Archive for the ‘Arts’ Category

The Music Box

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Have you ever wondered when music began? Why did music begin? As I ponder this question, my conclusion considers that the earliest melodic strains were reproduced to mimic the ambient music of nature. Our society has become so restless and busy that we miss out of nature’s sweetest sounds. I’ve always loved music! Music can quiet the soul and calm the spirit. My earliest fascination with a music box came when I was just a little girl. A ballerina music box was given to me when I was six years old. Whenever I got into trouble with my folks, I would retreat to my bedroom, grab my ballerina music box, lay across the bed; wind the ballerina up and the music would begin. I would watch her twirl effortlessly as the music flowed from the base.

Music boxes are one of life’s little unexpected treasures! A wooden or porcelain box simply adorned is opened, the music begins and memories flood! Sometimes a new memory is made. Such is the case for me. I’ve always loved the rustic smell of an old music box and trying to recall the name of the song being played. You just can’t help but smile!

One Valentine’s Day my romantic husband, of 15 years, gave me a collection of fine porcelain music boxes with love songs. The collection was called Songs of Love Music Box Collection. The first was received on Valentine’s Day and every month thereafter for a year, I received a unique music box, each with a special love song. Over the years, I’ve come to treasure these gifts even more than when I first received them. I love to open a music box, take a deep breath, turn the wind-up key and just listen, drinking in the mesmerizing melody and remembering that someone loves me.

I love when my granddaughter comes over. She points to the curio cabinet with the music boxes and says, “Play, Grandma, play!” We will pull one music box out at a time, wind the key and listen…smiling as we look into each others eyes with wide expectation, almost holding our breath, so we don’t miss a single note of the refrain. Priceless moments. Simple moments. Beautiful moments.

There are all kinds of music boxes: jewelry boxes, dolls with music boxes, musical carousels, ballerina music jewelry boxes, musical water globes, patriotic music boxes, music boxes with sports themes (soccer, basketball, football, hockey, golf, etc.) There are religious music boxes and music boxes to celebrate some of our favorite creatures.

The quality of sound from a music box varies according to the note movements, which can range from 18 note movements up to the beautiful 72 note movements. The value varies appropriately with the craftsmanship and quality of the materials used in music boxes.

Should you have a music box in need of repair or restoration, there is help available. A master restorer should be consulted particularly if the music box is an antique or of considerable value.

Music boxes can be like the majesty of a fine grandfather clock with a Westminster chime movement marking the quarter hour with beautiful tones. The atmosphere becomes alive with music and a relaxed ambiance that says, “I’m home now and can relax!”

If you’re looking for a thoughtful, timeless heirloom, consider giving the unusual gift of a music box. Create a few memories and enjoy those moments when the world stands still for just a moment; you sigh and smile.

Author Bio: Glo Johnsen owns the Wooden Inlaid Music Boxes a successful website specializing in Wooden Music Boxes of all types. These beautiful music boxes with each have a unique sound that amplifies from the music box. For great bargains & a huge inventory, visit http://www.woodeninlaidmusicboxes.com and you will enjoy the huge selection of maternity pants to please any discriminating taste.

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Chinese Underwear Town Yanbu Town, Nanhai City, Guangdong Province

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Yanbu District in Nanhai City, Guangdong Province, eastern, located in the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to Guangzhou, an area of 26 square kilometers, with resident population of 70000 people, non native population of over 10 million people, under the jurisdiction of seven village committees and a District office. In 2001, the region’s total economic income of 8.251 billion yuan, industrial output value of 5.5 billion, deposits in the amount of 4.211 billion yuan of society, farmers per capita income of 7445 yuan. In recent years, the region’s economic sustainable, steady and healthy development of fruits of the spirit of the text building, was named “2000 overall strength of the economy in rural areas of Guangdong strong town.” Is a national health town, Guangdong Province, an advanced sports town, the Guangdong Provincial Health Town, Foshan City, civilized town, the hometown of Chinese folk art, model town, Nanhai city, civilization, this year has also achieved the provincial health village is the village.

Yanbu underwear industry from the late 70s, after 20 years of development, Yanbu and international underwear brands in the business cooperation in the process of accumulated rich production experience and strong technical force and have to create their own brand transformation, to establish purple Landry, the U.S. thinking, according to Manni, Olivia Shannon, Diana, according to the Ni and many other lingerie brands, product coverage throughout the country, exported to Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao and other countries and regions China’s 15 leading consumer brands have seven Yanbu, Yanbu underwear industry as a new economic growth point is moving toward large scale, intensive production, and quickly developed into a pillar industry.

At present, there are underwear Yanbu more than 300 production enterprises, with all kinds of advanced sewing machines, nearly more than 20,000 units, employing nearly 4 million people, an annual output of 100 million underwear set output value of nearly 30 million, accounting for the region of industrial 54% of output value, sales income of 3.0 billion, accounting for 35% of the region’s sales. Since 1997, the Government proposed to build the town’s economy underwear professional development ideas, defining priorities and support the underwear industry development strategy. First, starting from the policy guidance on the use of “government take the stage for enterprises,” in the form of implementation of the “Rotary big great loss” strategy, and actively support leading enterprises, combined with the actual development of relevant incentive measures and provisions to encourage businesses to create brand and strive to nurture the underwear industry, as a reasonable structure, high tech, competitive ability, the size of the pillar industries have obvious advantages.

Second, the establishment of a national trade association the first township underwear, underwear manufacturers integrated to form an overall advantage, foreign broke “Yanbu Underwear” group brand, will be a large number of underwear business together and take the road of common development. Third, establish the concept of environmental economics, and actively improve traffic, transport, communication networks, accommodation, food and other conditions, to provide full comprehensive supporting facilities for the lingerie industry and create a favorable business and investment environment. Fourth, the success of hosting two of China (South China Sea) underwear model contest, Yanbu underwear brand awareness and sales rising fast in the short term, laying the Yanbu “underwear town” status. 5 is the successful hosting of “The First China International Underwear Expo` 2002 South China Sea (Yanbu) International Underwear Culture Festival “, through exhibitions, underwear model competition 2003 international conference lingerie trends, investment Investment Promotion, underwear Industry Development Forum , underwear brand Session conference, underwear photography contest, art show and other activities have greatly promoted the development of China’s underwear industry, established the Yanbu’s leadership position in the underwear industry.

Yanbu has become internationally renowned as well as underwear capital. For the integration of underwear industry and related upstream industries and downstream industries, resources and form of the underwear industry chain of raw materials, production equipment supply, underwear designs, underwear production and management consulting, marketing, industry information and other one stop service platform, our region has the full construction the planning area of 400 acres, the first phase of investment 150 million yuan, covers an area of 120 acres of the China International Underwear City has been completed, the city to create five centers underwear, underwear finished products, auxiliary materials, manufacturing equipment exhibition and trade center, underwear Cultural Exhibition Center, underwear design trends Center, lingerie and underwear clearing logistics center.

Innovation and technology center in particular the establishment of underwear, will lead the development of China’s underwear industry, the center introduced a number of unique global ergonomic technology, its three dimensional garment design and create kind of technology will effectively enhance the aesthetics of clothing, suitable physical nature of activity to shorten the product design cycle; the introduction of international advanced level in three dimensional body scanner, the establishment of China’s first personal physical database, the database will be the completion of underwear and the whole garment production industry standard data, to promote China’s apparel production technology’s further development.

There is strong government support, guidance, there are unique geographical environment, the world’s advanced design and manufacturing technology, there is a sound business and investment environment, look to the future, our region has underwear industry will develop by leaps and bounds, Yanbu region after 10 years underwear industry will achieve sales income of 9.0 billion, export supply amounted to 2.5 billion. Yanbu will be the brand names of Chinese underwear manufacturing bases and trading platform.

Author Bio: I am a professional editor from China Products, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform. http://www.himfr.com/ contain a great deal of information about chinese porcelain jar,slimming chinese tea,chinese water painting, welcome to visit!

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The Mystery of the Geisha

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Geisha are women entertainers in Japan. Their activities are often controversial because of a perception that they are sometimes prostitutes, and the fact that they represent a subservient female role that not all people believe should be perpetuated in modern society.

The term geisha means “performer of art. ” To work as a geisha is to work as a person doing performance art.

Historically, geisha performance has its roots in the same place as kabuki theater. While kabuki has been solely the province of male performers for the last 350 years, it began as a theater performed only by women. Those women were prostitutes who performed suggestive plays as a way to attract potential customers.

Kabuki theater soon transformed into a legitimate form of art performed only by men. The hybrid role for women performers who were also prostitutes transition into the role of geisha.

But the word prostitute may be too harsh for Western ears. In Japanese society, it was common, and it was accepted for men to have both wives and long-term relationships with women who were not their wives. For the courtesans, the financial support of their male patrons was vital to their survival.

Responding to this situation, Japanese authorities created areas called Pleasure Quarters where the courtesans could live without being harassed, and where men could openly enjoy their company.

While geisha entertainment arose in the Pleasure Quarters, the geisha themselves were not the courtesans. The geisha’s job was to provide entertainment for the men who were waiting for their lovers to arrive.

In fact, the first geisha were male. That trend did not continue however, with courtesans and retired courtesans moving into the role of geisha as a step up the economic and cultural ladder.

Over time, Japanese society became less accepting of male infidelity. This left the geisha as the surviving culture from the Pleasure Quarter era. Geisha became highly trained entertainers, who spent years developing their skills before assuming the role.

All the way up until World War II, it was common for young girls to be assigned to geisha training from the age of six or eight. This practice gave geisha performers cheap help, and it provided career paths for impoverished young girls. However, it was illuminated as part of the drive to eliminate child labor after World War II.

Today, most geisha enter training in their late teens. They become full geisha performers within 2 to 4 years.

Much of the appeal of the geisha lifestyle today comes from the independence that geisha enjoy. While most of Japan puts women in subservient roles, geisha are recognized for their ability to make their own decisions and their own way in the world. In a way, geisha is seen as a kind of feminist statement. Their ability to control their lives, and to control men, provides an outlet that is not available to all other women.

However, Japanese society is changing rapidly. Women are becoming more accepted in a roles formerly reserved for men. This, combined with a new belief that male fidelity should be expected, threatens to move the geisha lifestyle into the annals of history.

Author Bio: Anne Jackson Hart operates a popular museum news blog at Museum News. For Geisha Japanese Figurines, visit her museum store.

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