Do It Go

After you’ve checked into at a Singapore hotel resort, the first thing you might look to do is step out and take a walk; if you find yourself in Chinatown, you’ll come across a number of small, interesting sights.

Let’s start out at Cross and Club Streets.  Walking up, you’ll find yourself at Club.  This area was home at one point to Chinese social clubs, shops, and brothels, which have all given way to boutiques and clubs and bars.  You’ll still find Chinese clubs here, but you might find more in the way of Italian restaurants and sneaker shops.  If you walk to the end of Club, turn left on Ann Siang Road, turn right at the hilltop, then right on Erskine Road, down the street, and then left onto South Bridge Road.  Cross the street and walk left to find Neil Road.  Here, at the corner of Tanjong Pagar and Neil, you’ll find brick building, two stories, that once was the center for the city’s rickshaws, a place filled with activity — craftsmen, rickshaw pullers, port walkers, and, on the darker side, opium smokers and ladies of the evening.  Across the street, you’ll find the Maxwell Road Food Center, famous for it hawkers and often packed on any given evening.  It’s neoclassical facade was relatively recently renovated, in 2001.  Walking down Maxwell until it turns left around Telok Ayer Park, you’ll eventually find the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.  This building was constructed in 1924 and it’s notable as one of the more unsual churches in Singapore, owing to its large Byzantine windows and traditional Chinese roof.

Keep walking along Telok Ayer, and you’ll cross McCallum Street.  Here, on the left corner, you’ll find the Al-Abrar Mosque.  It’s a small building, constructed about 1850 and contains both Islamic and Indian touches.  This humble place may have had an even more humble beginning, starting out as a small, thatched hut.  Farther up the street, you’ll reach the Thian Hock Keng Temple.  This is perhaps the oldest temple in Singapore and important for Hokkien Chinese Buddhists.  There’s also a statue of Ma Zu Po here, goddess of seafarers.  In 1840, the statue was imported from China.  Up the road and on the corner at Boon Tat Street is a  one hundred and eighty-one year old shrine, the Nagore Durgha Shrine.  If you turn right here and walk to the end of Boon Tat Street, you’ll see Lau Pa Sat (also known as the Telok Ayer Market).  It has an 1894 ornate cast-iron facade made by a Scottish architect firm.  In the early parts of the 20th century, this was a place for fishmongers; today, it’s a festival market for hawkers — excellent for dining after a long walk around Chinatown!

Tags: Singapore hotel resort, Telok Ayer Market
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No matter were are in the world, there is always a group of people taking the time to raise money and awareness about cancer. Cancer affects all genders, race and ages. In Marbella Spain, they have come up with an interesting way to raise money for the local cancer hospice centers. The call it the Wow Factor and it is a talent contest that takes place in front of a live audience. It has been a phenomenal success with some of the best turnout of performers and audience attendence in the history of its developement.

In the finals there are twelve groups competing. There are four judges and about 600 people in the audience all there to watch each performer give everything they have in three minutes. The are all there to raise money, put on a great show and to become the next WOW Factor champion. Talk radio talent, Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe, was there as the presenter along with Hannah Murray. There were some notable judges like Steven Jones who is a British Consul, Rowetta Satchell who was a X Factor Finalist, Laura Krier of Fame Games and Jason Gardner who judged the Dancing on Ice show. He made the grandest entrance swinging in on a trapeze.

The contests came out one after the other putting on a great show. They came in form Gibraltar to Almuneca, stayed in one of the best luxury hotels Marbella had to offer, came into the theatre and put on a stellar show. Between the songs they sang, the judges would pause the show with some advice on their performance. There were a few favorites to win like Rebecca Tate and possibly Corrine Cooper. They both made it to the final 6 performers in the middle of the evening. On top of the wonderful talents of the evening, there was also a strong heartfelt enphasis on the cause that has brought this event to happen.

Tags: luxury hotels Marbella, Maurice Boland, WOW Factor
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