WTVS News

Archive for November, 2009

A magnificent city in a harbor, Sydney has easy access to all sorts of natural wonders, and is a great gateway to some of the most splendid things Australia has to offer.  It is also one of the coolest cities in the world, with a thriving metropolitan area that is always moving and changing.  It’s a city that’s always on the cutting edge of technology, and still maintains a superb sense of hospitality that speaks to earlier times, when such things as manners seemed to matter.  You’ll love the warmth, and also appreciate the sense of style here.  It’s unique and extremely magnetic, bringing together a mythical past and a beautiful present.

There are hundreds of things to do here on any given day, and in part this is because of its thriving tourist industry whose reputation is based on a fantastic host of restaurants, as well as a brilliant array of choices in excellent hotels.  Sydney, Australia is a great place to go to see a new part of the world, and to take a break from the usual.  There are plenty of fantastic performance festivals and events to see here, and usually there are plenty of entertainments to keep guests of all ages transfixed and excited.  If you happen to find yourself entranced by stiltwalkers, you may be close to the company of Zoe Braithwaite.

This local artist has training in Shiatsu, and has done a lot of work in the healing arts, but her work has been devoted to live performance more often than not in recent years.  She’s been a member of the Fireflys and Invisible Surgery, where she’s been able to demonstrate her skills in fire breathing, fire dancing, stiltwalking, as well as stilts with fire.  She also does workshops with children, and has training in a stunning number of other spectacular, physical performance traditions.

Between the raves, and the discos, the parties on the beaches and the dances, Goa is a happening hot spot for those who like a vibrant nightlife scene.  This aspect has been one of the growing attractions of the city and the vibe of the culture is to live, to have fun and to enjoy it all to the fullest extent.  The beaches of Goa are incredibly beautiful, and during the day there are many activities to take part in on the water, be it sports or exploration, and during the nighttime, there are many opportunities for dancing and fun in the way of organized parties.

Away from the shores there are many casinos, pubs, bars and luxury hotels.  Goa has a bit to offer everyone, not matter what it you may be looking for–you will find it here.  Rest and relaxation, or party until the sun comes up, it’s all up to you.  Part of this lively spirit is inherent in the people of the city.  It is quite common to see an entire family out for a night on the town. In some neighborhood, every few houses on any given block will have their doors open to anyone wishing to stop by, an impromptu dance club if you will. These are not the high end, trendy discos, and there is something to be said for that.  As these small venues are a great way for friends to get together with each, at the same time as getting to know the people of the city on a more personal level.

In the established pubs, discos and nightclubs, quite often they have theme parties, where people show up dressed to the nines, and ready to dance to the hip hop or the trance music of the popular DJ’s.  Most of these venues pride themselves in offering up a wide variety of menu choices, be they food menus or drink menus, they will always satisfy.  In all, the choices for a night on the town are as vast as the choices for adventure on the beach, or open air market shopping.  The city of Goa is just all around, one of the best vacation destinations in the country of India.

For cosmopolitan cities with a sensibility for the different and the innovative, Melbourne might have the market cornered.  It’s a splendid city that offers plenty of surprises for the return visitors.  It has been part of many different artistic revolutions in recent years, and continues to evolve in this direction.  It attracts artists and intellectuals from all over Australia, and all over the world, looking to be part of a scene that matters.  There is also a magnificent sensibility for hospitality, and warm welcomes are never unusual here.  That’s one of the things that makes it so perfect for luxury hotels.  Melbourne is a fantastic place to visit when you’re slumming it, but seeing it from the height of accommodations is pure paradise.

Part of its attraction might be the mix of the familiar with the exotic.  There are many cultural practices that cross over, and because it is such an international city, used to taking in so many people from all over the world, it’s not just tolerance but integration that is part of the fabric here.  So it’s almost exciting to find things that seem strange, and to be part of the experience where the strange can become familiar again.  For the usual amenities and services, however, you’ll find everything exactly as you like it.  The food is fantastic, because it is a place where fresh beef, seafood, local wines and produce are all easily obtained.  You can also find local, fresh art, that is as fantastic to the eye and the food here is to the tongue.

A local artist to watch out for is Lena Torikov.  Currently, she’s teaching secondary school art, and is making some very small but substantial waves that suggest a bright future just up ahead.  She won an AEV award for travel, and brought back some fantastic inspirations from contemporary Russia.  Her own work is absolutely amazing, the abstracts speaking to an international art audience with a bold simplicity, and many layers to reveal that there is always more to reveal.  Her work is much like the city in this way, where the hidden and the revealed both hold a certain pleasure.