became involved in politics, rising quickly in the ranks as he had done in the military.  He is known to have worked on the economy in the past and has been responsible for some of the government reforms already.  In 1982 his wife died from a heart attack related to complications during childbirth.  And while he was diagnosed with cancer, he just kept on working.  Taking on more duties when it went into remission.  Mr. Lee is part of very powerful family in Singapore and is a powerful man unto himself.  His fresh approach, new ideas and determined will have the people of Singapore looking towards the future with hope.

There are so many opportunities to experience the rich culture of Singapore and such a variety of ways to do so.  Singapore is rich in cultural heritage in its own right and completely in and of itself, and it has also become a meeting place for various festivals and traditions from all over the world.  The spirit of celebration and the love of life has become contagious and many travel to this county to experience what it is like to live if even for just a bit in the midst of such a beautiful way of living.  From various forms of performance and visual arts to culinary festivals and delights on every corner to public gardens and zoos to wellness spas to Singapore luxury hotels to wondrous beaches, Singapore has much to offer.  And it’s all in one place.  Amazing.

There are performances here that may not be seen any where else.  For instance, take a look at the Singapore Zoo.  One of the attractions is a show, wherein the performance is a bit like water ballet, amongst sharks!  The performers thrill and delight the audience with their fearlessness and beauty.  The zoo also offers culinary experiences such as sitting down to dinner with a family of orangutans or early morning brunch in the amongst the trees and the various types of tropical birds in the aviary.

Performances in Singapore abound and are not just confined to the zoo.  There are many well known theaters where one can take in world class opera, performances by the Bolshoi Ballet to the musicals from Broadway.  Interactive dinner shows are also quite popular and allow foreigners to experience the tradition more fully by wearing the elaborate costumes themselves and having their make-up done by professionals in the traditional ways.

And after such nights on the town, dining with animals or opera singers, one kind find relaxation in one of the many wellness spas on the island.  Some spas are set on the beach and some are set in herb and flower gardens as the sense of wellness in this region is all encompassing, nature, the sounds of the ocean or the birds or the aromatic scents of the gardens all play a large part in the tranquility that this island has to offer travellers from around the world.