TOP 10 REGRETS

Not travelling enough top regret of our lives

Most people spend more than two hours a week dwelling on their regrets, finds study

    A study has found that there are six things that all of us would love to change in our lives, with the most common cause of remorse being not having travelled enough.
    More than half of those surveyed admitted that they wished they had made a different life choice at some point, like having a different career, living somewhere else or marrying someone else. A fifth of women regretted wasting time with the wrong partner as compared to 10% of men. But a quarter of the 2,000 participants said they did not believe it was possible to live a life without regrets, perhaps explaining why, on average, we spend 19 minutes per day — or more than two hours a week — thinking about things we could have done differently.
    More than a third of them blamed lack of cash for preventing them from fulfilling our dreams, while 25% think loved ones held them back. But 32% admitted that the blame lay with their own lack of courage, according to the research by the British Heart Foundation. “There seems to be a certain air of resignation amongst us that living out our dreams may simply not be possible for a variety of reasons,” Dr Gayle Brewer said.

THE TOP 10 REGRETS WERE: 

1. Not travelling more Losing touch with pals  
2. Not exercising enough 
3. Not saving more money 
4. Taking up smoking  
5. Being lazy at school 
6. Choice of career 
7. Wasting years with the wrong partner  
8. Eating unhealthily 
9. Not asking more about our grandparents’ lives before they died

Unleash the traveller within you

TOP 10 fire festivals around the world!

TOP 10 fire festivals around the world!

    While we have our own festival of lights coming up, there are so many other places to watch the dark skies light up with colour. An online travel consultant has come up with the best fire festivals around the world. 

Children play with sparklers on a fire festival 

 

1. GUY FAWKES NIGHT (BONFIRE NIGHT) — ENGLAND Guy Fawkes Night (Nov 5) goes back to 1605 when Guy Fawkes, one of the members of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives in the House of Lords, London. With the plot to blow up the House of Lords — and kill King James I — foiled, Londoners lit bonfires around the city in celebration. This tradition continues to this day, and usually there’s an effigy of Guy Fawkes placed at the center of it. 

2. DAIZENJI TAMATAREGU SHRINE’S ‘ONIYO’ — FUKUOKA, JAPAN Fukuoka hosts one of its oldest fire festivals. Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine’s ‘Oniyo’ (Fire Festival) is a ceremony to drive away evil spirits that has been practiced for 1,600 years. It's held in early January each year. A ‘devil fire’ that has been guarded at the temple is transferred — at around 9 p.m. on the seventh day (Jan. 7) — to six massive torches measuring one meter in diameter and 15 meters long. It’s considered to be good luck if embers or ash from the torches fall on them. 

3. JEONGWOL DAEBOREUM DEULBUL FESTIVAL — JEJU, S. KOREA In early February, the Jeongwol Daeboreum Deulbul Festival takes place on the island of Jeju. It’s a fairly new festival, younger than 20 years old, but its origins go back to the time when families kept cows. To keep the grass grazeable, farmers set fire to the fields in the mountains to destroy old grass and kill harmful insects. Today, a hilltop is set alight to pray for health and a good harvest in the coming year. There's a torchlight march, strawrope making competition and deumdol (rock) lifting. 
 
4. DIWALI — INDIA The best-known Hindu festival is known as the “Festival of Lights.” Diwali (or Deepavali) means ‘rows of lighted lamps’ and, during this time, houses, shops and public places are decorated with diyas (small earthenware oil lamps), elaborate feasts are prepared and spectacular fireworks displays light up the skies. The five-day festival (Nov. 13-17 this year) celebrates the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated throughout India and around the world. 

5.. SAMHAIN 2012 Out of the Darkness — Altoona, Florida, USA. More than 500 pagans gather in Florida for the state's largest pagan festival. Running from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 at Camp Ocala, each day is filled with feasting, rituals, drumming, dancing and live entertainment. The main ritual in 2012 is centered around the ‘Burning Times’ when so-called ‘witches’ were put to death. 

6. QUEMA DEL DIABLO (BURNING OF THE DEVIL) — GUATEMALA In early December Guatemalans ready themselves for the Christmas season by...driving the devil from their homes and burning him in the streets! For centuries, the traditional ceremony has been performed to chase bad spirits from homes and neighborhoods. By watching bonfires, firework displays and burning devil figures in the streets, locals say they are spiritually cleansing themselves. 

7. OTTERY ST MARY — DEVON, ENGLAND In the small town of Ottery St Mary, the bonfire and fireworks are not the focal point of the community’s celebrations. The local townspeople carry flaming barrels of tar through the streets. Traditionally, the barrels are set on fire at pubs and hotels around the town and a strict schedule is followed until midnight when the final barrel is carried in the square. 

8. UP HELLY AA, LERWICK — SHETLAND ISLANDS, SCOTLAND This festival is held on the last Tuesday of January (Jan 29 in 2013). Nearly 1,000 men march in ranks, carrying fencing posts topped in paraffin-soaked sacking. At 7.30 pm a rocket cresting over the Town Hall marks the start. Torches are lit, bands start playing and the men march with the Guizer Jarl (the head of the festival) who stands at the helm of a longship. Dragged to the burning site, the Guizer Jarl will leave his ship for it to be set alight. As the longship is engulfed by flames, the Vikings sing The Norseman's Home before heading to halls for feasts and warming drinks. 

9. BONFIRE NIGHT — NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA When English and Irish people, in search of a better life, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, they took their traditions with them. The English took Guy Fawkes Night, the Irish took Samhain and over time the traditions merged into Mischief Week. With a belief that certain types of naughty behavior (soaping windows, taking pins from gate hinges or stealing old tires for bonfires) is permitted at this time, many of Newfoundland & Labrador's close-knit communities hold bonfires and celebrations. 

10. SADEH — IRAN Sadeh (or Jashn-e Sadeh) is an ancient Zoroastrian festival. It honors the discovery of fire that defeated the forces of darkness and cold. Traditionally, festivities went on for three days and gifts of food were given to the poor. Today, Zoroastrians light bonfires, perform religious rituals around them and thank God for his blessings. It's usually celebrated in the Kushk-e Varjavand gardens in Karaj.

Fireworks light up Guy Fawkes’ Night

Ping pong bars are the new craze in Britain

Ping pong bars are the new craze in Britain

    Several celebrities have become fans of a new tipsy table tennis fad, imported from America.
    The fans of the ping pong bar include celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Mike Myers, Elle Macpherson, Scarlett Johansson and Pippa Middleton, who has even been to one on a date. In the heart of London, Bounce has 17 table tennis tables, a 40-feet-long bar, restaurant seating for 130 people, as well as a private members’ room. At £26 an hour for a table during peak times, it sounds pricey, but discounted prices are available for members. Well, it could be the next big hit in the social scene. Played at trendy club bars across Britain, it seems to enjoy a nicer profile than table tennis.

In a first-of-its-kind event, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) in association with Times Innovative Media Ltd. (TIM) hosted a soirée in Cannes on October 22nd, 2012, which presented the advertising opportunities available at the airport

A flying start

DELHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LTD. MAKES ITS PRESENCE FELT AT CANNES

In a first-of-its-kind event, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) in association with Times Innovative Media Ltd. (TIM) hosted a soirée in Cannes on October 22nd, 2012, which presented the advertising opportunities available at the airport. The event that was held at the prestigious Hotel Majestic Barrière was attended by representatives of some of the world’s most renowned luxury brands.
    In recent years, the Indian economy has gained prominence on the world stage. The purchasing power of the middle class has grown by leaps and bounds. According to the Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study by Bain & Company 2012, luxury sales in India have grown by 25 per cent making it the new hotbed for luxury consumers.
    In such a booming scenario, DIAL has also emerged as a highly profitable retail space. A recent research report shows that sales at the airport have crossed USD 240 million in 2011, making it one of the biggest retail spaces in India. It also offers access to the ideal luxury consumer. Approximately, 80 per cent of the travellers are within the age group of 18-35 years of which 60 per cent are between 25-35 years. Out of the total number of travellers, 36 per cent are mid-tosenior level officers while 30 per cent represent businessmen and industrialists. “Over the last couple of years, we've realised that the success of the airport is based on a customer’s experience,” says Romy Juneja, Chief Commercial Officer, Delhi International Airport (P) Limited. “It’s become very product-centric. So, to make it experience-centric, we thought of developing a trinity function, i.e. the airport, the advertising/promotion company and the brand. If all three are in sync, it would be a win-win for us,” he says. Activities for the brands include activations for existing players in terms of new product launches or ongoing promotions, as well as presenting new brands at the airport.
    With the event at Cannes, the first of its kind organised by any airport in the world, one expects that more and more brands will explore India for business opportunities. Rohit Chopra, CEO, TIMDAA (a joint venture company incorporated by Delhi International Airport Ltd. and Times Innovative Media Ltd.) said, “In line with the long-term strategy to establish a forum to connect with global audiences, Times OOH showcased to global luxury brands the merits and opportunities available to advertise at Delhi International Airport Ltd. We are extremely pleased with the interest shown by the brands and expect to see their presence at the airport in the near future.”
OPTIONS GALORE 164 display options in T1 and 227 in T3 that include: Lightboxes Spectaculars Scrollers Totems Aerobridges 227 digital units 13 experience zones Sponsorshops (wall clocks and MATVs)

A view of T3

The Versace store at the airport

Romy Juneja addresses the audience

The TFWA World Exhibition 2012 heralded the start of its annual event by hosting a cocktail gathering at Palm Beach in Cannes

ATTENDED BY A RECORD NUMBER OF VISITORS, THE 28TH EDITION OF THE ANNUAL TAX FREE WORLD ASSOCIATION (TFWA) WORLD EXHIBITION HELD AT CANNES WAS AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS

The TFWA World Exhibition 2012 heralded the start of its annual event by hosting a cocktail gathering at Palm Beach in Cannes. A host of leisure activities such as golf, hiking, wine tasting, a workshop on perfumes and many more were planned for delegates on the day before the event, which served as an ideal networking platform.
    The exhibition and conference began on October 22nd at the Palais des Festivals, also the venue of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The year saw participation by 462 companies, who in turn presented an array of products across categories like fragrances and cosmetics, wine and spirits, fashion, accessories, fine foods and electronics. The event awarded visitors with an exclusive preview to a host of beauty launches set for release in 2013 including those by brands like La Prairie, Clarins, Art Deco, Guerlain, Cartier, Versace, Nina Ricci and Salvatore Ferragamo among others.
    In keeping with the latest technological advances, the venue witnessed the launch of new aids such as navigation touchscreens at exhibition villages, an online product show and various mobile apps. The number of trade visitors exceeded 6,000 rendering the exhibition and conference a grand success.
    Look out for the detailed event coverage in the December issue of
Time ’n Style Beauty.
FACT FILE A total of 462 companies exhibited at the event 70 per cent of the total exhibitors were key duty-free and travel retail operators The number of visitors surpassed 6,000 as opposed to 5,868 last year Visitors were seen from countries like France, UK, Germany, UAE, USA, Korea, Russia, Netherlands, Spain and Italy

Gorakh Hill Station - Sindh Pakistan

Gorakh Hill Station - Sindh Pakistan

Gorakh is an under-Development Hill Station of Sindh, Pakistan. It is situated at an elevation of 5,688 ft (1,734 m). in the Kirthar Mountains Range's Sindh Segment, 93 km north west of Dadu city. Gorakh Hill Station is situated on one of the highest plateaus of Sindh, spread over 2,500 acres (10 km2), and due its surroundings, a unique adventure point for nature lovers.

Funny Mice And Women

Tourism gets a magical boost

Tourism gets a magical boost

About Magic Holidays

Magic Holidays (www.magicholidays.info) has a unique holiday programme. It is affiliated with the Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and offers access to over 4,500 destinations across the world About Panoramic Group The group (www.panoramicworld.biz) is a multinational conglomerate engaged in the business of hospitality, travel, tourism, and information technology since 1997 DNA Correspondent Panoramic Group has aggressive business plans for its new vacation timeshare product, Magic Holidays. The company has more than 21 resorts in India and abroad; seven are underconstruction. “We are new in the Indian market, but have had a good year so far. We have grown more than five times the industry average and are now focusing on acquiring more resorts and hotels to give more options to our clients,” Hitesh Kshatriya, chief operating officer of Panoramic Group, said. Travel experiences such as eco-tourism, adventure tourism, desert and jungle safaris will drive the growth in tourism industry. Accordingly, the group has acquired properties in Kaziranga, Pench, Kanha and Corbett National Park. The group is upbeat about its future in the industry. It has identified more properties as part of its expansion plans. The company, to increase its visibility, has been undertaking aggressive marketing drives.