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Sri Lanka’s Sacred Esala Perahera Festival

According to Buddhist culture, the Sacred Tooth Relic (Dalada) of the Buddha is the most valued object of worship.  Currently the sacred tooth relic is in the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy, Sri Lanka.  As a result of this being the home of the object, Kandy is considered the foremost sacred place of worship in the Buddhist world.

 

As a part of Buddhist culture, there is a festival that takes place annually in Sri Lanka that is dedicated to this tooth.  Kandy Esala Perahera takes place over a ten-day period in July and/or August, during which the Sacred Tooth of Lord Buddha is adored with a series of great processions.  As a part of these sacred processions, temple chieftains, hundreds of drummers, dancers, torchbearers, and elephants walk through the streets each evening.

 

While the festival is deep rooted in Buddhist beliefs and culture, a lot of Kandy Esala Perahera sounds like the scene of a carnival with acrobats and festivities galore.  However, what sets this event apart even more is the elegantly decorated elephants that are part of the processions.  Richly decorated, they stride amongst the musicians, fire jugglers and torchbearers carrying gold and jewels.

 

This unique symbol of Sri Lanka is rich with a great deal of culture and is guaranteed not to disappoint the travel minded.

Oahu & Maui: Hawaii Food and Wine Festival in September

This September, the third Annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival will be taking place for over a week.  Held on Oahu as well as Maui the festival strives to bring the Hawaiian Islands to life.  The festival is boasting internationally acclaimed master chefs, sommeliers, and mixoligists.  Along side the international winemakers, there will also be local Hawaiian winemakers to quench your thirst.

This year’s Festival is set to highlight agriculture as well as the culinary evolution of the Hawaiian Islands.  This inspirational festival in an unforgettable location will feature more than 70 of the world’s best-known chefs.  As if their cooking skills are not enough, they will also be using the freshest island ingredients.

Whether you venture to Hawaii for the event in particular, or plan on seeking some delicious food in Hawaii from September 1-9^th, this festival can meet your needs.

They are working to offer five signature evening events as well as educational culinary experiences during the day.  If you are less interested in the food piece, both Oahu and Maui will be offering wine seminars as well.  So, whether your goal is to enjoy, educate, or experience the festival will no doubt leave you more than satisfied.

The proceeds of this mouth watering event support the sustainability, cultural, and educational efforts of the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Leeward Community College Culinary Program, Paepae o Heeia, Papahana Kuaola, Hawaii Culinary Education Foundation, Maui Culinary Academy, and Maui County Farm Bureau.

 

Photo Credit: hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com

Schedule, Share and Discover Lifestyle Businesses via Kuyam

 

If you have ever wanted Yelp and OpenTable to merge then you will be happy to hear about Kuyam.

Kuyam is a new innovative online scheduling platform.  Essentially it allows busy people to find and have lifestyle appointments booked in just a few clicks.  Discovering anything from spa and hair salons, to health and exercise classes.  There is even options to discovering tutoring and babysitting for the kidos.

Becoming a user is free, and after that you narrow down the service you want, what time you are available and how you plan on paying for it; then Kuyam does the rest.  Rather than you making calls and discussing availabilities.  Once your appoint is set it appears on a calendar on the Kuyam site.  Appointments are easy to change, adjust, or cancel as needed.

A mobile app is on the horizon for Kuyam as well which will truly expedite the efficiency of a busy person’s day.  Kuyam is working to make the connecting and discovering of local businesses easier than ever.

 

Photo Credit: Kuyam.com

Festival Telik Jailolo Spices Things Up In Indonesia With Island Treasures

East Indonesian culture is being celebrated this May 16^th-18^th via Festival Telik Jailolo.  This annual cultural festival is on its 5^th year and takes place in Jailolo, West Halmahera, and its purpose is to allow people to witness the richness of East Indonesia’s culture.

The festival is put on by the Tourism Department of West Halmahera.  The purpose behind sharing the culture annual is to promote the local scene on a bigger scale.  With everything from tourism, natural resources, culture, and of course local business in the area of Jailolo included.

The festival will allow those with an interest to explore deep into West Halmahera’s beauty, natural habitat, and culture.  Indulging in their world of spices is one aspect of their culture, and events such as the spice parade, spice expo, and strolling through spice gardens will be encouraged.  Appreciating the areas natural beauty will be enjoyed via a fishing contest, swimming contest, rowing contest, fun diving, replanting corrals, and witnessing sea rituals.

 

And certainly last but not least, there will be a cultural party along the beach to feast on traditional cuisine with locals and grilling 10 tons of fishes!

 

Teluk Jailolo Festival 2013’s theme is The Treasure of Golden Spice Islands and will be embraced with an art performance at the festival.

 

Photo Credit: festivaltelukjailolo2013.com

Feeling the Timeless Connection of Music at Holland’s Intents Festival

Intents Festival is celebrating its’ 10^th anniversary this June in Oisterwijk, Netherlands.  Intents Festival is focused on the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Scene.  The two day festival will be broken down into Harder Styles and Dance Oriented Styles such as house, 90’s dance, and happy hardcore.

The vision of Intents Festival is to create a fantastic experience where you long to remain and will forever look back on with amazing memories, overall an Intents experience.

Music has been a common denominator between people for centuries.  It blurs boundaries of language, allows people to share passion and expression, as well as creates unforgettable memories.  The journey through the Intents Festival will take you through time and ultimately show you its’ theme—Music is Timeless.

Soak in the mood, let go, and dance the night away.

Photo Credit: intentsfestival.nl

Wifi Sugar: Making Internet Surfing Sweet Again

Today’s on the go lifestyle in the 21^st century warrants the need to connect to public wifi on a fairly regular basis.  Whether you are out on a business trip, sitting in a coffee shop, or passing time in the airport, public wifi is everywhere and more often than not very easy to use.

What a lot of people don’t know is that public wifi puts your laptop at risk of being attacked by hackers.  There is actual evidence of wifi in hotels and US airports being hacked.  While this news is not that shocking to anyone who has ever received spam emails, or had an account of one kind or another broken in to, it can be stressful when you are relying on public wifi for your internet connection.

There is a new product out that helps alleviate the stress, worry and risk of your laptop being hacked on public wifi.  This software is from wifisugar.com and protects people when they use a wifi connection on the go.  In addition to being more protected while checking your email, bank accounts, and everything in between while traveling; wifisugar also allows you to access US based sites like Netflix and Hulu while traveling outside the US.

While the software must be paid for it would be better than having all your internet information hacked.  The product be run on smartphones, tablets, as well as laptops of course.

Photo Credit: wifisugar.com

The 2013 Taste of Washington DC: Sip, Savor and Enjoy

The revamp and relaunch of Taste of DC Food Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue is taking place over Columbus Day Weekend.  Steuart Martens is launching a series of one-day foodie events that will focus on marquee chefs, unique dishes and generous drink options.  The whole objective of Taste of DC is to change Washtonians approach to fine dining.  Dining is intended to be about the experience of tasting food you can’t prepare at home, awakening flavors you’ve never had, and being surprised by combinations you never imagined

Part of their mantra is that dining should be aspirational, yet attainable experience.  The event this October will take place along the DC waterfront.  The format for Bite of DC is unique, yet straightforward.  It will be 5 elite restaurants, 5 unique dishes, and limitless beer and wine.  The delicious meals will be paired with a corresponding beer or wine.

There will also be a great deal of talent amongst the award-winning chefs participating in the Bite of DC, including RJ Cooper and Aaron McCloud.  Some of the featured restaurants for Bite of DC will be Rogue 24, Jaleo, Cedar Retaurant, Windows Catering, and Luke’s Lobster.  These restaurants will be part of this event as a five-course fixed price food event.  Bite of DC allows these upscale dining experiences to be available at an affordable price along with unlimited wine and beer!

Overall the tasting of exquisite food along with great people and drinks to boot is not to be missed!

New Hampshire’s Hit the Decks: A Great Excuse to Get Outside

The idea of summer is on the horizon, and everyone gets excited for warm weather and sunshine, which is why Portsmouth and the Seacoast are throwing an event dedicated to the opening of outdoor dining. With everything from Brazilian to vegan a person can find a deck that meets their needs.  New Hampshire’s Hit the Decks event will take place on Friday May 10, 2013.

The official opening of outdoor dining in Portsmouth and the Seacoast will entail restaurants, shops, cruises, attractions and hotels celebrating with special deals all day.  It is an annual venture for residents of Portsmouth to welcome the sunshine season on the waterfront, across town, and around Seacoast.

Some of the specific events this culturally rich city will host include the 2nd Annual New Hampshire Komen Race for the Cure, Portsmouth Cherry Tree Festival, and entertainment at the Music Hall

Hit the Decks is celebrated open to close, rain or shine, and this year has more businesses than ever participating.  In addition to the restaurants celebrating the return of warm weather, there will also be retailers, hotels, and attractions joining in.  The event is an initiative of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

Photo Credit: Hit the Decks! Facebook Page

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