Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings are very famous in the world. The temple complex is located in the southeastern part of downtown Beijing. Every part of this temple is circular in shape which is said to represent Heaven. The complex was visited by the emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. And this place is regarded as a Taoist temple.

This temple complex was built during the reign of Emperor Yongle 1406-1420, which is also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of Emperor Jiajing in the 16th century. This temple was renovated in the 18th century under Emperor Qianlong. In 1918 the temple was turned into a park and for the first time open to the public.

Temple of Heaven was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and described as a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony is very important for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations.
And now the neighborhood of the Temple of Heaven became a very popular park for exercise.

Paro Taktsang

Paro Taktsang is the popular name of Palphug Taktsang Monastery, also known as Tiger's Nest, the site of the temple complex and highly skaral and famous in the world. This place is situated on the cliffs above the valley of Paro, Bhutan. A temple complex was first built in 1692, where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated for three months in the 8th century.
According to legend, Guru Rinpoche said that the land on the cliff when he was riding a tigress after which he went to meditate for many years in a cave.

Monastic buildings consist of four major temples and housing shelters ideally designed to adapt to the (granite) stone edges, caves and rocky. Of the eight caves, four relatively easy to access. All the buildings are interconnected through the steps and stairs made ​​of stone. There are some old wooden bridge along the path and stairs to cross. Temple at the highest level has a decor of Buddha. Each building has a balcony, which overlooks a beautiful valley of Paro.

Tips to Enjoy the Disneyland Adventure

Aside from shopping, most of the tourists who purchase airfare to Hong Kong are after the experience of the magic in Disneyland. Children especially look forward to having special bonding moments with their parents while enjoying the company of their favorite Disney characters.

Getting the most from your Disneyland holiday depends on how well you have organized your trip. Some attractions are more suitable to visit within the particular period of time to avoid huge crowd and very long cue thus it would be much wiser to have a list of the show times of each attractions. To guide those who are planning to experience the magic of Disneyland, here are some useful tips.

• Make sure that you understand what you will be paying for when purchasing your tickets. Perks and other privileges are included in some packages so be sure to buy the right one if you would like to enjoy them.

• Know the important details each rides to identify which are suitable for pre-school, big kids and teenagers. Having the information will help you plan your time accordingly to be able to visit all the attractions within the allowed period.

• Some rides require certain age and height to be enjoyed thus getting the details will be necessary to avoid disappointing your children when they won’t be allowed to enjoy the rides because they cannot meet the requirements.

• If your kids are looking forward to a particular rides or attraction, do some research to make sure that they are not closed for renovation or upgrading during the time of your visit.

• Get the calendar for the park’s parade, live entertainment and fireworks. Take note of the time and venue as these are the most exciting parts, adults and kids alike will surely be captivated by the magic of these spectacular shows.

• Plan your trip accordingly. Take into consideration the crowd, weather, park hours and special events as these factors might have a big impact on our holiday. Crowd might be bigger during special events however park opens longer and extra parades and shows are more likely to happen.

• Keep in mind that some attractions will be open exclusively for guests who have booked the accommodation at the Disney World hotels only, so better avoid the attraction for that particular period of time if you are staying somewhere else.

• Some attractions open early so if you would like to maximize your time, wake up early and be there when it opens. In this way you’ll have more time to enjoy the other attractions which opens later.

• If you are the type that too much crowd and heat can trigger the feeling of being unwell, go to the park early then take a break and have some rest in your hotel during noon, then return to park late in the afternoon to enjoy the rest of the attractions.

• Privileges such as Fastpass allows you to enjoy the rides or attractions without taking the cue thus obtaining one can help you maximize your time and somehow guarantee that you’ll be able to try all the various attraction within the day.

• Everything seems to cost higher in theme parks including snacks. Bring your own drinks and snacks when going to the park not only to save money but to save yourself from looking for stores when you suddenly feel thirsty or hungry.

• Dress comfortably to make sure that your Disneyland adventure will be full of fun. As you will be moving and walking a lot, have a comfortable pairs of shoes or slippers to ensure that you won’t be missing anything because of aching feet.

What are you waiting for? Start searching for the lowest airfare and experience the magic moments in Disneyland Hong Kong where some dreams do come true!

The Truth About Philippines

It is not a secret that the Philippines is viewed by many in a negative light. Being a third-world country, many people pessimistically think that this Southeast Asian nation is dangerous, poor, and a bad idea – making it difficult to sell an air ticket to Philippines.

But what these people do not know about the Philippines is that it is much more than the news would report about it. Though there are isolated cases of terrorism attacks, the Philippines is still worth it to book a flight online for.

Factors are the beautiful places in the country, particularly the beach. As the Philippines is an archipelago with more than 7000 islands, it somehow follows that the country flaunts pristine and spectacular beaches. Few of the most acclaimed islands to give home to the most beautiful summer destinations like Boracay, Putipot, La Union, Batangas, and more. Among these, it is Boracay which is deemed as the place for which most people book an airfare to Philippines.

Aside from the beaches, the Philippines is also made spectacular by the different festivals celebrated in the country. The festivals reflect the long-standing and blissful heritage of the Filipino people. Totally colorful and attractive, these festivals are ways of putting the Philippines back to where it really should be; and these act as convincing factors o make one book an air ticket to Philippines online immediately.

To book an air ticket to Philippines online also allows the travelers to immerse themselves to the one-of-a-kind culture of the people. Aside from the festivals, Filipinos’ way of living is definitely worth discovering. Doing so will permit foreigners to answer all questions they have in their minds about the Philippines. Further, it will make them experience the hospitability and cheerfulness of the Filipinos. After all, the locals are very sociable.

The Philippines is not a first-world country. It may not have commercial districts, shopping malls, or entertainment centers that are comparable to other countries’ but it has its own unique charm that comes from the pristine nature and vibrant culture it gives home to.

So foreigners need not to hesitate to book an air ticket to Philippines online. For cheap air tickets, one can obtain an experience that is worth a lifetime.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's

 Last night we had my side of the family over for Christmas eve as we always do , I made Eddie's Pumpkin chipotle soup and easy enchilada's , you must try these recipes , no fail delish great meals. It is our last Christmas here and I couldn't help but think ahead to next year and how the new house will function even better , it has a very familiar layout with the kitchen and family room which we love but it is much more spacious which will be nice since everyone is growing up before our eyes.
It was tough to get out of bed this morning to our eager crew , but after a lot of nudging I managed to make it down to start our last Christmas morning here. The girls were very happy and thankful for their gifts. Mason is very much into music as all teenagers are so I got her a iPhone speaker system which she didn't ask for but phew she likes it , and Sophie got the acoustic guitar she was really hoping for , she's pretty good at it already and everything else was a big hit too.

 She looks like a natural.

 Moe is enjoying Mason's new cozy robe.

A couple of days ago I asked our builder if we could get into the house for a preview of how things were coming along and to take some progress photos and they were happy to let us take a look.
It was so nice to get in , its warm in there with the propane heater going in the basement , other than that heat it has no electricity or water quite yet, so it was nice to have a good sunny day to take a peek.

 A nice surprise was that the fireplace had been installed and the mantel trimmed up beautifully , its just like the picture, well spent upgrade dollars . This is the family room . The TV will be mounted above , we have that set up now and just love it , it was nice to have the builder do the proper wiring for this set up , well worth the upgrade dollars.

 Here is Mason's sunny window filled bedroom , it is West facing . Where can I find those paper blinds for when we move in ???

 And Sophie's room , three windows again .

 And the jewel of a dining room which was supposed to be a parlour or sitting room but I love the idea of a square dining room with a large round table with lots of chairs for great gatherings , so this is the dining room we think it will work very well for how we live.

 The stairs and railing are all installed , I plan to beef up the newel post with trim. The spindles will be painted and the railings stained by us, I think the newel post painted with a stained topper and the risers painted and treads stained.This entrance corridor flooring will be herringbone brick veneer.

 Family room looking into the kitchen, the ceilings are 9ft and the windows are tall it feels like they are soaring.All smooth ceilings both floors , this was a must , and they did a great job.

 This is the view from the kitchen into the front living room , the beautiful afternoon west light flooding in , I love the light. I am so happy how the upgraded trim turned out with the nice back band casings and 5" baseboards.

 This is the view out from the breakfast area to the front door , loving the center hall. So much work to do still on the builders part and then on my part , but I look forward to making it all happen.

 This is the front of the house looking from the living room into the dining room. It can all start looking the same with all the similar windows and white paint , which I love . I think dark stained floor will really look amazing.

 Here is a good photo of the master shower , lovely carara jams awaiting a seamless glass enclosure. I am so happy we kept the tile simple and chose white subway , not a huge upgrade but a classic choice I won't tire of. We left the shower floor the standard white 1"x1" ceramic. I was pleased to see a nice square drain. We think we should get a square shower head too.

 This is a good shot of the double vanity location , two sinks , we have never had that , we will soon see who is the tidiest. I got Todd a light for Christmas one of the lights for this room , it is a Martha Stewart light its so nice. The standard lighting was one light for this vanity area , I thought it would be best to add a second , we girls need good light in a bathroom.

 The other side of the bathroom , the TV wall ... now would you go for a white TV or black , I mean the screen is black right , of course white is more costly...the walls in here will be a water tone, one of the few places that will have painted walls. I will be tiling the front of the tub apron , what do you think marble ? and the surround around the tub should have been flooring tile but I scratched that , I am thinking beadboard.

 The upper hall with linen closet , it looks great with this railing installed. We upgraded the railing to a thicker spindle and handrail and square posts , the spindles are paint grade. Looking so forward to painting that ??? this will be my third railing from raw, I am a glutton for punishment. When I see the railing like this I can't help but think of liming ??? crazy?

 The girls baths got upgraded subway tile too , I tried to talk them into colors but they wanted white . Sophie's flooring is a faux carara marble ceramic and Mason's floor looks kind of like a stone paper look.

The girls hallway , I love this feature it feels so deliberate. I think it will keep their sounds more contained which is good because they can kick up a lot of noise. I love the doors we chose to upgrade too. I decided to stick with the standard door hardware though , shiny brass which I will change to either rubbed bronze levers or crystal ??? or maybe crystal just on the bathroom doors for fun , why not? Decorating should be fun and pleasing to the home owner right . Can I rub that brass with something to make it nicer and less bright brass??

Well there I leave you with a tour of the house , progress is good . The kitchen should be in in the new year .

I hope you are have a nice holiday season whatever your holiday is , have a happy New Year too.
Cheers!

Shwedagon

Shwedagon or also known as the Golden Pagoda, is a stupa or pagoda as high as 98 meters (321.5 feet) gold-plated and is located in the western part of Lake Kandawgyi, in Singuttara hills, and dominates the views of the city of Yangon, Myanmar. The structure is all made ​​of gold and Buddhists use their savings to buy gold leaf, which they attach to the walls of the temple. Buddhist Stupa is the most sacred for the people of Burma because it stores the relics of previous Buddhas, namely stick Kakusandha, Konagamana water filter, a piece of robe Kassapa and eight hairs of Gautama Siddhartha, the historical Buddha.

And design of the pagoda is, there are four entrances to the Paya that lead up the steps to the platform on Singuttara Hill. Eastern and southern approaches have vendors that sell books, good luck charms, Buddha statues, candles, gold leaf, incense, prayer flags, streamers, miniature umbrellas and flowers. A pair of giant leogryphs called chinthe guards the entrance and the image in the temple at the top of the stairs from the south is that the second Buddha, Konagamana. Base or pedestal stupas made ​​of brick covered with gold plates. Above the base is a terrace that only monks and men can access. Next is part of the bell-shaped stupa. Above it is the turban, then almsbowl reversed, inverted and upright lotus petals, banana shoots and then the crown. Crown or umbrella that ends with 5448 diamonds and 2317 rubies.

Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun is a very famous temple in the country, even to d world. The temple is located in Chiang Rai, Thailand is a Buddhist and Hindu temples conventional contemporary, designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat in 1997 and completed in 2008.

Wat Rong Khun is different from other temples in Thailand, because it is completely white. The color white stands for purity of the Buddha, with the intended white glass stands for Lord Buddha wisdom that "shines the light of the whole Earth and the Universe." All the paintings in the ubosot (assembly hall) has a golden tone. The four walls, ceiling and floor contain paintings showing escape from the defilements temptation to reach a state of supra-worldly. On the roof, there are four kinds of animals that represent earth, water, wind and fire. Elephant stands for the earth, the dragon stands for water, the wings of a swan is a wind, and fire represents the lion's mane.

Now, Wat Rong Khun is still under construction. When completed, the construction project Wat Rong Khun will consist of nine buildings: the ubosot, the space containing the relics of the Buddha, the space containing the image of Buddha, preaching hall, chamber of contemplation, the monk's cell, Buddhavasa door façade, art galleries, and toilets.
And this beautiful temple is said that in 90 years will be included in the List 7 Wonders of the World.