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Sunday, December 13, 2009

A dream green wedding (More say ‘I do’ to park weddings)

From: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC091207-0000091/A-dream-green-wedding
Updated 05:55 AM Dec 07, 2009
http://imcms2.mediacorp.sg/CMSFileserver/documents/006/pdf/20091207/0712HNR008.pdf
TODAY, News Monday December 7, 2009, Page 8

Photo is obtained from http://greenweddinggiveaway.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/dsc_0005resize.jpg

SINGAPORE - Saving the environment can now go hand in hand with saving costs for your dream wedding.

Couples can avail of a 20-per-cent discount at the National Park Board's (NParks) green wedding venues at the HortPark in Alexandra Road (picture), if they can prove that they will take at least eight environmentally-friendly measures for their big day.

The measures may include using a hybrid car for the big day, printing invitations on recycled paper and using bio-degradable cutlery.

Photo is obtained from http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/dream-green-weddings-longwood/69496a353aa80b59.html

"Weddings generally generate quite a lot of waste, so we're trying to use this occasion to remind people that environmental-consciousness is actually a very important part of our lives," said Ms Yvonne Cheng, Manager for Marketing and Promotions of NParks.

Photo is obtained from http://marvelousgirl.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/green-wedding1.jpg

Charges for the venues in HortPark are between $85 and $190 per hour, depending on their location. A team there will assess whether couples who want to apply for the discount under the "Green Wedding Special" meet the criteria.

NParks said it is still considering whether to extend the offer to its six other parks.

Yesterday, it also launched a new wedding venue at HortPark called the "Garden of Seasons".

Newlyweds Kevin Tan and Claire Chua said they were inspired to include several green elements in their wedding there.

"Our wedding favours are tea infusions and we include rose hip flowers in it, so it's very much in line with the garden theme and it's something people can use over and over again."

Photo is obtained from http://green-wedding.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/chapel1.jpg

NParks said the design of the new venue will be changed every three months to reflect the four seasons.

Couples can learn more about the green initiatives at the Garden Wedding Fair at HortPark this Saturday.The first wedding fair organised by NParks will also feature more than ten lush gardens and parks where couples can tie the knot.

Photo is obtained from http://makeyourownwedding.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/green-wedding-cupcake.jpg

This year, there has been an increase in the number of couples who held their weddings in parks, according to NParks.

From January to November, there were more than 150 such weddings plus about 30 bookings this month, compared to more than 130 weddings last year.

Photo is obtained from http://image001.mywedding.com/14/727/14727581_710.jpg

Eco-friendly practices for weddings

1. Wedding invitation: Go paperless, use email invitations or use recycled paper/environmentally-friendly paper.
2. Wedding collaterals (e.g placecards, menu) : Go paperless, email your guests or print limited copies using recycled paper/environmentally- friendly paper to be placed at the guests registration table.
3. Wedding attire: Rent gowns and suits made of ecologically-friendly materials, or use attire that is not new.
4. Wedding venue: Use a non air-conditioned venue at HortPark.
5. Transportation: Rent a bus to ferry guests, encourage them to carpool and use a hybrid car for the bridal vehicle.
6. Wedding decoration: Use potted plants instead of cut flowers to decorate the venue. A small potted plant can also be turned into a bridal bouquet.
7. Catering setup: Use bio-degradable cutlery or other environmentally friendly alternatives like banana leaf or cornware.
8. Wedding favours: Give out favours made of eco-friendly materials or recycled materials, or something all guests can use.

Source: NParks

Photo is From TODAY, Monday December 7, 2009

More say ‘I do’ to park weddings

MYPAPER, MONDAY DECEMBER 7, 2009, Home, Page A6
http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/myp071209cnd_opf_files/myp071209cnd.js&ver=Gen
BY SIA LING XIN, lingxin@sph.com.sg

Photo from MYPAPER
PIONEERS: Mr Kevin Tan and Ms Claire Chua are the first couple to walk down the aisle at HortPark.
(PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES)

A COUPLE who tied the k n o t y e s t e r d a y eschewed artificial lights in a hotel ballroom for a natural sunset in a park.

They also opted for a seating plan marked on a chalkboard instead of paper, a guestbook made of recycled paper and rented wedding attire.

They decided to have their big day in a park as it was “natural and beautiful, the way we always wanted our wedding to be’’, said the groom, business manager Kevin Tan, 30.

Photo is obtained from http://www.wedding-flowers-and-reception-ideas.com/images/pink-and-green-wedding-cake01.jpg

It also let them do their part for the environment through “green” practices, he added.

“We don’t need many cut flowers as we are already in a park, which has a garden ambience,’’ he said. “It looked lovely and it’s good for the environment.’’

Mr Tan and his wife, Ms Claire Chua, 24, became the first couple to walk down the aisle in HortPark’s new garden, Garden of Seasons.

Yesterday, the garden joined a list of more than 10 parks, including East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park, that can be used as wedding venues.

It will have its design changed every three months to reflect the four seasons. It now has plants and trees of white, silver and lilac hues, to reflect a winter theme.

Photo is obtained from http://thumb7.shutterstock.com.edgesuite.net/display_pic_with_logo/232402/232402,1251122628,1/stock-photo-two-green-emeralds-on-a-white-background-35808175.jpg

And, from next Saturday, couples who choose to wed in Hort-Park and adopt at least eight eco-friendly practices, such as using a non-air-conditioned venue or encouraging guests to carpool, can qualify for a new “green wedding special’’.

Under the special launched yesterday by the National Parks Board (NParks), they will get a 20 per cent discount off the $15 to $260 hourly rental fees of venues within HortPark.

NParks is letting more parks be used as wedding venues to “endear parks to the public and help create beautiful memories in green spaces’’, said its director of parks, Mr Kong Yit San.

Photo is obtained from http://www.italianlakeswedding.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Santa-Caterina-del-Sasso-Wedding.jpg

Park weddings are becoming more popular as more people feel that parks are sophisticated and romantic, said NParks.

This year, 150 weddings were held in parks here, up from 130 last year. NParks already has 90 bookings for next year.

With its latest move, it also hopes to inspire more couples to reduce the large amounts of waste that weddings usually generate.

Photo is obtained from: http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/green-wedding.jpg

A typical wedding with 200 guests would generate about six garbage bags of rubbish, mainly napkins and paper cups, said the director of wedding planning service Spellbound Weddings, Ms Anna Lim.

She began to offer green weddings about a month ago, after receiving more enquries about it in the past year.

“People are getting more environmentally conscious. About four in 10 couples consider green wedding now, as opposed to the ad hoc one or two every year in the past,” she said.

Photo is obtained from http://www.doesthedressfit.com/images/flowers/green-wedding.jpg

But green weddings cost about 20 per cent more than conventional ones, as many suppliers, such as caterers, do not regularly provide “green” options and have to make special arrangements, she said.

“The green wedding special is a good way to counter the cost issue and get more couples to go green,’’ she said.

On Saturday, NParks and Wedding & Travel Magazine will be organising a fair at Hort-Park to provide couples with tips on green weddings.

Photo is obtained from: http://www.geektimes.com/michael/site/archive/2004/10/images/2004-10-08-warsaw-fruit.jpg

A highlight is the launch of bridal studio WhiteLink’s latest bridal collection made of recycled materials, such as wedding car floral decorations and fabric covers of used wedding albums.

Its designer, Ms Joanne Heng, wanted to change the misconception that things made of recycled materials are ugly and promote the idea of going green.

Environmentally-friendly alternatives, such as banana leaves for catering set-ups and potted plants, which are reusable, unlike cut flowers, will be showcased at the fair too.

lingxin@sph.com.sg

Photo is obtained from http://greenweddinggiveaway.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/dsc_0005resize.jpg

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Sophisticated: 高雅时髦的 gāo yǎ shí máo de

Reference

Sunday, November 15, 2009

2 November 2009 - Singapore - A City in a Garden

From Singapore Post Miniature World Issue 79 http://www.singpost.com/downloads/mw79.pdf
Special Gift Ideas from Miniature World
Produced by Singapore Post Ltd.
Available for sale at the 11 Philatelic outlets from 02 Nov 2009.

Date of Issue: 2 November 2009
Designer: Lorette E. Roberts
ISBN no: 978-981-08-3933-8
Retail Local Price: S$35.00 (Prices inclusive of 7% GST for purchases within Singapore.)
Overseas Price : S$ 32.71
SODA members are entitled to 10% discount for the Special Gift

Picture is extracted from the Miniature World Issue 79, page 10.
http://www.singpost.com/downloads/mw79.pdf

Description:

Singapre - A City in a Garden consists of a coffee table book which artfully combines the delightful illustrations of Lorette's and a selection of Singapore's stamps.

Extracted from the Miniature World Issue 79, page 10.
http://www.singpost.com/downloads/mw79.pdf

Stamps are little miniatures of art and as they also reflect Singapore’s heritage, history, nature and lifestyle. They are ambassadors of Singapore and make unique gifts for friends and tourists alike.

SingPost specially put together the following series of products, featuring not only the beautiful stamps, but the garden city and the unique heritage of Singapore.

Singapore – A City In A Garden

Working with Lorette E Roberts, a renowned botanical artist, SingPost produces this coffee table book - titled "Singapore – A city in a Garden” - which artfully combines the delightful illustrations of Lorette’s and a selection of Singapore’s stamps. The illustrations were sketches done during Lorette’s visit to Singapore and they captures the colourful and lush landscape of Singapore. This made a great gift and a beautiful collectible for all nature lovers.

Lorette E Roberts
From: http://ridgeonline.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/singapore-sketches-of-the-lion-city/

Born in 1945, in Bath, England, Lorette had taken a keen interest in drawing since a young age. Over the many years, she has experimented with various themes and techniques, developing her own style of water colour sketching. Armed with just her pencils, water colours and sketch pad, she usually does her sketching on location if time permits.

An avid globetrotter, Lorette is a self confessed ‘Asiaphile’ who frequently visits China, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. No stranger to travel, she has also resided in the USA, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Hong Kong. It was in the Cantonese island that she first attempted sketching as a means to preserve her memories of her stay in her city.

One thing led to another and she soon published her first sketchbook, “Sights and Secrets of Hong Kong” in 2003 which sold over 15 000 copies. Over the next four years, Lorette published four more sketchbooks on China and Hong Kong; receiving international acclaim for her illustrations.

She currently resides in Suffolk, United Kingdom and continues to host various joint exhibitions both at home and abroad.

For more information about Lorette and her work, her website is at www.loretteroberts.com

Reference

Sunday, November 1, 2009

World's largest cruise ship

The Straits Times, Saturday October 31, 2009, Lifestyle
From: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_448884.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/gallery/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_448884.html - Photos
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/BgSty_448884_1.html

PHOTO: http://elitechoice.org/2008/04/26/elite-find-of-the-day-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-worth-793-mn/ - worlds-largest-cruise-ship.jpg
http://elitechoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/worlds-largest-cruise-ship.jpg The Oasis of the Seas will meet its first obstacle Saturday when it exits the Baltic Sea and must squeeze under the Great Belt Bridge, which is just 1 foot (30 centimetres) taller than the ship - even after its telescopic smokestacks are lowered.

VIDEO: http://www.stxeurope.com/upload/?id=3860dc6536abf2dc2da1a15a6ebbe5ee

HELSINKI - IT'S five times larger than the Titanic, has seven neighbourhoods, an ice rink, a golf course and a 750-seat outdoor amphitheater. The world's largest cruise ship is finally finished and beginning to glide toward its home port in Florida.

PHOTO: http://www.funonthenet.in/content/view/363/31/

The Oasis of the Seas will meet its first obstacle Saturday when it exits the Baltic Sea and must squeeze under the Great Belt Bridge, which is just 1 foot (30 centimetres) taller than the ship - even after its telescopic smokestacks are lowered.

PHOTO: http://www.funonthenet.in/content/view/363/31/

To be on the safe side, the ship - which rises about 20 stories high - will speed up so that it sinks deeper into the water when it passes below the span, said Lene Gebauer Thomsen, a spokeswoman for the operator of the Great Belt Bridge.

PHOTO: http://www.snegidhi.com/2009/5-3/World_Largest_Cruise_Ship_Genesis.html
http://www.snegidhi.com/2009/5-3/Genesis_oasis.jpg

Once home, the US$1.5 billion (S$2.1 billion) floating extravaganza will have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging US economy, questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that such sailing behemoths are damaging to the environment and diminish the experience of traveling.

PHOTO: http://themaritimeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/3606830397_a180ab75b0_b.jpg

Travel guide writer Arthur Frommer has railed against Oasis and other mega-ships he calls 'floating resorts,' suggesting that voyages on such large vessels are 'a dumbing down of the cruise experience.'

PHOTO: http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/oasis-of-the-sea-worlds-largest-cruise-ship.html

Oasis of the Seas, which is nearly 40 per cent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship, was conceived years before the economic downturn caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths.

PHOTO: http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/oasis-of-the-sea-worlds-largest-cruise-ship.html

PHOTO: http://www.cruiseweb.nl/images/freedomoftheseas/SideView.jpg

What's in a ship?
From: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/BgSty_448884_1.html

Photo: http://www.desso.com/Desso/Other_Content/Images/Overige/Independence_of_the_Seas.jpg

THE Oasis of the Seas has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members.

PHOTO: http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/oasis-of-the-sea-worlds-largest-cruise-ship.html

It has various 'neighbourhoods' - parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment, including palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in Fort Lauderdale.

PHOTO: http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/oasis-of-the-sea-worlds-largest-cruise-ship.html

In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theater - modeled on an ancient Greek amphitheater - doubles as a swimming pool by day and an ocean front theater by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two 10-metre high-dive platforms. An indoor theater seats 1,300 guests.

PHOTO: http://www.funonthenet.in/content/view/363/31/

Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 487-metre luxury suites with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades.

PHOTO: http://www.funonthenet.in/content/view/363/31/

PHOTO: http://www.travel-friends.com.au/images/100_2346.JPG

One of the 'neighborhoods,' named Central Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at different levels.

PHOTO: http://www.travel-friends.com.au/images/100_2346.JPG

The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children.

PHOTO: http://www.wackyarchives.com/featured/oasis-of-the-sea-worlds-largest-cruise-ship.html

Cost of rooms - US$1,299 to $4,829.

PHOTO: AFP (In-life-oasis4AFP.jpg) Workers were seen aboard the "Oasis of the Seas" cruise ship at a dockyard.

PHOTO: REUTERS (In-life-oasis5R.jpg) A miniature golf course is seen aboard the Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas cruise ship which was under construction at the STX Europe shipyard.