Surviving Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the colourful countries of South Asia, which is renowned for its diverse culture and is fast becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations of South Asia. The country boasts of a heterogeneous society with indigenous people of Malaysia as well as citizens of Indian and Chinese origins. The influence of European, Arab, Persian, and also British Empire, make Malaysia a truly multicultural culture that is rich in variety and truly global.  Although Malaysia is generally a laid back and relaxed place, and people of Malaysia are quite friendly, they do reserve their own customs and the visitors should try to observe these practices when they arrive. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, so be very careful of their customs and cultures. Even though Kuala Lumpur is a modern metropolis, the locals can still be quite traditional and won’t appreciate overly rowdy behaviour or public drunkenness. Dress appropriately when visiting a mosque or a Muslim home. Pointing with your feet is considered rude, as is pointing with your forefinger. Be respectful and err on the side of restraint. The following Malaysia don'ts would surely make your trip to Malaysia an enjoyable lifetime experience. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Malaysia, do as the Malaysians do.

Shopping in Edinburgh

Edinburgh offers a shopping experience like no other. Whatever your mood and whatever you're looking for, the city has something for you. From the High Street favourites of Princes Street to the funky boutiques of the New Town and West End, you'll be spoilt for choice. Go shopping in Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, for shops that stock goods made in Scotland, and as Scotland is famous for it's knitwear, you will find specialist shopping for the likes of Scottish cashmere sweaters, and the finest of Scottish lambs wool, offered by any shop in the country. You can shop for antiques, Scottish CDs, tapes and records, gifts made in Scotland, Scottish bagpipes, kilts and tartan woollen products all made in Scotland. A great inexpensive gift from Scotland is Scottish shortbread which you will see in shops all over Edinburgh. Luxury or budget priced you will find it all in the shops of Edinburgh. Shops in Edinburgh are generally open Monday to Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm; Thursday is usually late night shopping when most high street shops stay open until 8 pm. Supermarkets and small convenience stores are often open from 7 am until 8 pm or 10 pm every night. Lots of high street stores are open on Sundays as are most big supermarkets. Most large stores accept major credit and debit cards and use ‘chip and pin’ technology instead of a signature; small shops may prefer payment in cash.

A Taste of Scotland

The Scots have learnt over the years to make best use of the offerings nature handed to them in Scotland, from the rugged mountains, lakes, sea lochs and streams, to the fertile valleys and moorlands. The climate of Scotland is relatively temperate in the southern and central parts but the highlands and islands are subject to particularly harsh winters. Scottish Cuisine has its own characteristic features and is immensely appreciated by food buffs all across the world. Traditionally, Scotland is known for its well-loved whisky, haggis and shortbread.  Today, the country is a major exporter of food, offering top-quality farm, dairy and seafood produce. Like England, food in Scotland today is an eclectic mix of many cultures - English, Italian, Indian and Chinese. In Scotland, the Scots hold on tightly to their culinary heritage still using local, seasonal food. Oats are still widely eaten, as is fish, game, and of course beef. Scottish soft fruits – raspberries, strawberries, are renowned throughout the UK. Scottish cheeses, fruits and vegetables likewise. Wherever you travel in Scotland the opportunity exists to sample the local delicacies - Arbroath smokies, Lochfyne kippers, Scotch broth, Colcannon, Scotch Pies, Crowdie, Porridge, Forfar Bridies, Selkirk bannocks, Orkney cheese, Islay cheese, Galloway cheese, Dundee cake, Moffat toffee and many more.

Art in Scotland

Arts and culture is central to all aspects of our lives. A nation's artistic and cultural life says much about its people and the vibrancy and creativity we display across a wide range of art forms quickly dispels the myth of the dour, downbeat Scot. Scotland has a rich heritage of art and culture and today the traditional and the contemporary, the Celtic and the diasporic, all have their place in the fabric of the country. In successive generations, Scotland has produced writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, composers and dancers whose talents have received both national and international acclaim. Some of these art forms - such as our traditional dance and music - are uniquely Scottish both in style and inspiration and are appreciated chiefly at home. Others - such as theatre, opera and painting - draw on and incorporate influences from elsewhere in the world and consequently receive wider recognition. All, however, have the power to enthral, challenge, provoke and inspire.

Scottish Culture

The rich Scotland culture has gone through many changes. Scotland was mostly inhabited by the Celtic decedents in the Scottish Highlands. Scots dominated the Southern part of the country. Mostly the Scots are smart and vigilant. There is some influence of the Nordic and Anglo Saxon people on the culture of Scotland. The church going majority in Scotland are the members of the Scotland church. The Scottish people always had a thirst for learning. Farmers called crofters live on the north western coastal region of Scotland. They live in houses built of pebbles and stones. Apart from farming the people are interested in forestry, cottage industries and road work. The Highlands are famous for more than 100 clans and these groups of people are famous for sports and athletic shows. There are also some Bagpipers and Highland dancers. Scottish culture, like that of the many of Northern European nations (for example Ireland & England), has been described as a pub culture or drinking culture, whereby consumption of alcohol has deep rooted tradition - along with pride of working class heritage, which is common in all of Britain.

Sights and Sounds of Edinburgh

Capital of Scotland since the 15th Century, Edinburgh stands on seven hills creating the dramatic skyline of this lively cosmopolitan city. What better way to see this fantastic city than from the top of a City Sightseeing Tour Bus. Each tour is tailor-made to offer a distinctive and entertaining experience and provide a great introduction to Scotland's Capital City. What's more, their hop-on hop-off tickets give you the flexibility to visit the famous sights around the City as you pass them. Compare Edinburgh's Old Town, where families lived in cramped conditions and rubbish was thrown out of the windows to the elegant Georgian New Town with its three main streets and a square at either end. Hear about the hangings that took place in the Grassmarket as you marvel at the impenetrable Castle Rock above you and hear about the attempts to capture Edinburgh Castle. See the Royal Mile which joins Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House.

Enchanting Edinburgh

The beautiful city of Edinburgh is an enchanting place to visit with so much to see that you will be spoilt for choice. Located in the south east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast near the North Sea. More than 6,200 miles long and with over 760 islands, the jagged Scottish coastline is one of the most dangerous in the world. This is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea. It's a town intimately entwined with its landscape, with buildings and monuments, almost in a poetic manner. The city offers a constantly changing perspective. And it's all small enough to explore easily on foot. Edinburgh is a capital in miniature compared to the other famous European capitals. It's not even the largest city in Scotland. With population of only 500,000, everything is within reach. Traffic congestion is not as bad as in bigger cities like London either. Edinburgh's unique features include two extinct volcanoes, one of them right in the City Centre onto which Edinburgh Castle is built.  Also known as Athens of the North, a name inspired by the great thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment, is a city of high culture and lofty ideals, of art and literature, philosophy and science. The return of a devolved Scottish parliament to Edinburgh in 1999 marked a growing confidence and sense of pride in the nation’s achievements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture. Explore Edinburgh at your leisure, you’ll see views that make for perfect picture postcards, mysterious winding streets, elegant terraces and an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants. Edinburgh is a great base from which you can explore the rest of Scotland. Edinburgh is only an hour's drive from Glasgow, Scotland's largest City and 2-3 hours from the Highlands and that says a lot of the size of Scotland.  The bottom line about the city is : great food, great music, great shows, really great pubs, incredibly friendly people and above all, enough attractions to keep even the most energetic tourist busy.

Surviving Greece

You will find that Greece is a friendly place, very hospitable to guests, but it is still important to learn about their traditions and customs in order to blend in and respect Greece's heritage. As in any country, there are certain do's and don'ts in Greece. Many times, a foreigner might think some of these customs strange or may disagree with them, but we should all respect a country's ways when we visit it. If you go out to dinner with locals, there is no way you will be allowed to pay your share of the bill and if they ask you to stay over at their house, they will in all likelihood offer you their own bed, in order to make you feel as comfortable as possible. This is known as ‘filotimo’, a Greek word without an exact equivalent in English, meaning something between a sense of honour, dignity and pride and is a highly-praised virtue in Greek society. Below are some more etiquette tips for your trip to Greece.

Athens, a Shopper's Mecca

Athens is one of those cities that has everything. A crossroads between Europe and the Middle East. Athens has long been a centre for craftsmanship; craftsmen jewellers, furriers, leatherworkers and ceramicists. Modern boutiques sit side by side with huge department stores and some of Europe's top establishments now have at least one store in the capital. Most visitors buy honey, olive oil, sponges, ceramics, gold and silver jewellery, shoes (a lesser-known craft, some of the best shoemakers and designers work in Greece), pottery, embroidery and even worry beads. The choice is there, it's up to you to discover the variety on offer. For leather items such as bags, jackets and sandals, you will find good value for money and good quality anywhere in the centre of Athens. Kilims and hand woven fabrics in traditional patterns are also a very authentic choice. However, a classic buy would be miniature copies of statues in plaster or marble that are available in many museums in Greece and you must not leave Greece without taking some great Greek music with you. Downtown Athens is a shoppers paradise. Besides the areas of the Plaka and Monastiraki which are well known to travellers for their large variety of tourist shops, all of central Athens is a shopper's Mecca.

Food in Athens

Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean Cuisine. In Athens, as well as throughout Greece, eating out is a way of life. Restaurants are more than places to have a bite before the evening entertainment, very often they are the entertainment. Whether in a local tavern or one of the most elegant restaurants, Greeks take their time over food. Breakfast is light, lunch is eaten in the mid afternoon, and dinner usually doesn't start until 10 p.m. Greek cuisine has developed along with the customs and traditions of the Greek people. It is characteristic of the Greeks to celebrate their joys, to sweeten their sorrows, and to assuage their struggles by eating and drinking in the company of family and friends. Customs also are tied closely to the distribution of special edibles, such as Koufeta (Candy Coated Almonds) at baptisms and weddings, or Koliva (Boiled Wheat) at funerals. Each important feast during the year, such as Christmas, the Annunciation, Easter, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, has its own specialty. Orthodox Greeks, as devout people, eat specific foods on fasting days.