DJ Trava

Archive for August, 2009

I came to Mumbai in August to get my fill of Festivals. There are approximately 4  festivals being celebrated. The Nariyal Poornima, the Raksah Bandhan, the Gokulashtami and the Parsi New Year. My best friend and I booked a room together at one of the Mumbai Hotels for the whole month of August. We plan to party all month long, I just hope Mumbai’s ready for us.

Our first festival to party down with is the Nariyal Poornima. Coconut day which marks the end of the monsoons. Today, though, it seems the monsoons still have a bit more wetness to deliver. That didn’t stop the festivities though, as all of India knows how to get around when it’s a down pour. The Mumbai fisher folks are the one’s who celebrate, they paint their boats all these bright colors and light up divas (little oil lamps) and set them afloat on the waters and intersperse with fresh garlands of flowers. They also decorate their boats with the divas and garlands. So, the ritual part about the festival is the fisher folk break a coconut against the bow of their fishing boats as an offering to a Sea God. I’m not sure of the name of the Sea God, though. But, it’s such a beautiful site to see all the divas and garlands floating on the sea. Once the festival is over, it’s fishing season again. I didn’t know there was a fishing season.

Well the Nariyal Poornima Festival was really fun, but later that same day, we headed off to the Raksha Bandhan Festival. It’s celebrated on the same day as Nariyal Poornima. The ritual here is brothers let their sisters tie a rakhi on their wrists for protection against evil. Not much of a festival, really, but that didn’t stop my friend and I from making it more fun than it was.

Gokulashtami,  or also called Krishna Jayanti, is a two day celebration of the birth of Sri Krishna. This happens not too much after the Nariyal Poornima. The legend goes like this, Krishan was born in the dark half of the month, at the darkest hour of the night. Krishna is one of Vishnu’s most glorious incarnations which brought in joy and security to all of humanity. The festival is quite elaborate and there’s plenty of partying going on everywhere in Mumbai. My friend and I hardly made it back to our hotel room to sleep.

Finally, the month is almost over and our last festival is the Parsi New Year. I don’t think it needs any explanation. But, it does commemorates the day that Shahenshahi Zoroastrian community landed in India. This festival went into September.  We hardly remembered any of it, we celebrated too much.

Gnarly old willows grow along the banks, thorny deciduous shrubs, blackberries and rosehips. That was my first impression of a place called Yass not far from Canberra, just outside of Sydney, Australia. There’s an old mission with a paddock right across from the Land Council office.  Yass overlooks a striking hillside with exposed rock above the Yass River. I’m on a walking tour which the Luxury Sydney Hotel where I’m staying recommended.

This place, Yass was an old meeting place for the local Aboriginal people. A place where children would run to hide when the missionary’s would come to take them away. The mission was moved further out as the township grew. The Yass river reflects the state of this part of the country where Captain Cook. Where I’m standing, along the gnarly willows there was a peace fire burning. Being kept alive by the local Aboriginals. Our tour guide sprinkled white ochre powder on the ground next to the peace fire which would make us walkers have safe passage.  I walked down the steep bank along a little kangaroo track and found gum trees in amongst the feral stuff, and a tea tree. The water flowed past over the rocks of the Yass river.

I felt very privileged to travel through Wiradjuri country with the guidance of the tour guide. We all assembled on the other side to be welcomed by an elder of the Nunnawal people. When we left, we also got a traditional farewell. It was a good feeling to experience such an ancient formality. When back in my hotel room and reflecting today’s experience, I realized that all the non-aboriginal people live here in Sydney without ever havingsought the good will and blessing of the traditional owners. The walk I was on, was a very educational trek and I’m glad we walked the right way through the ceremonial pathway from Wiradjuri to Nunnawal country. When I checked out of my room, I deeply thanked the staff for recommending this particular walk.

Okay, so I’m stay at one of the Luxury Singapore Business Hotels which my company booked for a month. A month isn’t enough time to really get to know Singapore and the locals at all, but it is enough time to make some interesting acquaintances and possibly a love interest. I’ve only been here for two weeks when the bartender of my favorite bar mentioned that I should participate in the Theemidhi Festival. He told me then I need to participate in the Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. He told me, I’d get a better taste of Singapore and the people here.

I don’t know, I mean, I am only here for a month, do I really want to know Singapore better? But, then all he has to mention was how many beautiful single women participate in both festivals. Well, this peeked my interest. So, I asked him what the Theemidhi Festivals all about. He told me that it a Hindu Festival were they walk barefoot across white-hot embers at the Sri Mariamman Temple. It’s in honor of the Hindu goddess Draupadi. My bartender is Hindi, so he elaborated about who the goddess Draupadi is.

She’s a heroine of the epic poem Mahabharata. She was a princess who was the subject of her husband’s wager in a risky game of dice. Her husband played with his cousin, Duryodhana and her husband lost. She was then the property of Duryodhana. That wasn’t her only hardship; she was the epitome of harsh treatment of all women by men. So, the festival is in honor of Draupadi’s courage that devotees subject themselves to a test of faith by walking barefoot across of 4 meter pit or red hot coals. Deifying the intense heat, these devotees, these firewalkers focus and deep concentration to complete the challenge come out miraculously unscathed. But, not only unscathed, the devotees regard it as a test of purity. So, basically, it’s said that if a devotee is not pure, he or she will fail the test and be burnt.

I only have to watch, I don’t have to participate, which I wouldn’t anyway. My bartender said he’d be glad to go along with me, he figures if he’s seen with an American businessman, he’d have a better chance of getting a date with either one of the devotees or one of the visitors. That sounded good to me. Getting to know Singapore better.

Every season, I manage to see at least 2 of the operas which are performed by the Longbourough Festival Opera. I always convince my boss that there’s important work to be done in the Cotswolds and he believes me every single time and allows me to book rooms the Cotswolds Hotels. I should add, that there really is work for me here, but I just make it more convenient for me when one of my favorite opera’s is being performed.

It doesn’t seem like Longborough would have an Opera house, but the have a fully-fledged opera house which seats 480 people, complete with an orchestra pit which accommodates up to 65 players. It’s located on the grounds of a house on teh edge of the Cotswold Village of Longborough. It has a spectacular view of the Evenlode Valley and had been listed in the Pevsner guide to buildings in England. They also have private dining or corporate entertaining facilities. The Longbourgh Festival Opera is a registered charity which provides very high-quality operatic performances to not only the locals from Cotswolds, but beyond. It doesn’t receive any public grants and solely relies on personal and corporates sponsor ship for it to survive. Survive it has, because of the consistently high quality performances.

This year, I’ll be able to see two the the opera’s being performed: The first will be ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ by Mozart, sung in Italian with English surtitles. Conducted by Gianluca Marciano and directed by Jenny Miller. This has to be one of my most favorite opera’s of all time. It’s witty, charming and the music is superb. It’s a story of disguise, deception, romance and flirtation. What a perfect opera. The second Opera I’ll get to see is ‘La Boheme’ by Puccini. Sung in Italian and also with English surtitles.  The conductor is Robert Dean and it’s directed by Maria Jagusz. This will be a Young Artists Production, so it will start singers at the beginning of their professional careers. The opera is about the struggles of young artists to live and love in Paris.

While I enjoy the two opera’s, I will of course be obtaining more clients for my business. I find it easy to obtain clients who love opera.

One of my walking holidays was following Leland’s route through South Somerset. This leg of my walk was the third on my itinerary. I’ve made several reservations with many a City Hotel inorder to traverse my walking holiday. My first walking route was The Hogarth’s route in Chelsea, my second walk was the Pilgrims Way, from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Now, my third walk, Leland’s Trail in Somerset. An historic 28-mile footpath traversing the United Kingdoms finest Scenery.

John Leland was commission and given Carte Blanche’ to all places where historical documents and treasures were kept. He recorded every item, which became his life’s work. He produced five volumes called his ‘Itinerary.’ The Itinerary was not only a list of documents and treasures, but a record of his travels and all the notes of the earliest descriptions of the land of England near the end of the Middle Ages. He took particular notes that might affect the traveller in his day, like rivers and streams. The prosperity of certain towns, the landscapes and the village churches.

As I followed his journey through South Somerset. The trail starts near Brewham at King Alfred’s Tower which marks the spot where Alfred the Great defeated the Danes. Down the road as few yards, was a green and white metal plate which a drawing of Leland’s marking the beginning of the trail. I spotted these markers regularly along the trail. I walked through ancient rights of way, wandered through villages which the Itinerary mentions. I visited churches that have not changed since he made note of them. The booklet which I acquired from the South Somerset District Council was an excellent packet with a good amount of information. They divided Leland’s route into seven stages. They even laminated the cards that have printed on them information directly taken from the Itinerary.  I must admit, this booklet was the best guide compared to my first two walks. Plus, I’m glad I saved this walk for last. It was the best out of the three.

Kuala Lumpur, is not only Malaysia’s capital, it is the largest city in Malaysia with a population of over 1.6 million residents. The Chinese, Malays, Indian Chettiars and Indian Muslims make up the majority of cultures and communities here. Several languages are spoken, however Bahasa Melayu is the principal language. English is very prominent and taught throughout the schools. Kuala Lumpur is a relatively young city, having been started in 1850 when large tin mines were developed. A trading post sprang up and this little gathering of people became a frontier town. As it grew, it had many problems with flooding and fires and since the buildings were mainly wood and thatching there was constant rebuilding. Because of this, the British Resident of Selangor, Frank Swettenham enacted a requirement all buildings be constructed of brick and tile. Now, most of these old buildings have come down to make way for the ultra modern architectural designs of today. Most impressive are the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world. They have an all glass shell and take their design from Islamic art.

With an average annual rainfall of over 89 inches, this produces a tropical rain forest climate. The days are warm and sunny with very little variance in temperature. Over the years, Kuala Lumpur has gone through many political and economic changes and has emerged as an international influence in the sporting, cultural and political arena today. In 1998 they were host to the Commonwealth Games and the Formula One World Championship. Whether you are in town for business or pleasure and there are plenty of both, undoubtedly you will be staying at one of the many luxury hotels Kuala Lumpur has to offer. These hotels are just as impressive as the other buildings found in this city and the attentive staff will make sure your stay is a pleasant one. From a tiny little mining camp to what it is today, Kuala Lumpur certainly has come a long way.

Many cities throughout the world were founded close to water.  Johannesburg was not.  It sits inland on top of a rocky mountain, Witwatersrand.  Johannesburg was founded and grew out of the days of the South African gold rush. The gold discovered here resulted in one of the quickest developments of a city in the history of the modern world.  Now it is a metropolis, a cultural mecca, filled with galleries, boutiques, markets, and luxury hotels.  Johannesburg,  just one hundred years ago, was a crude settlement of tents and equipment, and now skyscrapers stretch out in every direction.  This city is the financial and the technological center of the entire country of South Africa.  Johannesburg is the gem of the continent.

Soweto is a neighborhood just under twenty miles from the center of the city.  More than 5 million people call Soweto home.  This is the site of a former township that was set up during the times of Apartheid as a temporary site for those working in the gold mines.  In 1923, this area was deemed a ghetto by the Urban Areas Act.  Now Soweto is a culture of contrasts.  Shacks and shanties sit across the street from luxurious and extraordinary mansions.  The largest hospital for the public, in the world is located in Soweto.  Piles of trash sit next to green, lush fields and parks.  And although the high rate of unemployment affects the daily lives of many of the residents, the atmosphere is cheerful and friendly.

A program for government housing is in development, however there are many camps filled with squatters and homeless people.  The city has nice suburbs however, with plenty of public schools and cultural sites such as museums and libraries.  One such museum is the African Institute of Arts.  This was founded in 1984, and was the answer to the absence of art programs and educational opportunities at the time.  This is allowing people the chance to access an education and participation in the world of visual arts.  Public transportation is reliable and plentiful, through the trains, the buses and the taxi cabs.  Many locals take the taxis regularly as they are extremely affordable.  Soweto is one of the interesting locations in the country of South Africa, one that should be placed on the schedule of those visiting and touring the country.