Category: Information

Open -Andre Agassi

Open – Andre Aggasi’s Autobiography teaches you so much about tennis and the life of a sportsman.

This autobiography interested me because There was so much to learn about the sport & about a personality who never liked Tennis. But played it anyway until he retired in 2006.

From the day he was born Andre’s Was born to be a tennis player, and at an age when you are still learning and enjoying your childhood.

Andre’s Father bet $10,000 on his son for a match against Jim Brown.

While the father went home to get the cash. A senior tennis club manager begged Jim Brown to lower his stakes…

The only thing Andre did was Play Tennis. A sport which he hated all his life. But, Became his life and became one of the few greats in Tennis we know today.

This blog ain’t about him personally, But on what do the different tournaments means, The different types of courts and the common terms that are used in tennis.

The first (and now oldest) tennis tournament was held at Wimbledon in 1877 and hence it’s called the Wimbledon and considered the prestigious Grand Slam. The Grand Slam tournaments are the four most important annual tennis events. The Grand Slam consists of the Australian Open in mid-January, the French Open in May and June, Wimbledon in June and July, and the US Open in August and September. Each tournament is played over a period of two weeks.

The matches in the Wimbledon

are known as Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s singles and doubles.

and not the men’s and women’s singles and doubles as known in the other tournaments.

Trivia on the Wimbledon:

1. An important Wimbledon Member Rufus the Hawak flies around the court each day to move on any trouble-making pigeons.

2.34,000kg of strawberries and 10,000 litres of cream are consumed at Wimbledon.- Strawberry & Cream

The Types of surfaces in tennis – There are mainly 4 types of surfaces. clay courts, hard courts, grass courts and carpet courts.

Wimbledon is the only tournament in tennis that still since 1877.uses the Grass courts. Grass courts are the fastest type of courts. And another reason why they aren’t used in any of the other Grand slams (Australian Open from 1905 to 1987, the US Open from 1881 to 1974) It’s because it is difficult to maintain and the cost of maintenance is very high.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament to use clay courts.

Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce.

hard courts have been in use at the Australian Open since 1988 and the US Open since 1978.

“Carpet” Yes that makes you wonder – What type of court would this be in fact in it tennis means any removable court covering. Since 2009, their use has been discontinued on the top tier of the ATP.

I am sure, you must have come across these terms, and for someone who doesn’t follow tennis, this is what the terms related to the term ‘Grand Slam‘ really mean.

* ‘Grand Slam’– Winning all 4 Grand Slams of the year

* ‘Golden Slam‘- Winning all 4 Grand Slams along with an Olympic gold       medal in the same year

* ‘Super Slam’– Winning all 4 Grand Slams along with the ATP/WTA finals in the same year.

* ‘Calendar  Slam‘- Winning the Slam in the same year or in a single year

* ‘Non-Calendar Slam’-Winning the slam in a period of 12 months

* ‘Career Slam‘- Winning the slam overall in the career i.e. winning all the    events of a slam in the career once

They are each called “Grand Slam tournaments” because they are the tournaments that make up the “Grand Slam”.

Food Tasting – Being the Food Taster!

Food Taster –  Perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine the physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products.

I Don’t know exactly when I became a trustworthy food taster. Ever since I tasted food on my pallete. I Criticised food to be nearly perfect according to my taste buds.

This was much more Masterchef or cooking shows being popular.

Right from my teenage First for my Mom -( kitchen701)Tasting food and giving the feedback to get the perfect meal out of it.

Indian,Chinese and continental – The Salt,The cheese and the richness of the food.

Than slowly became a taster for Mami’s Baking (Teaser) criticising the sweetness,The missing element and ocassinally the texture – Whether its too soft or hard.

This I hardly knew,One day would help me professionally too and when I began working with an Luxury events & Wedding company. And Given the profile of F&B (Food & Beverage ) For most of the projects I have done so far.

I hardly knew – It could become a challenge and my taste matters

So for an upcoming wedding – We had to do a food tasting to choose the menu from the shortlisted Caterer. And to be really honest.I was tired of eating – (6 Types of starters,5 Mocktails,Indian Chaat,Tasting Molecular Gastronomy food,Nibbling on indian food and trying out the desserts ) It was an interesting evening and after the initial tasting when the couple realised we were on the same page.They trusted us to try and choose from the rest of the menu.When they couldn’t eat more.

Also the whole experience was wonderful with the complete banquet space being booked solely for the client & us. The set up too was done like what the actual one would be like.

This particular experience has been one of the most interesting one so far. And as they truly say – People in the wedding will remember the food & the experience the most.Rather than anything else.

Glass Menagerie Play @Prithvi

The Glass Menagerie a play that’s has been in production for more than five years. For more than two years I have been trying to watch the show.And yes finally watched it on Thursday 30th August at Prithvi theatres. The story is about love & loneliness revealing the story of family members whose lives form a triangle of quiet desperation.

Amanda played by (Shernaz Patel popular theatre artist.) is the widow mother with two children one son Tom played by (Jim Sarbh)Have you watched Sanju recently ? He is Sanju’s friend who introduces him to drugs .and daughter Laura played by (Ira Dubey)

Since the play is set in the 1950s  Amanda the mother is all worried about her daughter  shy and crippled daughter Laura, , who is living in her glass menagerie and her memories. The mother narrates her gentleman callers stories where she would be so popular and get so many calls everyday before she got married.

In the same bellied she ask her  son Tom, a poet with a job in the docks,  to find her sister a husband and if there is anyone at the docks who he could introduce to her sister. but when the long awaited gentleman caller does arrive, Laura’s romantic illusions are crushed. The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams’ , is one of his most powerful and moving plays.

The play opened at the Prithvi Theatre festival in 2013 and has since toured around the country, been showcased at the Hindu Festival and has played in Kuwait and the UAE.

Tom Clancy’s-Jack Ryan prime play Premiere’s

Jack Ryan- Tom Clancy’s novel character is now a Series for Amazon Prime Video. The premiere screening at PVR on Thursday was a peek into what you can expect out of the show and from amazon prime play in the next couple of months.

Jack Ryan an CIA analyst-Who uncover’s a pattern in terrorist communication that forces him into challenging situations.

The 1st episode was impressive for a Web series.In terms of the quality of production, sound and editing.

The character is based on Tom Clancy’s Novel’s who was featured in 21 novel’s.Which were Patriot Games,Red Rabbit and Dead or Alice to name a few.

Krasinki’s(Jack Ryan) character is also inspired by Harrison Ford portrayal in patriot games  and, clear and present danger.

The whole screening set up was based on the theme of the show with a feeling  that you have already landed in the battlefield.

At the screening the Goodie bag included (Jack Ryan bottles & T-Shirt and the Badges )was a nice giveaway.

The 1st season will be on air on 31st August 2018 only on Prime play.

And you shouldn’t be surprised to know that the season 2 was already signed by the production house,months before the 1st season’s marketing started.

Jack Ryan might just be the show,that would be the game changer for amazon prime

Weekend in Sri Lanka !

Having visited Sri Lanka five years ago.I was familiar with the city.

And the excitement of working on Project for a Destination that I would be visting again after a five years was on another level.

I did not know what to expect in the five years that had gone by .And after travelling extensively to all Major countries in the World. I really had no Idea what to expect from the country,Once I visit it again.

A Couple of weeks later,We were considering going for a Recce to Sri Lanka to finalise the venues & Hotel with the client.

We Landed in Sri lanka and the complete Journey was a revelation of how much the country had developed in terms of it’s infrastrcture expressways throughout Galle,Colombo to cities around sri lanka last time there were no such Roads like these.

Galle Fort was very much the same with quite a few restaurants newly opened and stores like Barefoot still being one of the stores to visit in Galle.

The Cricket Stadium being in the city and connecting the fort is something that most unusal about the City.

Visited some New places around Galle.

Mirissa – which is popular for the whale watching experience & Weligama where so many hotels chains have opened and are opening for the breathtaking view of the blue waters from the rooftop terraces.

Colombo felt like the city that has developed so much with real estate investments from around the world & within the country.So Many Hotels chains to have opened while some had gone through the reovations to still be considred as one of the hotel options to stay & experience their hospitality while others want the tourist & locals to experience thiers.

Ministry of Crab – The only Resturant in Sri lanka to be part of the Asia’s 50 Best Resturant 2017 And to have Sri Lanka on the World Map for it’s Food.. And the Man behind is the celebratory Chef Dharshan Mundaisa- Is behind the fame Resturant (Nihonbashi)

Ministry of Crab is in with Partnership with Sri lankan cricketers Mahela Jawardene & Kumar Sangakkara.

I also had the opporunity to meet Mahela Jawardene at the Ministry of crab when we visited the restaurant during our visit.

Dharshan Mundaisa has also partnered with Jacquline ferandez for Keamesutra another restaurant that specialises in Japanese Food at the Shangri-la Colombo.

Dutch Hospital Street is the most lively street to be on weekend with live music performances,Bars and a resturants to choose from.

Sri lanka has more to offer than just Cinamon & Tea.

It’s the Goa of Sri Lanka .