Discovering Puduhepa And Nefertari

Wishing you all the best in the new year, I want to tell about an interesting place to visit "before you die" as suggest the widget for travellers. This place is connected with the feasts because I tell you about the capital of a very powerful kingdom mentioned in the Bible. I tell you about hittites and their capital Hattusa.

If you read the romance about Ramesses II and his battle against the hittits (near Qadesh 1274 BC) -you understand, what are we telling about here. So, the place to visit is in Turkey.

There are special tours when you can visit all the places connected with the history of hittites Empire. GAZIANTEP - URFA - ADIYAMAN-NEMRUT - ANTIOCHIA -MERSIN - SILIFKE - KONYA -CAPPADOCIA - HATTUSAS (photo Wikipedia)

As for me, I was very interested to listen (in un documentary) the story about Hattusili III, his wife Puduhepa and HER relations with the wife of Ramessese, Nefertari. The women of that period were so independant that did not need femminism else...
Mmmm? I awoke your interest?

Happy New Year 2010!!!

(This post is pre-schedule for automatically posting)

Hi everyone,
When you're reading this post, I'm already at Colorado for our family winter ski trip. I can't believe that it's almost 2010! I'd love to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to you all for your wonderful continuing support and your love of my blog. I appreciate it very much and I hope your support and love continue on into next year. I wish you all a new year full of love, peace, health, happiness and may your wishes come true!!!!
What are you doing for New Year's Eve? staying home or going to party? If you're going out for a New Year's party, what would you wear? My outfit below, which I may or may not wear (haven't decided yet) is for a New Year's Eve party at the Ritz- I'm so excited to share it with you guys. This is my favorite dress ever, because I wore it at my wedding, and here I style it with Ann Demeulemesster 14 buckles belt. I don't know if you all are tired of seeing this belt but I'm never tired of wearing it. Here is the outfit!

Fully buckled.
Fully buckled in the back.
Here is the dress without Ann D belt. I accidentally found this dress at the old Calvin Klein boutique store in Dallas ( used to be in Highland Park Village) after months of looking for my wedding dress at lots of bridal salons. The ones at the salons have mostly more details and lots of things going on. I just wanted a white, simple, sleek and stylish dress, because I also wore two other dresses (one traditional Vietnamese for my mom's family, and old century Chinese style dress for my dad's family) which has more details and busy. This dress is two pieces; the opened back top and the full long A-line skirt and it was perfectly worn for my first dance (I had my hair up with crystal tiara). Another reason that I chose this dress is because it's less expensive than a real bridal dress, and I want to wear it again for a fancy party or gala night or something like that...I don't want it just hanging in my closet, and after all, who knows if my kids will want to wear it for their special day. But when they saw me wearing this dress for the photo shoot, they say that they want to wear it for their high school graduation day. I hope it will fit them ;-)

Once more wishing you all and your family a wonderful, joyful, peaceful, healthful, delightful, successful new year 2010!!!!!!!

See you next year ;-) when I get back home!

Big hugs and kisses...Hanh ;-)

Ps: Necklace by Annie Costello Brown. It can be worn single layer (as you see I had it on in the previous post in the first outfit with Yohji grey top) or doubles layers.

Bob Cohen on East European Diaspora Haunts in New York

I have a link to Bob Cohen's Dumneazu blog on the sidebar of this blog, but his current post, "From Katz's Deli to Williamsburg, Let My People Go!" on visiting (and eating in) New York haunts of East European Jewish immigrants is well worth reading... the photos and his descriptions go back and forth between the Old Country and the New World, pointing out wonderful visual and gustitorial links and influences.

Hotels in uk and Aberdeen Attraction

Aberdeen, the 'Silver City' in the county of Aberdeenshire, is located 117 miles north-east of Edinburgh on the North Sea coast between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee, and is Scotland's third largest metropolis. Due to the enormous supply of crude oil from the North Sea, it is often called "Oil Capital of Europe" thereby achieving the status of Offshore Capital of Europe. Aberdeen is also is often called the "Granite City" because of its buildings, which are constructed largely of pink and gray granite.

Aberdeen has a total population of about 212,125, and ethnic groups comprised of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Ulster, West Indians, Indians, Pakistanis, and others. The city experiences a temperate climate with an overall temperature of 46.2 degrees Fahrenheit (7.9 Celsius.) May to September is the best time to visit, with long hours of daylight.

Aberdeen International Airport is situated 7 miles from the city centre in Dyce and offers a wide range of domestic and some international flights like British Airways, BMI, Easyjet etc. Buses are operated by First Group, Stagecoach Group, and First Aberdeen, which has the largest share of routes with 22 services running throughout the city. Aberdeen also has regular rail services to Glasgow and Edinburgh, including long distance trains to London. Regular trains run north westerly towards Inverness and north to Dyce for the airport.

Main tourist Attraction

Main tourist attractions in Aberdeen include Aberdeen Art Gallery, displaying a diverse collection of works of art, such as work by the Impressionists and the Scottish Colorists; Provost Ross' House, the third oldest dwelling in Aberdeen; James Dun's house, now a museum featuring temporary exhibitions; Aden's Country Park, which covers about 230 acres on the Buchan Estate which dates from the 18th Century; King's College Conference Centre; Provost Skene's House, a good example of early burgh architecture; Braemar Castle, built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar; Doonies farm, one of the largest collections in Scotland of endangered breeds of farm animals; the Northeast Falconry Visitor Center, featuring spectacular falcons, owls and eagles and regular daily flying demonstrations; and Marischal College.

There are several family-run Bed and Breakfast's, guest houses, and hotels in Aberdeen. Visitors can check out a wide choice of Aberdeen hotels for free from the link below. Some of the best theaters can be found at King Street, Tarves, Union Street, and Rosemount Viaduct, whilst Market Street, Nicholas Lane and Union Street house some of the best nightclubs and pubs. As for shoppers, the main shopping districts focus on specialty shops such as those on Chapel and Thistle streets, as well as the reputed chains on George and Union streets.

The city's most popular festivals and events include Aberdeen International Youth Festival, with around 1000 young people from the world's finest youth orchestras, bands, dance and theatre groups coming together; Aberdeen Jazz Festival; Aberdour Festival, music, dance and creativity from around the world including bellydancing, henna painting, tabla drumming etc; Aberdeen Highland Games, competitions showcasing the skills of sportspeople, dancers and musicians from all over Scotland; Devron Festival, celebrating years of musical fireworks; and the Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival.

Source by: Aberdeen Attraction

Rick Owens Jacket with Blue Scarf

Hi everyone,
Thank you very much for your Xmas wishes. I hope you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends on the Christmas holiday, and Santa brought lots of presents to you all. I know that he did for my kids and he brought for me a fabulous umbrella which is the only present that I wished for. I love this Louis Vuitton umbrella, it's more glamorous than I expected. I just wanted to have a nice umbrella and big enough to keep me out of the rain. Thank you sweet Santa!

This blue scarf from Club Monaco is one of my favorite scarves in my closet, its color is perfectly pops out in winter time. Wearing with Rick Owens strong-shoulders leather jacket, the Row leggings, Zara black turtle neck, Yohji grey top.

Pierre Hardy shoes.

Rick Owens jacket is something that I can never say no to. I'm just crazy about his jacket creations. Again, I style it with the Row leggings (these leggings are such a great investment piece, they look fab on and I've worn them countless times. It's worth it to buy), Phillip Lim black turtle neck and Zara creamy sleeveless dress.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!!

Kisses...Hanh ;-)

PS: The gloves in both outfits are no brand and DIY cut-out to be fingerless gloves

Italy -- Historic Synagogue in Sabbioneta Closed

                  

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

The entry stairway to the early 19th century  synagogue in the historic northern Italian town of Sabbioneta has been declared unsafe and the building, now used as a museum, closed to visitors.

Sabbioneta, on the Po River near Mantova, was laid out as a walled "ideal city" in the second half of the 16th century by Prince Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna. It is on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites, paired with Mantova as two aspects of Renaissance town planning.

Mantua shows the renewal and extension of an existing city, while 30 km away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city. Typically, Mantua’s layout is irregular with regular parts showing different stages of its growth since the Roman period and includes many medieval edifices among them an 11th century rotunda and a Baroque theatre. Sabbioneta, created in the second half of the 16th century under the rule of one person, Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, can be described as a single-period city and has a right angle grid layout. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic realizations of the Renaissance, linked through the visions and actions of the ruling Gonzaga family.



Sabbioneta represents the construction of an entirely new town according to the modern, functional vision of the Renaissance. The defensive walls, grid pattern of streets, role of public spaces and monuments all make Sabbioneta one of the best examples of ideal cities built in Europe, with an influence over urbanism and architecture in and outside the continent. The properties represent two significant stages of territorial planning and urban interventions undertaken by the Gonzagas in their domains.

Jews lived in Sabbioneta from the town's early days -- even before it was laid out in its present form. There was a ghetto here, and the town developed into an important center of Hebrew printing.   The Sabbioneta synagogue dates from 1824 -- its present form is an enlargement and rebuilding of an earlier structure by a noted Lombard architect named Carlo Visioli.

The synagogue lay in sorry disrepair for decades until it was restored by local authorities, turned into a museum and inserted into local tourism itineraries. It has a gilded ark behind a low, elaborate grille and  flanked by Corinthian columns. The ceiling is decorated by ornate stucco work.

Red

Hi everyone,
Before I talk about "Red", I have exciting news. Life-in-Travel got featured in an Irish Fashion Magazine called EVE. Big thank you to Vicki who made this article happen! she has her own fabulous blog at magpie-girl.

RED

I got the cutest tag from Mads to find 7 red things in my room or house. I'm not a red person. But luckily, my living room has been transformed with lots of red during the Christmas season,

so there are tons of red things around me. I'd like to pass this tag to Mom and Son, Bisou-Joue, Mode Junkie, for 7 blue things around the house. I hope you have fun with this tag. Here are my red things:

The Tibet art- watercolor hand painting hanging over fireplace brought home from Tibet; red candles on the mantle; red ribbon; red stockings; red Xmas Santa toys...

Xmas tree with red ornaments. This hand made red quilt with mirrors was bought home by my hubby from India.
Red throws.
This is also something red; Tao sweaters paired with second hand Comme des Garcons skirt, Jil Sander thigh high boots. It was below 40 F degrees when I had these photos taken, I had a thick jacket on but it's not showing in the pics. This year, the weather is much colder, and this reminds me of 15 years ago when I just moved here. The first couple of winters was pretty cold like this year, then it started getting warmer...I've been enjoying this cold, so that I can dress in layers and bring out the leather jacket, sweater, hat, scarf, gloves, boots...especially sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate, telling stories with my hubby and my kids - it is such a cozy feeling. Nice thing about winter in Dallas is that it's cold for a week or so and then it has a couple of warm days to take a break from the cold. It normally snows a couple of times during winter, I wish we had more...beautiful snow! because my kids just love it. Although it's uncomfortable if it's too cold, as it is up north.
Remembering the past posts, we had pics taken for the family Xmas card and this is what it looks like. The kids' pic is more clear in person.

I wish this holiday season brings peace, love, joy to you and your family!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Kisses...Hanh ;-)