Archive for March, 2010

Ghost Marriage in Singapore


30 Mar

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Singapore is a place of many different fascinations. The rich history of the place brings with it a richness of cultures. People bring their traditions here, and over time, they all begin to merge and borrow from each other, creating fascinating new traditions that can’t exist anywhere else. It’s one of the many benefits of diversity, and one of the best ways for traditions to survive, by evolving. In Singapore, there are situations where some very old ways are still practiced, and it’s very important for visitors to keep in mind that it’s necessary to keep all judgement in check, and to show proper respect.

Especially in ceremonial occasions, respect can get the traveler very far indeed, and can also be a way of seeing some rather interesting ways of doing things. This is as true in temples as it is at mealtimes , where getting by is possible simply by watching how other people do things. In Singapore, like most places, there is a lot of credibility to be earned simply by attempting to do things the right way, and usually someone will show the ropes. It’s important, then, to keep an attitude of reverence, especially in spiritual matters.

Those who might show disdain or even scorn for such traditions as the ghost marriage should be somewhat sensitive, because there are some beliefs that are older than others, and there may be more truth in anything than is known. In that tradition, Chinese Ghost Marriage , the idea is that there is a spirit of a person who has crossed over, and wants to marry on the other side. If the other spirit is agreeable, then these things can be arranged.

There may also be situations where a groom dies close to the wedding date, and the bride decides to go through the ceremony anyway. Another possibility is when a daughter is not wanting to marry in the world, and adopting a husband from the realm of the ancestors will insure that she is remembered and cared for when she passed over. Likewise, an unmarried eldest son who has died may need to take a wife in spirit in order to allow things to unfold for the living. There are many traditions that take care of the dead, and that’s also the largest religion in the world, so Singapore might be a place to learn things about the world and all the inhabitants.

Transglobe Releasing IPO Worth At Least $200 Million


22 Mar

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With things still looking bad in the housing market, one almost wonders if this is the beginning of the turn around, or if it is just a single very lucky company that is doing very well for itself. Transglobe has announced recently that they are going public, with an IPO that will be somewhere between $200-million to $250-million. This is fairly impressive, and it seems that they are planning on taking that money into helping them move further west as they have been doing through these hard times.

It probably does help that they are a Canadian company, but the Canadians have not been particularly more fortunate than America has been these past couple of years, and to see a company of this caliper doing so well it is a refreshing change of pace. One has to assume they are doing well because before the announcement they were spending a lot of money to push themselves further across the country and provide great housing options to many residence across the country.

All things being said, it is not hard to see why they are doing so well. Their customer service shows in everything they do, including their website which is ideal for helping new Canadians the information they need to move to Canada, including the ability to surf some of their properties from the web, as well as information on how to become a Canadian citizen, and a number of other things related to that which may not have been considered when deciding to move to Canada. There are also a number of other services which they offer to other people who already live in Canada, including special offers for seniors and people in the military . There are also special sites set up for students and helping them out when the stresses of moving to college. One has to consider that if they give this kind of personal care on the internet, what kind of care do they give when you pay their wages. No wonder they are growing so much and doing so well.

Washington Post-Structural


18 Mar

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In a city that is not a city but a district, meaning is elusive, and sometimes travels in multiple ethereal directions at once. It might be the perfect place to give birth to a new philosophical school of thought, someday, but for now it’s a great place to think about it.

People love to visit Washington, DC, enjoying the sites and the fine hotels , but there is also plenty of opportunity to walk the streets and think about how complex meanings are constructed. The place is iconic in so many histories, and nearly everyone’s autobiography is partly composed of the things that have happened here.

If we look at it from a global perspective, and the city certainly encourages that, then it’s probably true that every political center in the world helps to make up who we are. Everything affects everything else, and no one seems to understand this better than the post-structuralists, although no one seems to understand them.

That’s why DC seems a particularly apt location for some of the great thinkers of our time, and it’s a nice stopping point for many academics. Francois Dosse seems to have gotten a lot of mileage out of his time here, judging from the immense output in pages and in thought.

Dosse has written extensively on the theoretical works of some of the most lucid minds of the past century, including Ricoeur, Deleuze, and de Certeau , and the volumes keep coming. This is a tradition that speaks to the way things are done here. Great thinkers thinking about the great thoughts of other great thinkers has produced some of the most influential theories of the age, and give us reason to pause and consider how we do things.

Walking through DC is an enlivening experience, where the smells and the sensations of the urban landscapes can flesh out a morning’s musings about how this all comes to be, and how we can participate in our own history, even on a quiet morning like this one.

Las Vegas Good Times


15 Mar

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In, around and beyond the hotels is were all the action is happening in Las Vegas Nevada. There is never a boring lobby to wait in when you are staying at a hotel in Las Vegas. There is a game to be played in every corner of the city. Better save some cash for a fantastic show. There are so many great show to see in Vegas and it it will be a challenge to pick only one. There are the true classics like Barry Manilow and David Copperfield. The Jubilee Show is a really fun classic show filled with long legs and big head dresses. There will never be a live performance of Elvis again but in Vegas there is always a show that is put on in his honor like the Cirque Du Soleil, Viva Elvis show.

The Beatles Love show is also a must see for Beatles and Cirque Du Soleil fans. It is a spectacular blend of the two adding new life to the history of the Beatles. Criss Angel has sure added his stamp to not only a great show in Vegas but great exhibits all over the city. You just never know if you might run into him while walking around town. There is also nothing more thrilling that seeing some of the power singers and songwriters like Celine Dion, Cher, Donny and Marie and Elton John. There are some audience participation show like the Price is Right show. Similar to the TV show, audiences will be called up to take part in the show and maybe win something. All one has to do is buy a ticket and register their name to take part. So you may think you can take the hotel with your gambling skills but I bet you would have a fantastic time just being entertained by the pros. So when it come to hotels, Vegas has it all going for it all the time.

Antique Safes in Singapore


08 Mar

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If you’ve checked in to a Singapore hotel and then find yourself in need of an antique safe, you will want to explore the showroom of Siah’s Old-Safe Service , the company of David Siah, the only antique safe specialist in that city-state.

Safes used to be made by hand, without machinery, and these antique safes are made in the same way. The company is also known more simply as SOS, whose main aim is to bring new life into antique safe boxes, restoring them to their original condition. Each safe is a piece of history in itself, then, and is fully functional. The art of restoring safes was handed down within the Siah family, from grandfather to father to son, a true old-fashioned apprenticeship.

Anyone with a passion about antique safes may want to take a look at Siah’s work. If you’re not familiar with safe history, you may wish to study the Antique Safe Collector’s site . Here’s where you’ll find photos and information about antique safes and cast iron safe banks. The photos on this site will show you full sized safes, miniatures, and personal safes, ranging from 1826 until 1910.

Siah’s collection of antiques include safes from Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, Austria, even Britain and the Netherlands. As an example, the British safes go back as far a hundred and twenty-five years ago, with the last generation extending eighty five years ago. These earlier generations of safes were not fireproof, and were all manufactured by hand, using screws and bolts. The German safes, manufactured in Berlin and Hamburg, were exported from Germany to Singapore, decades ago and a part of Singapore’s early history.

While there are a great many attractions in Singapore, if you’ve got an interest in safes and history, you might do well by taking a visit to the showroom and seeing these antique safes. You may make an appointment by dialing +65 96551201. They’re located at No. 65, Sims Avenue, #06-01A, in the Yi Xiu Factory Building in Singapore, 387418.

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