International tourists participate at Taunggyi Hotair Balloon Festival

The November fullmoon is an important date in Myanmar tourist calendar, especially for those wishing to visit Taunggyi, Lake Inle and its environs.

During this period there are many colourful and enchanting festivals at Taunggyi. One of the most famous is the Hotair Balloon Competition where hotair balloons of various sizes, shapes and figures are sent up into the sky both in competition and sheer joy. The competition is divided into two parts: a daytime competition and night-time competition.

Balloons sent up during the daytime are small but nevertheless they are diverse. There are cows, elephants, birds and even rhinoceroses sailing up into the sky. They may be alone or in pairs or even in groups of 4 or 5 balloons. The balloons that are sent up at night are huge, some measuring more than 30 feet in diameter and 60-70 feet high. They are hung with many small glass-paper lanterns on the outside and teams must race to finish lighting them up in stipulated period. As they fly up pyrotechnics displays are released against the dark background. Marks are given for the creativity, flight patterns, outside decorations, the ability to complete all tasks in stipulated time etc. But whatever the results everyone has a goodtime, including many tourists.
I am pleased to direct this blog to know more about Taunggyi Tazaung Daing.
This year, they did do webcast successfully and we have to know about competed hot air ballon of 301 and it is 64 more than last year.


Parade Of Lights Lit Up Taunggyi

On the evening of the November Fullmoon evening the whole of Taunggyi is lit up. Teams from all the residential wards of Taunggyi line up along the main road with decorated floats with scenes from the Jataka (the Holy Life of Lord Buddha) or with small lanterns in their hands. The snaked their way through the town to the Sulamuni Lawka Chantha Pagoda at the other end of the town to pay homage to the Buddha on this auspicious day. This is a tradition that has been observed in Taunggyi throughout the years.



Kahtein or the Offering of Holy Robes to the Monks.

After 3 months of monsoon the robes of the monks had become soiled and Lord Buddha had permitted the laity to offer new holy robes to them. This tradition has been carried on throughout the whole Buddhist world including Myanmar. But the ceremony of offering holy robes to the monks takes on a special significance in Taunggyi. On the eve of the Fullmoon day of November all the residential quarters of Taunggyi gather along the main road with their offerings to congregate at the main Ordination Hall in the centre of the town. The offerings include not only holy robes but also other necessary items for the monks like blankets, towels and medicines etc. These are hung on decorated frames and carried on the shoulders of the participants. The whole procession proceeds towards the main Ordination Hall accompanied by native music troupes with much dancing and chanting of the Holy Scriptures. All the offerings are deposited in front of the Hall where lots are drawn between the many monasteries around the town to divide the offerings.

Kenya: Anyone for some tea?

This is my first post on this blog and I hope that it will be a good experience for me and all of you.

I also blog at Afro_puffs, so check it out wwhen you have some time and tell me how it is.

Right now here in Kenya we are in elections mode, that is every other person is involved in campaigns rooting for their man/woman to win.

I stay in a place called Kericho in the Rift Valley province and this is the tea growing capital of the world.

anyone for some tea?

Yesterday evening I came across this lady going about her business of plucking tea and I thought I would share it with you guys.

Cheers.

Visitors from certain countries will require yellow fever vaccination

Entry to Costa Rica may be denied if they don't comply

(Inside Costa Rica) - Beginning on Friday November 30 Costa Rica's immigration service will be requiring visitors arriving from a select group of countries to have a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever before they can step on Costa Rican soil.

The countries affected by the regulation are Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and French Guyana from South America and from Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, and Nigeria.

Affected by the regulations are Costa Rican residents who travel to countries on the list, requiring a certificate to re-enter Costa Rica.

The certificate has to be obtained at least 10 days before arriving or returning to Costa Rica, as this is the incubation period for the vaccine, according to Costa Rican immigration officials.

Residents in Costa Rica can get vaccinated in Costa Rica before they leave for a visit to a listed country. The problem is that the vaccine is not currently available in Costa Rica. Pharmacies and hospitals do not have a supply of the vaccine and health officials say it won't be available at least until next January when a shipment is expected.

For residents in Costa Rica it will mean they will need to obtain a certificate of exemption prior to travel since there is no vaccine available, otherwise they will have to obtain one in the country of origin and may have to extend their visit to wait for the incubation period.

Mario Zamora, director pf Migración, said that the measure will be strictly adhered to and his officials will refuse entry to anyone who does not present the certificate.

Bricks.......

Sorry I haven’t blogged in so long- a change in situation is responsible! I am working now :)

This week has seen a major cash shortage in Zim. The last one was in 2003, with scenes reminiscent of a similar situation in Argentina- long queues outside banks, banks not opening their doors because they had no cash, and no money in ATM machines. This week’s shortage is better than that one, in that you can get cash SOMETIMES- in small denominations (Z$500 when the largest denomination is Z$100,000), which you get in the form of a sealed stack (commonly called a “brick” here) from the bank. People have taken to carting these “bricks” (unopened) straight to the supermarkets, or to the various queues one has to join at the end of the month (to pay utility bills); so everyone is a courier! You see people lugging around plastic bags, or travel bags, with these bricks wrapped in newspaper (for a measure of security- but everyone knows what they are). I would show you a picture of one- except I do not see myself queuing for hours to get cash - I am not that hardy! I am told, too, that you can get a maximum of five million dollars only- enough for four cans of baked beans and a bit over.

Most people in Zim are “unbanked”- do not have a bank account- and keep large amounts of cash at home. Practically no one uses a debit or credit card, and bank accounts are expensive to run (the charges are high). Only a few people have cheque [check :)] books. This is one of the reasons for the cash shortage. The other reason, of course, is inflation. I would tell you what it is, but apparently our statistics office cannot release figures for this month because there are no goods in the shops! A conservative estimate is 15,000%; some think it is closer to 60,000%.

Still… Some food is back in the shops. A 2 kg packet of chicken pieces costs about Z$9,000,000, while 2 kg of rice costs about Z$14,000,000- same as a government doctor’s salary.

The Purísima in Nicaragua

The Purisima is a feast of the Virgin Mary that is celebrated between November 28th and December 8th. The culmination is on December 7th, with the Griteria (shouting). It is the most popular feast of the year for the majority of Nicaraguans.

The Purisima is a nine-day devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary which takes place between November 28 and December 6. December 8 is the actual feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the Purisima, as it is called here. The people have made Mary the patron saint of Nicaragua. At this time, they gather together with families and friends to pray the novena and sing to the Virgin. The Purisima is characterized by its joyfulness.

The singing and distribution of fruits, candies and other treats creates a spirit of happiness that builds up throughout the nine-day period. The eighth night is the “gritería” (shouting) and is the most special of all. In mid-afternoon, the children are already gathering in the streets. With bags in their hands, they talk of the treats they will receive.

That night children and adults alike go to every house that celebrates the Purisima, yelling out “Quién causa tanta alegría?” (who causes so much joy?) and answering “La concepción de María” (Mary Immaculate!). As the children sing to the Virgin, their neighbors give them a treat and they head off to the next house.

UN Human Development report for 2007

The United Nations Development Program has released it's latest report. They say:

Human development is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a means —if a very important one —of enlarging people’s choices.

Fundamental to enlarging these choices is building human capabilities —the range of things that people can do or be in life. The most basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of the community. Without these, many choices are simply not available, and many opportunities in life remain inaccessible.

Country rankings and the entire report is available here:
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

How do you feel about your country's ranking?

Lebanon: Maxime Chaya - Three Poles Challenge

Maxime Chaya is currently attempting an unassisted (on skis without dogs) and unsupported (without re-supplies) crossing of Antarctica, from the Hercules Inlet to the South Pole (1130 km). Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents.

This crossing, for Maxime, will be the second milestone of the Three Poles Challenge. The first was completed when he raised, for the first time in history, the Lebanese flag on the summit of Mount Everest. The third is going to be the North Pole.

Completing this challenge will place Maxime with a handful of people who have achieved this seemingly impossible task.

Maxime Chaya was officially nominated a Seven “Summiteer” on May 15, 2006, after having conquered the 7 Summits - the highest peaks on the seven continents.

Maxime Chaya is blogging his adventure at thethreepoles.com

Caldera Port receives huge cruise liner

The cruise liner Island Princess, with more than 2.000 tourists on board, docked at Caldera yesterday, shutting down docking operations at the Costa Rican Pacific port. Cruise ships normally dock in Puntarenas, which cannot accommodate ships the size of the Island Princess at more than 300 metres in length. The fee for docking is $5,000 and the estimated loss to the dock for the 12 hour shutdown is $25,000.

Michelin Guide Tokyo

First in Asia, Michelin Guide Tokyo'll be published tomorrow.

This Monday, outline of the guide was released.

There are 8 three stars restaurants in Tokyo.

I proudly introduce you the best restaurants in Tokyo.

Of course?? , I've never been to any of them.. (>_<)

• Kanda (Japanese)
• Quintessence (French)
• Koju (Japanese)
• Joel Robuchon (French)
• Sukiyabashi Jiro (Japanese)
• Sushi Mizutani (Japanese)
• Hamadaya (Japanese)
• Losier (French)
  

The Paradise of Cats

More than 30 cats are altogether. They all wait for to be feed. Meal time is coming. The watching them is very enjoyable. They all in public park.

Family Plots

In many places in the USA, you can find small, family cemeteries. These were started when people lived far apart and the family used a hillside or grove of trees on their farm or ranch to bury their loved ones. Some of these have been abandoned or lost, but many are still marked and maintained, and a few even remain in use.
I stopped one rainy day and walked among the headstones at the East Cemetery in Huntsville AL, taking some pictures. Then I found the listing for it on the internet. This map shows how the small cemetery has been surrounded by a highway interchange and a shopping center parking lot. But it is fenced and maintained, and the latest burial was just last year.

Costa Rica's Paulo Wanchope retires

Costa Rican international striker Paulo Wanchope retired from football Friday, ending a 12-year career plagued by injuries after completing the Major League Soccer season for the Chicago Fire.

Wanchope, 31, has played for nine teams in seven nations but said his body can no longer handle the punishment.

"I always gave 100 percent to do things as well as possible," Wanchope said. "Sadly, my last performances were far from good enough and I have taken the decision to retire.

"It was a difficult decision to take, but it has to be taken. The truth is that in the last six months, I had to make a great effort to recover after games and training."

Knee injuries slowed Wanchope, who scored 45 goals in 75 caps since starting his pro career in Costa Rica in 1994.

Wanchope played for Derby County starting in 1997 before shifting to English Premiership rivals West Ham United and Manchester City. He also played for Malaga, Al-Gharrafa, FC Tokyo and Rosario Central.

Made in Romania - Photos

I’ve found something good, something “made in Romania” so I’ll share it with you. Here’s a Romanian photographer’s site that I like a lot: www.photodesign.ro The guy has traveled many places so you can find here pictures from Peru, India, and… I don’t know, some other  My text stops here so I let you enjoy these images.

For other pictures from all around Romania I recommend you the following photo-blog
www.iloveyouromania.blogspot.com

Modified hooks saving turtles

A fisherman measures a Ridley turtle caught off Costa Rica's Pacific coast in Puntarenas, the west of the capital San Jose, November 12, 2007. The turtle was returned alive to the sea because of an innovative hook being introduced to long-line fish fleets to reduce the by-catch of turtles, birds and marine mammals. Picture taken November 12, 2007. (Miguel Imbach/WWF/Handout/Reuters)

Egypt mourning her Comedian

The great Egyptian Comedian, Younis Shalabi, died today, after a long struggle with heart problems , diabetes and other ailments! The 66-year-old actor was also known for "Bougee" (the puppet displayed with him in the photo) whom all children of my generation and till now adore , in the famous children's puppet's show "Bougee and TamTam"

.

.

The great actor has also been eternalised in great plays and movies, and left his fingerprint upon the Egyptian cinema and theatre!

.

.

God rest his soul in peace, the humble man, the one who drew the smile upon our faces... and has been a landmark in the Egyptian Comedy!

English-language school NOVA was bankrupt

NOVA was one of the most famous and the biggest English-language school in Japan.
Its catch-phrase was EKIMAE RYUGAKU which means "study abroad at your nearest station",which is contradictory phrase.
It had 550 schools which included many schools located near a station and more than 5000 teachers,and 360 thousand students.

NOVA was bankrupt. Many teachers from abroad lost their jobs.

But today, one company starts succeeding the business of NOVA.
The news says that the company employs 1760 teachers and staff members.

I'm sorry that I can't see the NOVA's official mascot "NOVA USAGI(NOVA rabbit)" any more.

We are the Champions

Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive du Sahel shocked holders Al Ahly of Egypt in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final in Cairo, winning 3-1 to claim Africa’s most prestigious club competition for the first time in their history.
Goals from Afouene Gharbi, Amine Chermiti and Mohamed Ali Nafkha for ESS and Emad Nahhas for Al Ahly.

Source: Link

Haitian-Dominican Friendship Rally

More than 100 Bikers from the Dominican Republic with guests from Puerto Rico, Italy and the United States of America, are currently in Haiti taking part in a Friendship Rally organized by the Hispaniola Riders Club of Haiti. The Dominican bikers participating in the rally are members of Harley Davidson clubs in the Dominican Republic. They came from Santo Domingo by road to visit Haiti. They arrived on Friday November 9th.

I caught them on my phone camera (I'm sorry for the bad quality of the photo) as they were getting out of their Hotel this morning and heading for Port-au-Prince where they will be riding the streets. There will also be a bike expo and many other activities before the bikers go back to the Dominican Republic.

You can read more about the rally in spanish here.

After a New Record..!

Will we take another photo as this tonight?!

.

.

Tonight, the prominent Egyptian team ,el Ahly,will encounter Etoile Sahel of Tunisia in the finals of African Champions' League (CAF) and later being promoted to travel to Japan for a world title !

The question is who'd represent Africa in Japan?!

Will el Ahly bring back the cup home for the third successive time, and overall of six victories?

Or is it ESS of Tunisia taking revenge and finally restoring the title after being deprived of the Cup at the hands of Ahly for two years now?!
Etoile Sahel play in their third Champions League final in the last four years now, but have never won African football's top club prize.
.

.
The game is held in Cairo Stadium; will the Egyptian Red Devils ( as el Ahly is called) disappoint 72 million Egyptians tonight?!

_____

Learn more about tonight's Friday match at CAF's official website here

Lebanon: Facts, Sights and Scenes

This less-than-ten-minutes-video begins the first two minute with some information about Lebanon. The rest of it are beautiful scenes and sights from around the country. The video shows the beautiful parts only, ofcourse :-) since we like to show our good side. I hope you enjoy the scenes and the music that accompany them.

IZAKAYA and my friends

Where do you go to drink in Japan?
I recommend you IZAKAYA.

You can enjoy Japanese local food and Japanese SAKE or SHOCHU,and of course beers.

I drank with my friends at the IZAKAYA one of my friend runs.
I really had a good time,although I drank a bit too much and had a hangover.

The name of IZAKAYA is ICHI.
BEST FOOD AND DRINK at BEST PRICE. (a bit commercial?) (^o^)

Please visit (map is here),when you come to Japan.

Guess which guy in the photo is me.

Iron Maiden to play in Costa Rica in 2008

The British heavy metal band Iron Maiden announced their visit to Costa Rica for the first as part of a massive 21 city tour that kicks off in India and ends in Canada.

The show in Costa Rica will be on February 26, 2008 at Ricardo Saprissa stadium in Tibas. Ticket prices have yet to be announced.

The band is known for their outlandish shows that requires a Boeing 757 to carry the 12 tons of equipment and the 70 person crew.

The tour (Somewhere Back In Time) will open in Mumbai, India on Feb 1, and continue through Australia, Japan, Los Angeles and Mexico, followed by the band's first ever concerts in Costa Rica and Colombia, and then on to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rica and New York, before finishing in Toronto, Canada, on March 16th.

Over the 45 day period it is anticipated that Maiden will play to well over 400,000 fans in 21 cities in 10 countries, flying close to 50,000 miles in the specially refitted plane.

Hit by Tropical storm Noel

(pictures released by the UN forces in Haiti MINUSTAH)

Last weekend, the tropical storm Noel hit both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. My country (Haiti) was mostly affected in the southern regions by both wind and heavy continuous rains (as you can see in the pictures showing the city of Jacmel) .

In the capital, Port-au-Prince, where I live, we mostly had rains that started on Sunday evening and continued through out the week. We haven't had any sun shine since the weekend. Today, we had light rain in the morning. In some areas of the capital many house have been damage, I even hear someone reporting that his house had been taken away by the water. Unfortunately there have been deaths (about 34 were reported) as well.

The weather forecast says the sky will remain cloudy for the days to come with thunderstorms.

NICARAGUA’S LEGENDS: THE CADEJO

The cadejo. There is a good, white cadejo and an evil, black cadejo. Both are spirits that appear at night to travellers: the white to protect them from harm during their journey, the black (sometimes an incarnation of the devil), to kill them.

They usually appear in the form of a large (up to the size of a cow), shaggy dog with burning red eyes and a goat's hooves, although in some areas they have more bull-like characteristics.

According to the stories, many have tried to kill the black cadejo but have failed and perished.

Also it is said that if a cadejo is killed, it will smell terrible for several days, and then its body will disappear. The folklore also tells of a cadejo that guards drunks against anyone who tries to rob or hurt them. When the cadejo is near, it is said to bring about a strong goat-like smell. Most people say never to turn your back to the creature because otherwise you will go crazy.

In popular etymology, the name cadejo is thought to have derived from the Spanish word "cadena," meaning "chain"; the cadejo is at times represented as dragging a chain behind him.

There is a fairly large member of the weasel family, the tayra, which in common speech is called a cadejo and is cited as a possible source of the legend.

Remember, this is just a legend.

National Holliday and Fiambre

Today as in other countries we celebrate the day of the death. People go to visit their loved ones and put flowers to the cemetary and prepare a special dish called Fiambre. I can't give you the recipe because I don't have a clue of how is made but in very very short words is a mix of a lot of different vegetebles and meats. Not everyone is keen of this special dish but many people likes it.

Just Chilling

Winter is knocking the doors in Cairo! Away from the stressful week I've had and the more to come, I close my eyes and travel south to Luxor and Aswan where the Sun is dancing upon the page of the Nile! There, I'll be embraced with my great grandfathers, the pharaohs. I'll whisper the Nile with all that my heart bears! I'll be part of the ancient Egyptian realm, with Greeks and Romans marching towards the temple of Karnak! I'll be wrapped up with the mystery of the Pharaoh's Curse and the open tombs and the lying mummies of great kings and queens who once ruled that country and carved their names in gold in history! I'll enjoy the sublime of being in the presence of Ramsis and Hatshepsut and sing folk songs, calling on the ancestors for their resurrection to tell us about their stories, accompanied with the harp's singing!
.
.
But eventually, I'm being kissed by the Cairene raindrops to wake up and start a new strenuous week!

___

P.S. The photo displayed is from my Album there in Karnak in Luxor, Last Winter!