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Today, Monday 23rd of January 2012, processions with Chinese drums, grand dragon and lion dances, colourful festive flags and firecrackers will welcome the Year of the Dragon all over the world. The traditional celebrations will last for 15 days, resulting in the lovely Lantern Festival. The Year of the Dragon reoccurs ever 12 years as part of the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Chinese dragons are a symbol of power, strength, good luck and control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. In 2012, the celebrations will be extra special for people who were born in another Year of the Dragon, such as:

Continue reading... Happy Chinese New Year... even in Cyprus!

During the 18th century, a property was bought by Charles Murray, who was also the English Consul at the time. The property was none other than the Monte located to the southern part of the church. It was bought and converted in to a heavenly estate. It was called Quinta do Prazer which means The Pleasure Estate. As the 19th century arrived, a few rich families from Madeira, who had some vast estates themselves, came to live here whenever they came to visit Funchal.

Continue reading... Funchal Monte Palace Tropical Garden

When thinking of Sri Lanka, the first things that come to mind are aromatic coffee, images of palm-fringed beaches and, unfortunately, the tsunami of 26th December 2004 and the bitter civil war between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority that lasted for 25 years before finally coming to an end in May last year.

Continue reading... Light of Hope for Sri Lanka