Page 24 - Hospitality Recreation
Bengal celebrates 'Poila Boisakh' with fervour
West Bengal on Monday ushered in "Poila Boisakh", the Bengali New Year, amidst traditional gaiety and fervour.
Mompreneur and Banker Turned Baker - 'Chef Meghna' Bags the Food Instagrammer of the Year 2019 by 'Living Foodz' Epicurean Guild Awards
/ -- In the recently concluded Living Foodz Epicurean Guild Awards 2019, India's premium lifestyle channel, Chef Meghna Kamdar has been awarded as the 'Food Instagrammer of the Year 2019'. Chef Meghna is a banker turned baker, who started her YouTube channel by the name 'Meghna's Food Magic' just 3 years back. She was nominated in this category along with four other food instagrammers. The winner was decided by public voting where Chef Meghna got highest number of votes and stood as the proud winner of this award. After giving up a decade of successful career in banking, Chef Meghna started her culinary journey by selling her cakes and biryani door to door and became a known household name. She started her entrepreneurialjourney 3 years back at the age of 37. After failing in her first attempt, she restarted and today Chef Meghna is an internet sensation with her fan base of over 2 Million (20 lakhs+) across various social media platforms. She is also TEDx speaker, Social Media ...
Gordon Ramsay's new Asian restaurant sparks row
Multi-Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsay's newest London restaurant has become embroiled in a row over alleged cultural appropriation after an Asian food critic accused him of tokenism, the media reported on Monday.
Behind the scenes look into SRK'S Dubai adventure
A behind-the-scenes video from promotional campaign of Dubai Tourism gives an interesting sneak-peak into superstar Shah Rukh Khan's adventure into the city.
Miffed with lack of facilities, locals of this Bihar village threaten to boycott polls
Begusarai (Bihar) [India], Apr 15 (ANI): Lack of basic amenities and unfulfilled promises by the government has forced electorates of Bihar's Thatha village to boycott the ongoing general elections.Residents of the village told ANI that neither the district administration nor any politician has paid heed to their demands in the last five years.Surrounded by river Budhigandak on three sides, the village in Begusarai district has a single road which connects it to the rest of the state. However, none of the residents wish to travel by it as the condition of the road is dilapidated, thereby forcing them to travel by boat.Protesting the apathy, locals of the village have decided to stay away from voting.A Thatha resident Geeta Devi said: "There is no medical facility in the village, and to reach the nearby hospital, one must catch a boat before 8 pm. Similarly, pregnant women and students of the village suffer in the absence of a road. The entire village would boycott polls unless they ...
Twitter CEO's bizarre health regimen sparks debate
Fasting over weekends and taking food only on Sunday evening, eating one meal a day along with three ice baths -- Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has created a storm over social media with revealing a punishing health regimen that helps him "stay sharper".
Tourism industry in Goa says poll code is pinching it
The tourism industry in Goa is complaining that restrictions imposed by the Election Commission of India have hit the business. Ahead of April 23 Lok Sabha polls and Assembly by-elections in the coastal state, sale of liquor has been banned post 10 pm, and there are restrictions on the use of music at open-air premises under the Model Code of Conduct. Savio Messiah, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, apex body of tourism industry in the state, said hotel owners are facing booking cancellations due to these restrictions. The TTAG had taken up the issue with the state's Chief Electoral Officer in the past but there was no response, he said. Ruling coalition partner Goa Forward Party has written to the ECI in this regard. GFP chief and deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai said in the letter that tourism industry was "apolitical", and the mainstay of the state's economy, so some relaxations be granted to the establishments which have the licence to ...
Pennsylvania mall evacuated after gunfire
Authorities said a fight between two groups at a Pennsylvania mall led to a shooting outside the building and an evacuation. The Pittsburg Post-Gazette reported Monroeville police said the brawl Friday between two groups of four to five males began about 8 p.m. for some unknown reason. The fight spilled outside the mall through a Macy's department store entrance. Police said one of the males pulled out a gun and fired about 10 shots. There were no reports of injuries and no arrests have been made. The mall was placed on lockdown and was later evacuated. The mall is about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) east of Pittsburg. The lockdown was lifted about 9 p.m. Authorities found bullet holes in the glass doors of a Macy's entrance and evidence markers were placed in a roped off area outside the department store. Monroeville Mall officials tweeted that they were aware of the incident and police cleared "the mall out of an abundance of caution.
Walking, cycling may help you live longer: Study
Taking the stairs, cycling or walking to work may help you live longer, regardless of age, sex and starting fitness level, a large-scale study unveiled on Friday claims. "People think they have to start going to the gym and exercising hard to get fitter," said Elin Ekblom-Bak, from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm. "But it doesn't have to be that complicated. For most people, just being more active in daily life -- taking the stairs, exiting the metro a station early, cycling to work -- is enough to benefit health since levels are so low to start with. The more you do, the better," Ekblom-Bak said in a statement. The study included 316,137 adults aged 18-74 years who had their first occupational health screening between 1995 and 2015 in Sweden. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using a submaximal cycle test and expressed as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). This is the maximum amount of oxygen the heart and lungs can provide the muscles during exercise,
US tourist lands in hotel with 14 pets, call cops when told to
An American tourist staying in a hotel here with 14 pets, including a goat, had called the police after the hotel management asked her to leave, said an official Friday. The incident took place on April 10 when the woman tourist from the United States called the police following an altercation with the hotel manager. According to the police, the women arrived at the hotel with six cats, seven dogs and a goat on the night of April 9. "Upon reaching the hotel, situated in Shah-e-Alam area, we learnt that the hotel owner was upset after knowing that the US citizen had landed with 14 of her pets. "When the hotel owner asked her to leave, she called us. Since no complaint was filed, we could not do much except pacifying both the parties," said S S Modi, inspector of the Kagadapith police station here. According to hotel manager Ramesh Panchal, the woman, who is in her 50s, left Friday afternoon. "On April 9, two persons came to our hotel and booked a room for a US citizen. At
Eco-friendly toilet to be set up on Mount Everest
China has decided to build an eco-friendly toilet at a camp, 7,028 metres up the north slope of Mount Everest, during this climbing season, officials said.
Nepal to send team to clean Mount Everest
Nepal will send a dedicated team to Mount Everest this climbing season to collect garbage and retrieve bodies littering the world's highest peak, officials said Thursday. Decades of commercial mountaineering have turned the mountain into the world's highest rubbish dump as an increasing number of big-spending climbers pay little attention to the ugly footprint they leave behind. Fluorescent tents, discarded climbing equipment, empty gas canisters and even human excrement pollute the well-trodden route to the summit of the 8,848-metre peak. "We take pride in Mount Everest but we are often accused of not being able to clean it... We have now come together to clean the mountain," said Dandu Raj Ghimire, chief of Nepal's tourism department. The government has joined hands with mountaineering associations, the army and local organisations to coordinate the clean-up effort. A 14-member team will be sent to Everest base camp from April 25 and aim to bring back 10,000 kilogrammes of ...
Through sand sculpture, artist urges people to vote
Using art to raise voter awareness, Odisha-based sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Thursday created a sand art sculpture 'Your Vote, Your Future', urging people to cast their vote as the first phase of parliamentary elections got underway.
Mark Mathews makes waves at the RR camp
Acclaimed Australian surfer Mark Mathews offered the Rajasthan Royals an insight into overcoming fear and adversity in life when he was hosted by the IPL team here. From being just another boy in coastal Australia who used to enjoy surfing with his mom to eventually conquering some of the biggest and heaviest waves around the world, Mathews' journey has been turbulent yet hugely successful. The 36-year-old joined the RR camp last evening to share some of that inspiration. He made a presentation titled 'Life Beyond Fear,' showcasing an array of exhilarating videos featuring his surfing escapades along with his team around the world. The idea of surfing being a team effort, may not have made complete sense to anyone new to the sport until Mark threw light on his amazing support staff of rescuers and photographers who used to join him around the world. Mark also spoke about how his career took an unexpected U-turn when he was met with a life-changing surfing accident off the New South ..
Mathews inspires RR players with his surfing stories
Mark Mathews' story of overcoming fear and adversity to become one of the world's leading big wave surfers is a truly inspirational one. From being just another boy in coastal Australia who used to enjoy surfing with his mom to eventually conquering some of the biggest and heaviest waves around the world, his journey has been turbulent yet hugely successful.
Songadh: Villagers near Ukai dam irked by water scarcity, unavailability of roads
Songadh (Gujarat) [India], April 10 (ANI): With elections approaching and all political parties making big promises in their election manifestos, there exists a village in Songadh district where people still have to walk for kilometers to fetch clean drinking water.Mal village in Songadh near Ukai dam is facing acute water scarcity. Villagers, despite having a dam in their own district, are still dependent on water tanks and government hand pumps for their everyday needs.People of Mal village of Songadh nearly 30km from Ukai dam waited so long to have a borewell up to 700ft depth, which is now being drilled.Last year, people of Mal village had boycotted the state assembly election for the demand of road so that water tankers can reach to their village. As of now, they have an under construction road and people have sent a notice to District collector again, threatening to boycott Lok Sabha elections if road work isn't completed. There are 434 voters in the village.Outlining the ...
Greece opens shipwreck sites to divers as underwater museums
Near the northern Greek island of Alonissos lies a remarkable ancient shipwreck: the remains of a massive cargo ship that changed archaeologists' understanding of shipbuilding in antiquity. Now this spectacular find is to become the first ancient shipwreck to be made accessible to the public in Greece, including to recreational divers. Greece's rich underwater heritage has long been hidden from view, off-limits to all but a select few, mainly archaeologists. Scuba diving was banned throughout the country except in a few specific locations until 2005, for fear that divers might loot the countless antiquities that still lie scattered on the country's seabed. Ancient shipwrecks and even many more recent ones are still off-limits. Now that seems to be gradually changing, with a new project to create underwater museums. Divers will be able to tour certain shipwrecks and non-divers will experience the sites through virtual reality in information centers on land. The first of these sites is
Thai cave boy divers explore new tunnel in Vietnam
Three divers who helped rescue a Thai football team last year have made a fresh discovery in Vietnam where they explored a tunnel that could expand the footprint of the world's largest cave. The team was invited to descend into a waterlogged pit in the Son Doong cave in central Vietnam that has never been explored and is believed to connect to nearby chambers. They were forced back at 77 meters (252 feet) because they did not have enough oxygen to push further, but they think the tunnels could be 120 meters deep. If the tunnel connects to another cave, it would make Son Doong "easily the largest cave in the world and it would never be overtaken," British cave expert Howard Limbert, who helped organise the dive, said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the find. The three divers -- Rick Stanton, Jason Mallinson and Chris Jewell -- were part of the daring rescue to save 12 Thai footballers and their coach who were trapped in a cave for eighteen days last year. Stanton -- who found .
Secure your summer travel plans with a 'Holiday Cover' from Bajaj Finserv
Summer vacations are a great way to take a break from work and spend quality time with your family. However, with the recent uncertainties in the travel and tourism industry, it is wise to be prepared in case of any last-minute flight cancellations, missed hotel bookings or other personal accidents during your trip.One way in which you can secure your vacation is by opting for affordable travel insurance like Holiday Cover from Bajaj Finserv. Here's a quick look at why this travel insurance trumps all the other options available.Emergency travel assistanceIn the unfortunate event that you and your family members are stranded because you've lost your way or stuck in an unknown destination because of unpredictable weather, the Holiday Cover from Bajaj Finserv provides you with the resources you need. You can get the assistance of up to Rs 50,000 in India and Rs 1,00,000 abroad, to make alternate travel and hotel arrangements and get out of a sticky situation easily.Roadside assistanceA .
Gaya votes on Thursday and heritage not on agenda, say residents
It could have been a museum, a precious recall of an era gone by or even a heritage hotel. But the century-old Tilha Dharamshala, with its facade of ornate Rajasthani carvings, has been turned into a utilitarian, badly maintained polling station instead. Security forces have temporarily taken over this capacious but ill-kept lodging facility, standing forlorn in one corner of this historic city. Till just a week ago, its outer courtyard was used as a cricketing ground by local boys, many of whom will be voting for the first time on April 11 when Gaya goes to the polls in the first round of the seven-phased Lok Sabha election. The fact that Gaya's heritage value has been undervalued and neglected by successive governments is a continuing source of frustration, several debutant voters said. According to Shiv Shanker Kumar, a 19-year-old student of Anugrah Memorial College, living near the iconic dharamshala, Gaya's heritage should be an election issue but has never been made one. The ..