Pacific Orient

New York is a city that is known around the world and offers something for everyone. There are many ways to get to know the city, but one of the best ways may come as a little surprise - atop a Double Decker bus!

CitySights NY, is a well-known and recognized leader in the sightseeing industry, offers a fleet of shiny new Double Decker bus that offers the best possible view of New York City’s best attractions. The tours do not restrict you to only the bus. The bus is able to get you into the heart of the city, allowing you to hop-on and hop-off service.

CitySights NY offers the best value services and includes various sightseeing packages that range from various options of NYC Tours:

• Major Attractions
• Harbor Cruises
• Museum Visits
• Helicopter Tours
• Shopping Trips
• 1-Day Tours

CitySights sight seeing tours are not only restricted to New York. For tourist seeking to visit other major cities such as: Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Amish Country.

Be sure to take advantage of the amazing night tour that offers a spectacular view of the illuminated Manhattan skyline and includes a special stop on the Brooklyn waterfront.

For those who are short on time and want to get to know the Big Apple, the Brooklyn Tour is the tour to take. Get a glimpse into the trendy neighborhoods that many great musicians grew up in.

The buses offer high tech public address system with speakers located under ever seat to insure all riders are able to hear insightful information from the tour guides. The buses offers a comfortable environment with heating coils situated throughout the top deck flooring, so that tours are pleasurable even during the winter.

During cold and bad weather, City Sights NY buses have the ability to add their removable canopy made of clear, see-through material, that allows not only for warmth but also a clear view of the sights of New York.

If your headed for New York and looking for the perfect way to see the Big Apple, City Sights NY offer a wide range of unique tours that will leave a lasting impression.

Popularity: 11% [?]

If you find your self struggling to cope with the stress of everyday life or work has seemingly ground down your muscles, a Thai massage may be just what the mind and body are looking for. Thai Massage is an ancient art form combing guided stretches and Meridian pressure techniques with Pranayama breathing.

Traditional Thai massage is over 2500 years old and originates from India. It was the famous Indian ‘Doctor Jivaka (Shivago) Kumar Baccha’ Buddha’s personal physician, who bought the techniques to Thailand. Dr. Shivago is known as the ‘father or medicine’ throughout Thailand and homage is given to him by all serious practitioners of Thai Massage.

Although most of the literature regarding Traditional Thai Massage was destroyed during the Burmese invasion of Thailand, there are still a collection of intricate carvings and drawings on display at the famous Wat Po Temple, located behind the Grand Palace in the Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok, that give testimony to its existence and its place in tradition.

Thai massage is based around the energy (prana or chi) which flows around our bodies. Our energy is said to circulate around 72,000 energy lines within the body, if there are blockages in these lines our ‘chi’ is broken and we may become susceptible to sickness and disease. Thai Massage Techniques help rid the body of these blockages enabling our energy to flow properly.

With the application of rhythmic pressure on certain points and the yogic stretching of muscles and joints, blockages can be broken and the energy restored to its natural flow. Using a combination of the hands, thumbs, elbows, knees, feet and forearms, Traditional Thai Massage Techniques focus on utilizing body weight and correct posture to perfect the spiritual art form.

Benefits of a Traditional Thai Massage

Traditional Thai Massage is about restoring the body’s natural balance and well-being. Depending on your mood, the massage may leave you feeling drained and tired or completely invigorated and full of energy. However you feel after the experience, a Thai Massage is able to:

• Alleviate conditions such as lower back pain, headache, arthritis, digestive difficulties or menstrual cramps
• Release built-up tension (knots) in the muscles
• Increase general flexibility and joint mobility
• Act as a lymphatic cleanser
• Eliminate toxins in the system
• Stimulate internal organs
• Improve neurological functioning
• Increase vitality
• Relieve tension and stress-related diseases
• Help heal old injuries
• Help strengthen the immune system
• Release emotional blockages
• Induce deep relaxation
• Calm the mind

Popularity: 50% [?]

Loy Krathong is a beautiful festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand. It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar, this usually falls sometime in November.

The name Loy Krathong literally means to ‘float a raft’ and in this ceremony Thai’s do exactly that. Small personal rafts are crafted from banana tree and elaborately decorated with flowers, three incense sticks and a candle. The rafts are then placed on the river to float down stream. The act of floating away the candle on a raft symbolizes letting go of one’s grudges, anger and defilements, so that we can start life afresh on a better foot. Many Thai’s will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself.

Loy Kratong Song Translated

The originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Thai Buddhists as a ceremony to honor the Lord Buddha. The concept is thought to have originated in India from a Hindu festival similar to Divali, in which they give thanks to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year.

Along with the floating of the raft and candle ritual, celebrations include beauty contests, spectacular fireworks displays and temporary markets selling everything from krathongs to food. The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as “Noppamas Queen Contests” and according to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs.

Popularity: 42% [?]

800HighTech has been proudly providing military armed forces custom built computer PCs and customized laptop notebooks for over 10 years. They are the Number 1 Choice for military members and still going strong. They have the most powerful and fastest computers on the IT market; available for ZERO MONEY DOWN and LOW MONTHLY PAYMENTS! If they do not have what you want - let them know and they will get it for you. You could even win a $100 if it is a product they add to their product line.

If you have been considering buying a computer, 800HighTech is definitely a website you should visit. Regardless if you have bad credit history or no credit at all, YOU ARE FINANCED - Guaranteed! They will even help you improve your credit history because they will report your good payments. This will help you get back on the road to good credit.

Payments are made easily via the MyPay allotment system. All you have to do is go to their website and apply. You are pre-approved. Financing is then finalized by submitting your LES.

The price you see is the price you get - no hidden costs! When you go to buy a computer, you would think you would not have to ask this, but many dealers do not include many things in the price they give you.

H! You wanted a monitor with that?! Well that’s another $300.

There are no tricks in their price. It includes shipping including FPO APO military P.O. Boxes and Combat War Zones. Also, their renowned customer support is also included. It is provided by the same Americans that built your computer! The go well beyond for their customers and which is very apparent from their military testimonials!

There is no risk in buying as Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed! If within 30 days you are not completely satisfied, send it back with no questions asked! The PX does not even offer anything like this remotely close.

www.800HighTech.com

Military Sales Financing

 

• Custom Build a Computers
• Custom Build a Laptop
• Computer PC
• Laptop Notebooks
• LCD HD Display Monitors
• Digital Cameras
• Video Camcorders
• Digital Electronics
  

Popularity: 44% [?]

On behalf of our partner 800HighTech, we would like to apologize to all of their customers who received their Email newsletter and were dissatisfied. We received many complaints and questions regarding it - and I was not what it was suppose to be. It was our first attempt at communicated with their customers via Email and 800HighTech wanted to do it professionally. They searched and we were referred to Jerry Hart - who from his website seemed like he was going to help achieve our goal and more, but he wasn’t. It was a shame it turned out the way it was - Okizoo was able to help them recover and helped establish their new Email newsletter program.

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Popularity: 53% [?]

Thailand’s climate is most certainly tropical, it’s high in temperature and humidity and when it rains, it pours! For Bangkok and the North, seasons are divided into hot, cold, and rainy where as in the South, there are just two seasons, hot and wet.

Bangkok and the North of Thailand

In Bangkok and the North, the cool season sets in around November and last up till February. During these months it’s mostly dry with temperatures ranging between 18 º C to 32 º C, with the Northern areas usually being a little cooler than Bangkok. For many visitors, mid-afternoon in the cool season can still feel swelteringly hot; however in the morning and at nighttime, temperatures can drop to as low as 8 º C - 12 º C and even lower in the north.

Be prepared for both hot and cold temperatures, light clothing in the heat of the day and long sleeves during the evening should keep you feeling comfortable. There may be the very odd occasional downpour so and umbrella or light water resistant jacket may be useful. Don’t forget that the tropical sun can be harsh, even during the cool season hats and sun block is also advised.

The hot season begins after the northeastern monsoon winds stop providing cool air for Bangkok and the North of Thailand. From March till May the temperatures increase, and as the lush vegetation is sucked of all it nutrients, it becomes humid and towards the end of the hot season, very dry. Temperatures can reach up to 40 º C with humidity levels of 75%, the North being slightly hotter than Bangkok

If you are concerned about heat, try to avoid April and May, these months can be extremely hot and humid and considerably uncomfortable even for the locals. If you do happen to be here during April, the Thai’s celebrate their New Year and coming of the rainy season in a nation wide celebration that lasts from April 12th to the 15th. This spectacular festival is literally a nationwide water fight which can be an extremely fun break from the dry and arid heat in the hottest month of the year.

The monsoons start to pour in June and finish around October. July and August are generally the heaviest months, temperatures average approx 29 º C but humidity levels rise to 90%. Downpours may temporarily flood areas of Bangkok and the North; however rain pours rarely last longer than an hour or two.

The Southeast and Southwest

The southern peninsular region of Thailand sees two seasons, the hot and the wet; however they do not occur at the same time on the eastern and the western sides.

The Western Peninsular

On the western side of the peninsular Thailand’s shores stretch along the warm waters of the Andaman Ocean. Many tourist travel here every year to visit such destinations as Krabi, Phuket and Koh Lanta to experience Thailand’s tropical paradise.

Heavy storms begin in the west in April and last until October. Many resorts shut down for this low season and the tourist population decreases. The weather can be unpredictable at best and those caught out on some islands like Koh Phi-Ph (where the famous film “The Beach” was filmed) may get stuck due to rough seas.

As November comes around the holiday makers return and seasons starts again. Although the seasons are split into two, it does get slightly hotter towards the end of the hot season in the south.

Eastern Peninsular

This is the Southern part of the Gulf of Thailand; popular destinations include a set of three beautiful islands (Koh) off the cost of Surrathani and Chumporn, Koh Samui, Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao.

On this side, the monsoon rains begin later in year around September and last until December. Much like the rain in the Bangkok and the North, down pours usually last an hour or two but can occasionally last up 4-5 hours. And like the Southwest, it starts of cool after the rain finishes and gets hotter and the season progresses.

During the day time in the south temperatures are between 29 º C and 39 º C and the sun can be fierce, you should use a hat, plenty of sun cream and avoid long periods of time in the sun.When the sun goes down the temperature drops considerably, temperature average 8 15 º C although some nights can be up to 20 º C. Long sleeves may be needed especially if there is a cool onshore breeze.

Popularity: 46% [?]

Wheather sightseeing or killing time in Bangkok, taking a cruise along the legendry Chao Phraya River is a perfect way to spend a day or evening. The Chao Phraya River or “The River of King” has been the lifeblood of Thailand. When the capital of Thailand was moved to Bangkok in 1782 (the beginning of the Rattanakosin period), canals where so abundant in Bangkok that it was labeled “Venice of the East” by European travelers. Since then, many of the canal ways have been filled in or are no longer in use, however life around the Chao Phraya still holds the nostalgia of days long passed.

There are few different types of cruise available, cruises held in the day time tend to be geared towards sightseeing and may provide food, whilst cruises during the evening tend to be luxury dinning and entertainment oriented.

Day Trip and Short Cruise

On both sides of the Chao Phraya River, a tourist can see many magnificent temples and architectural buildings including the Grand Palace, Wat Arun(Temple of dawn), Wat Prayunwong, Wat Rakhang Kositaram, the Rama 8 Bridge, the First Presbyterian Church, the Royal Thai Navy Dockyard, the Thai Maritime Navigation Company, the Old Customs and the Royal Boat House.

Other sights you might wish to see if you don’t wish to travel too far, include the Floating Market at Wat Sai along the Klong(canal) Dao Khanong, 35 mins from Wat Sai is the Snake Farm and then also in the same area is Wat Pak Nam which is famous for amulets and is also a popular place to pay respects to Buddha at the weekend.

Dinner Cruise

Perhaps the most popular cruise to take is a luxury dinner cruise. Held in the evening amidst the cool breeze of the evening, there are a host of different cruises to cater you’re needs. Cruise’s range from traditional Thai cuisine to International buffets, sometime with live music or traditional Thai entertainment. You can expect first class service, 5 star foods and a delightful evening on one of many Bangkok River Cruises.

There are many luxury cruises when it comes to dinning, Hotels like JW Marriot and the Oriental offer International Buffets at a very reasonable price, other cruises like the Loy Nava Cruise and Manorah Cruise offer Traditional Thai Cuisine at around the same price. Cruises take place on wide variety of different boats, some are modern cruise boats with air conditioning and indoor or open air dinning, others may be traditional rice barges and may also have indoor or open air dinning areas. One drink is usually included with the price so be prepared to spend a little more for drinks.

Overnight or 2-4 Day Cruise

If you travel further north you can reach the famous ancient Siamese capital city of Ayutthaya. A river cruise to Ayutthaya can be done in one day; there are options to shorten the cruise by traveling one way on the bus, and cruising back to Bangkok. One or two night cruises offer cabins on board with all amenities.

You can even take 3-4 day river cruise across to Kanchanaburi and visit the Death Railway and the “Bridge over the River Kwai”. During this 3-4 day cruise you will be taken to many untouched places in Thailand such as Khao Noi Cave Temple, Somdet Phra Sri Nakharin Park also known as “Stone Garden”, Krasae Cave, Kaeng Lava Cave. You will also get the opportunity to visit other parts of the Death railway like Hell Fire Pass and the Thailand-Burma Railway Center Museum.

Booking A River Cruise

River Cruises are available from many hotels and tourist information centers. Short day trips can be organized at different piers along the river however you may have to haggle to get a fair price, so it’s good to have an idea of how much your chosen tour should cost.

Dinner Cruises are often one standard price; they can be organized by your hotel or travel rep. The choice of food and your boat preference should be the deciding factors for the best experience.

If you wish to take a longer cruise, prices vary according to accommodations and quality of service. It is best to organize these trips through a reputable provider for the best value for money.

Popularity: 47% [?]

Every year in late September and early October, Thailand pays their respect to 9 gods over 9 days in a mish-mash of events that make one of the most gruesome festivals in the world, known as the Vegetarian Festival with the largest festival held in Phuket Island.

This tradition was brought to Thailand by the Chinese in the 19th century, and the festival is supposed to celebrate the community’s belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants will help them obtain good health and peace of mind. During the 9 days, participants must adhere to 9 rules.

9 Days - 9 Rules List

• Wear white during the festival
• Behave physically and mentally
• Avoid eating meat
• Avoid sex
• Avoid alcohol
• Pay attention to cleanliness of the body during the festival
• Clean kitchen utensils not to be used by others who do not participate in the festival
• Pregnant women and menstruating women should not attend ceremonies
• People in mourning should not participate

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Popularity: 47% [?]

A recent report has shown that medical tourism and cut-price cosmetic surgery is becoming almost as popular as a tropical beach for nearly one in three Australians choosing a relaxing getaway.

A survey by travel website Total Travel found that 31.5% of Australians would love to relax by a pool in a tropical destination such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka or Thailand, while saving thousands on surgery.

Managing director of Totaltravel.com Malcolm Baker, said society was centered on the body beautiful.

“People are very conscious of how they look. I’m not surprised that the travel industry is taking advantage of this social trend and that cosmetic surgery holidays have become so popular.”

A survey by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons carried out earlier in the year found a growing number of patients seek further medical help when they return home because of complications regarding the surgery. This has prompted a warning from plastic surgeons about the dangers of cut priced surgery.

Cut Priced surgery in a popular tourist destination can be risky, before deciding whether or not your chosen surgery should be done in another country, important in-depth research should be carried out and the patient should be fully aware of the possible dangers from undergoing surgical procedures in particular hospital or clinic.

Popularity: 44% [?]

“The most important thing for foreign investors in Thailand would be the people and the culture. The people are very friendly, which makes it easy and makes it a nice working place. Besides that, Thai people are very dedicated.” Ronald de Hann

There are many reasons why Thailand is an intelligent choice for the investor. According to the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a 2006 survey conducted showed that Thailand was the “most optimal location for establishing a production/sales base in the coming 5-10 years.” Here are some reasons why:

* Thailand has quality international schools, an excellent health care system and friendly cooperative people.
* Thailand boasts the largest growth market in Asia.
* Thailand has recently attracted a great deal of foreign investment. It is one of the Asian economic leaders and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the area.
* Thailand is one of the least expensive places to fly to in Asia.
* The country has strong business ties with China and has an excellent infrastructure as well as world-class facilities in many resort towns.
* Property is far cheaper in Thailand than other countries and an increase in overseas interest in property purchase has helped to create an economic recovery in ThailandA 2006 survey conducted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) showed that Thailand was the “most optimal location for establishing a production/sales base in the coming 5-10 years.”

There are many reasons why Thailand is an intelligent choice for the investor. Below are just a few.

* Thailand has quality international schools, an excellent health care system and friendly cooperative people.
* Thailand boasts the largest growth market in Asia.
* Thailand has recently attracted a great deal of foreign investment. It is one of the Asian economic leaders and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the area.
* Thailand is one of the least expensive places to fly to in Asia.
* The country has strong business ties with China and has an excellent infrastructure as well as world-class facilities in many resort towns.
* Property is far cheaper in Thailand than other countries and an increase in overseas interest in property purchase has helped to create an economic recovery in Thailand.
* Rental potential is great, due to increased government spending luring growing numbers of tourists.
* No capital gains tax for private investors, and low ongoing taxes.
* Today foreigners are regarded by the government as a big investment opportunity in Thailand.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Many people feel that 21st century is going to be then Asian Century.People often talk about the rising economies of China and India. However, it may not happened if the income of an Asia person gets less than 2 dollars a day. So, what is the definition of property? Well, I believe its stated most from the media. But, if the definition of poverty is measured less than a dollar a day of income, then Asia will have 600million of poor people. If the definition is measured as an income of two dollars a day then the number of poor people in Asia will dramatically increase to nearly 2 billion people.

“ More than 600 million Asians live below the $1-a-day poverty level, or “more than two-thirds of the world’s poor,” the report said. “If the poverty line is raised to $2 a day, Asia has about 1.9 billion poor people,” or more than three-fourths of the world total, it said.

The percentage of people living on $1 a day in South Asia, which includes India and Bangladesh, dropped to 28.4 percent in 2003 from 40.9 percent in 1990, the report said. In East Asia, which includes China, it fell to 14.9 percent from 31.2 percent.”

“A new study conducted by the International Labour Organisation has warned that unemployment will become more acute in South Asia in the next decade as the labour force in the region is expected to grow by around 2.1 per cent a year.

Because of the growth in labour force, 14 million more people will be added to the labour market by 2015, as per a report on labour and social trends in South Asia.

The report says the most rapid increase will be in countries with the greatest number of working poor and the largest informal economies such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, and slowest in Sri Lanka.”

India economy is growing but the job market in India is however not growing at all. This sad reality clearly shows that Asian governments need to take the issue of unemployments very seriously. People without jobs has already become a cause of concern for the decision makers in India.  Asian leaders should do some work about this, and start  should come up with a solution as soon as possible.

 

Popularity: 14% [?]

Tsunami was a big disaster for Asian countries. It devastated

Asia on December 2004 but the impact of the devastation is still there. Yes,Tsunami affected

South Asia very badly and Thousands of people have died and suffered from it in countries including, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the

Maldives.

Rehabilitation and reconstruction works are still going on in these countries but people are still suffering. It seems that women are suffering more than men. They have to sell their bodies and even their kidneys. They are suffering physical violence in their home.

“On Dec. 26, 2004, giant waves triggered by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded pulverised villages along

Indian Ocean shores. Around 230,000 people were killed or went missing. Another 1.5 million were left homeless. South Asian nations were severely hit by the tsunami with tens of thousands killed across Sri Lanka, India and the

Maldives. The report said sex tourism was on the rise in coastal areas of tsunami-affected regions in

India as hotels were being built near the shoreline. Poor women, especially from devastated fishing communities, were particularly vulnerable to exploitation.”

Popularity: 9% [?]

Nepal has just started to see political stability but this small country is afflicted by various problems. One major problem is the fake education certificate. There are many people in Nepal who are working in different high ranking posts with no education qualifications at all. A former public service commission secretary revealed that there are 35000 people in government offices holding fake educational certificates.

“It has been reported time and again that many people in the country have been enjoying high posts submitting fake educational certificates. According to some sporadic reports flashed on media, there are fairly a large number of people who have occupied high-ranking posts in the government services using fake educational certificates. It is believed that there could be people in every government sector with fake certificates, mostly bought from India. In such a situation to take any action against those people who are now in the influential positions, will be an uphill task. It is suspected that even there could be some employees within the CDC who might possess fake Indian certificates. These people will never support any probe formed to look into fake educational certificates. This was the reason why a free and fair investigation failed to make a steady headway in the past. Under this circumstance, we have plenty of reasons for doubting about the work undertaken by the CDC.

Now the question that every Nepali wants to ask the CDC whether its staff would perform their task by alacrity and determination. However, we have yet to see that how the new government will react against those culprits who have been enjoying the perks, which they do not deserve for that. Much sensation was created when one of the then secretaries of Public Service Commission (PSC) revealed that about 35,000 persons in the government service hold fake certificates. This statement of the secretary instilled a sense of fear in the mind of many employees who held fake certificates. Later when a high-level probe committee was formed to look into employees with fake certificates, defaulters sensed an axe hanging over their neck that could land at any moment. Before an action was taken against them, many employees decided to quit their jobs voluntarily.”

 

I believe this is a serious problem because education is one of five basic needs of human beings. Without good education, a country can never be developed. A person who undergoes hardship to acquire education deserves respect. If another person with no educational qualifications gets better job than the educated person then what is the meaning of acquiring education. If Nepal’s government allows this to continue then many people in Nepal would become disheartened. Necessary steps must be taken to find the guilty and punish them.

 

Popularity: 14% [?]

The blog is official under-way and we will shortly be ready for our first real post!

Popularity: 27% [?]