eNewsHound

Tham Fung Meng and Chan Mei Yin are two highly celebrated Singaporean Cantonese opera performers. Meng created the Yimin Opera Troupe and continually impresses audiences with her style and skills. Yin performs as the male character in an all female company. Cantonese opera is an extremely popular performance genre in Singapore and there are many companies devoted to its performance and study. This is a traditional art from that has existed for centuries. Many tourists appreciate the enormous dedication of opera performers and attending a production is one of the biggest attractions for guests. A fine evening for locals and tourists alike includes dinner at the best Singapore restaurants followed by a Cantonese opera performance.

Because the opera is such and integral part of Singaporean culture there are many productions and companies from which to choose. While most operas contain similar themes and the nature of the performance is extremely stylized, each performer, play and company brings something special to the scene. Some of the more prominent Cantonese opera companies include The Choy Brothers Opera Troupe, and the Chinese Theatre Circle, which is the most active of the Singapore theatre companies.

Tham Fung Meng studied with the Chinese Theatre Circle as well as some of the most highly acclaimed artists in China. She directed the Echo Cantonese Opera Group at the Eunos Community Centre in 1988. Also of that year she formed the Yi Meng Cantonese Opera Group. One of her most renowned performances was as the Princess Turandot in 1999 with Wu Suet Yee. She partnered with Yee again the following year with their performance of three opera excerpts. Chan Mei Yin performs regularly with the Kreta Ayer Community Centre Opera Troupe. She is also the company’s director. This extremely popular and well-established company is based on an all female cast. Yin is an incredibly talented singer who will usually play the male character in the productions.

The annual New York Toy Fair will take place early next week. Even with the faltering economy, the Fair, which runs from February 15th – 18th, expects to showcase over 100,000 products, including more than 7000 new toys that are making their world debut.

The fair promises over 350,000 square feet of exhibition space in the jacob Javits Convention Center and a few other showrooms in the surrounding area. Over a thousand media representatives are expected to be present from around the globe and over 20,000 attendees.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) which sponsors the event is forecasting that this year’s merchandise will focus on price and value as a result of the shaky global economy. Exhibitors are expected to offer fewer high end toys to the retail buyers in attendance. While most toys take several years to develop, many manufacturers have scraped products that are too expensive for the budget-conscious parent of 2009.

One of the other features of the event is safety. With so many recalls in recent years, the fair is offering a four-hour seminar on safety concerns and recent legislation.

New York is hoping to see an uptick in its own economy as a result of the Toy Fair. Those thousands of attendees, exhibitors, and media should bring money to area businesses. The Fair is offering shuttle buses in the evening to take visitors to nearby New York restaurants. Meanwhile, hotels in the area are bracing for the increase in guests and taxis should be in abundance for those who want to explore more of the city.

There are many great restaurants on the Spanish island of Ibiza.  Your dining options are unlimited.  You can enjoy a quiet lunch on the harbor enjoying the view and the activity around you.  Or you can take to the hills and enjoy a rustic meal while enjoying the picturesque views around you.

Traditional meals in Ibiza include lamb, rabbit, lamb, fish and chicken.  It is heavily influenced by Spanish cooking and may be served as a stew or as a lighter more modern meal.

Fresh seafood such as sardines is plentiful while traditional Spanish tapas, paella, and fiduea are popular dishes.  Fish stew straight from the sea is a staple dish.  Local herbs are fresh and add to the taste of many local dishes.  Enjoy your meal in one of the many Ibiza restaurants that are situated around the island, in the towns and villages and in thr countryside.