Dance Steps Blog

Planning a part or event doesn’t have to be that difficult. If you want to improve your events, find a way to make them really special. One way to do that is to introduce a little spice into the mix – in the form of entertainers – break the ice and get things moving.

And what more entertaining spice can you think of than a good entertainer. Whatever their role, be it mascot, mingler, or in the spotlight, a good entertainer can make people feel relaxed and comfortable and add flare to an otherwise dull event.

When you use an entertainer to improve your event, think about the type of party you’ll be hosting. Of course, you must first identify your goal. Are you welcoming home a long lost uncle? Trying to sell a timeshare? Increasing your network of professional contacts? And what are the characteristics of your guests? Are they business people, families, students? What type of party will it be? A small, intimate affair for a few friends or a big bash for the whole neighborhood? When you’ve established who’ll be there and what you’ll all be doing, you can begin to search for the perfect entertainer to brighten up the affair and improve your events.

How will you use your entertainer? A DJ is perfect for a party where people will be dancing. A comedian makes a great emcee or stand-up performer. A public speaker can not only entertain, but motivate and inform. Dancers can teach while they entertain, and exotic dancers (like belly dancers) can keep the place sizzling. Musicians, including singers, are a wonderful
addition to most events. Here is a list of types of entertainers you may not think of without a little help:
- balloon twisters – clowns
- face painters – impersonators
- hypnotists – magicians
- Elvis impersonators – mentalists
- puppeteers – ventriloquists

Musical entertainment doesn’t have to be a rock band or chamber orchestra. What about a barber shop quartet, folk singers, hip hop or rappers, or even a small gospel choir. It all depends on the people and the party.

You can probably find a number of choices by visiting your yellow pages or checking on the internet. The options are almost limitless. Most of these entertainers work at very reasonable prices because they’re either just starting out and need the experience, or they’ve already retired and want to keep active in their beloved profession.

If your budget won’t support a professional entertainer, you might think about bringing in someone who will mingle with your guests to get and keep the conversations and laughter going. Do you know someone who’s outgoing and funny? A good mingler is comfortable with all types of people and is a great conversationalist. If you bring someone in with that purpose in mind, it will probably improve your event and bring the best out in your guests. Of course, as host or hostess, you’ll want to play the role of mingler as well, making sure your guests are comfortable and involved.

One approach to party entertainment is to have activities in which the guests participate. A hypnotist can use your guests as subjects and keep everyone laughing. Impersonators can play role-playing games – what would you say to the President at a fun event? A local dance teacher can keep everyone involved in learning a new dance step. There are also theme parties where everyone has a role. One of the most familiar is the murder mystery where guests have to solve a crime. Casino or poker parties involve your guests in challenging and fun activities for hours!

And, of course, there’s the traditional costume party where your entertainer can play a specific role (like Caesar or George Washington). You can turn your costume party into a casual version of Trivial Pursuit, where the entertainer/character asks guests questions about his or her life or events of that day. You can offer prizes for most answers. Be creative! People love to get outside the old party box. A professional entertainer will give your party a special flare and improve your events.

Bringing in a professional photographer is a great way to get people excited. Few people don’t like to have their picture taken. Now, imagine them having their picture taken with Caesar, George Washington, or George Bush!

There’s only one down side to this approach. Once you’ve spiced up your party with a professional entertainer, your guests will expect all your events to be as much fun! They’ll be talking about you and the party for years to come. So, if you’ve run out of ways to bring smiles to the faces of your friends, family, and business acquaintences, consider introducing an entertainer into the mix. They’ll make your party a smashing success and improve all your events!

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/mascots-minglers-eye-catching-entertainers-702814.html

We got to try it in grade school for St. Patrick’s Day when i was in 3rd grade and I LOVED it.

It’s weird, I have two left feet and it’s not an easy dance but I caught on fast.

I’ve always wanted to learn, but I worry that I’m too old. At what age is it too late?

I can take a sincere answer.

I started dancing when I was 39 years old and I am still at it.

The Southern Region Male Champ of a couple years back started in his early 20s.

You can start at any age!

Elegant high heel embodies femininity and glamor! It is an accessory to re-up the natural feminine charm. Although often they are considered to be not very comfortable but why to resist the urge to appear larger, more feminine, more attractive when high heels can be worn without pain. With a little practice and some advice you can jump and dance in high heels in a relatively short time. Learn some quick tips to choose your heels and learn how to bring them to display a look at the top of fashion !

How to choose your heels?

First, check the strength of your heels. Some shoes have heels very thin and can not resist if you need to dance all night. The quality or strength of the heel is often a function of price. Be very cautious!

Now first exercise is to stand in high heels, just to test balance. It is better to put a mirror in front just to appreciate the presence. The goal is to remove the fear of falling when you invade your heels and are just a few inches off the ground. To shine in society you have to feel good in shoes.

Now that you feel comfortable, you should take a few steps and should try to feel good sensations that the classic high heels provide. You must keep the legs straight and tightened when you walk. Do some training, and in no time to walk with heels would be as natural as breathing.

But why wear?

For elegance

Despite the discomfort it brings, high heels have advantages, mainly in terms of seduction … It is no secret to anyone: high heels give look for women. In addition to help you win a few centimeters, they add to your style.Your body is more refined. Your legs appear longer and body more shapely. In addition, they get married to any style that you wear jeans or an evening gown.

For sensuality

In addition to these the high heels provide more sensual “benefits”. You walk with your head right and watch your step, if only to keep the balance. At the same time, you will feel more daring, more feminine, more attractive.

For pleasure!

There’s more. The urologist Italian Maria Cerruto claims that wearing high heels enhances the strength of pelvic muscles which helps to get better orgasms. These bodies help in the sexual performance and provide support for the pelvic organs, including the bladder, intestines and uterus.

Final Touch

Now to complete your hidden desire to become one hot bombshell – A pair of stilettos that forcefully punctures the carpet, lengthens your legs, highlights your chest and butt is what you need.

Stilettos got its name from a weapon, and stilettos still function as a weapon. They capture men, to turn them dying from the heat of attraction, and make them follow your orders as you wish. They too can be used against other women as a symbolic weapon to make you stand above others who keep on trying to bring you down.

The sexy stilettos heels of the stilettos mirror the sexiness of the female body, which makes people associate erotic tendencies in such heels. The sexy heels lengthen the legs, reduce their width, and render the feet very small. Aside from this, they also enhance the posture of the body since the butt flexes backward and the chest moves forward as a woman wears the shoes.

So now want to dress up sexy and seductive just pull up a pair of these Stiletto boot and get ready to go and conquer the world.

Karunakar
http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/sexy-high-heels-the-emblem-of-feminity-722955.html

No Wonder Dancing Feels So Good……

Music and dancing has been a part of many different cultures for centuries. It is part of celebration and entertainment. And whether they knew it or not, way back when the dancing began, there are numerous amazing health benefits. Now that the American population is facing a major obesity epidemic, health benefits from dancing is something that should be taken a closer look at.

The Health Benefits of Salsa Dancing

Not only is dancing an exceptional way to let loose and have fun, but it also provides some terrific benefits for your health.

In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to:

* Reduce stress

* Increase energy

* Improve strength

* Increase muscle tone and coordination

Dancing

Dancing the night away can burn more calories per hour than riding a bike or swimming.

And whether you like to kick up your heals to hip hop, salsa or country, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says that dancing can:

* Lower your risk of coronary heart disease

* Decrease blood pressure

* Help you manage your weight

* Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips

Salsa dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity.

The amount of benefit you get from dancing depends on, like most exercises, the type of dancing you’re doing, how strenuous it is, the duration and your skill level.

Salsa Dancing

* Builds endurance and stamina

* Helps with weight loss

* Relieves stress

* Helps you release toxins via sweating

* May help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels

* Can lead to a reduced heart rate over time

Dancing Off Those Calories

How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing. Here’s a range of some of the most popular varieties, based on a 150-pound person, per hour:

* Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour

* Ballroom dancing: 265

* Square dancing: 280

* Ballet: 300

* Belly dancing: 380

* Salsa dancing: 420+

* Aerobic dancing: 540+

Mental Benefits of Dancing

Dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity. This is especially stimulating to the mind, and one 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found dancing can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly.

In the study, participants over the age of 75 who engaged in reading, dancing and playing musical instruments and board games once a week had a 7 percent lower risk of dementia compared to those who did not. Those who engaged in these activities at least 11 days a month had a 63 percent lower risk!

Interestingly, dancing was the only physical activity out of 11 in the study that was associated with a lower risk of dementia. Said Joe Verghese, a neurologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a lead researcher of the study, “This is perhaps because dance music engages the dancer’s mind.”

Verghese says dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain. Not only does the physical aspect of dancing increase blood flow to the brain, but also the social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Further, dancing requires memorizing steps and working with a partner, both of which provide mental challenges that are crucial for brain health.

So clearly dancing is excellent for your body, mind, and soul. Pick up a new heart healthy habit and learn to dance salsa.

Shannon M
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-amazing-benefits-of-salsa-dancing-421617.html

I know there is some old saying to do with the first half of your life you are looked after by your parents and the second half you your life you look after your parents. Well I’ve been looking after my mother my whole life especially on occasions when my father isn’t around and she goes into complete competency melt down. The first time my dad went on a business trip abroad, she managed (and don’t ask me how) to put her hand in the bottom of the lawn mower whilst it was still running. I can still see, and will forever have imprinted in to my brain the moment when she shoved her hand in a sink full of water which instantaneously turned a deep shade of red, a bit like in the movie ‘Jaws’. Duggan women aren’t of a strong stomached nature and on my mother passing out, my sister ran out of the room with the good intension of phoning a family friend from down the road for help, only to pass out on the way due to “sight of blood”. So you are left with nine year old Alice running between relations with wet towels and sugar water trying to revive both. Needless to say I was rewarded on my Dad’s return from Hong Kong with a big bag of Haribo for being ‘daddy’s brave little girl’ and my mother was never allowed to mow the lawn again.

So this gives you an idea of the mental status of Mrs Duggan when embarking on a journey in to the depths of the Caribbean with her least responsible daughter, without the only man in the world that can salvage any situation no mater how dire. I’d like to say I was sympathetic towards this but in honesty if I see weakness in some one I kinda play on it? “You’ve got the passports right?”, “Flight IS from Gatwick not Heathrow right?” etc.. Cruel really, but highly amusing. Anyhow the joke was on me on arriving at Gatwick at 4.30am to find that our 07.55am flight to Havana with Cubana airways was not anywhere to be seen on the board, and after half an hour frantic running around to discover that the plane on which we were meant to be flying on (that was meant to arrive in the UK at 6.20am from Havana) had not even left Cuba yet. Another half an hour later it was revealed that the plane was faulty and another plane was being shipped in from Madrid and due to leave at 2.30pm. Marvellous. Anybody got any great suggestions how to spend 9 hours in Gatwick airport departures? No me either. Reading maybe – well I cleverly packed all my nice easy going books in my main luggage and was carrying only Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, trying to embrace the whole Cuba thing, which is not the easiest read to pass time, believe me. So giving in I bought a puzzler, plugged my ipod in and watched the weird and wonderful existence of the airport departure lounge inhabitant (and it is no wonder they make so many tv shows about them!)

Well the plane didn’t go at 2.30, it went at 4.30 and you’d think maybe after the hell my now extended family of Cubana airways victims had been through, we would be treated like movie stars, pampered with drinks and nibbles, checked on at ever available moment. Well you would think wrong and must be alerted to the fact that the communist regime demands Cubans all work, for more or less the same wage, and are in no danger of losing there jobs…..so where is the incentive to do their job well, especially when surrounded by hundreds of high maintenance tourists?! Anyways the plane had no entertainment, seating was a free for all, the staff were rude to the point of disbelief, there was a fucking annoying group of school kids among which were two blossoming lovers sat in front of me who snogged for the WHOLE 11 hour journey, and, as I had banished any hope of a vegetarian meal, no food. Gosh I sound like my grandma moaning. Still I console myself in the fact that the money spent on the flights went in to the Cuban economy and the not the pocket of that cunt Branson.

Anyways with plenty of time on my hand I though it was about time I tackled the lonely planets guide “A brief history of Cuba”. And so the obsession began…..

Hands up, I knew very little about the Cuban culture/history before I went (“They’re communists, right?”) and generally have no interest in learning about history of places. A few years back I spent a month travelling in Japan with two of my bestest friends, one who was living out there for a few years. We had a great time, however both being History(ish) students I can imagine my “You’ve seen one temple you’ve seen them all, lets go do Karaoke again” mentality grated a bit. I figured I would be the same in Cuba… “yes yes very nice now lets go dance salsa and drink rum!” Unfortunately, I don’t know if I’m getting older and this is what happens, but I’m absolutely fascinated by the whole shebang.

So as I say all I knew was they were communists and that recently some dude called Castro had stepped down. I was concerned that this may cause mayhem and riots but was assured by work colleagues that caribbeaners(?!) are far to busy drinking rum and smoking cigars to get all worked up about stuff, and as long as the yanks stayed away there was unlikely to be any civil unrest (and I would hope that the yanks had f*cked up enough countries in the last few years to stay away, at least until I had got a sun tan).

Reading the guide helped set the scene for me so I jotted down a little summary of events as I saw them:

-Native Cubans all lived happily

-Natives of another Caribbean island arrive, kill all the native Cubans and live happily

-Spanish turn up and fuck things up – killing loads and using the rest for slaves

-400 years later Jose Marti leads a revolution to get freed from the Spaniards and the USA step in last minute and steal the glory

-USA REALLY fuck things up

-A group of rude boys (inc. Castro and Che Guavara) plot to over throw the Americans and some dick Batista, and trampled them freeing Cuban residents giving them the ‘ideal’ existence

-To piss of the US, Russia keep Cuba alive by buying lots of sugar and cigars

- Russia (or I should say the USSR) fucks up (greedy bastards) and Cuba gets screwed over and people are starving

- They start letting in lots of snappy happy tourists (such as myself) to take all their money so they can eat again.

So you can see why I gave up history at the 1st available moment!

Anyways back to the long gruelling flight…..we eventually got off that blasted craft about 1am Cuban time (5am English) due to a rather extended drop off in Holguin, and rushed through visa check and baggage which took us in to arrivals about 2am….

So first thought is will our transfer be there seeing we were meant to arrive at 4pm? On first inspection no, but after half an hour panic we deduced that our company we booked with has two names – how fucking stupid of us! So we taxied off in to Havana praying our hotel had 24hr reception. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see much of the city on the drive as planned being 3am but at least we were on our way. Getting closer to the hotel I started getting a nauseous feeling which is far too familiar with me now being in a city at night, stemming from a nasty incident in Barcelona a few years back (and yes the story gets more elaborate each time it is told – they had knives you know, did I say knives? I meant guns). So I wasn’t all best pleased when I found out our taxi couldn’t drive down the street our hotel was on and intended to leave us at the end of it. A few pesos (I’ll explain money later) encouraged him to wait while mother dear (entirely unfazed by this) ran up the road to check it was open. Halle-fucking-lujah it was. Almost kissing the cab driver I popped on my backpack and headed up the road to the lovely “Beltran de Santa Cruz” Hotel.

So being greeted with a smile by the receptionist he then blurts out “There is a bit of a problem with your room, the plumbing has broken and we have had to relocate you to another hotel, it is only just 5 minutes round the corner across the square”

What point would you snap? Honestly? I snapped here. “Look buddy, We’ve been up for 30 hours, 13 of these spend in fucking Gatwick airport, 13 on a fucking aeroplane fresh out of Bedrock and the rest in transit between these places, we haven’t eaten, we haven’t changed out underwear, we haven’t cleaned our teeth, and we smell like dead fucking rats and you are trying to tell me that you are going to make 2 poor helpless women lug there baggage across a city unknown to them at 4am in the morning to go to a hotel because you have a fucking plumbing problem?”

At least that is what was being said in my head…what I actually said, in a very weak and feeble whine “Please will you come with us, I’m scared”. And bless his cottons he did.

Eventually my head touched a pillow at 5.30am Cuba time (9.30am English) after dealing with the final disaster of the night that on opening my rucksack I found my suncream had exploded all over my stuff. A perfect start to a holiday wouldn’t you agree? Things could only get better.

I guess maybe I should actually tell you something about my trip instead of my script from “Holidays from hell”.

This was my first and most definitely not last trip to the Caribbean. I think I was about 8 when I bought “100% reggae” and decided that I would spend my honeymoon in Jamaica, so I hope I will again reach these shores, given I can find someone who will marry me. Plus there are so many other places to visit, St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, Bahamas etc etc…Lets hope this future husband is rich! Cuba, however seems to have something different to the rest and walking out in to the sunny streets of Havana that first morning confirmed this. The Cubana airways big day out suddenly seemed a distant memory. Breath taking architecture ranging from the Spanish colonial style buildings in old Havana, (many completely derelict, but in a funky way!), to neo classical in the vedado district and art deco American influence in central Havana. Diversity that I have never seen in any city, and with the added benefit that unlike most cities they have avoided shoving eyesore 1970s tower blocks dead in the centre of some beautiful area. Any run down ugly buildings just added to the character.

It isn’t a cliché that there are bands playing at every restaurant, on every street corner with people singing and dancing around. Its true, I was there. The first pit stop was at il Patio restaurant in Cathedral square (possibly my favourite mojito of the whole holiday, though there were many and the 1st is bound to taste best!). There was a little 3 piece band playing (guitar, sax and bass) while some nut case woman danced around (mum said she had been there 2 years ago when her and my sister had gone!). They were awesome, I just couldn’t get enough of it! Then this guy from the crowd (Italian I think) just waltzed up, asked to have a go on the sax and just wiped the floor with some improvisation which put anything I ever managed when I played in to a remedial category. That wouldn’t happen anywhere else in the world and the punters went mad for it!

So the first day was mostly spent getting a feel for the place. Walking around getting lost, stopping for mojitos every now and again taking several thousand of photos at every new street at every possible angle. In the afternoon we did (on recommendation by some friends) a ferry trip across to the other side of the water to climb up to a fort (and a MASSIVE statue of Jesus). It was really fun actually as this clearly wasn’t a main tourist attraction and the ferry seemed to be literally the locals bus to and from work. We stuck out like sore thumbs! Also at the top of our little trek we discovered not only amazing views of Havana but also a mini museum of Che Guavara’s house where he lived post revolution and pre him running off to help Bolivia and get himself killed. Here I discovered he had asthma, just like me, which briefly inspired me to go and start a revolution, but I soon got over it.

Food in Cuba is shit, I mean really shit. I don’t actually understand how they can get it so wrong, but they do and especially as a vegetarian we were screwed. You get eggs, lots of eggs, so many eggs that the word is still making me feel physically sick. Mother, having been here before knew all this so had packed a kettle and a big bag of cous cous to help us in dire situations, but had also brilliantly worked out the whereabouts of the only Italian restaurant (possibly in the whole of Cuba) so in Havana at least we managed to get half decent meals! So after munching our way through a big margarita and one more quick mojito we scooted off to bed pretty early, still kinda fucked from the previous days monstrosities.

The second day was one massive lecture on politics and history for me. Though normally this concept would make me shudder with fear and despair, as I said before I’m utterly gripped by the fact that this teeny little spec on the earth’s surface has contributed so much to the history of the human race. We had a bit of fun first though getting a taxi ride to the Plaza de la Revolucion in a classic, bright purple (my favourite!) 1950s Buick with a rather bemused driver being made to pose for many a cheesy snap! The Plaza is kinda bare unfortunately with only 2 things to see. Firstly the Jose Marti memorial statue in front of the massive lookout, which we went up to get some awesome views across the city and watch lots of scary turkey vultures circle around it. And secondly my favourite bit – the huge Che image on the side of the government building with ‘Hasta la Victoria Siempre’ (Forever Onwards Towards Victory) written along side. I have a bit of a Che obsession to be honest, is it weird to think he was hot? Anyways bare as it was it felt pretty cool to be standing where so many political rallies and addresses from Castro and other revolutionaries has taken place.

After this we got a bug taxi (look at pics) to the hotel nationale (very posh!). It was so funny watching so many people turn up in mercs and swish cars and we turn up in a little yellow blob! Here we had a mojito looking out across the water to where we had been the previous day and then set off on quite a bit walk down the sea front where we finally ended up at the Museum of the Revolution. Here contained everything you would ever need to know about Cuba from the dawn of time. At some point it was really quite bizarre how much detail they added – “Here is the spoon Castro used whilst hiding in Argentina” – no joke! But it was fascinating. I won’t bother saying much about it (as I’ve already given you my brief history of Cuba) but one of the highlights was the “Wall of Cretins” thanking various political idiots for their input in causing/consolidating the revolution. They really don’t give a shit who they insult!

The next day we had rather a stressful bus journey (6 hours – 1 toilet stop) to a supposed beautiful, friendly colonial town though on first impressions this didn’t seem to be the case. The bus ride in showed some really quite nasty, run down areas lacking in the Havana charm, and on arrival into the bus station crowds of people were literally being restrained from mobbing us. They were advertising there “casas” – equivalent to hostelling in Cuba is to stay in casas with a Cuban family who cook and provide for you, but it all seemed all to threatening for me. So we jumped in a cab and headed for our hotel ‘Las Cuevas’ (the caves). Any doubts about the next few days in this place were soon dissolved when we saw how lush where we were staying was!! We dumped our luggage and were straight to poolside sampling the local delicacies – mojitos, pina colladas, and rather bizarre red, orange and blue drinks called Trinidad Colonials, which I took a liking to. We managed to befriend a group of locals in no time who were feeding us more rum and nibbles and giving us salsa lessons. I was pretty pro already after my set of classes I went to in my “I’m sad, lonely and desperate and need to learn salsa to meet more sad lonely and desperate people phase”, but I did learn a new step which was nice. Plus got a chance to laugh at my completely uncoordinated mother. Then at about 5pm, in a matter of 3 minutes the sky was covered in thick black clouds and the heavens opened. I’ve never been in a tropical storm before and I just found it absolutely hilarious – the whole area was flooded after 2 mins of rain, yet it is still bloody boiling and people were still dancing and in the pool! I asked my new best friend Tiago how long these storms usually last to which he replied “That is up to St Peter” – can’t argue with that!

For our first full day in Trinidad we got up bright and early and put on our sexy walking gear and headed off into the mountains on a hike with another unfairly beautiful couple from the hotel and our lovely little tour guide Jordan, who kinda sounded like Borat when he talked which was a tad off putting but you got used to it!

The first part was walking through Trinidad centre which was a lot nicer than it had seemed from the bus the day before – lovely and colourful, with people all going about there everyday business or hanging about in there door ways, playing the guitar or selling fresh fruit. The second bit took us across some fields in to the national park in the thick jungle like mountains. We hiked for about two hours ending up eventually at a gorgeous waterfall and water reserve where Cuban kids were jumping in and playing. I abstained as always when is comes to water that may contain living things. Though I did dip my feet in and noticed a huge lobster like nasty thing crawling around on the bottom and concluded that I had made the right decision.

The hike back was not as fun. The midday heat had really hit in and Trinidad town is located on top of a hill and our hotel on top of a hill on that hill and energy levels were most definitely low by the end. Still we had an afternoon once again of cocktails by the pool and salsa dancing so can’t complain! This evening after dinner (hotel buffet slop) we were treated to an Afro-Caribbean traditional show. 4 uber hot black dudes pranced around stage doing crazy things like eating hot coal and picking up tables with their teeth. It was rather erotic and I may have left a little puddle on my seat.

Next day was our last day in Trinidad town as we were heading that evening to the Ancon Peninsula, about 30 mins south of Trinidad on the coast. Still we made the most of the morning in the hotel. It was actually called Las Cuevas for a reason and (as you probably guessed) this is because it was situated above a group of caves. One of which is open for tours during the day and very funkily becomes a night club by night (though we never went to this unfortunately). So my little buddy Tiago took us on a tour of it which was just amazing! Stalagmites and stalactites to your hearts content – could just imaging people salsaing around them! He he!

After this it was a bit more pool but, as seemed to be the pattern here, late afternoon St Peter pissed on us so we decided we may as well transfer to the new place while the weather was crappy. So off we went through town (which at this point resembled a river) and down to the coast for a few days of sunbathing and chilling. Arriving at the place it seemed nice enough but being an all-inclusive had a rather different clientele, namely idiotic, drunk, burnt Brits. Well I only saw one of these to be honest, a 50ish year old fat northerner who was being rude to a bar man, but it just really got me annoyed. I just don’t understand these people who just want to go on holiday to not actually experience anything of the country, treat the staff like slaves, and abuse the unlimited available alcohol. Anyways we checked in and had an explore and felt pretty disappointed to find that the ‘beach’ didn’t actually really exist– well there was a patch of sand but it didn’t extend to the sea. Compared to our last place it just all seemed a bit, well seedy. The sun wasn’t quite back out so we camped at the pool bar and had a few drinks. My mum, sensing that it wasn’t quite perfect, and of a far too sensitive nature decided to drink a few to many pinas and start really getting on my tits by being over enthusiastic about the place “I’m really warming to this place Alice, I’m really warming to it. Yes, I’m definitely warming to this place”…..then declared she wanted to swim in the ocean before dinner. So in a drastic mother/daughter roll reversal I was trying my best to, in the least patronising way possible explain that to throw herself off a small cliff edge to get to the sea when she was pissed as a fart was possibly not the best idea. Needless to say a combination of her being drunk and over emotional, and me still being a bit wound up and beginning to feel a bit ill culminated in us having our only argument of the holiday involving lots of “I’m just an embarrassment to you” and “I’ve booked us a rubbish holiday I bet you wish you were with your friends” comments……not enjoyable. Especially not enjoyable as the me beginning to feel sick actually turned out to be food poisoning and I spent the next 12 hours on the loo simultaneously pissing out of my arsehole and vomiting. Not the highlight of my holiday.

But a new day dawned. Feeling rather weakened from my night in the shitter I abstained from breakfast (if I saw a plate of eggs I don’t know what would have happened) but walking around I suddenly realised what an over reaction the previous day had been. The place was gorgeous. There wasn’t any drunk English people at all – just that one who was only kicking off because they refused to serve him (quite rightly so – the cunt) and even better than that we found the proper beach! A gorgeous little practically deserted beach with a tiny bar behind it and a semi circle of rocks about 100m out where, according to mum, was the best collection of tropical fish she had ever seen. It was perfect for me to whack my ipod on, indulge in a brilliant book (not Hemingway!) and recuperate from my traumatic night, whilst my overly excitable mother swam, and befriended any body who came within 10 feet of us. Much better!

The next day we took advantage of the hotel free bikes and went on a bike ride down through the peninsula. I haven’t been on a bike ride since I was about 10 and after this I just don’t know why?! It was such fun! Admittedly a bike ride surrounded by sea on both sides on a road lined with palm trees is a lot more appealing than cycling down the A413 but it really should be done more often!! We stopped off on the tip of the peninsula where there was a hotel and mum jetted off on a boat trip to do some snorkelling on the reef (I obviously didn’t – I’m not going to go in to my fear of the sea here – you’ll only mock me) and I had a chance to improve on my ‘getting stupid now’ tan (apparently those last 2 years working in suncare hasn’t really changed my opinion on skin cancer).

We had one more morning on the beach after this before our transfer back to Havana which I was actually ready for by this point. Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with being sun tanned but this whole “culture” malarkey had really got to me and I was itching to get back to Havana and learn more! At the end of the day I could get a sun tan in Lanzagrotty if I wanted for a tenth of the price (with the added benefit of picking up a few STIs), and my tan was pretty much perfect by then anyway (if I don’t mind being incredibly arrogant!)

The bus journey back was even more of a fucking nightmare than the way there. 2 hours longer than it should have been, over booked (so people were standing), road closures etc etc. Plus when we got to Havana we were so late that there were no taxis at the bus station to take us to a hotel, and it was bloody raining again! After pretty much every other person on the bus had managed to hail a cab (we need to be more pushy!) we eventually got back to the lovely Beltran and had a gourmet meal of cous cous prepared en suite and settled down to bed ready to make the most of our last day.

The next morning Havana all of a sudden seemed 100 times more amazing than it was when I was there 9 days prior (and it was a pretty amazing then). Just mooching around I suddenly got that horrible “By 5pm this evening this is all going to be over” feeling. And I wasn’t ready for it. Trying not to let it detract, we walked through the beautiful streets of old Havana through cathedral square where we had that first life changing mojito, and on to the sea front where we decided it was time to tackle the hustle and bustle of the markets and buy some pressies and tacky souveniers, a Che Guavara beret being the most important, of course. Then we went on to find firstly a new discovery which was a street which appeared in ALL the paintings of Havana which were on sale in the market. This was a street with a sign hanging down saying “La Bodeguito del Medio” which turned out to be a tiny little bar where Hemingway used to hang out and it seemed many other celebs had been there too as the wall was covered in pictures and signatures. This took us on nicely to our next planned point of call. The Ambos Mundos Hotel, where Hemingway stayed when he was visiting. They have preserved his room exactly how he had it when he stayed and you can look round it. Also the roof of this hotel has a bar so we went up there and whiled away the rest of our afternoon having a few drinks up there, soaking up the city sunshine with fabulous views and lovely company.

On our walk back to the hotel to catch our transfer something occurred to me. These were streets of a capital city and there were people sitting in there doorways nattering, people playing guitars and others dancing and singing around, kids playing baseball, women hanging their washing out there windows. This wouldn’t happen anywhere else, ever. Can you imagine walking through London chatting to people, dancing with them, children playing? I bet 99% of Londoners don’t even know there next door neighbour’s names! And this was communism – everyone equal, everyone working as a team, no greed, no corruption, a real community. And I thought ‘I could do this’ – I could live in an ‘ideal’ world possibly I’d prefer the countryside – where the houses each have a chicken and a plot of land to grow veg. But I could really live like that. I’ve always been against people earning more money than is conceivable doing satanic jobs, effectively only making money by screwing other people over – bankers, lawyers etc. And I’ve been against the situation you are born in to reflecting how far you can make it in life (I know it isn’t meant to be like this but it is). And I love the ideal. Everyone gets the same, provided they work, whatever they do and as a benefit receive a perfect education system, perfect national health service, a perfect everything government run and a complete sense of patriotism. Real patriotism – not just beating up other nation’s football fans patriotism.

I started thinking about England and wondering why I wanted to stay living here. A country where our so called “left wing” prime minister (who apparently is Gordon Brown now, not Tony Blair anymore) spends £2000 of the British tax payers money per year on cleaners for his stupid amount of houses also paid for by the state. And where white trash Vicky Pollards with 10 babies leak money out of the welfare state whilst moaning about the “bloody asians and poles – they come over here taking our jobs and tax money”. They fucking pay tax so why shouldn’t they be entitled to it? I’d rather they got it than the fat arse Keith Millers of the world. It is disgusting really and I don’t want to be a part of it.

But of course Cuba doesn’t have the ideal. The dream is there and I think it probably worked before the eastern block dissolved, but then again if they can’t really support themselves as a single unit then communism fails doesn’t it.

Personally I think one of the major problems as to why things aren’t working as well as they should stems from tourism. Admittedly it saved the country from starvation but it has created no end of issues and seemingly split the people in to two personality types. Type one are mainly the older generation, still very much pro-Castro. These remember and appreciate that they lived well post revolution, pre special period (between the fall of the eastern block and start of tourism), and also appreciate that the tourists saved their arses when things were looking pretty bleak. These people hence treat tourists with gratitude, respect and kindness. The second type, what I’m calling the ‘next’ generation of Cubans, seem to be much more cynical and unsure what they get is really ‘fair’. These people are really quite resentful of tourists often to the point they are just plain rude (turning their backs, shooing away etc). I think the problem is as they are unaware of what life was like before. All they see is these rich idiots, with their snazzy clothes, flash digital cameras and disposable cash to throw about, travelling around seeing all different cultures and places. Everything they can’t have and what they could have if things were different. I suppose it would piss me off.

Another massive problem with letting tourists in is the discrepancy in what people earn depending on whether they work in the tourist industry or not. Money is a bit complex but Cuba has two currencies – local pesos and convertible pesos. Tourists are only eligible to use convertible pesos and each convertible peso is actually worth 10 Cuban pesos. So effectively if I were to go in to a shop and buy a bottle of water – this would cost me say 1cp (around 50p) and a cuban 1p (i.e around 5p). So effectively they are charging tourists ten times for everything which still always seems reasonable to us (2 mojitos tended to be around 5cp – £2.50 – not bad!). This means when you tip someone in a bar, say 1cp – they are getting about £5.00 worth out of it yet it is only costing you 50p. I think this is absolutely genius and I can’t see why other countries haven’t caught on. In Thailand why not charge £5.00 for a meal instead of 50p?! Tourists will still pay £5.00! However the people in tourist industry, with their tips, get much more disposable cash than anyone else which brings about inequality in the people – everything communism isn’t. Take for example the scenario of the hiking trip we did in to the mountains in Trinidad. The cost of this was 7cp each so 14cp in total and seeing as our guide stayed with us from 9am-2pm in the blistering heat enthusiastically talking all the time, we had a 20cp note and told him to keep the change. So he got 6cp – £3 to us, worth £30. This makes you feel great as a tourist. Giving a tip of not that much value to you makes a huge different to the local’s life. In fact their monthly salary is 300p so we actually tipped him a 5th of what he would earn in a month. Crazy really. However you think of all the doctors and teachers etc who slave their arses off and don’t see anything of the sort coming their way. Where is the incentive to work then? This isn’t fair and is where the system really breaks down. You could definitely feel a certain civil unrest and I reckon especially now as Castro has stepped down, big changes are afoot. I guess if you were thinking of going I’d recommend going asap. (Hark at me making political predictions when 2 weeks ago I didn’t even know what communism really meant!)

Anyways enough politics and back to reality. Damn I wish I could but I’m hooked! Six months ago, to spend all my time googling Che Guavara and ‘communism for dummies’ or writing ridiculously long blogs that no-one will read (except maybe Sam – and even he will probably have got bored by now), would have been fine as I had nout better else to do. However right now I do, like revise for these bastard exams, and this new found obsession is greatly reducing the productivity stakes!

All in all the holiday (which is what it was at the end of the day) was a big success. I’d love to go back there and see and do more of it, and like so many places I’ve been I say I will one day. But then I realise that to go back to somewhere I have already been means sacrificing going somewhere new which I can get momentarily obsessed with until the next place…..etc etc.

Alice
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/cubana-na-na-na-na-salsa-415287.html

Music has been an integral part of every wedding ceremony since several decades. Originally just the church hymns and other religious music were the only part of wedding celebrations But with the trend of more destination marriages, music has become quite popular. Secular music is being chosen by most of the couples these days for their weddings as it suits their taste and personality. For a perfect religious touch and belief, the religious music is still preferred. A bit of contemporary touch in the wedding music works great for more interest and enjoyment of the guests.

The music plays a vital role in every marriage ceremony and helps the guests to make them comfortable in the environment. In order to avoid the guests getting bored, and shun away the irritating sounds of babbling allover the marriage venue, it becomes your duty and a necessity to entertain your guests with some music. 
The wedding processional music is another form of music; it mainly depends upon the size of your wedding party. The music and the songs should be dedicated to the bride on receiving the news of her arrival. 
Next is the mid ceremony music. You can either hire some professionals or your friends can participate in this musical service. This is carried out when the candle ceremony takes place or while signing the registry. 
Then is the recessional music which mostly engages some upbeat or celebratory music for setting the mood of the guests for a dance. When the guests start bestowing blessings on the couple and begin congratulating both the families, then the atmosphere should be filled with either a soft jazz or some love songs. At this point of time, the couple can perceive a few solitary moments before marching to the reception hall. 
The reception carried out at the last is traditionally the time for acknowledging your family members and friends. Music of different styles is usually woven with dance steps at this time. The soft romantic tones with various dance numbers get hold of the mood of the guests during the whole wedding ceremony.

Aakash Shah
http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/trend-of-wedding-music-693710.html

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephanie McWilliams

In honor of this country’s greatest spiritual leader, take time today to reflect on the following nine quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Allow his vast wisdom to resonate in your own life so that you may experience more fullness, richness and juiciness in the year to come!

1. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Positive situations can only spring from optimism. Peace will never be established through wars. And inner-peace will never be created through negative self-talk.

So many of us are kind to others, yet are cruel dictators internally. Practice speaking gently to yourself this week, like you would to a sweet, innocent child. Be compassionate and understanding. Be encouraging, excited, and joyful about all that you dream. It is only through a loving approach that the true enjoyment and richness of life can be embraced.

2. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Action is the missing step in so many peoples’ journey. Most of us know what we should be doing, yet do not live in alignment with those knowings. Stepping into integrity, and moving forward energetically, by taking action — any action — is vital. Without movement, there is stagnancy. Nothing can change when standing still.

So take a leap. Make a decision about something small this week — one that you’ve been putting off. Once you take those first brave steps, life has a beautiful way of illuminating the road just ahead. With each step forward, the path will be revealed and your journey will unfold.

3. “Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”

So often we get sidetracked in this country, and only hold the end-results of our endeavors in high-regard. But quite often I meet clients that are very outwardly successful and financially abundant…yet spiritually bankrupt. Many people are so focused on the prize that they’ll do anything to get there, forgetting to stop along the way to play, reflect, be grateful and smell the roses.

If we lived in a world where the only thing that was of any importance was in fact your intention, your awareness, your kindness or your faith, how would you stack up? What grade would you give you in the school of life?

The same principle applies in feng shui. It is not as important that your home look beautiful, but how it got to be that way. That you have reverence when cleaning. That you dance when decorating. That you smile as you rearrange. Focus instead on how you’re BEING, rather than all you’re DOING… and you’ll be doing great!

4. “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

We tend to make choices about our lives in terms of physical well-being over spiritual well-being. We want to live long lives, and we have doctors and hospitals and drug companies to support those goals. But what if we were just as tenacious about our own joy and laughter? What if we fought to have meaning and love? What if we would do anything to feel passion, pleasure and playfulness every day?

The desire for longevity is based on fear. The other is based on love. In what ways can you begin to live a long and LOVING life? Bringing in even the smallest twinkling of lightness to your day will go a lot farther for your health and longevity than a trip to the doctor…

5. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

When clients come to me frustrated or depressed, it’s usually because they have shifted their perspective inward, wallowing in the details of their own life. I’ve been there many times myself, as the human brain has a sneaky way of putting each of us as the center of our own little Universe. And while that seems like it would be a great thing, it also can wreak havoc.

When we shift our focus onto others, we not only get the experience of helping a fellow human being, but we also realize that we are not alone, others share the same struggles (or oftentimes, worse ones, and that the things we’re fixated on might really not be that important after all.

This outward focus also can bring a deep sense of satisfaction. When we live only for ourselves, there is a hollowness that develops. By holding to what we know to be true, and shining our lights for others to see, we not only enrich our own lives, but make a difference in the world – and this sort of experience always reaps far greater rewards than those done solely for our own gain. When you learn to light another’s lantern, you are also illuminating your path as well.

6. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

We tend to see ourselves as individuals, separate from the whole. We get concerned with our own needs, our own injustices, our own struggles, and our own desires. But if you look around, we are all completely interdependent. Every bite of food, piece of clothing, or car you drive has likely been touched by hundreds of other people. Unless we’re living off the grid, every move we make is linked to lots of other folks.

The same interconnectedness is found on an interpersonal level. Every time you meet another, you’re making an impact — either positive or negative. Every smile, grimace, compliment or hug ripples out into your home, your community…and eventually, the planet. Only when we begin to see each other as united, as cells of a greater being, as our very own selves, will we experience peace throughout the planet. Let it begin with you.

7. “We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but the positive affirmation of peace.”

Dr. King expresses here a most important principle in the manifesting of any dream. Whatever we focus on, becomes bigger — and unfortunately we have a media that fixates on scandal, crime, violence and poverty. Take a look in your own life, your own struggles… Have the things you worry about most come to pass? Are the challenges you face those that you reflected on?

Take a look also at your triumphs. Were they things that you talked about, dreamed about or wrote about?

This week take a look at your wish list. How can you keep your eyes on THAT prize, and less on your worries? Where can you live “as if” your dreams already have come true, rather than grumbling about your displeasures? Where can you find room for improvement, and making loving steps to revel in all the good?

8. “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

So… Are you a follower or a leader? Do you take what everyone tells you as truth… your parents, the papers, the priests and politicians? Have you taken time to as YOU what you think? Have you put your hand on your own belly and sat in that silence, listening to the quiet wisdom within? Did someone once tell you you weren’t pretty enough? Smart enough? Creative enough? Driven enough? Tall enough to have what you really want?

If so, where can you begin to take back your power and find your own voice and set your own path? Where can your spirit begin to whisper in your ear? Where can you find your own beautiful answers?

9. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

In a world full of flashy cars, high-profile celebrities, plastic surgery and get-rich-quick schemes, it’s easy to lose sight on the deeper aspects of the human spirit. When we judge — ourselves or others — on their appearance, status, age, ability or wealth, we lose sight of the truly beautiful parts of each one of our souls. Every person on this planet has a story, has hopes, has fears and has a heart if we open our eyes to see it.

If you’re only walking through the surface of life, I challenge you to go deeper. Take time out of your busy schedule to make eye-contact, flash a smile or offer a hand to your fellow man. Stop to ask your children what their lives are like, what they’re scared of, and what they long for. Ask your mate what they most want more of from you, and ask your neighbors how you can help.

Living solely on the surface makes for a very brittle life. So go deep, go deep… and go a bit deeper. There you’ll find the gold….

Stephanie McWilliams
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/how-9-quotes-from-dr-king-can-still-transform-our-lives-today-729116.html

As the spring semester of high school resumes in Chicago, many students begin to have prom on their minds.  Prom committees have usually formed at this point and a lot of the necessary steps to plan the event have already taken place.  Planning a Chicago prom can be quite a task and can often go unrecognized and unrewarded.  Often times if the prom dance is a flop the members of the committee will take a lot of the heat.  So to help avoid some of those unnecessary negative comments we’ve created a step by step guide to help aid you in the planning of your Chicago Prom.

So where do we begin?  When is the right time to start thinking prom?  The correct answer would one year prior to the date. There are several things that will need to be taken care of that time.  Listed below are a few steps you’ll want to take one year prior to your Chicago Prom event……

• Choose prom committee members and create sub-committees.  Without the prom committee there would be no prom, so having the right leaders on the committee can often make or break your event.  Your Chicago Prom committee should be made up of advisors and various student volunteers.
• Set a realistic budget.  Creating a realistic budget is a very important step in planning a prom.  You’ll want to begin by collecting the most detailed information on how much each element will cost.  This will give you a good idea for how much to budget for.  You’ll then want to take things into account like how much money will be coming from fundraising and from sponsors.   From there you can then determine how many tickets you’ll need to sell to break even for the event.
• Set the date.  Setting a date for your event can be very difficult.  You’ll want to take things into account like holidays, school activities, sporting events, and even neighboring school’s prom dates.  You’ll want to choose a date that coincides with all of those things.  Nine times out of ten you probably you won’t be able to please everyone with the selected date. 
• Choose you location/venue.  You’ve successfully created a budget and selected a date now it’s time to book a venue.  When choosing a venue you’ll want to find a facility that will be able to hold your crowd comfortably.  You’ll also want to look into food and catering options at those venues.  If you’re planning on having entertainment and dancing, will the venue be able to accommodate those needs?  As you search for venues you’ll notice a lot of reception halls prefer not to host school proms on Saturday evenings because they can conflict with their high priority wedding dates.  Make sure you confirm your venue early as the longer you wait the harder it’ll be to settle on the right place.

After you’ve done all the steps above you’re well on your way to creating a successful Chicago prom, you can now relax and have the next couple months off before the next batch of planning begins.  Around 8 months before your prom you’ll want to pick up with the committee meetings again and begin the next stages.

• Choose a theme.  Choosing a prom theme often can be one of the most important decisions your prom committee will make.  Choosing the right theme can make your prom stand out from others in the past and can be that key component in creating a memorable night.  When choosing a theme you’ll want to think of the mood you’d like to portray that night.  You’ll want to take into consideration whether you’d like to portray a fun mood, romantic mood, or even a mysterious mood.  A good Chicago prom theme should revolve around an innovative title, unique decorations, and a treasured song.  This is when you’ll want a lot of input from your committee members.
• Discuss fundraising opportunities.   Fundraising is very important in planning a Chicago prom and should never be overlooked.  After adding up the total expenses and dividing it by the number of students attending the event the cost per ticket can many times be rather expensive.  Students are usually aware that prom isn’t cheap so fundraisers are often appreciated.  There are hundreds of fundraising ideas available on the internet and you should utilized them when planning your event.
• Book your Disc Jockey.  This is another crucial and overlooked step that many don’t spend a lot of time on.  The success of your event a lot of times rides on the music that’s to be played and the DJ that’s playing it.  There are hundreds of Chicago DJ companies and only a handful of good ones.  Make sure you spend some time when selecting your entertainment.  Prices can vary greatly; most Chicago Prom DJs are priced around $1,000 and go up from there.  You’ll want to hire an experienced disc jockey that specializes in prom entertainment, not just your average wedding DJ.
• Begin discussing decoration ideas.   Now is the time when you’ll want to start talking decorations.  You’ll want to choose decorations that revolve around your theme for the evening.  As you plan for you Chicago Prom you’ll be surprised as to all the decorations available out there.  You can always buy pre-assembled decorations, but they’ll cost you.  Talk with your committee members and see what they can come up with on their own.  This can help save on the decoration costs.  A lot of schools in Chicago have actually cut back on their decorations and have invested their money into the dinner and the entertainment.  This may be an route you’d like to take.

You’ve now completed most of the important steps towards planning your Chicago Prom.  We recommend waiting about 2 or 3 months prior to your prom before you begin with the next steps. 

• Order invitations, programs, party items, and tickets.  Now is the time when you’ll want to send out for these important items.  It can sometimes take a few weeks to get things printed so be sure to get your final work to the printers before it’s too late.  You’ll also want to order your royalty party items like crowns, sashes, tiaras, and etc.
• Begin your advertising campaign.   You’ll want to start hyping the excitement of your Chicago prom.  You may want to consider hanging posters, placing ads in the school newspapers, hand our flyers, and/or even run commercials on your student radio station.
• Book a photographer.  At this time you’ll want to finalize your photographer.  You’ll want to decide how pictures will be taken that night and where in the venue will they run their operation.  Often times schools will use their yearbook photographers for the miscellaneous photos and then hire another professional photographer for portraits.  You’ll want to consider several options with your prom committee.

The time has finally arrived and it’s now 2 weeks prior to your event.  It’s crunch time and there are a few other details that’ll need to be taken care of….

• Send out your invitations and start selling your tickets.  Choose a central location in your school to setup a ticket sales booth.  Make sure the kids are aware of this location.  You may want to sell tickets at normal prices for the first week and then raise the price as the event draws nearer.  This will encourage immediate ticket sales and will prevent students from holding off until the last day to purchase their tickets.
• Confirm your vendors.  Now is the time when you should finalize all the details with your venue, DJ, caterer, and photographer.  You’ll want to make sure everyone’s timeline is laid out the same and there aren’t any conflicting schedules.  You’ll also want to confirm your theme song with your Chicago Prom DJ.  Don’t forget to call your chaperones as too!
• Setup a schedule for decorating your venue.  You’ll want to assign committee members the task of decorating the venue.  Make sure you confirm times with the venue and they are ok with you hanging decorations.  You’ll want to take time and read through any instructions kits that came with your decorations.  Make sure all the pieces are included in your kits and figure out the estimated time it’ll take to set them all up.
• Hold nominations for prom court.  This job usually falls under your job description as well.  You’ll want to decide how nominations will be made and who will conduct them at the event.

After you’ve completed the above steps you should be well on your way to create a successful Chicago Prom.  As you can see a lot of work and time goes into planning a big event like this.  When it’s all said in done though, the students you work with will remember this night for the rest of their lives.

Stevie Dee
http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/planning-your-chicago-prom-event-706688.html

Last week we went on the small trip to the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. We decided to hire a driver. We started our journey on the Friday night at around 11 pm. The four hour trip from Delhi to Jaipur was full of spirits. We really had great fun. Our very first step in the city of Jaipur surrounded us with the aura of royalness and luxury. We were totally exhausted when we reached there. We went straight to the hotel, which was booked in advance by the Shweta’s cousin. All that everybody wants was a break before we start with our sightseeing tour on the next day.

Foremost on our excursion trip was the magnificent City Palace -imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal art. The interiors of the Palace has various royal halls decorated with miniature paintings, carpets, old weapons and robes of royal princess. The most amazing thing that we found in the City Palace were the two 1.6 m tall silver vessels, which were used for the Ganges River water taken to the England in 1902. They are made from coins and are listed in the Guiness Book of Records.

There were two – three shops inside the City Palace selling books, Kurtis, Kurtas, jewellery, bandhini, jutis, pottery and puppetry. After that we stopped for the lunch break in the local restaurant and discussed about the next destination that we will be going to visit next on our tour.

We all agreed to visit the magnificent Nahargarh fort. As the fort stands at the top of the picturesque hill it provides the breathtaking view of the whole city below it. When we reached there my senses were totally filled with the glory of old worlds charm. Nahargarh fort was built by the Maharaja Jai Sawai Singh of Jaipur. It is also referred to as the Tigers Fort.

We didn’t spend much time in the fort but love the spot where Amir Khan’s movie Rang De Basanti was shot. This was the place were we did lots of masti. After that we went back to the hotel. We all together took a tea break and decided to visit Choki Dhani during the night.

Me and my friend Shweta really had the great time in Choki Dhani. It is a virtual village having the incense of the typically Rajasthani culture. As we entered inside we were surrounded by the pretty picture of a typically Rajasthani lifestyle. Two young men wearing turbans were welcoming the visitors by saying ‘namanste and were putting red dot (tilak)on their forehead. There were various acts going on inside the complex – magicians show, electrical rides, animal rides, puppets show, merry –go –round, parrot fortune teller, boating, mehandi and photography in Rajasthani costumes. The whole area was set in a very rural kind of ambience. But what attract us the most was traditional Rajasthani dance. Shweta and I got up on the stage and did the turban dance with the small girls wearing the colourful dresses. After that we head straight towards the camel ride. We had to stand in the long queue to take the camel ride. The handler made the camel lie down by folding their legs under them and than we climb onto a saddle that was strapped to the hump. The camel drivers did the great job in entertaining us with the stories of the royal Maharajas. As we got off the camel we went on taste the bajre ki roti with the red garlic chutney. After that we all sat together on the woven charpoy and enjoyed the pipe smoking (hookah) with the tribal dance. We also had lovely time watching the puppet show. Varun tried hid hand in ringing the ceremonial gong. After our adventure in the carnival area we moved inside for the authentic Rajathani dinner. Meal was served on a small plate made of leaves. We had so much food on our plate (pattal), they serve over twenty Marwadi dishes which included daal baati, choorma, gatteki sabzi, bajre ki khidi, and lots of mouth watering dishes. But the dining was absolutely delicious. By the time when Bhupi was busy having the champi maalish, we all girls decided to have heena on our hands. It was already 10:45 and we all were so tired, we went straight to the hotel to catch up the sleep.

Next morning we all packed our bags to leave for Delhi. When we were coming back it was raining like anything, so we stopped for the hot tea and snacks break at Midway behror for half an hour. After two hours we reached Delhi.

 

Aparana
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/travelogue-on-jaipur-738082.html

Dancing and drumming play an essential role in Native American culture and planetary healing. Join Brooke Medicine Eagle – a spectacular Earth Medicine teacher – as she shares her wisdom and prayers of hope while guiding you in both a Sacred Circle and the unique healing ritual of the Women’s Moon Circle. Dance awake the dream of a radiant new time, and celebrate wholeness as you step into a global circle of harmony set to the heartbeat of Brooke’s gentle drum. 60 minutes.

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