EVENTS BY THE BAY

Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers (ACCT) opened up the Chinese New Year with an action filled evening of fine food with guest speakers, cooking demos and plentiful gifts for all.  Guests to Oakland’s Peony Restaurant were greeted with colorful red bags filled with recipe books and stuffed animals, candies and of course, red lai see envelopes at their seats.

Featured speakers Nona Wyman, Rhoda Wing and Jean Chew, shared their childhood experiences living at the Ming Quong Home for girls. Sydnie Seid continued the event speaking of Chinese dining traditions and cultural etiquette. Chef Raymond Tang, former owner of Aromas Restaurant, demonstrated the making of a Chinese fruit and vegetable salad which was enjoyed by all. Tane Chan gifted the guests with Chinese ceramic mugs emblazoned with the dragon design, and President Doris Lum delighted the audience of 150 guests with a table full of door prizes for lucky winners. Among the happy gourmet lovers of good food, who probably like eating better than being Chinese cooking teachers were Paul and Agnes Lam, Gloria Gee, Aaron and Maelene Wong, Al Low, Ginger Lai, Beverly Wu, Robin Jangs, Hank Quock, Frank Jang, Karen Dea, Esther Fong, and Don Lee.

Palo Alto Players did themselves proud with the Bay Area Premiere of “Give Em Hell, Harry,” a one man show about former President Harry Truman. Peter Vilkin’s Harry is very believable, although his tall frame is not like Truman’s stocky build, and he earned a well-deserved standing ovation the night I attended. Palo Alto Players is a local stage company that should be proud of this fourth showing in its 81st season, which it has aptly named, “Expect the Unexpected.” Coming next will be their productions of “Annie” in April and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” in June. paplayers.org.

Another fine Silicon Valley theater company is TheatreWorks, which stages its plays in Palo Alto and Mountain View. Its current show, “The Pitmen Painters” is the true story of the Ashington Group, a hardscrabble group of 1930s miners who attend an art class because that was the only one offered in their small town, and end up becoming sensations in the British art world for their own creations. It’s filled with hilarious smart human banter among cronies, by an expert cast.  TheatreWorks, as per tradition, has come up with another winner so go see it before it closes February 12. Next production will be the West Coast Premiere of an off-beat comedy “Now Circa Then.” theatreworks.org.

Fans of Cirque Du Soleil will be happy to hear it will bring its “Totem” production to San Jose March 2.  The Big Top production was a huge success during its recent San Francisco run, and among the top notch cast of entertainers is a local performer from San Mateo, Asian American Umi Miya, who plays one of the frogs in the show. Other Asian entertainers will be the cleverly agile unicycle girls.  Since the day in 1984 when a group of 20 street performers went on stage, Cirque du Soleil has brought wonders of delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on five continents.

Be sure to plan on getting under the Blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau in San Jose during this limited engagement.  Tickets:  cirquedusoleil.com/totem or by phone (800) 450-1480.

For you families out there who want to celebrate Chinese New Year together, February 11 is the day.  At 3 p.m. you can go to Louise Davies Hall where the San Francisco Symphony is offering an hour of lion dancing, children’s activities, dim sum snacks, fortune telling and much hoopla celebration before 4 p.m. when everyone enters the concert hall for a program of Chinese music performed by the San Francisco Symphony orchestra under the direction of Carolyn Kuan.  Following the program, lucky sponsors and guests will cross the street to City Hall to enjoy a sumptuous banquet at this popular sold-out soiree which concludes the Symphony’s day long New Years celebration.

The day’s celebration event finishes another year where the SFS is honoring the Chinese New Year holiday with a fine program as it has done for the past decade under fine community volunteer leaders as Yuri Pascarella, Margaret Liu Collins, Jessa Wu, and this year’s chairwomen Sharon Seto and Iris Chen. Congratulations to all for a fine program where all proceeds go to promote music education in our Bay Area schools.

The popular Chinese New Year parade will bring lions, dragons and firecrackers through downtown San Francisco that same night of February 11, so the City will really be hopping with new year festivities that night. The Year of the Dragon is always a popular one which brings prosperity and peace, and to expectant mothers, strong and intelligent babies!  Gung Hay!

For another fun night on the town in San Francisco, the smash hit ABBA musical “Mama Mia” comes to the Orpheum opening February 22. Fun for all ages, this is an old favorite of lively music, and thanks to SHN for bringing it back to San Francisco.

MORE ON THE MIRACLE OF MAUI

Last month I shared some of the adventures I had on Maui, but there were more wonderful memories that I didn’t have room for, so let me tell you more of what to do in this sleepy slower moving island. Many visitors to the island say that Ka’anapali is where the action is, and with 5 hotels in the area, you can bet there are people everywhere.  The 759-room Westin Maui Resort and Spa was a prime destination for me to meet old friend, Sumithra Balraj, who showed me that here is a hub for an abundance of activities, whether you come on a honeymoon or with the whole family.  There was the Gemini Catamaran that came right up on the beach to whisk one to a sunset cruise, or eco-adventure tours. For my golf-aholic hubby’s pleasure, we met Ka’anapali Golf Resort pro Sutee Nitakorn who set us up for a wonderful morning of golf on the Royal course with its bluff above the highway and sweeping views of the West Maui landscape , and the blue Pacific. Ever changing trade winds made the course a challenge, and what a surprise to find Dr. Guy and Barbara Wong greeting us from their ninth hole course-side home as we drove by. Melissa Ludwig told us that when the course opened in 1962, it was the very first resort course built in Hawaii, one of the late Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s only two Hawaii golf designs.

After four hours of swinging, pitching and putting, it was time for wife Gerrye to follow her pleasures to The Heavenly Spa, given in 2010 the best destination spa Choice Gold Award by Fodor.  I was so relaxed while being treated to the spa’s popular Heavenly Massage in one of its 16 treatment rooms that I fell rapidly in heavenly slumber. Upon awakening, however, my tired muscles felt fully revived resting in the spa’s ocean view relaxation lounge.  Who says Hawaii living isn’t next to heaven?   Ready to explore the 12 acres of Ka’anapali Beach fronting the hotel, we couldn’t resist stopping at TropicaRestaurant, the hotel’s signature restaurant where we sat at our table on the lawn to bask in the sunset views from ocean front dining amidst tumbling waterfalls and under tiki torch lighting.  I drool recalling diving into the Pacific Bouillabase with Lobster from Kona and our seared diver scallops.

Now you know why we loved our Maui week getaway.  I advise you to do the same to give you a boost to start the New Year right.  Aloha, Maui, thanks for the memories.

SILICON VALLEY NEWS

Chi Am Circle welcomed 10 new members at its annual Membership Tea which drew over 80 members and guests to the lovely home of member Vicki Ching in Palo Alto. New members included Margaret Abe Koga, Danielle Fu, Sharon Lai, Judy Lee, Michele Lew, Janet Ozasa, Shelley Sze, Irene Thompson, Jouce Tom, Leslie Tomihiro, Anna Tse, Wendy Soi and Jackie Yu. Hosted by the Chi Am Board, this tea opens up a year’s calendar of monthly activities, said Presidents Rose Tokugawa and Helen Yamauchi, along with Program Chairs Ginger Lai and Linda Toda.  Chi Am Circle is a women’s social service club of over 100 women who have been active in the community for over 40 years.  They welcome new members. Enjoying the afternoon of fellowship were Clara Lee, Zeny Seid, Shelley Cen, Wendy Fong, Valerie Jeung, Monica Eng, Teddy Sue, Jennie Leung and Liza Wong. ChiAmCircle.org.

There were many hearty handshakes and hugs for Otto Lee at his last Sunnyvale City Council meeting as friends and colleagues celebrated his 13 successful years on the Council and Planning Commission.  The party continued from City Hall to the Firehouse Brewery in downtown Sunnyvale for the popular former Sunnyvale Mayor and his wifeSally.  We wish him much luck in his back to normal life, and hope the community will continue to see him actively participating in local events.

William Chang brought excitement to the Milpitas Great Mall and his restaurant there, the Mayflower, when he brought in a giant Lion Dance troupe to perform in front and inside the restaurant.  Although the restaurant was already packed with diners, the lions traipsed in, and everyone dashed upon chairs to see how high the lion could jump to get their red envelope offerings.  Among those celebrating at the party were the whole Chang family, Mr. And Mrs. Jim Fung, Albert and Angie Ooi, Peter Chang and Eric Chan. Son Abraham Chang had to rush back to the family’s other restaurant, Merlion,  in Cupertino, where his training at Paris’ Cordon Bleu is helping his develop new menu items.

Author Ying-Ying Chang spoke on her new book about her daughter’s life,“The Woman Who Could Not Forget – Iris Chang Before and Beyond The Rape of Nanjing” at the Saratoga Library before a capacity Friends of the Library crowd.  It is a very moving story of the passion her daughter felt towards her writing of Chinese American history and that of China.

Article Sources: On the Scene: Upcoming Events

Americans are generally used to drinking bagged black tea which is steeped in boiling water. However, many teas are too delicate to be brewed at such high temperatures, and often require water that is well below the boiling point. This is most common with Green Tea, although many Wulongs and even some black teas require a specific, lower temperature range to deliver the perfect flavor.

The most common sign that the water you are using is too hot is that your tea will come out bitter or astringent. If this happens even with a short brew time, you should experiment with lower water temperatures when brewing.

Check out our article on water temperature to see what temperature is right for your tea.

Using Too Much/Too Little Tea

The fact that loose tea is not specifically portioned out can be intimidating to some. Furthermore, loose teas vary in their surface area and weight per volume, adding further complexity to this issue.

Generally speaking, however, one should use about one spoonful (with a teaspoon) of tea for an 8 oz cup. This doesn’t scale linearly, so, for example,  you may only require three spoonfuls for a four cup teapot. Again, it would be helpful to experiment with different amounts of tea so you can figure out what suits your taste.

Using the Wrong Hardware

There is a literal bevy of loose tea brewing hardware on the market, and it can be confusing to figure out which products are right for you.

There are a few simple rules which should be followed when selecting tea brewing devices. The first is that loose tea requires space to bloom and have water move over it when being brewed. Many products–especially tea balls and some of the smaller filters–are too restrictive and can result in a weak brew. The second is that you should be able to quickly and easily remove the tea from the water so that it will not over brew.

I have had good experiences with stainless steel and ceramic mug inserts when brewing individual cups of tea. I also like tea pots which have a filter installed at the point where the spout is attached to the pot. These allow the tea free reign while being steeped, and allow the tea to be poured off when it is done brewing. If you want to serve over a long period of time from a tea pot find one which has a large, removable filter.

You can check out our product reviews for tea brewing accessories which we have vetted and approved.

Steeping for Too Long

This is one of the most common mistakes that people make when brewing tea. While many tea bags are packaged with instructions to brew for up to five minutes, this amount of time can make more delicate teas brew up bitter.

When brewing with loose leaf tea, make your first steeping last only a few seconds, and do not drink it. This “washing” steeping will open up the tea, making subsequent brews quicker.

There are no hard and fast rules for brewing time. We would recommend experimentation: note the flavor differences when brewing for, say, 15 seconds, 30 seconds and a minute. However, if you are steeping multiple times, later steepings should be longer than the first few.

Article Sources: The 4 Most Common Tea Brewing Mistakes

A MIND-bending pill was the reason a burglar was found in his underpants, trying to decide what to wear from a selection of clothes which included women’s dresses.

Jimmy Nash was under the after-effects of drugs when he entered the Knowle home, made himself a cup of tea and laid out the householders’ clothes on their bed, Bristol Crown Court was told.

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When he was disturbed he apologised, said he meant no harm and would send any clothes he borrowed back, with “a few quid”.

His defence team told the court he believed a small Chinese boy had invited him into the house – the “boy” turned out to be a bunch of flowers.

Nash, 43, of Kildare Road, Knowle, admitted burglary in October.

Judge Carol Hagen described the episode as incomprehensible, especially as Nash lived nearby, and said the most serious aspect was the impact caused to the family. She told him to do 200 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months.

Julian Howells, prosecuting, said the occupants of a terraced home in Andover Road returned to find the family dog outside. The man of the house found the back door unlocked and went in, the court heard.

Mr Howells said: “He went upstairs and found the defendant standing there in his underpants, next to a bed. He was drying himself off and in front of him there was clothes laid out, including clothes of the lady of the house.

“The defendant apologised and said he had not come to cause problems and he had just wanted a cup of tea and some food. He said he was being chased by the police.”

When interviewed Nash said he had caught his girlfriend with a friend, there had been a confrontation and he left the area.

He said he saw a helicopter and went into “stupid mode and ran off like a crazy man”.

When he got the urge for a cup of tea he went into the victim’s home, let the dog out and had some tea.

He said he planned to change from his wet clothes and accepted that even though he would have sent borrowed clothes back the householders would find his conduct “freaky”.

He said he was under the influence of cocaine at the time, and later said he may have taken a hallucinogenic pill.

The court heard the intrusion left a “sickly effect” on the householders, and women’s clothing was thrown away in case Nash tried them on.

David Martin, defending, said: “It’s completely bizarre.

“This was completely out of character. He genuinely does not want them to feel any insecurity. He was behaving extremely bizarrely.”

Article Sources: Bristol burglar found in his pants, trying on ladies’ clothes

Cindy Mao, of Chicago, plays an ancient Chinese instrument called the guzheng during Maine South High School’s Chinese New Year celebration Feb. 6. | Contributed photo.

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Updated: February 16, 2012 4:04AM

Chinese-language classes at Maine South High School in Park Ridge celebrated the 15th day of the Chinese New Year with a tea ceremony and entertainment Feb. 6.

The 15th day of the new year is also called the Lantern Festival, marking the final day of new-year celebrations. On the day, colorful lanterns are hung and lit to commemorate the festival.

Maine South’s Chinese Club and Asian Club taught students how to make traditional lanterns while Yi Liu, cultural-events coordinator of Shen Yun Show Chicago, shared the significance of the lantern festival.

Students also enjoyed a Chinese breakfast and music by Cindy Mao, who played an ancient Chinese string instrument called the gushing.

The new-year celebration was supervised by Maine South teacher Haihong Shi, who teaches classes in Mandarin Chinese at the school.

Article Sources: Maine South students mark last day of Chinese New Year celebration

how to loose weight.someone was telling a tip. The tip was mixing honey(more active) +lemon juice+ green tea in to hot water an drinking early morning in empty stomach. there was different active+ levels of honey in the market. I used honey(10+ active manuka honey). tried for two months. but no result. am i correct or my mixing is wrong.is there any tips. thnxThis diet works on a chemical breakdown and proven to work. Do not vary or substitute any of the food. Salt and pepper may be used, but no other seasoning. The diet is to be used three (3) days at a time. In three days, you will lose ten pounds. After three days of eating start back on the three- day diet.This diet is used at the Birmingham AL, Hospital Cardiac Unit for patients who need to lose weight in a hurry before having heart surgery.You can lose 40 lbs in one month.MenuDay OneBreakfastLunchDinner½ grapefruit or juice1.2 cup of tuna2 slices of meat (any type 3oz.1 slice of toast1 slice of toast1 cup of string beans1 tablespoon of peanut black coffee or tea1 small appleButter1 cup of vanilla ice creamBlack coffee or teaDay 21 egg1cup cottage cheese 1 wieners/ franks1 slice of toastor tuna1 cup broccoli or cabbage½ Banana5 saltines½ cup carrotsBlack coffee or teaBlack coffee or tea½ banana½ cup vanilla ice creamDay 31 slice cheddar cheese1 hardboiled egg1 cup of tuna5 saltine crackers1 slice of toast1 cup beets or carrots1 small appleblack coffee or tea1 cup cauliflower or greensBlack coffee or tea1 cup cantaloupe½ cup vanilla ice creamWhy is this in Men’s Health.

You gotta change your eating habits, too – and do more exercise.No magic formula for losing weight, what seems to work for some doesn’t work for others.But one thing universally seems to work for nearly everyone:reduce your daily food intake, and start walking.if you are already walking, walk more.If you already reduced food intake, and no weight loss, need to reduce calorie intake even more.Eat no more than a fist size amount of food each meal, that is the size of your stomach until you stretch it out.Drink a full glass of water before you start eating, that helps temporarily fill you up and you’ll eat less.Not really any reason drinking honey, lemon and green tea would make you lose weight by the way; honey is a natural sugar, so lots of energy calories.Lemon is highly acidic, which can cause some upset to your body chemistry.green tea is supposed to do all kinds of things, I drink it daily to help lower blood sugar– but you are drinking it with sugar so that won’t work for you. But green tea also acts like a diuretic, and that can help lower blood pressure a bit and get rid of bloat.So drink the green tea, avoid the honey and lemon.

Article Sources: How to loose weight. I was drinking honey(10+)+lemon+ green tea. but not working.?

Up until about a year ago, Hoboken had nothing to offer in terms of falafel. Then Mamoun’s Falafel came along, and with it came a slew of other falafel places (including a truck, Two Pitas in a Pod). The great news about falafel and the foods served with it is that they are cheap, making them a great addition to a college student’s diet and a good break from pizza and Chinese food. Mamoun’s Falafel is located at 5th Street and Washington in Hoboken.

I’ve been to Mamoun’s many times now, but this was the first time that I actually ordered the falafel there. Most of my experiences with falafel have been relatively unremarkable. Mamoun’s was easily the best falafel that I’ve tasted. The falafel is crispy on the outside, yet very soft on the inside.

Before I discovered their falafel, the shawarma (lamb roasted on a spit) was the reason I would go to Mamoun’s. Lamb is delicious, so what could be better than lamb slow-cooked on a stand-up rotisserie? You simply have to try it. I plan on one day investing in a stand-up rotisserie of my own, just so I can duplicate the dish.

Also on their menu is a mouthwatering chicken kebab dish. Everything on the menu can be ordered as either a sandwich or a platter. I ordered this as a platter and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their rice. Rice is used as filler (a tool to maintain profits) at most restaurants, but the rice at Mamoun’s actually tasted great, perfectly complementing the falafel.

A rather unique item on the menu is Mamoun’s tea, made fresh at the restaurant. I did not try any, but my friend put his good word in that he would definitely order it again. I tried the mint lemonade, which was very refreshing. I would recommend it if you plan on using Mamoun’s hot sauce on your food. To top off the meal, I ordered the baklava, a rich pastry made with nuts and honey or syrup. Mamoun’s has very tasty baklava, and I definitely feel sorry for anyone with walnut allergies. They really don’t know what they’re missing.

In short, Mamoun’s is affordable and has decent portion sizes. Overall, they offer a lot to keep a hungry student coming back for more. It is very close to campus and the combinations on the menu will prevent you from ordering the same thing every time (although that shawarma is addicting). There isn’t much seating, but most people order delivery so you’ll be able to get a table most of the time. Mamoun’s Falafel receives a rating of 88.264%. Go check it out!

Article Sources: Cuisine Corner – Mamoun’s Falafel

Back in the 1950s, that company’s brochures declared that its ships offered “a self-contained little world that contains just about everything that civilisation can provide as a background for an agreeable existence”.

Queen Mary 2 (almost twice the size of its namesake predecessor) endeavours to meet the standard set by the long line of Cunard vessels and, in the age of the super-liner, raise the bar.

It makes a fine fist of it, too, as I discovered during the six-day Fremantle-to-Sydney leg of its circumnavigation of Australia, part of its 2012 world tour. The biggest ship ever to visit our shores was making its third visit to WA in as many years; nonetheless, the splendid send-off from the port city, with big crowds on both moles and a trailing armada of small boats and jetskis, was a talking point on board QM2 for the days afterwards.

Like the Freo send-off, the QM2 is quite splendid – even more so following its refurbishment late last year in Germany. Cunard declined to reveal how much this makeover cost, though it’s safe to assume it was in the millions. Well, replacing enough carpet to cover 10 football fields and procuring 30km of fabric to make 6000 pieces of decor doesn’t come cheap, let alone the rest of the facelift.

The result is a winning combination of the latest in technology with the traditions of sea travel from a bygone era.

Thus, there’s wi-fi and GSM connectivity in every cabin, as well as the traditional midday ringing of the bells followed by the captain’s daily pronouncement on the ship’s position. Polished aluminium and timber veneers; a high-tech gym and a cigar lounge; simulated golf and deck quoits; ballroom dancing (with gentlemen hosts for single ladies) and a ritzy nightclub.

A standard inside state room on the Queen Mary 2. Picture: Indusfoto Limited

British to her bootstraps? Well, not exactly. Cunard’s British-American parent has set QM2 on a middle course, I feel: keeping its old world heritage as a point of difference in the burgeoning cruising market, while at the same time being universal enough to attract passengers from all over the globe.

So QM2′s crew, 1253-strong, is drawn from more than 50 nationalities and its passengers (or “guests”, in Cunard’s preferred terminology) are almost equally cosmopolitan.

The ship itself was built in 2003 in France, prices on board are in the universal currency, the US dollar, not Pound sterling – and that’s not the end of Uncle Sam’s influence.

Its fine dining restaurant carries the branding of Todd English who is apparently a distinguished American chef, though perhaps not widely known outside the US. Similarly, the ship’s 1800sqm day spa bears the brand Canyon Ranch – an award-winning health and fitness business in the US.

It’s an Anglo-American combination that obviously works for many as the ship was full. At the same time, several passengers I spoke to lavished praise on other cruise lines, too. As high as its reputation might be, Cunard is not the only company plying the world’s oceans with style and elegance these days.

It is, however, the only one claiming to cruise with such style and elegance by liner, not cruise ship (see adjoining story). It is a point of difference Cunard is keen to maintain in the crowded cruising market

When we arrived at Sydney, another behemoth cruise ship was in town – P&O’s Pacific Jewel. There’s no doubting it is an impressive vessel, but sleek it is not. Not like the QM2, which, as one of our party had noted admiringly as we disembarked and paid a final glance at its v-shaped bow, was “a real ship”.

So what can you expect on board?

ACCOMMODATION

“Stateroom” is the preferred term in the modern cruising industry, not cabin, and of QM2′s 1310 staterooms, 75 per cent have balconies. In all, there are 10 different levels of accommodation, from standard staterooms up to grand duplex apartments.

My cabin was a premium balcony with a total of 25sqm of space. It was adequate but much bigger than the 15sqm in the non-balcony standard staterooms and ocean view rooms. The rounded edges of the entrance walls helped maximise what was available for the twin beds, a two-seater couch facing a small desk and flat-screen TV. The ensuite bathroom was well designed, and the standard of furnishing and manchester, etc was first class if not luxurious.

On the balcony were two very comfortable chairs, though the seated view of the sea was restricted because of the metal wall. Other rooms had glass balconies which eliminated this issue.

Elsewhere on the ship were grander rooms: at the top of the pile, the grand duplex apartments have 209sqm of space. The QM2 retains a type of class system whereby its Queens Grill and Princess Grill guests enjoy not only larger rooms (from 36sqm upwards) but exclusive restaurants, too.

The Queen Mary 2 against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Picture: James Morgan/Carnival Australia via Getty Images

EATING AND DRINKING

There’s no shortage on the QM2, with 10 eateries and numerous bars, many with accompanying pianist. We ate most dinners in the second sitting (8.30pm) at the Britannia Restaurant – a two-storey restaurant that seats 1347. It has silver service and very quick service it is, too. The gap between the first and second courses was shorter than in most restaurants, and whenever I looked up I would see a pack of waiting staff swarming around the tables.

In a sign of the modern times, the ship pays note to the fact that a lot of eating mightn’t necessarily be good for the waistline, and menus contain recommendations on low-calorie, healthy choices.

The Kings Court is a 24-hour buffet-style eatery and, while more modest than Britannia, it still boasts Wedgwood crockery and linen napkins.

Afternoon tea in the Queen’s Room was perhaps the most popular of meals. Hundreds crowded the elegant room (which hosts ballroom dancing in the evenings) for a traditional mid-afternoon high tea, complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones and jam, and pianist.

As for strong drink, there’s an English style “pub”, the Golden Lion, with a couple of dartboards that served English ales among others and hosted quiz sessions.

On a more refined note, there’s also a very stylish champagne bar.

ENTERTAINMENT

The QM2 has a great range of entertainment, including a planetarium, called Illuminations, which is well worth a visit for excellent productions. So too are the main venues for shows, the Royal Court Theatre, which is five decks high and where we enjoyed comedians, musicians, dance shows, etc, during the evening. There are often two performances to cater for the two sittings of dinner.

The range of musical entertainment is both extensive and impressive. One evening, I enjoyed a dance tribute show, a big band ball, a jazz band and a reggae cover band, all within 100m or so on one deck. There is also a casino, a nightclub and a quiet spot for board games as well as a computer room.

SPORT

Besides a very modern (though somewhat packed) high-tech gymnasium, there are two golf simulators, a half-sized basketball and paddle tennis courts, putting green and giant chess among the many sports facilities. Those wanting water-based fun can choose from five pools of various sizes, including a paddling pool for young children. There weren’t many minors on the Fremantle to Sydney leg, but those on board could take advantage of the two areas set aside for children – the Play Zone and Zone – with childcare staff, youth co-ordinators and nannies.

The QM2 also offers more traditional seafaring activities such as deck quoits and shuffleboard, and the length of the vessel (345m) makes for an ideal walking/jogging track, though the strong winds at sea can make the 1.1km circuit challenging.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING *

A cruise ship wouldn’t be a cruise ship these days without a day spa and the QM2′s has the impressive Canyon Ranch Spa as well as a beauty salon and hairdresser. This is the place to be pampered with massages, pedicures and acupuncture.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

“There’s no time to relax,” complained one young passenger. Not true. What she meant was there were so many planned activities, it was hard to turn them down and just sit in a quiet corner with a book.

There was something for virtually every minute of the day should you so choose, and they are listed in a daily newsletter delivered to your stateroom: bridge for beginners, watercolour painting, deck games, dancing classes, darts tournament, Pilates, indoor cycling sessions, aqua aerobics, trivial pursuit competitions, iPad and iPod workshops, yoga, guest lectures – even a demonstration on napkin folding.

BITS AND BOBS

• It wouldn’t be a Cunard vessel if there weren’t a certain degree of formality on board QM2 and there were two “formal” evenings during my six-day voyage, when evening suits and gowns were required in public areas after 6pm. Others nights were “elegant casual” or “semi- formal”, so there’s no hiding the emphasis Cunard places on smartly turned out guests at night time. This dress code is one reason many guests choose the line. However, it may not be for everyone and it should be a consideration before booking.

• I was surprised to discover in my bathroom, above the toilet paper holder, an ashtray. I was told smoking was still allowed in staterooms when QM2 was built, but no longer. However, a smoke-free QM2 seems some time off, with smoking still allowed in certain areas of the ships’ exterior, on stateroom balconies and the second floor of the ship’s nightclub. Cigarettes have been banned from the Churchill’s Cigar Lounge, though cigars and pipes are allowed.

• Apart from the usual room laundry service, there are six self-service laundrettes on QM2 – a boon on longer voyages, and a facility not always found on cruise ships.

• There are a few shops on board (mainly of the luxury brands) but not as many as I’d imagined. At the other end of the shopping scale, I was delighted to discover a shop that sells sundries you might have forgotten or run out of, such as toothpaste.

• Several of our party remarked on the very reasonable prices of alcohol. Apparently the price of cocktails especially compared favourably with those on land.

Mark Irving was a guest of Cunard Lines.

Article Sources: Old and new on Queen Mary 2

February 22nd 2012 –

Green tea must be a researchers paradise because everytime they turn their attention to it something new and great is revealed. It’s hard to imagine that a mere plant, like green tea, can contain so many properties that are healthy and healing for the entire body. In order to get the most out of green tea, you should drink it, or take it in supplement form, on a regular basis. The rest of this article will discuss what green tea has to offer and why you should make it part of your daily life.

Green tea has stimulants in it that are helpful but mild in comparison to coffee, and there are a lot of people who do not tolerate coffee very well. Lots of people get too much stimulation from coffee, and that is what can make green tea a viable alternative. Since it is a healthy substance that increases your metabolism, it’s also good for people who are trying to lose weight. The level of caffeine in green tea is only roughly half of the level of caffeine in coffee. Some energy drinks are even higher in caffeine, and this often has adverse effects on people. An excellent stimulant plus many healthy benefits makes green tea very attractive for lots of people. There are many people for whom brain health is a real concern, and green tea has certain properties that help your brain. There has been some studies that seem promising with regard to green tea’s ability to help fight memory loss and other conditions related to the aging process. Green tea has naturally occuring antioxidants that are implicated with memory support issues. But green tea is not just for adults because all people, younger included, will benefit from the healthy properties of green tea.

We’ve only covered a few of the many ways in which green tea can support you in good health. If you want to follow the traditions of countries like China and Japan, you can simply enjoy green tea as a hot beverage. But we understand lots of people prefer cold drinks in the summer, and you can make iced tea out of green tea, no problems. But yet again some people don’t want to be bothered with making the tea, and for those they can just buy supplement capsules. You ca also find decaffeinated green tea if you can’t tolerate caffeine very well. Plus, you may want drink the caffeinated during day time and switch to decaf at night. But it’s all your call because obviously you know what you want to do and what you can stand, etc. There is so much available with wine article that we had a tough time figuring out what to include, here.

So what we did was try to break things up as well as possible, and we have written other articles about this.

What you can and should do is look for your self because we know there are other great sources on the net.

You really are doing the right thing by pursuing additional information, so do continue. You really do need to discover more about these tips so you can make the best decisions and choices.

Also consider that the full green tea story has not been published, no doubt more healthy properties will be uncovered. We can safely say that it is a nutritious and healthy beverage or supplement for many different reasons, including to the ones discussed above. No question, though, that other actions are important such as eating right and getting safe exercise. There’s really nothing hard at all about doing this, so just start out slow and build from where you are.

We’ve really only had time to mention but a few of the many benefits of green tea. As stated above, you can drink the tea or take it in alternative form. Of course you need to take it regularly so you can experience all the benefits.

Article Sources: 3 Powerful Benefits Available In Green Tea

Thanks for your clues for CHANUKKAH. Kudos to DonkDonk and hectorthebat for use of the Hindi-derived polo term “chukkah”; and to thisismycreed and munsterchchkiwi for factoring in Chaka Khan; the runner-up is Thomas99′s cheeky “Outspoken Austrian director celebrating Jewish enlightenment?” and the winner is andymsmith’s “Two kings with a hunch getting a strange break”. Your suggestions for another clue are sought below.

Topical references in crossword clues are sometimes a downer – a reminder of the misery in the rest of the paper that you’re perhaps avoiding by doing a puzzle, maybe of some perfectly useful institution under threat.

Not so with Gaff’s FT prize puzzle for which the solution was published today. Gaff marked the start of the Chinese New Year and filled his puzzle with dragons, including DRAGON itself at one across and others like…

12ac 1 across promotion (4)

…that is, the magic one called PUFF…

13ac 1 across hit border town with small change (10)

…via a minor adjustment to BERWICK, Lewis Carroll’s JABBERWOCK and even…

14d Diminish justice with a person’s 1 across (5,5)

…the man outplayed by JD Sports, PETER JONES.

Not so with Gaff, then, but very much so with Araucaria, who this week took on a fairly long – and fairly lightly signalled – anagram…

8d/9d Roughs harm unfortunate: I cope, providing protective authority (8,5,2,5,6)

…for, and I am not making this up, the EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS despite its pesky championing of freedom.

It’s not that much of a surprise to see a couple of incidences of one of those words crossword setters appreciate because of where the letters fall: NIECE, say, or perhaps URINE. I’m not sure the same applies to the phrase clued by Dac as…

24ac Terrible day – cadet leaves container in the kitchen (3,5)

…that is, TEA CADDY – which was also clued by Chifonie…

8d Edward keeps article about store for gunpowder, say (3,5)

…with a definition for TEA CADDY which refers to the green-tea-like gunpowder tea. If you’ve never heard of gunpowder tea, you’re in the apparent company of staff at Heathrow airport, but I presume that unlike staff at Heathrow airport, you wouldn’t prevent those carrying gunpowder tea from boarding a plane, thereby earning yourself a coveted Stupid Security award.

Tuesday’s Times flirted with contemporary culture without breaking the paper’s “no living people in our puzzles” rule – partly because Homer and his family are nothing to do with the answer and are furthermore not real people…

23d Commitment keeping Simpson primarily in Springfield (5)

…and partly because DUSTY Springfield sadly died before she was able to make a cameo in the cartoon series. It would be fun to imagine what the writers might have come up with involving Springfield town’s mysterious origins, Dusty and perhaps Rick too – “would be”, that is, if it weren’t hubristic to imagine what a Simpsons writer might come up with, at least up to season eight.

We’ve talked elsewhere about the cryptic-clue-that-isn’t-really-a-cryptic-clue “Gegs (9,4)” for SCRAMBLED EGGS. Monday’s Telegraph – presumably set by Rufus – showed how scrambling “eggs” should work in a crossword with his clue…

15ac There’s a tonic in eggs scrambled around mid-morning (7)

…for GINSENG. That’ll get your cro-jo working.

Often, when you realise what’s going on in a puzzle by one of the UK papers’ more baroque setters, you wonder “is she doing this just because she can?” Twice now this blog has mused “Perhaps Anax just likes making life difficult for himself”.

So it was with Anax in Tuesday’s Independent: after some moments, the eye spotted that all the across clues began with the word “Is”, and the brain said “Hmm”. Once the down clues yielded some letters, it became clear that the “Is”es were all islands. Well, almost all: all would perhaps have been too easy for us solvers; more’s the point, this artificial extra constraint can’t have made things easy for the setter.

Anax explained what he thought he was playing at in the comments at crossword blog Fifteen Squared:

If we just set straightforward puzzles day in day out it would be hard to stay fresh, so it’s not just pleasurable to do something different – it’s a good idea to give ourselves a variety of challenges; some technical, some simply fun. There have been comments in the past about setters ‘showing off’ with unusual themes but, really, it just isn’t the case.

Interested solvers should read the whole post, but the answer seems to be: yes, Anax does just like making life difficult for himself.

Another setter who gave himself something extra to do this week was Paul, whose 7d/16d in Friday’s Guardian was AMERICAN SPELLING. And so we had…

15d Go crazy wriggling nose into 7 confection (2,4,3)

…which via the American spelling DONUT gives us DO ONE’S NUT; we had…

19d/11ac Having turned up, leaders in blue lingerie instantly focus (7) to force government initiative (6,10)

…which via the American spelling CENTER gives us PUBLIC ENTERPRISE, and this being Paul how could we not have had…

5ac Having touched base, 7 behind swimmer (3,4)

…which via the American spelling, well, ASS gives us SEA BASS.

Continuing our unofficial oval theme, then, your cluing challenge this week is OMELET. Suggestions below please.

Incidentally, the annotated solution for Paul’s recent prize puzzle is now available.

Soon, in our Cryptic crosswords for Beginners series, we’ll come to the cryptic definition. Of these clues, my favourites are those which make you give an important word a very unhelpful interpretation, as with this from Tuesday’s Telegraph…

20ac The tips I give cabbies may not be well received (4-4,6)

These tips are of the recommending, not the recompensing variety and are delivered by a BACK-SEAT DRIVER. You might want to take this next corner slowly.

Article Sources: Crossword roundup: Y’all can’t make an omelet without gegs

Loosing weight is not simple if you finally have decided to remove that extra weight then be ready for some difficult path ahead of you. Weight loss is not easy but it is important how much effort and determinations you can put in attaining your goal and how much strong are you in mind about achieving your goal to loose weight. One thing is important to know that you can’t loose weight based on just dieting as it will not be good for your overall health.

You just can not be slim by giving up your food. It is important to maintain the balance in your daily activities and what you eat. There should be balance between what you do and what you eat on daily basis. If you eat more food in a day then your physical activity then that excess food will produce excess calories in your body and that leads to increase in body weight. Idea is to consume the calories of your daily food by doing equivalent physical work in your daily life.

A good balanced healthy diet and some physical exercise is good to prevent your body from extra calories and burn the extra fat in your body. There are many ways you can loose extra weight from your body like drugs, pills, surgery but these methods put bad effects on your body. Besides these harmful weight loose methods there are many natural ways to loose weight.

You do not need to go any where else for loosing that extra weight, you can do it at home with some Home Remedies To Loose Weight Naturally.

Home Remedies To Lose Weight with Weight Loss Diet

1. Drink Hot Water rather then cold water hot water because hot water is easy to digest and is best to burn extra fat from your belly. Hot water after meal will quickly digest your food and makes your stomach feel light.

2. Start your day with Lemon Juice right when you woke up. Just take a glass of hot water and mix 1 or 2 lemons and drink it empty stomach.

3. Do not Drink Water Right After Taking Meal. After half an hour of your meal take one glass of hot water. Drinking water right after meal tends to increase the meal amount in your stomach and increase the calories.

4. Avoid Tea and Coffee from your diet and replace it with green tea because green tea consists of vitamin c and flavanoids which helps in weight loose in body.

5. Eat a Balanced Diet don’t eat food of one type. Eat what is good for you mean eat food that have rich fiber and protein and low fat. Do not eat oily and junk foods.

6. Eat Food with Less Salt and if it possible eat food without salt once in week. It is difficult to consume food without salt but salt free food is one of the useful home remedy to loose extra weight and by the time you will get used to salt free food.

7. Replace Sugar with Honey. Honey is best alternative of sugar is helpful ins burning extra fat of your body. Take mix of Honey and Lemon Juice once in a day because both contain substance that removed excess fat from body.

8. Not many persons know this but Vitamin C is best in loosing weight. Take food and drinks that are full of Vitamin C in your daily diet chart. Lemon and Orange are full of Vitamin C along with green leaf vegetables.

9. Never Eat to Full Capacity. Always eat in small proportion at regular intervals, this will help your body to digest the small quantity food easily and prevent producing extra fats.

10. If it is possible take fast once in a week this not only helps in balancing the body weight but also fulfill your spiritual duties.

11. Eat more quantity of fruits and vegetables as compare to grain food like weight, rice etc. Avoid Rice if you an because rice is the best food to increase weight because rice are full of fats and carbohydrates.

12. You have to remove processed food like breads from your diet. Half cooked food or junk food will certainly increase the fat levels in your body.

13. Taking a glass of Red Wine with your dinner is one of the useful way to shed that extra weight.

14. Set your targets of weight lose say weekly targets of loosing 1 KG this help in increasing motivation to achieve your target.

15. It is important for Indian people stay away from milk sweets. If you celebrating an occasion you can use sugar free sweets.

Home Remedies To Lose Weight with Weight Loss Exercises

1. Morning Walk is best starter of your day. Not for loosing weight morning walk is useful for overall health of your body. Natural and pollution free breath can do many goods for your body.

2. To loose weight Jogging should be preferred over brisk walk. If you can do, Jogging of about 2 to 3 KM’s daily is good for loosing weight.

3. Do Physical Workouts at gym. There is no good substitute of physical exercise or work to loose weight effectively. Losing weight through good physical exercise tends to stay intact as compare to loosing weight through dieting or avoiding eating.

4. Yoga has proved results in curing many diseases and Yoga for Weight Loss is as effective as any other method of loosing weight. There are many Yoga exercises that you are effective of loosing weight. But it is important to do Yoga in right and proper way.Above are some of the home remedies to loose weight effectively and naturally. Keep in mind there is no hard and fast rule loose weight. But if you follow above remedies in your daily life you will certainly shed some kilos after a month.

Article Sources: Home Remedies To Lose Weight Naturally