Types Of Sand Yachts

By Ferdinand Mekinsy

Catamaran sailing is not something you will learn on the regular sailing programs, since most navigation practice is undertaken on monohulls. The reason for such measures is the higher difficulty to operate multihulls as it is the case with the catamaran. Sailing experience added with personal enthusiasm will eventually assist one sail a catamaran, and enjoy the stability, the speed and the challenge of such a boat.

What are the elements to consider for one who is ready to invest in sailing gear? First of all, gloves and special foot wear like dinghy boots for instance, are first on the list. Then, there is the life jacket and the foul weather sailing gear. The latter includes both pants and jacket that keep off humidity. And last but not least, there are the wet and dry suits that should not miss from the sailor's wardrobe; they keep you warm even in water or on very cold weather.

The most common mistake people make on their first sailing vacations is to pack way too much. Casual is the word to describe life on an island, so you won't be needing fancy clothes and all sorts of gadgets. Sailing vessels impose limitations in terms of storage space, and hard-sided luggage are surely not a good idea to take with you. Go for canvas or duffel bags that can be folded into occupying less room. Small baggage that can be taken with you on the plane also save you the trouble of having to deal with lost luggage when you arrive on the island.

Widely spread in the entire Oceania and Polynesia, catamaran sailing had greatly influenced the design of leisure boats with multiple hulls. The power engine represents the alternative to wind and water current power in catamaran propelling, but the true feeling of the sea is achieved by knowing the winds and decoding the message of the waves.

There are several types of sand yachts used for land sailing, and according to their distinct features, such vehicles compete in different classes. Therefore, the largest yachts in land sailing competitions are known as Class 2. They all have very big masts with big sails that lend considerable power to the vehicles; yet, the size could be an obstacle to reaching high speed. More popular than Class 2 is Class 3 that is very similar in design, but on a minuscle scale. Designed according to high-tech principles, such yachts make land sailing really fast. Usually made of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber, these vehicles will get a 60miles per hours during a race.

About the Author:

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Dive into Thailand

By Ed J. Price
Out of all the different countries in the world, Thailand is still considered to be one of the most exciting places to visit. Renowned for its huge shopping malls, elephant rides and exotic adult clubs, Thailand also offers wonderful scuba diving sites. Dive Thailand has fast become a favorite destination for many people looking for dive holidays and sites. Thailand has a warm climate with the months between October and April being the best time to visit the country. The waters around Thailand at this time of year are ideal for scuba diving. The rainy season falls outside his window.
Diving Phuket.
The largest Island in Thailand is Phuket. It has fast become one of the destinations of choice by many tourists to Thailand. With its rich underwater ecosystem, Phuket is a great place for scuba diving. From reefs to wrecks and even underwater volcanoes, dive Phuket has it all. The waters surrounding Phuket is also full of marine life such as coral, fish, turtles, dolphins, sharks and even whales. A few of the more popular dive sites in Phuket include the Similan Islands, Shark Point, King Cruiser Wreck and the Andaman Wreck.
Hin Mouang
Hin Mouang is famous for its pelagic fish, making it one of the most famous diving sites in Thailand. With breathtaking underwater peaks, large fish shoals, pretty carpets of anemone, gigantic corals, gorgonian, and other extravagant sights, this place makes diving Thailand simply spectacular.
Hin Daeng
With close proximity to Hin Mouang, this place is another totally unique site that Thailand has to offer. Common features of the waters in Hin Daeng include morays, octopi, shrimps, crayfish, gray reef sharks, leopard sharks, and barracudas with the occasional sightings of manta rays, whale sharks and nurse sharks.
Koh Kraden Wreck
Just off the coast of Koh Kraden lies the Koh Kraden wreck. Its fame comes from the fact that it is a sunken Japanese destroyer. Over the years, it has become a breeding ground for flora and fauna. Other marine creatures that frequent this site include sea horses, giant morays, soft corals, lion fish and great schools of fish.
Koh Dok Mai
Well known for its night cave diving is Koh Dok Mai. This dive site is littered with sea urchins like lobsters, moray eels, leopard sharks and also sea snakes. This is an ideal location or those searching for a different diving experience.
Dive Thailand is a great scuba diving destination with a lot to offer. If you consider going there on your next diving trip, you are sure to have an extraordinary time with many wonderful memories to savor.
About the Author:
Ed J. Price has had a keen interest in scuba diving for many years. For more information on diving sites worldwide and various Thailand destinations such as diving Phuket, visit his online resource site now.

My commute everyday a video snippet.

Here is a short video blog that I am attempting. Actually its really boring, bear with me because it is the start of things.

Since I am doing things on my own, i need the practice and that will come by doing things over and over again. By the way the narrative is in Myanmar Language. English versions coming soon.

When in a Hurry, Don't take a Untested Route

Yeah, I know it sometimes pays off to take a drastic new measure, a new path, when you feel the crunch coming onto you.
The time is too short, and the deed will take to long.
What do you do?
What you don't do is try out some unknown, route to reach your destination.
Everybody told me to take the bus, and against my better judgement, i followed their advice.
And was a solid hour late for my appointment. Luckily that my appointment got lost too and was late, but that is beside the point.
I should of taken the MRT and waited with worry for my appointment.
So here's my advice for you in Singapore, if you are in a hurry, take a cab (and that is not new advice, at all) [the advice givers told me that the cab would get stuck in the traffic].
But something good comes out of everything.
And here it the real prize was that I got to see how small and well organized Singapore was. And how close everything is to each other. Really, really close indeed!

Another unique observation of the Singapore MRT

Merry Christmas to You.

Yesterday morning, on my way to work (yes, I know on Christmas eve), I took my regular walk down to the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). Pretty regular except for the pouring raining.
The temperature was nice and cool.
And I got on, while keeping a close eye for unusual situations to write about for my blog.
Then it happened, the subject matter for this blog presented itself.

A young lady, standing about 3 feet away from me, looked at her wrist watch, then look up behind and above me. There is a digital information panel lo0cated there, which is a new feature on some of the trains. She look at it and then look at her watch again. A puzzled look on her face. Then later another young man nearby did the same. Looking at his watch and then to the place behind and above me.
So I decided to take a look, the digital clock there said 8:14. Wait a minute, I glanced at my own watch; 8:30. I glanced at someone else's watch, and it showed the same time as mine.
The clock in the MRT is 16 mintues late.

In my own country I would have thought nothing of it.
But in Singapore, That is a unique situation!

Traveling the World on Blogs

Been hitting the Next Button up there really hard lately.

I suppose that since I can't go out and see the world, the world got to come to me, by blogs.

Clicking and found out there are loads of blogs in other languages, a whole lot of them.

And I guess that blogger put up the ones that have been only recently updated. That's why the author is still around. And probably sitting in front of the monitor, admiring his/hers latest post when my greeting pops in. I guess that's why I get responses back to my comments back so fast too.

All these blogs reinforce my belief that life is too rich to be experienced in a single life time. And far too rich to be experienced alone too.

We should get out and experience the world, and then share it with someone.

All of a sudden I want to visit the Cape of Good Hope.

To all those who read this blog, and to bloggers all over the world, where you are, and in whatever language you write, All the photos you post are wonderful.

Wishing you a Merry Merry Christmas and All the Best Wishes for the New Year

Another Mode of Travel

I have really busy lately.
Just couldn't find much time to go out and wait for inspiration to strike me with a story to post. Lame excuse I know.
My brother has sent a few stories for me to put into my other blog - Moe Lwin Stuff.

And I have been visiting a lot of other blogs too.
And its been a wonderful experience.
There are so many blogs about photos, of all sorts, taken by pro's, and then there are the one taken by chance and then there are my favorites, the ones taken with a lot of love.
Family blogs, blogs about new born babies, blogs that document the fabric of the family.
If anyone said that the society is falling apart and families, aren't what they used to be hasn't been surfing blogs sites at all.
And then there are the blogs that record the hobbies that we have.
And then the sports, and crafts, and almost everything under the sun.

And then there are the foreign language blogs, so many blogs written in all of the languages of the world.
Andc for many of them, I have no idea what is written, but the joy and love that went into them, shines right through.
Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words, and some of these blogs speak volumes.

I read that there are over 13 millon blogs right now. Everone and anyone can be a blogger. The people we pass on the way to work, to school, when we go shopping, they could be and proabably are bloggers, and the blogshere is simply going to expand and cover more topics, and such a rich human experience story they will tell.
I can hardly wait!

By a Thread, Lost Hope?

Again, another pleasant morning, in Singapore.
I am getting a good full night’s sleep these days which has me firing on all pistons. Last week was tiring, I was trying to upgrade my expertise of my trade another notch. So I was going to bed every night at 2 am, for 10 straight nights. The same exercise will be undertaken every month.
I am still keeping my eyes and ears open for material for my blogs, and sometimes a experience at a glance can stick with me all day. I am not peeking and peering into anybody’s life but sometimes, unlike Crash, where they collide, this morning was something of a brush!
Right beside me on the MRT, a smartly dressed young man started to talk on his phone, he started speaking in Myanmar, since I was shoulder to shoulder with him I could hear him talk to his friend on the others side. His words were heavy, for someone his age (he was 23~26?) they seem to have lost a great deal of hope for the immediately future. Words of which describe a bright future slipping beyond reach as the reality of the recession bore down on his friends. Many of them on S-Passes on the verge of applying and surely getting PR’s, now packing up and leaving for home. He seemed to expect such a fate for himself too. The friend on the other side, a girl, judging on the responses, seemed to be doing her best to instill confidence and not lose hope for their sake. Their dreams were on the line.
Singapore does not visibly have the sign of the recession. But here and there, in the news, there are the grim reminders of actions taken to stay afloat.
I really do hope that everything turns out OK for the brother on the MRT.

The Thief's Market in Arab Street Singapore

The other day I saw a place marked in the Singapore map as the Thief's Market. Markets with such a name used to be in every city in Asia i suppose, not really a market where thieves come to sell their ill begotten wares but rather a flea market. I place where you you could a few cents for your old broken thingamabob or last place to search for a really odd item.

The place is still alive, here in Singapore. A fascinating place full of color and life, actual the far opposite of the grand malls lining Orchard Road which would be full adorned with Christmas lights.

Belts, commando helmets, and perfume anyone. Maybe there's a story in this?

When You Run Out of Things To Do in Singapore, Go Fishing

I have always wondered that in such a small place such as Singapore, you would eventually. run out of places to go to. And new things to do (sort of!).
When you think of it, there aren't that many places to go to. A lot of big shopping malls are around and after a while they get kinda monotonous.

So what are suppose to do?
The answer for some is to go fishing! Not at sea, or in a river (there are no rivers) just go for a fishing trip in the nearest canal near you.
And the fellows in the picture are fishing in the Rohor canal. The waters must be polluted as heck, but still little fish swim there. And they are caught. And then they are simply thrown back in to the canal, to let the other fellow fishermen try to catch them. An activitity that will easily fill an entire adternoon and a great excuse to be away from the nagging chinese wife.
And this is all done 15 yards from the afternoon rush hour.
Well you gotta do something!

A Nice Description of Chinlone

Please enjoy!

Chin Lone - The Mystic Ball

You are going love this and it makes you proud to be Myanmar.
Mr.Greg Hamilton has earned the deepest respect to with his movie about a sport that is essentially a part of the Myanmar spirit. The imagry is striking!
I asked my brother who is Mandalay, when I was doing some research for this post, and he said 'yeah, Greg Hamilton is known by every serious chinlone player in the country. And he is really good, I have seen him at the pagoda festival, and over a thousand team participated this year.
Read this review (I took it from the press kit)
“Chinlone is a beautiful, dance-like game of ball played in Myanmar (formerly called Burma) thatis all about supporting each other towards more beauty rather than competing….. This is the kindof thing that just takes your breath away and that you can’t even imagine if you hadn’t seen it withyour own eyes.”– Hannah Sung – The New Music Blog



Chinlone is all about supporting one another.

http://www.chinone.com/ This is from http://www.mysticball-themovie.com/
Copy-right owned by Black Rice Productions

Make sure you tell all friends to visit the site and view the clips!
I am sure that nobody will ever regret watching this!

Cyclone Nargis, Six Months Later, Please Do Not Forget!

And all the stories will yet be the same, they will contain elements of it-can't-happen-to-us innocence stripped away, profound heartbreaking loss, untold horror of the power that nature can release, the incredible situation of hearing that by one-by-one how your relatives has perished.
My mother’s sobs could be heard, deep in the night at the news of loss of her relatives, for her cousin had drowned at the foot a the tree in their yard, his dead hands pushing upwards so that his two grandchildren may live, which they did, the ultimate sacrifice, the final gift of life, those two children have been adopted by their aunts as their parents died two days later. We stand to provide all financial support the kids may need. (a small part of my salary goes to them). Heroism in the face of incredible hardship, the resolution of helping strangers reaching out with aid.
My wife who is from that area, lost 60% of all her relatives (the DayDaYae Area). For all those who lived through that night, please write a comment so that we will remember those lost forever, and more importantly, the need to help those who still have yet to resume the slightest resemblance of the former lives. Lives need to be rebuilt. And that continue to take place long after the buzz has died down. The event fading away in memory but not quite forgotten.
Please the people in that area still need help! Please do not forget them.

Stepping On Toes

Man, What a morning, on the MRT today I accidentally stepped the toes of a charming plump lady, so sorry! It must of really hurt, I am two hundred pounds of fat enclosed muscle of body weight, concentrated onto a heel. So that must of drilled into her toes. But strangely she took it rather well. She did flinch but that was a sudden jerk! So that really surprised me, because that last time something like this happened my friend won’t talk to me for 2 days! It hurt that much!
Then I thought, maybe I let it happen, I have reached an age where accidents like this didn’t happen unless I allowed them to happen. We do become more aware of ourselves and all the activities that go along with it too. What the heck! I am really sorry! If you happen to read this blog!

Sounds Homesick to me!

Sounds of the Modern city; I have become aware of another factor that contributes to the homesickness of our Myanmar Shwes’. It’s the sounds of the city that are so different too.

The sounds din of the MRT, the tones of the mobile phones, the beeps of handheld Play stations.

All of these small little things matter in the long run and build up the stress that is translated by the brain to represent home sickness.
So sometimes just go down to East Coast Park and listen to some Myanmar music on your MP3 or IPod, it should take care of that longing for home or it will make things worse!

Full Blast! on the MRT!

Singapore, 11 Thursday 2008: Today on my daily commute to work today, which takes about 45 minutes and 25 minutes on the MRT (Singaporean Train), I couldn’t but help hearing music; ‘its my life; Bon Jovi’ on full blast through his IPod earphones. It was so loud that I bet that everyone within a 2 meter radius could have heard the song. And he wouldn’t hear anything unless his pants were on fire, because there would be no way he can hear anything. I suppose that he would already be half deaf.

A Series of Myanmar Scenes

An elephant does its job of carrying lazy humans across the park in Pyin Oo Lwin. The weather simply being wonderful all year around! Must try to save up money to buy a place there! A small house with a big yard, and a well - oh wake up!

Here we are full prepared to engage the Mandalay Water Festival. The jeep is built to last. A slab of steel on the hood make sure that we can jump to the music on our tiny little moving stage! The weight that the thing carries probably equals the car itself!

Another view of the vehicle. Sturdy thing!

One of my favorite views from the Shwedagon, a Myanmar photographers eternal subject. Its a pathway on a lower level. Brightly lit at night, while the rest of the city is dimmed to make the effect more prominent.

Sun through the clouds beyond the Ayeyarwaddy. I regarded this to be one of the perks of my job then. Stunning vistas of panoramic scenery. There is a different beauty for each season and each apart of the day.

It is from the bank, from the Yenanchaung side. From the Phu Zar Kone (Cupids Hill). Great name indeed!

Iron Cross Show -DEC 7, 2008

I simply had to go. It was the first evening that I am going to really relax. The rain that fell about 90 minutes before the start didn’t dampen anyone’s sprits.
I got to meet Ko Chit San Maung outside the hall. He looked the same as ever. With his quick shy smile, his kindly obliged to a fast picture. Always have your camera ready. Never know when opportunities like these pop up.
After a bit of confusion, I found myself to the upper floor. And looking down I felt lucky that I didn’t get a 50$ ticket. Almost all of those in the 50$ portion would soon be standing on their chairs to get a better look.
And those annoying lights, six of them did not impress me at all. Couldn’t see anything! And the stage was pitifully small. No room for at all for singers to get into their rock-an-roll and heavy-metal mood acts. Except Ah Nge, and looks like he nearly banged his head on the speakers from where I was looking.

· Everybody knows the songs and sings along
· The entire hall jumping and it was so much fun!
· The opportunity to well at the top of your lungs and to jump in unison with the entire crowd must have been therapeutic for so many. It was for me, except to have my knees and ankles hurt later that night.
· The show did not hold any surprises; maybe it was better that way, the same presentational format, that they have come up with a few years ago and most of their shows sticking to the same plan, short breaks, by the IC members showing their talents be going solo.
· How come the show doesn’t start on time?
· When the lights when out and there was darkness, little sparkles of LCD screens like stars at night. Literally dozens and dozens of them. Look at all those phone cameras and digital cameras finally being used. I bet there is going to hundreds of uploads to the YouTube in these coming days.
· Looks like everybody’s camera was better than mine.
· The camera and video simply spoils the experience at bit when we are trying to video it, and might not watch it again that much.
· The spots lights were so annoying! Had no idea what was happening on the stage.
· The stage too small for the show. It looked crammed. Just like the rooms of so many of the audience, I bet!
· The organization was too poor, no signage showing where each ticket type holder had to go.
· Ah Nge talks too much! Come you think you are homesick?? 90% of the entire audience is homesick 20% of the time, even more I guess.
· On the way back, people on the MRT were so surprise to see so many people from a single country.
But all in all a delightful evening, surrounded by thousands of fellow jumping, yelling, singing, waving, sweating, thrilled countryman and women.
Great to be a Shwe Myanmar tonight!
In any case, I am going to the show next year.

IRON CROSS UNPLUGGED & SOLID SHOW -DEC 7, 2008

I simply had to go. It was the first evening that I am going to really relax. The rain that fell about 90 minutes before the start didn’t dampen anyone’s sprits.
I got to meet Ko Chit San Maung outside the hall. He looked the same as ever. With his quick shy smile, his kindly obliged to a fast picture. Always have your camera ready. Never know when opportunities like these pop up.
After a bit of confusion, I found myself to the upper floor. And looking down I felt lucky that I didn’t get a 50$ ticket. Almost all of those in the 50$ portion would soon be standing on their chairs to get a better look.
And those annoying lights, six of them did not impress me at all. Couldn’t see anything! And the stage was pitifully small. No room for at all for singers to get into their rock-an-roll and heavy-metal mood acts. Except Ah Nge, and looks like he nearly banged his head on the speakers from where I was looking.

· Everybody knows the songs and sings along
· The entire hall jumping and it was so much fun!
· The opportunity to well at the top of your lungs and to jump in unison with the entire crowd must have been therapeutic for so many. It was for me, except to have my knees and ankles hurt later that night.
· The show did not hold any surprises; maybe it was better that way, the same presentational format, that they have come up with a few years ago and most of their shows sticking to the same plan, short breaks, by the IC members showing their talents be going solo.
· How come the show doesn’t start on time?
· When the lights when out and there was darkness, little sparkles of LCD screens like stars at night. Literally dozens and dozens of them. Look at all those phone cameras and digital cameras finally being used. I bet there is going to hundreds of uploads to the YouTube in these coming days.
· Looks like everybody’s camera was better than mine.
· The camera and video simply spoils the experience at bit when we are trying to video it, and might not watch it again that much.
· The spots lights were so annoying! Had no idea what was happening on the stage.
· The stage too small for the show. It looked crammed. Just like the rooms of so many of the audience, I bet!
· The organization was too poor, no signage showing where each ticket type holder had to go.
· Ah Nge talks too much! Come on!,you think you are homesick?? 90% of the entire audience is homesick 20% of the time, even more I guess.
· On the way back, people on the MRT were so surprise to see so many people from a single country.
But all in all a delightful evening, surrounded by thousands of fellow jumping, yelling, singing, waving, sweating, thrilled countryman and women.
Great to be a Shwe Myanmar tonight!
In any case, I am going to the show next year.

Did Anyone See the Have-a-nice-day Moon?

Did anyone get to see the have-a-nice-day moon?
I guess the nights have been too cloudy in singapore for me to get a look at it. I am the sort of person that loves to get a good look at the elements in the heavens.
Otherwise I could got a picture and the story would have come out earlier too.

I guess that people could comfort themselves by calling this a good sign from the stars. An indication of the good times to come.

People on the other side of the world would say that thiis is proof, the gods are unhappy with us.
It all depends on your point of view, I Guess!

Lunch in Singapore, by popular request

Well, as of today, i have been in Singapore for 41 days (65 days at the job but I had to spend 14 days in Yangon doing some marketing).

Here is what I had for lunch today, it cost me three Singapore dollars, three type of dishes with a scoop of rice. Quite enough for a lunch.

The dishes are all set out in these steel trays and the shop keepers asks you " White rice!, Boss?" and you say "Yes" or nod, and then you simply point at the stuff that you would like. She then asks " any gravy", which means if you would like any of the particular sauces of any dish available. the you put the spoon and fork from the side place, and the question "How Much Aunty?", to which see studying the dishes that you have taken (Pork ribs, and egg, and some vegetables) and then says "3 Dollars".

I gave her two, 2 dollars notes for which a dollar change came back.

James, my Filipino friend had already found a place, at a table and we sat down and ate.

There are no tissues at places like these so eat without a single splash of oil on your lips or bring your own tissue. Or borrow a piece from your friend, what are friends for? to bum for tissues, eh! just kidding!

The price of lunches in places like these go from as low as 1.5 $ to 10$, with the average being around 3.5$. Everybody eventually discovers what they like and the Aunty's and Uncle's at the store's remember us too.

More pics from Myauk U

Yyou can see where Myauk U is, on the far left of the country.

and a map of where all these pics where taken

More pics from Myauk U.

My brother is the principle and MD of BEST Language School and Study Abroad Consultants.

His name is Mr. Soe Lwin.

Drop by when you're in Mandalay. And if he's not in class, have a chat.

You might see him with his camera, or more likely supervising classes, training teachers, or counseling students on about studying abroad.

Obviously he has other hobbies too, simply likes having to something to do, and always trying new things out.

And he will send me sub-titles for the pics in his own time.

My Mom and Bro's Trip To Myuak U, Rahine State December 2008

Yup, everyone now knows the story, the Thais raided the airport postponing thousands of passengers, and ruining thousands of holidays in the process. Including my ol' mom's.

Her trip to Angkor Wat has been moved to February. But still the travel bug, made her need to go somewhere, so they went off to Myauk U, way on the east side of Myanmar, in the Rakhine State, only second to Bagan in Temples and Pagodas.

Well my brother had his new camera, and there he clicked away.

And here, they are for all to enjoy.

Good job bro!

Only thing we need now is sub-titles to know where and what they are all about!