Singapore Food Customs: Qing Ming
Coming to Singapore with high expectations for the food is one of the most reasonable things a traveler can do. There is an extraordinary food culture here, and like everything else in Singapore, part of its greatness lies in its multiplicity. The city-state is composed of citizens who have origins in India, China, and Malaysia, among other places, but these are the ethnic groups who are best represented in the cuisine. It’s possible, however, to find just about anything you’re looking for in town, with a restaurant variety that is simply stunning.
There are many customs that are owned by each ethnicity, and general customs that apply to most every situation. In most cases, it’s easy enough to simply wait until you can observe how things are done, and then just join in. It probably doesn’t take very long, however, to see that there are some customs that are more mystifying than others, and plenty of visitors raise their eyebrows at the notion of offering food for the Dead. There are a number of cultures who practice this, and feeding the ancestors after they’ve passed over is found all over the world. Ancestor worship is, after all, the most common religion on earth, although it is not formally organized, being a part of many other more formal religions.
One of the more elaborate festivals for the Dead happens here at the beginning of April. Qing Ming is a Chinese festival that honors the Dead in the cemetery with joss sticks, candles, and food offerings. It is celebrated 104 days after the Winter solstice, or 14 days before the Spring equinox, so its placement absolutely suggests that it is a tradition that has roots deep in folk culture. It is very common for families to cook their own food for their deceased loved ones , preparing favorite meals when they were among the living. This isn’t a public event, and an invitation to participate, then, is one that would have great significance, and shouldn’t be missed.
Carrie Underwood on Tour with New Opening Band
Carrie Underwood had been touring with a new opening band Sons of Sylvia. This new band is also featured on her newest CD in which she sings a duet with them. Some people liked the Sons of Sylvia better when they were the Clark Brothers.
NYC Grateful Dead Back from Beyond
Some of the greatest moments in history pass by without the participants recognizing the importance of the moment. This is true in politics as it is in art and music. In the strange case of the Grateful Dead, the fans that swelled and stayed with them throughout their touring history seemed to recognize that they were participating in something important and life-changing. It’s possible that it was their very participation that made it historical, bringing up questions about the perceiver affecting the perceived on a large scale, and these kinds of questions have entertained deadheads into the wee hours of the morning while on the road following the band.
They attracted followers wherever they went, lured by the music, the enormous charisma of the band members, and also the scene the followers brought with them. It happened in every city, but the phenomenon had a particular weight on the coasts. New York was not their home, but it was one of their centers of gravity, and New York Deads have a particular charm that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Old fans as well as young people wondering what it was all about will get a chance to revisit the days of the dead this May at the New York Historical Society .
This is as good of an excuse as any to book time in a hotel in the city , and enjoy the rest of the urban atmosphere. It will be particularly interesting, though, to hear what the active fans have to say about the exhibit. The Grateful Dead: Now Playing brings together a ton of material from the UC Santa Cruz archive, and will be one of the biggest events of the band’s career. Large marionettes will be on display, recalling some of the visual splendor of the concerts (because, let’s be honest, they didn’t move around a whole lot and we had to look at something). There will also be plenty of ephemera and memorabilia, recalling the days of sunshine daydreams and the Doodah Man.
London Globe Shakes History
There are always a hundred reasons to visit London on any given day, but there are some moments that seem a little weightier than others. The city has a fabulous mix of the past and present, with a long and complex history that’s complemented by local scenes that are nothing less than absolutely modern. Art and fashion are always up to date, and usually way ahead of the trends, and there are historic sites everywhere to make the contemporary seem uncanny.
But this fall offers something peculiarly exciting, and something that will bring even more good reasons for guests wondering about a visit here, with a stay in one of the stylish hotels that characterize the city. This would be the premiere of a new play. There are few cities in the world where new plays attract much attention these days, much to the disappointment of those whose lives are devoted to the lively art, mostly due to the sense that it’s become outdated or too expensive.
In London, however, the people know plays, and understand why live theatre is an art form that no other media could ever match. In terms of being outdated, however, it might be true, considering that the Old Globe hasn’t had a single female playwright on the boards in its 400 year history. Until now.
Nell Leyshon’s Bedlam , a costume drama that interrogates the divide between art and madness, is the first commissioned play that saw the Bard’s work back in the day. Directed by Jessica Swale, this promises to be a fairly momentous occasion, and it’s worth visiting to see part of the run. There’s not only the historical interest because of the breakthrough here, but also because Leyshon’s reputation as a writer has been growing ever since she turned to writing plays. A love story and a tragedy set in an asylum is the perfect way for her voice to move from intimate and intense, to booming, and it speaks for who we are, at this moment in time.
Wicked in Durham
Wicked is moving on and up and has made it’s way to Durham. They have been patiently waiting for over a year to get this musical into their theaters and it is finally there.More than 100 technical crew put the stage floor together. They aren’t using the theater’s normal stage because the set for Wicked travels with the show, making it easier on the actors and the sets, as there are already tracks for set pieces to move on, and areas for special effects like fog to be piped in.
Smucker’s Stars on Ice Tour 2010
If you have never seen the Smucker’s Stars on Ice tour before, you don’t know what you are missing. It is a lot of fun, and it is quite amazing to see what those people can do on ice skates. Below is a video of what is thought might be some of the highlights, but usually it is a whole lot more amazing than what they show in this clip.
Miami Welcomes Robert Plant
Miami is a fascinating mix of the old and the new. There are plenty of exquisite newer buildings that give the downtown area a pretty stunning skyline, especially when it’s reflecting on the water. There are also plenty of old neighborhoods, and the area is rich with a history that blends the original Native culture with the European immigrant influence, along with the sizable Cuban and Latin-American communities. While this particular mix has always been appealing to those looking to travel and enjoy the wide selection of lodgings , it’s also a great place to see live music.
Robert Plant , whose vocal stylings have captivated audiences for four decades, will perform here this summer, and it’s a rather perfect fit. He may not reflect a particularly local culture here, but his way of mixing styles and traditions certainly speaks to the place. Born in England in 1948, he first began singing with the Band of Joy , before he met Jon Bonham, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones, in a move that would make rock and roll history. Interestingly enough, this tour bills him with the Band of Joy, evoking a return to the roots of a magnificent career.
Since leaving the Led Zepplin project in 1980 with the death of Bonham, he’s been on a rather inspired mission to experiment with all the musical styles of his past, and lately has been recombining these with Moroccan influences. His first love seems to be the blues however, which is where he and Jimmy Page could see eye to eye, and this is reflected in his current work with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss. The other influences come from a deep interest in folk mythology, drawing on the Tolkein books, Norse legends, and the Welsh pantheon of heroes and deities. That influence is a reflection of his own sense of place, growing up close to the border regions where the stories are not simply folktales, but recall a past that is not too distant, and not imaginary. The music will always bring these things to life, especially in the moments when reality seems to be pushing for the mundane. Visionary artists will always push back.
Sick Puppies Tours With Nickelback, Breaking Bejamin and Shinedown
Sick Puppies is having the time of their life soon with the new tour coming up. They just released a new EP with some great music from their last CD released summer of last year (2009). Now they are going to go on tour with some of the biggest names in alternative rock. The dates of their tour have been released and the tickets are now on sale.
Jimmy Buffet Adds Shows to His Tour
With the continuing rise in sales, Jimmy Buffet is giving a few more fans the chance to see him live in concert by adding a few more shows to his tour list. More than that though, he is putting out a new CD called “Encores” that will hit stores days before he starts the tour. His hope is that there will be a little more of what the fans really want on this CD than he has normally done in the past.
Backstreet Boys Reunite
The Backstreet Boys were a band from the 90′s and for those of you who are too young to remember that time, this has a great description of them. For those of you who do remember them, it is too late to get tickets for the boat trip, which might be for the best since the rumor is that at least one of them gets sick on boats, but there is still a chance to check out their concert.