OK, so the title of this article might have confused you a little bit. After all, when you go off teaching English overseas, YOU’RE the teacher! What could you possibly LEARN?

A lot!

In fact, most of the people who teach English abroad come back and say that they wound up learning just as much from the experience as their students learned from them. So, count on your trip teaching you about:

1. You’ll learn about a new culture

Think about it — you’re about to pack your bags and head to a corner of the world that you’ve probably only seen on TV and in travel guides. You won’t know anyone. You may barely speak the local language, or maybe not all. And, you may wind up in a suburb or even a small rural area, instead of the glitzy, giant cities you see in the movies (after all, people outside of the major metropolitan areas want to learn English, too!)

Instead of being disappointed that you’re away from the trendy nightclubs and glamorous downtown areas, look at the positives. By being in a smaller area, you’ll get to know the locals better (just like you get more of a “small town feel” here in the U.S.). That means you’ll get to learn more of the ins and outs of your new culture than you would if you were in a city with millions of people!

This is not to say that all teaching English abroad jobs are small, rural areas. They’re not. It’s your choice where you want to teach.

2. You’ll learn more than guidebooks could ever teach you

Even if you were to head out on the longest vacation known to man, you still couldn’t learn everything you could from just a few of teaching English overseas. That’s because when you teach every day for six months or a year, you get to know your students (and their families) well. Odds are they’ll invite you over for holidays, religious ceremonies, and other customs that you never would have experienced during some vacation tour.

Teaching English abroad is an in-depth experience. It’s not a 9-to-5 job.

3. You will make a difference

There are very few jobs where you get to wake up each morning and understand what it feels like to truly make a difference.

Luckily, that’s what you’ll get to experience every single day when you teach English overseas!

That’s because your students will truly appreciate what you’re doing for them. Unlike “traditional” students, they aren’t there because they have to be. Instead, your students will be in class because they want to be. Maybe they want to learn English in order to get a leg up in the job market. Or, maybe they want to be able to communicate with family members who live in English-speaking countries. Or, maybe they just want to see what all the fuss is over English-speaking movies and TV shows.

No matter what their reasons are, by teaching English overseas, you’re helping them move towards a goal. And how cool is that?! What other profession, that is open to you (yes, you reading this article right now) what other profession is that personally rewarding?

As business, political and academic leaders from around the world gathered in Davos, Switzerland last week to discuss their 2015 global agendas, another Chinese major deal was struck behind the scenes. Zhou Xiaochuan (also known as Mr. Renminbi), governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), and Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) signed an MoU to establish a trading center for the Chinese currency in Zurich. As per the agreement, the Chinese central bank will grant its Swiss counterpart a 50-billion Yuan quota (US $8 billion) under its Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) program, launched by Mr. Xiaochuan in 2011. This is an attempt to understand this momentous deal in its proper context in order to unveil its global implications.

In December 2002, Mr. Xiaochuan became the 11th Governor of the People’s Bank of China in what eventually proved to be one of the smartest designations in the country’s modern history. Remember the time when everything around you started reading “Made in China”? This was the man behind it! So what exactly did he do that no one else was able to match or copy?

One month prior to Mr. Xiaochuan’s appointment, China had introduced the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) program in a first step to internationalize its currency, officially called the Renminbi and more frequently known as the Yuan. Under the QFII program, qualified foreign investors were allowed to buy Renminbi-denominated A-shares in both the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. Obviously, all foreign currencies had to be converted to Yuan for settlement.

Then in 2005, Mr. Renminbi took a major step in internationalizing the currency, when he reformed the country’s foreign exchange system. The Yuan’s peg to the US Dollar, which dated back to 1994, was replaced by a peg against a basket of currencies, while being allowed to float within a “reasonable” range. At the same time, a 2% increase in the currency’s rate against the dollar was instantly adopted. Eventually, the Yuan was allowed to appreciate by another 16% before the peg to the US Dollar was temporarily reinstated during the international financial crisis. Two years later, the peg was removed once again as the Yuan gained another 12% against the US Dollar.

The higher Yuan kept Chinese inflation at bay and prevented capital outflows from the country. As a result, Mr. Xiaochuan took his country’s exports from as low as $313 billion in 2002, to as high as $2.2 trillion by 2013. Before he took charge, China’s exports were growing at average rate of 10% annually. Eleven years down the road, the country’s exports have been consistently growing at a 20% average rate except in 2009, when it went negative due to the international financial crisis.

In July 2009, Mr. Xiaochuan launched another pilot program allowing five Chinese cities to settle their cross-border trades in Renminbi. Before this date, the Chinese currency was not allowed outside China’s borders; it was simply illegal! The decision meant that a parallel currency, the “Offshore Renminbi”, could free float outside the country and outside of China’s control, while the local currency remains under Mr. Xiaochuan’s supervision. A year later, the pilot program was expanded to include 20 Chinese provinces, before being extended to cover the whole country by August 2011 as the whole world was now allowed to settle trades with China in Yuan.

Then came the big moment, when Mr. Xiaochuan announced the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) scheme in December 2011. The new program allowed qualified jurisdictions – Hong Kong being the first – to buy not just domestic Chinese shares but also Chinese bonds with Offshore Yuan! Now fund managers in those qualified jurisdictions do not have to worry about their currency exposure in China anymore. However, there still remained one obstacle. These jurisdictions needed to accept the new program and implement it locally, before any such transactions take place. The challenge was that by doing so, every single jurisdiction would be officially accepting the Chinese Yuan as an international currency, so did they?

In 2012, Taiwan implemented the program; no big deal, who else would have followed Hong Kong? In 2013, Singapore joined the club; well, this is no internationalization by any means. Now watch this! In 2014, the UK, Germany, South Korea, France, Luxembourg, Qatar, Canada and Australia implemented the program. And if you think that it’s still too early for Mr. Xiaochuan to strike any deals in 2015, let it be known that he has already subscribed Thailand and Malaysia earlier this month, and as you already know, Switzerland just signed in Davos!

I know the media is full of strictures on China’s policies, but who cared to report that the Chinese currency now ranks second behind the US Dollar as a global financing currency as reported by Swift, the international currency clearing system? How many cared to report that the Yuan surpassed 11 world currencies in just two years to become the fifth most used currency in global trade in December 2014? Make no mistake about it, this is the world’s next reserve currency, so don’t put all your eggs in the US Dollar. Period!

Note: This is by no means an invitation to sell the US Dollar against the Yuan – actually the Chinese currency is expected to depreciate in the near-term against the Dollar -, it’s rather an advice to get ready.

Many experts in the lighting field believe that the overall outlook for neon signage seems to be very optimistic. Neon signs have a record of 100 years of successful use in advertising. If there were no neon signs cities and towns would be darker places and the neon sign industry would cease to exist, but that is not likely to occur.

Let’s start with some general information about neon such as why it’s used, uses other than advertising, where it’s used here and in other countries, neon signage around the world, and so much more. Everyone knows its main use is for advertising and that’s what keeps the neon sign industry going, but it has many other uses that are beneficial to the public. Enjoy watching TV? Neon is used in in television tubes. Do you have a neon wall clock? Neon lighting is use in the home and in many businesses to enhance and highlight dark areas. It is used in gas lasers is used to remove eye cataracts and for other medical problems. Many people have flown, but did you know this? It has been used in beacons and it has can be seen by pilots have seen it 20 miles away when it was impossible for them to see other kinds of lights. Neon lights can be seen through the fog. Many travelers have found it very helpful when looking for a motel on a foggy night. Neon does all this and more.

However, neon’s biggest and most widely-known use is in neon signs. What makes it so useful for signs? There are two reasons for this. First neon is a first-rate conductor of electricity, and secondly it has the amazing ability to give off light that can be seen at great distances. As hard as it may be to believe neon technology started in Europe in 1675. It’s not that neon signs were invented then but just the idea that would grow into the modern neon sign. In fact, strange as it may seem electricity was not even discovered yet. These two ideas developed independently because neither was dependent upon the other being in place.

It wasn’t until 1910 that in Paris a, man called Georges Claude came up with the idea for neon signs. His first effort was a sign for a barber shop in that city. How and when did they first come to the United States. Earle Anthony, the owner of an auto dealership in Los Angeles, apparently heard about neon signs and visited Paris. The result was two Packard neon signs which he purchased for $1,250. The year was 1923. The idea spread quickly because both businesses and the public took hold of this new concept in advertising. Traditional sign advertising was hit with the brilliant explosion of neon signs. These first signs were called “liquid fire” no doubt because of the bright red light they emitted seem to signify danger.

The first sign that came to Las Vegas was a sign advertising a place called the “Oasis Cafe House”. Who realized then that the city would become one of the country’s two premiere neon signage showcases? It was a notable event but few people, gave much thought other than that.

When discussing neon signage in America the Las Vegas Strip(or “The Strip” as it is often called) and New Yok City’s Times Square are the logical starting points. It is easy to see how they earned their titles. Both receive millions of visitors each year who view neon displays that are almost blinding. Las Vegas may have an edge over Times Square because it receives many more visitors because of its casinos who provide the city’s neon display. In comparison Times Square signs are subject to more frequent changes due to the fact that businesses in that city change often while Las Vegas has casinos that are the mainstay of the city’s revenues and the casinos are always in business.

The Las Vegas Strip is home to a world famous iconic neon sign that was erected in 1959. The sign was the idea of Betty Willis, who worked for a local sign company. The sign contained the words “WELCOME TO Fabulous LAS VEGAS NEVADA”. The sign was never copyrighted because Willis considered it her gift to the city. This sign is synonymous with the City of Las Vegas. The Willis sign is number one on the list of the world’s 10 most impressive neon signages. Las Vegas is also home to the world’s largest neon sign which carries the name Hilton and is owned by the Hilton Hotel Corporation. This sign was erected in 1996 and covers over 70,000 feet, The Hilton name is 164 feet wide and the letters are 28 feet high. At a price tag of approximately $9 billion it could easily be called the world’s most expensive neon sign.

Times Square received its first neon sign in the mid-1920’s. The density of illuminated signs in Times Square has reached the point where it’s beginning to give the Las Vegas Strip a run for its money. This density is the result of the smaller size of Times Square compared to that of the Las Vegas Strip which runs for miles. In any case both of these locations are filled with thousands of signs.

Turning our attention from these two neon showcases there are other places in the Us that have notable neon signs. However, they are naturally not on the same level as the previously mentioned giants of neon signage. In Elk City, Oklahoma at the National Route 66 Museum proudly exhibits the giant iconic Route 66 neon sign. The city of Saginaw, Michigan claims it has the largest neon sign in the state an d the largest figural sign in the nation. Figural neon signs show humans and animals. This neon sign is 35 feet high and fifty feet long.

The list of the top 10 neon signs in this country has many neon signs that are nationally known. Many of them are long gone. They all once brightened a city street. Number one is Boston which had its Schrafftt’s n sign which was a symbol of the company’s candy and chocolate business. Second place on the list went to the “Vegas Vic” sign which was standing tall on the city’s Fremont Strees from 1951 to about 1995 when it was retired.

In number three position is the Great Grain Belt Bear sign in Minneapolis which was used a great many years since it was installed in 1940, and is now up for sale. Fourth is the Coppertone Girl sign that was erected on Miami’s Biscayne Boulevard to advertise the company’s product, suntan lotion. It was a city landmark and was there from 1959 to the 1990’s. What made the sign so noticeable was the puppy that was tugging on the little girl’s bathing suit. Next on the list is the Skipping Girl sign from Abbotsford, Australia. She was called”Little Audrey” and she advertised the Nycander Company’s product, sugar. She was gone in 1968 but due to the public’s outrage at the loss of this landmark she was replaced by a replica in 1970. Portland, Oregon’s “Made in Oregon” sign which advertised sugar was erected in 1941. It was changed over the years and remained in place when the company left the building in the 1950’s.

The Westinghouse Company’s sign in Pittsburgh to the number seven spot. It had been up since the early 1920’s and was taken down in 1998. Taking the number eight place is the Magikist’s Company of Chicago with its sign advertising carpets. The 41,400 pound lips on this sign were regarded as a city landmark However, all of the previous neon signs mentioned are gone. The number nine sign, the Reno Arch in Reno, Nevada which was built in 1927 and is still going strong. Last on the list is the Traveler’s Insurance umbrella sign which can be found in Des Moines, Iowa. It was built in 1963 and still in operation.

No mention of neon signs would be complete without including a list of the world’s 10 most impressive examples of neon signage. It should be of no surprise that number one on the list is the iconic WELCOME TO Fabulous LAS VEGAS, NEVADA neon signage. This is followed by the Times Square display. Third place goes to Hong Kong’s 15 minute entire skyline light show, The next spot belongs to Osaka’s Dotonbun signage which was the inspiration for the move, “The Blade Runner”. Shanghai’s Najinj Road takes position number five with Tokyo’s Ginza and Shibuya occupying the number six place. The Vegas Boneyard (where old and iconic Las Vegas signs are restored and displayed) is next. This is followed by the signage showing Vintage Times Square neon signs from the 1920’s to the 1950’s.

As for the last two on the list the Caesar’s Palace neon signage is in ninth place and Bankok’s soi cowboy road completes the list. It is interesting to note at this point that at an earlier time London’s world famous Piccadilly Circus would have most certainly come in near the top of this list. It received what many have called the first neon sign to come to Europe, a popular soft drink sign, which was replaced a new version in 2003. However, today all of the neon signs in Piccadilly Circus are on one building with the names all being large international corporations.

Many organizations have sprung up in all parts of this country. Their purpose to to collect, restore, and exhibit old classic neon and iconic neon signs. One of these is the Neon Museum of Philadelphia which opened in 1983 and shows neon signs from businesses. The Neon Museum in Las Vegas has iconic neon signs from closed casinos and businesses. It has more than 150 historic restored and non-restored neon signs. It is non-profit and was established in 1996. The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio was founded in 1999 and is asid to have over 2,800 signs of all types including neon. The Los Angeles Neon Museum opened its doors in 1981 with the intention of preserving old neon signs and other forms of neon art. In a related vein a gallery and workshop called Let There Be Light opened up in New York City in 1972 to train artists how to use neon.

After illuminated sign usage started in the United States other cities followed although at a much slower pace. Tokyo seems to be one of the first cities outside of the United States to get them. They were installed in a city park in 1926. Australia’s first one appeared in a Melbourne suburb in 1930. Johannesburg, South Africa got its first one in 1935. India didn’t get its first one until about 1940. Shanghai, China had to wait until 1982 to get its first one. Puskin Square in Moscow got its first sign in 1989. It was a popular soft drink sign. Stockholm. Sweden received its first one around 1936. On the other hand, Zurich Switzerland is reputed to have no neon signs.

Even so, their are some cities in the world that have banned the use of neon signs within their jurisdictions. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, trying to combat his country;s growing power problem, banned them and brightly-lit billboards. In January 2010 the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is the world’s fourth largest city, banned them to try and stop its rising pollution problem. In the US in 1996 the town of Avon, Connecticut passed an ordinance banning the use of what they called exposed tubes, but neon signs encased in plastic were alright to use. The town’s residents questioned the reasoning behind this ordinance. More recently a ban against the production and sale of illuminated tubes has gone into effect in Vermont and Massachusetts with other states looking to follow suit. Illuminated tubes not using mercury are permitted.

The city of Madrid, Spain, has an ordinance that prohibits all illuminated signs in the city’s center so as to reduce contamination, conserve energy, and to make the city more aesthetically pleasant. This ordinance covers all neon used in pharmacies, theater marquees, business signs, and bars. Madrid had had illuminated signs for over 70 years up to this point.The city of Duluth, Georgia prohibits neon signs, and even though these signs are not prohibited in Mesa, Arizona the city’s present day ordinances and policies weigh heavily against the survival of illuminated signs.

Starting in the 1960’s there was a movement in the United States and Canada against illuminated signs. The city of Vancouver banned the use of these signs on what once were brilliantly-lit streets which then became dark passageways that left the city with a cold, heartless, look.

Since we are talking about neon signs it might be a good thought to get an idea about the neon sign industry. In 2008 neon sign company total revenues were about $2.9 billion. The sign industry, as a whole, had revenues of about $11 billion. At that time there were some 35,00 sign shops, including illuminated sign shops, in this country. These amounts have grown in thw succeeding years.

What is a commercial neon sign worth? That’s really hard to say. However, when it comes to prices collectors might pay for them there are some figures available that show what they have paid for highly-prized illuminated signs. In fact, in June of 2006, at a memorabilia sale a Thunderbird Hotel illuminated sign sold for $26,000., while one that said Cloud 9 sold for $21,275., and the star part of a Holiday Inn sign went for $3,220. This shows what people are willing to pay for collectible neon signs. Prices for the commercial kind vary according to size and other factors.

Now it’s time to compare neon signs with another form of lighting, LED. Before getting into the advantages and disadvantages of these two methods as they pertain to their commercial use.

Let’s start by seeing what LED is and some information about it. The letters LED mean light emitting diodes. LED was first used as a replacement for incandescent indicators and for laboratory equipment displays. Later on it was used in television sets, watches, radios, indicators, and calculators. It isn’t only until recently that LED prices have dropped allowing for sales to residential and commercial markets. Outdoor lights and Christmas lights are part of LED home lighting products. With the energy crisis in effect and some foreign countries looking for ways to reduce energy costs LED lighting companies can probably look forward to a profitable future when it comes to their products.

Now that we have a working knowledge of LED lighting is we can make a fairer comparison to neon signs as we mention the good points and the bad points of each. The basis for comparison is the use of the two lighting methods in advertising.

First, with regards to neon sign usage the advantages are as follows – they have a very long life when used properly, neon has a very high operating range and can run on on very high voltages using AC or DC current, they don’t always require special power supplies, and these signs have a very low power consumption. A unique advantage, only enjoyed by neon signs, is that they can be made into any shape. This very important advantage, the ability to be bent into shape makes it ideal for use in advertising, wall clocks, and lighting for homes and businesses. Finally, it’s inexpensive for small indicators and decorative lights.

Neon signs also have their disadvantages. They have low light output for input power, only produce a small range of the color spectrum, make only one color at a time, require a large surface area to be used for general lighting, and is expensive for use as signs and displays.

The advantages of using LED lights are these – the US Department of Energy expects the cost of producing LEDs to decline below that of compact fluorescent lamps called CELs in about 2013, high level of energy efficiency, more durable, extended product lifetime, and reduced heat load to the space(an added benefit from reduced energy usage).

The disadvantages of using LED lighting include the “warm” lighting generated by LEDs is more expensive than “cold” lighting, LEDs are more expensive than some more traditional lighting concepts, limited selection and options, color quality, and lack of product standardization.

The purpose of this article was to provide on the many topics related to neon signs that are not often known by the general public. What the future holds for each of these kinds of lighting is hard to predict. By just referring to the material presented the most reasonable answer might be that both of them will be in use for some time to come, but that could easily change due to improved designs and advances that either could develop, changes in the economy, or any one of a number of other factors. Both industries have very large financial resources and will do whatever it takes to obtain the greater share of the signage market.

In the final analysis there are two basic factors that will influence the sign industry with regard to profits and investment. Businesses want to employ whatever method that works the most successful for them. Consideration of future advancements in technology with regards to each form of lighting, prices, and many other factors is crucial plus examining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Another idea is which one draws a better response from the buying public. This could well be the deciding factor. Like all industries these two competitors will undoubtedly look to marketing research studies as a reliable guide to their decision making. Each of these two systems has only one goal in common and that is the same as any business or company and that is to try and make the right decisions that bring in the most money and that’s the name of the game.

This time last year, my wife called me and said the four words no husband ever wants to hear…

Honey, we have termites.

I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, we live in Florida – everyone gets termites here. The pest-control guy had found the clue – a few bug wings. But where was the nest?

I found it soon enough, up on our second-story deck. The structure’s made of concrete, but the decking itself? Yep – plywood. Just walking around up there, you’d never see it. But the critters had bored a little hole through the tarpaper sheathing, steadily chewing away the wood underneath.

It’s not unlike the new U.S. real estate boom. It appears a bedrock of economic strength. But as I’ll show, events far away – in China – are now weakening this market in subtle, powerful ways, with repercussions for the U.S. economy itself.

When people talk about the rebound in U.S. real estate, primarily they’re talking about luxury homes. It’s the hottest, most lucrative end of the market. Sales for houses priced above $1 million rose almost 9% last year, more than double any other price category, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Buyers from China are the ones setting those record prices. How?

One is sheer numbers. Chinese buyers account for nearly a third of all home purchases by foreigners in the U.S. (and nearly triple those of Canadians, the next closest nationality group).

Two, Chinese buyers are more than happy to pay above top dollar – their median purchase price is $523,000 – more than twice the U.S. average.

Three, cash is king – and Chinese homebuyers love cash. According to the NAR, 76% of Chinese purchases were all-cash transactions.

First Australia, Then U.S?

But what happens now, after a 40% crash of the Shanghai Composite Index, and a still-slowing Chinese economy?

If you read the headlines, the “expert opinion” is uniformly bullish on what China’s woes mean for U.S. luxury home purchases. The rationale is that further weakness in China will only spur mainlanders to buy more U.S. real estate, not less.

To me, that sounds like bubble talk. I heard similar rationalizations when I was a financial journalist, covering the boom and bust of the U.S. housing market.

Perhaps America’s luxury home realtors should look to Australia, where Chinese property buyers also drove up luxury home prices to insane levels. More recently though, sales have started to tail off in the places where Chinese buyers are most active – the two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.

And Morgan Stanley, in a recent note, became the first major financial institution to declare that Australia’s housing cycle has peaked. The bank’s analysts expect “further declines in auction clearance rates (i.e. sales) and house price momentum, with a negative impact on construction occurring over 2016.”

Could the U.S. luxury home market not be far behind? The anecdotal data certainly points in that direction.

Realtors in the San Francisco Bay area now tell local media that buyers from China are hitting the “pause button.” Another said she’s seeing price reductions among her high-end ($3 million and up) properties. A Sotheby’s agent told KCBS-TV, “It’s been a little slower now. I feel like there’s been some kind of shift.”

In Miami, where Chinese buyers were a rising force in the marketplace, luxury home sales fell 10.6% in the most recent quarter. The number of listings keeps rising too – up 15% from year-ago levels.

Recession Risks?

Even the Chinese themselves may be seeing the writing on the wall. I ran across an article on a Singapore-based website aimed at high-wealth, English-speaking Chinese recently. The title of the article? “Now Is Not The Time to Buy in San Francisco.”

The national data also raises an interesting point. In a midyear report, Realtors.com noted that the total number of foreign buyers of U.S. real estate fell 10% in the 12-month period ending in March. Yet the dollar volume of their transactions (we’re talking residential sales here), rose 13% to a record $104 billion.

Translated, it means fewer buyers chasing higher prices. To me, that says “bubble.”

So let’s say I’m right, and that bubble has peaked. What does it mean?

Morgan Stanley, in its recent call on Australia’s Chinese-fed housing bubble, believes the coming U.S. real estate slowdown raises the risk of a recession in the Land Down Under.

Could it happen here too?

Considering so many of these homes are purchased for cash, the risk to the banking system seems minimal.

On the other hand, homebuilders haven’t been this confident in years. This summer, the Wells Fargo/National Association of Home Builders sentiment index hit its highest level since November 2005 – just before the U.S. real estate sector went over the cliff.

Likewise, the boom in luxury residential sales spurs a Field of Dreams mentality (“If you build it, they will come”) among builders and developers. That means lots of speculative development, and ever larger orders for lumber, concrete, premium windows, cabinets and lots of other high-value building components.

What happens if real demand doesn’t meet expectations?

It’s just another sign, as Jeff Opdyke has mentioned often, of a U.S. economy left with very few “legs” for support.

The basic function of a hotel is to offer lodging for the night and food, if possible, to a traveler, but there are hotels that represent more than that- they became veritable art creations. The Forbes magazine published the list of world’s best “design” hotels.

Marques de Riscal (Rioho, Spain)

This is a 43 room hotel, situated in the wine producing region of Spain, and was created according to the project of the architect Frank Gary (the author of Guggenheim Museum in Balboa).

The roof of the hotel is decorated with pink, silver and golden plates. Its interior executed in beige and golden tones outlines due to minimalism, and the two wings of the building are connected by a glass passing.

Winvian (Lchilfield hills, Connecticut, USA)

This hotel occupies an area of 113 acres, where 18 thematic cottages, created by 15 different architects, are situated. One of the most unusual cottages is named”The helicopter”. There even is a helicopter in it (35 feet long and 17000 pounds in weight), that was used for the shooting of “Top Gun”. There is a wooden tree house at the altitude of 35 feet for the kids.

The Keating (San-Diego California, USA)

The Pininfarnia Company that is in charge of the appearance of Ferrari’s and Maserati’s cars was dealing with the design of this hotel. The singularity of this hotel begins with its hall with red lacquered walls and high ceiling. In the hotel there are 35 rooms with red brick walls, round windows, plasma TV sets and electronics form Bang & Olufsen.

Inn at price Tower (Bartlesville Oklahoma, USA)

The design of this hotel’s room 21 was created according to the project of Wendy Evan Joseph, the architect of Holocaust Museum in Washington (Columbia district). The 7floor building itself made of concrete and coppers is the creation of the famous Frank Lloyd Right- the person who influenced the most the development of western architecture during first half of XX century. There are windows as big as the walls and furniture with copper pieces in every room.

Faena Hotel and Universe (Buenos-Aires, Argentina)

A granary in past, nowadays this building turn into a hotel (the project of Fillip Stark and the fashionable Argentinean designer Allan Faen). Its entrance is framed by a curtain, behind which the El Bistro restaurant and the drawing room, decorated with antic lamps, are located. Among the elements of 110 rooms’ design are the red velvet pillows, velvet curtains and XIXth century chandeliers.

Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa (Napa Valley, California, USA)

This hotel, created by Mickey Meningom, amazes immediately – its entrance is decorated by an unusual writhed steel canopy. Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa is na eco-hotel and its name is translated from Greek as “mother land”. There are 133 rooms in the hotel with internet connection, cable television, a fridge and a microwave. The hotel is located in the Napa village, well-known fro its vineyards.

New Majestic Hotel (Singapore)

Entering the lobby of the hotel, the guests see the absolutely white walls, the spiral Compton fans and the ceiling covered with cooper. Local painters were dealing with the design of the 30 rooms. In some of them there is a bath right in the center and the beds are suspended to the ceiling. The atmosphere is completed by the old-fashion furniture made of pop-art fresco. The hotel is situated in Chinatown that is the historical region of Singapore.

The Setai (Miami, Florida)

Created by a Malaysian architect- Jan Michel Gati , this hotel that is located on the coast embodies the Shanghai style of Ar Deco. The hotel’s facade is absolutely white, but inside the guests may see all the shades of grey, black columns with bronze mosaic and the floor made of Shanghai marble.

There are 125 rooms with a bathroom and teak floor. The Hotel’s inner yard is sloshed by the orange color.

Granados 83(Barcelona, Spain)

This avanguard Hotel was created for the adventure’s amateurs and the fans of good cuisine. It occupies the former building of a hospital. The original columns are covered with steel, red marble, glass and iron. White and black rock tiles were used for the floor. Such materials as leather, brick and marble were used for furnishing the 77 rooms. The furniture is covered with a fluorescent iron casing.

While major U.S. automakers are focusing on hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, Volvo took a different route, unveiling a sports car powered entirely with lithium-ion batteries. Volvo’s 3CC concept car, won “Best Design” and five Gold Standards at the recent Michelin Challenge Bibendum environmental competition in Shanghai, China.

“Not only does the 3CC combine classic Volvo styling cues with exotic gull-wing doors and a tapered, 2+1 seating configuration, but it does so with a highly advanced lithium-ion battery electric drive train. That’s a step apart from the crowd, which these days is largely focused on hybrid and fuel cell concepts,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal.

“Just as the earlier ECC forwarded new thought in hybrid propulsion with its high-speed turbine-generator design,” adds Cogan, “today’s lithium-ion 3CC innovates with its thousands of smallish laptop computer-style batteries, which power this zero emission vehicle to impressive levels of efficiency and performance.”

Advanced research into sustainable mobility and Volvo engineers have placed particular focus on the conditions regulating safety in small cars and their ability to handle incoming forces in a frontal collision.

The unique aerodynamic styling of Volvo’s 3CC concept car allows room for a third seat in back. The unique ducktail design creates room for a third seat in the back, while the batteries are sandwiched into the floor panels.

The 3CC concept car features an 80-kilowatt motor that delivers up to 107 horsepower, it has a potential driving range of 300 km (approx 180 miles) the 3CC has a top speed of over 135 km per hour.

The carbon-fiber body is mounted on a steel space frame and composite floor panels, giving the lightweight vehicle the ability to leap to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds. Volvo says the 3CC can travel 180 miles on one charge under ideal driving conditions

The Volvo 3 CC’s safety features include Volvo Safety Ride Down Concept, a unique solution with a seat system that moves forward, a bit like a sled, at the same time as the front is deformed. This movement is slowed with the help of adaptive shock absorbers that tailor the damping effect to suit the collision force and the occupants’ number and weight. The interior can be moved between 0 and 200 mm forward, which has the same overall effect as extending the crumple zone by a corresponding length. It has seats that slide forward at the moment of deformation, the intention being to compensate for the small car’s traditional lack of space in the crumple zone.

Virtual tests showed that the most important part of a ride-down system is the energy absorber and that it needs to be adaptive in order to be a viable concept, by responding to differences in occupant load and crash severity”.

An environmentally efficient car that also has to be comfortable, enjoyable to drive, attractive to look at and safe to ride is an entirely new approach. The result is the Volvo 3CC, a sporty and appealing, extremely aerodynamic and compact car equipped with an energy-efficient electric motor.

Like Volvo, Parts Train never compromise satisfaction when serving customers. Its proven reliability for genuine and quality Volvo auto parts keep customers coming back at their online shop http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/VOLVO for years. Dependable, long lasting Volvo replacement parts, performance parts make up its over a million stock. Browse through Parts train’s online store to gain access to its most affordable Volvo car parts. Their friendly sales staffs are on hand to give valuable assistance for confidence that you are getting first class quality Volvo car parts.

The Chinese traditional dress makes a perfect gift for friends or loved ones on a trip to China. This outfit is perfect to bring a little piece of the traditional east back home. Here are some of the traditional clothes styles in China:

Qipao

The qipao is a familiar style of traditional dress and includes a form-fitting bodice and high collar. It is a long-established symbol of Chinese fashion with its elegant and long cherished design. The most common fabric for this dress is silk, although other fabrics are possible to match a specific occasion or event. By wearing this type of native dress it is possible to make a real statement.

The style of traditional dress is made in a variety of styles. The most common methods used to create the unique look include changing the material, design of the collar, and the length of the skirt.

If touring china on a getaway, there are plenty of local tailor shops in the major cities that are willing to custom make the outfit to match the preferred look and style. The preferred choices include the English-speaking tailors with the clothing market in places like Shanghai or Beijing.

Hanfu

The Hanfu is a historical style of dress that has been very prominent throughout the years in china. This outfit is mostly seen on women, but there is also a version for men. This type of dress is quite distinct with its sleeves that billow out and silk cuffs. The length of the dress can reach just above the knees with matching skirt or trousers worn underneath. Other features include the cross collar and matching headgear, which consists of a simple headpiece for women and a hat for men.

The Hanfu has seen plenty of changes over the years in relation to its look. Other styles of this traditional dress include the Shenyi which is quite similar in design, but the skirt and tunic are sewn together to create a single one-piece outfit. A further style is the Changpao, which is another one-piece outfit with a dress that is full length.

Silk robes

A simple and classic option is the traditional Chinese robe. This sleek-looking robe is made entirely in silk to give a very comfortable and light piece of clothing. The look and style of the robe can vary with short or long sleeves, multiple colors (shades of blue and red are most popular) and plenty are embroidered with a floral or similar motif.

One of the most popular card game enjoyed by most players is solitaire. It is also known as “patience”. The game’s goal is to sort cards from a specific lay-out into a desired arrangement. It is a single player game but can also be played competitively which is most of the time a head to head race.

Solitaireis a term also used to refer for games which involves other materials besides cards. The player can also use sticks or pegs, stones, and tiles. Some of the most popular type of this game is the peg solitaire and the Shanghai solitaire.

When a game uses cards, it involves card dealing from a shuffled deck. It is usually placed on a table where the players arrange the cards into a prescribed arrangement. The cards are moved and reordered by suit and ranks. The player moves the card from one place to another under a given restriction.

Besides the card game, solitaire can also be played online. Instead of using cards, players use computers and internet connections. The players would just search for websites that offer the games for free. Although some of these sites demands payments and fees, the most popular are the sites that do not require payments.

Compared to other games, solitaire is one of the most famous since many individuals are familiar to this game. Since it is a popular card game of the past, players know the rules of the game. In case new players became attracted to this type of game, most websites provide useful instructions about its rules and regulations.

Most websites also provide simple directions on how to start the game and possible strategies which allows a player to win. In addition to this, online sites that offer solitaire include other games so that players will have other options in case they get bored.

This type of game is also safe and recommended for children since it is not considered as a form of gambling. Although players try to compete, it is quite impossible for them to place larger bets on the game’s outcome.

Hello and good morning. I hope you are ready for our today’s ‘British Colonial Rangoon Sight Seeing’.

All of the colonial buildings we will visit are located in downtown Yangon, in other words, former British Colonial Rangoon proper, and are positioned relatively close to one another. The simple grit pattern of the city’s layout makes it easy to find ones way around. That’s why the best way to explore Colonial Rangoon is by foot. Another reason for walking instead of using a car is that the permanent traffic jams and a chronic lack of parking space in this area makes the car being more curse than blessing. We cannot and need not to see all colonial buildings for this would be much too much for one day and this article. The tour I have planned for today includes 30 major buildings that bear testimony to Rangoon’s present days Yangon’s glorious colonial past. All of them belong to the most precious jewels of British Colonial Rangoon’s treasure trove. And, please, if you want to do yourself a favour make plenty of photos of them because it will definitely be the last time that you have the chance to see the buildings as they are. In the not so far future there will a yet unknown number of them be completely disappeared, totally run down or ‘restored’ in a way that leaves nothing of their partly still existing, leave alone former, colonial charm. We will of course see a lot of other partly still beautiful old colonial buildings that have interesting stories to tell but have to keep focussed on those I have selected for our tour; we will otherwise be too much distracted and not get ready today. Please stay close together, mind your steps and do not stray from the group. OK, the starting point of our walk through British Colonial Rangoon will be the former Rangoon General Hospital. From there we continue to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, located in direct neighbourhood of the Scott Market, then to the former Burmah Railways Headquarters, the former Rangoon Railway Station, and so on. When we arrive at the buildings I will give you some related basic information. There is of course an awful lot more to say about the buildings and their history but this article does not provide enough space for all these details. Further very important information related to this you will find at the end of this article.

General Hospital

So, ladies and gentlemen, now we have arrived at the Yangon, formerly (Rangoon) General Hospital where our today’s ‘Colonial Yangon Sight Seeing Tour’ begins. We are here on Bogyoke Aung San Road, the former Commissioner’s Road. In front of us you can see on the other side of the road the Hospital, built from 1899 to 1905 and opened on 07 May the same year. It is here were Aung San – who was hospitalised to be treated for the injuries he sustained in 1942 during the Burma Campaign – meets his later wife Daw Khin Kyi who serves here as senior nurse. Later their third child will be a daughter, which they will give the name Aung San Su Kyi. The Yangon General hospital also is the site were Burmese soldiers commit a massacre during the uprising in 1988 by indiscriminately killing a large number of hospital patience, because they believe that said patience have sustained their wounds during the demonstrations. Please make now your photos and let us then continue eastwards on Aung San Road (former Commissioner’s Road) to the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the corner of Aung San Road (former Montgomery Road) and Shwedagon Pagoda Road, the former Pagoda Road. Now you are confused about the street names? Well, this side of Aung San Road is the former Commissioner’s Road and from the cross-roads at the cathedral on it is the former Montgomery Road.

Cathedral Of The Holy Trinity

Right in front of us we have now the primary Anglican cathedral in Burma; the Holy Trinity Cathedral on No. 446 Bogyoke Aung San Road. It is one of Rangoon’s earliest colonial buildings. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is on the Yangon Heritage List. Now it is time to move on to the former Scott Market, now Bogyoke Aung San Market. Its main entrance is about 500 feet/155 metres down Aung San Road from here in eastern direction. We will be there in a few minutes.

Scott Market

Now we have reached the main entrance to the long centre hall of the Scott Market at Bogyoke Aung San Road (former Montgomery Road), since 1948 called Bogyoke Market (by locals Bogyoke Zay (zay meaning market), after the Burmese national hero Bogyoke (General) Aung San. Not widely known is that his real name (birth name) was Htein Lin; Aung San is the name he has taken on at the time he was student leader. The market is built on the premises of a former tram terminus, was opened in 1926 and named after Mr. Garvin Scott, who was from 1917 to 1930 (17 years) Chief Executive Officer of the Rangoon Corporation and during his tenure twice president of the Rangoon Municipality.

The Bogyoke Aung San Market is on the Yangon Heritage List. OK, let’s continue our tour. When we get out of the market we turn left on the Aung San Road, and pass the FMT building and the Zawgyi Restaurant. Then we will see the Grand May Yaa Hta Executive Residence building and our actual point of interest, the former Burma Railways Headquarters at the corner of Aung San Road and Sule Pagoda Road.

Former Burma Railways Headquarters

Here it is, the former Burma Railways Headquarters building complex at the corner of former Montgomery Road, now Aung San Road and Sule Pagoda Road. In 1896 three railway companies merged into one railway company under contract with the Secretary of State for India; the state-owned ‘Burmah Railways Company’ has come into being and moves into this new headquarters.

Central Railway Station

Now we are on Sule Pagoda Road and over there on the right side you can already see the railway tracks and the backside of the railway station. In front of us on the other side of the bridge on which we are now walking you see the Methodist Church (Scots Kirk) and over there on the right hand side the Aung San Sports Grounds & Stadium. Let us now turn right into Kun Chan Road and look at the railway station from its front side. We continue to Phayre Street now Pansodan Street; the stairs there in front of us lead up to the fly-over. On Pansodan Street we turn right, cross the bridge, continue to Bogyoke Aung San Road, turn left, and follow the Aung San Road till Bo Aung Kyaw Road, former Sparks Road. There at the corner of Bo Aung Kyaw Road and Aung San Road is the St. Mary’s Cathedral located, which is our next British colonial point of interest.

St. Mary’s Cathedral/Cathedral Of Our Lady Of Immaculate Conception

Well, my friends, this was quite a little walk but we have made it. Here you see Myanmar’s largest cathedral, the Saint Mary’s Cathedral at No. 372, Bo Aung Kyaw Street. We will now cross the Archbishop’s Residence compound located behind the cathedral’s compound. They have a very nice garden and the Archbishop’s Residence is a beautiful building. It is normally not allowed to take this way in order to get to Thein Byu Road, the former Judah Ezekiel Road, but I know some people here and we can for once use this shortcut. So, we have crossed the Archbishop’s Residence compound and are standing in front of it on Thein Byu Road. We turn right and a few steps further down the street you can see one of the sports grounds of the former St. Paul’s English High School. At the corner we turn right again onto the former Frazer/Bigandet Street, now Anawrahta Road from which we will see the school’s main entrance and main building.

St. Paul’s English High School/B.E.H.S. 6 Botataung

We are in front of the former St. Pauls English High School. The former St. Paul’s English High School is on the Yangon Heritage List. Let’s continue to the former Secretariat Building opposite of the main entrance to the former St. Paul’s High School. Just cross the former Dalhousie Street, now Maha Bandoola Road and make some photos from the school. Then we walk the few yards back to the cross roads, turn right and walk down Thein Byu Road, the former Judah Ezekiel Road, alongside the Secretariat Building till we reach its main entrance.

Secretariat Building

So we are now at the corner Maha Bandoola Road and Thein Byu Road. The building over there on the other side of Thein Byu Road is the former British Government Press Building on No. 228 Thein Byu Road.. Well, here we are now; on former Judah Ezekiel Road, now at No. 300 Thein Byu Road in front of the main entrance to the Secretariat Building. It is without doubt former Rangoon’s largest and most spectacular and impressive British colonial building filling the space of an entire block. The Secretariat is bordered here in the east by the former Judah Ezekiel Road, now Thein Byu Road, left from us, in the south, by the former Dalhousie Street, now Maha Bandoola Road, right from us, in the north, by the former Bigandet Street, now Anawrahta Road and on the side opposite from us, the west, by the former Sparks Street, now Bo Aung Kyaw Street. The construction begins in 1889 and the first phase is completed in 1902; the second is completed in 1905 and ‘The Secretariat’ is officially opened the same year. After independence on 4 January 1948 the building houses offices of ministers of the Burmese government for which reason it is from 1948 to 1972 by locals called Government Secretariat and from1972 on till now Ministers’ Office. But it is not only the fact that ‘The Secretariat’ is the place from which all of British Burma was governed and all administrative power is executed that makes it such an immensely important part of Burmese history; it also is the place were on 19 July 1947 at 10:30 am the de facto prime minister Aung San was assassinated in the ground floor room at the north-east corner of the building together with 6 ministers of his cabinet. The room in which Aung San and the members of his cabinet were assassinated has been turned into a memorial place. The Secretariat is on the Yangon Heritage List.

General Post Office

Here we are. This building (No. 39-41 Bo Aung Kyaw Street) at the corner of Strand Road and former Sparks Street, now Bo Aung Kyaw Street, must not be mistaken for the original post office from colonial Rangoon times. That has been located further down on Strand Road between Sule Pagoda Street and Mogul Street. It was an exact copy of the Bombay post office and as such an extremely beautiful, heavily ornamented building but does unfortunately not exist anymore. This building is completed in 1885 and serves as Burma headquarters of the trading and agent firm Bulloch Brothers. Later an annex along Sparks Street was added and completed in 1908. The Yangon General Post Office is on the Yangon Heritage List. The next building of our tour is the one adjacent to the left of the GPO, the J&F Graham & Co. building.

J&F Graham And Co. Building

Yes, this here is the former J & F Graham & Co. shipping and insurance company’s building at No. 80 Strand Road and, no, your eyes do not play tricks on you for the building is after Burma’s independence in January 1948 becoming home to the British Embassy. The building was established in 1898 and is on the Yangon Heritage List. Now we continue walking down Strand Road in western direction. We are crossing 39th Street and Seikkantha Street and then we will arrive at our next heritage building the Strand Hotel just a few steps away from the Graham & Co. building.

Strand Hotel

We have made it and are now standing at No. 92 Strand Road in front of the famous Strand Hotel, which got its name from the street on which it is located. From the architectural point of view the building as it presents itself before us has unfortunately lost much of its original grandeur and it is not anymore the shiny architectural gem it used to be during Rangoon’s colonial era when it was one of the famous luxury hotels of the Sarkies Brothers hotel chain of first class hotels. However, owing to its name and glorious past the Strand Hotel remains well worth to be included into a tour through the British Colonial Rangoon. The Strand Hotel is on the Yangon Heritage List.

Bombay-Burmah Trading Corporation Building

Here it is, the nowadays rather insignificant looking building over there on the other side of the Strand Road on No. 104 Strand Road is the former headquarter of a company that has played an enormously significant role in Burma’s history; the Bombay-Burmah Trading Corporation Limited. This building is completed around the 1920s and I could not find out where the BBTC’s earlier Rangoon office was. The company is also known as Bombay Burmah Trading Company and was founded by the Wallace Brothers from Edinburgh, Scotland. After Burma Airways (now Myanmar Airways) is founded the company moves into this building and uses it as office. The Building is not on the Yangon City Heritage List. Let’s go to the building next door across 37th Street.

Port Authority/Port Trust Authority Building

This is the Rangoon Port Authority building adjacent to the Bombay-Burma Trading Corporation Building. It is located at No. 2-20 Pansodan Street ( corner of former Phayre Road, now Pansodan Street and Strand Road). The building replaces the former Rangoon Port Trust Authority Building and occupies the entire space between Pansodan Road and 37th Street. The building’s construction is completed in 1928. The building is on the Yangon City Heritage List. We do now cross the Pansodan Road to take a look at the former Accounts General’s Office and Currency Department Building.

Account General’s Office And Currency Department

Here at No. 1 Pansodan Street (corner of Strand Road and former Phayre Street, now Pansodan Road) you see the former government financial centre of British Burma. During the last 35 years of British times (with exception of some 3 years of Japanese occupation) all accounts concerning the colony’s income and expenditure are managed here). It is the 3-storey former Accounts General’s Office and Currency Department Building; one of the big wheels in the machinery of British administration. The Account General’s Office building is completed in 1912. The building’s backside wing on Bank Street located opposite the building of the former Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China is housing the Currency Department and directly hit by a Japanese bomb. It is never rebuild and may serve as warning example for senseless destruction. After Independence the building was used by the Burmese government as civil court. Since the government moved to the new capital Nay Pyi Taw the building is as a court and its future remains uncertain. We are now back at the front facade of the Account General’s Office at the entrance located at the corner tower. The Account General’s Office is on the Yangon City Heritage List. The building next door is the Customs House Building.

Customs House

This impressive Customs House at No. 132 Strand Road was construction from 1913 and is completed in 1915. In October 1915 the building is officially opened and put into service. The building still serves its original purpose and is on the Yangon Heritage List. Now let us move a few steps farther down the Strand Road so that we are in front of the building left from the Customs House, which is the former Police Commissioner’s Building. The street between these 2 buildings is the Maha Bandoola Garden Street and the street on the left hand side of the building is the Sule Pagoda Road.

Police Commissioner’s Building

Here we are. The monumental 5-storey Police Commissioner’s Building opposite from us is a masonry building constructed within almost 5 years from 3 March to October 1931 when the building was officially opened and put into service. The massive building is occupying the entire space of the block stretching from former Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street to Sule Pagoda Road and is comprising the police commissioner’s offices and the New Law Court offices, the court rooms of civil and criminal District Court and the Rangoon magistracy. Since November 2005, when the Burmese/Myanmar government moved to Nay Pyi Taw, the building is abandoned. We will now cross the Strand Road and walk northwards along Sule Pagoda Road. The Main entrance to this building is on the other side of the complex on No. 56-66 Bank Street.

Bank Of Bengal Building

Having arrived at the corner of Strand Road and Sule Pagoda Road we have on our left the premises of the former Bank of Bengal. This very beautiful building is located at 15-19 Sule Pagoda Road. It was completed in 1914. It houses now the offices of the Myanma Economic Branch 3.

Reserve Bank Of India Building

We have now moved on to 24-26 Sule Pagoda Road were the former Reserve Bank of India is located. The building was completed in 1936 and stands diagonally across the former Bank of Bengal Building. The building is now housing the offices of the Central Bank of Myanmar. A few steps farther up on Sule Pagoda Road we have reached the corner of Sule Pagoda Road and Merchant Street and turn right. Left from us you see the Fytche Square, now Maha Bandoola Garden with the Independence Memorial Monument. We go now over to the Maha Bandoola Garden side and turn left into the Maha Bandoola Garden Street, the former Barr Street and continue to the former High Court Building on Maha Bandoola Garden Street.

High Court/Supreme Court

We are now standing opposite the more than 110 years old Rangoon High Court building’s front side at the former Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street. The main entrance is facing the former Fytche Square Garden, now Maha Bandoola Garden with the Independence Monument from where we are now looking at the building. It was (with exception of the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945) from 1911 to 1947 home to the highest court of British Burma. The former main entrance on this side is closed. The building’s back side is located at former Phayre Road, now No. 89-133 Pansodan Road. The Rangoon High Court is also known as Rangoon Chief Court or Supreme Court. The building complex forms like many British colonial building complexes a square (or alternative a rectangle) that is enclosing an inner court with lawn and garden. Let’s go back in southerly direction towards Merchant Street. We will go around the block to the other side of the High Court. Adjacent to it is the Rangoon Central Telegraph Office. On our way we will stop at the former Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation Building, the former Mercantile Bank of India Building and the former Oppenheimer & Co Building.

Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Corporation Rangoon

Now we are at the corner of former Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street and Merchant Street. The building at this corner is the former Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation’s (HSBC) Building Rangoon. If you like you can make a photo. So, now we continue along Merchant Street. The building next to the former HSBC building is the former Mercantile Bank Of India Building.

Mercantile Bank Of India Building Rangoon

Here we are at No. 554 Merchant Street. Other than that it is in a very poor state not much can be said with respect to this building. Next to the former bank building is the former Oppenheimer Building.

Oppenheimer & Co. Building

We are now standing under the portico of the former Oppenheimer & Co Building on No. 556 Merchant Road. We continue to walk westwards on Merchant Street to the next crossroads Merchant Street and Pansodan Road. There we turn left on Pansodan Road and walk up to the backside of the former Rangoon High Court. We have reached the crossroads. Before we turn left into Pansodan we take a look at the yellow-beige coloured building diagonally opposite from as. That is the former Sofaer & Co. Building that was built in 1906. Let’s continue to the former High Court.

Oriental Life Assurance Building

This is No. 545-547 Merchant Street between 36th Street and Pansodan and the building is the former Rangoon offices of the Calcutta/India based Oriental Life Assurance. The building was completed in 1914 and is although being 100 years old at the time of this writing still a real jewel in the string of colonial buildings on Merchant Street. The building is now occupied by the Indian Embassy. Please make your photos and then we continue a few steps westwards to the crossroads Merchant Street and Pansodan Road. There we turn left on Pansodan Road and walk up to the backside of the former Rangoon High Court.

High Court (Back Side)

We have arrived at the back side of the Rangoon High Court on 89-133 Pansodan Street. This building part alongside Pansodan Road is more symmetric than the front part on the Maha Bandoola Garden Street side. In contrast to the front facade here the main entrance has a huge roofed space outside the main support walls of the building (porch) the top of which is serving as a veranda with stone balustrade. Also, here the front facing gable roof is decorated with a triangular pediment. Since the High Court is in 2006 moved to the new capital Nay Pyi Taw this building is abandoned. The building is on the Yangon Heritage List. Let us now take a look at the adjacent building, the Rangoon Central Telegraph Office.

Central Telegraph Office/Government Telegraph Office

Here we are; opposite the former Government Telegraph Office also known as Rangoon Central Telegraph Office nowadays called Central Telegraph Office. It is located at No. 125-133 Pansodan Street (corner of former Dalhousie Road, now Maha Bandoola Road and former Phayre Road, now Pansodan Road) and another good example for the beauty of Edwardian architecture. The construction began in 1913 and the building was completed in 1917. It is an exact copy of the Government Telegraph Office in Calcutta, now Kolkata/India. The building is on the Yangon Heritage List. OK, now we turn left and continue on Maha Bandoola Road to the Sule Pagoda. You can already see the pagoda ahead of us. We will go straight to the Sule Pagoda because from there we have a good look at the last colonial buildings of our tour.

We have arrived on former Fytche Square with our backs turned to the Sule Pagoda right behind us and have actually reached the end of our ‘Colonial Rangoon Sight Seeing Tour.

We are now on former Fytche Square with the Sule Pagoda right behind us. To our left is the former Rangoon City Hall, located across from us to the left is the former Rowe & Co. Building, opposite this building is the Immanuel Baptist Church and to our right opposite the Maha Bandoola Garden with the Independence Memorial is the former Fytche Square Building. We start with the Rangoon City Hall and continue clock-wise.

City Hall

This enormous building complex is standing at Maha Bandoola Street on the site of the old Rangoon Municipal building, which was much smaller. It has a basically rectangular floor plan oriented in east to west direction with entrances at cut-off corners. The south-west corner is cut off to adjust to the former Fytche Square shape. The construction begins in 1925 and is completed in 1935. In 1936 the Rangoon City Hall is officially opened by the Governor of Burma, His Excellency Sir Archibald Cochrane and is since then serving as municipal building.

Rowe & Co. Building

Opposite the former Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street side of the City Hall you see the former Rowe & Co. Building at No. 416 Maha Bandoola Road. It is the third and last building of Rowe & Co. in Rangoon. In 1901 this new plot of land at the corner Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street and Dalhousie Street, now Maha Bandoola Road is found. The construction of the building is completed in 1910.

Immanuel Baptist Church

The original Immanuel Baptist Church building is completed in 1895 and is thus one of Rangoon’s/Yangon’s oldest churches. The church is almost completely destroyed during the Japanese occupation and this new church building is completed in 1952. It is located at No. 411 Maha Bandoola Road (corner of former Barr Street, now Maha Bandoola Garden Street and former Dalhousie Street, now Maha Bandoola Road). Its main entrance is facing the former Fytche Square, now Sule Pagoda Square. The Immanuel Baptist Church is on the Yangon Heritage List. Let us now walk a little bit clock-wise around the Sule Pagoda in order to have a better view on the former Fytche Square Building.

Fytche Square Building, Sharraz Building

So, there it is, the 3-storey former Fytche Square Building, also known as Sharraz Building. It was completed in 1918 and it is located at 77-91 Sule Pagoda Road. In 1946 the companies stopped their businesses and in early 1947 the building was till 1962 occupied by the Civil Supply Board Offices. In the process of implementation of the governments nationalisation programme the building was allotted to the Trade Corporation and then used as office of the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism till the government moved to the new capital Nay Pyi Taw. Now we have to continue walking clockwise half way around the Sule Pagoda in order to see the Sunni Jumah Bengali Mosque..

Sunni Jumah Bengali Mosque

The building over there at 93 Sule Pagoda Road is the Sunni Jamah Bengali Mosque. The mosque was founded and financed by parts of the community of immigrants from Bengal. Now, please look upwards Sule Pagoda Road to where I am pointing. You see the gray building with the tower on the left hand side some 200 yards ahead of us? Well, that is the Rangoon Municipal Central Fire Station and the last British Colonial Building of our British Colonial Rangoon Sightseeing Tour.

Municipal Central Fire Station

This is the Central Fire Station, formerly the Rangoon Municipality Central Fire Station at 137-139 Sule Pagoda Road. It was completed 1912. In 1883 the Rangoon Municipal Committee had a fire brigade established and started to build fire stations in townships. The top of this tower served as permanent lookout for back then it was possible to overlook a wide area because most building were not higher than 2 storeys. This fire station is to this day – more than 100 years after its completion – in use.

The international community may believe that Turkish food has a single national ‘character’. And the ever-polite home-grown Turk might even defer to that judgment, in public. But in private, he/she acknowledges at least thirty-eight distinctive, regional varieties of native food — referring to them as mutfaklar (kitchens). These distinctive ‘kitchens’ represent the Turkish mainland provinces of Adana, Agri, Amasya, Antakya (Hatay), Antep, Artvin, Bingöl, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Çorum, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Hakkari, Istanbul, Izmir, Kars, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Konya, Malatya, Maras, Mersin (Içel), Mugla, Mus, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Sivas, Sinop, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Urfa, Usak, and Yozgat.

Let’s have a brief look at them one at a time, shall we…?

The Turkish ‘Food Kitchen’ of Adana

This southern Mediterranean coastal province is not just famous for its ‘food kitchen’, of course. It’s also notable as one of Turkey’s more prosperous regions — deriving its wealth naturally from the agricultural produce of the Çukurova Plain. And, its namesake capital is Turkey’s fourth largest city, at just over a million in population.

Nestled neatly on the banks of the Seyhan River, Adana is surrounded by gardens and citrus groves — that give it a relaxed “country in the city” feeling. An ancient legend says that Adanos, son of the god Uranus, founded it originally. But another (more ‘historically verifiable’) source identifies it with the Hittite king Asitawadda, sometime around 1000 BC. And if you doubt such an early origin, there’s always the stone bridge south of the main boulevard that was built over the Seyhan River during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD) — which is still in use.

Much more recently, Adana province has been host to the NATO air-base at İncirlik — which began appearing so frequently in the news during the 1st and 2nd wars in Iraq.

adrian, a true stoic, once advised, “check impulse, suppress appetite.” But that idea gets short shrift in the modern-day Adana ‘food kitchen’ — which feeds its populace generously on meat, grain, and milk-based products. On the one hand, that means plenty of beef, chicken, and bulgur wheat dishes. On the other, it means lots of yogurt, ayran, cheese, and milk itself.

The people of this region have a passion for spicy hot food. By far its best-known dish is the namesake Adana Kebab — a spicy hot, grilled meat specialty. And when the cooking of it begins, guests gather round the Mangal (BBQ) grill to engage in pleasant conversation.

[Click following to access an illustrated HTML-version of The Regional ‘Food Kitchens’ of Turkey — which contains a scrumptious recipe for Adana Kebab.]

Next: The Turkish ‘Food Kitchen’ of Izmir