Page 53 - Hospitality Recreation

Indian casinos across US wary of betting on sports books

Two dozen large-screen TVs showing football and other sports line the walls. There's beer on tap, bar top seating and leather chairs. Chicken wings are on the menu. And at this American Indian casino in the heart of college-football mad Mississippi, you can legally bet on the games. The sports book owned by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the first to open on tribal lands outside of Nevada following a US Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, a no-brainer business decision given the sports fans among its gambling clientele. "We are basically two hours from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and then, we are just an hour from Mississippi State. We have Ole Miss just to the north of that, and we have Southern Miss they're not SEC, but they are a player. We are not that far from Louisiana," said Neal Atkinson, the tribe's director of gaming. The book at Pearl River Resort is packed every college football Saturday, but remains an outlier months after the high court opened the door for ...

Sachin's fitness mantra: Spend more time in gym, less at

Stressing the importance of fitness, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar Wednesday exhorted people to spend more time in the gym than at the dining table. "We are a sports-loving nation and not a sports-playing nation and hence we somewhat lack in fitness. As per reports, we are diabetes capital of the world, we are number three in obesity," he said, speaking at Vasai near Mumbai. He was here to inaugurate Vasai Taluka Kala and Krida Mahotsav 2018, an arts and sports festival, in the presence of veteran singer Hariharan and Marathi actor Mrinal Kulkarni. "These numbers are not something one can be proud of and if we don't change these numbers then there is no benefit of having a young population," the former India captain said. The time spent at the dining table and the gym should be swapped, he said. "When we are in the gym , we are looking at the clock, (thinking) when my 20 minutes on the treadmill will get over (and) sometimes we leave it in 15 minutes. "Whereas when we are

Horse lovers flock Sarangkheda Chetak festival

A large number of tourists, including foreigners, have gathered in Sarangkheda in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district to participate in the 'Chetak Festival', a celebration of the finest equestrian breeds. The festival, a legacy of 300 years, is a rare sight to witness more than 2000 majestic horses in a single location. Inaugurating the festival Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hoped the event would create a global sensation. At least, 2500 horses of various breeds from across India are available for trade at the event that lasts one month. This time, the cost of horses is ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 crore, organisers said. "A large number of tourists, including foreigners, are participating in this festival," said Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) Regional Manager Nitinkumar Mundavare. He said the MTDC has pitched special residential tents on the bank of the Tapi river for tourists. Events like water sports, food festivals and ...

DLF5 turns into Santa's Holiday Village this Christmas

DLF Club5 was a place to be with a meticulously woven day full of Christmas celebrations with jingle bells, Santa, his crew, games and delicacies on 25th December, Tuesday.People from all around DLF5 gathered to celebrate the day with their kids, friends and family.Highlights of the day long extravaganza were, live artist characters like - Santa, Flower Girl, Golden Statue, Stilt walker, games for kids such as - castle bouncy, trampoline, bucket ball, wheel of fortune and adventure rides like train ride, aeroplane ride, horse buggy etc.The event also included lifestyle exhibitions and live food stalls with a variety of delicacies to feast upon."I came here with my family and kids. We all had a great time and children were so amused by those live artists. It was amazing to share the joy with neighbors and other people from society," said Sarita Dosaj, a resident of DLF5.Making DLF5 the merriest place in Gurugram, The Crest Clubhouse also celebrated this Christmas in at unique way by ...

Biba, India's Fashion Giant Brings Virtual Fitting Room Experience With AstraFit

/ -- Biba has brought the next-generation solution for fit, size and personalization to India with AstraFit's virtual dressing room platform. Finding the right fit and size of clothing online can be quite tedious. Biba, India's most loved ethnic fashion brand has collaborated with AstraFit, an online fitting room service for fashion e-commerce, to recreate a real-life dressing room experience virtually on their website. "AstraFit users at Biba tripled Biba's conversion rate, boosting revenue by 5% within the first two months of integration. Time spent on the website and pages viewed per visit increased by 266% and 136% respectively," said Nikita Dobrynin, CEO and Co-founder of AstraFit. Unlike size calculators that are only based on fit and size approximations, AstraFit builds a precise 2D body model of the customer virtually, so they know not only the right size but also the correct length of the garment. Taking it up a notch, the online tool provides a summary of recommended sizes,

Thousands visit churches, make merry in Christmas-decked city

Revellers gathered at the revered St Paul's Cathedral here on Tuesday to light candles and sing carols, and crowded the decked-up Park Street area to soak in the festivities on Christmas. Other churches in the city and adjoining districts like the 419-year-old Bandel Church and the Sacred Heart Church, also witnessed a large turnout of people of all communities since the midnight mass. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the midnight mass at St Paul's Cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1839 and the building completed in 1847. The state-sponsored 'Christmas Festival' at Park Street drew a massive crowd, as merrymakers of all ages took selfies before dazzling illuminations of Santa Claus and his rein deer, and a giant Christmas Tree in the nearby Allen Park. Meanwhile, security personnel kept vigil from several watch towers, especially erected for the occasion. Food stalls offering cuisines from across the country filled roads along Free School

How to layer up smartly this winter

As the winter arrives, the wardrobe is full of turtleneck sweaters or shirts, cardigans, shawl, mufflers, ankle length or knee length boots. But teaming the right look also demands good amount of time, so make sure you are doing it right.

'Villains' can influence you to buy healthy foods: Study

People are likely to pay more for a healthy food item if the label features a negative character, say scientists who found how pictures of villains and heroes on product packages can influence buying behaviour Researchers from Brigham Young University (BYU) in the US also showed that indulgent foods with hero labels would be more compelling than the same foods shown with villain labels. "If someone wants an ice cream bar and it is packaged with a hero on the label, the kind and benevolent character makes the indulgent product seem less vice," Masters said. "But a product that is already healthy, like water, would benefit more from villain labelling because it makes the water seem more edgy and exciting," said Tamara Masters from BYU. In one experiment, half the participants saw an image of a Fiji bottle of water and half saw an ice cream bar. The description of the water bottle was either "Villainous Spring Water - unforgiving, cunning, and dangerous" or "Heroic Spring Water - ...

El-Sissi's call on Egyptians to lose weight creates a stir

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is demanding Egyptians lose weight. In televised comments earlier this month, the general-turned-president railed about the number of overweight people he sees and told Egyptians they must take better care of themselves. He said physical education should become core curriculum at schools and universities and suggested TV shows shouldn't let presenters or guests on the air if they are overweight. The next morning, before sunrise, he drove his point home by energetically cycling to the national military academy in a Cairo suburb. In black sweat pants, a dark top and a matching baseball hat, he told cadets that he was adamant they wouldn't leave basic training before fulfilling fitness requirements. It was the typical style of el-Sissi, who sees even the smallest minutiae as needing his shaping and weighs in on anything from road building to filmmaking, often while scolding and haranguing Egyptians to correct their behavior. But el-Sissi's critics said he .

Insects to be attractive food option for growing world population: Celebrity chef Gary Mehigan

With an increasing pressure of an ever-growing population on our planet, celebrity chef Gary Mehigan believes that the ubiquitous insects can be an attractive and viable food option to fulfil the dietary requirements of the future. A recent study found that promoting insects as tasty, or even as a luxurious and exotic delicacy, could help achieve more sustainable food production and healthier diets. "Insects are eaten all over the world, some are absolutely delicious and with the pressure of an ever-growing population on our planet it will become a viable and attractive option," Mehigan, who has been judging Masterchef Australia for the past nine years, told PTI. However, he does not believe that super-foods, food pills and protein bars will fill in the role played by traditional foods. "I don't think food pills or bars will replace the traditional food that we know and enjoy today. Food is not just about sustenance, it is about family and community and an integral part of our lives, .

Beyond weddings, it's time to celebrate art and more in Italy's fashion capital (Travelogue)

Italy has, no doubt, become a popular wedding destination for Indians after the Virat-Anushka and Ranveer-Deepika nuptials, but the southern European country has a lot more to offer. It is also an ideal vacation spot this time of the year as several cities, especially Milan, are oozing with the festive spirit.

Thousands flock to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas at Jesus's birthplace

Thousands of pilgrims from around the world flocked to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas at the birthplace of Jesus, which witnessed its most cheerful celebrations in many years, breaking the despondency of last year in the wake of US administration's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Manger Square, where tourists and locals generally jostle for space before the midnight mass, was abuzz with activities on a cold day as traditional march led by Palestinian boy and girl scouts kicked off Christmas celebrations on Monday. Playing drums and bagpipes they paraded past a 16 metre giant Christmas tree in the Manger Square outside the ancient Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. All the Bethlehem hotels were fully booked and the security situation relatively calm as the city is preparing to host an "astounding" tourists overnight, the "numbers we have not seen for many years", Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Ma'ayah said. "We have never received this .

Made In India: A regal feast with Delhi 6 'tadka' (Foodie Trail - Noida)

Have you been yearning to visit Purani Dilli to gorge on authentic kebabs, nihari, phirni and the like -- but the fear of large crowds and congested areas is holding you back? Then head to Radisson Blu's "Made In India" fine-dining restaurant, which, besides excelling in Avadhi and Lucknowi cuisines, has now added Delhi 6 "tadka" to its menu to entice and appease the palate of its patrons.

Indian travellers prefer unique destinations in 2019, says study

Doha in Qatar featured at number three position of Indian travellers' list for 2019

Motorcyclist Ghosh to spread 'save lion' message in South Africa

Mumbai-based rider Debashissh Ghosh, who shot to fame after a record-setting 68,000 km long journey across 34 countries on a motor cycle, is set for a nine-day tour of South Africa to contribute in a campaign to save lions. Ghosh is going to the Rainbow nation on invitation of renowned Kevin Richardson, known as 'The Lion Whisperer', said a release. Kevin, a self-taught zookeeper, has begun a campaign to save lions and create awareness among people. Ghosh, who has already began preparations for the South Africa tour, said that it's a proud moment for him to be part of the campaign, beginning February 20. He had completed his astonishing nine-month 68,000 km journey in March. He began from India on his with BMW G S Adventure motorcycle and ended in Mumbai. "What pains me is that the concept of motor cycling tour is not famous in India therefore, people will take time to understand this, whereas it is very popular in abroad. The motor cycling enlivens people and that is the reason the ..

Poker player turns $5 bet into $1M at casino

A man playing poker at an Atlantic City casino has won USD 1 million on a USD 5 bet. The man, identified only as a Lakewood resident, made the three-card poker "6 Card Bonus" bet Saturday afternoon at the Borgata Hotel Casino. He then hit a royal straight flush of diamonds, a hand that overcame one-in-20-million odds. The man was dealt the 10, queen and ace of diamonds. The dealer's hand was the nine, jack and king of diamonds. Casino officials say it's the first time this bet has been hit at the Borgata.

Maha CM seeks Chinese investment during meeting with Wang Yi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday sought Chinese investment in infrastructure and tourism development to strengthen cultural exchanges and boost tourism between India and China. Fadnavis was speaking at a meeting held here with a Chinese delegation led by visiting Foreign Minister of that country, Wang Yi. The chief minister discussed tourism, cultural partnership and industries with the Chinese team, a statement from Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Inviting Chinese companies to invest in the tourism infrastructure, Fadnavis said the trade and industry will get a boost due to tourism.

SAIL supplies 35,400 tn steel for Bogibeel Bridge construction

The country's largest steel maker SAIL Monday said it has supplied 35,400 tonne of steel for the construction of Bogibeel, Asia's second-longest rail-cum-road bridge that will be opened to traffic by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has supplied around 35,400 metric tonnes of steel for the construction of Bogibeel road-cum-rail bridge on the river Brahmaputra," the PSU said in a statement. The quantity, it said, is little over 50 per cent of the total steel supplied for the bridge. "SAIL has supplied TMT rebars, plates and structurals for this 4.94-km long bridge, which hascomposite welded steel truss girders in its structures," it said. The 4.9 km-long Bogibeel Bridge on the Brahmaputra river has been constructed at Rs 5,900 crore. The bridge reduces travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours and will cut out the detour of over 170 km via Tinsukia. It will also reduce Delhi to Dibrugarh train travel time by about three hours

Man's guide to styling a leather jacket with right sneakers

If you are looking for a right leather jacket and sneakers, experts have some guidelines to make it work for you in right way.

#GoGrand This New Year's Eve at Grand Hyatt Mumbai

/ -- This New Year's Eve, prepare to #GoGrand as Grand Hyatt offers ultimate luxury and splendid New Year celebrations. Whatever everyone's wish list is, Grand Hyatt Mumbai will make it happen. Discover a world of extraordinary moments and come create memorable memories with loved ones. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801164/Grand_Hyatt_Mumbai_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/801591/GoGrand_Grand_Hyatt_Mumbai.jpg ) #GoGrand into the New Year - 31st December 2018 and 1st January 2019 Make it a night to remember and get pampered with luxurious accommodation for a couple, access to the Grand Courtyard Party featuring popular DJ Aman, unlimited food and fine spirits at any one of the Signature restaurants including Celini, Soma, China House Restaurant, China House Lounge and Fifty Five East. The next morning indulge in a complimentary buffet breakfast and enjoy a late check out. Blockbuster Ballroom Bash - 31st December 2018 Head over to the perfect party ...