The dragon flight!

The civil aviation reforms commenced in China long before India had even conceived that something like this was essentially required. Right from inception, the Chinese objective was to engineer a complete separation of the general administration from the management of airlines. Post 2000, the primary focus shifted towards consolidation and creation of professionally managed companies. Subsequently, three of the largest Chinese airlines at present were formed – Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. Their fleets are almost comparable to the entire aviation industry of India. The Chinese industry, too, is registering losses, but it continues to grow, due to government vision and solid backing. It is this support which will take them ahead in the times to come.

Every dog has its day

Have we not heard of jailbird Paris making headlines just about everywhere? Wrong reasons et al. But we were rather shocked to come to know that her furry companion is a big hit with the folks as well. If the latest grapevine is anything to go by, the empty gourmet can of her Chihuahua named Tinkerbell has fetched, take a deep breath, a whopping $1.5 million on Ebay. And who is having the best time? CEO of Party Animal Inc., the organisation that markets animal organic gourmet dog food, because orders can’t stop pouring in!

Sex, lies and videotape!

Former front-man of the hit boy band 98 Degrees, Nick Lachey, is busy waving his finger at tabloids at their attempt to publish highly explicit photos of the hunk and his sweetheart, Vanessa Minnillo, in the act. The latest issue of Life & Style has featured real steamy photographs of the celebrity couple, which got them flustered. Their attorney has stated that the photos were a malicious act and were taken illegally. But the question here is, why do celebrities always get down and dirty in the most vulnerable of places? Food for thought, eh?

Third time lucky?

The past years have seen the prodigious actor Leonardo DiCaprio, come within inches of bagging the coveted Best Actor Oscar, only to be left clapping in the crowds as the real winner holds the gold statuette. But this time, Leonardo is determined to bring home the Academy Award as he has signed a thriller movie, along with Russell Crowe, called Body of Lies. It has been scripted by, William Manohan (He bagged an Oscar for The Departed) and promises to be a complete thrill ride. We are keeping our fingers crossed, Leo.

The big fish is set to leave the water

The legendary Australian swimmer and Olympic champion, Ian Thorpe do Thorpe is set to pull the plug on his career by retiring early. He is taking this step at the height of his career to help people know the perils of climate change. He stated that the coral reefs were becoming over bleached and the forests in Tasmania were becoming of old growth. In a documentary called Fish Out Of Water, Thorpe takes the viewer on a tour around the Australian landscape where the effects of climate change were very obvious. Surely, Thorpe would set records here too.

Hermione ending her magic spell?

The pretty damsel, who can create havoc with a wave of her wand on-screen, is flustered with the way the show was run during the making of The Order of the Phoenix and threatened to walk out of the seven movie contract. Emma Watson, who is better known as miss-know-it-all Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, was reported to have asked the Director David Yates, whether there was a need to take each shot at least 30 times. To which the Director replied, “Yes”. We bet even she doesn’t have a magic spell to get out of this.

Sunny will have the last laugh

The old-timer from Bollywood is all set to take the road less travelled. The eldest of the band of brothers will be soon seen in a comedy movie trying to tickle the funny bone of the audiences. Being directed by the king of comedy, David Dhawan, this laugh riot will also star Salman Khan besides Sunny Deol himself. Since it will be an in-house production, fans of the yesteryear’s angry young man can be assured that the film will be nothing short of extravagant. Keep it up boy! Hope all have the last laugh with the movie and not at it.

Tony & Eva’s eve of fun!

It’s a matter of days before the sexy diva, ahem, Eva Longoria takes vows with her long time beau Tony Parker this weekend in a romantic French castle. The Desperate Housewives star was recently overheard in a very exclusive his and her bachelor party that she feels she dreamt of the big day all her life. The star couple has planned a very private affair for the most important day of their lives, with only 30 couples invited and, interestingly, the list doesn’t include the couple’s parents. So if you have not made it to the list, don’t feel that bad!

The Himalayan bouquet! - Uttarakhand

As you walk past the flowery trails on to this bed of blossoms and start feeling that you’re trespassing some supernatural abode that doesn’t belong to this world, know that you are in the Valley of Flowers! Set approximately at 3,700 metres from sea level in the Himalayan range of the Garhwal Hills in Uttarakhand, the fascinating valley has a world of exoticism and mystique hidden in its heart, not to mention the hundreds of flowering plant species playing magic on mind and sight…

The Valley of Flowers was discovered in 1932, when an English mountaineer, author and botanist, Frank Sydney Smythe (or Smith) when he lost his way back after successfully completing his expedition at Mount Kamat and stumbled onto this Eden! So enchanted was he with the mesmerising beauty of the place that he camped there for several weeks, exploring the flora, fauna and the natural splendour he’d never seen before… and captured his experience in the book, The Valley of Flowers that he authored some years later and made this magnificent meadow known to the world. Reinstating world’s penchant for the enigmatic flower dale was when a known botanist from Edinburgh, Joan Margaret Legge, was deputed into the Valley of Flowers, not very long after. Unfortunately, she lost balance from the slopes and lost her life, but the Psalm 121 inscribed on a marble stone on her grave, states, “I shall lift my eyes up to Himalayas from whence cometh my help”, has become one of the highlights, apart from the buds and blossoms… Legend also has it that it is the same region from where Lord Hanuman collected the revitalizing ‘Sanjeevani’ herbs for Lakshman…

Teeming with life, a glistening stream flowing in close proximity to the shining, silvery mountain peaks, each blade of grass covered in dew and every flower emanating a balmy scent in the chilly weather… And even though it all sounds divine, the verdant jewel so unveils its magic every summer (June – August), making it an astounding and extraordinary abode to get away from the everyday hustle-bustle of civilisation!

ANANDA IN THE HIMALAYAS

Nestled away in the quaint and serene foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, Ananda – In the Himalayas, makes for one of the most exquisite destination for spa resorts both in India and abroad. With its sole commitment to reinstate balance and harmony of the mind, body and soul combine, this lap of ultimate luxury is sure to revitalise each of your senses, offering an experience that is bound to be remembered for a lifetime!


THE VIEW: Situated in 100 acres of virgin forests, around 260 kms from New Delhi, the rejuvenating resort duly provides breathtaking views of the Ganga and the lush mountains . . .

ARCHI TYPE: Built around a maharaja’s palace estate, the spa cum resort is a restored palace of the viceroy. Replete with deluxe rooms, suites and villas, 21,000 square foot of spa, treatment rooms and a plethora of beauty and rejuvenation therapy centres to name only a few, add to the grandeur of the place.

BON APPÉTIT: Where the very purpose of the abode is to invigorate, how can food be left behind? And the choices are immense. You can dine at The Restaurant and get your taste buds come alive with the appropriately named Ananda Rejuvenation Cuisine, or at the Pavilion, the Winter Garden, the Palace Lounge or the Hill Theatre.

AROUND THE CORNER: Located close to the holy town of Rishikesh, in the palace confines in the small town of Narendra Nagar, not very far from Delhi, the place provides ample opportunities for adventure sports like trekking, white water rafting and elephant photo safari at the Chilla National Park, located close by.

FROM UNDER THE CARPET: If a chartered helicopter ride is too steep for your purse, getting there can be a bit of trouble.

IN ESSENCE: Rejuvenation revisited!

Beauty for the beasts!

When a Playmate gets serious about saving the Bunnies...

Pamela Anderson has perhaps been the world’s ‘biggest’ babe ever since C.J. arrived on Baywatch and began running, in slow motion. Where in the past year we saw a Kazakhstani – Borat – fall in love with Pam and travel across the United States for her, this year we will see her reprising the role of a blonde, in Blonde and Blonder. But in between her professional commitments, Pamela Anderson has spared precious time for a cause she truly believes in. From promoting vegetarianism to fi ghting for her furry friends, this PETA activist’s messages have reached out to audiences worldwide. Th e sexy Playmate talks of her crusade in this B&E Special.

When and why did you join PETA?

I have been active with PETA since the early ’90s. Because of the popularity of Baywatch, I knew that I could use my fame to draw attention to – and help stop – cruelty to animals. So I bombarded them with letters until they took me on board!

What was the one incident that made you sit up and take notice of animal rights?
My crusade started when I was 10 years old and I walked into the shed behind our house on Vancouver Island, Canada, right aft er my dad had returned from a hunting trip. I opened the door, looked up, and there, hanging upside down, was a once-beautiful deer, her fur and body drenched in blood. I remember shrieking and running as fast as I could. I made a vow then to try to stop the needless suff ering of animals. I knew that I had a mission, and I wanted to make a diff erence.

What have been your eff orts to further the cause both in your daily personal life and to make others aware?
For starters, I never eat meat. And I don’t buy leather shoes or fur-trimmed jackets or buy lipstick that was tested by blinding rabbits. It’s not hard, it just means being aware of what I’m buying and supporting, learning which cosmetics brands are cruelty-free, and reading labels to fi nd pleather – not leather – boots and bags. I really believe in teaching by example: If others can look at me and see how easy it is to take simple steps to reduce suff ering, they’ll be inspired to make kind choices too.

How is it possible for you to make a style statement without contributing to animal ill treatment?
My friend Stella McCartney doesn’t use a stitch of fur, leather, or merino wool in her designs. Th at’s the trend: Th e most innovative designers are refusing to work with animal skins, and they’re proving that it’s easy to create a look that kills without killing animals.

Do you plan to visit India to campaign for PETA?
Not currently but you never know!

What’s your opinion on the recent boycott of the Indian leather industry by Kenneth Cole and Liz Claiborne?
I applaud these kind companies – both of which are major retailers in the United States – for taking a stand against cruelty, and I predict that others will follow as they learn more about the suff ering caused by India’s leather trade. During PETA’s investigations, they have seen animals transported in suff ocating conditions: Fift een to 20 cows, or more, are crammed into trucks meant to hold only fi ve or six. Many animals die en route. Animals who are too sick or injured to walk are dragged and beaten. At municipal slaughterhouses, animals are slaughtered in full view of each other, which is illegal, and cows look helplessly on as their companions slowly bleed to death.

Unless the industry takes immediate steps to reduce this suffering, I’m sure that other retailers and designers – as well as caring consumers around the world – will also stop buying leather from India. We have so many other choices these days. Th ere was a time when animal abuse in the skin trade, and other industries for that matter, went unchallenged, but more and more people are willing to take a stand and boycott cruelly produced products.

How do you manage your career while battling hepatitis?
I feel great – thanks to my healthy lifestyle and vegetarian diet. But animal rights is my passion, so I’d like to keep the focus on animals and what people can do to help them. I do hope that your readers will learn more about these issues and how small changes, like buying non-leather shoes or eating more vegetarian meals, can make a world of diff erence to animals. I think we all have the responsibility to choose on the side of compassion whenever possible, because the animals don’t have a choice.

How long have you been a vegetarian? How has it benefi ted you? People find it tough to reconcile that a sexy actor like you sports a vegetarian lifestyle! Comment.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a teenager. Being a vegetarian is what keeps me feeling sexy! A meat-based diet is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, which packs on pounds and makes you feel sluggish, but a vegetarian diet is healthy and slimming, and of course humane.

One of the most controversial things you’ve done is posing nude in Stella McCartney’s boutique window. What was it like? Did you feel weird being stared at, or was it worth it? How did the organisation benefi t?
If a cause is important to me, I’ll do whatever it takes to make a diff erence. And I think that actions like posing nude in Stella’s store window, where we re-created PETA’s “We’d Rather Bare Skin Th an Wear Skin” ad campaign, are very powerful. Th ey make people take notice, and that’s what’s needed – to get people to look, think, and take action. Posing nude can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it’s nothing compared to what the animals killed for their fur go through.

What do you feel about celebrities wearing fur?
It’s terrible when stars like J Lo and Beyoncé wear fur – I worry that their young fans will see them and not think about the cruelty that goes into every fur coat or piece of fur trim.

Fortunately, thanks to groups like PETA, more and more people are thinking about these issues. Most of us now know that animals killed for fur suff er horribly – they are skinned alive, clubbed to death, crushed in steel-jaw traps, and genitally electrocuted, sometimes just for a little trim on a coat collar. In China, even cats and dogs are routinely bludgeoned, hanged, or strangled with wire nooses, so that their fur can beturned into trim and trinkets.

Th ese days, with so many choices available to us, there’s just no excuse for wearing real fur. If you don’t wear fur, please talk to others, so they’ll know why you made your compassionate decision. We all have to do our part to put this cruel industry out of business.

What do you think is the biggest learning you’ve had from your lifestyle? Do your children understand your philosophy? How important is it for children to know this?
I’ve learned that one person can make a huge diff erence for animals just by forgoing meat, leather, and other animal products. My boys understand this because I’ve taught them kindness and respect for animals and have raised them to make compassionate choices. I think that it’s important to teach kids empathy for animals, because kids naturally love animals and if they knew how they suff ered before they were turned into burgers or a belt, they’d never eat meat or wear leather again.

In what other ways can you spread the message?
Well, as you know, I’ve done numerous actions with PETA to help get the word out. I traded in my red Baywatch swimsuit for a lettuce-leaf bikini for an ad promoting vegetarianism. I’ve narrated exposés of the leather trade in India and the meat industry in the US. Earlier this year, I spearheaded a petition drive against the annual seal hunt in Canada, where baby seals are still beaten bloody on the ice for their fur. I’ve fi red off letters, posed for posters, called on designers to create animal-friendly fashions, and even written an opinion piece for Th e Wall Street Journal, urging advertising executives to stop using unwilling animal actors to sell products.

Everyone can do their part – whether it’s something as bold as attending a demonstration or as simple as making a vegetarian meal for a loved one. Every little bit helps – the important thing is to just do something.