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Tips on How to Choose A Luxury Watch

 
5 Tips on How to Choose A Luxury Watch

A luxury timepiece can represent the significant investment of time and also the value for its design, function and quality. The purchase of a luxury timepiece can be aroused from different intentions, as a personal milestone in a certain stage of life, as a token to be passed down to your next generation, to fulfill your enthusiasm for luxury watches or also as an investment. Whatever intention of yours is, it is sure a major life’s decision in choosing the right luxury watch to own or to invest in. Therefore, here are the five tips which lead you in your journey of purchasing luxury watches that suit you the most. This is the most popular replica rolex.

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Know Your Intention and Preferences

No matter for men or for women, always be clear of your intention in owning a luxury watch. The luxury watch can be an accessory for social occasions, it can be an expression of an individual’s persona, it can be an impressive art piece or even an appreciation of the complex inner mechanics engineering. By confirming your intention in owning a luxury watch, you can get to know your preferences on the looks, the functions and the practicality of the luxury watch which you will be opted for. For example, if you are looking for something sporty with modern design and some sparks of colours, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport with tachymeter which contrasts beautifully with the colours of rose gold, navy and white accents on the latest and most technical evolution of revered automatic chronograph.

source: https://horologisto.com/review-of-the-zenith-chronomaster-sport/

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Get Clear on Your Budget

After getting your intention and preferences right on track, it is time to note down your budget for your shopping. There are different valuable timepieces out there for every budget. If you have a lower budget around RM2,000, the Seiko Prospex would be a nice one to opt for.

source: https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/prospex

Higher budget around RM4,000 to RM12,000, Omega Speedmaster can be one of your choices. Available in CYT.

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source: https://cytwatch.my/product/706-speedmaster-professional-moonwatch

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Study on Watch Movements and Materials

Another thing which you should do is your research on the movements and materials of the luxury watches as it influences the prices as well as the styles. What is meant by the watch movements? Watch movement is the mechanism that makes a watch to keep ticking and telling the time accurately. There are a few movement types which you can go through to check out which type you will be preferring more. The movement types are manual movement, automatic movement and quartz movement.

Manual movement is also called as the mechanical movement. A mechanical watch with mechanical movement needs to be wound manually before wearing it to make sure that you will be seeing the correct timing. This movement is the most traditional movements which can be found in conservative, expensive and collectable watches. Example of manual movement luxury watch, the Piaget. Available in CYT.

source: https://cytwatch.my/product/562-limelight-paris-new-york

Automatic movement type of watch will be winding by itself while it is being worn on the wrist. However, if it is not worn for some time, the watch will stop working and it will be needing a manual winding to restart it. One of the examples for automatic movement luxury watch will be the Cartier. Now available in CYT.

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source: https://cytwatch.my/product/356-cartier-rotonde-de-cartier

Quartz movement watches work on the uses of battery as its power source. Therefore, it does not need a manual winding to make it works. This type of watch movement is currently the most accurate type of movement being produced and normally these quartz movement watches will be less expensive compared to the mechanical ones due to the craftsmanship of the production. Check out the automatic movement luxury watches, the Tag Heuer in CYT.

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source: https://cytwatch.my/products/48-tag-heuer

As for watch materials, stainless steel watches are more affordable, Titanium ones are light-weighted, carbon fiber material watches are less expensive than noble metals ones. Therefore, try to make sure of all these details when choosing for your ideal luxury watches.

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New Opera Tan Dun’s Tea: Mirror of Soul

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Wow… so many people have been saying that Vancouver Opera’s current production of Tea: Mirror of Soul, composed by Tan Dun, is a must see.

The visuals are stunning.  The music is compelling.  The topics of love, family, guilt, loss, death are standard in many operas.  But combined with a unique blend of Chinese music and story that includes references to the Monkey King, and the art of tea ceremony, this opera pushes and challenges boundaries on many levels.  The most striking is its use of water, paper and rock as musical and visual themes.  There are large water bowls on each side of the stage, and musicians hit, slap or drip the water to create a fascinating aural soundscape.  Paper is used as visual forest for scenery, or it is hit with drum sticks to create thunder, or rolled to create thunder.  As well the opera chorus holds sheets of paper and uses it like percussion, complimenting the orchestra.

 

Nancy Allen Lundy has played the character of Lan in every production of Tea: a Mirror of Soul.

This is the setting for the exquisite singing, that is a blend of traditional classical opera and Chinese opera.  American soprano Nancy Allen Lundy, performs Lan.  She is the only artist to have ever played this role in productions around the world.  She sings like a bel canto bird on some songs, while on others she bends her notes like in Chinese opera style.  It is different for ears accustomed to Western opera – but it is exciting that Vancouver Opera would mount this production.  Find out more about Nancy Allen Lundy from the Opera Blog

It’s also a perfect blend for the cultural diversity of Vancouver.  Much is made of Vancouver’s large Chinese population, as well as the local music scene which features lots of cultural fusion artists such as Silk Road Music, Orchid Ensemble, and even Mozaico Flamenco – which performed a full scale of Cafe de Chinitas this past weekend.

Tan Dun is more well known in North America as the composer of the soundtrack for the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.  I loved both the movie and the music which featured cello superstar Yo Yo Ma.  Ten years ago, I witnessed Vancouver Opera concertmaster Mark Ferris perform Tan Dun’s “Crouching Tiger Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra” with the CBC Radio Orchestra-  with featured Chinese erhu virtuoso George Gao  http://www.tandunonline.com/compositions/Crouching-Tiger-Concerto.  It was amazing.

The opera opens with the main character Seikyu, a former prince now a monk in Kyoto Japan, performing a ritualistic tea ceremony.  He sings of bitterness, and the monks ask him why.  Then then begins to tell a story of ten years past when he was in China, and in love in the Princess Lan.  The action then shifts to China, as the sets seem to magically transform.

But this opera is more than just the music.  There are so many levels of story,

The opera runs again on Thursday May 9th and Saturday May 11th, start time is 7:30pm.  Don’t be late or you will miss opening preamble and musicians walking up the aisles.

This review – is still in process – check back for more!

Watch these videos about Tea: A Mirror of Soul – posted by Vancouver Opera on youtube.

Historic Joy Kogawa House welcomes new writer-in-exile Ava Homa

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When we started the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society, we asked author Joy Kogawa, what kinds of writers she would like to see at the house.  She answered “Writers of Conscience.”

On May 1st, we will welcome our 5th writer-in-residence, since helping to save Joy Kogawa’s childhood home from impending demolition – A house that was “confiscated” from her family and sold, while her family was locked away in an internment camp for “Enemy Aliens” during WW2.  Joy was six years old at the time, and had been born in Canada. No Japanese-Canadians were ever charged with a crime.

I think that our four writers previously: John Asfour (Montreal), Nancy Lee (Richmond), Susan Crean (Toronto), Deborah Willis (Victoria), have all brought social issues to the forefront.  They have shared their stories, the work of other writers, and have also assisted writers.

Here is the release from PEN Canada:

Historic Joy Kogawa House residency awarded to PEN Writer-in-Exile Ava Homa

TORONTO, April 30, 2013 /CNW/ – Kurdish Iranian author  Ava Homa , a PEN Canada Writer-in-Exile, has been chosen as the next writer-in-residence at Vancouver’s Historic Joy Kogawa House. Homa’s three-month residency, funded by the Canada Council Residency Program and the British Columbia Arts Council, will begin on May 1, 2013, and focus on writing, research and community programs.

The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society is a community-based arts group that supports a writer-in-residence on a volunteer basis. Set in the former home of the author Joy Kogawa , the program seeks to foster a wider appreciation of Canadian literature within the communities of Metropolitan Vancouver. Homa will supervise creative writing workshops, consult with emerging writers and use the time to complete a novel about immigration, displacement and culture shock – themes germane to the fiction of Joy Kogawa and to the mandate of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.

Born and educated in Iran, Ava Homa holds an MA in English Language and Literature from the University of Tehran and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Windsor. In 2010 TSAR Publications published her debut collection of short stories, Echoes from the Other Land, which was subsequently chosen as one of ten People’s Choice finalists in the 2011 Canada Reads competition.

Homa’s short fiction and translations have appeared in several English and Farsi journals and newspapers, including The Windsor Review and The Toronto Star. Homa has been a member of PEN Canada’s Writers in Exile network since 2011 and was the 2012 PEN Lecturer-in-Residence at  George Brown  College

Background
PEN Canada is a nonpartisan organization of writers that works with others to defend freedom of expression as a basic human right, at home and abroad. PEN Canada promotes literature, fights censorship, helps free persecuted writers from prison, and assists writers living in exile in Canada. PEN Canada’s Writers in Exile program helps authors and journalists who have been silenced in their country of origin to establish themselves in Canada.

Historic Joy Kogawa House is situated in the former home of the Canadian author Joy Kogawa (born 1935), where she lived until age six. It stands as a cultural and historical reminder of the expropriation of property that all Canadians of Japanese descent experienced after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Between 2003 and 2006, a grassroots committee fundraised in a well-publicized national campaign and, with the help of The Land Conservancy of BC, a non-profit land trust, managed to purchase the house in 2006.

SOURCE PEN Canada

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases-test/historic-joy-kogawa-house-residency-awarded-to-pen-writer-in-exile-ava-homa-205403181.html

Naomi’s Road at West Vancouver Library is great… looking forward to April 23 at Italian Cultural Centre

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Erica Iris and Hiather Darnela-Kadanoga play Obasan and Naomi, in a scene when the family leaves Vancouver on a train.

I saw the production at West Vancouver Library on Friday April 19th, and we both really enjoyed it.  Sam Chung returns as Stephen. The new singers are all good. Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga plays Naomi, Erica Iris plays the 3 roles Mother, Obasan and Mitzie. Henry Chen plays Daddy, Bully, Rough Lock Bill, Trainmaster.

I saw the original production in 2005/06 five times and enjoyed it immensely.  West Vancouver Library isn’t the best place to the performance because lighting was not the best, and the performer’s faces were often in shadows.  Close to 50 people came to the library for the free performance.

The performances by all singers are strong, and the storyline is strong.  Watching the perfomers, we were amazed at both the choreography of the movement on stage, as well as how the small versatile set is used and moved to simulate so many scenes: Powell Street, Living Room, Train, Internment Camp.   There were tears in my eyes as I watched the pinnacle scene of the opera.  It makes a powerful statement against racism and bullying.

Tickets are still on sale for Tuesday’s April 23 performance.

buy tickets on-line here:

http://italianculturalcentre.ca/highlights/naomis-road/

There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door.

Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga (soprano) plays Naomi


Erica Iris (mezzo-soprano) performs as Mother, Mitzi, Obasan

Sam Chung (tenor) plays Stephen
Photographs courtesy of Vancouver Opera, and available from the Naomi’s Road press kit http://www.vancouveropera.ca/2012-13-naomisroad-presskit.html

Head Tax Families Society of Canada has a successful AGM

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More than 50 seniors attended the AGM of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada, held Saturday April 20 at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver. Many spoke in Cantonese, as they are the surviving sons and daughters of the original head tax payers who came to Canada before the Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigration.  Some were born in Canada, but many had been born in China, and were separated by the Exclusion Act until after 1947, when the Act was repealed, and families could be reunited.  Several of the seniors came up to me to say hello, commenting they hadn’t seen me for awhile.

 

Photo

Standing with my friends for a just and honourable redress. I am a descendant of 3 generations of head tax payers: My maternal great grandfather Ernest Lee, my grandfather Sunny Mar, and my paternal grandmother Wong Sze.

Naomi’s Road returns… Come see April 23 at Italian Cultural Centre

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Naomi's Road (GOOD)
Come see “Naomi’s Road” opera – based on Joy Kogawa’s famous award winning book “Obasan” and it’s children’s novel counterpart.
buy tickets on-line here:
http://italianculturalcentre.ca/highlights/naomis-road/
Only 45 minutes + short talk & Q&A with survivors of Japanese & Italian Canadian internment camps, Mr. Akira Horii and Mr. Ray Culos.
An important part of Canadian history – if you have read Obasan, and watched “Bomb Girls” on tv.
Coffee & desserts served following.
Deb and I saw the production at West Vancouver Library on Friday April 19th, and we both really enjoyed it.  Sam Chung returns as Stephen. The new singers are all good. Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga plays Naomi, Erica Iris plays the 3 roles Mother, Obasan and Mitzie. Henry Chen plays Daddy, Bully, Rough Lock Bill, Trainmaster
Proceeds to Historic Joy Kogawa House, if we meet our audience numbers…
I loved the Naomi’s Road opera when I first saw it in October 2005, and the following four times I saw it again at West Vancouver Library, Vancouver Public Library, Japanese Language School, and Nikkei Centre.
Here is my review from it’s Premiere weekend in October 2005
https://www.gunghaggis.com/2005/10/02/naomis-road-pulls-the-heart-in-all-the-right-places-and-directions-vancouver-operas-first-opera-in-the-schools-commission-exceeds-itself/

Naomi’s Road cast + Vancouver Opera staff come for a visit to Historic Joy Kogawa House

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Naomi’s Road cast came for a visit to Historic Joy Kogawa House on Thursday.

They were delighted to see the home and cherry tree where the characters of Naomi and Stephen grew up.

Photo: Naomi's Road cast came for a visit to Historic Joy Kogawa House on Thursday, They were delighted to see the home and cherry tree where the characters of Naomi and Stephen grew up. Myself, and fellow Kogawa House board members Deb and Joan, join the cast + pianist + stage manager. Really looking forward to their Vancouver performance on Tuesday April 23 at Italian Cultural Centre. Tix are going quickly. www.italianculturalcentre.ca/highlights/Naomi's-road/

Myself, and fellow Kogawa House board members Deb and Joan, join the cast + pianist + stage manager. L-R, Todd, Deb, Baritone Henry Chen, Soprano Hiather Darnel-Kadonaga, “Joy”, Mezzo-Soprano Erica Iris, pianist Candy Siu, stage manager Melania Radelicki, Joan, and tenor Sam Chung.

Really looking forward to their Vancouver performance on Tuesday April 23 at Italian Cultural Centre. Tix are going quickly. www.italianculturalcentre.ca/highlights/Naomi’s-road/

35 people from Vancouver Opera came to Kogawa House including graphic designers, set builders, publicist, finance officer, and representatives from the volunteer Opera Guild.

General Manager James Wright, who had originally came up with the idea of turning the children’s novel Naomi’s Road into an opera.  He shared the story about reading Great Canadian Books of the Century by Vancouver Public Library, and being inspired by the synopsis/review about Joy Kogawa’s novel Obasan.

I shared how in September 2005, that Ann-Marie Metten had called me with the information that a demolition permit had been applied for for 1450 West 64th Ave, the address of Kogawa House.  At the time, Naomi’s Road opera was just about to launch, and the Vancouver Public Library was just wrapping up its One Book One Vancouver program that featured the novel Obasan, and Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop was awarding its Community Builder Award to Joy.  It was an amazing intersection of celebrations of Joy Kogawa’s works, and it all helped to draw attention to saving Historic Joy Kogawa House from possible demolition.

It is indeed amazing how things come full circle.

My corneal ulcer is healing

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I have now met 6 doctors in 7 days regarding the ulcer on my right cornea + talked to another on the phone on Sunday. Today I met Dr. Joe and he is a former competitive dragon boater!  And I also met Dr. Anderson, whom I think is the senior ophthamologist.  And… Dr. Silver checked me out again too!

Good news is the ulcer is healing, and only 1/2 a millimeter in size now – so I can stop the drops that dialate my pupil. Ended the day playing music and drinking scotch with my friends – The Black Bear Rebels Ceilidh Ensemble. We dedicated “Farewell to Nova Scotia” to Rita McNeil, and toasted to her 🙂

Dragon boats and Harbour Seals

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Today, we saw a big harbour seal lazily swimming on the water in front of our dragon boat in False Creek, just off David Lam Park. I called “let it ride” and the paddlers stopped paddling, and I softly said “Quiet” to the team… as the boat glided quietly… right past the seal… until it was 5 feet away from the boat… When our mid boat reached it, it slowly swam away on the surface… to about 20 feet distance… then dived. It must have been sleeping on the surface… The closest and longest look, I have seen a habour seal from a dragon boat in 20 years of paddling.

Too bad we didn’t have a camera handy… but in June 10, last year, a seal was following our boat, and nipping at the steering oar… These pictures are from our June 2012 photo set

 

I have an ulcer on my cornea

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Ugh… I have an ulcer on my cornea.  It is kind of crazy that I saw 3 different doctors today.  I spent much of the afternoon and evenings visiting my GP office at 2pm, LGH Emergency at 4:30pm, then at the VGH Eyecare Clinic at 8pm.  The above picture is from August 2009 when I had a corneal abrasion –  thought possibly due to sand/grit from hanging out at Kalmalka Beach in Vernon, during a wind storm. Obesity can lead to corna ulcer apart from different unhealthy conditions, exercise and weight loss are some of the best ways to prevent this, bioharmony advanced can help you keep a healthy diet.

My regular doctor was all booked up so I saw her office partner Dr. Yam.  After putting some dye on my eye, she thought I might have a “tear” on my cornea, so she sent me to emergency.  At Lion’s Gate Hospital, I saw Dr. Andolfatto, who confirmed there was something wrong on my eye, and made an 8pm appointment for me to go to the Eye Clinic at VGH, where I saw Dr. Silver who made the final diagnosis.  Nice to know we have a great healthcare system that can set me up with an ophthalmologist at 8pm on a Friday night.

Well.. if it was a stomach ulcer… I wouldn’t be able to drink any alcohol. But since I have an eye patch, and the ulcer is on my eye… I can have a shot of Captain Morgan for every drop of anti-biotics that I put in my eye… which is each hour.

What Are Medical Treatments for a Corneal Ulcer?

  • Your ophthalmologist will remove your contact lenses if you are wearing them.
  • Your ophthalmologist will generally not place a patch over your eye if he or she suspects that you have a bacterial infection. Patching creates a warm dark environment that allows bacterial growth.

  • What Medications Treat a Corneal Ulcer?

    • Because infection is a common occurrence in corneal ulcers, your ophthalmologist will prescribe antibiotic eyedrops. If the infection appears very large, you may need to use these antibiotic drops as often as one drop an hour, even throughout the night. Some patients require more than one type of treatment and some require eyedrops that are compounded at specialty pharmacies or in hospitals. Find the latest supplements and medicine reviews at sparkhealthmd.

 

Are There Home Remedies for a Corneal Ulcer?

  • If you wear contact lenses, remove them immediately.
  • Apply cool compresses to the affected eye.
  • Limit worsening of infection by washing your hands often and drying them with a clean towel.
 

People with disabilities face many barriers to good health. Studies show that individuals with disabilities are more likely than people without disabilities to report:

  • Having poorer overall health.
  • Having less access to adequate health care.
  • Engaging in risky health behaviors, including smoking and physical inactivity.

People with disabilities often are more susceptible to preventable health problems that decrease their overall health and quality of life. Secondary conditions such as pain, fatigue, obesity, and depression can occur as a result of having a disabling condition. 

Health disparities and secondary conditions can be the result of inaccessible health care facilities and equipment, lack of knowledge among health professionals about specific differences among people with disabilities, transportation difficulties, and higher poverty rates among people with disabilities.

Accessibility applies to both communication and physical access. For instance, health professionals need to be aware of how to effectively communicate with patients who have a range of disabilities, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have a speech, vision, or intellectual disability. Providers should ensure that accessible medical equipment is available for people with disabilities (such as scales, examination tables, or chairs). In addition, providers should plan for additional time during examinations, if needed. Some examinations may take longer than others, for all sorts of reasons, in the normal course of a medical practice..

What Health Care Providers Can Do

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities asks that all health care providers:

  • Give each patient—including people with disabilities—the information needed to live a long and healthy life. Learn how drugs clinical research improves most patients life quality.
  • Listen and respond to the patient’s health concerns. Give each patient the information needed to prevent or treat a health concern—even if the patient does not ask for it. As a health expert, you should offer the information.
  • Communicate clearly and directly with the patient. If your patient does not understand your questions or instructions, repeat what you have said, use other words, or find another way to provide the information.
  • Take the time needed to meet the patient’s health care needs.-