Y Bohemian elegance Mad over food

HIMALAYAN MIRROR
GANGTOK, WEDNESDAY 06 AUGUST 2014
Bohemian elegance
A
t the end of my two-day tour in Prague, I was still complaining of not having enough time to see all that The
Czech Republic Capital has to offer. With so much to
see, the complaint was easily understandable. But for those
who wish to see the whole and the best of Prague, I would suggest to take your place in the Prague All Inclusive Tour that
shows you the ‘best of Prague’ or stay here for at least three
days.
Prague Castle is the most visited attraction in the city.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, The
Prague Castle — The King of all Castles — is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000
square meters. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of
palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural
styles, from Roman-style to Gothic. The castle has three huge
courtyards, so allow yourself at least a few hours when visiting
it. It is the castle where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman
Emperors and Presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech
Republic have had their offices. The Bohemian Crown Jewels
are kept here. The sheer beauty and magnificence of the entire
castle will leave you spellbound.
Prague’s heart beats in the Old Town Square. This famous
square was the stage of many major events, tragic or glorious,
throughout Czech history. The present day square is a magical
place, with an unmistakable atmosphere, perhaps because it is
as old as the city itself. The square is filled with tourists, terraces, souvenir shops and galleries. It is also the starting point
for the horse drawn carriage rides or meeting place for different city tours. One can see buildings in different architectural John of Nepomuk! You will notice it by its plaque, polished to
styles that lend this place a unique atmosphere. The Rococo a shine by the many tourists who have already touched it as it
Kinsky Palace, the Gothic Tyn Cathedral and the monumental is supposed to bring good luck.
Baroque St. Nicholas Church are the known buildings. The
Right by Charles Bridge is Kampa Island where you can
Square is dominated by the monument of Jan Hus, one of the have a wonderful stroll. Beautiful vistas of the river, Charles
most important Czech reformers and River, castle, palaces, museums
Bridge, the Lesser Town and the Old
nationalists.
Town open up from here. You will
I was tempted to just sit down in and islands…Prague has
come across an artificially constructed
one of the pavements cafes that dot everything a tourist could ask for canal called the Devil’s Canal. The first
the entire square to fully appreciate
Prague mill delivering flour even to the
the beauty of it. After coming here, one should not miss to Prague Castle used to be on Kampa. The original huge millclimb the Old Town Hall Tower for a stunning 360 degree view wheel of Smeltry Mill from the 13th century can be seen here
over the square. The medieval Orloj (astronomical clock), one when it was the property of the knights of St.John. Nowadays
of Prague’s best-known monuments, outside the Hall Tower, is it’s considered to be the most picturesque corner on the whole
very popular for its intricate construction. Every hour a small of Kampa. While strolling you might come across Lenon’s
trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples Wall too which was once a normal wall since the murder of
— the 12 Apostles, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to Beatles’ John Lenon. It’s filled with Lennon-inspired graffiti
a defiant statue of a Turk.
and pieces of lyrics from Beatles’ songs. Tourists make their
Walking on the Charles Bridge or taking a cruise on the river own sketches and get themselves photographed too.
Vltava is yet another must-do thing in Prague. The river winds
Another place to take a stroll is up the Petrin Hill which is a
through Prague like a silver ribbon. It divides the city into two landscaped hill above the left bank of the Vltava River. To
and without it, Prague would not be Prague, and probably reach the top, I took the Funicular Railway, which departs from
would not exist at all. Charles Bridge is the most famous and Ujezd Street in the Lesser Town but one can take a taxi too.
most stunning of all Prague bridges built on the Vltava River. There is a Petrin Observation Tower which was built as free
Spanning 16 arches and lined with 30 Baroque statues of reli- copy of the Paris’ Eiffel Tower. It is 60m high, five times smallgious figures, the bridge is 1,700 ft. long and imparts a gor- er than the Eiffel Tower but it gives a magnificent view of
geous view of the city and the river. Every afternoon, painters Prague. While in Prague, one must take a leisurely walk on the
and hot-dog vendors line up here and so do tourists who soak famous Neruda Street, one of the quaintest streets. Named after
in the best views of the Vltava River. If you arrive at dawn, you Jan Neruda, an important Czech poet, writer and journalist, the
will beat the crowds and enjoy a glorious sunrise. You can have street is a living textbook of Baroque style houses which are
your portrait sketched by one of the street artists, or peruse the decorated with lovely, ornately-shaped gables and, in places,
many stands of photos, prints and paintings of Prague for sale. with pretty portals. Every building could tell a story about the
But on your way don’t forget to stop and touch the statue of St. extraordinary lives of its owners, including famous people.
How to boost your metabolism
W
hether one is planning to lose weight
or wants to maintain
current weight, boosting
metabolism is always of concern.
The key lies in maintaining
the right balance between
exercise, caloric intake and
managing stress. There are
several ways to give your
metabolism an extra push.
Today, Shachi Sohal, H.O.D
of the Dietetics Dept at Dr.
B.L. Kapur Hospital, tells us
the top 6 ways to boost
metabolism.
Add breakfast to your daily
meal planner: Breakfast is the
most important meal of the
day. By skipping breakfast
your body assumes that
you're fasting and as a result it
responds by slowing down
your metabolism. Each morning, your body needs to rev
up its metabolic rate and
breakfast does exactly that. It
keeps your hormone levels
stable and helps regulate your
blood sugar level, burning
more calories.
Eat more protein: It has
been seen that the body
requires 25% more energy to
digest proteins as compared
to carbohydrates and fat.
However, the diet should be a
balanced one, so try to substitute carbohydrates with proteins (e.g. potato with soy-
bean, French fries with chicken). Also make sure you are
eating healthy snacks. This
will keep your blood sugar
levels stable. Small frequent
meals at regular intervals are
always advisable.
Water should be your best
friend: The most forgotten
nutrient 'water' is crucial for
overall health. Water is also a
natural appetite suppressant
and washes out surplus
amount of sodium and toxins
from the body. An ideal
healthy diet should include
adequate amounts of liquids,
such as fruit juices, skimmed
milk etc. This is because if a
person is dehydrated, he or
she tends to feel more
fatigued. Beverages like
sweetened sodas, ultra sugary
drinks should be avoided.
According to a study pub-
lished in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
'green tea has thermogenic
properties and promotes fat
oxidation beyond that
explained by its caffeine content per se.'
Be stress free and burn
calories. Studies suggest that
stress poses a major hindrance in losing weight.
According to the University
of Maryland Medical Center,
a minimum of 20 minutes of
exercise on a daily basis can
reduce stress and improve
overall health. This is because
of a great mind-body connection. A body under stress has
heightened levels of the cortisol hormone in the bloodstream, which suppresses the
immune system and slows
down digestion. So, the first
step in boosting metabolism
should be to cope with any
stressful conditions. Certain
spices are believed to increase
metabolism but increasing
spices to increase the rate of
metabolism can be hazardous
to health as it may cause
hyperacidity, ulcers etc.
Workout with weights: The
more lean muscle you have,
the more calories you'll burn,
even while resting. Gaining
muscle mass boosts your
metabolism and makes losing
weight much easier. In a bid
to give a boost to your metabolism and tighten your body
on the whole, you must lift
heavier weights for lesser
number of repetitions. The
tension in the body by lifting
heavy weights will tone your
body adequately.
Get enough chromium in
your diet: Chromium is a vital
mineral naturally found within the body and in some
foods, such as apples, broccoli, green peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, and brewer's
yeast.
Many
studies
have
revealed that the mineral
helps in losing weight. It actually increases insulin's power
to decrease the amount of
body fat.The University of
Maryland Medical Centre
recommends only 600 mcg of
chromium per day, if you are
taking it in supplement form.
TRAVEL/LIFESTYLE/ FOOD
Mad over food
Y
ou name it. They’ve tried it. No.
these are not stuntmen we are
talking about. These are two
crazy guys who decided to embark on
something more adventurous than an
adrenaline rush – food!
Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma,
India’s official foodies, are back and
this time with their own show
FoodMAD on their favourite topic
again – food.
Promising to tempt you with everything good, the duo have canvassed the
length and breadth of the country, travelling more than 1,20,000 kilometres
and sampling more than 7,000 different
dishes in the last eight years. So they
decided to make a show out of all their
expertise.
Mayur says, “We gave our best to
ensure our viewers satisfy their food
craving. “Seeing it on television puts it
on a new perspective. People will get to
see all the places we relish and come
with us at least visually to these scenic
landscapes with some of the most wonderful food to offer.”
Rocky adds that this is the life. “We
get paid to eat and do one of the coolest
jobs in the world. The show presents us
in our element – surrounded by the
choicest food of the country. It’s also
fantastic having our own show. This is
a promise of a culinary road trip like no
other.”
The duo further comment: “If you
want to discover the real sights and
sounds of India and go on an adventure
with food from across the country,
watch our show. We hope to inspire
people to love our nation’s diversity of
food and cherish every bite with us. We
also hope to make them very hungry
since we thoroughly enjoy ourselves on
camera. So make sure you got something to munch on when you watch our
show.”
The challenges were many, they say.
“We went on a recording spree doing at
least four episodes a day and eating a
Arthritis cases
among Indian
youngsters
rising: Expert
T
here has been a rise in
the number of young
Indians
diagnosed
with knee arthritis and other
problems of joints and ligaments, a health expert said
Monday.
"Arthritis or the damage
that sets up in our body
joints is considered a problem associated with ageing.
Loss of cartilage, depleting
calcium, wear and tear of
the ligaments, or excessive
weight have contributed to
the onset of arthritis.
"However, we are now
seeing a rise in the number
of younger patients with
osteoarthritis, Rajeev.K.
Sharma, senior consultant
and orthopaedic and joint
replacement surgeon at
Apollo Hospital, said here
in a press conference on the
occasion of the "National
Bone and Joint Day"
Monday.
Sharma highlighted on
the need to create awareness among young people
and having a healthy
lifestyle.
"Obesity, lack of exercise, injury in bones or muscles, hereditary defects in
alignment of legs, faulty
lifestyle and absence of
physical activity lead to
early degeneration of muscles and cartilage around
the joints," he added.
According to experts,
though the number of
young patients with arthritis
might be barely 10 percent,
it is important to encourage
youngsters to walk, cycle
and perform regular exercise.
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The country's official
food lovers return with
a show that captures
India's cuisines at their
best
weighed them all and we just kept
going. When it’s food, nothing is going
to stop us,” laughs Mayur.
They even paid a visit to Bangalore’s
famous Meghana Biriyani. “It’s one of
the best Hyderabadi biriyani joints we
have tried outside Hyderabad. It was
fun in Bangalore with so many food
joints and foodies – a definite must visit
for every food lover.”
Looking back, Rocky says: “Our
journey into food started ages ago. We
both have been friends for a long time
and discovered our common passion
Giving birth, adjusting to a
new place or handling sexual abuse - budding artists
and graduating fine arts
students focus on issues
close to women in a city art
exhibition.
It isn't easy being a
woman in a man's world.
From her sexuality to giving
birth to moving cities for
studies as well as work —
women face problems at
every stage and that's what
graduating fine arts students
have focussed on in their
works at an exhibition in a
city art gallery.
Monika Bijlani from
University of Hyderabad
has made two abstract art
works capturing the essence
of birth and it is a rare
empowerment for them.
"Both the works go together
in a series. Nature has given
women the right and power
to nurture a child in her
womb and she is the only
one who knows who the
child belongs to. I want to
say that though men are
considered to be all glorious, they too are vulnerable
at many levels. They may
be depicted as powerful all
the time but still they have
their share of weaknesses
and insecurities that they
need to accept and deal
with," says Monika.
For Faiza Hasan, art is her
way of talking about issues
that are close to her heart. "I
have been working with
issues about women and
violence. I have used
embroidery, kitchen napkins and other household
material to make my art
work as they have some
domesticity attached to
them and are strongly asso-
E
PHOTO
minimum of 20 full meals daily. It took
a toll on our bodies and we gained quite
a lot of weight. But our passion out-
was for food. So we decided to embark
on a journey. If you traverse the country, you will find a superb range of food
around every corner. Every joint has
something to offer. Our diverse cultures
and food is what we wanted to discover. That’s what kicked off this adventure.”
The duo also brings out a book on
August 8 and 9 in Bangalore based on
their shows Highway On My Plate2
which is a compilation of their adventure. “This has never been done before.
No one has ever put together an Indian
guide to roadside eating. So this documented book on the diversity of
cuisines in the country is the first of its
kind. And yet, it’s still not enough to put
everything into it.”
So whether it is the midnight hunger
pangs or on-the-go food that you desire,
Rocky and Mayur promise to take you
to the ultimate destination and make
you eat to your stomach’s content.
FoodMAD features every Saturday
at 9 p.m. on NDTV Good Times.
Sex, city and a clutch of artists
HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY
5
ciated with women. The
idea of doing embroidery
through paper is in itself a
violent and destructive technique — something that
women deal with everyday," she says.
Ask her what inspired her
to talk about such issues and
she says, "It all spurs from
the kinds of incidents I see
happening around me.
Every time something happens, it threatens my safety
no matter where I am. Also,
I feel let down by the society as well as government
because they are unable to
do anything to make life
safer for women." The students have also touched
upon the fact how more and
more women are moving to
cities for studies as well as
in search for work.
Purbalakshmi Borah, who
hails from Assam and
moved to the city for studies
says, "It isn't easy being
alone in a new city especially when you are a woman.
When I moved here, I had
to deal with a lot of new
things. Initially, I couldn't
adjust and tried hard to find
a balance. It was big challenge to be away from
home and feel safe. And
that's what I am trying to
reflect in my work."
Akshata PN, a student
from a Baroda University,
also had to deal with loneliness and many challenges
when she moved to Baroda.
"Being alone isn't easy at
all. You have to be with
yourself and that's when I
started finding life in mundane objects and discovered
how everything has a story
behind it."
Not just women, a few
male artists too reflected
woman power in their art
work. Girish Chandra
Behera, who hails from
Orissa and has completed
MFA from a city university,
says, "Being away from
home used to make me feel
sad and lonely. But when I
saw independent women
around me who too are
away from home, it was like
an inspiration. It gave me
energy and I asked myself,
'If they can, why can't I?' It
was like a hope to survive in
the city."
British women carry make-up
worth hundreds
very woman owns a
few make-up products and a new study
has found that the average
British woman carries 231
pound worth of cosmetics
in her bag.
According to a research
from
Hairtrade.com,
women carry 16 items on
average with the average
value reaching 231 pound the same price as an iPad
Mini. The survey found
that only two percent of
women would consider
their make-up bag a valuable item despite the high
cost,
reports
femalefirst.co.uk.
When it came to knowing how much their makeup bag is worth, 98 percent
agreed that they wouldn’t
treat it the same as they
would other items with a
similar value such as a
mobile phone, tablet or
expensive jewellery.
“British women love
their beauty products, and
that’s clearly reflected in
the weight and worth of
their well-stocked make-up
bags. Women like to prepare for every eventuality,
so having a range of products in your bag means that
if you want to go on an
impromptu night out with
colleagues for example,
you can," said a spokesperson for Hairtrade.com.
“That means that lots of
women carry their makeup bags around with them,
but many don’t consider
them to be expensive
items. It is important to
consider how much you’d
lose if it were to be stolen
or get lost and make sure
you keep it safe," added the
spokesperson.